Herbalist remanded for duping woman seeking child (DailyTrust)
A Kano State magistrates’ court sitting in Kura has remanded a herbalist, Haruna Tahir, in a correctional centre for allegedly defrauding a woman who came to him seeking for herbs to aid her conceive.
The defendant was arraigned by the police on a three-count charge bordering on defrauding, frightening and duping the woman.
The prosecutor, Insp Nasiru Dan Sokoto, said the defendant allegedly extorted the woman because she was desperate to get a child as she had been married for a long time without giving birth. Read more
Lagos task force clamps down on street traders in Oshodi, Apongbon (Vanguard)
The Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Unit, tagged Task Force, yesterday, removed illegal traders from the highways, roadsides, kerbs and railway tracks across various parts of the metropolis, through enforcement exercises.
The simultaneous operations, which were supervised by the Chairman of the agency, Chief Superintendent of Police Shola Jejeloye, was as a result of the directives of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to government environmental enforcement agencies saddled with the responsibility of restoring sanity on the walkways, highways and rail tracks.
Jejeloye disclosed that several notices were served to traders, especially those at the Oshodi rail track where the agency carried out a sensitization warning on May 23, 2023, to discourage them from returning to the tracks. Read more
Lagos airport runway light stolen, 7 suspended (Punch)
Unknown persons have allegedly carted away the recently reinstalled airfield lighting systems at the domestic runway 18r/36L of Murtala Muhammad Airport.
The PUNCH gathered that the disappearance of the approach lighting systems had raised security concerns in Nigeria’s busiest airports.
According to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity, those who carted away the lighting systems took advantage of the closure of the runway for over three months. Read more
Presidential Poll: APC already preparing for re-run — LP (Vanguard)
The National Chairman of the Labour Party, Mr. Julius Abure, has urged members of the party to be alert, following information available to him that the All Progressives Congress, APC, was already preparing for a possible re-run of the 2023 presidential election.
This, he explained, was because the ruling party was aware the tide was heavily tilted against it in the ongoing legal challenge to the presidential election results as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Abure said this during an online meeting held with Nigerian-American Coalition for Justice and Democracy, led by Professor Eddie Oparaoji, the Labour Party Diaspora Chairman in the United States, in Abuja yesterday. Read more
Lagos: Fire destroys properties worth N14.62b in 6 months (Guardian)
Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service (LSFRS) in the first half of the year tackled three explosions; two collapsed buildings, rescued 117 persons and got a total of 924 calls related to fire incidents in the state.
A total of 1,462 emergencies were recorded between January and June. The distressed calls included fire – 924, rescue – 92, salvage – 41 and false calls – 400.
In the mid-year activity report, 42 deaths were recorded. The estimated properties saved were about N87.72 billion, leaving those lost to N14.62 billion. Read more
Buhari’s administration worst in corruption –Kukah (Sun)
Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, Nigerians experienced the worst type of corruption during the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari than any other before him.
Kukah who said this while presenting a keynote speech titled: ‘The Future of Constitutional Democracy in Nigeria: Imperative of a New Constitutional Order,” at the 60th call to bar anniversary of Aare Afe Babalola on in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State on Monday, July 10, 2023, also said that the country is sharing its sovereignty with bandits and terrorists.
Bishop Kukah said that even though corruption did not start during Buhari’s tenure, it was amplified morally, financially and in other terms in the last administration. Read more
Fuel smuggling persists in borders despite subsidy removal – Customs boss (Punch)
The Acting Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, on Monday, vowed a heavy clampdown on oil thieves, insisting that the nation cannot “afford to let saboteurs take over our economy.”
Adeniyi, who said there were still cases of smuggling of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, at Nigeria’s border stations despite the removal of subsidy on the commodity, said the agency had adopted new border patrol strategies to close in on oil thieves.
He made the disclosure on the sidelines of a sensitisation workshop on the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 for management staff of the NCS in Abuja. Read more
Kogi tackles SDP guber candidate on security allegations (ThisDay)
Following the frivolous allegations laid against the Kogi State Government by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate, Murtala Yakubu Ajaka, the state government has issued a seven-day ultimatum to him to prove all the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt with evidence or face the wrath of the law.
