Tariff Hike: 20 hrs supply for Band A customers under threat (Vanguard)
Barely one week after the new tariff regime which increased electricity tariff by 231 per cent for category A consumers, there are indications that the electricity supply capacity is grossly inadequate to meet the 20 hours per day minimum benchmark for the new tariff while accommodating another category of consumers.
The 11 Electricity Distribution Companies, DisCos, operating in the electricity sector were yesterday, allocated just 3,236 megawatts, MW, thus constraining them from delivering a minimum of 20 hours of power supply to consumers under ban A nationwide.
Vanguard findings show that this has been the average supply before the tariff jerk-up and no improvement has been made since the new tariff came into force last week. Read more
Lagos to London: Air Peace flight fare sparks price war (Channels)
Foreign airlines have further slashed airfares on the Lagos-London route to compete with Air Peace, which recently commenced flight operations on the route.
Air Peace started direct flights from Lagos to London on March 30, pegging its price for a round-trip economy ticket at N1.2m on a route that foreign airlines had charged as much as N3m to fly passengers on.
The move by the Nigerian airline had seen foreign airlines cut their airfares to an average of ₦1.4m for a round-trip economy ticket last week, an action experts and stakeholders had anticipated. Read more
Defend Nigeria, support leaders, Tinubu, Buhari urge citizens (Punch)
President Bola Tinubu and his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, at their separate praying grounds on Wednesday in Lagos and Katsina states respectively, rejoiced with the Muslim faithful on the celebration of the Eid El-Fitri.
Tinubu and his predecessor called on Nigerians to love the country and support leaders.
Tinubu, who was present at the Dodan Barracks in Ikoyi, Lagos, to observe the Eid prayer, urged Nigerians to defend the integrity of the country. Read more
Accident: Hope of rescuing passengers from Lagos Lagoon dims — NEMA (Independent)
The Coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye, said the hope of rescuing the two passengers who fell off a bus into the Lagos lagoon following an accident on Wednesday has become dim.
He spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the scene of the accident in Lagos.
This is just as the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has said the remaining occupants of the bus were seriously injured. Read more
New NiMRA president pledges marketing research growth (ThisDay)
Newly elected President of the Nigerian Marketing Research Association (NiMRA), Seyi Adeoye has pledged commitment to fostering the progress and growth of the marketing research industry.
Adeoye, also the CEO of Pierrine Consulting, who was outlining his agenda after his election, said his vision for the organization would revolve around the core principles of Reimagine, Engage and Grow.
According to him, “My key objectives include establishing robust structures, defining clear value propositions for stakeholders, and enhancing the visibility and attractiveness of NiMRA to grow the talent pool within the industry.” Read more
Senate hails FG’s payment of N4.83t ways and means (Vanguard)
The Senate has hailed the federal government’s payment of what it described as a whopping sum of ₦4.83 trillion out of ₦30 trillion ways and means it obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, saying the flow of foreign direct investments is improving by the day.
According to the Senate, the CBN should also be commended as it has settled $7 billion valid foreign exchange backlogs.
In a statement on Wednesday by the leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, APC, Ekiti Central, he said that with these indices, the consumer price index, which measures inflation, will no doubt begin to drop significantly by mid-year as we sustain the drive for economic and fiscal stability. Read more
Worshiper gunned down at Zamfara eid ground (DailyTrust)
There was tension in Zamfara State, on Wednesday, when a worshiper was mistakenly killed by a security operative who was reportedly chasing hoodlums.
The operative, who is said to be of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), was immediately attacked by irate youths.
The incident, which happened during Eid prayer in Gusau, capital of the state, sparked outrage and escalated tensions in the area.
Channels TV reported that in a burst of collective grief and anger, local residents expressed their dismay by setting an NSCDC vehicle on fire. Read more
Romeo & Juliet: Hundreds show support for actress abused online (BBC)
Hundreds have signed an open letter in solidarity with a black actress trolled with “racist and misogynistic abuse”.
Francesca Amewudah-Rivers was targeted online after she was cast as Juliet in a new production with Tom Holland.
The letter, co-authored by actress Susan Wokoma and writer Somalia Nonyé Seaton, calls out the “twisted ugly abuse” while celebrating Francesca. Read more
Megan Thee Stallion says fitness saved her from “dark times’’ (People)
For Megan Thee Stallion, physical and mental health go hand in hand.
The “Savage” rapper, 29, posed nude for the May/June 2024 cover of Women’s Health and opened up about how focusing her energy on fitness was beneficial when her mental health was suffering.
Megan explained that she suffered mentally after rapper and former friend Tory Lanez shot and injured her in July 2020. Her struggle continued during and after the emotional trial where he was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in prison in December 2023 for the incident. Read more
Kevin Costner breaks his silence on the final season of Yellowstone (Hello!)
Kevin Costner is thrilled at the prospect of donning his cowboy hat once more as John Dutton in the final chapter of the much-loved Yellowstone.
The esteemed actor shared his excitement about potentially returning to the dramatic landscapes of the Dutton Ranch for the show’s highly-anticipated sixth season, set to grace our screens this November.
“I’d like to be able to do it, but we haven’t been able to,” he confided to Entertainment Tonight, revealing his initial hopes for a seven-season tenure. Read more
The Masked Singer: Colton Underwood and DeMarcus Ware reveal identities during “Transformers Night” (DailyMail)
Colton Underwood and DeMarcus Ware revealed their identities after being eliminated on Wednesday’s episode of The Masked Singer on Fox.
