Labour declares nationwide protest over hardship (DailyTrust)
The leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared a two-day nationwide mass protest for February 27 and 28.
Joe Ajaero, NLC president, stated this at Labour House, Abuja, during an emergency session, which held on Friday.
Ajaero said the decision to protest was taken after the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum earlier issued to the Federal Government over the nationwide hardship.
Daily Trust reports that the ultimatum was issued to press the demands for reforms to address the current hardship being faced by Nigerians. Read more
N20m Bounty: FCT Police nab 1 of 2 wanted kidnappers, rescue 2 kidnap victims (Leadership)
Following the placement of N20 million bounty on two suspected kidnappers terrorising Abuja and its environs by the minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, the operatives of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) have arrested one of them, Dahiru Adamu, whose real name is Saidu Abdulkadir.
He was arrested when police operatives raided two kidnappers’ camps bordering Nasarawa State and Abuja via Kuje Area Council on February 15, 2024, at about 12 am and dislodged the camps.
FCT police spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, said Abdulkadir was the gang leader and one of the wanted suspects of the kidnapping syndicate paraded by the FCT Police Command on February 14, 2024. Read more
Veteran broadcaster seeks N100m for cancer patients (Punch)
A veteran broadcaster, Mrs Bimbo Oloyede, is seeking public support to raise N100m for cancer research and treatment of cancer patients in commemoration of her 70th birthday on March 15.
According to her, the fund will be used to provide up-to-date equipment and accessories for public hospitals that will allow cancer patients, who cannot afford the payment, to have treatment in Nigeria.
The former news anchor at the Nigerian Television Authority and Channels Television made this known on Thursday during a press conference in Lagos. Read more
My biggest regret is not marrying early – Actor Timini Egbuson (Vanguard)
Popular Nollywood actor Timini Egbuson has disclosed what his biggest regret in life is.
Speaking during an interview on the Madeaux Africa podcast, Timini stated that his biggest regret in life is not getting married early enough.
He said if he had known better when he was younger, he would have chosen a wife among his young lovers then.
“Honestly, my biggest regret is not settling down early enough. I wish I had picked someone I loved. I mean, one of my young loves then. Maybe by now, I would have had a 14-year-old kid running around,” he said. Read more
Disney’s ‘‘Iwájú’’ to hit the big screens February 28 (Channels)
Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pan-African Comic Book Entertainment Company Kugali has released its first trailer for Iwaju.
It also hinted at a February 28 release date for six episodes of the limited series.
‘‘Iwájú’’, which is set in a futuristic Lagos, Nigeria tells a coming-of-age story that follows “Tola, a young girl from the wealthy island, and her best friend, Kole, a self-taught tech expert, as they discover the secrets and dangers hidden in their different worlds.”
The trailer shows a world filled with incredible tech “inspired by the spirit of Lagos” and one adorable lizard named Otin. This special lizard, who is at least partially robotic in origin, is seen in the trailer with some pretty powerful abilities. Read more
Tinubu is working to improve economy, be hopeful, Bwala tells Nigerians (Nation)
Daniel Bwala, a former spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar’s presidential campaign in the February 2023 presidential election has encouraged Nigerians to be hopeful and optimistic, saying President Tinubu is working to improve the economy.
He said this in a post on his X page on Friday, February 16.
He wrote: “We continue to appeal to Nigerians to be hopeful and optimistic. Mr president @officialABAT is doing all he can to tackle the issues bothering on the economy and security. He is engaging all stakeholders, making the necessary decisions and giving the necessary support to the federating units to improve the living conditions of their people. Every citizen belongs to a state. Read more
Customs, Lekki Port assure importers of efficient, seamless operations (Leadership)
The management of Lekki Port and Lekki Freeport Terminal have assured maritime stakeholders that they will enjoy the use of Lekki Port and its state-of-the-art facilities.
This assurance was made during the 2024 Roadshow organised by Lekki Port and Lekki Freeport Terminal in conjunction with the Nigeria Customs Service in Lagos.
