Be open on collapsed building in Ikoyi, Frank tells Lagos govt (Leadership)
A former deputy national publicity secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, on Friday, called on the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, to tell Nigerians if he is the owner of the 21-storey building that collapsed at Ikoyi, Lagos State or not.
Frank also called on the Lagos State overnment to tell Nigerians how a 15-storey structure duly approved by it got to 21 floors.
One of the three high-rise buildings under construction at Ikoyi, had caved in on Monday killing the developer and chief executive of Fourscore Heights Limited, Femi Osibona, and 32 others.
Many workers were left with varied degrees of injuries while some are said to be missing. Read more
Ikoyi Building: SON begins investigation into cause of collapse (New Telegraph)
The Director-General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Farouk Salim, on Friday, advocated strong sanctions for all standards infractions following the collapse of the 21-storey building at Gerrard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Salim said this in a condolence message to the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and victims of the building collapse on November 1, in Lagos.
The SON chief noted that the agency had visited the site to commence investigation by taking samples of iron rods, concrete mix and other materials for laboratory tests and analysis.
He stressed the importance of promoting voluntary compliance in Nigeria as in other parts of the world, and described the incident as avoidable and one collapse too many. Read more
Lagos Building Collapse: Osinbajo to sue Sahara Reporters (Leadership)
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said he was saddened by the events that occurred in Lagos on Monday, November 1, 2021, where a high-rise building under construction on Gerrard Road, Ikoyi, collapsed.
According to a statement by his media aide, Laolu Akande, he consoled with the families and relatives of all those who have died, were injured or affected in the collapse as he considered this painful loss of lives a horrible tragedy.
Also, Akande said the attention of the Vice President has been drawn to an obviously sponsored falsehood regarding the recently collapsed building published by Sahara Reporters on November 4, 2021, to the effect that: the VP owns the land upon which the collapsed building in Ikoyi stood.
“That the said land was sold to him by Chief Michael Ade-Ojo, Chairman of Elizade Motors; and Read more
FG has no plan to raise petrol pump price, says NMDRA (Vanguard)
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDRA) on Friday disclosed that there is no imminent plan by the Federal Government to raise the pump price of premium motor spirit (petrol).
The Chief Executive Officer of the Authority, Engr. Farouk Ahmed in a statement in Abuja cautioned oil marketers against introducing a hike in the price of the product.
Members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) had during the week raised the alarm that private depot owners had increased the price of petrol by N9 per litre.
Mr. Ahmed noted that the government has no plan to implement an increase in the price of the product. Read more
Court bars FG from deducting $418m from states (Punch)
A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday stopped the Federal Government from executing its plan to deduct $418m from the bank accounts of the 36 states of the federation.
Justice Inyang Ekwo gave the restraining order against the Federal Government following an ex parte application argued by the lawyers to the 36 States Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, and Ahmed Raji, SAN.
While moving the application, Okutepa, who led the legal team of the States told Justice Ekwo that the 36 states would be completely crippled if the Federal Government goes ahead to deduct the huge amount from the bank accounts of the states.
According to him, the Federal Government had revealed the plan to deduct the $418m from the state account monthly as part of debts for contracts allegedly executed for the states. Read more
It will take Nigeria 120 years to have required medical doctors ― Minister (Tribune)
The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu on Friday said that it would take Nigeria about 120 years to meet the required medical doctor/patients ratio considered by World Health Organization if there is no brain drain.
Adamu stated this in his goodwill message at the maiden matriculation ceremony of the Federal University of Health Sciences in the Otukpo area of Benue State.
The minister who was represented by the permanent secretary, Sonny Echono said that in order to meet the required ratio of one doctor to 600 patients informed the university of health sciences in the country.
According to the minister, “The ratio stipulates one doctor to every 600 patients (1:6) this contrasts with the current one to 6000 (1:6000) ratio in Nigeria. Read more
Court remands 2 herbalists, 1 other for alleged murder (Vanguard)
A Magistrates’ Court sitting in Iyaganku, Ibadan, on Friday remanded two herbalists and one other man at the Abolongo correctional facility for alleged murder of a woman, identified as Mudijat.
The two herbalists are: Ismail Wasiu, 29, and Shittu Mutairu, 35, while the other defendant is Kareem Rafiu, a. k. a. Omo Odo Agba, 26.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the trio of Wasiu, Mutairu and Rafiu are being tried on a two-count charge of conspiracy and murder.
The Magistrate, Mrs Munirat Giwa-Babalola who did not take the plea of the defendants due to lack of jurisdiction, ordered their remand at Abolongo correctional facility, Oyo Town. Read more
Army Private to die by lethal injection for car snatching (Nation)
A Private in the Nigerian Army, Dompa Hyellablani, has been sentenced to die by lethal injection or hanging for seizing a car from a woman at gunpoint.
