House of Reps assesses effects of tank farms location on Lagos residents (Vanguard)
The House of Representatives on Tuesday assessed the effects of the location of petroleum tank farms and the operators’ activities on the residents of Ijegun-Egba and Kirikiri communities of Lagos State.
The Speaker of the house, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, some time ago inaugurated an ad-hoc committee to investigate the matter, following petitions the house received from the residents of the affected communities.
The residents, in August, 2019, had also protested before Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, demanding the immediate relocation of the tank farms because they were in residential areas. Read more
Assembly considers punishment for cultists’ parents (Punch)
The parents of youths found guilty of cultism in Lagos State may become liable for punishment if a bill for the prohibition of unlawful societies and cultism in Lagos is passed into law.
This was part of the submission of some lawmakers at the state House of Assembly during plenary on Tuesday.
The members were discussing the bill sent by the Attorney General of the state, Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo.
The Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, said there was the need to differentiate among the various types of cultism in the country so as not to create another problem while solving one. Read more
Ondo: Sanwo-Olu heads 104-Member APC Campaign Council (Vanguard)
Chairman, Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee of the All Progressives Congress APC, Gov. Mai Mala Buni has approved the appointment of the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu to chair the Party’s National Campaign Council for the Ondo State Governorship Election.
This was disclosed in a statement issued Tuesday night and signed by the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Yekini Nabena.
The statement added that the Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong will serve as Deputy Chairman while Comrade Mustapha Salihu will serve as Secretary of the 104-member APC National Campaign Council. Read more
Iyaloja demands review of trading hours in markets (Guardian)
The Iyaloja General, Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, has called on the Lagos State government to review the trading-hour regulation imposed on markets as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking when she visited the Ikosi Isheri Fruit Market being reconstructed by the Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area, Tinubu-Ojo said one of the measures put in place by the state to contain the spread of the pandemic was the restriction of trading hours to limit the influx of customers to the market.
This, she said, no doubt had an effect on the volume of sales, thereby affecting the income of the traders. She therefore demanded that if alternate days are maintained, traders should be allowed to operate fully per day from 9:00a.m. to 6:00p.m. instead of closing at 3:00p.m. She appealed to the government to consider full operation of the markets just as the restraints on religious activities have been relaxed. Read more
Sanwo-Olu flags off 13.65Km Oshodi-Abule-Egba BRT corridor, charges residents to take ownership (Vanguard)
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday, flagged off the Oshodi-Abule Egba Bus Rapid Transit, BRT, Corridor, with a call to residents to take full responsibility of the infrastructure in the interest of the public.
The Governor also unveiled 560 high and medium capacity buses that will be plying the route in the pilot phase of the scheme.
Addressing the public and media at a brief ceremony to kick off the corridor, held at Dopemu, along Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, Sanwo-Olu, expressed satisfaction at the eventual completion and launch of the corridor, blaming the delay of the take-off, which was originally slated for May 29, 2020, to the outbreak of coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic. Read more
Internet fraud: Three corps members, 19 undergraduates, others arrested (Punch)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibadan Zonal Office, on Tuesday, arrested 32 suspected fraudsters for alleged involvement in Internet fraud.
The suspects were said to have been arrested during a raid on their hideout in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.
Officials of the EFCC trailed the suspects to their hideout following intelligence gathering. Read more
Adoke’s trial stalled over EFCC’s failure to list witnesses (Guardian)
The trial of former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN) at the Federal High Court, Abuja could not continue yesterday due to failure of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to supply names and particulars of witnesses.
Adoke, alongside an oil magnate, Alhaji Aliyu Abubakar, is being prosecuted on a 14-count amended criminal charge bordering on laundering of about N4billion.
The trial was stalled as the anti-graft agency was alleged to have breached section 379 (1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015 by failing to supply to the defendants the identities and summary of the statements of the witnesses it intends to call for prosecution. Read more
SARS arrests Imo suspects who kidnapped American returnees (Punch)
Operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Imo State Police Command have arrested two fleeing members of the gang that allegedly kidnapped returnees from the United States of America in December 2019.
