Uche Maduagwu to Tonto Dikeh: Jesus anointed your womb to carry my babies (Nation)
Controversial actor Uche Maduagwu has congratulated his colleague Tonto Dikeh on being anointed by Jesus Christ for a specific purpose.
Maduawgu said Dikeh has been anointed by Jesus to carry his children.
Shading the actress’ ex-lover, Kpokpogri, the Instagram actor noted neither him nor herdsmen are strong enough to scatter what God has endorsed.
“Congrats Tonto Dikeh, Jesus has finally anointed your womb to carry all my pikins. What Oluwa has approved, no KpoKpo Garri herdsmen fit scatter,” Maduagwu said. Read more
Ekweremadu: NIN, passport open new twist (Sun)
A new twist has opened in the ongoing trial of Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, over alleged child organ harvesting.
On Thursday, the London Metropolitan Police charged Ekweremadu and his wife to court over allegation of bringing a minor to the UK for organ harvesting. However, fresh facts have revealed that contrary to claims that the boy, David Ukpo, is 15 years old, he is actually 21.
According to information on the Bank Verification Number (BVN) portal, Ukpo’s date of birth is October 12, 2000. Also, information on the passport data page of Ukpo, showed he was born on October 12, 2000. The date of issuance of the passport was listed as November 4, 2021, which is a few weeks before Senator Ekweremadu wrote to the UK High Commission in respect of the medical visa application.
In the letter of support to the British High Commission on a visa application of a “donor” listed as Ukpo Nwamini David, Ekweremadu said the boy was undergoing “medical investigations for a kidney donation to Ms Sonia Ekweremadu.” Read more
Fani-Kayode’s estranged wife reunites with kids at his residence (DailyTrust)
Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has expressed joy over reuniting with Precious Chikwendu, his estranged wife, and her four sons after almost two years of being apart.
The tussle for the custody of their four children, who have been in their father’s care, has been a heated one.
In December, 2021, Chikwendu lamented that her ex-husband had frustrated all attempts to see her kids over the past year.
“The children are with him, I haven’t seen them since August 2nd, 2020. Yes, since August 2nd, 2020, I haven’t seen my children and I’ve been physically prevented from seeing them,” she said. Read more
Why Nigerians should queue behind Obi – SERG (Leadership)
Frontline pan-Igbo socio-political pressure group, the South East Revival Group (SERG) has given reasons why all Nigerians, irrespective of tribe, religion or political affiliation should support the candidature of Mr. Peter Obi ahead of the 2023 presidential election, arguing that “Nigeria is at the crossroads and Nigerians do not need to gamble at this critical time in our national life.”
The SERG, in a statement signed by its president and national coordinator, Chief Willy Ezugwu, added that “Peter Obi remains the only top presidential candidate who can explain how he became rich.”
Adding that “Nigeria as a country needs urgent help to survive the next four years”, the group said that “Peter Obi stands out as one who has been tested without any baggage of corruption trailing his past. Read more
Why I wept when my child built me a house – Iya Rainbow (Punch)
Veteran actress, Idowu Philips, aka Iya Rainbow, said she wept when her son built her a house.
In an interview with Saturday Beats, she said, “I am happy because for someone to be abroad and come home to build a house, he deserves to be praised and appreciated.
“I was the one who helped him to purchase the land but he did not tell me what he wanted to do with it. He only told me he wanted to buy land, and I should help him inspect it, which I did and negotiated (the price).
“I was also the one he sent the money to, and he started the building gradually. When it was time for the roofing, I was the one he asked to help buy the materials to be used, and I did that. Read more
How Ekweremadu, wife landed in UK court over alleged organ harvesting (Tribune)
A former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice, on Thursday, appeared in United Kingdom (UK) court, after being accused of plotting to traffic a homeless 15-year-old boy from Lagos into the UK in order to harvest his organs.
Daily Mail reports that the court heard the couple, who have four children and a house in Willesden, North London, hoped to transplant the boy’s organs to their daughter who suffers from kidney failure.
Police had earlier been alerted to potential offences last month and arrested the couple two days ago at Heathrow Airport before they flew to Turkey. The boy is now under the care of safeguarding authorities and the Metropolitan Police, officials said on Thursday.
