Fans lambast Toolz on Twitter for promising to display her nudes to celebrate Arsenal’s win tonight (Vanguard)
Celebrity On-Air-personality, Toolz Oniru, has promised to post her nakedness, if Arsenal football club of England wins Crystal Palace football club, on Friday night; a promise her fans are not impressed with.
The English premier league, which kicks up with a game between Arsenal and Crystal Palace on Friday night, has a huge followership in Nigeria, and a lot of celebrities, including Toolz, are either supporting one football club or the other.
Toolz, in her bid to show how passionate she is about Arsenal, vowed to do the unthinkable to celebrate, if her team wins their first game against Crystal Palace.
“If Arsenal beats Crystal Palace today, I’m posting my nudes” Toolz promised on Twitter. Read more
Rampaging cultists kill 3 in Lagos community (Punch)
Landlords, residents and business owners in the Agboyi area of Alapere, Lagos State, have been living in fear as three residents have been killed in clashes between suspected cultists.
The victims include a father of three, identified only as Oluwole; a man, identified simply as Labalaba, and a yet-to-be-identified tricycle operator.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the fight between suspected members of the Eiye and Aiye cults had been ongoing for a while in the community.
Our correspondent, who visited Alapere on Thursday, gathered that the cultists usually operated in the day and at night. Read more
4 burnt to death, 16 injured in Lagos-Ibadan expressway accident (DailyTrust)
Four persons were reportedly burnt beyond recognition on Friday while 16 others sustained injuries in a lone accident along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Our correspondent gathered that the accident occurred at 7.50am around Oniworo after the Foursquare camp along the highway.
The driver of the Mazda bus marked APP 934 XH reportedly crashed into the median strip due to speeding and the bus went up in flames.
The spokesman for the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ogun Command, Florence Okpe, confirmed the crash in a statement on Friday in Abeokuta. Read more
Lagos advocates exclusive breastfeeding for babies (Punch)
The Lagos State Government has advocated the sustenance of exclusive breastfeeding by strengthening the capacity of stakeholders, policymakers, healthcare providers, and community influencers, to promote and support the practice across the different levels of society.
According to a statement on Thursday, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Olusegun Ogboye, stated this during a press briefing organised to outline planned activities of the state government to commemorate the 2022 World Breastfeeding Week.
Ogboye added that the government would continue to inform, educate and empower sector players to provide and sustain breastfeeding-friendly environments.
He said, “The theme for the 2022 World Breastfeeding Week, ‘Step up for breastfeeding: Educate and support,’ was carefully selected as it focuses on strengthening the capacity to protect, promote and support breastfeeding across different levels of society. These actors make up the warm chain of breastfeeding support, and they include policymakers, healthcare providers and influencers in communities. Read more
Sanitary pads should be free, says actress (Nation)
Nollywood actress Victoria Nwogu has called on the National Assembly to pass a bill subsidising sanitary pads for women and girls in Nigeria saying a lot of them in the lower class use tissue papers because they cannot afford pads.
Despite making an impact through her NGO, Victoria Nwogu Outreach, the actress further made a case for her gender saying, “ I speak from the angle of a young Nigerian girl, who had her secondary school education in an all-girls boarding school. Some infections occur due to hygiene defaults, this is a grossly underrated issue; medically some of these infections can over time cause damage to the female fertility organs, certainly a woman’s worst nightmare. A lot of women and girls in the lower class use tissue paper because they cannot afford pads. In some stores in Lagos Island, for instance, sanitary pads are sold for as high as N1000 even the middle class suffer from the expenses of period products.”
Continuing, Nwogu said, “There are countless stories of girls who skip schools and women who skip working or business hours in fear of being stained because they cannot afford sanitary products. Menstruation matters to everyone. The inflation in Nigeria has worsened the situation. Even the average Nigerian is feeling the heat.”
Nwogu further said she seeks to raise awareness among the government, organisations, and corporations concerned, asking that sanitary pads should be free for girls. Read more
Atiku wouldn’t have been Nigerian if not referendum — Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer (Vanguard)
Mr Aloy Ejimakor, Special Counsel to the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafran, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has argued that but for referendum, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubarkar, would not have been a Nigerian citizen.
Ejimofor, who stated this in a post on his Twitter handle, argued that peaceful agitation for self determination “is legitimate” and recognised by the United Nations.
He further argued that the recent opinion of the United Nations, asking Nigeria to unconditionally release Kanu and pay him compensations for illegal detention, was an endorsement of the referendum as a legitimate tool for resolving agitation for autonomy.
