Families throng Lagos cemetery as fallen tree breaks graves (Punch)
A windstorm, which uprooted an ancient tree at Abari Cemetery, in the Lagos Island East Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, has disrupted the peace and quiet in the public burial ground.
PUNCH Metro gathered that no fewer than 50 graves were damaged by the tree, which broke into some of the vaults. The tree was said to be over a century old.
Our correspondent learnt that workers at the cemetery had closed for the day when the windstorm fell the tree around 9 pm.
Shortly after the tree fell, there was a downpour in the area. Read more
Lagos communities fret over exposed vandalised petroleum pipeline (Guardian)
Eight days after commercial activities were grounded in Ikotun and environs following heavy flow of Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) from a vandalised pipeline into Omoboriowo Street, and Prince Adeyemi Street off Governor Road, Ikotun, residents are still in panic mode.
The residents, who were forced indoors last week, to avoid fire outbreak, said the vandalised site has remained uncovered.
They were worried that government has not dealt decisively with activities of vandals and miscreants, who siphon petroleum products from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline. Read more
VAT collection row: Wike talks tough, Lagos defends bill as FIRS writes National Assembly (Punch)
The crisis over the Value Added Tax deepened on Wednesday with the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, ordering companies based in the state to start paying VAT to the state government.
Wike gave the order during a stakeholders’ meeting in Port Harcourt with representatives of Shell Petroleum Development Company and other oil companies as well as business owners in the state.
The governor, who accused the Federal Inland Revenue Service of threatening companies based in the state, said any organisation that failed to pay VAT to the state would be sealed off. Read more
How NDLEA intercepted N6bn narcotics meant for insurgents in Lagos port (Guardian)
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), yesterday, gave graphic details of how loads of Captagon, a brand of Amphetamine meant for insurgents’ camps in Nigeria were intercepted by its operatives at the Apapa port in Lagos.Marwa at a briefing to update the public on the recent seizure, said one suspect was arrested in the operation led by Apapa Port Area Commander, Samuel Gadzama, while the seized illicit narcotics concealed in a machine from Lebanon was worth N6 billion.
He condemned the evil intent of those behind importation of the illicit substance into the country at a very critical time when the nation is facing security challenges, and vowed that the agency would not rest until those connected to the consignment are arrested and prosecuted. Read more
Nigeria records 750 newborn deaths daily – pediatrician (DailyTrust)
A Professor of Pediatrics at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Tinuade Adetutu Ogunlesi, says at least 750 newborn deaths are recorded daily in Nigeria.
Ogunlesi particularly hinted that about 275,000 babies die within the first 28 days of life annually in Nigeria.
This, he pointed out, translates to 31 newborn deaths per hour.
Ogunlesi, who disclosed this while delivering the 97th OOU Inaugural Lecture at the Otunba Gbenga Daniel Lecture Theatre, Main Campus, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, described the neonatal mortality as “gruesome and sad reality.”
The Lecture entitled, “Ikunle-Abiyamo (Childbirth) and the Twenty-Eight-Day Journey: The Chances and the Choices,” was presided over by the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Ganiyu Olatunji Olatunde. Read more
Gunmen abduct three Obasanjo’s workers in Ogun (Punch)
Gunmen have kidnapped three workers of former President Olusegun Obasanjo at a village in Abeokuta on Wednesday.
A source told our correspondent on Wednesday that the gunmen waylaid the three workers at the Obasanjo Holdings in Kobape in the Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area.
The source said the workers abducted are the financial controller, group auditor and group store manager of the firm.
The source said, “They were abducted around 4pm at Seseri village after their Hilux car was shot at by the gunmen, who took them away. Read more
Officer shot dead inside Kano police station (DailyTrust)
A Police officer identified as Sergeant Basharu Alhassan has been shot dead at Warawa Divisional Police Headquarters in Kano.
Yakubu was said to have been killed by one Inspector Ya’u Yakubu, his colleague at the division.
While confirming the incident, the spokesman of the Kano state Police Command, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said the deceased was rushed to Wudil General Hospital where he was confirmed dead by doctors.
Kiyawa added that the inspector was immediately arrested. Read more
Jennifer Lawrence pregnant with first child with husband Cooke Maroney (PageSix)
JLaw is gonna be a new maw.
Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence is having her first baby with husband Cooke Maroney, her rep told Page Six.
The 31-year-old “Hunger Games” actress tied the knot with the 37-year-old art gallery owner in Rhode Island two years ago after sporting an engagement ring designed by a New York jeweler.
The couple has been spotted around Manhattan regularly, doing everything from buying groceries on the Lower East Side to walking around town in matching outfits. Read more
Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes ‘lied and cheated’, trial hears (BBC)
Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes “lied and cheated” for money and fame, prosecutors alleged on the first day of the former Silicon Valley star’s trial.
Ms Holmes faces 12 fraud charges over her role at the now-defunct blood-testing firm which was once worth $9bn.
She is accused of deceiving investors and patients by claiming Theranos could detect common illnesses using just a few drops of blood from a finger prick.
Her lawyers said she was simply a naive businesswoman whose firm failed. Read more
20 years on, scars of 9/11 still raw for Arab and Muslim New Yorkers (France24)
In the days that followed the September 11 attacks, America’s state of shock quickly turned into calls for vengeance. Even before the War on Terror spread across the globe, Arab and Muslim Americans felt the backlash at home — and many in New York City are still navigating those waters today.
The attacks may have taken place twenty years ago, but memories of September 11, 2001 still bring tears to Rabyaah Al-Thaibani’s eyes.
