Pastor Kumuyi urges Nigerians to support Tinubu (DailyTrust)
The General Overseer of Deeper Life Church, Pastor Williams Kumuyi, has drummed support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as he urges Nigerians to expect positive outcomes in this administration.
The cleric while addressing newsmen on Tuesday ahead of his church’s Global Crusade starting Thursday, the Deeper Life Church leader urged Nigerians to forget the past and accept the new leaders.
In a video making the rounds on the Nigerian internet space via AIT, the cleric noted that Nigerians should not be swift to criticize the recent government. Read more
NERC Urges Nigerians To Update Prepaid Meters Before Nov 2024 (Channels)
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has urged citizens with prepaid meter to update them before November 2024.
The regulatory body said users who fail to update their meters before the said date won’t be able to recharge their prepaid meters.
NERC, in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, said updating the meters attracts no cost.
The regulator said electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) would start to issue free token to enable the update. Read more
##BBNaijaAllStars: “I want to buy Cee C flowers,” Alex tells Biggie (Tribune)
During her diary session, Big Brother Naija All Stars Housemate, Alex, expressed her desire to buy flowers for her fellow housemate, Cee C, as a kind gesture towards her.
Recall that both housemates have been at odds with each other, engaging in consistent rifts and fights.
Despite their differences, Alex felt that presenting flowers would convey her goodwill to Cee C. Read more
Again, Emefiele, Yaro’s arraignment stalls as ex-CBN gov allegedly opts for plea bargain (Nation)
The scheduled arraignment of the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele by the Federal Government on a 20-count corruption charge failed to hold on Wednesday.
The arraignment, earlier planned for last Thursday before Justice Hamza Muazu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama, was shifted to August 24 as a result of the non-appearance in court of his co-defendant, Ms. Sa’adatu Rammalan Yaro, who the prosecution claimed took ill on the morning of August 17.
Emefiele, Ms. Yaro and her firm, April 1616 Investment Ltd, were to be arraigned on the 20-count charge bordering on alleged breach of procurement laws and contract inflation Read more
NDLEA launches manhunt for Lekki drug dealer (Tribune)
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has launched a manhunt for a Lekki, Lagos-based notorious drug dealer, Sowunmi Ayodeji Kayode, who is now on the run after driving his luxury car to crush an officer of the Agency in his bid to escape arrest when operatives were on a search of his house last weekend.
The Director, Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi said, in a statement on Wednesday that, anti-narcotics officers of the Agency had on 18th August stormed the residence of the wanted drug dealer located at 2/3 Adetola Ayeni close, Lekki, Lagos for a search and possible arrest following credible intelligence that he was dealing in illicit drugs in his house.
Although he was not in the house when operatives got into his compound, he returned while a search of his apartment was ongoing. Read more
Police arraign ‘‘Okada’’ rider for allegedly abducting Air Force officer (Guardian)
The Police on Wednesday arraigned a 27-year-old Okada rider (commercial motorcyclist), Mohammed Amine, before a Badagry Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, for allegedly abducting an Air Force officer.
The defendant of no fixed residential address is facing a two-count charge of abduction and breach of peace.
The prosecutor, ASP Clément Okuoimose, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on Aug. 9 at about 9.40.p.m. in Badagry area of Lagos. Read more
FG to construct flyover on Abuja-Lokoja highway to mitigate flooding – Umahi (Vanguard)
The Minister of Works, David Umahi said the Federal Government will construct a flyover to mitigate the problem of flooding along the Abuja-Lokoja highway.
Umahi stated this during an inspection of ongoing construction works on the Abuja-Lokoja road, a day after his assumption of office.
The minister, alongside the Governor Yahaya Bello of of Kogi state, and some directors in the ministry, visited some work sites on the road. Read more
Diphtheria: Kano requires 6m doses of vaccine to combat outbreak (Punch)
The Kano State Government said it requires six million doses of vaccines for massive immunisation to combat the outbreak of diphtheria across the 44 Local Government Areas of the state.
This is contained in a statement by the Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, Ibrahim Shuaibu, a copy of which was made available to newsmen on Wednesday.