Kanu’s lawyer who maintained that referendum was not new in Nigeria, wondered why the current leadership of the country is reluctant to conduct a referendum for Biafra forgetting that Adamawa State only became part of Nigeria through referendum. Read more
Girl, 16, donates N150k to Sickle Cell Foundation (DailyTrust)
A 16-years-old girl, Adeola Oyeyemi Adejare, has donated N150,000 to the Sickle Cell Foundation in Nigeria as her contribution towards addressing the plight of persons affected by sickle cell disease in the country.
The donation was received by the Chief Executive Officer of the Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria, Dr. Annette Akinsete and Programme Coordinator, Babatunde Anthony.
Adeola said she was motivated to make the donation from her savings because she was desirous of helping others who may not be fortunate to enjoy access to the kind of treatments she gets in the United States where she lives.
According to her “I live in the US where I’m fortunate to have access to different types of doctors, medical devices, and hospitals. I knew that there were other places in the world that have the knowledge to treat people like me, but not the money or equipment.” Read more
Israel to commence regular direct flights to Nigeria (Tribune)
Israel and Nigeria have concluded arrangements to commence regular direct flights to Nigeria soon.
The Israeli Tourism Minister, Yoel Razvozov disclosed this recently in Jerusalem during a meeting with the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), Rev Dr Yakubu Pam.
The Tourism Minister explained that the initial plan was to operate only charter flights between both countries, but the major focus now is to operationalise regular direct flights between the two countries.
Their meeting was primarily centred on a mutually beneficial relationship between both countries which were hinged on how to operate regular flights by a Nigerian airline. Read more
Lami Dimka, Gowon’s elder sister, is dead (DailyTrust)
Mrs Maryamu Lami Dimka, elder sister to General Yakubu Gowon, former Military Head of State, is dead.
Dimka, who was wife to the Late Commissioner of Police, Mr SK Dimka, died on Wednesday.
She is survived by children Mrs Elizabeth Rimdans, one time Resident Electoral Commissioner to Anambra & Bauchi States, Ms Margaret Dimka & Mr Philip Dimka, many grandchildren & great grandchildren.
Other surviving relations include Nigeria Airways Capt (Rtd), Moses Gowon & Dr Dawuda Gowon.
She was a Matron in the Women’s Hostel of the now Ahmadu Bello University in the 60s.
She was also active as a member & official of many organisations including The Nigeria Red Cross, Young Women’s Christian Association, Bible Translation, The Bible Society. Read more
Nicole Kidman to remain face of AMC movie theatres (Today)
Nicole Kidman will continue to be the face of AMC Theatres for one more year, according to a report by Variety.
Adam Aron, AMC Entertainment chairman and CEO, announced the news on Thursday during an earnings call with investors.
The 55-year-old actor starred in a beloved commercial for the movie chain, urging viewers to return to the theater amid the pandemic.
In the minute-long ad that plays before films, a dreamy Kidman wanders around an empty theater, while a voiceover recites a dramatic monologue about the power of movie magic. Read more
Snoop Dogg to star in and produce sports comedy film ‘The Underdoggs’ (NME)
Snoop Dogg is set to star in The Underdoggs, a comedy film based on an original concept he pitched with his producing partner, Constance Schwartz-Morini.
According to Deadline, the film has since been picked up by the production company Metro Goldwyn Mayer. Black-ish creator Kenya Barris has signed-on to co-produce the film alongside the rapper, while Drumline‘s Charles Stone will direct it, based off a screenplay by Danny Segal and Isaac Schamis.
Snoop based The Underdoggs‘ synopsis on his own experience as a youth football coach, centring the film around a former NFL player who agrees to manage a children’s football team to avoid time in prison. A theatrical release for the film is scheduled for October 2023.
In a statement, Snoop said the film was a “real personal project” for him, referencing his decade-and-a-half run coaching football with the Snoop Youth Football League, which he started with Schwartz-Morini. Read more
Eminem, 50 Cent and Dr. Dre reunite on ‘Curtain Call 2’ collab ‘Is This Love (’09)’ (HipHopDX)
Eminem, 50 Cent and Dr. Dre have reunited on an unearthed song called “Is This Love (’09),” from Slim Shady’s newly-released compilation album Curtain Call 2.
