I take my family’s welfare seriously —Lecturer with 18 children (Punch)
A lecturer at the Umar Bn Khattab College of Education, Kaduna State, Mohammed Sulaiman, trended on social media after he shared his photographs with his wives and 18 children, during Eid-el-Kabir. In a recent interview with Punch newspaper, he speaks about how he takes care of his family, saying that before he got married, if they had given him a wife, he would have objected to the idea, since while growing up, he constantly heard about the difficulty of taking care of a wife and the children.
“So, it made me feel like having half a wife, not a full wife.
“That was my mentality then, but as I grew and understood the philosophy of life, I realised that all I needed was to strive and work hard to cater to their needs, and I could see a lot of opportunities to do that without even working in a collar job. I also see it as a means to cater to women because there are many of them without a husband. I now have three wives, and I’m hoping to marry another one in two months’ time”. Read more
Chrisland schools: Lagos re-arraigns broadcaster for allegedly sharing pupils sex video (Guardian)
A 40-year-old on-air personality, Uche Igwe, popularly known as Darksam, has been re-arraigned before a Chief Magistrate’s Court, Yaba, Lagos, for allegedly sharing sex video of Chrisland Schools pupils.
The state government, yesterday, re-arraigned Igwe on a count charge before the court. The defendant pleaded not guilty to the count.
The Nigeria Police Force had sometime in May 2022, arraigned the defendant, who works with Metro FM, Lagos State, on a two-count charge of cyberstalking and breach of peace, which he pleaded not guilty to.
The Chief Magistrate, Adeola Adedayo, had also admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N10 million with three sureties in like sum. Read more
Nigerian graduates working as Canadian guards killed, identified (Punch)
The identities of the two Nigerian men who were shot dead on Saturday by gunmen at the ATL Lounge in Vaughan, Ontario, Canada, have been revealed.
According to a GoFundMe account opened by one Adam Abdul, who claims to be a cousin to one of them, the men are Chibueze Momah (22), and Tosin Awaroshegbe (25).
Abdul wrote, “Eze and Tosin were both diligent workers who served as security guards for many lounges in Vaughan. They were loved and cherished by many in the community. Their story was only getting started as they had both recently graduated. Eze was set to make his way into the tech industry and Tosin our beloved engineer. Unfortunately, their time was cut short. It is our hope to raise $50,000 for each respective family to help with funeral costs and to reunite their bodies with their families.”
Also, a Twitter user @DrFunmilayo, confirmed their identities, adding that she was close to Tosin because they grew up together. Read more
Lagos task force denies killing pedestrian in Amuwo Odofin (Guardian)
The Lagos State Task Force, yesterday, denied involvement in the shooting at Second Rainbow Bus Stop, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos, that led to the death of a yet to be identified young man.
The man was allegedly shot during an enforcement for compliance exercise on Monday, targeted at Okada operators.
Chairman of the Agency, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), Shola Jejeloye, who led the operation, said there is no iota of truth in the report.
He stressed that the operation carried out was smooth and seamless up to the point when the team left the scene. Read more
Police arraign pregnant woman, partner over N6m theft (Punch)
The police in Lagos on Tuesday arraigned a pregnant woman, Laura Aigbokhai, and her partner, Abimbola John, before the Ogba Magistrate’s Court over alleged theft of N6m.
The defendants, who were said to have conspired with others still at large, were alleged to have stolen the money from their employer.
Aigbokhai and John were charged with two counts of conspiracy and stealing.
The charges read in part, “That you, Abimbola Olanrewaju John, Laura Aigbokhai, and others still at large on June 23, 2022, at about 5.40pm at No. 3 Anthony Road, in the Anthony area of Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did steal the sum of N6m, property of Rokee1388 Venture.” Read more
Task Force: Man killed by stray bullet visited Lagos for the first time (Vanguard)
More information on the unidentified man that was killed by a stray bullet from a team of policemen attached to the Lagos State Task Force, Monday at Second Rainbow, on the Apapa-Oshodi expressway has emerged.
Vanguard was informed that Monday was the deceased’s first time visiting Lagos. He was said to be coming from Aba, Abia state to see one of his ailing relatives who was in the hospital.
Unfortunately, a stray bullet allegedly from policemen attached to the Lagos Task Force, who visited the area to enforce the ban on commercial motorcycles hit him , killing on the spot.
