We saw death but escaped miraculously –Victims of Lagos explosion (Punch)
Injured persons in Thursday’s gas explosion that rocked Cele area of Elliot along Ajuwon Road in the Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area of the state have recounted their near-death experiences to City Round.
The incident was caused by a 30 tonnes LPG tanker which gutted fire and affected 11 cars, a tricycle, buildings, a plant market and an event centre. About 15 persons also reportedly sustained varying degrees of injury.
The Acting Coordinator of the Lagos Territorial Office, National Emergency Management Agency, Ibrahim Farinloye, told one of our correspondents at the site of the accident that the gas tanker was leaving the Manna Gas Refilling Plant for quantity re-weighing when it exploded and affected domestic gas cylinders in the gas plant. Read more
Nigeria at 60: We can’t beat drums of war – Lagos deputy governor (Vanguard)
Lagos State Deputy Governor Femi Hamzat has said that Nigeria should avoid anything that could jeopardise the peace and unity of the country.
“No one can predict the outcome of a war,” the deputy governor warned at a special Juma’at service on Friday in Lagos to commemorate Nigeria’s 60th independence anniversary.
He appealed to the citizens to continue to live in peace and love.
Hamzat advised Nigerians to sustain a good attitude they portrayed during the COVID-19-induced lockdown in which they supported another to see the nation through the difficult period. Read more
COVID-19: Sanwo-Olu launches N5bn fund for low-cost schools (Punch)
The Lagos State Government, in partnership with First Bank of Nigeria Ltd, has launched N5bn Post-Coronavirus Recovery Support capital for the education sector to support low-cost privatVe schools across the state in mitigating the negative impact of the pandemic.
According to a statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Gboyega Akosile, the intervention fund, which targets over 2,000 private schools, was formally launched by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Friday held at the Banquet Hall in the State House, Alausa.
The statement said the loan scheme would be provided to two categories of applicants: Micro-Enterprise and Small and Medium Enterprise, adding that those in the ME category would receive a sum of no more than N500,000, while those in SME would get N5m. Read more
Sanwo-Olu flags off construction of 377 roads, power projects (Nation)
The governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Friday flagged off the construction of 377 projects across all the wards in the state to address specific challenges at the grassroots level.
The projects will lead to the construction of over 250 roads and installation of 23 power projects across the state.
The flag-off ceremony took place at the Adeyemi Bero Hall, Alausa, Ikeja.
Sanwo-Olu said his government initiated the intervention in response to series of requests from the various communities across the state to address specific challenges. Read more
Lagos APC Ndigbo resolves leadership crisis, as Igbokwe remains leader (Vanguard)
The leadership of Lagos State All Progressives Congress, APC, led by its chairman, Tunde Balogun, has resolved the raging leadership tussle within the Ndigbo group in the party.
At a meeting convened to resolve the conflict between various splinter units led by Joe Igbokwe and Jude Idimogu, were the Igbo Vision, Igbo Coalition, South-East in APC, Igbo Mandate and Anioma Group.
The meeting was also attended by Eze Nwachukwu and Eze Okpotemba, Joe Igbokwe, Dr. Segun Mordi and Chief Akabueze, while Idimogu was absent. Read more
Taxi drivers get App to compete with Uber, Bolt (Guardian)
Stiff competition looms in the taxi hailing market as conventional taxi drivers now have a mobile app that provides an alternative for Uber and Bolt users.
The app was launched by RideOntrac Limited following the recent protest by Uber and Bolt drivers in Abuja over unfavourable charges by the two foreign taxi hailing companies. Managing Director, RideOntrac, Aisha Bello, described the app as a new concept in taxi hailing where the driver pays only N2, 000 a month to do as many trips as he wishes. According to Bello, the company has already launched the app in Lagos and Abuja, adding that it would go nationwide by mid-October. Read more
Boko Haram kills 15 in attack on Borno gov’s convoy (Punch)
An ambush on the convoy of Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, on Friday left about 15 persons dead.
The governor’s convoy was said to have been attacked between Monguno and Baga areas of the state.
A security source said the attack left mainly security personnel comprising eight policemen, three soldiers and four Civilian Joint Task Force operatives dead.
A source at the Borno State Government House in Maiduguri also told our correspondent that the governor had left Maiduguri for Baga to prepare for the planned return of internally displaced persons from Maiduguri to the camps in Baga. Read more
Eyimofe to screen at 2020 vancouver film festival today (Guardian)
Nigerian feature film, Eyimofe (This is my desire), will today screen at the ongoing Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF). This year’s cinematic celebration opened both online and in theatres from September 24 and will run till October 11. In addition to film screenings, the festival will also feature talks, conferences and online performances.