Ekweremadu, 60, and Beatrice, 55, are charged with conspiracy to arrange or facilitate the travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting. Read more
2023: INEC registers 10,000 voters in 3 days (Vanguard)
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC says it has registered over 10,000 eligible voters in the ongoing voter registration exercise going at Old Parade Ground, Garki Abuja.
You will recall that a non-partisan campaign by EU and other stakeholders tagged: Youth Vote Count is organizing a free voter registration exercise from Monday June 20-Saturday June 25th, 2022 at Old Parade Ground Abuja.
The exercise is expected to climax with a Mega Concert by Nigeria artists at the same venue on Saturday.
The exercise, since Monday it began has witnessed an unprecedented surge of prospective voters trudging into the venue to get registered for the general election. Read more
Lawan, Akpabio lose out as INEC publishes candidates’ list (Punch)
The All Progressives Congress may not have candidates for the Yobe North and Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial Districts in the 2023 election because of controversies over primaries, Saturday PUNCH learnt on Friday.
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan and the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, were contesting for Yobe North and Akwa Ibom North West senatorial seats respectively.
But a National Commissioner at the Independent National Electoral Commission, who did not want to be quoted because of the sensitive nature of the matter, said on Friday that both Lawan and Bashir Machina might have lost out for the senatorial seat of Yobe North in the 2023 election.
“Both Yobe North and Akwa Ibom North are blank. What we have is Mohammed Bomoi for Yobe South and Ibrahim Geidam for Yobe East. There is no name for the Yobe North for the APC”, the source said. Read more
INEC assures voter registration will continue (Vanguard)
Against the backdrop of agitations from the public, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said the Commission will extend the deadline for Continuous Voter Registration exercise.
National Commissioner of INEC, Festus Okoye made this known while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Friday.
Okoye said, “ INEC is disposed towards extending voter registration. An extension is inevitable. But not up to the period that some people are canvassing.”
Recall that civil society organizations had called on the Commission to extend the June 30th deadline in order to allow for more Nigerians to register ahead of the forthcoming 2023 general elections. Read more
Billie Eilish speaks out on Roe v. Wade during Glastonbury set (NME)
“Billie Eilish has spoken out against the overturning of Roe v. Wade during her Glastonbury headline set.
Tonight (June 24), Billie Eilish has made history and become the youngest ever solo headliner of Glastonbury Festival, joining Paul McCartney and Kendrick Lamar at the top of the bill.
Opening with ‘Bury A Friend’, her set included tracks like ‘NDA’, ‘Oxytocin’ and ‘You Should See Me in a Crown’. “Are you ready to have some fun?” she said, before launching into ‘My Strange Addiction’.
Joined by her brother Finneas, the pair played ‘Your Power’ together on the stage with acoustic guitars. Read more
After Roe v. Wade: US researchers warn of what’s to come (Nature)
The constitutional right to an abortion has been struck down in the United States. The US Supreme Court announced on 24 June that it would overturn the 1973 landmark decision Roe v. Wade, which had protected abortion access up until the point that a fetus could live outside the womb — typically set at 22 or 24 weeks of pregnancy. Public-health researchers have renewed their warnings of the harms that this decision will bring to the country.
The outcome is not a surprise to them, because an initial draft opinion was leaked to news outlet Politico in May. “All I could add at this point is how disappointing it is to see that the majority opinion, like the leaked draft, ignores the fact that there is solid scientific evidence that this decision will harm women,” says Caitlin Myers, an economist at Middlebury College in Vermont who has studied the financial impacts of abortion restriction.
The high court issued its decision with regard to the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, in which the only clinic in Mississippi that provides abortions challenged a 2018 state law banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The law, the clinic argued, stood in direct opposition to Roe.
The 6-to-3 ruling authored by conservative Justice Samuel Alito states that “Roe was egregiously wrong from the start. Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences.” Read more
James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli, Michael Wilson honoured with CBE by Prince William (Variety)
“No Time to Die” producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson were honoured by Prince William in an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace today (Friday, June 24).