But in a swift reaction, the Lagos State task Force denied having a hand in the death of the man. Read more
Reps deny alleged plot to impeach Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila (Channels)
Members of the lower chamber of the National Assembly have denied an alleged plot to impeach the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The lawmakers made the disclaimer during Tuesday’s plenary amid reports that the Northern Caucus of the House was planning to impeach the speaker to ensure that the controversial Water Resources Bill was passed.
According to them, it is ridiculous that such a publication will be made and insist that they are solidly behind the speaker.
The matter was later referred to the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges for further investigation. Read more
Girl stabs boyfriend to death in Edo (DailyTrust)
The police in Edo State have arrested a girl, Favor Oyhou, for stabbing her boyfriend, Paul Handsome (25), to death in Auchi, Etsako West LGA, on July 23, following a misunderstanding.
The state’s police spokesman, Chidi Nwanbuzor, said the suspect was giving useful information and would be charged to court soon.
He further disclosed that the police rescued three kidnapped traditional worshippers on July 25. Read more
Alfa, herbalist defraud power-hungry Ekiti politician of N24m (Punch)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday said it arrested two self-acclaimed spiritualists, Alfa Abiodun Ibrahim and Wale Adifala, over a fraud of N24m.
The suspects were alleged to have conspired to defraud an aspiring House of Representatives member in Ekiti State, of the money, which they claimed was to be used to secure spiritual help for his political ambition.
According to a statement on the EFCC’s website, the men were arrested on July 7, 2022, in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, following a petition against them alleging that after collecting the said sum, the victim lost his political bid.
During interrogation by the agency’s operatives, Adifala reportedly admitted to collecting the money from their victim, including N2.9m, which he claimed was used to buy black, brown and white cows, rams, lavender perfume, rings, among other items, to carry out sacrifices at different times. Read more
Man ‘hid wife’s body in cupboard before breaking bones to fit it in suitcase’
author image (Metro)
A husband accused of murdering his new wife hours after their wedding hid the body in a cupboard before breaking her bones to stuff it inside a suitcase, a court heard.
Thomas Nutt, 45, killed grandmother Dawn Walker, 52, on October 27 last year. Her body was found dumped in bushes behind their West Yorkshire home four days later.
Jurors have been shown CCTV footage of Nutt wheeling a large suitcase out of the back of his house in Lightcliffe, near Halifax, just as a police officer arrives to follow up his missing person report.
Bradford Crown Court head he rang police on October 31 telling them his wife had gone missing and he appeared to mount a search in what the prosecutor said was a ‘ghastly charade’. Read more
China vows consequences if Pelosi visits Taiwan (BBC)
US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s rumoured plan for a trip to Taiwan has infuriated China and left the White House with a serious geopolitical headache. How big a problem is this?
On Monday, China warned of “serious consequences” if Nancy Pelosi were to proceed with a visit to Taiwan in the coming weeks.
Second in line to the presidency, Mrs Pelosi would be the highest ranking US politician to travel to the self-governing island democracy since 1997.
However, China sees self-ruled Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually be part of the country again – and has not ruled out the possible use of force to achieve this.
The potential trip has not only rankled Beijing – the Biden administration has reportedly tried to dissuade the California Democrat from going. Read more
BAFTA rejigs voting for performance and director categories for 2023 film awards (Variety)
BAFTA has made key changes to its awards eligibility and voting rules for next year’s film awards, handing back more power to its voting members in the performance and director categories.
The British Academy faced scrutiny for the 2022 film awards, where only two nominees in each performance category were the result of votes by the membership, and four were selected by juries, while all six director nominees were selected by a jury. The resulting nominations were refreshingly diverse, but BAFTA was criticized in some circles for not placing more trust in its membership and voting chapters.
For the 2023 awards, there will be an equal split between voting-based nominees and jury-based nominees in each performance category, while the directing category will include two vote-based nominees and four jury-based nominees.
Emma Baehr, executive director of awards and content for BAFTA, told Variety: “For the review in 2020, we implemented 120 changes, but we always said that we would adjust and look at [them] again. There were always going to be reviews, and we’ve had two years of data since we did these changes, and we’ve been looking at that, talking to the industry, and seeing where we need to make minor adjustments. Read more
ABC News launches studio to expand documentary efforts (THR)
ABC News is doubling down on documentaries and docuseries, launching a new non-fiction division called ABC News Studios.
The studio already has 15 series in various stages of production, as well as 3 feature-length documentaries, which will live under the ABC News Films banner.
