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The Guyana Amazon Warriors Women defeated the Trinbago Knight Riders Women by two wickets in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League Final at Kensington Oval here on Thursday.
KNIGHT RIDERS WOMEN 145-6 in 20 overs (Sushma Verma 39, Shika Pandey 27, Marizanne Kapp 25; Shabnim Ismail 2-18)
WARRIORS WOMEN 149-8 in 19.3 overs (Chedean Nation 39 not out, Chloe Tryon 32, Tazmin Brits 22; Deandra Dottin 2-19, Karishma Ramharack 2-27, Shikha Pandey 2-33)
UNIVERSITY of Perpetual Help System DALTA barged into the win column of Group B after defeating Emilio Aguinaldo College, 83-72, in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Season 102 men’s basketball tournament at the San Juan Arena on Thursday.
The Altas recovered from their opening day loss at the hands of Letran to hike their record to 1-1 won-lost.
Perpetual led by just a point in the early goings of the fourth quarter, 62-61, before going on a 9-0 rally capped off by a Rey Maglupay triple at the 6:02 mark for a 71-61 advantage.
The Altas were on cruise control in the latter part of the payoff period, 79-67, but the Generals went on a quick five-point spurt to cut the deficit to seven, 79-72, with two minutes remaining.
Mark Gojo Cruz, however, nailed the door shut on the Generals with a short stab to put Perpetual up for good, 81-72.
‘We prepared hard for this season,’ Gojo Cruz said after dropping 15 points, six assists and four rebounds in the win.
Angelo Gelsano led the Altas with a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds, LA Casinillo followed with 16 while Juan Tulabut and Maglupay scored 15 and 11 points, respectively.
EJ Castillo finished with 19 points and five boards and Harvae Raymundo scattered 17 points in EAC’s campaign-opening loss.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has attributed what it described as attacks on its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its supporters to his growing support and acceptance among Nigerians ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The NDC National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, made the claim in an interview, alleging that the APC was increasingly concerned about Obi’s political standing as the 2027 elections approach.
Director said the alleged attacks were driven by what he described as the growing acceptance of Obi among Nigerian voters, adding that the ultimate decision on who would lead the country remained with the electorate.
According to him, ‘The APC and its hirelings are attacking our presidential candidate, His Excellency, Peter Obi of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, because they know that Peter Obi is the best, the brightest and the most preferred candidate by the Nigerian electorate.’
‘At the end of the day, it is down to Nigerians to decide who leads them, and it is obvious from their body language, from their expression, from their love so far, that Peter Obi is the preferred candidate,’ he added.
The NDC spokesman alleged that the APC was becoming desperate ahead of the 2027 election, claiming that the party was doing everything within its power to undermine Obi.
Director, however, expressed confidence that voters would determine the outcome of the election, saying the NDC believed ‘the will of Nigerians will triumph.’
The NDC spokesman also criticised the decision by Abayomi Arabambi to seek the release of Obi’s academic records from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).
He described the move as potentially amounting to an abuse of court process, while arguing that academic records were subject to legal protections, including provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.
Director said Obi had nevertheless demonstrated openness on the matter by indicating that he had no objection to the release of his academic records.
‘Peter Obi in his usual openness has said that he is right, let them give him his academic records,’ he said.
He also questioned the position of an individual described as a member of the Labour Party’s National Working Committee, who reportedly claimed not to have, or know about, Obi’s academic records and certificate.
According to Director, Obi’s political history and previous electoral contests made the claim difficult to understand.
He noted that Obi had contested the Anambra State governorship election, served as governor, contested as a vice-presidential candidate and later ran for president in the 2023 election on the platform of the Labour Party.
‘It is even a thing of disgrace and amusement for a man claimed to be a member of the National Working Committee of the Labour Party to say that he does not have or know about the academic record and certificate of Obi,’ Director said.
He added that such a position would raise questions about whether the individual had properly carried out his responsibilities within the party.
On the 2027 campaign, Director said the NDC would soon release the composition of its Presidential Campaign Council as consultations among party leaders and stakeholders continued.
He said the party was deliberately taking its time to ensure that all relevant stakeholders were carried along before formally commencing its campaign activities.
‘The list of the Presidential Campaign Council will be released soon because all the parties and stakeholders are meeting,’ he said.
