Pastor bags life imprisonment for defiling 12-year-old twin girls (Independent)
A Lagos State Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court sitting in Ikeja on Wednesday sentenced a 54-year-old pastor, Michael Oliseh, to life imprisonment for defiling his friend’s 12-year-old twin daughters.
Justice Abiola Soladoye while passing the judgement on the convict, an assistant Pastor of the Anointed Chosen Vessel Ministry in Okota, Lagos, described him as a “serial rapist” who took turns defiling his friend’s daughters.
She held that the prosecution had proved the charges of defilement against Oliseh beyond any reasonable doubt.
The judge sentenced Oliseh to life imprisonment on the two-count charge bordering on defilement. Read more
How Lagos building collapsed on praying grandma, bizman searching for apartment (Punch)
FOLLOWING the collapse of a distressed three-storey building which claimed the lives of 10 tenants in the Ebute Metta area of Lagos State, families of the deceased victims have recounted their last moments.
PUNCH Metro had reported that the incident, which happened on Sunday, led to the loss of 10 lives, including a member of the National Youth Services Corps, identified simply as Oluwakemi.
Also, no fewer than 24 persons, who were rescued from the rubble with varying degrees of injury, were either treated and discharged or transferred to a general hospital for further treatment.
Our correspondent, who visited the scene of the tragedy on Tuesday, observed as people, including sympathisers and family members of the deceased, lamented the circumstances surrounding their deaths. Read more
FG, Lagos to earn $201b from Lekki Port, says Lai Mohammed (Vanguard)
The Federal government of Nigeria and the Lagos state government will earn a total revenue of over $201 billion in 45 years when the Lekki Deep Sea Port becomes fully operational, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said.
The Minister stated this in Lagos when he undertook a tour of the $1.53bn mega projects on Wednesday.
Accompanied by heads of parastatals under the Ministry of Transportation, Alhaji Mohammed expressed joy at the quality of work done, assuring that the port would become operational in the last quarter of 2022.
According to him, when fully operational, the deep seaport, “will create 169,972 jobs and bring revenues totalling 201 billion dollars to state and federal governments through taxes, royalties and duties. The direct and induced business revenue impact is estimated at $158bn in addition to a qualitative impact on the manufacturing, trade and commercial services sector. Read more
Buhari, UN Secretary General meet in Aso Rock (DailyTrust)
President Muhammadu Buhari and the Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), Antonio Guterres, Wednesday, met at the State House, Abuja.
The President received the UN scribe and his delegation at the forecourt of his office at around 3:03pm.
After the brief welcome ceremony, President Buhari led Guterres to his office where they had a meeting before returning to brief the media.
During the briefing, the President underscored the significance of the visit at a time the global attention focused on the Russia-Ukraine war.
President Buhari spoke on the effort to deal with terrorism and the role of the world body.
In his remarks, Guterres said his visit was a solidarity with victims of terrorism.
The UN chief, who said he postponed his visit to Nigeria because of the war in Ukraine, added that he was keen to carry on his habit of the last two years of identifying with Ramadan. Read more
Results, not rhetoric define leadership –Seyi Tinubu (Punch)
Seyi, son of All Progressives Congress chieftain and presidential hopeful, Bola Tinubu, has said performance and not just smooth-sounding speeches define leadership.
He made this known in a Facebook post on Wednesday with photos of his meeting with his 70-year-old father; and Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Seyi said, “Yesterday (Tuesday), I sat with My leader and father, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu together with Mr Governor and my egbon, Bola Tinubu.
“I was repeatedly reminded by both mentors that leadership is defined by results, not attributes or words alone. Read more
Dagogo rushed to police hospital, aide claims (Nation)
Rivers’ embattled House of Representatives member, Dr. Farah Dagogo, has been rushed to the police hospital in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
His Special Adviser on Media, Ibrahim Lawal, who confirmed the development on Wednesday said Dagogo suffered stomach and chest complications.
Lawal said following the severity of his case, the police hospital referred him to another undisclosed hospital.
Dagogo, who represents Degema/ Bonny Federal Constituency, was last week declared wanted by the Rivers State Government. Read more
Ekiti State governor Fayemi declares to run for president (Guardian)
Ekiti State governor Kayode Fayemi on Wednesday declared his intention to run for the office of Nigeria president on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Fayemi made the declaration at the Hilton Hotel, Abuja in the company of his wife Erelu Bisi Fayemi, APC Governorship aspirant, Biodun Oyebanji, members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, and traditional rulers.
