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Sinner out of Shanghai Masters as Djokovic battles into last 16

Defending champion Jannik Sinner retired on Sunday from the Shanghai Masters after suffering from cramps in his third-round match against the Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor, easing the way for Novak Djokovic’s shot at a record-extending fifth title.

The 38-year-old Serb battled through to the last 16 with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 win over qualifier Yannick Hanfmann, despite admitting that he had been “hanging by a rope” early in the match.

It was a sorry end for Sinner, who had been hoping this week to add to his China Open victory.

The world number two began to experience issues in the fourth game of the third set, trying doggedly to persevere before abandoning the match at 6-7 (3/7), 7-5, 3-2.

Sinner ended the fourth game crouched over in pain and limping around the court.

He tried to play through it but did not improve, hitting the ball into the net multiple times to provide an easy break for his opponent.

He could barely walk at the end of the fifth game and had to be helped to his chair before accepting reality and calling it quits.

“(It was) a very unfortunate ending to what I thought was a high-quality match,” Griekspoor said. “Not the way you want to win — brutal conditions here… I wish him a speedy recovery.”

After an evenly matched first set, four-time Grand Slam winner Sinner had shown his teeth in the tiebreak, hitting two aces to take an early lead.

In the second set the tension picked up, with Griekspoor surviving three break points in the second game.

But it was the Dutchman who broke in the 11th game with a backhand, pushing the match into post-midnight territory.

Earlier, 24-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic was given a mighty scare by the 150th-ranked Hanfmann.

The Serb fired two aces to start, delighting the crowd, but soon ran into trouble as Hanfmann found his range.

The German broke in the third game and held serve after that to clinch the first set.

“I was just outplayed by a better player for a set and a half –- I was hanging by a rope to stay in the match,” Djokovic said.

Neither player was able to take control of a grueling second set, until a series of unforced errors from Hanfmann in the 12th game gave Djokovic the opening he needed.

Sweating in 28C humidity at 9 p.m., the 24-time Grand Slam champion then broke in the fourth game of the third set as his 33-year-old opponent’s precision dropped.

Cheered on by a stadium full of adoring fans, Djokovic held his resolve to take the third set after Hanfmann hit the ball out.

“I had to dig in really, really deep to come out from this match as a winner, and I think the energy and support of the crowd really got me out,” Djokovic said.

American Taylor Fritz was another top-10 casualty of the day, after he fell to 37th-ranked Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-4, 7-5.

On a hot afternoon, the world number four seemed lethargic and struggled to get into his stride, unnerved after Mpetshi Perricard nearly broke twice in the fifth game.

That preempted a streak of brilliance that saw the neon orange-clad Frenchman fire three aces to hold the sixth, then break in the seventh.

A closely fought second set came to a head in the 11th game when a double fault by Fritz handed Mpetshi Perricard the advantage, which he swiftly converted with a backhand.

Finishing the match off with two aces, the big-serving 22-year-old said he could be proud of himself.

“It was tough to be honest, tough conditions, very humid,” he said.

“The game at 5-5 (in the second set), it was terrible. I thought I was dying on the court,” he chuckled.

Mpetshi Perricard will next face 11th-ranked Dane Holger Rune, who beat France’s Ugo Humbert, 6-4, 6-4. (JapanToday)

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Springboks retain Rugby Championship crown after beating Argentina 29-27

South Africa retained the Rugby Championship crown for the first time after beating Argentina 29-27 at Twickenham on Saturday.

The title was decided on points difference for the first time, the Springboks’ 57-plus margin eclipsing New Zealand’s eight-plus.

The All Blacks beat Australia 28-14 in Perth hours earlier to put pressure on the Springboks, who clinched the title decider in typically punchy style.

They didn’t lead until the 44th minute, gradually overwhelming the Pumas with the power of their set-piece.

“Not the most perfect game we’ve played but it is the fight we show each and every week,” Springboks captain Siya Kolisi said. “It doesn’t always go the way we want it to go but we are always able to find that second gear. With the bench that we have, they are special.”

Taking advantage of the superior muscle up front, scrumhalf Cobus Reinach — named the player of the match — and hooker Malcolm Marx scored two tries each.

The Pumas weren’t as close to South Africa as the scoreline suggested. They scored two late converted tries but finished with the wooden spoon for the first time since 2022.

