Author: Akintayo Adams

Algerian teenager Kaylia Nemour became the first African athlete to win an Olympic gymnastics medal with gold on the uneven bars in Paris. She also registered her country’s first medal at the 2024 Olympic Games. The 17-year-old French-born athlete’s breathtaking routine wowed the crowd at the Bercy Arena on Sunday, securing her the title ahead of China’s Qiu Qiyuan, with Team USA’s Sunisa Lee taking bronze. Defending Olympic uneven bars champion Nina Derwael of Belgium finished fourth. Nemour was under pressure after Qiyuan posted a score of 15.500 with an immaculate routine, but the rising gymnastics star outperformed the Chinese…

Bahrain’s Winfred Yavi claimed the women’s Olympic 3,000 meters steeplechase gold medal on Tuesday, overtaking Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai, who took silver. Yavi celebrated joyfully after crossing the finish line, having executed a powerful final sprint that Chemutai, the race leader for most of the event, couldn’t match. Chemutai was stunned as Yavi, 24, not only secured the Olympic title but also set a new Olympic record with a time of 8 minutes 52.76 seconds, adding to her world championship victory from last year. “This is like a dream come true. It’s something special,” Yavi told reporters. “It means a lot…

The Central Bank of Nigeria has approved the merger of Providus Bank and Unity Bank. The apex bank, made this known in a statement signed by the acting Director, Corporate Communications, Hakama Sidi, on Tuesday. It said the action is in accordance with the provisions of Section 42 (2) of the CBN Act, 2007. The statement read, “The Central Bank of Nigeria has granted approval for a pivotal financial accommodation to support the proposed merger between Unity Bank Plc and Providus Bank Limited. This strategic move is designed to bolster the stability of Nigeria’s financial system and avert potential systemic…

World champion, record holder and Nigeria’s flag bearer Tobi Amusan qualified for the 100-meter hurdles semi-finals in the ongoing 2024 Olympics in Paris on Wednesday. Amusan ate it all as she topped seven other athletes with 12.49 seconds, followed by America’s Alaysha Johnson with 12.61. Jamaica’s Janeek Brown qualified with 12.84 seconds. The time means Amusan finishes as the second over-all fastest qualifier behind defending Olympic champion, Puerto Rico Jasmine Camacho-Quinn. Get instant and latest news updates via Our WhatsApp Community or Google News online channel.

Annette Nneka Echikunwoke, Africa’s hammer record holder and one of the athletes originally slated to represent Nigeria at the Tokyo Olympics, secured a silver medal for the USA yesterday. The Nigerian-American athlete earned a spot on the podium in the hammer throw event, winning silver for the United States on Tuesday after changing her allegiance from Nigeria. Echikunwoke missed the chance to compete in the Tokyo Olympics hammer throw event in 2021 because the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) failed to conduct drug tests for her and nine other athletes, resulting in their disqualification from the games three years ago.…

Trinh Van Quyet, a former Vietnamese property and aviation tycoon was jailed for 21 years on Monday (Aug 5) for fraud and stock market manipulation worth US$146 million, state media said. He was among 50 defendants found guilty in what is the latest corruption case targeting the communist country’s business elite. A Hanoi court said Quyet, who owned the FLC empire of luxury resorts, golf courses and budget carrier Bamboo Airways, was given the heaviest sentence because he was the leader of the scam. “Through the stock market, the defendants proceeded with fraudulence … leading to mistrust for investors and…

The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had said the police, military and other agencies involved in the management of the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protest did not use live ammunition during the protests. Egbetokun disclosed this at a meeting of security agencies heads in Abuja. He said, “The police and the military and indeed no other security agency involved in the management of this protest have not deployed excessive use of force. Instead, what we had were attacks on security agents during the protest. From our record, there were no shooting incidents by the police. “The police or military did not…

A 16-year-old #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protester identified as Ismail Mohammed has been shot dead by an officer of the Nigerian Army. This happened in the Samaru community in Zaria, Kaduna State. The Director of Army Public Relations, Major General Onyeama Nwachukwu, confirmed the development in a statement on Tuesday titled “Unfortunate death of a protester by a soldier in Zaria.” The statement read, “On August 6, 2024, troops of the Nigerian Army received a distress call that some hoodlums gathered in Samaru in large numbers, burning tyres on the road and pelting stones at security personnel. The troops immediately mobilised and arrived…

No fewer than 109 people were killed during violent unrest in Bangladesh on Monday as the prime minister was forced to flee and resign. The numbers were disclosed by police and doctors, updating an earlier toll. The tally marks the deadliest day since protests began in early July, and brings the total number killed to 409, according to an AFP tally based on police, government officials and doctors at hospitals. On Monday, Sheikh Hasina, Bangladeshi PM resigned after the numerous protests against her government’s anti-citizens policies. An interim government, led by Army Chief Waker-Uz-Zaman. Days before her resignation, the use…

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) cleared the air that the national grid did not collapse on Monday. Ndidi Mbah, the General Manager of Public Affairs, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday. “The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) hereby notes that at about 6:10 p.m. yesterday, 5th August 2024, power supply was restored to areas affected by the arcing on the Benin-Egbin 330kV isolator, which caused line tripping and a consequent loss of supply to some areas. However, contrary to media reports, the incident did not cause a system collapse. “The line tripping began earlier at about 2:47 p.m.…