Police confirm death of suicide bomber in Borno (Leadership)
The Borno State Police Command has confirmed an attempted suicide bombing in Biu Local Government Area, resulting in the death of the perpetrator and injuries to two bystanders.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Daso Nahum confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Monday.
Nahum said the event occurred around 8 pm on Sunday during the night prayers observed by Muslim faithful. Read more
Lagos to push for special status, listing of LCDAs (Nation)
Lagos state will explore all avenues to reintroduce the issue of the 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the ongoing Constitutional Review process, with a view to legalising the council development areas.
A communiqué issued at the end of the 18th Executive/Legislative parley organised by the Office of Political, Legislative and Civic Engagement, stated the need for collaboration between the Executive, National Assembly members representing the state and members of the State Legislature in advocating for a ‘Special Status’ for Lagos in the ongoing Constitution Review.
The Executive/Legislative parley was themed ‘Engaging All for an Inclusive Governance: Hands On for a Greater Lagos Rising’. Read more
Lagos police arrest 2 traffic robbers disguising as beggars (Punch)
Two notorious traffic robbers, identified as Olumide Oladiji and Lekan Ibrahim, have been arrested in the Agungi Lekki area of Lagos State.
PUNCH Metro learned that the incident occurred on March 15 at about 7.30pm.
A police source told our correspondent that the suspected robbers posed as beggars on the expressway to steal from motorists plying the road. Read more
Again, gunmen abduct 87 in Kajuru village, as CDS arrives Kaduna (Channels)
Terrorists abducted no fewer than 87 women, children, and others in a fresh attack on the Kajuru Station community in Kaduna State on Sunday night.
The community has been thrown into confusion and fear. Some residents were seen today, Monday, relocating due to fear of further attacks.
Kajuru has suffered several attacks in recent times, and some locals are still in captivity. Read more
NEFGAD: Students Loan unsustainable, harmful to Nigerian youth (ThisDay)
The Network for Social Growth and Actualization of Viable Development (NEFGAD) has criticized the Students Loan Bill of President Bola Tinubu, describing it as unsustainable and injurious to the country’s development.
The group in a statement signed by its head of office, Mr Akingunola Omoniyi and made available to newsmen in Abuja at the weekend maintained that the series of postponements and uncertainties around the launch of the scheme showed that the idea was weak and looking more like a mere campaign slogan that should have ended with the 2023 general elections.
Akingunola said the bill was anti-development and psychologically harmful to Nigerian youth, while further stating that the policy lacks adequate support system necessary for efficient operations, and will end up killing the morale, drive and esteem of Nigerian youth at the long run. Read more
Bauchi Gov mourns death of Darazo District Head (Tribune)
Bauchi State Governor, Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed on Sunday described as a great loss, the demise of the District Head of Darazo, Alhaji Mohammed Bababa.
The Governor was speaking when he led top government officials on a condolence visit at his palace in Darazo.
The Governor said that the late Mohammed Bababa was a reliable and respected traditional ruler who worked for the best interest of his people and Bauchi Emirate. Read more
Lekki demolitions: Govt not out to hurt citizens – Commissioner (Vanguard)
Lagos State Government has explained that the recent removal of shanties on the coastal road, along Mayegun and Jakande area of Lekki, was not to hurt its citizens, but done for over-riding public interest.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, made this affirmation on Sunday, when he led state officials on the continuation of inspection tour to some parts of the state.
The commissioner was accompanied by the Special Adviser, Environment, Mr Kunle Rotimi-Akodu; Permanent Secretaries , Environmental Services, Gaji Omobolaji Tajudeen; Office of Drainage Services, Engr. Mahamood Adegbite; MD LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, GM LASPARK, Mrs Adetoun Popoola, General Manager, LASEPA, Dr. Tunde Ajayi; General Manager, LASWMO, Engr. Adefemi Afolabi and some Directors. Read more
FG mourns death of Ghana High Commissioner to Nigeria (DailyTrust)
The Federal Government of Nigeria has sent its condolences to the government and people of the Republic of Ghana over the demise of H.E. Rashid Bawa, Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria.
