Lagos to divert traffic in Ikeja for railway crossing asphalt laying (Tribune)
The Lagos State Government is set to divert traffic flow on the Public Works Road at Ikeja for Rail Level Crossing asphalt laying by 9.00 pm on Thursday.
In a statement signed by the Honourable Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde on Thursday, the State advised motorists using the affected corridor to seek alternative routes to link the Agege Motor road from Ikeja.
The statement reads, “In line with the Nigerian Railway Modernization Project (Lagos-Ibadan section) with extension to Lagos Port at Apapa, the Lagos State Government will divert traffic flow on the Public Works Road at Ikeja for Rail Level Crossing asphalt laying by 9.00pm of Thursday 21st April, till 6.00am of Friday, 22nd April, 2022.
“The Commissioner, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde disclosed that the asphalting of the level crossing on the Public Works Road, Ikeja was necessary to ease traffic flow across the rail track in the section. Read more
Man disembowels 23-yr-old wife, flees with her phone so she can’t call for help (Vanguard)
A 23-year-old mother of two, identified as Mercy Samuel, has been allegedly killed by her husband, Samuel Matthew, in Jos the Plateau State capital.
Her husband reportedly ripped open her stomach and cut the intestines during a disagreement on Sunday night.
After he disemboweled his wife, Mr. Samuel fled with his wife’s phone so she cannot call for help. She was discovered and taken to hospital on Monday morning.
The deceased lived with the husband along the Vom Road in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State. Read more
Chrisland: Psychiatrist recommends counselling for teachers, students (Punch)
A Consultant Neuro-Psychiatrist, Dr. Maymunah Kadiri, says there is a need for the teachers and students of Chrisland School, Lagos, to undergo psychological debriefing, following alleged sexual acts in a viral video involving some pupils of the school.
Kadiri gave the advice in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.
A sex tape involving some minors of the upscale school, including a 10-year-old female student, had gone viral, sparking outrage and condemnation.
The alleged sexual act took place when the students traveled to Dubai in March 2022, to take part in the World School Games, a four-day annual competition invo0lving schools from all over the world. Read more
Nigerian Baptist Convention holds 109th session (Nation)
The 109th annual session of the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC) holds from April 23-28th at the Baptist International Conference Centre (BICC) Km 53 Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
NBC President, Rev Dr Israel Akanji, told reporters in Lagos that thousands of Baptist members and lovers from across the nation and worldwide are expected at the session with the theme” Entering into newness with praise and thanksgiving.”
The session, according to him, will enable the church fellowship for spiritual renewal, consider progress reports and pray for transformation of the nation.
Emphasising the needs for prayers, Akanji said the security challenges across the nation has defied solutions with increased banditry, terrorism and kidnap. Read more
Banky W reveals Wizkid owed EME 3 albums (Guardian)
Banky W has revealed that when Wizkid left Empire Mates Entertainment (EME), he still owed the label three albums.
The EME boss revealed this in a chat with Bounce Network’s Ebuka on the BlackBox interview series.
Banky addressed his relationship with Wizkid, their contract, and their relationship after his exit alongside his wife, Adesua Etomi.
Talking about Wizkid’s exit, Banky W noted that when the singer was ready to leave, he had not fulfilled the terms of his contract and had only released two of the five solo albums stipulated in his contract. Read more
Aisha Buhari to host PDP presidential aspirants, others at Iftar (DailyTrust)
First Lady of the federal republic of Nigeria, Aisha Buhari, will host presidential aspirants across political parties to an Iftar dinner at the Presidential Villa on Saturday.
The information was contained in an invitation letter to the guests sighted in Abuja on Thursday.
Invitees to the dinner are instructed not to come along with their mobile devices, except their invitation cards which would serve as their entry pass.
Daily Trust, however, gathered that the ‘drop phone’ instruction on the invitation will naturally not apply to some of the attendees, including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, governors and ministers that will be attending. Read more
Central Bank of Nigeria, Makurdi branch, Benue state on fire (Sun)
An early morning fire, on Thursday, engulfed part of the Makurdi office of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) situated at the Old GRA area of the Benue State capital.