Director said the NDC would not allow itself to be pressured into launching its campaign before completing its internal consultations.
‘We are not going to be stampeded to start campaigning when we have not consulted with every stakeholder, and that’s why we want to make sure that every one of us is on the same page,’ he said.
He assured Nigerians that the party would soon begin its campaign activities and pledged that the NDC would focus on issues rather than personal attacks.
‘But very soon, we’ll be on the campaign trail, and we assure Nigerians we are going to run an issue-based campaign,’ he said.
Many developing countries, including the Philippines, are open to a careful recalibration of the global trading system that protects its foundation while ensuring fairness, according to a Philippine government official here.
Speaking at the launch of the World Trade Organization (WTO) World Trade Report 2026, Ambassador Manuel Antonio Teehankee, the Philippines’ Permanent Representative to the WTO, cautioned against abandoning the current framework amid global disruptions.
‘From a development perspective, many developing countries indeed are very open to recalibration or a rebalancing to take into account the new circumstances,’ Teehankee said.
However, Teehankee stressed that recalibration does not mean dismantling the current system.
‘It really means recognizing how those who have not benefited as much can achieve [the level of] those who have succeeded,’ the envoy said, adding that developing countries such as the Philippines ‘are firm believers in the core of the system.’
The envoy explained that any adjustments to the global trading rules should reaffirm development as the core objective, with special and differential treatment (SandD) remaining ‘a fundamental part of the development bargain.’
‘SandD by its very definition is special and differential. Recalibration means being very specific on how to help those countries that have not developed as much as the leading emerging [and] developing economies,’ Teehankee said.
The envoy also said lower-income countries should be provided with the necessary tools, such as technical capacity-building, infrastructure, and investment, to keep up with other economies.
‘The overall goal should be that all countries reach a level of equality and equity that will deliver to all citizens of the world. That’s the basic objective,’ he added.
The latest WTO report revealed that low- and middle-income economies account for 45 percent of the global merchandise trade, nearly double from 23 percent in 1995.
The report said this expansion, which underpinned substantial gross domestic product (GDP) growth and helped lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty, coincided with the WTO’s creation in 1995, aligning with its foundational objectives to raise living standards worldwide. /
Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi has graduated from the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Business School with a Postgraduate Diploma in Global Football Sport Directorship, graduating with Merit.
Awoniyi announced the achievement on Instagram on Tuesday, describing it as another proud moment away from the football pitch.
‘Graduating from the PFA Business School with a Postgraduate Diploma in Global Football Sport Directorship with Merit. Still playing. Still learning. The journey continues,’ he wrote.
The Coventry City forward said his studies reflected his belief that a professional football career should not prevent players from pursuing education.
‘I have always believed that being a footballer shouldn’t stop you from being a student of the game, and education has become an important part of that journey for me,’ Awoniyi said.
The PFA Business School also congratulated the 29-year-old on its social media platforms, posting a picture from his graduation.
‘Coventry City striker Taiwo Awoniyi graduated from the PFA Business School yesterday. Congratulations on achieving your Diploma in Global Football Sport Directorship, Taiwo,’ the PFA said.
The Super Eagles also celebrated the striker’s achievement on their official Instagram page.
‘What an achievement! Congratulations, Big T,’ the national team posted.
From academy to Europe
Awoniyi began his professional career with Imperial Academy in Nigeria before joining Liverpool in 2015.
He subsequently played for several European clubs, including Union Berlin and Nottingham Forest, before establishing himself as a Nigeria international.
The striker joined Coventry City from Nottingham Forest in August 2026 and continues to combine his professional football career with academic development.
His latest qualification adds a business and leadership dimension to a career that has taken him from Nigerian academy football to the European game.
Switch Visuals Productions and Rixel Studios are targeting a Guinness World Record for the largest audience attending a film screening simultaneously, with a planned event that could draw about 75,000 people to Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos, on September 26.
The record attempt will centre on Black Market, a feature film produced by Rixel Studios in collaboration with FilmOne Studios and Signet Ring Studios.
Switch Visuals Productions, which is producing the event, said the initiative is being supported by the Lagos State Government through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
The organisers said the September 26 event is expected to bring together government officials, entertainment industry leaders, partners, dignitaries and thousands of film lovers for what they described as an unprecedented large-scale cinematic experience.
Damiola Osikoya, CEO of Switch Visuals Productions, is leading the production company behind the event.
