Lagos resumes AstraZeneca vaccine administration, Ize-Iyamu commends Edo (Punch)
The Lagos State Government will today (Monday) resume the administration of second dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to persons, who have received the first dose of the vaccine during the first phase of vaccination.
This was contained in a statement by the Director of Public Affairs, Ministry of Health, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, on Sunday.
The statement read in part, “The administration of the second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine will hold across 88 vaccination sites used during the first phase of the vaccination for 20 days between August 30 and September 24.
“It is pertinent to note that only persons, who have taken the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine and are due for the second dose, are eligible for this exercise. Read more
Lagos sensitises residents to Iwaya drainage construction (Guardian)
The Lagos State Government has sought the support and cooperation of residents of Majaro, Iwaya, Alara, and Adeshina in Lagos Mainland as work commences on System 3C and Alara /Adeshina collector drains to curb flooding in the areas.
Commissioner for The Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tunji Bello, who addressed stakeholders at a meeting held at Fazil-Omar Senior High school, Iwaya, Yaba, Lagos, on the project, said flooding in Iwaya and environ had become of serious concern to the government.
Bello, who was represented by the Director, Drainage Enforcement and compliance, Mahmoud Adegbite, explained that the Majaro/Iwaya primary channel-System 3C is one of the major channels in Iwaya, Yaba LCDA in Lagos Mainland Local Government, adding that the concrete lining will effectively enhance free flow of stormwater within communities in the area. Read more
Obasa commiserates with PDP over loss of chairman, others (Punch)
The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, on Sunday commiserated with the Peoples Democratic Party in the state over the loss of some of its its officials.
Recall that the party lost its chairman, Dr Adegbola Dominic last Wednesday.
Apart from the late chairman, the party also lost its state secretary, Prince Muiz Dosunmu, its Lagos-West vice chairman, Alhaji Ajagbe, its women leader, Olushola Oladehinbo, and its local government chairmen for Badagry, Ajeromi/Ifelodun, Lagos Mainland and Apapa.
Obasa urged the PDP to remain strong even though it must have been a painful and solemn period for its members. Read more
Nigerians to pay more for electricity (Guardian)
There are indications that Nigerians will pay more for electricity starting from next week.
The development, already designed by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) under the Service Based Tariff (SBT) programme will take effect from September first.
The SBT came into force last year, increasing cost of electricity by over 50 per cent as government attempts to halt subsidy in the electricity sector and allow the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) generate enough fund to finance the bed-ridden market.
Although criticisms have dogged the service based tariff as improvement in electricity supply remained dismal with perpetual outages and collapse of transmission and distribution infrastructure, some distribution companies already informed consumers that a new tariff would be implemented next week. Read more
NDLEA arrests man with 87 wraps of cocaine (Punch)
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has intercepted a drug kingpin, Mr Ibeh Ejike, at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja for ingesting 87 wraps of cocaine.
The NDLEA spokesperson, Mr Femi Babafemi, said this in a statement made available to News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Abuja.
Babafemi said the 41-year-old suspect was arrested on Wednesday, August 25, upon his arrival on board an Ethiopian Airline flight 911 from Kigali via Addis Ababa.
He said the suspect was taken in for secondary check during which it was discovered that he had ingested illicit substance. Read more
APC Crisis: I’ve chosen to sleep on my rights — Oshiomhole (Vanguard)
Former National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has again dismissed speculations that he is nursing an ambition to return to the office, saying he has decided to sleep on his rights.
Oshiomhole spoke on Saturday when he chaired a fundraising ceremony and the investiture of Mrs Victoria Unoarumi as 10th President of the Rotary Club of Abuja Maitama.
The event was also the 10th anniversary of the club.
He also challenged Rotarians in the country to go out and get more politicians to join them and subscribe to the club’s four-way test.
