Jihadists from Niger, Mali, Libya taxing Nigerian farmers — Rep (Vanguard)
A member of the House of Representatives representing Tangaza/Gudu Federal Constituency of Sokoto State, Sani Yakubu, has raised alarm, saying jihadists from Niger, Mali and Libya and the local bandits operating in Tangaza Local Government of the state have imposed a tax on farmers in the area.
Yakubu, who disclosed this while presenting a motion at plenary yesterday, said Tangaza/Gudu Federal Constituency was surrounded by two forests; Tsauna Forest that stretches over to Gwadabawa, Illela and Niger Republic and Kuyan Bana Forest which also stretches to Gudu and Niger Republic.
Revealing that the terrorists within the areas had joined forces, Yakubu said they had apparently vowed to make life difficult for the people who are predominantly farmers. Read more
Fuel subsidy removal: Savings will benefit Nigerians –Tinubu (Sun)
President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, admitted that he is aware Nigerians are suffering from the removal of fuel subsidy but assured the savings will benefit all Nigerians.
He also reaffirmed his commitment to returning Nigeria to the path of greatness, but appealed to citizens to see the current harsh times as a form of labour before child birth.
President Tinubu, in a meeting with the Class of 1999 Governors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, re-echoed his commitment to Nigeria’s greatness and appeal for support. Read more
Tinubu’s govt repays $500m Eurobond borrowed by Jonathan (DailyTrust)
Nigeria has redeemed a $500 million Eurobond taken by the administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan in 2013.
The Debt Management Office (DMO), which disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja, on Wednesday, said the Eurobond was paid on July 12, 2023, its due date.
Eurobond is a debt instrument that’s denominated in a currency other than the home currency of the country or market in which it is issued. Read more
Sanwo-Olu seeks ICSAN partnership for ‘‘greater Lagos’’ (Punch)
The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday, reiterated his administration’s willingness to collaborate with professional bodies and associations in his quest to build “a greater Lagos.”
Sanwo-Olu stated this at the investiture of Mrs Funmi Ekundayo as the 29th and first female President and Chairman of Council, Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria.
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, the governor, who sought partnership with ICSAN, said the collaboration was part of a commitment to “build the state of our collective desire through the successful attainment of the goals embedded in our T.H.E.M.E.S+ Agenda.” Read more
Give us August 20 as Isese Day, Lagos Obas urge Sanwo-Olu (Tribune)
The Lagos Council of Obas, led by the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, has called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to grant special recognition to the annual traditional festival known as Isese Day, acknowledging the role of traditional institutions in the state.
During the inauguration of the new Lagos Council of Obas and Chiefs for another five-year term at Lagos House, Ikeja, the monarchs made this demand. They proposed that August 20 should be designated as Isese Day in the state.
Speaking on behalf of the other Obas, the Elegushi of Ikate land, Oba Saheed Elegushi, emphasized that the country’s democracy gives equal recognition to all religions. Read more
Nollywood actress Cynthia Okereke is dead (Leadership)
Nollywood veteran actress, Cynthia Okereke, is dead.
The actress, who had featured in scores of movies, was said to have died Tuesday night. Her demise is coming a year after enduring a traumatic kidnapping experience.
The sad news was disclosed by her fellow colleague in the entertainment industry, Joseph Okechukwu.
Okechukwu, a filmmaker, expressed deep sorrow, revealing that he had intended to pay for Cynthia Okereke’s flight ticket to America to continue their joint project. Read more
Thunderstrike kills 3 suspected kidnappers in Kwara (Channels)
Thunderstrike has reportedly killed three suspected kidnappers in the agrarian Oro Ago community in the Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.
It was gathered that the incident, linked to the efforts of the local vigilance team in the Igbomina Kwara axis aimed at checking security challenges in the area, happened three days ago.
In a viral video of the incident, it was gathered that the victims of the thunderstrike were suspected members of an eight-man kidnap gang, who reportedly operated in Iwo, Osun State about two weeks ago.
The Streets announce new album and feature film ‘The Darker The Shadow, The Brighter The Light’ (FarOut)
The Streets have announced plans to release their new album The Darker The Shadow, The Brighter The Light which coincides with a feature film of the same name, directed by Mike Skinner.
The LP is set for release on October 20th and marks The Streets’ first full-length album since 2011’s Computer and Blues. Additionally, to tease the record, the Birmingham native has shared lead single ‘Troubled Waters’ which arrives alongside visuals which provide the first vignette into The Darker The Shadow, The Brighter The Light.
Speaking about the project, which was first publicly announced in 2018, Skinner said: “It has been seven long years working on this film and album. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and after dipping my toe in with some shorts and music videos, I felt I was ready. I tried to go the traditional route for a bit, but it’s always served me better to follow my instincts and just get on with it myself, so I’ve directed it, acted in it, edited, sound mixed, funded, produced it all as well as written it.” Read more
Jon Batiste releases new single “Drink Water” Ft. Jon Bellion and Fireboy DML (AS)
Jon Batiste recruited Fireboy DML and Jon Bellion for his latest single, “Drink Water” which will appear on his studio album, “World Music Radio” on August 18.
Batiste opened up about the new album on Instagram, writing, “Traveling with my wife, leaning into the culturally diverse group of friends and family that make up my inner circle birthed the foundations for what is now World Music Radio – much of which was recorded in transit, hotel rooms, basements and on smartphones either abroad or near big bodies of water.”
The new album follows his 2021 Grammy Award-winning album, “We Are.” Read more
Hollywood studios racing to avoid actors’ strike (France24)
Hollywood actors on Wednesday anxiously awaited their union’s decision on whether to strike, right at the peak of the summer blockbuster season, as last-ditch talks with studios appeared to sour.
