Lagos-Ibadan Expressway gridlock: FRSC advises motorists to use alternative routes (Nation)
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has advised motorists plying the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to use alternative routes due to ongoing rehabilitation work. Corps Public Education Officer, Mr Bisi Kazeem, gave the advice in a statement in Abuja on Saturday. This is due to the ongoing rehabilitation work on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, which has necessitated the construction company, Julius Berger Nigeria PLC, to erect barriers around the Magboro area of the corridor, to enable them lay asphalt on that stretch of the road. Read more
Ganduje shuns court order, vows to inaugurate new emirs (Guardian)
Despite a Kano State high court order restraining the state government from inaugurating the newly appointed Emirs, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has vowed to install the new first class emirs. Besides, Ganduje revealed that the new Emirs had received and acknowledged their letters of appointment saying the inauguration planned to hold today was only a symbolic ceremony. Justice Nasiru Saminu of Kano state high Friday ordered the state government to refrain from appointing and swearing any new emirate until the hearing and determination of a motion on notice. Read more
Troops kill seven terrorists in Borno (Nation)
The Nigerian Army said on Saturday that seven Boko Haram terrorists have been neutralized by troops during a clearance operation in Borno state. Its spokesman Col. Sagir Musa said in a statement that troops also recovered arms from the terrorists. He said there was no casualty on the part of Nigerian soldiers or members of the civilian JTF during the operation. Col Musa said troops of 22 Brigade, 7 Division Nigerian Army(NA) on Operation Hard Strike in collaboration with some members of Civilian JTF, conducted the clearance operation along the deserted Fuye and Melere villages of Borno State where they had contact and serious battle with some Boko Haram terrorists at Gulwa. Read more
Group condemns NLC’s move against Labour Minister (Guardian)
A group, the Coalition of Delta APC Support Groups, has condemned the barricading of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige’s residence by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). It also called on Nigerians to speak against the act. In a statement made available to newsmen in Warri, the group, through its convener, Prince Daniel Ekuigbo, described the move as not only a violation of the minister’s right to private living, but also a threat to other humans. Read more
UTME: JAMB releases results, 15-year-old boy clinches best – Oloyede (Guardian)
A 15-year-old boy, Ekele Franklin from Imo, has emerged the overall best candidate in the 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculations Examination (UTME), conducted between April 11 and April 15. Franklin, who made University of Lagos his first choice, scored 347 and may not be admitted because of his age. Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board(JAMB), disclosed this at a news conference to announce the release of the results in Abuja on Saturday. Read more
Police nab 9 suspected kidnappers, rescue 16 victims in Niger (Guardian)
Niger State Police Command has arrested nine suspected kidnappers and rescued sixteen victims from across the state. The command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Muhammadu Abubakar, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday in Minna. He explained that three of the suspected kidnappers were killed by the police during a gun duel with the security agents. Read more
UN official blasts violence against Ebola teams in DR Congo (Guardian)
The UN special representative to DR Congo has blasted rumours that the world body was trying to cash in on an Ebola epidemic that has claimed more than 1,000 lives. Leila Zerrougui, head of the UN mission to the sprawling central African nation, on Friday visited the eastern city of Butembo where she slammed as “sheer madness” local speculation that “there is no illness, that they want to poison us because they are trying to cash in on us.” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said additional resources were required to deal with the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Read more
French hostages praise rescue ‘from hell’ in Burkina Faso (BBC)
Two French tourists who were held hostage in Burkina Faso have thanked the French soldiers who “lost their lives to free us from this hell”. Two French special forces soldiers died during the raid, which rescued four hostages and killed four kidnappers. “All our thoughts go out to the families of the soldiers and to the soldiers, said Laurent Lassimouillas, one of the French hostages. Two hostages, from the US and South Korea, have not yet been named. Read more
60 migrants dead as boat capsizes in Tunisia (Punch)