The state Commissioner of Police, Isaac Akinmoyede, told journalists that the suspects, Favour Uwalaka, 28; and Henry Ajakwara, 36, were arrested after they engaged the police in a gun duel.
He said, “It will be recalled that in a kidnap incident around Concorde Hotel area in Owerri in December 2019, where three American returnees were robbed and kidnapped, four members of the gang were arrested, while others fled. Read more
Joe Biden selects Kamala Harris as US vice-presidential running mate (CBC)
Joe Biden named California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate on Tuesday, making history by selecting the first woman of colour to compete on a major party’s presidential ticket and acknowledging the vital role Black voters will play in his bid to defeat US President Donald Trump.
“I have the great honor to announce that I’ve picked @KamalaHarris — a fearless fighter for the little guy, and one of the country’s finest public servants — as my running mate,” Biden tweeted. In a text message to supporters, Biden said, “Together, with you, we’re going to beat Trump.”
Harris and Biden plan to deliver remarks Wednesday in Wilmington, N.C. Read more
Who is Kamala Harris? (Aljazeera)
First-term United States Senator Kamala Harris’s star was already rising fast when she jumped into the race for the Democratic presidential nomination in early 2019. Liberals in the party loved her for being the face of the party’s future – a young, Black woman.
Despite entering the race as an immediate frontrunner, Harris, who was also the only African-American woman running, was out by the end of the year – before even the Iowa caucuses. Her struggle to maintain support was driven by an inability to articulate clear policy positions and a backlash from an attempt to attack rival Joe Biden’s record on race during a June 2019 debate.
Many thought the dust-up ended her chances of being considered for the vice president slot. But they were wrong.
Harris, 55, the daughter of immigrants from Jamaica and India, is a former California state attorney general who became popular with liberal activists for her tough questioning of appointees and officials from the administration of President Donald Trump – including Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, during Senate hearings. Read more
Ryan Reynolds and Paul McCartney nominated for chief of Walpole Island First Nation (CBC)
Walpole Island First Nation in southwestern Ontario is looking to have Ryan Reynolds and Paul McCartney removed as candidates for chief after members of the community nominated the two celebrities.
Under the Indian Act, First Nations can elect a non-Indigenous person as chief, though according to James Jenkins, Walpole Island’s director of operations, it’s quite rare.
Jenkins said he’s not aware of non-Indigenous people, including celebrities, being elected in the past, but thinks there may have been other instances in Canadian Indigenous communities where a non-member has been on the ballot. Read more
UN: 70 killed in South Sudan clashes between army, civilians (Aljazeera)
At least 70 people have been killed and dozens wounded during weekend clashes between South Sudan’s army and armed civilians in the north-central Warrap state, according to the United Nations.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday the world body’s peacekeeping mission in South Sudan reported that “the violence was sparked by a disagreement over a disarmament exercise being conducted in the area”.
The disarmament of civilians is part of the most recent peace agreement signed between South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and rival Riek Machar, who was appointed vice president in February. Read more
Dwarf planet Ceres is an ‘ocean world,’ NASA finds (CBC)
Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, is an “ocean world” with a big reservoir of salty water under its frigid surface, scientists said in findings that raise interest in this dwarf planet as a possible outpost for life.
Research published Monday based on data obtained by NASA’s Dawn spacecraft, which flew as close as 35 kilometres from the surface in 2018, provides a new understanding of Ceres, including evidence indicating it remains geologically active with cryovolcanism — volcanoes oozing icy material.
The findings confirm the presence of a subsurface reservoir of brine — salt-enriched water — remnants of a vast subsurface ocean that has been gradually freezing. Read more
Coronavirus cases surge as France goes ‘wrong way’ (BBC)
Coronavirus cases in France have nearly doubled in the past 24 hours as Prime Minister Jean Castex warned that the country had been going “the wrong way” for two weeks.
The health ministry reported 1,397 new infections of Covid-19 since Monday. Fourteen people have died.
A ban on meetings of more than 5,000 people has been extended to 30 October.
