Inside Tinubu’s dramatic 1 month in office (DailyTrust)
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was inaugurated as the 16th President of Nigeria on May 29.
In his inaugural speech, he made certain promises including the pledge to rule in the interest of Nigerians.
He said his administration “shall govern on your behalf but never rule over you,” and that his government will “consult and dialogue but never dictate.” Read more
Igbos In Lagos: Uzodimma meets Sanwo-Olu over impasse (Vanguard)
With a swift response and intervention as promised, Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State visited Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, where they agreed to continue to guarantee the rights of Igbos in Lagos.
Speaking shortly after the meeting Governor Hope Uzodimma expressed optimism over the proactive response of Governor Sanwo-Olu who has guaranteed the protection and safety of Igbos in Lagos State.
Governor Uzodimma further revealed that the Lagos State Governor has set up a committee to look into their concerns which include the demolition of the Alaba market and other relative issues faced by Igbos residing and doing business in Lagos. Read more
Inspector demoted for hiding his rifle, accusing colleagues of stealing it (NewTelegraph)
A Police Inspector, attached to the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Unit (Task Force), identified as Musa, has been demoted for hiding his rifle under his mattress at home, and then turning around to accuse his colleagues of stealing the rifle.
When Musa’s mischief was discovered, he was arrested, detained, tried, and then demoted. His colleagues, who had earlier been arrested and detained after being accused by Musa of stealing his rifle for nefarious purposes, were then released to go.
According to Police sources, Musa, along with his colleagues were posted to the Lagos State Secretariat Gate, otherwise known as Alausa Gate, from Task Force, Oshodi. On one of the days that Musa and his colleagues were at their duty post at the Alausa Gate, the devil seemed to penetrate the mind of the Inspector and took a seat there and even though the Inspector tried to dislodge the devil from corroding his mind, he failed. Read more
Amnesty programme uncovers 1,370 BVN-linked bank accounts belonging to ex-agitators (Nation)
Averification exercise carried out on the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) database revealed that some of the beneficiaries including ex-agitators had multiple accounts linked to their BVNs, the Interim Administrator (PAP), Major General Barry Ndiomu (retd.) has said.
Ndiomu disclosed this yesterday while disclosing that the PAP will be sponsoring 75 pilots and aircraft engineers to South Africa and France for type-rating.
The gesture according to him was part of PAP’s aviation training programme,
His words: “Further verification of the payment list revealed that certain beneficiaries had multiple accounts linked to their BVNs. In total, 513 beneficiaries had 1370 accounts on the payment list linked to their BVNs. Other anomalies were that of certain accounts not linked to their BVNs; this group had a total of 2601 accounts. Read more
Consumers, traders lament as tomato, pepper scarcity hits markets (Punch)
There is a rising anxiety over the worsening scarcity of tomatoes and peppers in most parts of the country, with consumers and sellers adducing different reasons for the scarcity.
While traders lament low patronage, consumers lament the scarcity and high prices.
Farmers and traders who spoke with Saturday PUNCH highlighted the ravaging Tuta Absoluta, popularly known as tomato ebola; fuel subsidy removal and its effect on transportation; and the rainy season as major reasons behind the scarcity of the commodity and its sudden disappearance from markets. Read more
Sudan: Dangote doles out millions of naira to Nigerian returnees (Leadership)
The Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) has offered relief to more Nigerian nationals fleeing the conflict in Sudan.
The recent, One Hundred and Twenty-Five persons including many disabled, flown into Abuja by Tarco Airline on Saturday, June 24th, each received N100,000 and dignity packs courtesy of the Aliko Dangote Foundation.
Recall that over 2,278 returnees received N100,000 each in May, with care packs to help with their immediate needs, and enable them reunite with their families all across the country. Read more
Acting IGP summons officers for running over Edo resident (Channels)
The Acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olukayode Egbetokun, has summoned some officers serving in Edo State to the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, saying the action followed a disturbing incident where a police team ran a vehicle over a citizen on Thursday, June 29, at the Ekpoma area of the state.