Hyellablani, who was serving at 351 Artillery in Monguno, Borno State but secured a pass to come to Adamawa State, was convicted by a court Yola for snatching the said car, a Toyota Camry belonging to Rita Harrison, a civil servant.
He was convicted on a two-count charge of criminal conspiracy and armed robbery.
Hon Justice Kanyson Lawanson of Yola High Court pronounced the death sentence on Hyellablani but acquitted Emmanuel Adeka’a, a 19-year-old applicant who was arraigned alongside the soldier on the same charges. Read more
First, second prosecution witnesses testify in late Umoren’s murder case (Vanguard)
The Chairman of Uruan Local Government Council, Akwa Ibom State, Surv. Iniobong Ekpenyong has given his testimony in the ongoing trial of Uduak-Abasi Akpan over the murder of 26-year-old Iniubong Umoren.
Ekpenyong testified as the first Prosecution Witness (PW1) on Thursday before the trial Judge, Justice Bassey Nkanang at Akwa Ibom State High Court 9 sitting in Uyo.
He told the Court how he acilitated the arrest of his cousin, Uduak-Abasi Akpan, whom is standing trial for the murder of Miss Iniubong Umoren, graduate of the University of Uyo, (UNIUYO).
He said he learnt about the murder of late Umoren when his attention was drawn to Social media post that the second accused person, Mr. Frank Akpan had been arrested. Read more
Ariana Grande will star in the film adaption of Wicked, and fans think she predicted the role 10 years ago (Glamour)
Ariana Grande will star alongside Cynthia Erivo in Universal’s adaption of award-winning musical ‘Wicked’, with Ari set to play Glinda The Good Witch and Cynthia cast as Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West.
The two celebrated on Instagram, with Ariana sending her co-star a bunch of green and pink flowers (the signature colours of Glinad and Elphaba): “Dear Cynthia, honored doesn’t even begin to cover it. I cannot wait to hug you. See you in Oz,” she wrote on the attached note.
But eagle-eyed fans actually think Ari predicted the role a whole 10 years ago, in a tweet from 2011.
Twitter account Ariana World HQ – run by Ari fans – spotted the tweet that read: “Loved seeing Wicked again… amazing production! Made me realize again how badly I want 2 play Glinda at some point in my life! #DreamRole,” she said. Read more
The party’s over: Diwali leaves Delhi wheezing in dangerously unhealthy air (Metro)
New Delhi residents woke up on Friday under a blanket of smog darkening the city, the most dangerous air pollution of the year after Diwali revellers defied – as usual – a fireworks ban during India’s annual Hindu festival of lights.
New Delhi has the worst air quality of all world capitals, but even by its sorry standards Friday’s reading – the morning after the end of Diwali – was extra bad, the price for celebrating India’s biggest festival in the noisiest and smokiest way.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) surged to 463 on a scale of 500 – the maximum recorded in 2021, indicating “severe” conditions that affect even healthy people let alone those with existing respiratory diseases.
The AQI measures the concentration of poisonous particulate matter PM2.5 in a cubic metre of air. In Delhi, a city of nearly 20 million people, the PM2.5 reading on Friday averaged 706 micrograms, whereas the World Health Organization deems anything above an annual average of 5 micrograms as unsafe. Read more
Taylor Swift is releasing an “All Too Well” short film on November 12 (AVClub)
When Taylor Swift announced that her next “Taylor’s Version” remade album would be Red, her impassioned stans were ecstatic. They’d finally get to hear the 10-minute version of “All Too Well,” the song that’s long been speculated to be a takedown on Jake Gyllenhaal (whom Swift dated in 2010-2011), and sparked questions about whether Maggie Gyllenhaal still has Swift’s scarf.
Swift knows how much fans are eager to hear the unfiltered, uncut version of the song (that’s been said to even include cursing—a rare instance for Swift in those days), so she’s finally sharing it in a big way: with a short film.
She shared a teaser of it on Friday morning, featuring a car driving up in picturesque fall foliage.
The 10-minute music video/short film arrives on November 12—the same day Red (Taylor’s Version) arrives, starring Swift, alongside Stranger Things’ Sadie Sink and former Teen Wolf star Dylan O’Brien. Swift also wrote and directed it. With the lore of the story behind “All Too Well,” it’s not much of a coincidence that casting-wise, Swift went with a teen star that people associate with a younger fanbase—and a male star who also has his own fervent fans. Read more
Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak release Silk Sonic’s ‘Smokin Out the Window’ music video (UPI)
Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak are back with new music as the R&B duo Silk Sonic.