The chief operating officer of Lekki Port, Laurence Smith, stated that the roadshow was an opportunity to intimate potential port users of the ease of doing business in Lekki Port. Read more
Dantata backs House bills seeking return to parliamentary system (ThisDay)
Renowned business mogul, Alhaji Aminu Dantatta, has backed the bills by 60 members of the House of Representatives seeking constitutional alterations to return Nigeria to parliamentary system of government.
Dantata gave his endorsement when he received some of the lawmakers led by the Minority Leader of the House, Kingsley Chinda, who paid him a courtesy visit at his residence in Kano.
He said the parliamentary system was not only better for the country but, “it’s cheaper, less cumbersome, and would enhance stability and easy to run.” Read more
Berlinale: Lupita Nyong’o makes history in German film festival (BBC)
Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o has made history by taking over as the first black head of the Berlin International Film Festival jury.
The annual film showcase event, also known as the Berlinale, is one of the five largest global film festivals.
The event has not had a black jury head in its 74-year history, organisers told AFP news agency last year.
Nyong’o will lead the jury in selecting the winning films in the two main categories, Golden and Silver Bears. Read more
Russian activist and Putin critic Alexei Navalny dies in prison (Guardian)
The Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has died in jail, the country’s prison service has said, in what is likely to be seen as a political assassination attributable to Vladimir Putin.
Navalny, 47, one of Putin’s most visible and persistent critics, was being held in a jail about 40 miles north of the Arctic Circle where he had been sentenced to 19 years under a “special regime”. In a video from the prison in January, he appeared gaunt with his head shaved.
In a statement, the federal penitentiary service for the region where Navalny was incarcerated said that he had “felt unwell after a walk and almost immediately lost consciousness”. Read more
Taylor Swift donates $100k to family of woman killed at Chiefs’ parade (RTE)
Taylor Swift has donated $100,000 to a fundraiser for the family of a woman who died in the mass shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl celebrations.
The US superstar shared her condolences with the family of Lisa Lopez-Galvan, 44, who was killed during the football team’s victory parade at Union Station in Kansas City after they won the Super Bowl.
The family of Ms Lopez-Galvan have set up a GoFundMe page in memory of the mother-of-two and received a personal message from Swift. Read more
Man charged in Massachusetts woman’s death rearrested in Kenya after escaping custody (NBC)
A man wanted in Massachusetts to face murder charges was has been rearrested a week after he dramatically escaped from police custody, Kenyan police said Wednesday.
Kevin Adam Kinyanjui Kangethe escaped while awaiting extradition on a Massachusetts warrant alleging he killed his girlfriend and left her body in a car at a Boston airport. Last week he slipped out of a police station and jumped into a privately owned minivan.
Kangethe was arrested in Embulbul, Kajiado County on the outskirts of Kenya’s capital city on Tuesday evening as he sought refuge at one of his relatives’ homes, Nairobi police boss Adamson Bungei said. Read more
Ridley Scott to direct Paramount’s Bee Gees movie from GK Films (Deadline)
With its movie Bob Marley: One Love now in theaters, Paramount Pictures is moving fast on another high-profile biopic on a popular music group and looks to have found an A-list director to lead the project. While a deal isn’t done, sources tell Deadline that Ridley Scott is in negotiations to direct the studio’s untitled Bee Gees movie. Scott will produce alongside producing partner Michael Pruss of Scott Free, Graham King through his GK Films banner and Stacey Snider.
Paramount is distributing the film worldwide, with Amblin and Sister having the right to co-finance. Barry Gibb is executive producing. John Logan wrote the script. Read more
Michael Caine joked to Christopher Nolan that ‘‘enough is enough’’ before sitting Oppenheimer out (Variety)
Oppenheimer was notably marketed in the press as the sixth collaboration between director Christopher Nolan and star Cillian Murphy, who was finally getting his chance to lead a Nolan movie after five supporting turns in films such as Batman Begins and Dunkirk Nolan has another longtime collaborator in Michael Caine, who got a special shoutout when the filmmaker accepted the BFI Fellowship this week at the British Film Institute chairman’s dinner (via The Independent).