“After a careful consideration of where we are as a nation, I believe that my entry into the race will offer Nigerians the opportunity to examine competing visions for national rebirth,” Fayemi said.
“I am a full-blooded child of Nigeria…I can boldly and confidently say, let us as one people dig deep into our history & hearts to revive hope and do the work of faith that will get us to the greater good.” Read more
Fake News: Davido is not coming to Kenya- Manager (SoundCity)
A poster doing rounds on social media advertising that Nigeria singer Davido will be in the country later this month is fake, his management has said.
On social media, Davido’s lawyer Bobo F. Ajudua dismissed the poster saying the singer doesn’t have any Kenyan show lined up.
“Kenya show? A different Davido o,” he said on Twitter.
The lawyer further warned Kenyans not to purchase any tickets in regards to the show. Read more
Boko Haram: 8 Villagers killed in Chibok village (DailyTrust)
About eight villagers were killed and a military base set ablaze when Islamic State West Africa Province( ISWAP) fighters attacked a remote village in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State, a source said.
It was gathered that the insurgents stormed the Kautikari village in large numbers at 7 pm and opened fire sporadically.
According to vigilante sources, the corpses were recovered from the bushes and two persons were burnt.
“We have recovered 8 lifeless bodies from the scene of yesterday’s attack on our village(Kautikari), many are still unaccounted for as they are missing. The military base was completely burnt down and some residential homes equally torched,” the vigilante source said. Read more
Eminem, Duran Duran, Dolly Parton and Lionel Richie to be inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (NME)
Eminem, Duran Duran, Dolly Parton and Lionel Richie are all set to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 2022.
Eurythmics, Carly Simon, Judas Priest and Pat Benatar will also be inducted into the Hall Of Fame this year.
Kate Bush, Beck, DEVO, Fela Kuti, MC5, New York Dolls, Rage Against The Machine and Dionne Warwick made the initial shortlist for 2022, but didn’t make the final cut.
The honourees — voted on by more than 1000 artists, historians and music industry professionals — each “had a profound impact on the sound of youth culture and helped change the course of rock ’n’ roll,” said John Sykes, the chairman of the Rock Hall, in a statement. Read more
Doja Cat tops Artist 100 chart for the 1st time (AllHipHop)
Rapper/singer Doja Cat is the most popular music act in America at the moment, according to Billboard. The Planet Her album creator rose to #1 on the Artist 100 chart.
This week, Doja Cat’s “Woman” sits at #7 on the Hot 100 rankings. “Need to Know” (#19), “You Right” with The Weeknd (#43), “Freaky Deaky” with Tyga (#54), and “Get Into It (Yuh)” (#73) are also on the Hot 100.
Plus, Planet Her currently holds the #6 position on the latest Billboard 200 album chart. Doja Cat’s 2021 studio LP has spent a total of 44 weeks on the Billboard 200.
Additional Hip Hop stars Jack Harlow (#7), Lil Baby (#8), Pusha T (#9), and Drake (#10) also made the most recent Artist 100’s Top 10. Pusha joined the list following the release of his No 1. album It’s Almost Dry. Read more
Reacher and Prodigal Son stars team up for new movie (DigitalSpy)
Stars of Reacher and Prodigal Son have been confirmed for new psychological thriller movie Crossword.
The film, which follows a young couple after the loss of their daughter, has been written and directed by Roswell, New Mexico’s Michael Vlamis, who also stars, Deadline confirms.
He’s brought on board Reacher and What We Do in the Shadows’ Harvey Guillén, plus Prodigal Son and When They See Us’ Aurora Perrineau, as major cast members.
Also set to star are Nick Thune (Love Life), Sarah Ramos (Winning Time), Karan Oberoi (Counterpart), Andoni Gracia (The Flash) and Spencer Waldner (5 Years Apart) Read more
Glastonbury festival adds more artistes to Shangri-La lineup (Loudersound)
Glastonbury Festival has revealed a raft of additions to its 2022 lineup, including some heavier bands making their Glasto debuts.
Aannouncing the bill for its famed Shangri-La zone, which has previously borne witness to sets from the likes of Napalm Death, Gojira, Venom Prison and Employed To Serve, Glastonbury has unveiled a smorgasbord of artistes that will perform across numerous stages.
