Lagos loses $2.1bn to environmental pollution, says Minister (Guardian)
Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu has said Lagos state has lost $2.1 billion due to the adverse effect of pollution, according to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) on pollution in major cities of the world.
Onu disclosed this yesterday in Abuja when he inaugurated the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Pollution Control in Nigeria, saying the WHO report emphasized that women and children have lost their lives due to the menace of pollution.
According to a statement signed by the Director of Press in the ministry, AbdulGaniyu Aminu, the minister charged the committee to find relevant solutions to help mitigate this challenge as pollution could disrupt socio-economic activities. The committee comprises of directorate level staff of the concerned Ministries and has two weeks to come up with their report. Read more
Third Mainland Bridge repairs progressing as planned – Lagos (Punch)
The Ministry of Transportation of the Lagos State Government has said the repair works on Third Mainland Bridge are progressing as planned.
The ministry said this on Friday while inspecting all alternative routes provided for commuters to access the bridge.
The inspection team led by the Commissioner for Transportation, Dr Frederic Oladeinde, and other ministry officials toured Ikorodu Road, Jibowu, Yaba, Oyingbo, Iddo, and Carter (Idumota) Bridge, amongst others.
Speaking at the end of the inspection, Oladeinde said, “The work is about six months; we have done two months. We are on schedule. Next month, we will finish the first part and move on to the next part. So, we are on course to reopen on the 24th of January 2021. Read more
Okonjo-Iweala is favourite as WTO narrows aspirants to 2 Tuesday (Thisday)
Nigeria’s former finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala remains the favourite for the job of director-general of the World Trade Organisation as the body’s General Council meets next Tuesday to reduce the five candidates still in the race to two.
Okonjo-Iweala; Saudi Arabia’s former minister of economy and planning, Mohammad Maziad Al-Tuwaijri; UK’s former secretary of state for international trade, Liam Fox; South Korea’s Trade Minister, Yoo Myung-hee; and Kenya’s former international trade minister, Amina Mohamed are the aspirants still in the race.
Three candidates, including Mexico’s Jesus Seade, Egypt’s Hamid Mamdouh, and Moldova’s Tudor Ulianovschi were dropped last month as the Geneva-based organisation said they did not secure enough support in a first of three rounds of voting. Read more
2020 UTME: JAMB apprehends police officer for using impersonator (Punch)
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has apprehended a policeman, identified as Etim Israel, who allegedly engaged another person to sit the 2020 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination on his behalf.
Israel, a constable attached to the Akwa Ibom State Command, was said to have registered for the UTME with his name while the mercenary/impersonator used his picture and other biometric details to sit the exam.
Israel, who was said to have applied to study Fishery at the Akwa Ibom State University in the 2020 UTME, reportedly confessed that he paid N30,000 to engage the services of the mercenary (a teacher), one Emmanuel, said to be on the run, to sit the examination as he was away on special duties. Read more
Abiodun nominates former NUJ President, TASUED VC as Commissioners (Guardian)
Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun has nominated former national president of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Waheed Odusile as Commissioner for Information and Strategy.
Abiodun also named VC of Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Abayomi Adelaja Arigbabu as Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Kunle Somorin disclosed that Abiodun forwarded the names of the nominees to the State House of Assembly for screening and confirmation. He also announced the appointment of two new General Managers, Fola Onifade for the State Signage and Advertising Agency and Sesan Asenuga for Parks and Garages Development Board. Read more
Woman dies in Delta accident, others sustain injuries (Punch)
A middle-aged yet-to-be-identified woman has been reportedly killed in an accident along the Sapele/Agbor Road opposite Ebedei Secondary, Adonishaka in Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta State.
The accident, said to have occurred around 9am on Friday, involved a Lexus car, Toyota Camry and a motorcycle.
City Round gathered that a speeding Lexus car lost one of its tyres, veered off its lane and crushed the woman who was heading to Obiaruku on a motorcycle. The woman died on the spot, according to eyewitnesses. Read more
Robbers raid Ekiti bank, cart away millions (Guardian)
A six-man robbery gang yesterday raided a WEMA bank branch in Iyin-Ekiti, Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area of Ekiti State, making away with an unspecified amount of money.
An eyewitness told The Guardian that the robbers arrived at the bank around 3:30 pm and blasted the security doors with explosives suspected to be dynamite before making away with several millions of Naira in an operation that lasted about 40 minutes.