Argentina gave up the scheduled home match to relocate to Twickenham for bigger ticket revenue, and the Springboks felt more at home thanks to expatriates filling an impressive crowd of 70,360. They celebrated the Springboks’ sixth title in 30 tournaments and their first back-to-back crowns.

“After the way we started (with the shocking loss to the Wallabies at Ellis Park), you could not have said we would be here now,” Kolisi said. “But the belief we have in ourselves is because of what coach Rassie (Erasmus) has instilled into this team. Since 2018, the mindset created means you don’t feel at any moment that you are going to lose. No matter how it looks.”

It didn’t go to plan at the start on Saturday either.

Center Canan Moodie was yellow-carded in the second minute for head-on-head contact, and moments later Argentina gave right winger Bautista Delguy space and time to bust through Reinach and Ethan Hooker to the try-line.

South Africa’s first scrum tighthead was rewarded with a Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu penalty.

World Cup winner Ox Nche gave a torrid time to scrum opposite Francisco Coria Marchetti. He debuted in June against the British and Irish Lions and always appeared off the bench until Joel Sclavi was injured on Friday in the captain’s run. That forced the Pumas to start Coria Marchetti, their 10th change to the starting XV that lost to the Springboks 67-30 in Durban last weekend.

Despite Nche being the only change to the Springboks starting XV, they struggled to click at Twickenham. Feinberg-Mngomezulu, the star in Durban, passed over Cheslin Kolbe’s head in one of 10 handling errors in the half.

Santiago Carreras’ second penalty extended Argentina’s lead to 13-3 then Moodie was lucky not to receive a second yellow card and subsequent red when his deliberate knock-on was only penalized.

But South Africa finished the half strong. Lock Eben Etzebeth was held up over the line by Pumas flyhalf Geronimo Prisciantelli but when No. 8 Jasper Wiese lost control of a pushover try Reinach was too close to the line to be stopped.

The second half started badly for Argentina. Loosehead prop Mayco Vivas was sin-binned for a high tackle, and South Africa drove the subsequent lineout, dishing a 26th test try for Marx.

South Africa finally had the lead and an extra man. RG Snyman took over for Etzebeth, who went to the blood bin, and his pop-up helped Reinach burrow over for his second try and extend the lead to 22-13.

Before the game was an hour old, Marx regained an Argentina lineout tap down from his own throw-in then crashed over for his second try of the match. It also was his 17th in championship history, tying him with Richie McCaw for the most tries by a forward.

When Coria Marchetti injured his right leg, the Pumas finishing props were four-cap Boris Wenger and 20-year-old debutant Tomás Rapetti. They were consoled by Delguy’s second try from a wild pass by Kolbe, and fellow wing Rodrigo Isgro scoring after the hooter from a crossfield kick by Carreras. (JapanToday)

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Haaland fires Man City to win at Brentford, Everton end Palace’s unbeaten run

Erling Haaland carried Manchester City to within three points of Premier League leaders Arsenal with the only goal at Brentford, while Crystal Palace’s 19-game unbeaten run was ended by a 2-1 defeat to Everton on Sunday.

The Norwegian maintained his sensational early season form to score his 18th goal for club and country in just 11 appearances this season.

Haaland showed his strength to bully his way through the Brentford defence from Josko Gvardiol’s long ball and fire home on nine minutes.

Victory came at a cost for Pep Guardiola’s men as Rodri was forced off in his latest injury setback since returning from an anterior cruciate ligament tear that saw him miss most of last season.

The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner was in tears when he had to be replaced with an apparent hamstring problem midway through the first half.

Despite a less than sparkling performance, City held out to haul themselves up to fifth and right back into the title race.

Palace missed the chance to go second after suffering a European hangover at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

The Eagles were dominant in the first 45 minutes but were left to rue not adding to Daniel Munoz’s finish from Ismaila Sarr’s pass.

However, their UEFA Conference League exertions in winning away to Dynamo Kyiv on Thursday took their toll in the second half.

Iliman Ndiaye equalised from the penalty spot after Maxence Lacroix clumsily upended Beto as Everton fought back to avoid a first defeat at their new home.

Jack Grealish then got fortunate for his first Everton goal as Munoz’s attempted clearance rebounded off the Manchester City loanee into the roof of the net.