The season 11 “Transformers” Night episode featured Group A contestants Starfish, Ugly Sweater, Lovebird and Goldfish as well as Wild Card entry Koala.
Colton, 32, as Lovebird performed All That You Are by Goo Goo Dolls from Transformers: Dark of the Moon and was the first to exit during the double-elimination episode. Read more
Jessie J feels “guilt” for having baby after fertility struggles (MusicNews)
Jessie J has admitted she feels a “sense of guilt” after having a baby following fertility struggles.
The 36-year-old hitmaker has explained she is always mindful when talking about motherhood after suffering a miscarriage in 2021.
A year after announcing she had suffered a miscarriage, Jessie revealed she was pregnant with her now 11-month-old son Sky, who she shares with partner Chanan Safir Colman. Read more
Hamas leader repeats Gaza ceasefire call after sons and grandchildren killed (Guardian)
Three sons and at least two grandchildren of the Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, have been killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, the exiled political chief of the militant group has said from his base in the Qatari capital of Doha.
Haniyeh told Al Jazeera on Wednesday that his children Hazem, Amir and Mohammed and several of their children were visiting relatives for Eid at the Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza when their car was targeted in an Israeli airstrike. Sixty of his relatives had been killed in the six-month-old war, he said, including 14 who died after an Israeli airstrike hit the family home in Gaza City in October.
The Hamas leader said the attack would not change the group’s demands for a permanent ceasefire and return of displaced Palestinians from their homes in ongoing negotiations mediated by Doha and Washington. Read more
Peter Higgs, physicist who proposed the existence of the “God particle,” dies at 94 (VOA)
Nobel prize-winning physicist Peter Higgs, who proposed the existence of the so-called “God particle” that helped explain how matter formed after the Big Bang, has died at age 94, the University of Edinburgh said Tuesday.
The university, where Higgs was emeritus professor, said he died Monday following a short illness.
Higgs predicted the existence of a new particle, which came to be known as the Higgs boson, in 1964. He theorized there must be a subatomic particle of a certain dimension that would explain how other particles — and therefore all the stars and planets in the universe — acquired mass. Without something like this particle, the set of equations physicists use to describe the world, known as the standard model, would not hold together. Read more
First Lady congratulates Super Falcons on Olympic qualifier (Punch)
Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has congratulated the Super Falcons of Nigeria on qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
“I am so proud of all your achievements.
“Your journey doesn’t end here; it’s just the beginning of an even greater adventure,” Mrs Tinubu said in a statement she personally signed on Wednesday. Read more
Raphinha and Christensen conjure slim advantage as Barcelona edge PSG (Guardian)
On a gripping, occasionally frantic night at the Parc des Princes, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona produced a game that felt like the opposite of the shared “Barça DNA” Xavi had spoken about in the build-up to this quarter-final.
Never mind control, patterns and a fight for space. This was an increasingly wild game, building from a mannered start into a second half of sweeping mob-handed attacks, feather-light defending and chances that simply came and went, posts clipped, shots blocked in desperation.
By the end Barcelona had done enough to deserve their 3-2 lead heading back to the Camp Nou. Xavi spoke about control afterwards and said he was “very happy” with the defensive work of his players. But nobody who watched the more unbound parts of this game would see anything other than goals on both sides in the second leg. Frankly this could have been anything. Read more
Atletico Madrid 2-1 Borussia Dortmund: Sebastien Haller gives German side hope in Champions League quarter-final tie (Sky)
Sebastien Haller scored a crucial goal for Borussia Dortmund to give them hope despite losing 2-1 to Atletico Madrid in their Champions League quarter-final first leg.
Diego Simeone’s side were aggressive with their pressing on home turf and found themselves in front after four minutes when Rodrigo De Paul seized upon a horrendous pass from Ian Maatsen.
Atletico were quicker and sharper all over the pitch in the first half and made it 2-0 when Samuel Lino coolly tucked away after an exquisite Antoine Griezmann pass. Read more
Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo helped off court with calf injury (ESPN)
Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo exited the Milwaukee Bucks’ 104-91 win over the Boston Celtics in the third quarter Tuesday night because of an injury to his left calf.
Antetokounmpo was heading up the court following a made 3-pointer from Celtics guard Derrick White when the Bucks star crumpled to the floor without contact while grabbing at his left leg. He remained down as the Bucks called a timeout, and his teammates helped carry him off the court and toward the locker room.
Antetokounmpo was officially ruled out in the fourth quarter due to what the team called a left soleus strain. The soleus is a muscle in the back part of the calf. Read more
3-time Olympic gold medallist Whitlock to retire after Paris Games (France24)
British three-time Olympic gold medallist Max Whitlock has announced he will retire from gymnastics after the Paris 2024 Games.
The 31-year-old won the men’s floor and pommel horse events at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and retained his pommel title at the coronavirus-delayed Tokyo Games in 2021.
“This decision now feels right,” Whitlock, who has also won three world titles, told the BBC. Read more
Djokovic “feeling great” in Monte Carlo as Alcaraz withdraws injured (France24)
World number one Novak Djokovic said his “feeling was great” as he flew past Roman Safiullin in straight sets at the Monte Carlo Masters on Tuesday, after third seed Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the event due to injury.
After receiving a bye in the first round, Djokovic was imperious on the main Rainier III court as he won 6-1, 6-2 against the unseeded Russian.
“My feeling was great,” said Djokovic. “I think… it’s been one of my best performances I had here in quite a few years. Read more