Sleeping on rights
Oshiomhole said; “The judgment quashing my removal was not actually delivered last week. It was on July 2, 2020, about two weeks after I was removed from office. The only reason I decided to publish it was because I saw comments suggesting that people were not aware that the case was dismissed. Read more
Obaseki, Okowa, UNIBEN, Idahosa mourn Uwaifo (Guardian)
Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, on Sunday mourned the passing of legendary musician and art teacher, Prof. Victor Uwaifo, whose death was reported on Saturday evening.
In a statement issued in Benin City, Obaseki expressed shock and sadness over the news of Uwaifo’s death, noting that his passing at this time was a huge loss to Edo State, Nigeria, and Africa.
“I received the news of the loss of legendary musician and art teacher, Prof. Victor Uwaifo, with shock and sadness. He was talented, phenomenal and an illustrious son of Edo State, who wowed the world with his array of skills, notably his music talent,” the statement reads.
Obaseki prayed God to grant the Uwaifo family, friends, associates, and well-wishers the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
Also, the management of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) expressed grief over the demise of Uwaifo, who was its second Alumni Honorary Graduate. Read more
Dubai: Emirates extends suspension of flights from Nigeria till September 5 (Punch)
Emirates Airlines has extended the suspension of flights from Lagos State and Abuja airports to Dubai till September 5, 2021.
The Dubai-based carrier had earlier announced that it would suspend flights from Nigeria to Dubai till August 28.
Emirates said passengers who have been to or connected through Nigeria in the last 14 days will not be permitted on any of its flights bound for Dubai.
Dubai’s flagship carrier Emirates on Sunday announced the extension of suspension of Nigeria flights until September 5. Read more
Nia DaCosta’s “Candyman” is first film directed by a black woman to top US box office (HypeBeast)
Nia DaCosta has made history with Candyman as the film topped the U.S. box office during its premiere weekend.
According to IndieWire, the sequel to the 1992 film opened with approximately $22,370,000 USD — greatly surpassing the initial projections of $15 million USD and zooming past the likes of Ryan Reynold’s Free Guy, Paw Patrol: The Movie, Disney’s Jungle Cruise, Don’t Breathe 2 and The Suicide Squad. This officially makes Candyman the first film directed by a Black woman to debut at No. 1 in the domestic box office, while other directors such as Ava DuVernay and Gina Prince-Blythewood previously coming in close at No. 2.
The newest film in the franchise stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Anthony McCoy, Teyonah Parris as Brianna Cartwright, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett as Troy Cartwright, Kyle Kaminsky as Grady Greenberg, and Vanessa Williams as Anne-Marie McCoy and Michael Hargrove as Sherman Fields. Tony Todd reprises his role as Daniel Robitaille/Candyman, marking the fourth time he plays the vengeful spirit. “It’s a continuation of the first film,” Todd told Bloody Disgusting. “Nia DaCosta does a wonderful job directing, Jordan Peele wrote it. It’s in good hands. You know, I was really thrilled to see that A Quiet Place opened strongly, $48 million or something. So that’s a good sign for us. If it’s successful, no one knows what’s going to happen. Maybe there will be more, and maybe that’ll be the end.” Read more
Hurricane Ida forces Mississippi River to reverse flow (CNN)
Storm surge and strong winds from Hurricane Ida stopped the flow of the Mississippi River near New Orleans on Sunday and actually caused it to reverse — something the US Geological Survey says is “extremely uncommon.”
Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, early Sunday afternoon as an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane with winds of 150 mph, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. The hurricane arrived on the 16th anniversary of the historically devastating Hurricane Katrina.
“I remember, off hand, that there was some flow reversal of the Mississippi River during Hurricane Katrina, but it is extremely uncommon,” Scott Perrien, a supervising hydrologist with the USGS Lower Mississippi Gulf Water Science Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, told CNN.