“I thought Crystal Palace should have been out of sight, they should have been 3-0 up, but we stuck at it,” said Everton boss David Moyes.

Ange Postecoglou’s wait for a first win as Nottingham Forest manager goes on after a 2-0 defeat at Newcastle.

The Australian is the first Forest boss in over 100 years to fail to win in his first seven games and now faces an anxious wait to see if club owner Evangelos Marinakis decides to make another managerial change over the international break.

“I knew it was a big challenge walking in. That’s what it is and there’s nothing wrong with that,” said Postecoglou.

Newcastle had only won one of their opening six Premier League games.

But Bruno Guimaraes led the Magpies to victory with a brilliant strike from outside the box to break the deadlock on 58 minutes.

Guimaraes then won a penalty after robbing former team-mate Elliot Anderson inside the Forest box.

Nick Woltemade smashed the resulting spot-kick into the top corner for his fourth Newcastle goal since joining from Stuttgart last month.

Forest slip to 17th, the same league position that saw Postecoglou sacked by Tottenham at the end of last season despite winning the Europa League.

After a slow start to the season, Aston Villa beat Burnley 2-1 to secure a fourth win in the last 11 days.

Donyell Malen was the Villa match-winner with his first goals since April.

The Dutch forward opened the scoring after racing onto Boubacar Kamara’s brilliant through ball to slot into the far corner.

Morgan Rogers was the creator for the second that Malen controlled before drilling confidently into the far corner.

Lesley Ugochukwu pulled a goal back but Burnley remain in the relegation zone.

Wolves are still rooted to the foot of the table after conceding a late equaliser to draw 1-1 at home to Brighton. (JapanToday)

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Takaichi elected LDP leader; likely to become Japan’s first female prime minister

Japan’s ruling party picked hardline conservative Sanae Takaichi as its head on Saturday, putting her on course to become the country’s first female prime minister in a move set to jolt investors and neighbors.

The Liberal Democratic Party, which has ruled Japan for almost all of the postwar era, elected Takaichi, 64, to regain trust from a public angered by rising prices and drawn to opposition groups promising stimulus and clampdowns on migrants.

A vote in parliament to choose a replacement for outgoing Shigeru Ishiba is expected on October 15. Takaichi is favored as the ruling coalition has the largest number of seats.

Takaichi, the only woman among the five LDP candidates, beat a challenge from the more moderate Shinjiro Koizumi, 44, who was bidding to become the youngest modern leader.

Takaichi got 183 votes, while Koizumi garnered 156 in a runoff.

A former economic security and internal affairs minister with an expansionary fiscal agenda for the world’s fourth-largest economy, Takaichi takes over a party in crisis.

Various other parties, including the expansionist Democratic Party for the People and the anti-immigration Sanseito, have been steadily luring voters, especially younger ones, away from the LDP.

The LDP and its coalition partner lost their majorities in both houses under Ishiba over the past year, triggering his resignation.

“Recently, I have heard harsh voices from across the country saying we don’t know what the LDP stands for anymore,” Takaichi said in a speech before the second-round vote. “That sense of urgency drove me. I wanted to turn people’s anxieties about their daily lives and the future into hope.”

Takaichi, who says her hero is Margaret Thatcher, Britain’s first female prime minister, offers a starker vision for change than Koizumi and is potentially more disruptive.

An advocate of late premier Shinzo Abe’s “Abenomics” strategy to boost the economy with aggressive spending and easy monetary policy, she has previously criticized the Bank of Japan’s interest rate increases.

Such a spending shift could spook investors worried about one of the world’s biggest debt loads.

Naoya Hasegawa, chief bond strategist at Okasan Securities in Tokyo, said Takaichi’s election had weakened the chances of the BOJ raising rates this month, which markets had priced at around a 60% chance before the vote.

Takaichi has also raised the possibility of redoing an investment deal with U.S. President Donald Trump that lowered his punishing tariffs in return for Japanese taxpayer-backed investment.

The U.S. ambassador to Japan, George Glass, congratulated Takaichi, posting on X that he looked forward to strengthening the Japan-U.S. partnership “on every front”.

But her nationalistic positions – such as her regular visits to the Yasukuni shrine to Japan’s war dead, viewed by some Asian countries as a symbol of its past militarism – may rile neighbors like South Korea and China.