The proposed screening is designed to turn the premiere of Black Market into a large-scale cultural event, with the organisers seeking to establish a new Guinness World Records benchmark from Lagos.
The event comes as Nigeria’s film industry continues to seek greater global visibility and new ways of expanding the commercial reach of Nollywood.
According to the organisers, the initiative is intended to showcase the scale and creative capacity of Nigeria’s entertainment industry while placing Lagos at the centre of an international record attempt.
The September 26 screening will take place at Tafawa Balewa Square, one of Lagos’ major public event venues.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has commenced investigation of one Usaini Ibrahim who was arrested with counterfeit US$212,200 ( Two hundred and Twelve Thousand, Two Hundred United States Dollar)
The anti graft agency, in a post on its social media handled on Thursday said Ibrahim was arrested on September 3, 2026, by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, along Maiduguri Road in Kano after the discovery of the counterfeit currency on him.
The NDLEA subsequently handed over the suspect and the fake currency to the Kano Zonal Directorate of EFCC for further investigation and possible prosecution.
According to the post, the formal handover took place at the Kano Directorate of the EFCC, where the Acting Zonal Director, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE1 Friday S. Ebelo, received both the suspect and the exhibits.
A representative of the NDLEA, Deputy Superintendent of Narcotics, Yahaya Labaran was quoted during the formal handover of the suspect as expressing appreciation for the continued strategic collaboration between the two agencies in sanitizing Nigeria’s financial system.
Ebelo, acknowledging the handover, reiterated the EFCC’s commitment to cleansing the financial ecosystem of counterfeit currencies and fraudulent schemes.
The EFCC Commander specifically warned members of the public to be wary of ‘money doubling’ scams, which often involves using counterfeit notes as tools to defraud unsuspecting victims.
‘Such fake currencies coming into the economy do not paint a good picture of us,’ he said. He called on the public to remain vigilant and avoid falling victim to individuals offering to ‘double’ money and other financial crimes through questionable means.
The suspect, Usaini Ibrahim, is currently in the custody of the EFCC and will be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigations.
Former Speakers and Deputy Speakers of State Houses of Assembly on Thursday unanimously endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term and resolved to launch a nationwide grassroots mobilisation for his re-election in 2027.
Under the plan, members of the Forum of Former Presiding Officers of State Houses of Assembly of Nigeria (FOPSHAN) will mobilise across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), explain the administration’s policies and programmes, and canvass support for the President.
The former legislative leaders also endorsed the administration’s economic reforms, particularly the removal of petrol subsidy, arguing that the immediate difficulties associated with the measures should be weighed against their anticipated long-term benefits.
The resolutions were adopted at FOPSHAN’s National Summit in Abuja, themed: ‘Bold Leadership, Bold Reforms: From Subsidy to Renewed Hope – Affecting the Economic Trajectory and Digital Leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Administration’.
Former Senate President Pius Anyim chaired the summit, while First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu attended as Special Guest of Honour.
The forum’s National Chairman, Senator Wasiu Eshilokun Sani, hosted the gathering.
Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, a former Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, chairs the forum’s Board of Trustees.
In its resolutions, the forum declared its support for what it described as the administration’s ‘bold economic reforms’, particularly petrol subsidy removal, saying the policy should be viewed within the broader objective of securing long-term economic prosperity.
It subsequently announced a unanimous endorsement of Tinubu’s second-term bid.
‘In recognition of the President’s colourful, visionary leadership and commitment to national development, FOPSHAN unanimously endorses President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for a second term in office in the 2027 general elections’, the resolution stated.
The forum resolved to move beyond the endorsement by deploying its membership across the country to build grassroots support for the administration.
Former legislators at the national, state, and local government levels are expected to engage citizens, explain government policies and programmes, and take the summit’s message to communities across the 36 states and the FCT.
FOPSHAN also appealed to the First Lady to enlist its members as ambassadors for the administration’s social intervention programmes, particularly initiatives targeting women, children and vulnerable Nigerians.
The former presiding officers further urged the President and state governors to make greater use of their legislative and governance experience in appointments and policy formulation.
‘The conference calls on the President and governors to continue to tap into the wealth of legislative experience of former presiding officers in appointments and policy formulation for the good governance of the country’, the resolution stated.