According to the eyewitness, the robbers shot sporadically into the air to scare residents and traders at the nearby market before gaining entry into the banking hall. Residents were said to have run in different directions due to the severity of the gunshots that sent jitters down the spines of those around. Read more
Rigging: INEC marks 270 Ondo coastal polling units as flashpoints (Punch)
As part of its preparations towards a peaceful election in Ondo State on October 10, the Independent National Electoral Commission says it has enlisted the help of the military, police and other security agencies to flush out threats to the peaceful conduct of the exercise, especially in the creeks and other black spots in the state.
The commission noted that there were 62 creeks and more than 270 Polling Units in the riverine areas of Ese-Odo and Ilaje Local Government Areas of the state.
INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, told Saturday PUNCH in an interview on Friday that the commission was in touch with the Nigerian Navy and Marine Police to protect and escort the commission’s personnel and materials to the difficult terrains. Read more
August Browne: The Nigeria-born man who joined the Polish resistance (BBC)
Among the hundreds of thousands of patriots that Poland celebrates for serving in the resistance movement in World War Two there is one black, Nigeria-born man.
Jazz musician August Agboola Browne was in his forties, and had been in Poland for 17 years, when he joined the struggle against Nazi occupation in 1939 – thought to be the only black person in the country to do so.
Under the code name “Ali”, he fought for his adopted country during the Siege of Warsaw when Germany invaded, and later in the Warsaw Uprising, which ended 76 years ago this month.
Astoundingly, he survived the war in which 94% of the residents of Poland’s capital were either killed or displaced, and continued living in the ravaged city until 1956 when he emigrated with his second wife to Britain. Read more
Breonna Taylor grand jury recordings released (BBC)
Recordings from the grand jury investigation into the Breonna Taylor police shooting case have been released in a rare disclosure.
Some 15 hours of audio were made public on Friday, following a lawsuit.
The recent decision not to charge any officers for Ms Taylor’s 13 March killing renewed outcry over racial inequities.
Unrest gripped Ms Taylor’s hometown of Louisville, Kentucky for days afterward. Read more
Fitness brand Asics announces virtual relay marathon event (Metro)
Fitness firm Asics has announced a new virtual relay marathon event that will allow teams of up to six to complete the distance from anywhere in the world.
The Asics World Ekiden 2020 is based on traditional long-distance Japanese relay races, but will use technology to link runners together in order to take part.
Asics said the concept for the event came in response to research by the fitness firm, which it said showed 42% of those who regularly exercise were currently finding it difficult to stay motivated because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and social distancing restrictions limiting their ability to race. Read more
Trump flown to hospital after COVID-19 positive test (BBC)
A feverish US President Donald Trump has been flown to hospital after testing positive for coronavirus.
The White House said the president was “fatigued but in good spirits” and was taken to hospital as a precaution.
Mr Trump received an experimental drug cocktail injection at the White House after he and First Lady Melania Trump both tested positive for Covid-19.
It is a potential setback as he trails Democratic challenger Joe Biden a month before the presidential election.
How did the president look on Friday?
Wearing a mask and suit, Mr Trump walked out across the White House lawn on Friday afternoon to his helicopter, Marine One, for the short flight to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in the Washington DC suburbs. Read more
Emily Ratajkowski sizzles in sequins and zebra stripes for Nasty Gal (PageSix)
Emily Ratajkowski may have been born in 1991, but she’s an ’80s babe in Nasty Gal‘s fall/winter 2020 campaign.
The model, actress and activist, 29, collaborated with the retailer last year on her own collection, and now, she’s back as the face of Nasty Gal’s new collection, which will be available to shop online starting Wednesday, October 7.
Priced from $12 to $306 and in sizes ranging from 0 to 20, the clothes are all about sexy power dressing — think plenty of cutouts, sheers, slits, padded shoulders and plunging necklines. Read more
Jamie Foxx ‘to reprise role of Electro for upcoming Spider-Man film’ (Metro)
Jamie Foxx will reprise the role of Electro in the upcoming Spider-Man film, according to reports.
The actor, 52, had previously portrayed the super-villain in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in 2014 – when Sony Pictures had the rights to the Marvel Comics character – with Andrew Garfield playing Spidey. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jamie ‘is in final talks’ to appear on screen alongside Tom Holland, who currently plays Spider-Man, for the third instalment in the series.
Tom is set to return for the upcoming film, alongside supporting cast members such as Zendaya, Marisa Tomei and Jacob Batalon. Read more
Release of James Bond film “No Time To Die” delayed – again (BBC)
The release of the new James Bond film has been delayed again.
The premiere of No Time To Die has already been moved from April to November due to the pandemic.
The film has now been further delayed until 2 April 2021 “in order to be seen by a worldwide theatrical audience”, a statement on the film’s website said.
“We understand the delay will be disappointing to our fans but we now look forward to sharing No Time To Die next year.”