South Korea will seek to “cooperate to maintain the positive momentum in South Korea-Japan relations”, President Lee Jae Myung’s office said in a statement.

Takaichi also favors revising Japan’s pacifist postwar constitution and suggested this year that Japan could form a “quasi-security alliance” with Taiwan, the democratically governed island claimed by China.

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te welcomed her election, saying she was a “steadfast friend of Taiwan”.

“It is hoped that under the leadership of the new (LDP) President Takaichi, Taiwan and Japan can deepen their partnership in areas such as economic trade, security, and technological cooperation,” he said in a statement.

If elected prime minister, Takaichi said she would travel overseas more regularly than her predecessor to spread the word that “Japan is Back!”

“I have thrown away my own work-life balance and I will work, work, work,” Takaichi said in her victory speech.

Some of her supporters viewed her selection as a watershed in Japan’s male-dominated politics, though opinion polls suggest her socially conservative positions are favored more by men than women.

“The fact that a woman was chosen might be seen positively. I think it shows that Japan is truly starting to change and that message is getting across,” 30-year-old company worker Misato Kikuchi said outside Tokyo’s Shimbashi station.

Takaichi must also seek to blunt the rise of Sanseito, which broke into the political mainstream in a July election, appealing to conservative voters disillusioned with the LDP.

Echoing Sanseito’s warnings about foreigners, she kicked off her first official campaign speech with an anecdote about tourists reportedly kicking sacred deer in her hometown of Nara.

Takaichi, whose mother was a police officer, promised to clamp down on rule-breaking visitors and immigrants, who have come to Japan in record numbers in recent years.”We hope she will … steer Japanese politics in an ‘anti-globalism’ direction to protect national interests and help the people regain prosperity and hope,” Sanseito said in a statement. (JapanToday)

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Bills, Eagles lose unbeaten records in day of upsets

The previously unbeaten Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles both slumped to shock defeats in the NFL on Sunday as the injury-hit Baltimore Ravens suffered a humiliating blowout.

The Bills — regarded by many as favourites for this season’s Super Bowl — were stunned 23-20 by the resurgent New England Patriots in a pulsating duel at Buffalo’s Highmark Stadium.

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye showed composure beyond his 23 years to engineer the game-winning drive in the final minute of the fourth quarter, setting up Andy Borregales’ 52-yard field goal.

The Bills dropped to 4-1 for the season while the Patriots improved to 3-2.

“It was awesome. What a team win, man,” Maye told NBC television after the win. “These guys right here, they balled out. Defense played great. And what an atmosphere. It felt good.”

The Bills had been the last unbeaten team standing after reigning Super Bowl champions Philadelphia were beaten 21-17 at home by the Denver Broncos earlier Sunday.

The Eagles looked poised to extend their unbeaten start after opening up a 17-3 lead early in the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field.

But the Broncos showed huge character to battle back, with quarterback Bo Nix leading touchdown drives for JK Dobbins and Evan Engram to make it 17-16 before a bold two-point conversion put them 18-17 ahead.

A 36-yard Wil Lutz field goal gave Denver a four-point cushion before the Eagles’ final possession ended with an unsuccessful hail Mary attempt from quarterback Jalen Hurts as time ran out.

Denver quarterback Nix saluted a superb Broncos defensive performance after the visitors forced Philadelphia into punting seven times while recording six sacks on Hurts.

“We just kept stopping them on defense and we just started putting drives together,” Nix said. “Our defense just played incredible. They just kept getting us the ball back no matter what happened, they never wavered, and we just scored when it mattered,” he added.

In other games the Ravens’ season lurched from bad to worse with a humiliating 44-10 beatdown at home by the Houston Texans.

The Ravens, missing a slew of starters including quarterback Lamar Jackson, slumped to 1-4 for the season after an offensive onslaught led by Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Stroud tossed four touchdowns with 244 passing yards from 23-of-27 attempts as Houston improved to 2-3.

The defeat though was another brutal loss for Baltimore, who were strongly tipped to challenge for the Super Bowl before the season kicked off.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh described the team’s mood as “complete disappointment” and challenged his organisation to regroup.

“We’re gonna have to find a way to turn it around and figure out who we are this next week,” Harbaugh said. “We’re gonna have more than half the season left and we’re gonna have to find ourselves.”

A thrilling game in Seattle saw the Tampa Bay Buccaneers snatch a 38-35 victory over the Seahawks with a field goal as time expired in the fourth quarter.