According to the statement, the governor, Abba Kabir, made the disclosure during a meeting with the representatives of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Read more
Kerry Washington, Martin Sheen call for union solidarity during actors strike rally (USAToday)
Kerry Washington and Martin Sheen, a pair of fictional former politicos, turned Hollywood’s strikes into a rousing campaign rally Tuesday with speeches celebrating unity across the industry and with labor at large.
“We are here because we know that unions matter,” said Washington, who played a political fixer on ABC’s “Scandal.” “Not only do we have solidarity within our union, we have solidarity between our unions, because we are workers.”
The rally outside Disney Studios in Burbank, California, coming more than a month into a strike by Hollywood actors and more than three months into a strike by screenwriters, was meant to highlight their alliance with the industry’s other guilds and the nation’s other unions, including the Teamsters and the AFL-CIO. Read more
German cabinet signs off plan to ease path to citizenship (DW)
Germany’s government on Wednesday presented a proposal to reform the country’s citizenship law.
It must still be deliberated on by both houses of Parliament.
“This is one of the most important projects of the coalition,” Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said when presenting the reform to the press.
“There have been many debates, unfortunately marked by resentments… at the expense of people who have worked here and have made a contribution to our welfare,” Faeser said. Read more
“India is on the moon”, says space agency chief (AlJazeera)
India successfully lands spacecraft near the moon’s south pole, making it the first country to do so.
Indian PM Modi says mission’s success “belongs to all of humanity.”
The Cahndrayaan-3 landing around the south pole will help countries in their attempts to build a future lunar base, a British academic has said.
“India being only the fourth nation to actually manage a successful soft landing on the moon is incredible,” Ian Whittaker, a senior lecturer in Physics at Nottingham Trent University, told Al Jazeera.
“Landing on the South Pole, or near the South Pole area is actually really important because it’s the sort of area we’d be looking for a lunar base.”
Melissa Joan Hart was nearly fired from Sabrina over underwear photo shoot (NME)
Melissa Joan Hart has said she was nearly sued and fired from Sabrina The Teenage Witch after posing for an underwear photo shoot.
The actor, who starred in the sitcom throughout its seven-season run between 1996 and 2003, appeared on the cover of men’s magazine Maxim in October 1999. The cover featured the headline: “Sabrina your favourite witch without a stitch.”
While the shoot was to promote romantic comedy Drive Me Crazy, Hart was accused of breaching her contract, which stated that she “would never play the character naked”, due to the cover line. Read more
Viral country sensation Oliver Anthony releases new music video (Fox)
Country music sensation Oliver Anthony released a new video for his song, “I Want To Go Home,” on Tuesday.
Anthony, a red-bearded Virginia farmer and musician, and dog owner, rose from relative obscurity to ranking #1 on Billboard Hot 100 for a song he recorded in the American wilderness, “Rich Men North of Richmond.”
Anthony’s new single is already closing in on nearly one million views on YouTube alone, as the singer is estimated to be making around “$40,000 a day from sales and streams of his music, according to the trade journal Hits.” Last week, Anthony said he had “brushed off” $8 million offers from “people in the music industry.” Read more
The Killers announce new single, days after being booed on stage (MusicNews)
The Killers will release the new single ‘Your Side Of Town’ on Friday (25.08.23)
Brandon Flowers and co had teased a clip for a new music video earlier this week, and now they’ve confirmed the arrival of a new synth-led track later this week.
Taking to X to share the pre-save link for the tune, they wrote: “Hello everyone, with much excitement we present you with Your Side of Town. It’s got the ghosts of a lot of synth music that inspired us over the years. And yet somehow feels completely our own. Now it’s yours! Turn it up.”
The Killers haven’t released a song since August 2022’s standalone ‘Boy’. Read more
Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro in hospital for routine exams (ABC)
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was admitted to a hospital in Sao Paulo on Wednesday for what a close aide described as routine health examinations.
Bolsonaro has been in and out of hospitals since he was stabbed in his abdomen at a campaign event before Brazil’s 2018 presidential election. The conservative leader underwent several surgeries during his presidency from 2019-2022.