Around 60 migrants most of them from Bangladesh have died after their boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea after it left Libya for Italy, the Tunisian Red Crescent said Saturday. Survivors told the Red Crescent the tragedy unfolded after some 75 people who had left Zuwara on the northwestern Libyan coast late Thursday on a large boat were transferred to a smaller one that sank off Tunisia. “The migrants were transferred into a smaller inflatable boat which was overloaded, and 10 minutes later it sank,” Mongi Slim, a Red Crescent official in the southern Tunisian town of Zarzis, told AFP. Read more
Pakistan attack: Gunmen storm five-star hotel in Balochistan (BBC)
Three gunmen have stormed a five-star hotel in the restive Pakistani province of Balochistan, killing at least one person, officials say. The attack targeted the Pearl Continental Hotel in the port city of Gwadar, the focal point of a multi-billion-dollar Chinese project. Most guests have been evacuated. The separatist Balochistan Liberation Army claimed it was behind the attack, saying it had targeted Chinese and other foreign investors. Militants in Balochistan oppose Chinese investment saying it is of little benefit to local people, the BBC’s Jill McGivering reports. Read more
Landmine explosion kills seven children in Afghanistan (Guardian)
A landmine explosion killed seven children and wounded two others in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, officials said, as war ordnance again claimed civilian lives. The blast occurred in Ghazni province, south of the capital Kabul when the children stepped on a landmine while playing near the main road, provincial spokesman Aref Noori told AFP. “The mine was planted by the Taliban on the main road to inflict casualties on security forces,” he said. Read more
Brazil court orders Bolsonaro to explain gun decree (Guardian)
A Supreme Court judge has given Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro and the justice ministry five days to explain his decree granting millions of citizens the right to carry loaded weapons in public, which critics say is unconstitutional. Justice Rosa Weber’s ruling on Friday came after an opposition political party, the Sustainability Network, challenged the constitutionality of Bolsonaro’s decision. His order, signed on Tuesday, was “an abuse of regulatory power” and “contravened the spirit” of a 2003 disarmament statute that prohibited the carrying of weapons in public, according to a copy of the court documents provided to journalists. Read more
Hong Kong lawmakers fight over extradition law (BBC)
Fighting erupted in Hong Kong’s legislature on Saturday over planned changes to the law allowing suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial. Several lawmakers were injured and one was taken to hospital as politicians clashed in the chamber. Critics believe the proposed switch to the extradition law would erode Hong Kong’s freedoms. But authorities say they need to make the change so they can extradite a murder suspect to Taiwan. Read more
Georgia state abortion law fuels Hollywood boycott call (BBC)
A new abortion law in the US state of Georgia has fuelled calls for a Hollywood boycott from actors and production companies. A number of actors had signed an open letter in March pledging not to work there should the law pass. Governor Brian Kemp signed the so-called “heartbeat” bill on Tuesday, which bans most abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy. It is the latest state to enact legislation restricting abortion. Read more
Nipsey Hussle: Lawyer quits over violent threats to family (BBC)
The lawyer representing a man accused of shooting rapper Nipsey Hussle has announced he’s quitting the case. Chris Darden said it was because “threats” had been made to members of his family including his children. In April Nipsey Hussle, whose real name was Ermias Asghedom, was shot multiple times outside a clothing shop he owned in Los Angeles. Eric Holder, 29, is awaiting trial over the shooting and faces life in jail if convicted. Read more
Pua Magasiva, of Power Rangers fame, dies age 38 (Metro)
Pua Magasiva, who played the Red Ranger in the mid-2000s rebooted TV show Power Rangers has died age 38. Pua was found early on Saturday morning in a Wellington, New Zealand home and police have confirmed there are no suspicious circumstances. ‘There are no suspicious circumstances and the death will be referred to the coroner,’ the police said. The actor, best known for his work on the TV show as well as long-running New Zealand soap Shortland Street, on which he had starred since 1994 as nurse Vinnie Kruse-Miller. Read more
Alvin Sargent, Spider-Man screenwriter, dies at 92 (BBC)