A seesaw duel saw Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold throw for four touchdowns and 341 yards but it was not enough against a Tampa Bay side who improved to 4-1 for the season.

Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield was once again the talisman for the visitors, hitting Sterling Shepard with the game-tying touchdown with just over one minute remaining, before Chase McLaughlin’s 39-yard field goal clinched victory.

The Detroit Lions are also standing on 4-1 after bringing up their fourth straight win in a 37-24 defeat of the Cincinnati Bengals. Lions quarterback Jared Goff threw three touchdowns with 258 yards to spark Detroit.

In Los Angeles, the Washington Commanders rallied from a 10-point deficit to score 27 unanswered points in a 27-10 defeat of the Chargers at SoFi Stadium.

The Indianapolis Colts, who suffered their first defeat of the season against the Los Angeles Rams last week, got back to winning ways with a blowout 40-6 rout of the Las Vegas Raiders at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The Dallas Cowboys moved to 2-2-1 with a 37-22 defeat of the winless New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford while the New York Giants lost 26-14 at the New Orleans Saints.In London, the Minnesota Vikings improved to 3-2 after grinding out a 21-17 win over the Cleveland Browns at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. (JapanToday)

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Kwara scraps payment of PTA levy

Kwara Government has scrapped the Parents Teachers Association levy in public primary schools, approving annual school grants instead.

Chairman State Universal Basic Education Board, Prof. Shehu Adaramaja, announced this at the opening of the bid for the 2024 (3rd and 4th quarters) UBEC/SUBEB intervention projects.

PUNCH Online reports that the PTA levy is a fee collected from parents in Nigerian schools to supplement school funding, with the collected funds used for projects, facilities, or activities not covered by the government’s allocation.

While the fee is often minimal compared with charges at private schools, it can impose financial burdens on average families.

In place of the PTA levy, Adaramaja said the state government will provide running costs for the 1,717 public schools.

‎‎”The Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has approved the stoppage of the payment of PTA in all public primary schools in the state, from primary 1 to 6, no more payment of PTA in Kwara State,” he said.

‎The SUBEB boss also announced the approval of the procurement of English and Maths textbooks by the governor for free to the pupils in primary schools in the state.

Speaking on the bid opening, the Chairman said the intervention would cover projects, including the construction of a block of two classrooms with an office and the construction of toilets.

”The intervention also covers the remodelling and renovation of classrooms, drilling of solar-powered boreholes with tank stands, and rehabilitation of digital literacy across the state.

”It also covers the procurement of foundation literacy teaching and learning materials for primary one, fabrication and distribution of 2-seater pupils/students’ furniture and safe schools initiative in some selected local governments, among others,” he said.

Adaramaja said that the governor had equally approved the payment of 2025 counterpart funds for the UBEC/SUBEB intervention projects.

‎He urged contractors, who would get the jobs, to execute them in line with the specifications, warning that shoddy jobs would not be condoned.

‎‎ Adaramaja lauded the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Hajiya Aisha Garba and other key stakeholders for contributing to the success of the programme.

‎Responding on behalf of the bidders, Alhaji Maroof Ahmed, who is the Secretary to the Indigenous Contractors Association, thanked the government for allowing them to showcase their talents.

He pledged that their members would deliver quality services and would not let the government and the people of the state down. (Punch)

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E1 Lagos: Brazilian team win Lagos electric boat race

Team Brazil capped off an impeccable weekend in Nigeria with a thrilling win at the E1 Lagos GP, seizing the maiden race in Africa to claim their first win in the all-electric powerboat series on Sunday, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Powered by their pole position from Saturday’s qualifying, Team Brazil duly capitalised from the group races to the final, with Timmy Hansen delivering a flawless performance on the water.

They had the fastest time in the practice session and topped the qualifying race on Saturday before winning the final on Sunday.

They beat Team Blue Rising, owned by Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli, to second place while Team Drogba Global Africa, which is co-owned by Ivory Coast football legend and former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba and Gabrielle Lemaire, finished third.

Team Brazil got 38 points for their win, taking their tally up to 89 points. However, they are still far off from the title in seventh position, ahead of the final race of the season next month in Miami.