He was admitted Wednesday to Vila Nova Star Hospital in Sao Paulo. “These exams aim to assess his clinical condition, especially in the digestive system,” Fabio Wajngarten, a lawyer and close Bolsonaro aide, said on his official account on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Read more
NFSC congratulates new Sports Minister, Enoh (Sun)
The Nigeria Football Supporters Club (NFSC) has congratulated the new Sports Minister, Senator John Enoh on his appointment.
In a statement signed by its President General, Dr. Rafiu Oladipo, the club welcomes the minister to the most popular and talked about ministry.
Dr. Oladipo enjoined Senator Enoh to take into consideration that sports gives Nigeria a positive image across the world.
“Let me start by congratulating the honourable minister as he assumes office as the 36th Minister of Sports. Read more
Tobi Amusan tackles Irish journalist over ‘‘charge’’ question (Punch)
Globally celebrated hurdle champion, Tobi Amusan, tackled an Irish journalist at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, for a question asked about the charges laid against her after the women’s 100-metre hurdle heats.
Amusan was cleared before the competition after facing a provisional suspension for missing three drug tests. She successfully defended her title by winning Heat 5 with a time of 12.49s on Tuesday.
After the race, Amusan spoke to the media at the mixed zone. Subsequently, after she praised her fans for the love and support she received, Irish journalist, Cathal Dennehy, asked her, “Tobi, just on the point to the fans, I guess some of them are wondering what led to the charge. Would you be able to clarify the reasons behind that?” Read more
Reps, NFF on warpath over Super Falcons allowances (Vanguard)
The House of Representatives Ad hoc committee investigating the Face-off between Super Falcons and the Official of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), over non-payment of allowance and entitlement has summoned the NFF president over refusal to appear before the ad hoc committee.
The development appears to be a war path with the Chairman, House of Reps Standing Committee, Rep. Ekene Adams and the ad-hoc committee led by Rep Blessing Onu due to a purported instruction given by Adams to the NFF president, Mr Ibrahim Gusau to shun the invitation by Rep. Blessing Onu, the Chairman of the ad hoc committee investigating the face-off.
Vanguard gathered that Adams had asked the NFF president not to appear before the committee for reasons best known to him. Read more
Chelsea and Australia star Sam Kerr launches football academy to secure World Cup legacy (Mirror)
Chelsea star and Australia international Sam Kerr has launched a football academy in a bid to cement the legacy of the Matildas 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign.
Australia were co-hosts with New Zealand for the tournament and progressed all the way to the semi-finals before they were knocked out by England. Kerr, who missed the opening few games with a calf injury, scored one of the goals on the tournament against the Lionesses, but her side ultimately fell to defeat.
Kerr’s agent revealed to Daily Mail Australia that the forward will be returning to the UK this week to gear up for another season with Chelsea, but before she does, she’s launched her academy programme to help develop the next generation of footballers. Read more
Spanish football chief Rubiales under pressure to resign after World Cup final antics (National)
The Spanish government has cranked up the pressure on under-fire Luis Rubiales after his “unacceptable” behaviour in the aftermath of Sunday’s Women’s World Cup final.
Rubiales, the president of the Spanish football federation, has apologised for kissing midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the trophy presentation, while he was also pictured grabbing his crotch in celebration of the 1-0 win over England at Stadium Australia.
Rubiales initially defended his position before backing down and admitting he was “completely wrong”. That has done little to assuage his critics, however, with Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sanchez particularly scathing in his assessment of the 46-year-old. Read more
Lando Norris recalls Michael Schumacher getting in ‘bit of a scrap’ with karting teammate (PlanetF1)
Karting in his junior days against Mick Schumacher, Lando Norris has recalled the time seven-time F1 World Champion Michael Schumacher got into a spat with a teenage karting driver.
Competing in karting from 2008 to 2014, Norris and Schumacher’s son had a fair amount of overlap during their junior days with the Briton left star-struck when he came face-to-face with his rival’s father.
A legend in motorsport with his seven F1 World Championship titles, Schumacher retired from racing at the end of the 2012 season, which freed up even more time for him to watch his son race. Read more