Mr Castex also asked local authorities to further extend the requirement to wear face masks in public. Read more
‘Host’ horror movie scores perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes in surprise success (Metro)
It was only a matter of time before Hollywood released its first quarantine-inspired horror movie but, Host isn’t a cheap shot in the dark at capitalising off the pandemic as it has scored a rare and perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Host, which is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video’s horror channel Shudder, falls into the webcam subgenre of horror much like Unfriended, Searching and Ratter. Oh, and it’s not to be confused with Bong Joon-ho’s critically-acclaimed 2017 horror or another movie called Host which is coincidentally out this year too. Directed by Rob Savage, Host focuses on a Zoom call between friends during lockdown when they are joined by a medium for a virtual seance. However, once they make contact with the dead, their Zoom call suddenly becomes their worst nightmare. Read more
Areola returns to PSG from Madrid amid Premier League rumours (Vanguard)
Alphonse Areola has returned to Paris Saint-Germain from Real Madrid amid reports he is set for a Premier League move.
The goalkeeper joined Los Blancos on a season-long loan last September to provide cover for number one Thibaut Courtois, with Keylor Navas having moved in the opposite direction in a permanent deal.
Areola made just nine appearances for LaLiga’s champions, though, and the Frenchman has been tipped to move on again with game time unlikely at PSG.
“Real Madrid confirmed they have brought Alphonse Areola’s loan spell to an end,” a team statement read. Read more
Beach Soccer team laments exclusion from FIFA palliative (Punch)
Members of the Super Sand Eagles, the Beach Soccer national team, have lamented the team’s exclusion from the list of beneficiaries of the COVID-19 relief funds, The PUNCH reports.
The Nigeria Football Federation on Tuesday released a list of how it shared $2m across national teams, the men and women’s leagues, coaches association, supporters and sports writers, amongst others.
According to a statement from the Communications Department of the NFF, the total sum is made up of $1m from FIFA’s support for restarting the football season, $500,000, the world body’s support for women’s football; $300,000, CAF’s support to its members and $200,000, the NFF’s support from sponsors funds. Read more
Wolves knocked out of Europa League by late Sevilla goal (BBC)
Wolves’ Europa League dream came to a heartbreaking end as Sevilla booked a semi-final against Manchester United on Sunday with a late winner in Duisburg.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side – whose pandemic-disrupted 2019-20 season lasted 383 days – had a glorious 13th-minute chance to take the lead but Raul Jimenez’s penalty was saved.
They struggled to create chances after that and failed to hold on for extra time as Lucas Ocampos’ header from Ever Banega’s cross settled the tie for Sevilla with two minutes to go.
Wolves will not be in European competition next season after finishing seventh in the Premier League. Read more
Canada’s Leylah Annie Fernandez upsets Sloane Stephens at Top Seed Open (CBC)
Canadian qualifier Leylah Annie Fernandez upset 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens 6-3, 6-3 in the opening round of the Top Seed Open on Tuesday.
The 17-year-old Fernandez, from Laval, Que., is now 2-0 against the American in her career.
Fernandez, ranked 120th in the world, won two qualifying matches to reach the main draw in the second week of the WTA Tour’s restart following a four-month suspension of play because of COVID-19. Read more
Serena Williams wins on return to action at Top Seed Open (BBC)
Former world number one Serena Williams recovered from a set and three break points down to beat compatriot Bernarda Pera in her first match in six months.
The American, who has 23 Grand Slam singles titles, was in deep trouble when 4-6 and 0-40 down at 4-4 in the second set at the Top Seed Open in Kentucky.
But she recovered to prevail 4-6 6-4 6-1 in two hours and 15 minutes.
“I knew I could play a little bit better if I hung in,” Williams said.
Williams will next play her sister Venus Williams – another former world number one – after her straightforward 6-3 6-2 win over Victoria Azarenka. Read more
Tottenham confirm signing of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg from Southampton (Metro)
Tottenham Hotspur have completed the signing of Southampton’s wantaway midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in a deal believed to be worth around £15 million. The Denmark international was stripped of the Saints captaincy by Ralph Hasenhuttl in June after making it clear he wanted a fresh challenge elsewhere and would not be renewing his contract. Hojbjerg’s deal was due to expire next summer, giving Spurs a strong hand in negotiations, while Southampton have also signed right-back Kyle Walker-Peters on a permanent deal from Spurs. Read more