Tinubu launches National Resettlement Scheme for conflict victims (Nation)
President Bola Tinubu, has called on Nigerians to come together in solidarity against the common threats that undermine the nation’s collective well-being, saying that Nigeria has endured too much.
The president made the call on Friday, July 5, while performing the groundbreaking for the Resettlement Scheme for Persons Impacted by Conflicts at Tudun Biri community, a Kaduna village accidentally bombed by the military drone in December last year.
Represented by the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, the President noted with dismay that, for so long, Nigerians have been held hostage by the fear of themselves and allowed preventable incidents to escalate into transgenerational disputes. Read more
N2b Pension Fraud: Court orders final forfeiture of Abdulrasheed Maina’s property (Sun)
A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday ordered a final forfeiture of at least 20 properties linked to the convicted former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT), Abdulrasheed Maina.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, in a judgment, held that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt that the properties located in different parts of the country were acquired illegally.
According to Justice Abdulmalik, the applicant effectively discharged its responsibility, under the law, to establish that the properties were acquired with proceeds of crime. Read more
Suspected armed robbers shoot FRSC officer in Kogi (Vanguard)
Suspected armed robbers on Friday robbed and shot a Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) officer in Lokoja.
SP William Aya, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Kogi, confirmed the robbery incidence to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja.
“At exactly 1:30 p.m., officers received a distress call and rushed to the scene at Lokongoma, Phase 1 in Lokoja, and met Abu, an FRSC officer in a pool of his blood, having been shot at both legs and shoulder. Read more
Women, children weep in video of captives released by bandits (DailyTrust)
Bandits have released a video showing the captives kidnapped from Maidabino town in the Danmusa local government area of Katsina state.
On June 22, bandits in their numbers ransacked Maidabino, the third largest town in Danmusa, where they killed about nine people and abducted 50 others, mostly women and children.
Reports said the attackers operated for several hours unchallenged due to their large number, as they were said to be on reprisal mission. Read more
2 Bishops to preach at Christ Church Anglican nonagenarian celebration (ThisDay)
At least two Bishops would deliver messages to the congregants of Christ Church Anglican, Agege, Lagos, as the Church celebrates its nonagenarian.
They are the Rt. Rev’d James Olusola Odedeji, the host Bishop of the Diocese of Lagos West, and Rt Rev’d (Prof) Dapo Asaju of Ilesa Diocese.
According to a statement yesterday, activities marking the nonagenarian celebration of Christ Church Anglican, Agege, would kick off on Sunday, July 7, 2024, with a prophetic ministration led by Ven Israel Owoyele, the Vicar of the Church. Read more
Lagos, Netherlands firm partner on e-waste smelter plant (Tribune)
The Lagos State Government has signed a Letter of Intent with a Netherlands company for the establishment of a smelter plant in Nigeria.
This is another initiative by the state government to manage the vast deposit of electronic waste in the state.
Speaking during the signing programme at Alausa, Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, who signed on behalf of the state said it has to do with the improving the economy of Lagos. Read more
Oko-Jumbo-led Rivers Assembly holds sitting, insists on challenging Appeal Court decision (Channels)
The Rivers State House of Assembly led by Victor Oko-Jumbo has said it will challenge Thursday’s decision of the Appeal Court on the assembly crisis.
The Court of Appeal, Abuja had nullified the expulsion of Martin Amaewhule and 24 others from the Rivers State House of Assembly by the Rivers State High Court.
But the speaker of the group Victo Oko-Jumbo in his opening remark during a plenary on Friday said that he and his members believed that the Appeal Court erred in its decision. Read more
LASRERA, lawyers harp on real estate regulatory law reforms (Punch)
The Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority and Female Lawyers in Real Estate Practice have called for reforms in statutory provisions to enhance the regulatory framework for real estate practices in the country.
This was made known on Thursday at the inaugural conference FELIREP themed “The Missing Gap: Absence of Revised Laws, Rules, Regulations, Policies, and Effective Monitoring on Emerging Trends in the Nigerian Real Estate Market” in Lagos.
The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Housing, Barakat Odunuga-Bakare highlighted the pivotal role of the government in reforming and modernizing real estate laws and regulations to meet present-day demands by investors and other relevant stakeholders in the built sector. Read more
SZA offers self-aware theory on why she’s single (HipHopDX)
SZA may be one of the most desirable women in R&B right now; but the songstress claims she “can’t keep” men interested… and she knows why.