The fire which reportedly started from the fuel dome of the bank quickly became ferocious thus drawing the attention of some workers who immediately raised alarm.
Staff of the bank and members of the community quickly rushed to the scene and called in fire service before the fire could spread to the main building.
When contacted, the Director of Benue State Fire Service, Engr. Donald Ikyaaza who confirmed the report said he received a call informing him about the fire and he immediately drafted his men to the scene. Read more
Nigerian jihadists claim deadly bar attack (Guardian)
Jihadists affiliated to the Islamic State have claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on a bar in northern Nigeria in an area outside their typical zone of operations.
Police said three people died and 19 were injured on Tuesday when an explosive device went off at a bar outside Jalingo, capital of Taraba state.
State policeman Usman Abdullahi told AFP on Thursday that three of the injured had died, bringing the death toll to six.
In a statement released in Arabic on Wednesday, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) said it had detonated the bomb, “killing and wounding nearly 30 Christians and damaging the bar.” Read more
Sex scandal: Prof Opefeyitimi has case to answer —OAU (Vanguard)
The Management of Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, in Osun State, Wednesday, reiterated its commitment to protecting members of the university’s community, especially female folks, against sexual predators in the institution.
It also dismissed insinuations that the university is attempting to shield a professor accused of alleged sexual assault against a student in the school.
It was gathered that Boluwatife Bababunmi of the Department of Linguistics and African Languages petitioned the university, alleging that a Professor of Yoruba Incantations and Stylistics, Joseph Opefeyitimi, had sexually assaulted her.
However, the university, in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, stated that the rumour of cover-up or foot-dragging over the matter is unfounded, saying it has sacked three of its lecturers over such acts in the past. Read more
Macy Gray on feeling ‘Lonely’ during early success and why she’s happy being single (People)
When Macy Gray’s Top 5 hit “I Try” broke through in the early 2000s, it presented the singer with a world of possibilities she’d never imagined — and an isolating feeling she struggled to shake.
Gray, 54, tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue that the sudden rush of fame and fortune that accompanied her whirlwind success was at once thrilling and challenging.
“I got really beside myself for a long time. I was suddenly really wealthy, and I had a lot of people wanting to be my friend,” she says. “I was just a real asshole. I was having a blast, [but] eventually it will make you lonely and miserable, especially if you’re drinking every night and doing all kinds of crazy stuff.”
The Grammy-winning singer, who will release her 11th studio album The Reset next month, soon became caught up in drugs and alcohol, and though she’s been “totally sober” for many years, the lifestyle took its toll in the early years of her success. Read more
Nicolas Cage says it was a ‘humbling experience’ to play himself in movie “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” (RTE)
Nicolas Cage has said it was a “deeply humbling experience” to send up his outsized public persona by playing a version of himself in his new film.
The Oscar-winning actor, 58, stars in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, playing a version of himself unfulfilled by his career and facing financial ruin while distanced from his teenage daughter, who thinks he is a self-involved narcissist.
Asked why he did not avoid a role that depicts him in such a way, the Face/Off actor told the PA news agency: “I did run. I said, ‘No, no, no, no’.
“And then (the film’s director) Tom Gormican had his fishing line and he reeled me back in with a letter, which was a sensitive letter and it was an intelligent letter, and I knew then that he wasn’t trying to do a kind of Saturday Night Live sketch that was mocking so-called ‘Nick Cage’, but he had some genuine interest in the earlier work. Read more
Seth McFarlane returns to an uptempo take on big-band Jazz with new album, ‘Blue Skies’ (Variety)
For Seth McFarlane, “blue” means less balladic. He’s announcing a new album on the way, “Blue Skies,” and says it marks a return to a more swinging style than the softer approach he employed on his last record.
Out May 20, the seventh album from the “Family Guy” creator and jazz cat will again see him working with a catalog of classics, and again see him working closely with arranger and conductor Andrew Cottee. Still, it’ll mark a turnaround from their previous release.