The duo, who run James Bond production company EON, were both awarded Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBEs) in Queen Elizabeth II’s New Year’s Honours list for services to film, drama, philanthropy and skills.
After the ceremony, Broccoli told a reporter from The Independent the award was a “huge honour” and that she was still on the hunt for the next 007 following Daniel Craig’s retirement from the role last year.
She also joked that Prince William would have been the ideal Bond. “He’s occupied, unfortunately, but he would be the perfect candidate, ticks all the boxes,” she said. “But he’s not available, sadly. So we’re still on the hunt.” Read more
Ozzy Osbourne announces new album with new single ‘Patient Number 9’ featuring Jeff Beck (NME)
Ozzy Osbourne has announced his new album ‘Patient Number 9’ with the release of its title track ahead of the record’s release this September.
The album’s title track also features guitar work from Jeff Beck, who joins an A-list cast of musicians guest-starring on the track including Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith, Metallica’s Robert Trujillo, Zakk Wylde, and producer Andrew Watt.
A music video has also been released alongside the single that sees Ozzy portraying the titular patient, hunched over in what appears to be a room in a mental asylum before he falls into a comic-book-esque world of madness. Lights project bats all over the room as Ozzy’s iconic voice sings “When they call your name / Better run and hide / Tell you you’re insane / You believe their lies”.
Set to be released on September 3, the album also includes contributions from Eric Clapton, Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi and Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready. Guns N’ Roses’ Duff McKagan and Jane’s Addiction’s Chris Chaney also supplied some session work for ‘Patient Number 9’ alongside the late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins. Read more
Charlie Puth, Jungkook are lovesick in ‘Left and Right’ music video (UPI)
Charlie Puth and South Korean singer Jungkook have teamed up on a new song.
Puth and Jungkook, a member of the K-pop group BTS, released a single and music video for the song “Left and Right” on Friday.
In the “Left and Right” video, Puth, 30, and Jungkook, 24, sing about being lovesick and visit a “love doctor.”
“Memories follow me left and right / I can feel you over here, I can feel you over here / You take up every corner of my mind,” Puth sings.
Puth shared photos from the collaboration on Instagram. Read more
Ukraine forces to withdraw from Sievierodonetsk (VOA)
Ukrainian troops are withdrawing from the eastern city of Sievierodonetsk after weeks of intense bombardments and street fighting with Russian troops, the regional governor said.
Luhansk governor Serhiy Gaidai said Friday troops in Sievierodonetsk had already received the order to move to new positions.
A regional Ukrainian military leader added it did not make sense to continue to hold onto Sievierodonetsk as Russian advances raised fears the city could be cut off and surrounded.
Ukraine said Russian forces had fully occupied the neighboring city of Lysychansk in the eastern Luhansk region. Moscow claimed it had encircled about 2,000 Ukrainian troops in the area. Read more
Spice Girls’ Mel C has ‘good feeling’ Victoria Beckham would do Glastonbury reunion (DailyStar)
Spice Girls star Melanie C has teased that the iconic 90s band could one day play at Glastonbury festival.
The 48-year-old, known as Sporty Spice in the group, said it would be a “dream” to perform and thinks Victoria Beckham would be keen to get involved.
Mel played the hit songs Who Do You Think You Are and Spice Up Your Life while DJing at Glastonbury on Thursday evening at the Green stage.
The singer called the entire experience “insane” as she told BBC Breakfast it was a wonderful introduction to Glastonbury. Read more
Eaglets beat B’Faso 2-1 to win WAFU Cup (Punch)
The Golden Eaglets on Friday defeated the Junior Etalons of Burkina Faso 2-1 to lift the 2022 West African Football Union U-17 tournament at the Cape Coast Stadium in Ghana, Saturday PUNCH reports.
Abubakar Abdullahi had threatened the Burkinabe rear as early as the eighth minute when his low drive streamed away from goal, but in the 22nd minute, he rose highest in the box to powerfully nod Emmanuel Michael’s perfect delivery into the net for Nigeria’s first goal.