On a new episode of Chicken Shop Date published on Friday (July 5), host Amanda Dimoldenberg shared that she has had a difficult time getting second dates; a sentiment SZA echoed.
J. Cole’s Verse On Tems New Song Silences Critics After Getting Dragged For “Grippy”
“I feel like I can catch ’em, but I cannot keep ’em,” she replied. “They get with me and they realize I’m fucking weird, and then it’s just like, ‘Aight.’ Read more
Starmer names first cabinet after landslide win (BBC)
Sir Keir Starmer has appointed his cabinet after Labour’s landslide election win, making Rachel Reeves the UK’s first female chancellor.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner is also among a record 11 women in the team of 25.
In his first speech as prime minister at Downing Street on Friday Sir Keir promised to restore trust in politics with a “government of service”. Read more
The Dark Knight returns to Japan once more in ‘‘Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League’’ trailer (Collider)
Batman returns to Japan once more as the trailer for “Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League” has finally come out. This is the long-awaited sequel to the 2018 animated film, Batman Ninja, where Batman and all of Gotham were sent back to Feudal Japan. Now, it seems like the trailer will bring The Dark Knight to a more modern era.
The trailer was presented during this year’s Anime Expo in Los Angeles. In it, Batman (Koichi Yamadera) and Robin return to the modern world, but just like the events of the first film, something has changed. In this new alternate reality, the Justice League are what Robin dubs the “Yakuza League.” The Flash, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman have become leaders in their own clans and are now after Batman.
Israel continues Gaza attacks, says ‘gaps’ remain in renewed truce talks (AlJazeera)
An Israeli delegation has travelled to Qatar after a new Hamas proposal earlier this week generated renewed hope for a truce agreement, as fighting continues to rage across Gaza.
The Israeli negotiators, led by spy chief David Barnea, met mediators in Doha on Friday, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. The talks were set to resume next week, the office said, when another negotiating team would be deployed to Qatar.
The office added there were still “gaps between the parties” in their positions. Read more
Make way for pop’s new diva METTE (NME)
METTE is entering her diva era – and she’s ready to play the role. “I’m embracing that part of myself because I’m not afraid to claim it for myself,” says the triple threat behind two surefire songs of the summer: ‘Bet’, a funk-pop sunbeam buoyed by early Janet Jackson exuberance, and ‘Muscle’, a sinewy club thumper with a glint in its eye. When METTE sings “rain that sweat, leave it all on the floor,” she isn’t thinking about Barry’s Bootcamp.
Mette on The Cover of NME. Credit: Rachel Billings for NME
We meet a few weeks before METTE turbocharged her rise by opening for Taylor Swift in London on June 21. “We’re talking about a once-in-a-lifetime artist bestowing on me an opportunity to join her at Wembley Stadium – it’s difficult to put in words what that means to me,” she says. Instead, METTE is trying to process her Eras Tour cameo by imagining it from the viewpoint of her childhood self: the “little girl in Minnesota holding a microphone attached to a boombox”, singing ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ at a Fourth of July party. Read more
Trump courts Black men as he pledges return to a policy that disproportionately targeted them (NBC)
For years, lawyers and advocates fought the use of “stop and frisk,” a policing tactic that left a majority of Black and brown men who experienced it physically and mentally scarred and distrustful of law enforcement. After a lengthy legal battle, a federal judge in 2013 found it unconstitutional, essentially banning it.
Still, former President Donald Trump wants to bring it back.
A key pillar of Trump’s anti-crime platform demands police departments reinstate stop and frisk — which allows officers to randomly stop and search people for weapons — or else risk critical federal dollars flowing into their coffers. Read more
Thousands of Yemenis continue weekly protest in solidarity with Palestinians (AfricaNews)
Thousands of Yemeni demonstrators gathered in the capital Sanaa on Friday, in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Yemen’sHouthi rebels who control most of the terriroty have organised demonstrations nearly every Friday since the latest war in the decades long Israeli-Palestinian conflict erupted last October.
