How I almost got initiated into witchcraft – Actress Juliana Olayode (Sun)
Juliana Olayode, a Nollywood actress and vocal Christian advocate better known as Toyo Baby from Jenifa’s Diary, has revealed a disturbing personal event that has surprised many of her followers.
Juliana recently shared a video on her Instagram page on how she nearly avoided what she characterised as a spiritual trap.
According to her, she was casually looking through her phone when she came across an advertisement asking, “Have you ever broken a bone before?” Read more
Daura residents eulogise Buhari’s virtues (Guardian)
Some residents who used to pray with the late former President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura have extolled his high moral behaviours.
They testified that Buhari was a man who never missed prayers in congregation whenever he was in Daura.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that praying in congregation at the mosque is considered a high spiritual example expected of devoted Muslims of all ages. Read more
China consoles Nigeria, hails Buhari’s role in bilateral ties (VON)
The Chinese Government has expressed its deep condolences to Nigeria on the passing of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Chinese Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, Lin Jian, in a message, noted that former President Buhari was a great leader of Nigeria who led the Nigerian people to remarkable achievements on the path of national development.
He said the former President was also a good friend of the Chinese people and made significant contributions to advancing China-Nigeria relations and fostering mutually beneficial and friendly cooperation between the two countries. Read more
2Baba, Annie didn’t manage their marriage well – Baba Fryo (Nation)
Veteran musician Baba Fryo has weighed in on the collapsed marriage between music icon 2Baba and his ex-wife, Annie Idibia, attributing the breakdown to their shared entertainment lifestyle.
Speaking on the Honest Bunch podcast, Baba Fryo said the couple’s inability to manage their union was due to both being in the entertainment industry, which he believes can create conflict when not properly handled.
He explained that, traditionally, a woman is expected to be a stabilising force in a marriage, especially when her partner is involved in vices. However, he questioned how stability can be achieved when both partners exhibit similar habits. Read more
Succession move begins as Awujale is buried in Ijebu-Ode (DailyTrust)
Remains of the Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, were buried in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, amid tight security.
Ijebu-Ode town stood still, as dignitaries and mourners from all walks of life, sons and daughters of Ijebuland, paid the revered monarch last respect.
Armed soldiers, police and other security agents had taken over the palace, his private residence and other strategic locations in Ijebu-Ode to forestall breakdown of law and order. Read more
Varsity students resort to self-help over robbery attacks (Punch)
Students of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, have resorted to conducting night patrols to stem the tide of incessant robbery attacks by suspected robbers.
PUNCH Metro learnt in an interview with the FUNAAB Student Union Government President, Olamilekan Michael, that robbers, who were armed with guns, stormed the area twice last week and robbed students of their personal belongings.
He added that though the school was on holiday, a few students who were still at their hostels and some students who were on Industrial Training were victims of the attacks. Read more
Lagos LG poll: LP, YPP, others demand results cancellation (Vanguard)
Some opposition political parties in Lagos State have called for outright cancellation of Saturday’s Local Government Elections in the state, describing the exercise as undemocratic and daylight robbery.
The parties, including the Labour Party (LP), Young Progressives Party (YPP), African Action Congress (AAC), Action People’s Congress (APP) and the Accord Party, made the call at a joint news conference on Tuesday in Lagos.
The leaders of the various parties said that the election conducted by the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) was full of irregularities, while also disenfranchising many opposition candidates. Read more
Neil Diamond comes out of retirement for surprise performance of ‘Sweet Caroline’ amid Parkinson’s battle (Farout)
Neil Diamond made a surprise appearance at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles on July 12th to perform an impromptu rendition of his hit song, ‘Sweet Caroline’.
Diamond was in attendance at the iconic theatre to witness his life’s work be turned into the musical, A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical. The musical stars Nick Fradiani, who has previously won an edition of American Idol.
Following the evening, Fradiani shared an image of himself with Diamond backstage along with the heartfelt caption, “I built up this day in my head for over 2 years. The day where Neil Diamond himself would see this show. It sounds cliché, but I don’t have the exact words to describe how it felt portraying a music icon as he sat and watched from an audience.” Read more
Spain: at least 10 detained in anti-immigration clashes in Murcia region (AfricaNews)
Ten people have been detained by police in Spain in relation to violent clashes that erupted between far-right groups, local residents and migrants in a south-eastern town over the weekend, officials said on Monday.
Clashes in Torre-Pacheco in the Murcia region took place on Saturday night after an elderly resident was beaten up earlier in the week by unknown assailants, which led to a call by far-right groups to seek retribution on the area’s large migrant community.
The motivation for the initial attack was not clear. Local media reported that five people had been hurt in the clashes. Read more
Notre-Dame Cathedral welcomes more than 6 million visitors since reopening (CNA)
Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris has become the most visited place in France. Since reopening its doors last December after a 2019 fire, it has welcomed more than 6 million people.