Perrien noted that the river level on Sunday rose about 7 feet due to storm surge pushing up the river at the USGS gauge, located in Belle Chasse, about 20 miles south of New Orleans in southeastern Louisiana. Read more
“Free Guy” opens with boffo $24m in China (Forbes)
The big holdover news is also a big “opening weekend” story. Ryan Reynolds and Jodie Comer’s Free Guy has continued to hold up quite well worldwide. Shawn Levy’s over/under $115 million original video game-centric comedy earned another $13.5 million (-27%) in weekend three, bringing its 17-day domestic total up to $79.3 million. It has earned $155 million worldwide thus far without China (more on that in a moment), zooming past Space Jam: A New Legacy ($152 million) and The Suicide Squad ($155 million). Yes, the film is absolutely going to top $100 million domestic. With Venom: Let There Be Carnage pushed to October 15, 20th Century Studios’ Free Guy and Walt Disney’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (opening this week) will run the tables in terms of four-quadrant “event movie” offerings.
Moreover, as hoped/predicted, the film has opened quite well in China, earning a $5.3 million Friday and an $8.95 million Saturday for a $23.5 million Fri-Sun debut. Even by China standards, that’s a boffo 4.4x weekend multiplier. Word-of-mouth is solid and the film, deeply rooted in video game tropes and American pop culture, is playing like a B+ version of Ready Player One. That Steven Spielberg-helmed sci-fi spectacular earned a whopping $218 million in China from a $61.7 million opening weekend in early 2018, which helped the $175 million flick top $580 million worldwide. Without getting too apples-to-apples, a similar multiplier would push Free Guy to a terrific $83 million Chinese cume. That would be the biggest non-DC/Marvel/Fast Saga/MonsterVerse Hollywood grosser in China since Frozen II ($123 million) in late 2019. Read more
Britney Spears’ assault case ‘handed over to prosecutors’ after alleged attack on housekeeper (Metro)
Britney Spears’ assault case has been handed over to prosecutors, it has been claimed.
The Toxic singer was accused of assaulting her longtime housekeeper during a disagreement over her dogs.
The 39-year-old – who has denied all claims – was investigated over the alleged battery, which is said have occurred at her home last week.
According to PA, Captain Eric Buschow, of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, has confirmed the case has been handed to prosecutors. Read more
Brain research reveals the evolutionary reason we need to sleep (Inverse)
No one can stay awake forever. While we’re awake, our need for sleep gradually increases. If we deprive ourselves of sleep, our brain functions — such as attention or judgment — are impaired, and sleep becomes irresistible. No matter whether we are on a couch or at work — if we ignore our need for sleep, we ultimately crash.
Although sleep is vital, until now it hasn’t been known which structure of the brain tells us when we are tired. But our recent study has shown in laboratory mice that the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for the most complex brain functions — including perception, language, thought and episodic memory — helps us track our need for sleep.
To ensure that we get enough sleep, our brain uses two tools: a clock and an hourglass. Our biological clock helps us to keep a 24-hour rhythm. It’s controlled by the suprachiasmatic nucleus, which is a small area deep in our brain. This coordinates the rhythms of various organs and helps us to sleep at night and wake up in the morning. Read more
Legendary Actor Ed Asner Has Died At Age 91 (BuzzFeed)
Legendary actor Ed Asner, who became a household name as the curmudgeonly boss on The Mary Tyler Moore Show before memorable roles in Elf and Up, died on Sunday at age 91.
The news was confirmed in a tweet from Asner’s account. “We are sorry to say that our beloved patriarch passed away this morning peacefully,” it reads. “Words cannot express the sadness we feel. With a kiss on your head- Goodnight dad. We love you.”
Asner shot to fame playing Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show in the 1970s. He won seven Emmys, the most of any male performer, and was the first actor to win awards in both drama and comedy categories for portraying the same character. (Lou Grant, an hourlong drama spinoff of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, ran for five seasons.)
In the 2000s, Asner enjoyed a second wave to his long career, first appearing as Santa in the Will Ferrell hit Elf in 2003 and then voicing the character of Carl Fredricksen, the grumpy widower in Pixar’s Up, in 2009. Read more
Musa, Iwobi, Ekong expected today as Eagles’ camp opens in Lagos (Guardian)
Super Eagles Captain, Ahmed Musa, William-Troost Ekong, Alex Iwobi, and other players listed for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Lone Stars of Liberia are expected to arrive in Lagos today, officials of the team have disclosed.
