How day-old baby, mother, others escaped death in Lagos gas explosion (Nation)
A nursing mother, Ruth Mack, has every reason to thank God that she is alive. But for providence, the indigene of Abia State and her children would have died in the ravenous fire that accompanied the gas explosion that rocked Iju-Ogundimu, a community on the outskirts of Lagos, on Thursday.
No fewer than 30 persons were injured in the fire that also burnt 15 vehicles and razed 23 buildings, including X and Y Event Centre.
The explosion occurred around 3 pm as two gas tankers were being offloaded at a gas station owned by Manna Gas Ltd. Read more
Epe Berger bridge disaster: Truck, 3 bodies recovered (Guardian)
Three bodies and the six tire Volvo truck which plunged into the Epe River late Friday night were yesterday, recovered.
The Volvo truck fell off the Berger bridge at Epe into the Epe River after it collided with a truck and was only retrieved about 1 p.m yesterday afternoon.
Three adult males were also recovered along with Volvo truck loaded with sand.
Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) disclosed that operation was suspended on Friday midnight to resume yesterday, which also necessitated a change of mode of operation from Search and Rescue to Search and Recovery due to time-lapse in the window period known as the “Golden Hour”. Read more
Strike: We’ll enforce the law, police warn NLC, TUC (Punch)
Ahead of the planned strike action and protest by the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress from Monday over the recent hike in electricity tariff and fuel price, the Nigeria Police Force has said it will enforce the law on the matter.
Despite two court injunctions restraining the unions and their affiliates from proceeding with the strike, the labour unions told Saturday PUNCH on Friday that they would go ahead with the strike and protest from Monday as they had yet to be served the court orders. The labour unions had said they would only shelve the planned strike if the Federal Government reversed the recent hikes. Read more
Abiodun appoints SUBEB, OOUTH board (Guardian)
Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has appointed chairman and members of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin yesterday, the governor also named chairman and members of the board of the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu.
He said 10 other boards, commissions, and agencies previously named will be inaugurated on Tuesday, September 29, 2020, at the June 12 Cultural Centre Kuto, Abeokuta. Read more
Grandma dies in Plateau hospital after allegedly hit by gov’s convoy (Punch)
A 70-year-old woman died at the Plateau State Specialists Hospital on Saturday after allegedly being hit by a convoy of Governor Simon Lalong.
It was learnt that the governor was on his way to a golf club when the incident occurred at the Rayefield axis of Jos, the state capital.
A granddaughter of the diseased, who confirmed the woman’s death, said, “It was this (Saturday) morning; my grandmother was crossing the road when she was hit by the governor’s convoy. She was immediately rushed to the Plateau State Specialists Hospital. Read more
Man hit by Customs’ stray bullet goes into coma after in Ogun (Vanguard)
A middle-aged man, Idowu Moses, on Saturday sustained gunshot injury following a clash between men of the Nigerian Customs Service and smugglers in Oja Odan, in Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Moses, who is the Chairman of the Nigerian Association of Panel Beaters, Oja Odan branch, was hit by a stray bullet allegedly shot by a customs officer who was chasing smugglers in the area.
He was rushed to a hospital for medical attention.
Sources said some operatives of the NCS were in Oja Odan in about three patrol vehicles. Read more
Son allegedly kills, buries dad in Anambra shallow grave (Punch)
A 26-year-old man, Chisom Ogum, has allegedly killed his septuagenarian father, Christopher Ogum, in Anambra State.
The incident occurred in Umuomaku in the Orumba South Local Government Area of the state.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Haruna Mohammed, who confirmed the incident, said the suspected had been arrested.
He said the suspected ran amok in a yet-to-be ascertained circumstance before he attacked and killed his father. Read more
Governors meet with NLC over planned strike on electricity tariff, fuel price (Vanguard)
As part of moves to stop the planned nationwide strike and mass protest by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, the thirty-six state governors under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF Saturday entered into a meeting with the organised labour, pleading with the workers to jettison the action.
Consequently, the NGF and the NLC are on the path to resolving the impasse occasioned by the threat by workers to embark on industrial action if the Federal Government does not rescind the recent decisions to increase the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and Electricity Tariff in the country. Read more
BBN: Celebs, fans back Laycon for N85m prize (Punch)
Hours before the Big Brother Naija (Lockdown edition) is scheduled to come to an end later today, many celebrities and fans have continued to intensify their support for Olamilekan Agbeleshe, aka Laycon.