In the 34th minute, Abdullahi missed a golden opportunity to make it two for himself and for Nigeria, but he flulled his lines, allowing the Stallions a respite. The miss would knock hard seven minutes later, when Abdulramane Ouedraogo, also with a header, equalized for Burkina Faso.
Two minutes into the second half, Abdullahi got his second and Nigeria’s second, taking the Golden Eaglets to a 2-1 lead. Read more
Serena Williams to face unseeded Harmony Tan in Wimbledon opener (Guardian)
Serena Williams has been drawn to face French debutant Harmony Tan in the first round of Wimbledon as the American star returns to singles action after a year away.
Defending men’s champion Novak Djokovic begins his quest for a seventh title — and fourth in a row — against South Korea’s Kwon Soon-woo, ranked 75th in the world.
The early focus at the All England Club will be on 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Williams, who has dropped to 1,204th in the world rankings and is unseeded for the tournament, which starts on Monday.
The 40-year-old, who took part in the doubles in Eastbourne this week, has not played singles since she suffered an injury during her first-round match at Wimbledon 12 months ago. Read more
Kalvin Phillips set to leave Leeds United for Manchester City (ITV)
Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips is on the verge of a £45million move to Manchester City, according to reports.
The Premier League champions are said to have had a bid of £42million, with a possible extra £3million in add-ons, accepted by the Elland Road club.
A separate agreement has also been reached for City Academy midfielder Darko Gyabi to move in the opposite direction.
The deals are now subject to personal terms being agreed. Read more
Chun shoots 69 to lead Women’s PGA (GlobeandMail)
In Gee Chun shot a three-under 69 on Friday to increase her lead to six strokes halfway through the Women’s PGA Championship.
Chun led by five after the first round, equaling the biggest 18-hole advantage in the history of women’s major championships.
The Congressional Country Club course was a bit more forgiving Friday, and she began with three birdies in the first five holes.
Bogeys on Nos. 7 and 8, however, kept her from opening a even bigger lead,
Lydia Ko (67) and Jennifer Kupcho (68) were tied for second at five-under Friday. Read more
Euro DP World Tour sanctions players for taking part in LIV Golf (IOL)
Europe’s DP World Tour on Friday banned members who took part in the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series inaugural event earlier this month from three upcoming tournaments and also fined them 100,000 pounds ($122,790.00) each.
The circuit said the players had already been removed from the entry lists for the Scottish Open, Barbasol Championship and Barracuda Championship next month.
Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia and Graeme McDowell are some of the big names from the DP World Tour who signed up for the controversial circuit, which is bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and offers a total prize fund of $255 million.
“Every action anyone takes in life comes with a consequence and it is no different in professional sport, especially if a person chooses to break the rules,“ DP World Tour chief executive Keith Pelley said in a statement. Read more
Emma Raducanu should limit off-court obligations according to former prodigy (Tennis365)
Former teen sensation Pam Shriver has shared her thoughts on the recent struggles of Emma Raducanu and her chances at Wimbledon.
Like Raducanu, Shriver shot to prominence as a teenager, although she admits that the tennis world, then in the infancy of professionalism, has undergone a radical transformation in the intervening decades.
Shriver says that while her run to the US Open final in 1978 raised her profile it wasn’t anything like what has happened to Raducanu.
Radacanu’s US Open triumph catapulted her into superstardom and Shriver feels that her team may need to adjust the load on her shoulders to suit who she is rather than simply making the most of her current high profile. Read more
American swimmers claim redemption at worlds, earn three more golds (ESPN)
On a night of redemption for American swimmers, Lilly King, Ryan Murphy and the men’s 4×200 freestyle team claimed three more gold medals for the United States at the world swimming championships on Thursday.
King atoned for missing out on the podium in the 100 breaststroke by winning the 200 breaststroke final for the first time.
“Any time I have a bad swim, I feel like I got a lot of haters out there. And just to be able to prove them wrong, gets me going,” King said.
The 25-year-old finished strongly to clock 2:22.41 and beat Australia’s Jenna Strauch by 0.63. Kate Douglass claimed the bronze for the U.S.
King previously won golds in the 50 and 100 breaststroke at the 2017 and 2019 worlds. Read more