“It really felt like there was a much bigger opportunity for ABC News to really scale the narrative non-fiction storytelling that we were doing,” ABC News Studios head Mike Kelley tells The Hollywood Reporter, noting that the studio will significantly expand ABC News’ presence in streaming. “In particular, to lean into the narrative non-fiction space that is rooted in journalism, but entertaining at its heart. Those are the stories that we want to tell.”
Kelley says the studio wants to play in the long-form documentary film space; the limited series space; the formatted anthology space; and will produce one-off specials. “From a genre perspective, we are focused on true crime, on investigations, on pop culture, on docuseries with interesting characters and words to explore, and topics that are broadly news-adjacent, all of it underpinned by the journalism that ABC News is known for,” he says. Read more
Venice Film Festival 2022: Syrian, Iraqi and Algerian films make the line-up (National)
The 79th Venice Film Festival has unveiled its line-up, with an intriguing array of big-name directors and stars scheduled to show. The festival, which opens with Noah Baumbach’s adaptation of the Don DeLillo novel White Noise on August 31, has once again positioned itself as a key launchpad for the coming awards season, as Hollywood studios jostle to gain attention for prestige pictures.
There’s plenty of Mena content across the festival too, with films from the region playing in several different sections.
In the Horizons category, Algerian-born filmmaker Rachid Hami brings us his second feature. For My Country (Pour la France) tells of a young police officer of Algerian origin who loses his life during an initiation ritual for the prestigious Saint-Cyr French military school. Partly shot in Morocco, the film stars Karim Leklou (The World Is Yours).
Appearing in Horizons Extra will be Syrian filmmaker Soudade Kaadan, marking her second fiction feature following 2018’s The Day I Lost My Shadow (which won Venice’s Luigi De Laurentiis Award for Best Debut Film). Her new movie, Nezouh — the Arabic title referring to the displacement of souls and people — is set against the backdrop of conflict in Damascus, and follows a girl, Zeina, aged 14, and her family, who are left reeling when a bomb rips through the roof of their building. Read more
Music producer Paul Epworth receives accolade from Sir Paul McCartney (BelfastTelegraph)
Award-winning music producer Paul Epworth has been made a Companion of The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (Lipa).
The super-producer who has worked with artists including Florence + the Machine, Rihanna and Adele, with whom he shares an Academy Award for James Bond theme Skyfall, received the accolade from Lipa co-founder Sir Paul McCartney at the institute’s graduation ceremony on Tuesday.
Bafta award-winning film producer Jonathan Clyde, who most recently produced Beatles: Get Back-The Rooftop Concert, also received a companionship which acknowledges outstanding achievement and practical contribution to students’ learning.
Others honoured as companions were the director of programmes and production at The Royal Exchange Theatre, Katie Vine, theatre director Georgia Kakoudaki, international set and costume designer Leslie Travers, and choreographer and movement director Francesca Jaynes. Read more
Russia says it will withdraw from the International Space Station after 2024 (CBS)
Russia will pull out of the International Space Station after 2024 and focus on building its own orbiting outpost, the country’s new space chief said Tuesday amid high tensions between Moscow and the West over the fighting in Ukraine.
Yuri Borisov, who was appointed this month to lead the state space agency, Roscosmos, said during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that Russia will fulfill its obligations to its partners before it leaves the project.
“The decision to leave the station after 2024 has been made,” Borisov said, adding: “I think that by that time we will start forming a Russian orbiting station.”
A senior NASA official told the Reuters news agency that Russia has not informed NASA of any intent to withdraw from the space station, despite Borisov’s comments. Read more
I almost quit athletics –World champion Amusan (Punch)
World champion and record holder in the 100m women’s hurdles, Tobi Amusan, said she once considered quitting athletics after being left out of the women’s relay team at the 2013 Africa Youth Games in Warri.
She went on to win bronze in the long jump instead, but she admitted she was frustrated with the way officials selected athletes for events.
However, her disappointment turned blessing, after some coaches advised her to switch to the less attractive hurdles event, where she soldiered on to become the world champion after several attempts on Monday morning (Nigerian time).
“The officials were always picking who they wanted in the relay team. Sometimes they would say I didn’t have the experience so they would pick whoever was their favourite,” Amusan told BBC. Read more
Nigeria to host 2025 AFCON – Pinnick (Sun)
Nigeria is in a favourable position to host the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Nigeria Football Federation President Amaju Pinnick disclosed it this afternoon in Lagos.
Speaking to reporters at the Sheraton Hotels Ikeja, Pinnick revealed that CAF is likely withdrawing the hosting right of the 2025 AFCON from Guinea.