On party affairs, the forum reaffirmed its commitment to the unity and progress of the All Progressives Congress (APC), urging members to close ranks and support the administration at the federal and sub-national levels.
Earlier, Nwifuru said former legislative leaders could not afford to become spectators in national affairs after leaving office, arguing that their experience should continue to strengthen governance and democratic institutions.
Drawing from his years as Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly before becoming governor, Nwifuru stressed the importance of cooperation between the executive and legislature.
‘Those years taught me an enduring lesson. Governance is not the responsibility of the executive alone; it is a partnership between institutions’, he said.
Nwifuru said the ultimate objective of the ongoing economic reforms should be to expand Nigeria’s productive capacity and create opportunities for citizens, particularly young people.
‘We must invest in agriculture, manufacturing, infrastructure, education, energy and technology. We must create an environment where Nigerians can produce more, businesses can grow, and young people can find meaningful opportunities,’ he said.
The governor also called for stronger legislative oversight, greater fiscal responsibility, stronger democratic institutions and further devolution of powers.
He said the experience former Speakers and Deputy Speakers accumulated placed them in a position to continue contributing to governance beyond their years in legislative office.
‘We have occupied the chambers where laws are made, scrutinised and voices of our constituents were amplified. We therefore cannot afford to be spectators in the journey of national development’, Nwifuru said.
He urged the former lawmakers to deploy their legislative experience, networks, and understanding of governance to strengthen democratic development and promote accountability in public administration.
The chairman of Africa Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG), Dr. Dele Alake has appealed to local and regional authorities to immediately mobilise heavy excavation equipment and emergency resources to rescue miners trapped in the collapse of the informal Al-Zaraa gold mine in West Kordofan, Sudan.
The appeal contained in a statement personally signed by AMSG Chairman in Abuja on Thursday, expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy while emphasising that time is running out to save survivors trapped beneath the rubble.
According to Alake, initial reports indicate that dozens of artisanal workers lost their lives and many others remain missing following the collapse of interconnected shafts in loose terrain near Al-Nuhud town.
Highlighting the dire state of search-and-rescue efforts, Alake noted that local responders are currently forced to dig with rudimentary hand tools due to a critical lack of heavy machinery.
‘All available regional and local resources must be urgently pooled to deploy heavy lifting and excavation equipment to the Al-Zaraa site to accelerate the search-and-rescue efforts and provide medical care to any survivors,’ Alake urged.
Describing the disaster as a ‘preventable crisis driven by structural vulnerability,’ the AMSG Chairman stressed that while informal mining provides a crucial economic lifeline for communities enduring conflict and hardship, human safety must take precedence over resource extraction.
‘It is with profound shock, sorrow, and a heavy heart that the Africa Minerals Strategy Group receives the devastating reports of the mine collapse,’ Alake stated, extending condolences to the victims’ families and the people of Sudan.
‘While artisanal mining serves as a vital economic lifeline… it must never come at the cost of human dignity and safety. The total absence of structural engineering standards, safety gear, and regulatory oversight in such remote sites creates an unacceptable culture of risk.’
Moving beyond immediate rescue operations, the continental coalition called on African governments to accelerate the formalization of artisanal and small-scale mining across the region. The group urged stakeholders to enforce basic safety standards, provide technical training, and institute regulatory oversight to protect vulnerable workers in high-risk zones.
‘Human life must always supersede resource extraction. Vulnerable workers operating in conflict-affected or politically unstable regions must be protected from preventable structural hazards,’ the statement read, reaffirming the group’s commitment to ensuring African minerals are processed with dignity, safety, and respect for human life.
The second-round games of the 46th World Chess Olympiad, being held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, will take place on September 17.
Azerbaijan’s men’s national team will face the Philippines in this round. The team consists of Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Rauf Mamedov, Aydin Suleymanli, Mahammad Muradli and Eltaj Safarli.
The women’s national team will take on Denmark. The Azerbaijani lineup includes Ulviyya Fataliyeva, Gunay Mammadzada, Govhar Beydullayeva, Khanim Balajayeva and Gulnar Mammadova.
In the first round, Azerbaijan’s men’s team defeated Morocco 4-0, while the women’s team beat Guatemala 4-0.
The World Chess Olympiad, held under the Swiss system over 11 rounds, will conclude on September 27.
A total of 1,032 chess players representing 208 teams are taking part in the Olympiad.