“I have long been a fan of Andrew Cottee’s supremely artful and buoyant orchestrations,” McFarlane tells Variety. “So after our last collaboration, ‘Once in A While,’ a ballad-themed record, I really wanted to hear what he could do with an up-tempo album. As always, Andrew did not disappoint. His arrangements of these 14 songs, carefully selected by the two of us, are yet another shining example of the expertise with which he handles both melodic interpretations and orchestral dynamics.”
Cottee speaks in terms of raising the bar. “This is the album I’ve always wanted to make,” he says. “The chance to collaborate with an artist like Seth MacFarlane and work with such a high calibre of players is a dream for any arranger.” Read more
TIFF appoints film industry veterans Beth Janson and Anita Lee to new leadership roles (Globe&Mail)
As the Toronto International Film Festival ramps up preparations for this September’s 47th annual edition – featuring more venues, more in-person screenings, more films and fewer virtual options than the past two years – the organization announced a handful of high-profile changes to its leadership team Thursday.
Beth Janson, chief executive of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, will be joining TIFF as the institution’s first chief operating officer, while Anita Lee, executive producer for the National Film Board of Canada’s Ontario studio and founder of the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival, will become TIFF’s first chief programming officer.
“Beth and Anita are two of Canada’s most accomplished, impressive film executives,” TIFF chief executive Cameron Bailey said in a statement. “Their ideas, leadership and passion for the transformative power of film will fill key roles for the organization and add to an already outstanding TIFF team.”
Janson, who recently wrapped production on the Canadian Academy’s 10th annual Canadian Screen Awards, will join TIFF May 20, while Lee joins effective immediately, with both reporting directly to Bailey. According to TIFF, Janson will oversee operations and revenue, with Lee focused on delivering an “audience-focused, strategically cohesive and financially sustainable programming framework” that serves the organization’s mission and strategy – one that is currently being fine-tuned as Bailey and his team prepare to implement a new three-year strategic plan. Douglas Allison remains TIFF’s chief financial officer. Read more
‘Ghostbusters VR’ takes the supernatural series to San Francisco (NME)
Ghostbusters VR is a single-player and co-op virtual reality take on the film franchise coming to the Meta Quest 2 some time within the next year.
Revealed during the Meta Quest Gaming Showcase yesterday (April 20), Ghostbusters VR will be a “new chapter in the Ghostbusters universe”.
According to the game’s new Oculus listing, Ghostbusters VR can be played alone or with up to three friends in co-op across the campaign. Developed by virtual reality game studio nDreams, the title will include “all the humour and frights from the beloved franchise”.
Players will be tasked with running a Ghostbusters HQ in San Francisco, with the film franchise’s iconic Ecto-1 vehicle, proton pack weapon and P.KE. meter all making an appearance. Read more
Belgian foreign minister steps down to support husband after brain cancer diagnosis (Guardian)
Belgium’s foreign minister, Sophie Wilmès, announced on Thursday she was temporarily stepping down to support her husband who has been diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer.
Wilmès, 47, who has been in her post since October 2020 after spending a year as prime minister, said she needed to provide “help and comfort” to her husband, Christopher Stone, and their three children.
The prime minister, Alexander De Croo, will cover her portfolio.
“Unfortunately, life sometimes takes painful turns,” Wilmès said, in a letter posted on Twitter. Read more
Vin Diesel shares official title for Fast and Furious 10 while confirming filming has already begun (Metro)
Vin Diesel has announced that filming on Fast and Furious 10 has begun, and fans are overjoyed.
Keeping it simple, the 10th movie in the franchise will be titled Fast X, and in the promo image he shared on his Instagram account, there is what appears to be a set of headlights behind the word Fast, that illustrate the stylised logo.
In the post, Diesel also revealed that filming had started, simply captioning his post ‘Day one…’.
The movie series started its journey two decades ago, with The Fast And The Furious franchise has since becoming one of the most successful in Hollywood history. Read more
Super Eagles begin race to 2023 AFCON against Sierra Leone (Leadership)
The Super Eagles will host Sierra Leone in their first qualifying game for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.
