2019: Politicians using religion to divide Nigerians, says cleric (Nation)
The Senior Pastor, Father’s Touch Ministry Church, Nyanya, Abuja, Pastor Evans Idoko, has accused some politicians of using religion and ethnicity to divide Nigerians ahead of the 2019 election. Idoko made the allegation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Sunday in Abuja. “It’s regrettable that the unity of Nigerian is strengthened during sporting activities and otherwise becomes the case during electioneering activities. Read more
Strike: Labour must respect court order halting action, says CSO (Vanguard)
A Civil Society Organsation, Network for Accountability and Transparency Crusade has urged organised labour to respect a court order halting its proposed nationwide strike action schedule to begin Tuesday. The group, in a statement signed by its national coordinator, Dr. Roland Giwa at the weekend said it is aware that the government has indeed put forward tangible explanation why the N30,000 minimum wage demanded by the labour unions was not feasible due to the precarious state of the nation’s finances. Read more
Osun REC wasn’t beaten by youths – INEC (Guardian)
The Osun Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied that the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun State, Segun Agbaje, was humiliated and beaten to a coma by some angry youths at the First Baptist Church, Oke Owode, Ikirun, at the burial ceremony of Timothy Ibitoye a former REC of Ogun State. Read more
INEC to display voters’ register in Kwara (Vanguard)
Ilorin – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is to display register of voters in all the 1, 872 polling units of Kwara state from Tuesday, Nov. 6 to Monday, Nov. 12, 2018. This was contained in a statement on Sunday in Ilorin by the Commission’s Head of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr Jacob Ayanda on behalf of the state’s INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner. Read more
At least seven civilians killed in DR Congo (Punch)
Rebels killed at least seven civilians and abducted 15 others, including children, in fresh overnight raids in the far eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, civilian and military sources said Sunday. Fighters of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) staged two raids Saturday night in the North Kivu region bordering Uganda, Teddy Kataliko, leader of the civilian administration in Beni district, told AFP. Read more
Egypt ‘kills Coptic Christian attackers’ (BBC)
Nineteen Islamist militants accused of carrying out a deadly attack on Christians in Egypt have been killed by police, the interior ministry says. They died in a shoot-out after police pursued “fugitive terrorist elements” into the desert area west of Minya province, the statement said. Seven Coptic Christians were killed in an attack on two buses near a monastery in Minya on Friday. Read more
Atheists want ‘God’ expunged from constitution (Vanguard)
Atheists in Kenya have given their reasons for supporting calls for the amendment of the 2010 Constitution of Kenya, that will expunge any reference to God. The atheists insisted that the Constitutional referendum should be held before the 2022 General Elections. “We would like to make it clear to the public that we shall be pushing for the following amendments to the Constitution of Kenya 2010: First. That the preamble which states: We, the people of Kenya– acknowledging the supremacy of the Almighty God of all creation: be expunged,” read part of the atheists’ statement. Read more
Bahrain opposition leader sentenced to life in prison (BBC)
Bahrain’s opposition leader, Sheikh Ali Salman, has been handed a life sentence after the Court of Appeal found him guilty of spying for Qatar. The ruling comes just months after the Bahraini High Court of First Tier acquitted Salman of the charge of “colluding” with the rival state. Bahrain cut ties with Qatar in 2017. Human rights group Amnesty has described the decision as a “travesty of justice” amid Bahrain’s “continued crackdown on dissent”. Read more
CAF picks Gambia’s Gassama for Nov 17 tie (Nation)
Gambian referee, Bakary Papa Gassama will be in charge of the matchday 5 AFCON qualifier between South Africa and Nigeria on 17th November at the FNB Stadium in Soweto, AOIFootball.com reports. The 39-year-old is regarded as one of the best referees on the continent and was among the few Africans selected for the FIFA World Cup in Russia. This will not be the first time Gassama will be at the centre in Nigeria’s games as he officiated Nigeria’s 3-1 victory over Algeria in Uyo prior to the World Cup. Read more
Munich, St. Petersburg bid to host UEFA Champions League final (Nation)
Munich and St Petersburg are the two candidate cities bidding to host the 2021 UEFA Champions League final match, the European football governing body said on Thursday. UEFA said the Russian and German federations had on their behalf sent declarations of interest in hosting the match by last Friday’s deadline and were the only ones to do so. Three others — Vienna in Austria, Tbilisi in Georgia and Seville in Spain —- expressed interest in hosting the Europa League final of the same year. Read more
Allegri hails Ronaldo’s leadership skills as Juventus wins match against Cagliari (Punch)
Massimiliano Allegri praised Cristiano Ronaldo’s leadership skills as Juventus beat Cagliari 3-1 for their 10th win in 11 games to maintain their six-point cushion at the top of Serie A on Saturday. Paulo Dybala scored after just 44 seconds, with a Filip Bradaric own-goal accounting for Juventus’ second after 39 minutes, two minutes after Joao Pedro had pulled the Sardinians level. Read more
Rooney set for one-off England return against USA (Punch)
Wayne Rooney is in line to come out of England retirement for a one-off appearance against the United States in an international friendly at Wembley later this month, Britain’s Sun tabloid reported. Rooney, a record goalscorer for both Manchester United and England, has not played international football for nearly two years. But the 33-year-old, now based in the United States where he plays for Major League Soccer side DC United in Washington, is set to wear the Three Lions shirt once again for the Wembley fixture on November 15. Read more
Williams went too far – Federer (BBC)
Roger Federer says fellow tennis great Serena Williams “went too far” in her outburst at the umpire during September’s US Open final. Williams received a code violation for coaching, a penalty point for racquet abuse and a game penalty for calling the umpire a “liar” and a “thief” during her defeat by Naomi Osaka. Federer said the incident could have been handled differently. “I feel like Serena should have walked away,” he told the Sunday Times. Read more
Man killed for suspending wedding over wife’s alleged infidelity (Vanguard)
It was tragedy over the weekend for the family of Egom in Benin City as their Malaysian based son, Olisemeka Egom was shot dead after he was said to have suspended his wedding when he discovered that his would-be wife carries three months old questionable pregnancy. The 34 years old was shot dead in his family residence at Akugbe Street, Off Okunseri Street, Off Dumez road, Sapele road in the state capital in the presence of his father, would-be wife and their three-year old boy. Read more