The pair released a single and music video for the song “Smokin Out the Window” on Friday.
The “Smokin Out the Window” video shows Mars and .Paak perform on a retro-inspired stage as they sing about spending money and time on a love interest who was untrue.
“Smokin’ out the window / Singin’ ‘How could she do this to me?’ / (How could she do this to me?) / I thought that girl belonged to only me / But I was wrong / ‘Cause she belong to everybody, everybody,” the duo sing. Read more
Bob Baker dead: Co-creator of Doctor Who’s K9 and Wallace and Gromit writer dies aged 82 (Metro)
Bob Baker, who co-created Doctor Who’s iconic K9 character, as well as writing many of the Doctor’s original adventures, has died aged 82.
The @K9Official1 account on Twitter announced his death on Friday, labelling him a ‘stalwart of children’s television’ having contributed to many of the most famous episodes of the sci-fi series.
Doctor Who’s official account also tweeted a tribute after hearing of his death.
It said: ‘We’re sad to hear that Bob Baker has passed away, who wrote many of the Doctor’s adventures, and was the co-creator of K9.’ Read more
Shop workers become TikTok stars with home-spun video clips (Guardian)
Step aside Kim Kardashian and Joe Wicks, retailers are turning shop floor managers into the new influencers, as their home-spun video clips are building a huge fanbase on social media.
Marks & Spencer has Craig Field at its store in Longbridge, whose enthusiastic TikTok clip about how to use self-scanning technology went viral, garnering more than 1.3m views; at the Superdrug White Rose store in Leeds, the staff TikTok stars have more followers than the health and beauty chain’s corporate account, and John Lewis’s team of insiders and personal stylists is making waves on Instagram.
Brands may spend millions of pounds on mainstream advertising but these folksy, unvarnished social media clips and photos are building relationships with customers in a way glossy TV spots can’t. In an age of digital takeover, they highlight the benefits of physical stores, where regular customers can feel part of the family.
Sharry Cramond, the marketing director of M&S food, says the retailer began using local social media at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, when there was a demand for store-by-store updates on what was in stock and whether there were queues. Now all stores have their own Facebook page and 200 have TikTok accounts; and the company draws on the Instagram posts of a host of insiders to fuel online fashion content. Read more
Pfizer’s Covid pill cuts deaths and hospitalisations by 89 per cent (Telegraph)
The first pill specifically developed to treat Covid-19 cuts the risk of death or hospitalisation by 89 per cent in trials, according to its manufacturer, Pfizer.
If the results are replicated in real-world use, they could prove a game changer – saving nine out of ten susceptible patients.
The results were so positive that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cut the trial short, and Pfizer will now submit data for an emergency use licence for the drug.
Antiviral pills that can be taken at home to stop Covid-19 from becoming a more serious illness are seen as crucial in the fight against the virus, and experts hailed the results as potentially marking a “new era” in stopping serious illness in the pandemic. Read more
Dwayne Johnson pledges to stop using real guns on his productions, following ‘Rust’ tragedy (Variety)
Dwayne Johnson’s new movie for Netflix, “Red Notice,” stars three of the biggest celebrities on the planet — Johnson, Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot — and is one of many Hollywood films that feature firearms for the sake of action-packed storylines.
“Red Notice,” which launches on the streaming service on Nov. 12, followed very careful safety protocols on-set, as most productions do. But after the tragic death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on Alec Baldwin’s film “Rust,” Johnson is pledging to stop using real firearms on all projects that are produced by his company, Seven Bucks Productions.
“First of all, I was heartbroken,” Johnson began, speaking to Variety at Wednesday night’s premiere of “Red Notice” in Los Angeles. “We lost a life. My heart goes out to her family and everybody on set. I’ve known Alec, too, for a very long time.”
Johnson, who has to handle firearms in “Red Notice,” says he will only use rubber guns on his sets, and will enforce that rule with any studio he is working with. Read more
Harry Kane breaks silence on Tottenham appointing Antonio Conte with Daniel Levy message (DailyStar)
Harry Kane has hailed the “ambitious” appointment of Antonio Conte as new Tottenham manager in a message aimed at chairman Daniel Levy.
The England captain led the line in Spurs’ eventful 3-2 Europa Conference League victory over Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem as Conte began his Tottenham reign with a win.
After initially turning the club down in the summer, former Chelsea boss Conte agreed to become the new man in charge of Spurs following Nuno Espirito Santo’s sacking earlier this week.
While Tuesday saw the much-anticipated start of the Conte era, it also marked 5000 days since Tottenham lifted their last trophy, the League Cup in 2008. Read more
Ansu Fati returns for Spain’s decisive World Cup qualifiers (DailyMail)
Spain coach Luis Enrique called up Barcelona teenager Ansu Fati on Friday for the national team´s decisive World Cup qualifiers against Greece and Sweden.