“We are putting a bid together for a co-hosting of the tournament with the Benin Republic. Read more
Wijnaldum could leave Roma to Scudetto – Ex-Coach (FootballItalia)
Georginio Wijnaldum’s former manager said the Netherlands international could lead Roma to the title.
The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder is expected to leave the French club this summer with strong reports suggesting Roma would be his most likely destination.
And Gertjan Verbeek, who briefly managed Wijnaldum at Feyenoord in the 2008-09 season, said the player would have a hugely positive impact on Roma should he make the move.
Asked by La Gazzetta dello Sport if alongside new arrival Paulo Dybala he could lead Roma to the Serie A title, Verbeek said: “It’s difficult to say but why not? Read more
Youri Tielemans left in limbo as Leicester chief responds to Man Utd and Arsenal interest (Mirror)
Back in March, Tielemans admitted to Het Laatste Nieuws that he would like to play in the Champions League. He said: “I don’t worry about it [speculation].
“I want to get the most out of myself this season and finish as high as possible with the team. Of course, I want to play in the Champions League, just like any footballer. Am I ready for a European top club? I’m ready to get the best out of my career. We’ll see what happens next summer, or the summer after that.”
Arsenal were all but set to finish fourth, before Tottenham Hotspur pipped them on the final day to qualify for the Champions League. Tielemans was reportedly expecting an offer from the Gunners despite missing out on Europe’s elite competition, but Mikel Arteta’s side have had more pressing targets, while United have also strengthened in other areas first including in defence.
Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have been touted with a move for Tielemans but nothing has come of those links. Liverpool also reportedly rejected the opportunity to sign him earlier in the window as Jurgen Klopp patiently waits to strengthen his midfield. Read more
Brittney Griner’s Russian trial considers medicinal use of cannabis (CBC)
The drug trial of American basketball star Brittney Griner in a Russian court focused Tuesday on testimony that cannabis, while illegal in Russia, is regarded in other countries as having legitimate medicinal use.
Griner has acknowledged that she was carrying vape canisters containing cannabis oil when she was arrested in February at a Moscow airport, but she contends that she had no criminal intent and that the canisters ended up in her luggage inadvertently because of hasty packing.
“We are not arguing that Brittney took it here as a medicine. We are still saying that she involuntarily brought it here because she was in a rush,” defense attorney Alexander Boykov said after the session in which a Russian neuropsychologist testified about worldwide use of medicinal cannabis.
“The Russian public has to know, and the Russian court in the first place has to know, that it was not used for recreational purposes in the United States. It was prescribed by a doctor,” he said. Read more
UFC 279: Khamzat Chimaev sends chilling threat to Nate Diaz with ‘gangster’ comparison (GMS)
UFC star Khamzat Chimaev is ready to prove a point to the world, and Nate Diaz, when they collide at UFC 279.
Last week it was made official: Khamzat Chimaev will meet Nate Diaz in the main event of UFC 279 on September 10. It’s a bout that has been heavily rumoured for months now and while it may seem like a mismatch on paper, Diaz’s team have reportedly made it clear that they were the ones asking to square off against ‘Borz’.
These two men couldn’t be more different in terms of their style inside the cage but as we get closer and closer to fight night, more and more fans are insisting that something special could happen as the Stockton king gets ready for one more ride in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Diaz hasn’t said a whole lot since signing on the dotted line but during a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Chimaev didn’t hold back when giving his thoughts on this titanic showdown. Read more
ATP chiefs addresses possibility of introducing grass Masters in ATP calendar (TennisWorld)
ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi confirms there is a possibility of introducing a grass Masters event in the near future. A tennis season features nine Masters tournaments but none of those nine are played on grass. Six Masters events are staged on hard, while there are three clay Masters tournaments.
Also, a tennis season features 13 tournaments from the ATP 500 category. Two ATP 500 tournaments take place during the grass season – Queen’s and Halle. If the ATP does decide to introduce a grass Masters, it will likely be Queen’s and Halle getting a promotion to the Masters level.
“There are three weeks between the French Open and Wimbledon,” Gaudenzi told TennisMagazin.de. “Grass is the only surface on which a Masters 1000 tournament is not played. This means that between Rome and the Canada Masters in the summer, the ATP will have no premium content for the fans for (more than) two months.
Because almost all players start in the middle of the three grass weeks before Wimbledon, a grass Masters makes sense”. Read more