As the title suggests, the track was originally recorded in 2009 — the same year Eminem made his post-Encore comeback with Relapse — and finds the close-knit trio connecting for a playful song about romantic and sexual infatuation
“Girl, I’m diggin’ your whole MO/Give me a go, you’re throwing’ innuendo/Keep sending’ me smoke signals/Everything’s movin’, spinning in slow M-O-T-I-O-N,” Em raps over bouncy production from Dr. Dre, Mark Batson and Trevor Lawrence Jr.
50 Cent, meanwhile, channels his inner Slim Shady with a rapid-fire, acronym-riddled verse full of shock value. Judging by at least one lyric, 50 recorded his rhymes much later than ’09. Read more
Kevin Spacey to pay $30m to ‘House of Cards’ company after being fired for alleged sexual misconduct (People)
Kevin Spacey has been ordered to pay $31 million to the producers of Netflix’s House of Cards after he was fired from the series following alleged sexual misconduct behind the scenes.
On Thursday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mel Red Recana ordered the actor, 63, to pay $29.5 million in damages and an additional $1.5 million in attorney’s fees and costs, according to court documents seen by PEOPLE.
House of Cards producer MRC severed ties with Spacey in 2017, following multiple allegations of sexually predatory behavior against the actor. The organization began an investigation after allegations arose that Spacey had sexually assaulted and preyed upon young men, including a production assistant on the series.
Spacey was then ordered to pay the studio in 2020 for breach of contract after violating the company’s sexual harassment policy. At the time, MRC claimed Spacey cost them millions in lost profits after his misconduct forced them to remove him from the series and cut the sixth season of House of Cards down by five episodes. Read more
DC’s The Flash still going ahead despite ongoing Ezra Miller controversies (BelfastTelegraph)
Warner Bros’ superhero blockbuster The Flash is still going ahead amid ongoing controversies surrounding its star Ezra Miller.
Franchise boss David Zaslav said the studio was “very excited” about a spate of upcoming films including Black Adam, Shazam! Fury Of The Gods and The Flash.
It comes after the surprise news that DC would be scrapping its upcoming Batgirl film, filmed entirely in Glasgow, months before it was due to be released in late 2022.
“We have seen The Flash, Black Adam and Shazam 2,” Zaslav said, according to Variety, during the company’s Q2 earnings call on Thursday. Read more
Ukraine forces endangering civilians: Amnesty (France24)
Ukrainian forces are violating international law and endangering civilians by establishing bases in residential areas, including in schools and hospitals, Amnesty International said Thursday, drawing a furious response from Kyiv.
Kyiv said the rights group was drawing a “false equivalency” between the actions of Russia’s invading forces and Ukrainians defending their homeland.
Amnesty had tried to “amnesty the terrorist state and shift the responsibility from the aggressor to the victim”, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said later on Thursday in his daily address.
“There is no condition, even hypothetically, under which any Russian strike on Ukraine becomes justified. Aggression against our state is unprovoked, invasive and terrorist. Read more
Doctor Who’s Matt Smith isn’t too fussed about Morbius flopping (DigitalSpy)
Morbius didn’t exactly set the world alight, nor the box office, nor Sony’s Spider-Man universe. Matt Smith, however, is completely unbothered by its status as a certified flop.
As the Doctor Who star prepares for the premiere of Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon – whose ultimate success is almost baked in – Matt has admitted that while he thinks Morbius “was thrown under the bus”, he’s alright with that.
Speaking ahead of House of the Dragon’s release, in which he plays King Viserys’ younger brother Prince Daemon Targaryen, Smith told Rolling Stone that his Morbius philosophy is “it is what it is”.
“Yeah, it was thrown under the bus,” the actor said of the movie’s response. “But you just have to roll with it. What else are you gonna do?” Read more
CWG: Amusan in bright title defence, Brume, Usoro in long jump final (Nation)
World record holder Tobi Amusan has begun her title defense with a bright start in the women’s 100m hurdles at the ongoing 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Amusan, who is the title holder, started her campaign in heat 3, where she ran 12.40secs to win her heat at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham.
Ese Brume and Ruth Usoro also secured their place in the women’s long jump final.
Brume, who competed in Group A, finished second with a jump of 6.81m behind Ghana’s Deborah Acquah who topped the group with a jump of 8.85m. Read more
CWG: Nigeria’s Oluwafemiayo claims gold in powerlifting (Punch)
Nigeria’s Folashade Oluwafemiayo has clinched the gold medal for Nigeria in the women’s heavyweight powerlifting event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Folashade broke the world record after lifting 130kg, 150kg and 155kg to score a cumulative 123.4 points, to win another gold for Nigeria, Thursday evening.