While addressing journalists in Lokoja yesterday, the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwa, said the state government would not submit itself to politics of intimidation and ethnic bigotry, and religious profiling, noting that as a matter of fact, the government has given everyone a level playing ground without fear of favour.
Fanwo told journalists that: “We have called you today to brief you about happenings in the state as it relates to managing security ahead of the 2023 governorship election in the state. It is imperative for you as newsmen to be abreast of development to report them correctly, accurately, and objectively. Read more
2023 elections: I worked against Atiku, supported Tinubu — Fayose (Tribune)
Ayodele Fayose, former Governor of Ekiti State and Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has disclosed that he worked for the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the last presidential election.
According to Fayose, he chose to work against his party’s standard-bearer, Atiku Abubakar, because “PDP has not been fair to me”.
The former Ekiti State Governor said this while appearing on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme, stating that he worked for the victory of the APC and its candidate, Bola Tinubu, in Ekiti in the last general elections. Read more
Madonna “on road to recovery” as she posts update for fans after health scare (DailyRecord)
Madonna says she’s ‘on the road to recovery’ after being rushed to hospital during rehearsals for her upcoming world tour. The singer’s family were said to be ‘preparing for the worst’ after the 64-year-old pop icon was found unconscious in New York at the end of June.
She was rushed to the ICU with a “serious bacterial infection” just weeks before her Celebration world tour was supposed to kick off. Now, she’s given fans an update and promised some dates will be rescheduled as she recovers at home.
In an Instagram post, Madonna said: “Thank you for your positive energy, prayers and words of healing and encouragement. I have felt your love. Read more
Aretha Franklin sons fight over will found under sofa (BBC)
When Aretha Franklin died from pancreatic cancer in August 2018, it was thought that she had left behind no will for an estate worth millions.
But months later, handwritten wills were found in a cabinet and under a sofa cushion at her home in suburban Detroit, Michigan.
A jury will now determine which of two documents should be ruled as the Queen of Soul’s valid last testament. Read more
California extends film tax credit as New Jersey expands incentive to lure Netflix Studio (Variety)
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill on Monday that extends the state’s $330million tax incentive for film and TV production.
The program will be extended for five years through 2030. For the first time, the credit will be refundable, meaning that companies like Netflix that have little or no state tax liability can receive cash back from the state. That change has been estimated to cost $200 million.
The bill is the result of more than a year of bargaining between Hollywood studios, entertainment unions and state lawmakers. In addition to extending the credit, the bill also includes an incentive for productions to hire a diverse workforce, both on screen and behind the camera. Read more
Rainn Wilson “spent several years unhappy” while making The Office (FarOut)
Rainn Wilson, best known for portraying the eccentric beet farmer and assistant (to the) regional manager Dwight Schrute in the American version of The Office, has recently expressed his discontent during the filming of the beloved sitcom. Despite the global acclaim and the show’s enduring popularity, Wilson admitted that he spent much of his time on set feeling “mostly unhappy.”
From 2005 to 2013, Wilson brought to life one of the most memorable characters in television history. Dwight’s offbeat personality, obsessive dedication to rules, and unique relationship with his coworkers made him a standout character in the series, which was an adaptation of Ricky Gervais’ UK-based comedy. Yet, underneath the success and the character’s fan-favourite status, Wilson was wrestling with a sense of discontentment. Read more
Ozzy Osbourne pulls out of US festival slot (BelfastTelegraph)
Ozzy Osbourne says he has made the “painful” decision to bow out of a scheduled performance at a US festival as his body is “just not ready yet”.
The British rocker, 74, said he had been “optimistic” after being offered the gig at the Power Trip festival in Indio, California, but did not want the show to be “half-assed”.
Osbourne was due to take to the stage for the festival on October 7 alongside AC/DC, with other acts on the bill including Guns N’ Roses and Iron Maiden. Read more
Turkey’s Erdogan agrees to back Sweden’s NATO bid (AlJazeera)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has agreed to back Sweden’s bid to join NATO after a year of blocking the move, citing Turkish security concerns.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced on Monday that Erdogan agreed to forward Sweden’s membership bid to Turkey’s parliament.
