Lagos boy cracks stepfather’s skull with pestle, victim dies (Punch)
A 17-year-old boy, identified only as Junior, has allegedly killed his stepfather, Adebowale Okuwobi, with a pestle in Ekoro community in the Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State.
PUNCH Metro gathered that 42-year-old Okuwobi, a commercial driver, was asleep when Junior allegedly attacked him with a pestle on Monday, July 5, 2021.
The victim, whose skull fractured from the attack, was taken to different hospitals before he died.
Our correspondent learnt that Junior’s mother, who married Okuwobi 12 years ago, entered the union with three children from her previous marriage.
Junior was said to be the youngest of the children. Read more
Collapsed Ikorodu building has no permit, says LABSCA (Guardian)
The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LABSCA), yesterday said the landlord of the collapsed two-story building under construction in Ikorodu had no permit.
The General Manager of the agency, Gbolahan Oki, an architect, said the body of the dead landlord had been recovered from the debris at 77, Tapa Road, Oke-Ojo, Isawo in Ikorodu, Lagos State.
The incident occurred at about 2.30 p.m., while people were celebrating Eid-el-Kabir.
Confirming the incident, Oki said officials of the agency were about to go to the site before the collapse. Read more
NiMet forecasts 3-day cloudiness, thunderstorms (Vanguard)
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted cloudiness and sunshine weather conditions across the country from Wednesday to Friday. NiMet’s weather outlook released on Tuesday in Abuja predicted partly cloudy with sunshine intervals over Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara with chances of few rains over parts of southern Kaduna and southern Taraba on Wednesday. “ While leaving remaining parts of the region to be in sunny and hazy condition during the morning hours, a few thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Kebbi, Sokoto and southern Kaduna in afternoon and evening. “The North central region is expected to be cloudy in the morning hours. There are prospects of thunderstorms over parts of southern Plateau, Kogi, Abuja, Benue and Kwara during the afternoon and evening period. “Inland and coastal cities of South are expected to be cloudy in the morning hours. ”Thunderstorms are expected over parts of Ondo, Osun, Owerri, Ikom, Enugu, Cross-River, PortHarcourt and Lagos during afternoon and evening hours,” it said. Read more
Nigeria has lost its soul, Catholic bishops tell Buhari (Guardian)
The Catholic Bishops of Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province have condemned what they termed selective administration of justice by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government, saying this development has greatly affected the country’s image in the international community.
They also decried the socio-politico-economic situation of the country, saying Nigeria has lost its soul in the sense that it is no longer a healthy entity, thus, necessitating the need for recovery.
The clerics, who said, “the good health of any nation consists in its capacity to offer its citizens a territory, where they can feel at home, feel secure and enjoy the basic necessities of life,” lamented that such was no longer the situation in Nigeria. Read more
Dairo solely undertook mission against terrorists, says NAF (Punch)
The Nigerian Air Force, on Wednesday, said only Flight Lieutenant Abayomi Dairo was on its fighter jet, which crashed during an operation against bandits in Zamfara and Kaduna states’ forests on Sunday.
The aircraft was said to have been shot down by terrorists masquerading as bandits.
The Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF, Commodore Edward Gabkwet, gave the explanation in response to speculations that other personnel were onboard the aircraft at the time of Sunday’s incident. Read more
Ogun to partner NSE on engineering training (Leadership)
The Ogun State government has put measures in place to partner the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) to facilitate training for its junior engineers, so as to expose them to current trends in engineering practice and accelerate their field experience quotient.
Special adviser to the governor on Energy, Lolu Adubifa, made this known while playing host to a team from NSE at his office in Abeokuta, saying, most of the ongoing electrical infrastructural projects in the state were being handled by the bureau of electrical engineering services (BEES).
Adubifa, in a statement signed by the bureau’s press officer, Mrs. Funmilayo Alero, stated that a team from the bureau would be constituted to supervise and oversee the projects, to allow Ogun State engineers effectively manage and maintain them. Read more
Abuja community gets robbery notice from hoodlums (Punch)
There is palpable fear among residents of Mpape Phase 2, a community near the highbrow Maitama District, Abuja, following the receipt of a letter purportedly written by armed robbers notifying them of an impending attack.