The Eagles’ camp opens today for preparations ahead of the World Cup qualifier slated to hold at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos on September 3.
Super Eagles Media Officer, Femi Raji, told The Guardian that some of the players could not make it to the Lagos camp, which opened yesterday because of club engagements at the weekend.
He said, “Coach Gernot Rohr and other officials of the Super Eagles have been in Lagos preparing for the game.
“The few players that will make it early to camp are expected to train at the Eko Hotel gymnasium on Monday. When all the players arrive in camp, the team will have their first workout at the Teslim Balogun Stadium on Tuesday. All hands are on deck to ensure Nigeria’s success in the match.” Read more
Belgian GP: Lewis Hamilton claims ‘money talks’ after two laps before final red flag (France24)
Lewis Hamilton criticised the decision to complete two laps of the Belgian GP behind the Safety Car before finally calling the race off, claiming “money talks” and saying that he wanted to see the fans who attended the circuit on Sunday refunded.
But FIA race director Michael Masi has said there was a belief that the race could start, while F1 president Stefano Domenicali insisted there was no commercial element to the decisions made.
On an unprecedented day for the sport amid relentless rain at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, FIA Race Control attempted to start the race twice either side of a near-three-hour delay.
Hamilton took issue with the second attempt to start the race. Read more
Ndidi, Iheanacho, Iwobi early arrivals for W’Cup qualifiers (Punch)
Leicester City duo, Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho, are amongst some of the early players to arrive camp for the 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Liberia and Cape Verde in Lagos.
The Super Eagles are billed to face Lone Star in their opening Group C encounter at the Teslim Balogun Stadium on Friday before travelling to face Cape Verde four days later.
According to a post from the Nigeria Football Federation Facebook page, five players arrived the Eko Hotel camp.
The players are Daniel Akpeyi, Adekunle Adeleke, Alex Iwobi, Kelechi Iheanacho, Wilfred Ndidi. Read more
Onyeka tests positive to COVID-!9, doubtful for World Cup qualifiers (Nation)
Brentford confirmed that Frank Onyeka has tested positive for coronavirus ahead of their Premier League outing against Aston Villa on Saturday.
The 23-year-old, who joined Thomas Frank’s side on a five-year deal from FC Midtjylland in July, started their first two league fixtures against Arsenal and Crystal Palace.
Earlier this week, he was introduced as a second-half substitute in Brentford’s 3-1 victory over Forest Green Rovers in the League Cup.
Due to his health status, Onyeka was replaced in the starting XI by Iran star Saman Ghoddos while DR Congo forward Yoane Wissa was also on the bench. Read more
CFN takes delivery of equipment From byke division tour operator (DailyTrust)
Italian group, Byke Division Tour Operator, has bequeathed cycling equipment worth millions of naira to the Cycling Federation of Nigeria (CFN) which is aimed towards developing sports in the country.
The Italian group’s gesture was made possible through the former Italian cyclist and road bicycle racer for UCI professional team, Andrea Tonti, who during his professional cycling career championed the group course through advocating support grassroots development of cycling across the world.
The Items donated are bicycle spare parts, tubes, tires, riding vest, tracksuit, wheel disk, skinsuit, riding shoes, gloves, hand band and helmet.
While receiving the equipment, the CFN President Giandomenico Massari commended the Tonti led group for their support and stated that the equipment would further assist the federation in developing the sports at the grassroots. Read more
Torres double as Man City thrash Arsenal 5-0 (Punch)
Manchester City rubbed salt into Arsenal wounds with a 5-0 thrashing on Saturday to inflict the Gunners’ worst start to a league season since 1954.
Mikel Arteta’s men have lost their first three league games and are yet to even score a goal with the pressure rising on the former City assistant manager’s job.
Arteta’s experimental selection and switch to a back three failed to halt a slick City attack that suggested they are more than capable of defending their Premier League title this season despite missing out on Harry Kane and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ilkay Gundogan opened the floodgates before Ferran Torres pounced on shocking Arsenal defending to double City’s lead inside 12 minutes. Read more