On April 15, 2019, the French capital witnessed one of the most devastating tragedies in its recent history. Its iconic cathedral — a religious, architectural, and cultural symbol that had withstood the test of centuries — was engulfed in flames.
The fire left in its wake incalculable losses, including the emblematic spire located above the transept of the church. However, the high altar was undamaged and all the works of art housed in the church, including the relic of the Crown of Thorns, were rescued and brought to a safe place. Read more
Pusha T is not a fan of Drake’s ‘What Did I Miss’ (HipHopDx)
Pusha T is unsurprisingly not a fan of Drake‘s new single “What Did I Miss”.
Sitting down for a chat with Complex, the Clipse star offered a brief summation of what he thought about the song.
Asked if he liked “What Did I Miss”, Pusha simply replied: “No. Just not for me.” Pusha previously said that he was done speaking about Drake. Read more
Indigenous elders lose landmark climate battle against Australian government (BBC)
The Australian government has won a landmark climate case against residents of islands under siege from the impacts of climate change.
In 2021, community elders Pabai Pabai and Paul Kabai launched legal action against the then-Liberal government for breaching its duty of care to protect the Torres Strait Islands from the impacts of climate change.
But a Federal Court judge dismissed the case and said climate policy was a matter for parliament, not the courts. Read more
World’s oldest marathon runner dies in a hit-and-run at 114 (CNN)
The world’s oldest marathon runner, Fauja Singh, who was still competing after turning 100 more than a decade ago, died in a hit-and-run on Monday, according to India police. He was 114.
Born in rural India in 1911 before later moving to London, Singh earned the nickname “Turbaned Tornado” after he took up marathon running in his late 80s. He went on to complete nine of the 26.2-mile races.
He was considered the world’s oldest marathon runner, though never secured a Guinness World Record because he didn’t have a birth certificate. Read more
Napoli’s fresh demand stalls Osimhen’s move to Galatasaray (Guardian)
The Victor Osimhen saga drags on, with fresh reports that Napoli have asked for a 20 per cent cut of the future sale fee in the €75m sale to Galatasaray, reports football-italia.net.
Much like last summer, the Nigeria international’s future is dominating headlines with very little genuine progress, to the degree that he handed in a medical note to avoid attending pre-season duties with Napoli.
While Galatasaray have agreed to pay the full €75m asking price, the clubs continue to haggle over the payment structure. The latest reports are that Galatasaray have offered to pay €40m upfront with another €35m in installments, but Napoli also turned that down. Read more
WAFCON 2024: Madugu apologises for Super Falcons’ draw against Algeria (Nation)
Super Falcons’ Head Coach Justin Madugu has apologised to Nigerians following the team’s listless goalless draw against Algeria in Sunday’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2024 final Group B match in Casablanca.
The match ended without goals despite Nigeria’s efforts to secure a much-needed win. The result has left fans frustrated as expectations remain high for the country’s most successful women’s football team.
Speaking after the game, Madugu acknowledged the disappointment by taking responsibility for his side’s not too impressive performance amid the Super Falcons’ bid for a record 10th tittle. Read more
Lamine Yamal faces legal probe into dwarf entertainers at 18th birthday (AlJazeera)
Barcelona star Lamine Yamal is facing an investigation regarding the presence of a group of people with dwarfism as entertainers at his 18th birthday party last weekend, Spain’s Ministry of Social Rights told the AFP news agency.
The winger celebrated with a private event in Olivella, about 50km (30 miles) west of Barcelona, which the ministry asked the prosecutor’s office to investigate after a complaint from the Association for People with Achondroplasia and Other Skeletal Dysplasias with Dwarfism (ADEE).
Yamal turned 18 on Sunday, the day after his party on Saturday night, which many of his teammates attended along with celebrities from the music world, including Bizarrap and Bad Gyal. Read more
Man City agree record 10-year kit deal worth £1b (BBC)
Manchester City have extended their kit partnership with Puma for at least another 10 years, with the contract understood to be worth a minimum of £1bn, making it the largest deal in the Premier League.
City initially signed a £65m-a-year deal with the German kit manufacturer in 2019 but the parties have agreed an extension until at least 2035, worth a record £100m a year to the club.
That figure surpasses the £90m deal signed by rivals Manchester United with Adidas in 2023, while champions Liverpool will also be with the same manufacturer from this season after agreeing a reported, external £60m a season. Read more
Candace Parker ranks three WNBA players a tier above Caitlin Clark (CBS)
Former WNBA star Candace Parker knows elite talent when she sees it, and says Caitlin Clark still has room to grow before she’s given the league’s best player label. Earlier this season, Clark’s peers within the league voted her as the ninth-best guard ahead of the All-Star Game, sparking reaction.
Parker wasn’t as hard on the WNBA’s front-facing superstar.
Using a tiered player rankings system, Parker picked three players she feels are more talented than Clark with the “S” tier representing the best and “D” as the worst. Parker began her WNBA player power rankings with three “S” threats. Read more