Although the proposed date for the attack was not specified, those behind the letter advised residents to keep at least N100,000 or be prepared to face dire consequences.
A copy of the letter which was obtained by our correspondent on Wednesday was titled, “Business Operations.” Read more
Ogun cargo airport for commissioning 2022 –Abiodun (DailyTrust)
Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has said the agro-allied cargo airport at Ilishan-Remo, Ikenne Local Government Area of the state would be ready for commissioning by the end of 2022.
The governor who spoke at Ikenne as part of the ongoing campaign of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the July 24 LG poll, said he remains committed to the project despite stiff resistance in some quarters.
Abiodun and his predecessor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun had locked horns over the nature and location of the airport project in the state.
Abiodun has supported the cargo airport while Amosun pushed for a passenger airport at Wasimi in Ewekoro LGA. Read more
Mars rover: NASA’s Perseverance prepares to drill first rock sample (BBC)
The US space agency’s Perseverance rover is getting ready to take its first sample of Mars rock.
The core, about the size of a finger, will be packaged in a sealed tube for eventual return to Earth.
Scientists say their best chance of determining whether Mars ever hosted life is to study its surface materials in sophisticated home laboratories.
Perseverance landed on the Red Planet in February, in a 45km-wide (30 miles) crater called Jezero. Read more
Sex and the City reboot photos confirm pivotal Carrie and Natasha moment (Metro)
It looks like the Sex and the City reboot, titled And Just Like That, is going to be delivering drama in the bucket loads, as recently released photos show Carrie Bradshaw spotting her arch-nemesis Natasha.
Bridget Moynahan starred as Mr Big’s (Chris Noth) pearl-wearing and beige-loving second wife in season two.
By the third season, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Mr Big are immersed in an affair, which Natasha finds out before falling down a flight of stairs and chipping her tooth.
And Just Like That wouldn’t be true to form if it didn’t have a dash of chaos, drama and Manhattan sophistication. Read more
Harvey Weinstein pleads not guilty to LA sexual assault charges (BBC)
Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to rape and sexual assault charges in a Los Angeles court.
He appeared in court in a wheelchair after being extradited from New York, where he is serving a 23-year jail sentence for similar crimes.
The 69-year-old faces 11 counts of sexual assault in California relating to alleged incidents with five women.
He maintains his innocence and has said any sexual activity was consensual. Read more
World Bank’s $157bn COVID-19 fund, highest intervention in history (Leadership)
In its bid to ease the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic across the globe, the World Bank said the volume of the funds it deployed to countries was the highest crisis response in history as it soared by more than 60 per cent over the last 15 months.
In all, the World Bank said it deployed $157billion to fight the pandemic’s health, economic and social impacts between April 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021.
The bank in a statement issued at the weekend, said the $157billion was in response to COVID-19, which severely damaged the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in developing countries. Read more
Naomi Campbell, 51, makes first public outing with daughter on New York stroll (Metro)
Naomi Campbell has been spotted out with her daughter for the first time, looking completely relaxed pushing her in a pram around New York.
The 51-year-old kept her outfit low key yet stylish (as expected from the supermodel), wearing an oversized white shirt, green trousers and trainers, with large sunglasses and a black cap.
She took in the scenery as she walked with her daughter’s pram which was covered up with a pale pink blanket.
Naomi announced she had secretly become a mum for the first time in May but did not reveal her daughter’s name. Read more
China: 25 dead in flooded Zhengzhou metro, landslides (Leadership)
At least 25 people were killed as torrential rain lashed China’s central province of Henan, causing landslides and flooding that partially submerged the underground rail system of Zhengzhou.
About 200,000 residents were evacuated as of yesterday as soldiers led rescue efforts in Zhengzhou – a city of more than 10 million people – where days of rain have inundated the streets and subway, local government officials said.