Adejobi said the erring policemen who had been in detention in Edo State are to report to the Force Headquarters on Monday for further action. Read more
Former NUC boss hands over office as President Tinubu approves resignation (Guardian)
The outgone Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof.
Abubakar Rasheed, has formally handed over to the most senior officer in the commission, Mr Chris Maiyaki.
At the handover ceremony in Abuja on Friday, Rasheed said he had secured necessary approval from President Bola Tinubu to step down with effect from June 30, 2023.
He said that the new executive secretary would be steering the affairs of the commission in acting capacity until the appointment of a substantive executive secretary by the president. Read more
Olivia Rodrigo shares rock-opera inspired new track ‘‘Vampire’’ (NME)
Olivia Rodrigo has shared her latest single ‘‘Vampire’’ from her highly anticipated forthcoming album ‘‘Guts’’.
Produced by and co-written with Daniel Nigro, who also worked with the singer on her 2021 album ‘‘Sour”, ‘‘Vampire’’ marks a new era for Rodrigo trading up the dreamy minimalism seen on her debut for a rock-opera inspired route with pounding drums and frantic pianos.
“I was upset about a certain situation and went to the studio alone and sat down at the grand piano, and the chords and melody and lyrics just poured out of me — almost like an out-of-body experience,” said Rodrigo. Read more
Shakira transforms into a mermaid in whimsical video for Manuel Turizo-featuring ‘‘Copa Vacía’’ single (Variety)
Shakira assumes the role of a glistening mermaid with long, pink locks in her new music video for “Copa Vacía,” featuring Manuel Turizo. The duet centers on wanting more from a relationship that feels like drinking out of an empty cup, while the cinematic visual has Turizo rescuing Shakira from a littered ocean shore.
The video was co-directed by Shakira and longtime collaborator Jaume de la Iguana. “You’re always busy with so many businesses,” Shakira sings in her verse over a reggaeton beat. “Drop your phone, use your hands with me/I know you’re hot but I’m hotter. I’ve been thirsty for you for a while, I don’t know why.”
The single and video were released simultaneously on Thursday following weeks of teasers from the pair of Colombian artists. Last week, they shared a lusty movie poster that depicted Shakira as a pensive mermaid and Turizo as the handsome prince. “We made a movie,” they jointly wrote in the caption. Read more
SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP agree to extend contract to July 12 as negotiations continue (Deadline)
SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers agreed Friday to extend their current film and TV contract until July 12 to allow bargaining on a new deal to continue, both sides said this evening. The current contract had been set to expire tonight at midnight PT, after which it would have likely meant a second major Hollywood guild would be on strike against the studios.
“The agreements, which were set to expire at 11:59 p.m. PT tonight, will now expire on July 12, at 11:59 pm PT,” SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP said in a joint statement. “The parties will continue to negotiate under a mutually agreed upon media blackout. Neither organization will comment to the media about the negotiations during the extension.” Read more
Sylvester Stallone takes a solemn look back at his life and career in “Sly” documentary teaser (ET)
Sylvester Stallone has given fans a fun look at his family life in his new reality series, The Family Stallone, but the legendary actor is taking a more somber look back at his career and legacy in an upcoming Netflix documentary, simply titled “Sly”.
The streaming service shared the first teaser for the upcoming doc, from director Thom Zimny, on Friday, giving intimate insight into the action icon’s private life and personal musings.
“Hell yeah, I have regrets,” Stallone says in voiceover. “What is healthier: to live under the illusion that you could have been great, or actually have an opportunity to be great and then you blow it?” Read more
UNESCO moves to readmit United States after its 2017 withdrawal (AlJazeera)
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has agreed to readmit the United States as a member.
UNESCO’s governing board voted 132-10 on Friday to accept the US proposal to rejoin the Paris-based agency. The North American country’s membership will become official once Secretary of State Antony Blinken, or a designee, formally accepts the invitation, according to White House officials.
Blinken said the vote would “restore US leadership on a host of issues of importance and value to the American people”. Read more
Antarctic sea ice at record low for end of June, says Met Office (Standard)
Antarctic sea ice is at a record low for the end of June, the Met Office has said.