A GDN Studios production, the 114 minutes film directed by the duo of Arie and Chuko Esiri, with Melissa Adeyemo as a producer, is set in Lagos, Nigeria. The two-chapter film follows the stories of Mofe (Jude Akuwudike), a factory technician, and Rosa (Temi Ami-Williams), a hairdresser, on their quest for what they believe will be a better life on foreign shores.
A passport, photos and a visa form recurring elements. The characters’ misfortunes are part of their everyday life and they are sketching out the need to leave Nigeria at the same time. Read more
At least 16 migrants feared dead in shipwreck off Libya: IOM (Aljazeera)
Three people have died and 13 are feared drowned after a boat carrying refugees and migrants capsized off Libya’s coast on Thursday night, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which added there were 22 survivors.
The dead include two Syrians and one man from Ghana.
The survivors – from Egypt, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Niger, Somalia, Syria and Ghana – were rescued by fishing vessels in coordination with the Libyan coastguard and later transferred to the Zliten detention centre, according to IOM spokeswoman Safa Msehli.
The Libyan coastguard said the death toll could rise as search teams scoured the area for more bodies. Read more
The game-changing GPS tech behind fitness, shopping and navigation (Metro)
Have you ever emerged from an unfamiliar Tube station, fired up Google Maps and marched off towards your destination, only to find your phone was pointing you in the wrong direction? Annoying, isn’t it? Well, Cambridge-based GPS start-up FocalPoint has come up with a new way of navigating that should put an end to those embarrassing U-turns – and could eventually even make drone deliveries a reality. Bouncing back Plenty of satellites are staring down at you right now (Credits: Getty Images) So what’s so bad about GPS? First up, a quick refresher on how it works. Right now, about 12,000 miles above your head, a load of satellites are zipping across the sky. Read more
Coronavirus: 2 million deaths ‘very likely’ even with vaccine, WHO warns (BBC)
The global coronavirus death toll could hit two million before an effective vaccine is widely used, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.
Dr Mike Ryan, the WHO’s emergencies head, said the figure could be higher without concerted international action.
Almost one million people have died with Covid-19 worldwide since the disease first emerged in China late last year.
Virus infections continue to rise, with 32 million cases confirmed globally. Read more
Ukraine military plane crash: Cadets among at least 22 people killed (BBC)
At least 22 people, most of them air cadets, have been killed in a military plane crash in Ukraine, officials say.
The aircraft, an Antonov-26, came down near the eastern city of Kharkiv as it was landing.
The plane was carrying cadets from Kharkiv Air Force University and was on a training flight. Emergency ministry officials say 27 people were on board.
Two were seriously injured, and a search operation is continuing into the night for three missing people. Read more
Genome of Sir Alexander Fleming’s original penicillin-producing fungus unravelled for first time (Metro)
The genome of Sir Alexander Fleming’s original penicillin-producing fungus has been unravelled for the first time. It could lead to the the development of new drugs to overcome problems of resistance, say British scientists. Penicillium chrysogenum is used in the production of antibiotics such as amoxicillin, ampicillin, cephalexin and cefadroxil. First author Ayush Pathak, a master’s student at Imperial College London, said: ‘Our research could help inspire novel solutions to combating antibiotic resistance.’ Its use in killing. Read more
David Beckham is reportedly really into beekeeping these days (PageSix)
Just call him David Bee-ckham.
David Beckham is reportedly gearing up to launch his own line of honey, having gotten into beekeeping in a big way while in lockdown in the UK.
The Sun reports that some of the names Beckham, 45, is considering for his venture include D Bee, Seven Honey and Goldenbees. (We humbly submit “We’re in the Money Honey,” given Beckham’s reported $450 million net worth.)
“Beekeeping started as a fun hobby early in lockdown,” the tabloid quoted a source as saying, “But now David has become a bit obsessed. He has all the gear, and even built a hive” at his family’s Cotswolds home. Read more
Pop Smoke achieves posthumous UK number one album, seven months after his death (Metro)
Pop Smoke has achieved a ‘bittersweet’ posthumous number one with his debut album. Twelve weeks after making its debut at number two, Shoot For The Stars, Aim For The Moon has topped the UK Official Albums Chart. The record beat midweek leader Ava Max and her album Heaven & Hell into second place, with 97% of its charts sales figure this week coming from streams. Pop Smoke – real name Bashar Barakah Jackson – becomes the first solo artist in the UK to reach number one posthumously with a debut, following Viola Beach, who topped the charts with their self-titled debut in 2016 four months after the band was killed in a car crash. Read more
Andy Murray reacts to ‘amusing’ Stan Wawrinka French Open draw (Metro)
Andy Murray admitted he found his fiendishly difficult French Open first round draw against Stan Wawrinka ‘amusing’.