Al-Thaibani, who immigrated to New York from Yemen with her family as a child, was working at the Arab-American Family Support Center, a nonprofit based in the Arab-American enclave of downtown Brooklyn. Just across the river was lower Manhattan, then with the iconic Twin Towers studding the skyline. Read more
Cindy Crawford recreates iconic 1992 Pepsi ad for charity (PageSix)
Cindy Crawford’s still got it.
The supermodel, 55, returned to the original location of her iconic 1992 Pepsi advertisement to recreate the image for a good cause.
Posing in a tight white tank top, cutoff jean shorts and pointy red stilettos in front of the Halfway House Café in Santa Clarita, Calif., Crawford looks like she hasn’t aged a day in 29 years. It helps that hairstylist Peter Savic — who created the voluminous curls in the original ad — was on hand to style her brunette locks once again.
Celebrity makeup artist Sam Visser gave Crawford that trademark matte ’90s makeup as well, while photographer David Yarrow ensured the recreation came together seamlessly. Read more
Malawi fears its COVID vaccines will expire due to hesitancy (VOA)
Malawi health authorities fear vaccine hesitancy could lead to tens of thousands of COVID-19 jabs expiring early next month. With just 2% of Malawi’s population vaccinated, authorities hope to increase uptake by deploying mobile vaccination clinics to bring the vaccine closer to people.
Malawi has so far received just over 1.2 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines under the COVAX facility.
But vaccine hesitancy in Malawi is widespread largely because of misperceptions of the jabs’ efficacy and safety.
Dr. Gift Kawalazira, who heads Health and Social Services at the Blantyre Health Office, says there’s yet another reason for the low vaccination rate. Read more
Canada federal election: Party leaders spar in first national debate (BBC)
Canadian federal party leaders clashed over vaccines, climate policy and the economy in the first national TV debate of this general election campaign.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called a snap election in August, launching a 35-day sprint to the ballot box.
He headed into the French-language debate tied with Conservative leader Erin O’Toole in national opinion polls.
The debate comes at a pivotal moment with two weeks left before Canadians cast their ballots. Read more
US Open: Emma Raducanu reaches semi-finals by beating Belinda Bencic (BBC)
British teenager Emma Raducanu continued her fairytale run at the US Open by reaching the semi-finals with a dominant straight-set win over Swiss 11th seed Belinda Bencic.
Raducanu, 18, again showed all of her quality and composure in a 6-3 6-4 win.
Victory means she will rise to the cusp of the world’s top 50 and become the British women’s number one.
Raducanu will play Maria Sakkari in Thursday’s semis after the Greek beat Czech fourth seed Karolina Pliskova.
It will be the second of the women’s singles semi-finals and will be played about 21:00 local time in New York (02:00 BST, Friday). Read more
Stoppage time equaliser cancels out Harry Kane stunner as England held in Poland (Metro)
Harry Kane scored a fantastic opener for England but it was not enough to beat Poland in Warsaw as the home side scored an equaliser in stoppage time to pinch a 1-1 draw in World Cup qualification.
It looked like Kane’s long range effort on 72 minutes was going to be enough for the Three Lions, but substitute Damian Szymański rose to nod in a header from an excellent Robert Lewandowski cross in the 92nd minute to rescue a draw.
The home side were clearly trying to make things as difficult and unpleasant as possible for their guests, with tackles flying in throughout the contest. Read more
Kean scores twice as Italy make sure of setting unbeaten run record (BBC)
European champions Italy became the first national team to go 37 games without defeat as they thrashed Lithuania in a World Cup qualifier.
There were suggestions the Azzurri had broken the record during last Sunday’s goalless draw with Switzerland.
However, Roberto Mancini’s side ended any doubt, with Everton’s Moise Kean – on loan at Juventus – scoring twice.
Giovanni di Lorenzo, Giacomo Raspadori and Edgaras Utkuse’s own goal sealed Italy’s first win since Euro 2020. Read more
Federations’ elections to hold Sept 30 (Punch)
The Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has announced that elections into sporting federations will hold September 30.
The date for the elections was disclosed in a letter dated September 8 and addressed to all federations’ secretaries-general by the Acting Director, Federations and Elite Athletes Department, Simon Ebhojiaye, which was seen by our correspondent.
According to the sports ministry, six federations that already have their constitutions ratified by the international bodies will use same in conducting their elections, while the other federations will use the sports ministry’s guidelines for the elections. Read more
Naomi Osaka spotted at gun range in first appearance since US Open shocker (NYPost)
Naomi Osaka is dabbling in other activities during her break from tennis.
Just five days after falling to teen sensation Leylah Fernandez at the US Open, Osaka was spotted Tuesday at The Target Range, a shooting range in Van Nuys, Calif., according to photos obtained by The Post.
Photos show the 23-year-old tennis star and an unidentified companion leaving the establishment.
Osaka was dressed in a dark ensemble that included leggings, a hat, Nike jersey tee and swoosh sneakers. Read more
England fan who racially abused black players after Euro 2020 final spared jail (Metro)
An England fan who posted racist comments on social media blaming three black players for the Euro 2020 final penalty shoot-out defeat has been spared jail.
Scott McCluskey, 43, updated his Facebook status shortly after the loss to Italy on July 11, saying: ‘Well it took three ethnic players to f*** it up. Unlucky England. Sack them three monkeys.’
Young Three Lions stars Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho were all targeted with racist abuse on social media after missing spot kicks. Read more