Nigeria won the gold and silver medals in the event, with Bose Omolayo finishing second behind her compatriot to make it a Nigerian 1-2. Omolayo had lifted 145kg and scored 115.2 points to get on the podium.
Watson Hani of Australia clinched the bronze medal. Read more
Costa Rica: 21 Falconets depart for Costa Rica (Sun)
Ever-present African flag bearers Nigeria departed the shores of the country on Thursday evening for this year’s FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals taking place in Costa Rica.
Coach Chris Danjuma has picked team captain Oluwatosin Demehin and 20 others – an overwhelming majority of whom were involved in the lengthy qualifying series – to wear Nigeria’s colours at the 19 –day championship.
The Falconets had to scale the hurdles presented by Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Cameroon and Senegal, winning six of seven matches (they only drew with Cameroon in Douala) to be eligible to fly Africa’s flag once more at the finals in central America.
Nigeria will play France, Canada and Korea Republic in Group C of the 16-natio tournament starting on 10th August, while 2018 runners-up Spain will tango with hosts Costa Rica, Australia and Brazil in Group A. Africa’s other flagbearers Ghana are up against Cup holders Japan, The Netherlands and three –time champions United States of America in Group D. Read more
Thomas Tuchel drops transfer hint as stance on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang emerges (Mirror)
Chelsea are set to lock horns with their old boss Frank Lampard when they get their Premier League campaign underway at Everton on Saturday night.
Current Blues chief Thomas Tuchel has been desperately trying to strengthen his squad in the transfer market, with defensive reinforcements the top priority after the Londoners lost the services of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen earlier this summer.
Although transfer activity has been slower than expected, the Blues are finally on an even keel following Todd Boehly’s takeover of the club and attention can now turn to the new domestic campaign, where Tuchel will be bidding to improve on last term’s third-placed finish. Here are the latest headlines from Stamford Bridge.
As the Blues close in on a deal reportedly worth around £60million for Brighton full-back Marc Cucurella, Tuchel has made it clear that there will be plenty more outgoings as well as incomings before the transfer window slams shut.
Fulham hold talks with Roma over deal for Dutch winger Justin Kluivert (DailyMail)
Fulham have held talks with Roma over a potential deal for their 23-year-old Dutch winger, Justin Kluivert.
Kluivert burst onto the scenes at Ajax before singing for Roma in 2018. However, he has been linked with a departure this summer after being frozen out of Jose Mourinho’s side.
Kluivert was excluded from Roma’s pre-season training camp and forced to take part session on his own while negotiations over his future took place.
West Ham manager David Moyes was one of the parties monitoring Kluivert’s situation at Roma this summer. Read more
Phoenix Mercury, Connecticut Sun observe 42 seconds of silence for Brittney Griner (ABC)
Members of the Phoenix Mercury and Connecticut Sun stood arm-in-arm in a circle at halfcourt before Thursday night’s WNBA game at Mohegan Sun Arena to observe “a 42-second moment of solidarity” for Mercury center Brittney Griner.
A Russian court sentenced Griner to nine years in prison earlier Thursday after she was found guilty of drug trafficking. She was arrested Feb. 17 for bringing cannabis into the country, where she has long competed during the WNBA’s off-season.
Many players on both teams wiped away tears during the emotional pregame ceremony, which called for the release of Griner and other Americans being detained in Russia.
As the players locked arms at halfcourt, the Sun’s public address announcer said the teams hoped “to recognize the gravity of the moment and collectively send [Griner] strength.” Read more
Emma Raducanu seals big win and valuable ranking points in Washington ahead of US Open (Tennis365)
She didn’t have it all her own way in both sets, but Emma Raducanu showed a lot of encouraging signs during her second round win over Camila Osorio at the Citi Open.
Backing up one good display with another has been few and far between for Raducanu since her US Open win at Flushing Meadows last September, but the teenager has now produced two solid back-to-back performances in Washington DC.
Having beaten qualifier Louisa Chirico in straight sets on Tuesday, the British No 1 followed it up with a battling 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-4) win in two hours and 50 minutes over world No 67 Osorio.
Raducanu was quick off the mark as, after a comfortable hold, she played a solid return game to find herself 15-40 up and she broke at the second time of asking before an excellent service game saw her go 3-0 up. Read more