Murray will take a trip down memory lane when he takes on his fellow three-time Grand Slam champion this week in his first match at Roland Garros since 2017.
His last appearance at this venue came against Wawrinka in the semi-finals – a gruelling five-setter that proved to be the beginning of the end for Murray’s hip. Read more
Conor McGregor ‘boxing Manny Pacquiao next’ in Middle East (BBC)
Conor McGregor says he is coming out of retirement for a boxing fight with Manny Pacquiao in the Middle East.
The former two-weight UFC champion, 32, retired from fighting in June – for the third time in four years.
He returned to face Floyd Mayweather in his first professional boxing match in 2017 and now says he will meet eight-weight world champion Pacquiao, 41.
“It will be a true honour to have faced two of the greatest boxers of the modern era,” the Irishman tweeted.
Earlier on Thursday, McGregor posted a video on Instagram of himself shadow boxing in a ring. Read more
Diamond League: Armand Duplantis claims 16th win in a row (BBC)
Armand Duplantis claimed a 16th successive victory as he won the pole vault in Doha in the final Diamond League event of the year.
A height of 5.82m was enough for the Swede, who cleared an outdoors record of 6.15m earlier this year, to win.
America’s Sam Kendricks was second, with Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie in third as they also cleared 5.82m but took more attempts to do so.
Britain’s Elliot Giles was an impressive second in the men’s 800m.
He ran a personal best of one minute 44.56 seconds, with Kenya’s Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich winning in 1:44.16. Read more
Nedum Onuoha: Taking a knee ‘can’t be ignored’ if BLM gesture continues (BBC)
Taking a knee before matches should carry on because “if it continues, you can’t ignore it”, says former Queens Park Rangers defender Nedum Onuoha.
QPR and Coventry City did not carry out the gesture at their game last Friday.
But it remains part of the Black Lives Matter movement in the US, where Onuoha now plays for Real Salt Lake.
“I think the knee will be the start, more people will get involved and will be bringing in change rather than solely talking about it,” Onuoha said.
QPR’s director of football Les Ferdinand said that the impact of taking a knee “has been diluted”, adding it “has reached a point of ‘good PR’ but little more than that. The message has been lost.” Read more
Frank Lampard explains why Edouard Mendy will not make Chelsea debut against West Brom (Metro)
Frank Lampard has confirmed that Edouard Mendy will have to wait to make his debut for Chelsea given the goalkeeper has barely trained ahead of the side’s clash with West Brom. Mendy completed a switch from Rennes to Stamford Bridge earlier this week after the two clubs reached a £22million agreement for the 28-year-old Senegal international. Kepa Arrizabalaga has fallen some way short of expectations following his world-record £71m move back in 2018 and the Spaniard did himself no favours last weekend when he was partly at fault for both of Sadio Mane’s goals in Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat to Liverpool. Read more
Wife of Turkish former football star ‘offered hitman $1.3 million to kill him & bury body’ (RT)
The wife of Turkish former football star Emre Asik has been accused of offering a hitman $ 1.3 million to kill her husband and dispose of the body during a bitter divorce case, according to reports in Turkey.
Yagmur Asik is accused of plotting to kill her husband – who played 43 times for the national team, as well as Turkish club giants Galatasaray, Fenerbahce and Besiktas – as part of scheme with her lover, Erdi Sungur, according to Hurriyet Daily News.
Sungur is said to have told prosecutors that he had an affair with Yagmur, and that she was desperate to get her hands on her husband’s money. Read more
‘I hate you’: Allen Iverson unloads on mysterious media personality (NYPost)
Allen Iverson is talking about a beef — not a misunderstanding, he’s talking about a beef — but he’s leaving it up to the imagination to figure out which television personality it involves.
The Hall of Fame point guard went on Showtime’s “All the Smoke” show recently and brought up an unnamed talking head he seriously does not like. He just refused to name names.
“There’s one guy, I know you know who I’m talking to, I know you hate me. And trust me, I don’t hate nobody — yes I do, I hate you,” Iverson said. Read more