This was contained in a statement signed by Francisca Omayuli, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria, with a deep sense of sadness, extends its condolences to the Government and people of the Republic of Ghana over the demise of H.E. Rashid Bawa, Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria on Thursday, 14th March 2024 in Abuja after a brief illness,” the statement read in part. Read more
Kacey Musgraves recalls nearly falling off a cliff while filming new music video (NME)
Kacey Musgraves has revealed that she nearly fell off the side of a cliff while filming her latest music video.
Speaking to Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show this past week (March 14), the singer-songwriter recalled her near-death experience while filming for the ‘Deeper Well’ music video. The video – released a month ago – was filmed in Iceland, known for its scenic landscapes and breathtaking cliffs.
“We picked literally the worst possible week to go,” she told Fallon. “It was high wind advisories — I almost got blown off that cliff. I was almost like, ‘This video will be my death announcement,’” Musgraves said. Read more
Anne Hathaway wanted to ‘tell the story of a woman blooming’ in The Idea of You (People)
Anne Hathaway may not be dating a boy band member in real life, but that didn’t stop her from finding pieces of herself in her character in The Idea of You.
At the SXSW premiere of the highly anticipated film, an adaptation of Robinne Lee’s 2017 novel of the same name, the actress, 41, tells PEOPLE that both she and her character, Soléne, think of themselves as “adventurous” when it comes to love as she reflects on why making the movie was so important to her.
“In the beginning of the film, the character…she’s really scared of going on that adventure because she’s had such a rough experience with her ex-husband. And so to me, I was incredibly moved by the opportunity to tell the story of a woman blooming,” Hathaway says. Read more
Ben Platt to play concert residency at refurbished Palace Theatre on Broadway (THR)
Ben Platt will play a concert residency at the newly remodeled Palace Theatre on Broadway.
The three-week residency, which runs from May 28 through June 15, will feature selections from Platt’s upcoming album, Honeymind, as well as his prior two albums, Reverie and Sing to Me. Michael Arden, director of Parade on Broadway, which starred Platt, directs the residency.
This is the first announced event at the Palace Theatre since the Nederlander-owned Broadway house closed in 2018 for remodeling. The theatre has been raised 30 feet in the air, to make space for retail on the ground and lower floors, and refurbished with a new lobby, marquee and backstage area. The next Broadway show to play the theater has not yet been announced, however additional events may be announced in the coming months. Read more
‘‘Scoop’’ Trailer: Gillian Anderson interrogates Rufus Sewell as Prince Andrew for infamous BBC interview (IndieWire)
The biggest scoop of the century is pinning the British royal family to a sex trafficking scandal, as relived in Netflix film “Scoop.”
The feature, directed by Philip Martin and based on former “Newsnight” producer Sam McAlister’s memoir “Scoops: Behind The Scenes of the BBC’s Most Shocking Interview,” stars Gillian Anderson as BBC anchor Emily Maitlis, who infamously interviewed a disgraced Prince Andrew (Rufus Sewell) about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein in 2019.
“Scoop” is written by Peter Moffatt and Geoff Bussetil, with Billie Piper starring as producer/author McAlister. Keeley Hawes and Romola Garai co-star. Read more
Sundance’s AI afterlife documentary Eternal You gets theatrical release in the UK, Germany (Variety)
After premiering at the Sundance Film Festival, Hans Block and Moritz Riesewieck’s documentary Eternal You is set to be theatrically released by Dogwoof in the U.K. and Farbfilm in Germany.
The buzzed-about documentary explores ways that AI is being used to help people cope with grief, allowing them to interact with avatars of their deceased loved ones. Dogwoof, which is repping worldwide sales, is negotiating a U.S. deal and sales in other territories. “Eternal You” is now premiering at CPH:DOX in Denmark.
Block and Riesewieck also examine the moral and emotional ramifications of this segment of the digital afterlife industry, as well as the ethics of startup companies which are using AI to create digital replicas of the dead. Read more
Turkiye to become major gas producer in Europe by 2050 (MEMO)
Turkiye is rapidly emerging as a natural gas producer in Europe, with its annual production projected to reach 13 billion cubic metres (bcm) by 2050, according to a report by the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).
In the current year, the country’s natural gas production is anticipated to reach 1.6 bcm, driven by the commencement of the first phase of the Sakarya field, it said.