“We came to Lagos and we had a fantastic time. It is important with the race format to have the best starting lane, so you want to start on the inside, and we had it. Thanks to the team, I had a brilliant start, and it was smooth sailing,” Hansen told our correspondent.

There was no place on the podium for suspects Team Rafa and Team Brady, who have been in a tussle at the top of the championship standings ahead of the E1 Lagos GP.

However, Team Brady remains top of the championship standings despite finishing fourth. Their 19 points from an electrifying weekend in Lagos take them up to 154 points.

They are still separated from Team Rafa, owned by tennis legend Rafael Nadal by three points. Piloted by Cris Lazarraga and Tom Chiappe, Team Rafa finished fifth in Lagos with 17 points, taking their season’s tally to 151points.

Kohli’s Blue Rising remains third in the standings with 145 points.

The E1 is an all-electric powerboat race which began last year in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and Lagos became the first city in Africa to host the championship.

The E1 Lagos GP was also the penultimate race of the season, setting the tone for the championship battle ahead of the season finale in Miami next month.

Speaking to journalists during the championship on Sunday, the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, described the first-of-its-kind event in Africa as a demonstration of the state’s commitment to innovation and clean energy.

“Hosting the E1 series is not just about sports, it is about innovation, environmental responsibility, and putting Lagos on the global map for future-focused development,” Sanwo-Olu said. (Punch)

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Driver killed as 40ft container falls on car in Oyo

A yet-to-be-identified driver was killed on Sunday afternoon after a 40-foot container-laden truck fell onto a commercial Nissan Micra car at the Soka area along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway.

The tragic incident, which occurred around 2 p.m., involved a trailer loaded with bales of clothing and a Micra taxi with registration number BDJ 981 ZY. The impact crushed the car, trapping the driver inside.

When our correspondent arrived at the scene around 4 p.m., officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps, the Nigeria Police, and the Oyo State Traffic Management Authority were on the ground making efforts to remove the wreckage and retrieve the body of the deceased driver.

Our correspondent, who monitored the incident, observed that the car was pinned under the tail section of the truck, with one of the rescuers using a machete to cut through parts of the vehicle to reach the victim’s remains.

An eyewitness, identified as Yusuf, blamed the accident on concrete barricades left on the road by contractors after completing repairs in the area.

He said, “The accident happened around 2 p.m. when it was still raining. The trailer was coming from Lagos inward Ibadan. When it got to this point, the driver tried to dodge those big concrete barriers placed on the road during construction. In the process, he hit the Micra. I think he tried to regain balance, but that was when the truck fell, trapping the driver.

They finished this road a long time ago; those barriers shouldn’t still be there.”

A FRSC officer at the scene, who spoke on condition of anonymity, corroborated the eyewitness account.

“This is how we met the accident. From what we can see, the trailer swerved to avoid the barrier, hit the Micra, dragged it off the road, and eventually fell on it,” the officer said.

Speaking with PUNCH Metro on the incident, the General Manager of OYTMA, Adeoye Adekola, confirmed the driver’s death.

“I just left the scene. We have removed the corpse and deposited it at the Adeoyo Hospital, Ring Road. The container, fully loaded with clothes, is still there, but we have detached the truck from the container and moved it to Sanyo Police Station,” Adekola said.

He identified impatience, speeding, and the lack of reflectors on the road barriers as major causes of the crash.

“There are two major factors, impatience and speeding by the drivers, and the construction barriers without reflectors. Before the truck driver noticed the barrier, it was already too late. He tried to swerve, but there was a Micra parked to pick up a passenger. In an attempt to avoid it, the truck overturned, crushing the Micra. The driver was the only occupant, and he died on the spot.

“The traffic situation has now been cleared, and vehicles are moving smoothly,” Adekola added.

The incident caused heavy traffic congestion along the busy route for several hours before normalcy was restored.

The latest crash has again raised concerns about the frequency of accidents at the Soka junction of the Ibadan Expressway.

In June, five people were killed and several others injured when seven vehicles, including two Nissan Micra taxis, two trucks, a tanker, and two Toyota Camry cars, were involved in a multiple collision at the same spot.

Barely a week later, another accident occurred, claiming the life of a driver whose car rammed into a stationary trailer left behind from the earlier crash. (Punch)

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Russell takes pole position for Singapore Grand Prix as McLaren struggle

George Russell in a Mercedes took pole position Saturday for the Singapore Grand Prix ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, as McLaren were outpaced around the Marina Bay Circuit.