After talks in Vilnius, Lithuania, with Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Stoltenberg said Turkey had agreed to move forward. Read more
Volcano near Iceland’s capital erupts for the 2nd time in a year (Sky)
Iceland’s Fagradalsfjall volcano, which is around 20 miles away from capital Reykjavik, has begun erupting.
The eruption is in an uninhabited valley near the Litli-Hrutur mountain in the southwest of the country.
It is the second time in less than 12 months that the volcano has erupted, but has managed to cause no damage or disruption despite being close to a major airport. Read more
Awoniyi dreams AFCON glory (Punch)
Super Eagles striker, Taiwo Awoniyi, has set his sights on helping Nigeria win a fourth Africa Cup of Nations title next year, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The Eagles, who lifted the title in 1980, 1994 and 2013, secured their place in next year’s tournament with a game to spare, after defeating Sierra Leone 3-2 last month in Monrovia, Liberia.
Awoniyi, who was part of the Eagles squad at last year’s AFCON in Cameroon, where they were knocked out in the knockout stage by Tunisia, believes the bond and happiness among his teammates will be key to landing a fourth AFCON title. Read more
Napoli rejects €100m PSG offer for Osimhen (Sun)
French champion, PSG has expectedly made an offer to Napoli for the transfer of Nigeria international, Victor Osimhen but the offer fell short of the Italy champion’s expectation and has thus been rebuffed.
According to a report, PSG owner Nasser Al-Khelaifi has offered €100 million to Aurelio de Laurentiis, his Italian counterpart. But the boss of the Italian champion firmly rejected the Parisian check, not even having the intention of studying an offer of a level, which he considers too low.
De Laurentiis, who is the tough type in business, warned the Qatari leader of Paris Saint-Germain that to recruit Victor Osimhen it was necessary to send €180 million. Read more
Coach of Zambia Women’s World Cup team accused of sexual misconduct, report claims (CBC)
The coach of the Zambia team preparing to make its debut at the Women’s World Cup has been accused of sexual misconduct and the case was referred to world body FIFA last year for investigation, according to a report in The Guardian newspaper.
Bruce Mwape was accused of coercing players into having sex with him if they wanted to keep their place on the team, according to the report published by the British newspaper on Saturday.
Other Zambian coaches and officials were also accused of sexual misconduct and investigated, including the Under-17 girls’ team coach, according to the paper. Read more
Ange Postecoglou provides fresh Harry Kane transfer update with “not lose any sleep” hint (Mirror)
Ange Postecoglou could offer no guarantees on Harry Kane’s future at Tottenham.
Tottenham are facing a battle to keep Kane this summer with Bayern Munich making a £70m bid for the England captain.
But Postecoglou insisted he will “not lose any sleep” over Kane’s future and will hold talks with Spurs’ top scorer when he returns to pre-season training on Wednesday. Read more
Alcaraz secures Rune showdown after battling past Berrettini in fourth round (Guardian)
Matteo Berrettini had arrived in Wimbledon at the nadir of his career after a nightmare 18 months filled with injuries and despair. As new ailments frequently sprung up and old wounds failed to heal, his body was crumbling under the strain of professional tennis. He spent his days before the tournament considering whether it would be worthwhile to simply withdraw.
Instead, he chose to play, tearing through the draw to reach the second week. On Monday, the Italian provided Carlos Alcaraz with one of the most difficult tests of his young career on the grass court, yet Alcaraz responded to the challenge supremely. After trailing by a set, the top seed recovered to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the first time in his career, defeating Berrettini 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
“I’m really, really happy to get through this amazing match. I’m really happy to be able to play my first quarter-final here in Wimbledon. Really excited about it. Let’s keep rolling,” said Alcaraz. Read more
Trail Blazers willing to take ‘‘months’’ for a Damian Lillard trade (NYPost)
The Portland Trail Blazers aren’t ready to see Damian Lillard walk out the door just yet.
Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin told reporters on Monday at the 2023 NBA Summer League that the franchise won’t be rushed into making an unfavorable trade.
“We’re going to be patient,” Cronin said. “We’re going to do what’s best for our team. We’re going to see, you know, how this lands. And if it takes months, it takes months.” Read more