“What our army, missiles and naval forces have already achieved was not enough for the beloved Yemeni people and they are asking for more. Today, the Yemeni people say loudly that they can never abandon Palestine,” Radwan, a protester said. Read more
Chelsea appoint Nigeria’s Olofinjana as head of talent identification in Africa (Leadership)
Chelsea FC have appointed former Super Eagles and Stoke City midfielder, Seyi Olofinjana, to a newly created Talent Identification role for Africa.
The position aims to promote and support emerging talent across the continent.
Olofinjana, a former Super Eagles player, brings a wealth of experience to the role, having played for several clubs, including Wolves and Stoke City. Read more
Wimbledon 2024: Alcaraz survives Tiafoe upset bid, Gauff sweeps to 4th round (UPI)
Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz fended off an upset bid by Frances Tiafoe, outlasting the American in a nearly 4-hour match Friday at Wimbledon. Coco Gauff also advanced to the fourth round with a straight-sets triumph.
Alcaraz, ranked No. 3, totaled 16 aces compared to nine for Tiafoe. He also fired 55 winners and converted 5 of 8 break point opportunities in the 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-2 win. Tiafoe, ranked No. 29, totaled 39 winners and converted 3 of 10 break point chances.
“There were a lot of difficult moments during all four sets,” Alcaraz said in his on-court interview. “All I was thinking was ‘OK, fight one more ball.’ I was just thinking about the next ball and the tie-break I told myself I had to go for it. If I lose it, I lose it. Read more
France beat Portugal on penalties to set up semi against Spain (GulfTimes)
Theo Hernandez scored the winning kick as Kylian Mbappe’s France edged a tense Euro 2024 quarter-final clash with Portugal 5-3 on penalties after a goalless 120 minutes on Friday in what will likely be remembered as Cristiano Ronaldo’s last-ever match at the tournament.
France were successful with all their penalties as they advance to a last-four showdown with Spain, while Portugal’s Joao Felix was the only player to miss, sending his team’s third kick against the post.
It is overdue success in a shoot-out for France after they lost the 2022 World Cup final on penalties to Argentina and went out of the last Euros three years ago in the same way, against Switzerland in the last 16. Read more
Colombia 2024 : Falconets coach Danjuma invites 32 players to camp (CompleteSports)
With just eight weeks to their first match of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup Colombia 2024, Head Coach Chris Musa Danjuma has called up four goalkeepers, eight defenders, eight midfielders and 12 strikers to a training camp in the Federal Capital, Abuja in the first phase of preparation for the global tournament.
Team captain Oluchi Ohaegbulem is top of the list, with first-choice goalkeeper Faith Omilana, defenders Shukurat Oladipo and Comfort Folorunsho, midfielders Chinyere Kalu, Adoo Yina and Rofiat Imuran, and forwards Janet Akekoromowei, Flourish Sabastine and Aminat Bello also called.
Nigeria, a fixture at the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals since the tournament began as an U19 event in Canada 22 years ago, will contend with three-time winners Germany, Asian powerhouse Korea Republic and South American representatives Venezuela in group D of the competition scheduled for three Colombian cities, 31st August – 22nd September. Read more
Switzerland boss taunts England ahead of Euro 2024 showdown – despite horrible record (Mirror)
Switzerland have impressed in Germany and head coach Murat Yakin insists that after drawing with Germany and knocking out holders Italy, England hold no fears for them – and has vowed they will cause problems for the Three Lions
Bullish Murat Yakin says Switzerland have nothing to fear when they face Gareth Southgate’s men in Dusseldorf … even though they have not beaten England for 43 years.
Yakin’s tactics were widely acclaimed after his team dismantled Italy in the last 16 and that has clearly put the coach and his players in a confident mood ahead of the quarter-final tie. Read more
McLaren boss condemns Red Bull behaviour ahead of British GP: ‘We’ve seen a lack of respect’ (Independent)
McLaren boss Zak Brown came out firing on Friday at Silverstone and accused Red Bull of a “lack of respect” after Max Verstappen’s collision with Lando Norris last weekend.
The two drivers, who are good friends off track, were vying for the lead before both sustained punctures during a collision. Verstappen finished fifth after receiving a 10-second time penalty but Norris was forced to retire due to irreparable damage.
Norris was fastest in both practice sessions at an overcast Silverstone circuit on Friday as he targets a dream victory at his home race following his inaugural F1 win in Miami two months ago. Read more