There are currently five contestants left in the house― Laycon, Nengi, Dorathy, Neo and Vee― but going by social media posts, Laycon is undoubtedly the most popular of them. Meanwhile, when he first got into the house, he was the subject of ridicule as many mocked his looks and dressing. He was also made fun of because of his seeming fixation with a now disqualified contestant, Erica Nlewedim, who was more attracted to Kiddwaya. However, as the competition progressed, many became impressed with his intelligence and talent. Read more
France racism: Paris to commemorate slave rebellion figure (BBC)
Paris is to put up a statue of a black woman involved in a 1802 rebellion against slavery on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe.
The woman, named only Solitude, was captured and possibly executed.
Opening a public garden in her honour on Saturday, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo called Solitude a “heroine” and a “strong symbol”.
France’s history of slavery has been under new scrutiny, in part because of the US Black Lives Matter protests. Read more
Ukrainian cadet jumps from a plane before crash kills 26 passengers (Metro)
A Ukrainian army cadet who jumped from a plane before it crashed said it was like being in ‘a video game’. Despite the explosion, Vyacheslav Zolochevskyi, 20, survived after the Antonov An-26 military aircraft came crashing down.
Transport plane was carrying 28 passengers, including 21 military students and 7 crew members when a ‘faulty engine’ came off two kilometres from a military airbase The plane caught on fire and crashed in a ball of flames in the Ukranian town of Chuhuiv at around 8.50 pm local time.
After the explosion, Zolochevskyi tried to help put out the flames after seeing his friend burning. Unfortunately he died as his comrade tried to save him, making him the 25th victim of the crash. Read more
New York’s daily coronavirus cases top 1,000 for first time in months (NYPost)
New York surpassed 1,000 daily coronavirus cases for the first time since early June — an increase partially tied to the Hudson Valley and Brooklyn.
The concerning state figure comes as city officials, struggling to contain COVID-19 clusters in some spots, announced an uptick in virus cases in four new communities.
There were 1,005 new virus cases in the state Friday, or 1 percent of the 99,953 tested, Gov. Cuomo’s office said Saturday. The last time the daily case count was that high was June 5 when 1,108 people tested positive for the virus.
There were 429 new cases in New York City where 1.1 percent of the results came back positive. Read more
Amy Coney Barrett: Trump nominates conservative favourite for Supreme Court (BBC)
US President Donald Trump has nominated Amy Coney Barrett, a favourite of social conservatives, to be the new US Supreme Court justice.
Speaking by her side at the White House Rose Garden, Mr Trump described her as a “woman of unparalleled achievement”.
If confirmed by senators, Judge Barrett will replace liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg who died recently, aged 87.
The nomination will spark a bitter confirmation fight in the Senate as November’s presidential election looms.
Announcing Judge Barrett as his nominee on Saturday, President Trump described her as a “stellar scholar and judge” with “unyielding loyalty to the constitution”. Read more
James Cameron confirms “Avatar 2” has finished shooting (Metro)
James Cameron has revealed that filming has been completed on Avatar 2, and the team have had a massive head start on Avatar 3, too. Avatar 2 was one of many movies which faced delays due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the director confirmed in an interview with Arnold Schwarzenegger, that they had more than caught up. He revealed: ‘Covid hit us like it hit everybody… We lost about four and a half months of production. ‘As a result of that, we’ve rolled around one more full year for a release in December of 2022. That’s been announced already. ‘Now that doesn’t mean I have an extra year to finish the film, because the day we deliver Avatar 2 we’ll just start working on finishing Avatar 3,’ he said in the video conference for the 2020 Austrian World Summit environmental conference. Read more
Brain-eating microbe: US city told not to use water amid contamination concerns (BBC)
Residents of Lake Jackson have been urged not to use tap water
Residents of Lake Jackson, Texas, have been urged not to use tap water because it might be contaminated with a deadly brain-eating microbe.
The local water authority warned of the potential contamination of its supply to the town – home to about 27,000 people – by Naegleria fowleri.
The amoeba typically infects people when contaminated water enters the body through the nose. It is usually fatal.
Infections are rare in the US, with 34 reported between 2009 and 2018. Read more
“Game of Thrones” stars Kit Harington and Rose Leslie pregnant with first child (PageSix)
Game of Thrones stars Rose Leslie and Kit Harington are about to discover the true meaning of “Night’s Watch” — the two are expecting a baby.
After meeting on set of the hit HBO show and marrying in 2018, Leslie, 33, is pregnant with their first child.
She posed with her baby bump for a cover story in the new issue of the UK’s Make Magazine.