Amongst the many, many names confirmed – which also include the likes of dance legend Fatboy Slim and funk and soul DJ/Red Dwarf actor Craig Charles – are a splattering of heavy bands that continue Glastonbury’s recent tradition of embracing more rock, metal and punk artistes.
Joining the party are bouncy punk duo Nova Twins, chaotic riot grrrl/nu metal upstarts Wargasm, rising grime-punks Bob Vylan, Newcastle noise rockers Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs and Brass Against, the brass metal mavericks currently on tour with Tool. Read more
Mental illness vastly underrepresented in popular films, study finds (Deadline)
A new study has found that people with mental health conditions rarely are depicted in Hollywood’s most popular films and that their depiction “remains one of predominantly white, male, straight and able-bodied characters.”
The report, from Dr. Stacy Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, found that of the 4,502 speaking or named characters across the 200 top-grossing films of 2019, only 1.5% were depicted with mental health conditions, which was down from 1.7% in 2016. By contrast, 21% of U.S. adults experience mental illness, according to national population research studies such as the U.S. National Comorbidity Survey.
“Stories can provide a window into different worlds and experiences, but the results of this study demonstrate that mental health is rarely a focal point in popular film,” Smith said. “With the growing need for mental health care in the U.S., and the ongoing concern about well-being, storytellers and creatives are missing critical opportunities to educate audiences.”
More than half of the films included in the latest report didn’t feature a single character with a mental health condition, and 30% had only one such character. The report, titled “Mental Health Conditions Across 200 Popular Films,” noted that of those characters depicted with mental health conditions, 59.2% were male and three-quarters were white. Only 16 were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, just two were LGBTQ, and 42.3% had a disability. Read more
Paolo Sorrentino’s ‘The Hand of God’ takes top honours at Italy’s David di Donatello Awards (Variety)
Paolo Sorrentino’s Oscar-nominated autobiographical drama “The Hand of God” took top honors at Italy’s 67th David di Donatello Awards, winning best picture, director, supporting actress and tying for the best cinematography statuette.
Sorrentino’s Naples-set film about the personal tragedy and other vicissitudes that drove him to become a top notch film director had been the frontrunner along with young helmer Gabriele Mainetti’s second feature, the elegant effects-laden historical fantasy “Freaks Out.”
“Freaks Out” won six prizes, including for its producer, Andrea Occhipinti, as well as cinematographer, set design, and effects.
The cinematography prize, which was a tie, was split between “Hand of God” DP Daria D’Antonio, marking the first time this David goes to a woman, and Michele Attanasio for “Freaks Out.”
Top Zelensky aide: Lavrov shows Russia a threat to Jews, Israel can’t stay on fence (TimesofIsrael)
Recent comments about Adolf Hitler’s “Jewish blood” by Russia’s top diplomat prove that Moscow is a threat to Jews everywhere and border on Holocaust denial, a senior advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday.
“It showed again that Russia poses an existential threat not only to Ukraine, with at least 100,000 Jews, but to all Jewish people around the world,” Andriy Yermak told The Times of Israel during a Zoom conversation on Tuesday.
Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov ignited a firestorm Sunday when he told an Italian interviewer that “Hitler also had Jewish blood” and that “some of the worst antisemites are Jews.” Lavrov made the remarks in response to a questions about Moscow’s claim that it invaded Ukraine in an effort to “de-Nazify” the country, though its president, Zelensky, is Jewish.
Yermak, 50, has spoken openly about his own Jewish roots. His Kyiv-born father is Jewish, and he lost family members in the September 1941 Babyn Yar massacre in which 33,000 Jews were slaughtered by Nazi Germany and its local allies. Read more
Costa Rica 2022: Falconets to know World Cup opponents Thursday (Punch)
Nigeria’s U-20 girls, Falconets, will on Thursday know the opponents they would have to deal with in the group stage of this year’s FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals as the draw ceremony takes place at the Teatro Nacional (National Theatre) in San José, the capital of Costa Rica.
All the 16 participating countries at the tournament scheduled for August 10 to 28 are now known, with Nigeria’s Falconets and Ghana’s Black Maidens to fly Africa’s flag.
This was contained in a statement by the Nigeria Football Federation’s spokesperson, Ademola Olajire, on Wednesday.