With just hours remaining until the deadline, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) — which has already agreed to one extension of talks with the likes of Netflix and Disney—lashed out at the studios’ tactics.
“We are not confident that the employers have any intention of bargaining toward an agreement,” the union said in a statement late Tuesday. Read more
Kevin Costner vacations with his kids amid ongoing child support case (People)
Kevin Costner is spending time with his kids.
The actor/director, 68, previously declared that he would not be available for a July 12 court date because he would be on a previously scheduled trip to British Columbia with his younger children: daughter Grace, 13, and sons Hayes, 14, and Cayden, 16.
The trip had been “planned for months” before the court date was recently rescheduled, according to Costner’s legal team as stated in court documents obtained by PEOPLE. Read more
Elton John, ‘‘Weird” Al’ Yankovic, Ed Sheeran score Emmy Music nominations (Spin)
Elton John, “Weird” Al Yankovic, and Ed Sheeran are among the nominees in the music and variety categories for the 75th annual Emmy Awards, which are scheduled to be handed out in a Sept. 9-10 ceremony currently in jeopardy due to the ongoing writers strike.
John is nominated for outstanding variety special for last year’s Disney+ special Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium. If he wins, he will secure EGOT status as just the 19th person to receive an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony.
Sheeran is nominated in the music and lyrics category for the Ted Lasso song “A Beautiful Game,” which he co-wrote with Max Martin and Foy Vance. Show composer Tom Howe, Jamie Hartman, and Sam Ryder are up in the same category for the Lasso song “Fought and Lost,” while Yankovic is nominated for the song “Now You Know” from his comedic biopic, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. Read more
Tornadoes touch down near populous Chicago metropolitan area (AlJazeera)
The National Weather Service in the United States has issued tornado warnings for areas in and around Chicago, Illinois, as strong storms sweep across the state on Wednesday.
“This storm south of Elgin moving east into parts of Cook and DuPage County has had a history of multiple tornadoes on the ground at the same time,” the agency said on Twitter. “Seek shelter if in the warned area!”
One “confirmed damaging tornado” had been spotted moving northeast through Cook County, the second most populous county in the US, where Chicago is located. Read more
Number of people going hungry has risen by 122m since 2019, UN says (Guardian)
The number of people going hungry in the world has risen by 122 million to 735 million since 2019 because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, the UN has said.
If current trends continue, almost 600 million people will be chronically undernourished by 2030 – about 119 million more than if neither of these events had happened, a new report has found.
While the numbers of people facing hunger globally have stabilised after increasing sharply from 2019 to 2020, hunger is still on the rise in western Asia, the Caribbean and across Africa, according to the report released by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and four other UN bodies on Wednesday. Read more
ITTF Rankings: Aruna Quadri remains African best, stays 18th in the world (Sun)
World Table Tennis has released its latest ranking for July and Nigeria sensation, Aruna Quadri was unmoved from his former position in the ranking, BSNSports.com.ng reports.
After a decent outing in the WTT Durban series, Aruna missed the Lagos event due to injury but bounced back to compete in Ljubljana in Slovenia.
According to the ranking released, the Nigerian Olympian was ranked 18th in the World and still maintained his top spot as an African number one. Read more
Waldrum banks on Oshoala, Ajibade for World Cup success (Punch)
Super Falcons coach, Randy Waldrum, is banking on the prowess of Barcelona Feminine and Atletico Madrid Feminine forwards, Asisat Oshoala and Rahseedat Ajibade, as the team begins its 2023 Women’s World Cup campaign against Canada on July 21.
Nigeria is in Group B with co-hosts Australia, Canada, and the Republic of Ireland in their ninth appearance at the World Cup. Having not missed any of the previous editions of the tournament, the team is out to make a statement with an improved performance in Australia and New Zealand.
Nigeria’s best performance at the World Cup was reaching the quarter-finals in 1999. Read more
“Women’s football can be billion-pound industry,” says chair of a new independent review Karen Carney (Sky)
Women’s football could be a billion-pound industry within 10 years if it gets the right investment now, according to the chair of a new independent review.
Former England international Karen Carney’s review panel has called for wide-ranging reform at the elite and grassroots level of domestic football to fully capitalise on the Lionesses’ Euros success last summer. Read more
Erik ten Hag breaks silence on Andre Onana deal and issues Manchester United transfer update (MEN)
Erik ten Hag admits that it is important to have a top goalkeeper at the club amid his interest in signing Andre Onana.
Manchester United are optimistic about the prospect of signing Inter Milan goalkeeper Onana to replace David de Gea after he left the club for good last week.
The 27-year-old is United’s primary goalkeeping target, with MEN Sport recently revealing John Murtough had discussed the potential parameters of a deal for the Inter man. Read more
American Chris Eubanks ends Wimbledon dream with gruelling 5-set loss to Daniil Medvedev (Fox)
Chris Eubanks’ hopes of ending a 23-year drought of an American winning the men’s Wimbledon title came to a heartbreaking end Wednesday.
The 27-year-old Georgia native advanced to the quarterfinal round at the All England Club after upsetting two-time Grand Slam runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas earlier this week.
But Eubanks’ road to victory ended with a grueling five-set loss to 2021 U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev. Read more
Claressa Shields beats Tank Davis, Stevenson, Haney for “Best Boxer” ESPY Award (BoxingScene)
The awards and accolades keep coming for Claressa Shields.
The 2012 and 2016 Olympic gold medalist and three-division undisputed champion has landed an ESPY Award for “Best Boxer,” knocking out a field of competition that included Devin Haney, Gervonta Davis, and Shakur Stevenson.
The 28-year-old Shields (14-0, 2 KOs) was awarded the honor Tuesday in Hollywood, California during a preview segment for the annual Academy Award and Grammy-like show. ESPY Award nominees were originally announced on June 21. Read more