Alvin Sargent, the American screenwriter who won two Oscars and penned scripts for the Spider-Man film trilogy, has died at the age of 92. Sargent died of natural causes at his home in Seattle on Thursday. He won Oscars for Julia, a 1977 Holocaust drama based on the personal writings of Lillian Hellman, and Ordinary People, a 1980 film about a family facing bereavement. However, he will be equally remembered for his later work on Spider-Man. Sargent wrote the screenplays for Spider-Man 2 in 2004 and Spider-Man 3 in 2007. He also did a rewrite for the 2012 The Amazing Spider-Man. Read more
Game Of Thrones’ star took their on-screen death like a ‘punch in the gut’ (Metro)
Game Of Thrones has been known to throw some heartbreaking moments in our direction during its time on the show, but none of them will set off the chain reaction like the sudden death that happened in episode four. Now, it’s officially war, with the brutal execution also marking the beginning of something more ferocious as the show goes all in on its final two episodes. But there’s one person who’s a little bit bummed out they are missing out on the action – the person that was killed off in last week’s final moments. Read more
Unknown gunmen kill ex-Enyimba player (Nation)
Yet-to-be identified gunmen have reportedly killed an Ex-player of Enyimba International Football Club of Aba identified as Christian Jacob in Aba, the commercial nerve of Abia State. Jacob was gathered to have been killed at Ogbor Hill axis, off the heart of Enyimba city. While there have been several accounts to the killing, as events leading to his death remain unclear at the time of filing the report, it was learnt that the gunmen after shooting him, made away with his cell phone, some cash and other valuables. Read more
I’ll be stupid to stay at Tottenham with no plan – Pochettino (Punch)
Mauricio Pochettino said he would be “stupid” to stay as Tottenham manager if the club fails to deliver a blueprint for a future which can keep the London club rubbing shoulders with the giants of the game. Pochettino this week guided Tottenham into the Champions League final and could finish the Premier League season on Sunday as high as third in the table behind Manchester City and Liverpool but ahead of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United. His success has come despite any significant forays into the transfer market in recent seasons. Read more
Herrera confirms United exit (Guardian)
Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera has revealed he will leave Old Trafford at the end of the season amid reports of a move to Paris Saint-Germain. Herrera’s United contract expires at the end of the season and it is believed he has lined up a deal with French champions PSG. United hadn’t commented on Herrera’s future, but the 29-year-old Spaniard posted a goodbye message to fans via the club’s Twitter account on Saturday. Read more
Borussia Dortmund give Christian Pulisic emotional send-off ahead of Chelsea transfer (Metro)
Borussia Dortmund said goodbye to Christian Pulisic ahead of their final home game of the season on Saturday, with the winger joining Chelsea in the summer. The United States international completed a £58million switch to Stamford Bridge in January, but was immediately loaned back to BVB, and he can still be registered by the Blues despite their looming transfer ban. There are still two gameweeks left in the Bundesliga season, though Saturday’s clash with Fortuna will be Pulisic’s last match at Signal Iduna Park. Read more
Juventus coach Allegri denies exit rumours (Guardian)
Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri on Saturday dismissed talk he is about to quit the Serie A champions, hitting back at the criticism he received following his side’s Champions League quarter-final exit at the hands of Ajax. “Sometimes I wonder if I hadn’t managed to bring home some trophies in these years, what would have happened?” asked the 51-year-old, who recently won his fifth league title is as many years. “Maybe they would have impaled me and burnt me at the stake.” Read more
Federer will play Italian Open in warm-up for Roland Garros (Guardian)
Roger Federer will play in next week’s Italian Open as he warms up for his return to Roland Garros for the first time in four years, the 20-time Grand Slam winner announced on Saturday. Federer, playing his first clay court event in three years, lost in three sets to Austrian Dominic Thiem in the Madrid Open quarter-finals on Friday. “Hello everybody. Just finished speaking to the team and happy to say I’m coming back to Rome to play in Italy,” the 37-year-old said in an Instagram video on Saturday. Read more
Spanish GP: Bottas beats Hamilton to pole (BBC)
Valtteri Bottas beat Lewis Hamilton to take his third pole position in a row and lead a Mercedes one-two in qualifying at the Spanish Grand Prix. The Finn was 0.634 seconds ahead of Hamilton, who made a series of errors on his first lap before a slower track meant an improvement was impossible on the next. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel was third, but his hopes of closing on Mercedes were dashed by a 0.866secs gap to Bottas. Read more