Championship leader Oscar Piastri will start on the second row after coming third while his McLaren teammate Lando Norris was only fifth.

Russell set a blistering lap of 1 minute, 29.158 seconds, 0.182 seconds clear of Verstappen.

“Amazing to be on pole position. Yesterday was a very challenging day for many different reasons but good to come back and get a result,” said Russell.

His fellow Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was fourth to split the two McLarens.

“A long sweaty race tomorrow but I knew there was potential in the car,” added Russell.

“Kimi was doing an amazing job all weekend.”

The Ferrari pair of Lewis Hamilton and Chalres Leclerc were sixth and seventh respectively.

Isack Hadjar (RB), Oliver Bearman (Haas) and Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) completed the top 10.

Verstappen won the previous two grands prix, in Monza and Baku, and is challenging the season-long dominance of the McLarens at the top of the standings.

He now has a chance of a maiden victory in Singapore that would keep him in the hunt for a fifth consecutive world title, having closed the gap to Piastri to 69 points and to 44 points on Norris.

McLaren are looking to wrap up the constructors’ championship this weekend, where a podium finish for one of their cars will ensure a second consecutive title with six races to spare.

Liam Lawson, who on Saturday crashed his RB for the second successive practice session causing a red flag, managed to qualify in 14th after his engineers repaired the damage between the sessions.

Nico Hulkenberg’s Sauber was 11th and also failed to make it to the top-10 shootout alongside the Williams of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz, plus the Red Bull of Yuki Tsunoda in 15th.

Hamilton was investigated for an alleged red flag infringement relating to Lawson’s incident, but escaped a potential grid penalty after stewards deemed he “did not drive in a manner that could be considered unsafe”.

Gabriel Bortoleto in a Sauber, Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin, the Haas of Esteban Ocon and the Alpines of Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly were eliminated in Q1.

Sunday’s race in tropical Singapore has been declared the first official Formula One “Heat Hazard” with temperatures during the grand prix predicted to be 31C or higher.

That means all drivers must have liquid-cooled vests and refrigerant pump equipment available, though wearing them is not mandatory.Drivers were seen trying out the vests and their associated maze of cooling tubes under their fireproof overalls. (JapanToday)

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Ex-IG, Solomon Arase, buried in Benin

The remains of former Inspector General of Police, Dr. Solomon Arase, has been interred in Benin City, capital of Edo State.

Arase was buried at a private ceremony witnessed by family members and close associates after a funeral mass was held at the St. Paul Catholic Church.

In his homily during the requiem mass, Reverend Father Andrew Obiyan, urged the congregation to work towards making heaven after death.

Obiyan said people would want to go everywhere on earth but refused to go to the House of God.

He expressed disappointment at the attitude of some humans towards donating for the work of God.

According to him, “Our own life is in heaven. We must never be distracted. We now see old age creeping into our lives daily powerfully. It crept in to remind us of immortality. We study so hard to receive so many titles. At death, those titles mean nothing to God. The only title that means so much is a grace of battle. 

“We have the assurance that Arase will reap the fruit of baptism in the presence of the eternal King.

“Sometimes we go everywhere but we don’t want to go to the House of God except when we want to please people. We do not want not to come to the House of God.

“Late Arase feared and loved God. Policing is a profession with risk. We see soaring crime rate yet many police officers are exemplary.

“We give glory to God for Arase’s getting to the peak of his career. The Lord does not take from you what he cannot give.”

Also speaking, Governor of Bayelsa State, Duoye Diri, said the late Arase was of great service to the nation. 

“Moments like this are for us to know that one day we will lie down like this. We should be humble to serve our state and country to the best of our ability. All about him are great and good testament. From his professionalism and service to the country, his relationship with the rest of society marked his humility and spreading love everywhere he goes.”

Dignitaries at the event were Governor Monday Okpebholo represented by his Deputy, Dennis Idahosa; former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi; Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; Oba Ewuare II, Oba of Benin, represented by Chief Oseni Elamah and Chief Uso Osaretin, the Usoh of Benin Kingdom; FRSC Zone 5 Commander, Stella Orakwe; Secretary to the Police Service Commission, Onyeabuchi Nnamani; Senator Neda Imasuen, amongst others. (ThisDay)