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Katie said Ruairi had held a season ticket since birth and regularly attended home, away and European matches with his family.Supporting Man Utd was “all we do”, she said, adding that she met her husband at Old Trafford and had held her own season ticket for nearly 20 years, along with her late mother and siblings.”Since [Ruari] could walk, he’s had a ball at his feet,” she said. “He’s just football daft.”Katie said Ruairi had been a United mascot at Crystal Palace last season and had travelled to watch the team in Seville, Istanbul and Bilbao.A post on X, in…

Kannywood actor Uzee Usman has attributed the slow growth of the Hausa-language film industry to insufficient investment and sponsorship. Although the industry has produced hundreds of films and cultivated a loyal audience across northern Nigeria and parts of West Africa, it has yet to secure the corporate financial support that Nollywood enjoys. Speaking about the industry’s development on The Morayo Show this Wednesday, Usman acknowledged Kannywood’s progress, including its international recognition. However, he maintained that its expansion remains hindered by a lack of backing. “I’m one of the people who really pushed it out there to the global world with…

Sun and citrus in the south of FranceThe town of Menton on the French Riviera is beautiful at any time of the year but becomes even more of a treat during the annual Lemon festival (Fête du Citron, 10-28 February 2027). Its microclimate, courtesy of the Alps to the north blocking colder winds, gives Menton lemons a distinct fragrance, flavour and quality that set them apart. For me, the event transformed a damp cold UK winter into a fortnight of colour, taste and light. There were food tastings, salads made with lemons, tarts, cakes and pies all full of zesty…

Donald Trump has hit Australian exports with new trade tariffs, claiming the country is not doing enough to combat forced labour, but the Albanese government has demanded he remove them immediately.The United States announced on Friday morning (AEST) that many Australian exports now attract a new 12.5% tariff as part of a broader regime affecting dozens of countries. However the Albanese government says Australia’s three largest export categories – including beef and gold – will avoid the tariff hit.In a statement, the US trade department said Australia was on a list of 54 economies it deemed as having “failed to…

BUA Cement recorded a net foreign exchange gain of N16.57 billion during the first half of 2026 compared with only N782.8 million in the same period last year and a N9.70 billion foreign exchange loss for the full 2025 financial year. This marked reversal reflects the relatively more stable exchange rate environment that has followed the sharp currency adjustments experienced over the previous two years. The improvement helped reduce overall net finance costs to just N3.41 billion, compared with N31.37 billion in the corresponding period of 2025, despite the company continuing to carry substantial borrowings. Finance income also increased sharply…

By Godwin Oritse The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has released 36 trucks belonging to members of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) that were impounded during an investigation into alleged trade infractions at Zarmmak Bonded Terminal in the Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos. The trucks were detained by Customs Police attached to the Zone ‘A’ Federal Operations Unit (FOU) after the terminal was sealed over suspected violations of Customs regulations. While the nature of the alleged infractions has not been disclosed by the Service, the incident disrupted trucking operations and raised concerns among transport operators over mounting business losses. The…

Amazon is launching an update to its Alexa Plus assistant that will allow it to connect to smart home devices in new ways. With the update, which is currently in preview, Alexa Plus can link up with tech from Bosch, Delta, Ecovacs, iRobot, Yale Home, Whirlpool, Tapo, Eufy, and others, while automatically routing requests to the correct device.In an example shared by Amazon, a person with a supported washing machine can say, “Alexa, my kid’s soccer jersey could use a deep clean, but the tag says cold wash only.” From there, Alexa Plus would navigate the washer’s cycle options and…

By Shina Abubakar, OSOGBO AHEAD of the August 15 governorship election in Osun State, the Accord Party and Police Command, yesterday, traded accusations over the neutrality of security agencies in the state. The Chairman of the Accord Party, Pastor Victor Akande, accused the Osun Police Command of providing cover for suspected thugs, while members of rival groups, particularly transport union members, were subjected to harassment and selective arrests. Akande urged the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Tunji Disu, to order an impartial investigation into the activities of all individuals linked to the recent violence in the state and ensure that anyone found…

Jigawa State Government, in collaboration with the National Boundary Commission (NBC), has resolved a 47-year-old international farmland dispute between border communities in Nigeria and the Republic of Niger. The dispute which began in 1979 between the Jobi community of Maigatari Local Government Area in Jigawa State and the Kyalli community of Dungass Department in the Zinder Region of Niger Republic had repeatedly disrupted agricultural activities, strained diplomatic ties, and claimed several lives over nearly five decades. The peaceful resolution was achieved through the efforts of the Jigawa State Boundary Committee, led by the state’s Deputy Governor, Aminu Usman. Following joint…

British-Nigerian heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua has spoken candidly about the devastating loss of two close friends and trusted members of his support team, admitting he is still struggling to come to terms with the tragedy as he prepares for his return to the ring. Joshua will step back into competitive action on Saturday against Albania’s Kristian Prenga, marking his first fight since the fatal road accident that claimed the lives of Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele in Nigeria. The two men died on 29 December, 2025, when the vehicle carrying them, Joshua and a driver collided with a stationary truck…