With two matches remaining, Spain is in second place behind Sweden in their qualifying group. The group winners qualify for the next year´s tournament in Qatar, while second-place finishers face a playoff.
Spain plays Greece in Athens on Nov. 11 and then hosts Sweden in Seville on Nov. 14. Sweden leads Group B with 15 points, followed by Spain with 13 and Greece with nine.
The 19-year-old Fati will join a squad that is largely untouched from the group that reached the semifinals of the European Championship in July and the Nations League final last month. Read more
Cleveland Browns release Odell Beckham Jr.; disgruntled wide receiver heads to waivers (USAToday)
The Cleveland Browns released wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. on Friday, ending a rocky two-plus year tenure with the team, the Browns announced.
Beckham will now head to the waiver wire after a negotiation concerning the terms of his release are finalized. Teams won’t be able to claim Beckham on waivers until next week.
“After careful consideration, internal discussions and conversations with Odell and his representation, we’ve determined that it is in the best interest of all parties involved that Odell no longer play for the Cleveland Browns,” Browns general manager Andrew Berry said in a statement. “We appreciate all his efforts and contributions while in Cleveland, but we’ve just reached a point where it is best that we move forward as a team without Odell. We are finalizing the process of granting Odell his release and we wish him well as he continues his career.”
Beckham’s release was swift this week after his father posted a video on social media pinpointing numerous times that quarterback Baker Mayfield didn’t target Beckham or missed chances for receptions when he was open. Read more
Andy Murray is set for a career defining year as he adjusts to life outside the top 100, says Greg Rusedski (Eurosport)
Former British number one Greg Rusedski believes that Andy Murray is set for a year that will define his career.
The two-time Wimbledon champion has struggled on his return from injury and has failed to make the quarter-finals of a singles event since 2017.
Now ranked outside the top 100, he faces tougher opponents in the earlier rounds of tournaments and so has struggled to find a run of form this season despite a return to fitness.
And Rusedski claims that the next year could be make or break for the Scot and whether he can cope with injuries and life as an unseeded competitor. Read more
Bruno Fernandes leaps to defence of “great person” Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (PunditArena)
Bruno Fernandes has issued a passionate defence of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as doubts continue over the Norwegian’s suitability to take Manchester United forward.
Scrutiny on Solskjaer’s position as manager intensified last week after Man United were crushed 5-0 at home to arch-rivals Liverpool but a win over Tottenham Hotspur and a Champions League draw with Atalanta appear to have eased the pressure somewhat.
In an interview with Sky Sports ahead of this weekend’s Manchester Derby, Bruno Fernandes has suggested that players should be taking responsibility for United’s poor performances, rather than their manager.
“He’s a great, great person,” the Portuguese midfielder said. “I think everyone knows the human part of him. I think it’s normal that people get upset when the results don’t come but it’s too easy to blame only the coach because when we go on the pitch we should do better.” Read more
Roberto Firmino: Liverpool forward out with serious hamstring injury (SkySports)
Roberto Firmino suffered a serious hamstring injury during Liverpool’s 2-0 Champions League win over Atletico Madrid, Jurgen Klopp has confirmed.
The Brazil international sustained the injury in the second-half at Anfield, having replaced Sadio Mane during the interval.
Ahead of the Super Sunday game against West Ham, Klopp said he was unsure how long Firmino would be on the sidelines.
“Bobby is not good news with a serious hamstring injury, really unfortunate,” the Liverpool manager told the club’s website. Read more
Andy Murray is set for a career Defining Year as He adjusts To Life outside the Top 100, Says Greg Rusedki (Eurosport)
Former British number one Greg Rusedski believes that Andy Murray is set for a year that will define his career.
The two-time Wimbledon champion has struggled on his return from injury and has failed to make the quarter-finals of a singles event since 2017.
Now ranked outside the top 100, he faces tougher opponents in the earlier rounds of tournaments and so has struggled to find a run of form this season despite a return to fitness.
And Rusedski claims that the next year could be make or break for the Scot and whether he can cope with injuries and life as an unseeded competitor. Read more
Ex-NBA guard Deron Williams to fight on Jake Paul/ Tommy Fury undercard, could face Frank Gore (USAToday)
Former NBA player Deron Williams is set to fight on the undercard of the Jake Paul-Tommy Fury fight on Dec. 18.
The Athletic first reported the news of the Williams fight, which will take place at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.
Williams is the just latest former athlete who isn’t a boxer to step into the ring.
According to the report, a potential opponent for Williams could be Frank Gore, who is third on the NFL’s all-time rushing yards list. Gore, 38, played last season with the New York Jets. Read more