The three-time African champions are in Group A with Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau and São Tomé/Principe or Mauritius.
The Super Eagles will then fly to either São Tomé or Port Louis for their matchday two encounter.
The window for these two matches is 30th May – 14th June. Read more
Manchester United: Fred hails Erik Ten Hag appointment as ‘great news’ (Standard)
Manchester United midfielder Fred has hailed the appointment of Erik Ten Hag as “great news” for the club.
The Dutchman was formally announced as United’s next permanent manager on Thursday and will take over this summer once he has finished his fifth and final campaign with Ajax.
Ralf Rangnick is due to continue in a consultancy role as the club attempts to close the gap on the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool at the top of the English game.
Both Tottenham and Arsenal have also shown signs of improvement this season too, making Ten Hag’s task an extremely difficult one. Read more
Harry Maguire: Manchester United defender receives bomb threat and police sweep his home (BBC)
Cheshire Police have conducted a sweep of Harry Maguire’s house after the Manchester United and England defender received a bomb threat.
Maguire, who lives with his fiance and two young children, is understood to have taken the threat seriously.
A spokesman for Maguire said: “In the last 24 hours, Harry has received a serious threat to his family home.
“The safety of his family and those around him is obviously Harry’s number one priority.” Read more
Serena Williams, Lewis Hamilton join bid to buy Chelsea soccer team (CalgaryHerald)
Former women’s tennis No. 1 Serena Williams and seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton have joined U.K. businessman Sir Martin Broughton’s bid to buy Premier League club Chelsea, a source close to the bid told Reuters on Thursday.
Former Liverpool chairman Broughton’s consortium includes World Athletics President Sebastian Coe and wealthy investors from around the world, who the group says all want to maintain Chelsea’s top status.
Private equity veterans Josh Harris and David Blitzer, who own sports teams including the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, are also backing Broughton’s bid.
Williams and Hamilton have pledged an estimated US$13 million each to the bid, Sky Sports reported. Read more
Derek Chisora ‘willing to put house’ on Dillian Whyte knocking out Tyson Fury (Express)
Perennial heavyweight contender Derek Chisora has backed Dillian Whyte to produce an upset and knock out Tyson Fury in their WBC title clash on Saturday. Chisora, who has fought both men in his career, is so confident that Whyte will win he is ‘willing to put his house on it’.
Fury is the favourite with bookmakers to retain his world title, having never lost a bout as a professional. However, Chisora believes Whyte “knows how to get to Tyson” and has backed him to win the fight.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Chisora said: “This is the whole reason we love boxing. The guys you think are not going to win, they win and suddenly you hold your head, ‘What happened? They won?’
“It looks like it shocks you, but really and truly it doesn’t. I’m willing to put my house on it: I’m willing to put my house on Dillian Whyte knocking Tyson Fury out. Read more
Novak Djokovic condemns Wimbledon’s ban on Russian tennis players (Aljazeera)
Tennis star Novak Djokovic has called a ban on Russian and Belarusian players competing at Wimbledon “crazy”.
His critique on Thursday came a day after the oldest tennis tournament in the world announced the measure, in light of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Wimbledon, which is based in the United Kingdom, became the first tennis tournament to prevent individual athletes from the two countries from competing amid the continuing conflict.
Speaking to reporters at the Serbia Open, Djokovic said he “cannot support the decision of Wimbledon”. Read more
Embiid hits dagger in OT, Sixers take 3-0 series lead over Raptors (CTV)
Joel Embiid scored a dagger three-pointer with 0.8 seconds left in overtime to lift the Philadelphia 76ers to a 104-101 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, taking a 3-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.
Embiid finished with 33 points and 13 rebounds, spoiling the first Raptors playoff action in Toronto in three years.
OG Anunoby had 26 points for the Raptors, who led by as many as 17 points. Gary Trent Jr., scored a career playoff high 24 points despite fighting an illness the past week.
Precious Achiuwa had 20 points, while Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet both had off nights, with just 12 points apiece for the Raptors, who were missing NBA rookie of the year finalist Scottie Barnes. Read more