It is 1.3 million sq km (501,930 sq miles) below the previous low record for this time of year, an amount that is more than five times the surface area of the UK.
Dr Ed Blockley, who leads the Met Office’s Polar Climate Group, said: “Antarctic sea ice extent reaches a maximum around the end of September and a minimum around the end of February. Read more
Chinese army invasion of Taiwan not a given, US general says (VOA)
There is still time to dissuade Beijing not to use force to reunify Taiwan with mainland China, according to America’s most senior military official.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, said Friday that despite well-publicized plans calling for the Chinese military to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027, there is no indication Chinese President Xi Jinping has made a decision one way or the other.
Speaking to an audience at the National Press Club in Washington, Milley said that gives the U.S. and other countries time to show Xi the use of force would be a bad idea. Read more
NBBF appoints Wakama D’Tigress head coach (Punch)
The Nigeria Basketball Federation has engaged coach Rena Wakama as head coach for the Team Nigeria Women’s basketball team for two years.
The federation made the announcement in a tweet on Friday.
D’Tigress have been without a head coach since Otis Hughley resigned from his role with the five-time Afrobasket champions in 2022.
Wakama, who hails from Rivers, is a former national team player and currently an assistant coach at Stony Brooks University in the US. Read more
NFF, Super Falcons coach at war (Guardian)
All is not well in Nigeria’s women’s football. There is a big rift between the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Super Falcons coach, Randy Waldrum, which is capable of scuttling whatever ambition the country has at the FIFA Women’s World Cup holding in Australia and New Zealand.
The Super Falcons are expected to depart Abuja tomorrow for a 15-day training camp in Australia, before the World Cup with their base at Brisbane, which is also venue for two of their group matches.
Nigerian First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, will today, in Abuja, host a dinner to send forth the team. Read more
Chukwu confirms Rivers Utd exit after more than 2 seasons (Independent)
Morice Chukwu has parted ways with Rivers United following the expiration of his contract.
Chukwu joined the Pride of Rivers from Akwa United in 2021. The mercurial midfielder has been linked with a move abroad as he seeks a new challenge.
The player announced his exit from the club through social media.
“In the last couple of weeks, I have been engaged in a very emotional conversation with Management and the Board of Directors concerning my future,” an emotion-laden Chukwu wrote on his Twitter handle. Read more
FIFA orders Cardiff to complete payments for Emiliano Sala to Nantes (Guardian)
Cardiff have been ordered to make the last two payments to Nantes for Emiliano Sala’s transfer by Fifa.
Sala died when the light aircraft he was travelling in from France crashed into the English Channel in January 2019, two days after Cardiff had announced the signing of the 28-year-old Argentinian forward from Nantes. The French club’s claim for the first €6m (just over £5m) of the £15m transfer fee was upheld by the court of arbitration for sport (Cas) last August, and Cardiff announced on Friday they had now been ordered by football’s global governing body to pay the last two instalments of the fee as well.
Cardiff have paid the first instalment and it is understood they intend – albeit reluctantly – to now pay the remaining two. Cardiff have lodged a negligence claim in the French courts against Nantes. They maintain Nantes must be held accountable for the accident that led to Sala’s death, saying the flight was organised by the French club’s agent. Read more
Jen Beattie: Arsenal defender signs new contract after overcoming cancer (BBC)
Arsenal defender Jen Beattie has signed a new contract with the club, months after overcoming cancer.
The 32-year-old centre back has spent two spells with the Gunners having re-joined the club in 2019.
Beattie continued her career for club and country despite being diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2020 and undergoing radiotherapy. Read more
Wimbledon 2023 men’s singles draw: Andy Murray faces Ryan Peniston, Novak Djokovic opens against Pablo Cachin (Eurosport)
Former winner Andy Murray will play Ryan Peniston in an all-British affair in the first round of the men’s singles at Wimbledon after the draw was conducted on Friday morning.
The blockbuster tie of the round sees fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas play former US Open champion Dominic Thiem. The winner of that tie will face the winner of Murray’s game.
Defending champion Novak Djokovic opens up his campaign against Pablo Cachin, and top seed Carlos Alcaraz will face off against Jeremy Chardy from France. Read more