Nolan, who many awards pundits agree is the BAFTA and Oscar frontrunner for best director and best picture thanks to Oppenheimer, remembered Caine joking to him about not being able to star in the atomic bomb epic.
“Okay, enough is enough,” Caine told his frequent collaborator. Read more
American forces strike Yemen’s Houthis, seize Iranian weapons shipment heading to militants (Fox)
American forces have carried out four more self-defense strikes against Yemen’s Houthi rebels after a U.S. Coast Guard cutter seized an Iranian weapons shipment bound for the militant group.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement Thursday that its forces yesterday afternoon “successfully conducted four self-defense strikes against seven mobile anti-ship cruise missiles, three mobile unmanned aerial vehicles, and one explosive unmanned surface vessel in Houthi controlled areas of Yemen, that were prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea.”
“CENTCOM identified these mobile missiles, UAVs, and USV in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined they presented an imminent threat to US Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region,” it added. “These actions will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy and merchant vessels.” Read more
PSG target Osimhen as Mbappe replacement (Vanguard)
Victor Osimhen is considered one of the top candidates to replace Kylian Mbappe at PSG.
The 25-year-old is expected to leave the French champions on a free transfer at the conclusion of the season, after years of speculation about a move to Real Madrid.
Los Blancos remain the favourites to sign the France captain, despite reports that the two parties have yet to reach an agreement. Read more
Simona Halep sues company for huge damages over supplement linked to doping ban (Tennis365)
Simona Halep is seeking more than $10 million in damages from a Canadian company that produced a nutritional supplement she believes led to her being handed a four-year doping ban.
The two-time Grand Slam champion is suing Quantum Nutrition, which operates as Schinoussa Superfoods, having tested positive for the banned substance Roxadustat at the 2022 US Open.
Halep has said she took supplements produced by the company during the 2022 US Open and claimed that the Keto MCT product she consumed had been contaminated with Roxadustat. Read more
Klopp denies quick returns caused Liverpool injuries (France24)
Jurgen Klopp has rejected suggestions that Liverpool rushed players back too soon after Trent Alexander-Arnold, Thiago Alcantara and Dominik Szoboszlai all suffered setbacks after returning to action.
Alexander-Arnold will miss the League Cup final against Chelsea later this month because of a knee problem that recurred in last week’s win over Burnley for the Premier League leaders.
Thiago faces another spell on the sidelines after picking up an injury following an appearance as a late substitute in the defeat against Arsenal, while Szoboszlai has hurt his hamstring again. Read more
Lena Oberdorf: Bayern Munich sign Wolfsburg midfielder (BBC)
Bayern Munich have signed Germany midfielder Lena Oberdorf from Wolfsburg for a reported 450,000 euros (£384,000).
The Bundesliga leaders activated a release clause in the 22-year-old’s contract to make her the most expensive female German player.
Oberdorf will join Alexander Straus’ side at the end of the season. Read more
Klay Thompson comes off bench 1st time in career, drops 35 (ABC)
Klay Thompson came off the bench for the first time since his rookie season to knock down seven 3-pointers and score a season-high 35 points, leading the Golden State Warriors to a 140-137 victory over the host Utah Jazz on Thursday night.
Thompson was a reserve for the first time since March 11, 2012, during the lockout-delayed first season of his career. Rookie guard Brandin Podziemski replaced him in the starting lineup and finished with 13 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds.
“You can do two things: You can pout or you can go out there and respond,” said Thompson, who became the sixth Golden State player to surpass 15,000 points. “I thought I did the latter very well tonight.” Read more
Man Utd’s youngest-ever £1m footballer John Cofie and friend ‘raped woman after night out’ (Mirror)
John Cofie and friend Nathan Stuart have been accused of the rape of a woman after a night out in Altrincham, and both men deny the charges brought against them
Former Manchester United academy player John Cofie and a friend both raped a woman after a night out, a trial has been told.
Cofie is accused alongside friend Nathan Stuart of the alleged attack in 2019. The men, both aged 31, deny the charges of rape. Read more