This field, discovered in the Black Sea in 2020, is expected to achieve peak production of 3.5 bcm, it noted. Read more
Iceland in state of emergency after volcano erupts, 4th time in 3 months (AlJazeera)
Icelandic police declared a state of emergency on Saturday as lava spewed from a new volcanic fissure on the Reykjanes Peninsula, the fourth eruption to hit the area since December.
A “volcanic eruption has started between Stori-Skogfell and Hagafell on the Reykjanes Peninsula,” said a statement from the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO). Live video images showed glowing lava and billowing smoke.
Iceland’s Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management announced it had sent a helicopter to narrow down the exact location of the new fissure. The authority also said the police had declared a state of emergency due to the eruption. Read more
Nike unveils Super Eagles 2024/25 jersey (Punch)
The new Super Eagles jerseys for the 2024–2025 football season have been unveiled by clothing powerhouse, Nike.
Nike’s Instagram page published a post on Monday with a launch video of the new jerseys.
“The 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝑵𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑻𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒌𝒊𝒕𝒔 disrupt convention with bold twists on icons.
“Featuring 𝑫𝒓𝒊-𝑭𝑰𝑻 𝑨𝑫𝑽 innovation, each kit is engineered for the needs of the modern footballer, from kick-off to the final whistle,” the post read. Read more
Chelsea 4-2 Leicester: Mauricio Pochettino says fans need to trust the club (BBC)
Mauricio Pochettino said Chelsea supporters do not need to trust him, but should “trust the club” after being on the receiving end of negative chants during the victory over Leicester in the FA Cup.
The home supporters booed the decision to substitute Mykhailo Mudryk instead of forward Raheem Sterling in the 78th minute, with some fans chanting “you don’t know what you’re doing”.
Sterling had missed a penalty and another good chance in the first half, then blazed a free-kick wildly over in the second before Chelsea went on to win 4-2 and reach the semi-finals. Read more
Nottingham Forest hit with Premier League points deduction for breaking PSR rules (Express)
Nottingham Forest have been handed a four-point deduction for breaches of the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR). It comes after the East Midlands outfit were referred to an independent commission earlier this year, with the punishment leaving Forest in the final relegation place on 21 points, one off of Luton above them.
Forest’s quest to avoid relegation to the Championship has been dealt a major blow by the points deduction. The news broke on Monday afternoon, with the breaches relating to Forest’s 2022/23 spending – their first season in the Premier League since 1998/99.
It comes after Everton were hit with a 10-point deduction earlier this season which was later reduced to six points on appeal. Forest drop to 18th as a result of their four-point punishment. Read more
Inter Milan’s Acerbi leaves Italy camp amid racism allegation (ESPN)
Inter Milan defender Francesco Acerbi left Italy’s national team training camp on Monday amid an allegation that he racially abused Napoli counterpart Juan Jesus in Sunday’s Serie A match.
Juan Jesus, who is Black, was visibly upset in the second half when he walked up to the referee, who then called over Acerbi.
In close-up television images, Juan Jesus appeared to be telling the referee that Acerbi had used a racist slur. Juan Jesus was also pointing at his shirt sleeve, which had a “Keep Racism Out” badge — as part of the league’s anti-racism campaign. Read more
Verstappen addresses possible shock Mercedes F1 switch (RN365)
Max Verstappen has not completely ruled out a possible Formula 1 switch to Mercedes, should he decide to leave Red Bull.
Mercedes currently has a vacancy open for 2025 after Lewis Hamilton opted to join Ferrari, with Verstappen’s name touted as a possible candidate to replace his fellow World Champion given the power struggle engulfing Red Bull off track.
Verstappen does have a signed contract with Red Bull until the end of 2028, but over the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend, hinted that if Motorsport Advisor Helmut Marko departed the team, his own future would be in doubt. Read more
Scottie Scheffler closes with a 64 to repeat at The Players Championship (AlJazeera)
Already the best in the world, Scottie Scheffler added another layer to his legend on Sunday.
The American became the first player to win back-to-back in 50 years of The Players Championship by matching the biggest comeback and the lowest closing round by a winner.
Scheffler holed out for eagle from the fourth fairway and had four birdies in a five-hole stretch around the turn, sending him to an 8-under 64 and a one-shot victory that was not decided until the final putt. Read more