No Time To Die is due to be Daniel Craig’s final appearance as the British secret service agent. Read more
“The Witches” trailer drops as movie hits HBO Max this month (Metro)
The Witches trailer has officially dropped – and it’s been announced it will be released to HBO Max this month. Just in time for that all-important spooky season at the end of October. The film, which is based on the Road Dahl novel of the same name, will be skipping US cinemas entirely in favour of being released to the streaming service, in part due to the coronavirus pandemic, with many movie theatres across the country remaining closed. However, the feature is still being lined up for a theatrical release internationally, due to HBO Max not being available outside of America. Read more
Israel Adesanya ‘at war’ with Jon Jones (Guardian)
Israel Adesanya’s online war of words with Jon Jones escalated once more with the middleweight champion telling ‘Bones’ his mother would be disappointed in him.
Jones, who was previously guilty of a hit-and-run felony involving a pregnant woman in 2015 and has had a number of other run-ins with the authorities, struck back with a stream of messages.
Adesanya had written: ‘My pops already told me how I’d beat you. Trust me he knows. Your mom would be disappointed in who you’ve become.’
Jones’s mother Camille died in 2017 after a long battle with diabetes and he responded by assuring Adesanya that she would be proud of him. Read more
Wolves’ Adama Traore set to choose between Spain and Mali (BBC)
Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Adama Traore was named in the Spain squad by coach Luis Enrique on Friday, three days after also being called up by Mali.
Traore, who was born in Barcelona to Malian parents, has been targeted by the two federations over the past 18 months.
The 24-year-old can still represent either nation as he has not yet played senior international football.
He has twice before been called up to the Spain squad he was forced to withdraw last year with an injury and again in September following a positive Covid-19 test.
Wolves’ winger Adama Traore yet to decide between Spain and Mali. Read more
Arsenal’s Houssem Aouar hopes fade as Mikel Arteta targets Chelsea star Jorginho as alternative (Metro)
Arsenal’s hopes of landing Mikel Arteta’s No.1 transfer target Houssem Aouar are said to be fading with the Gunners manager reluctantly set to focus signing Chelsea midfielder Jorginho instead. Arteta has presided over a major improvement in Arsenal’s results since replacing Unai Emery last December and enjoyed a third victory over Premier League champions Liverpool in the space of two months following last night’s Carabao Cup victory at Anfield.
The north London club are now a far more resolute and well drilled unit under their former captain, but that has come at the detriment of their attacking play.
Dani Ceballos has returned from Real Madrid for a second loan spell, but with Mesut Ozil frozen out Arteta’s options are limited in that area of the pitch. Read more
French Open 2020: Simona Halep & Elina Svitolina reach last 16 at Roland Garros (BBC)
Top seed Simona Halep underlined why she is widely considered the French Open favourite by thrashing American teenager Amanda Anisimova to reach the last 16 at Roland Garros.
Romania’s Halep, 29, needed just 54 minutes to win 6-0 6-1 in Paris.
Halep won her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros in 2018 and the next step towards another is a fourth-round match against Polish teenager Iga Swiatek.
Third seed Elina Svitolina also progressed with a straight-set victory. Read more
Hugo Gaston reacts to stunning Stan Wawrinka and setting up French Open clash with Dominic Thiem (Metro)
French wildcard Hugo Gaston pulled off one of the shocks of the French Open on Friday as he dumped out 16th seed Stan Wawrinka in five sets.
Gaston, the world No. 239, has never been beyond the semi-finals of a Challenger but is now in the last-16 of a Grand Slam after stunning Wawrinka 2-6 6-3 6-3 4-6 6-0.
For a player who had lost his past four main draw matches at Challenger level, taking out a three-time Slam winner is a remarkable feat and his reward will be a meeting with recently-crowned US Open champion Dominic Thiem. Gaston, 20, was in tears after getting over the line. Read more
Sadio Mane: Liverpool forward isolating after positive coronavirus test (BBC)
Liverpool forward Sadio Mane has tested positive for coronavirus and is self-isolating.
The news comes three days after the club said midfielder Thiago Alcantara had tested positive for Covid-19.
Liverpool say the Senegal winger has “displayed minor symptoms of the virus but feels in good health overall”.
Mane, 28, played for the Reds in a 3-1 win over Arsenal on Monday but was not in the squad for the EFL Cup defeat on penalties to the Gunners on Thursday.
A statement on Liverpool’s website added: “Like with Thiago Alcantara, Liverpool are – and will continue to – following all protocols relating to Covid-19 and Mane will self-isolate for the required period of time.” Read more