Only four countries – Germany, Brazil, USA and Nigeria – have played in all editions of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup since the competition was launched as U-19 championship in Canada 20 years ago. Germany have won the championship thrice (2004, 2010 and 2014); USA have won thrice (2002, 2008 and 2012) while Nigeria have twice reached the Final, losing to Germany in 2010 and 2014. Read more
Roy Hodgson: Watford boss will not be at the club next season and expects to retire (BBC)
Watford boss Roy Hodgson has said he will not be at the club next season and does not expect to take another managerial job in the Premier League.
On Wednesday, the 74-year-old former England manager was at Buckingham Palace as he was honoured with a CBE for his services to football.
Watford play at Crystal Palace on Saturday and will be relegated to the Championship if they fail to win.
“I’ve enjoyed my time doing the job. It’s a very demanding world,” he said.
Hodgson’s managerial career has spanned more than 45 years and the list of teams he has managed includes Inter Milan, Blackburn, Fulham, Liverpool, West Brom and Palace, as well as the national sides of Switzerland, United Arab Emirates and Finland. Read more
Bruno Lage admits Wolves transfer wish as Adama Traore receives clear Barcelona signal
(BirminghamLive)
Bruno Lage is well aware of the need for Wolverhampton Wanderers to strengthen their squad in the summer transfer window after Brighton inflicted another defeat on his team at the weekend.
Brighton ran out 3-0 victors at Molineux following a hapless Wolves display. Wolves missed another opportunity to move level on points with seventh-placed West Ham and have now tasted defeat seven times in their last 10 fixtures.
Wolves, whose final four matches are against Chelsea, Manchester City, Norwich and Liverpool, now face an uphill task to finish inside the European places. And Lage admits new additions will be required in the summer to help Wolves reach the next level.
Speaking after the Brighton defeat, Lage said: “Man City are first and Norwich are bottom – they will try to buy players to improve their team. I think it’s too early to talk about that. We have our plan. Read more
Shakhtar Donetsk to move into UCL group stages after Villarreal loss (ESPN)
Shakhtar Donetsk will be allocated a group stage spot in the next Champions League after Villarreal were eliminated in the semifinals on Tuesday.
Amid so much turmoil in Ukrainian football, the upgrade should guarantee tens of millions of euros in Champions League prize money next season for Shakhtar, who have been touring Europe playing charity games in exile from Russia’s invasion.
Villarreal’s 5-2 aggregate loss to Liverpool ensured the title will be won by a team that already qualified for next season’s Champions League through their domestic league finish. Real Madrid and Manchester City play in the other semifinal second leg on Wednesday.
The entry in next season’s competition that UEFA protects for the defending champion can now pass to the highest-ranked national league that does not already have a direct place in the group stage starting in September. Read more
Djokovic delivers ‘best performance of year’ to book Murray clash (France24)
Top seed Novak Djokovic described his straight-sets opening win over Gael Monfils in Madrid on Tuesday as his “best performance of the year” as he set up a showdown with Andy Murray.
The 20-time major champion ensured he would keep his number one ranking for at least another week by extending his winning record against Monfils with a 6-3, 6-2 victory at the Caja Magica.
Djokovic, who entered the contest 17-0 head-to-head against the Frenchman, needed a win in their second round match to avoid surrendering the top spot to second-placed Daniil Medvedev.
“I would probably rate it as the best performance of the year, I would say. I felt very good on the court,” said Djokovic. Read more
Former Formula One driver Tony Brooks, the ‘racing dentist’, dies aged 90 (Guardian)
The former Formula One race winner and world championship contender Tony Brooks has died aged 90. His daughter Giulia announced the death on Tuesday.
Brooks was one of the great British drivers of the 1950s and narrowly missed out on winning the F1 title in 1959. In his career, he won six grands prix and took 10 podiums from just 38 starts. During his era only Juan Manuel Fangio, Alberto Ascari and Stirling Moss were more successful.
In 1959 he joined Ferrari and won in France and Germany backed up with a second in Monaco. Despite two retirements he entered the final round at Sebring with a shot at the title. But on the opening lap he was hit by his teammate Wolfgang von Trips.
Brooks had survived two huge accidents at Silverstone and Le Mans earlier in his career that had changed the way he approached racing and informed his actions at Sebring. “My natural inclination was to carry on,” he said. “Believe me, that would have been the easiest thing to do, but I made myself come in to have the car checked over.” Read more