Images shared on social media on Tuesday showed passengers up to their necks in water and clinging to the handrails inside a carriage on Zhengzhou’s subway. Other passengers filmed videos of the water rising in the tunnels outside the carriage windows. Read more
Adekuoroye thrilled to be Nigeria’s flagbearer (Guardian)
Odunayo Adekuoroye, who is one of the country’s major hopes of a Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games medal, is excited by her role as Nigeria’s flagbearer at tomorrow’s opening ceremony.
The wrestler, who is rated tops in her weight category, disclosed yesterday that she is looking forward to the opening ceremony in which she will lead out other Nigerian athletes in the Match Past.
Explaining that it is a big honour to be chosen for the role in a country of over 200 million people, the 56kg wrestler said: “The news of my role at the games came to me as a shock. I am so happy to be chosen and I will do my best both as the flagbearer and in the events proper.
“I have people here around me putting me through. Aunty Funke (Oshonaike) has played that role two or three times and I am talking to her to put me through the expectations. Read more
Odey undecided over Genk future
(Punch)
Genk striker, Stephen Odey, says he is yet to decide on his future with the club.
Odey, who joined the club from Swiss side FC Zurich in 2019, has been unable to hold down a starting role with the Belgian giants, reason he was loaned out to French Ligue 2 side Amiens last season.
The former MFM FC man managed six goals in 28 league games for the French side as they failed in their bid to return to the topflight.
With the signing of Ike Ugbo, who scored 17 league goals for Cercle Brugge from Chelsea, and in-form Paul Onuachu still in the books, Odey admits it’s not certain he’ll feature for the club in the 2020/21 season. Read more
Federer, Osaka among those named to US Open tennis field (Guardian)
Defending champion Naomi Osaka, who withdrew from the French Open due to mental issues and skipped Wimbledon, and Roger Federer, who missed the Olympics with a knee injury, were named Wednesday to the US Open tennis field.
The US Tennis Association named the men’s and women’s singles lineups for the August 30-September 12 event at Flushing Meadows, where spectators will return at 100% capacity.
The ATP Tour’s 103 top-ranked players are entered for New York with top-ranked Novak Djokovic chasing a calendar-year Grand Slam after a Wimbledon victory that lifted him level with ninth-ranked Federer and third-ranked Rafael Nadal with a men’s record 20 career Grand Slam titles. Read more
MotoGP: Thailand Grand Prix cancelled, Dani Pedrosa comes out of retirement to ride in Austria (BBC)
MotoGP’s Thailand Grand Prix has been cancelled after a record daily high of Covid-19 cases was reported in the country on Wednesday.
The race was set to be the 16th round of the 2021 season and scheduled to be held in Buriram from 15-17 October.
MotoGP said a replacement event was “currently under consideration”.
Meanwhile, veteran Spanish rider Dani Pedrosa, 35, is coming out of retirement to ride for KTM at August’s Styrian Grand Prix in Austria. Read more
Tokyo Olympics could still be cancelled, admits head of organising (Metro)
The head of the organising committee for the Tokyo Olympics, Toshiro Muto, has refused to rule out the Games being cancelled, just three days before it is due to officially start.
The Tokyo Games are due to commence on Friday, but Muto admits that things could still change based on Covid-19 cases and talks will be held with organisers if infections rise significantly.
‘We can’t predict what will happen with the number of coronavirus cases. So we will continue discussions if there is a spike in cases,’ said Muto at a news conference. Read more
Juve consider Ronaldo Icardi swap deal -Report (Tribune)
Juventus are reportedly considering offering Cristiano Ronaldo to Paris Saint-Germain as part of a swap deal for Mauro Icardi this summer.
Ronaldo has one year remaining on his contract and is facing an uncertain future, with new Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri thought to be planning a squad overhaul before the start of the season.
And according to French outlet L’Equipe, Ronaldo could be part of that changeover with Juve looking at offloading the Portugal star in order to sign long-term target Icardi.Juve have long been interested in the Argentina striker but missed out on signing him last summer, with the 28-year-old joining PSG instead. Read more