Fashion editor Ursula Lake broke the news by posting one of the images to her Instagram Saturday night. Read more
Owolabi decries non-resumption of domestic leagues (Guardian)
Former international, Felix Owolabi, has expressed disgust over the non-resumption of all sporting activities in the country, especially the domestic football league when other countries worse hit by the COVID-19 pandemic has done so, even though without spectators.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) through the League Management Company had earlier revealed plans to commence the leagues either this month, or next, but the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 pandemic overruled it. The PTF blamed its decision to suspend contact sports on the increasing cases of Coronavirus.
“I think the media is not doing enough to inform the Federal Government on what should be done on this COVID-19 issue, as far as sports is concerned. If countries that are mostly affected by the pandemic can resume active sports, even with the high rate of deaths recorded, then I wonder why the government hasn’t allowed sports to return fully, especially football,” Owolabi told The Guardian. Read more
Abraham saves the day in dramatic comeback (Nation)
Tammy Abraham scored a stoppage-time equaliser to complete an incredible comeback and rescue a point for Chelsea at West Bromwich Albion after they had trailed 3-0 at half-time.
In a thrilling match, West Brom looked to be heading for their first win back in the Premier League after racing into a commanding lead inside the opening 30 minutes at The Hawthorns.
A mistake by Marcos Alonso led to the hosts’ first, Matheus Pereira feeding Callum Robinson to produce a classy finish past Willy Caballero, who was starting in place of dropped £71m keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. Read more
Boxing: Josh Taylor defeats Apinun Khongsong in first round (BBC)
World champion Josh Taylor knocked out Apinun Khongsong in an incredible first round to defend his WBA and IBF light welterweight titles.
The Scot, 29, struck the Thailand fighter with a left-hand body shot to send the undefeated 24-year-old crumpling to the canvas. Khongsong was eventually taken by stretcher from ringside in London’s York Hall.
Taylor now moves closer to a fight with WBO and WBC title holder Jose Ramirez on his quest to become the undisputed world champion. Read more
Andy Murray confident of winning more titles (Metro)
Andy Murray will return to French Open action in confident mood on Sunday as he continues to gain belief that he will be able to resurrect his top-level player. Murray, the three-time Grand Slam champion from Dunblane, will take on Stan Wawrinka in the final match of the day on Philippe-Chatrier – Roland Garros’ main show court – in his first match on the clay courts of Paris since 2017. His opponent on his last appearance is the same as the Swiss three-time major winner he will face this weekend. On that day, Murray was beaten in five sets in the semi-finals in a match that became the beginning of the end for the former world No. 1’s time in the upper echelons of men’s tennis. Read more
Evans hat-trick helps Arsenal beat Tottenham to reach Women’s FA Cup semi-finals (BBC)
Arsenal reached the Women’s FA Cup semi-finals as Scotland winger Lisa Evans’ clinical late hat-trick helped them to a 4-0 win over Tottenham.
Spurs held off the hosts resolutely until defender Ashleigh Neville gifted possession to Jordan Nobbs, whose superb lob opened the scoring.
Evans then netted three times in quick succession to seal the win late on.
Arsenal’s Australia forward Caitlin Foord’s looping header had hit the bar in an otherwise quiet first half.
Spurs’ new signing, the United States star Alex Morgan, was on the bench for the visitors but did not come on for her debut. Read more
Chris Evert rates Jo Konta’s first-round opponent Coco Gauff as big French Open threat (Metro)
Chris Evert believes Simona Halep is the French Open favourite but warned the field to ‘look out’ for Coco Gauff.
That won’t be music to the ears of Britain’s Johanna Konta, the ninth seed and a semi-finalist in Paris last year, who has been tasked with facing the young American in the first round. Gauff, 16, has never competed in the main draw at Roland Garros but has won the juniors title and has proven herself to be a major threat to big names at Grand Slams. Read more
Pep Guardiola: Manchester City boss says his players are ‘not machines’ (BBC)
Pep Guardiola has accused football of “not caring about players” as Manchester City prepare for a busy schedule without forward Gabriel Jesus.
City boss Guardiola, who says he only has 13 fit senior players for Sunday’s home match with Leicester (16:30 GMT), said his players were “not machines”.
Guardiola is concerned at the tight domestic and international schedule after a short close season.
“Nobody cares about the players. It is about the business,” he added.
Between now and 31 October, City have eight league and cup games, including two in the Champions League. Some of their players are also expected to appear in international games in October. Read more