Concerns as 1 Pound trades for N1000 at parallel market (DailyTrust)
The sharp fall of the naira against the foreign currencies continues this weekend with the British Pound crossing N1000 in the parallel market.
There are fears that the dollar which has also been on a steep rise in value against the naira may cross N1000 any moment from now.
The current black market rate which is though not recognised by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has now almost doubled the official rate, thereby widening the disparity and putting more pressure on businesses.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had last week raided some bureau de change (BDC) operators in Lagos, Abuja and Kano in a bid to tackle the rising exchange rate but this has not stopped the naira depreciation. Read more
Tinubu, Atiku, Obi, Kwankwaso face Nigerians in debate today (Punch)
A pro-democracy think tank, the Centre for Democracy and Development has extended invitations to leading presidential candidates in the 2023 elections to speak on their plans for the country.
The invitation would also allow them to convince Nigerians that their political parties possessed the best ideas for bringing lasting solutions to the country’s challenges.
The candidates invited to the town hall organised by the CDD in collaboration with Arise Television were Asiwaju Bola Tinubu (All Progressives Congress); Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (Peoples Democratic Party; Peter Obi (Labour Party) and Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso (New Nigeria Peoples Party).
A statement issued on Sunday by the Director of the CDD, Idayat Hassan, said the first of these sessions would take place today, November 6 and would air on Arise TV and on its YouTube and social media channels. Read more
NDLEA nabs 2 Pakistani bizmen, 3 others over drug trafficking (Vanguard)
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested two Pakistani businessmen at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos with 8 kilograms of cocaine concealed in a public address system while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to Lahore, Pakistan via Doha.
The two suspects: Asif Muhammed, 45 and Hussain Naveed, 57, who hold Nigerian residence permits suspected to be fake are frequent travelers to Nigeria under the guise of doing textile business.
A statement by Femi Babafemi, Spokesman said, “They were arrested on Saturday 5th November at the Lagos airport barely a week after they came to Nigeria, that is, Sunday 30th October.
Also, “Operatives at the SAHCO import shed of the airport on Friday 4th November seized 13 cartons of Tramadol 225mg and 200mg imported from Karachi, Pakistan. Read more
LASTMA warns commercial drivers against use of unpainted vehicles (Punch)
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has warned commercial drivers against using unpainted vehicles for transportation in the state.
The spokesperson for the agency, Taofiq Adebayo, in a statement, said in view of the need to comply with the laws and regulations guiding the operation of all commercial vehicle operators, the state government again warned that all intra-state commercial bus operators must ensure that their vehicles were painted in red or yellow with black stripes or be impounded by the government.
Adebayo said, “The General Manager of LASTMA, Bolaji Oreagba, gave the warning over the weekend in Oshodi, informing that the agency will commence an enforcement exercise on all unpainted commercial vehicles from Monday, November 7, 2022, across the state.
“Mr. Oreagba disclosed further that the warning was to ensure that commercial bus operators, especially those on intra-state services, comply with the existing law of Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law, 2018 in order to restore sanity on the roads and protect the lives and property of Lagosians. Read more
Group of hackers steals $11m from Nigeria, others (Vanguard)
A group of hackers, OPERA1ER, has stolen about $11m from companies in Nigeria, Benin, Cameroon, 11 other African countries, and Argentina.
This is in line with a latest report from Group-IB, a cybersecurity firm, entitled, “OPERA1ER: Playing God without permission,” in collaboration with the researchers from Orange CERT Coordination Center.
The firm said that digital forensic artifacts analysed by it and Orange followed more than 30 successful intrusions of the gang between 2018 and 2022.
The company’s data disclosed that companies in Ivory Coast were the most targeted. Read more
2 killed as youths clash in Ogun (Channels)
Two persons have died in Iperu-Remo, the hometown of Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, following a boundary dispute.
Channels Television gathered that the lingering boundary is a dispute between Ogere, a neighbouring community, and Abiodun’s hometown in Ikenne Local Government Area.
Though violence broke out on Thursday when youths from Iperu and Ogere towns engaged themselves in a fight, the police authorities confirmed the incident on Sunday.
Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the incident was caused by a cult clash which later resulted in a boundary dispute between the two neighbouring towns. Read more
Ex-FCT council chairman, Danladi Zhin dies at 54 (DailyTrust)
A former chairman of the Kuje Area Council of the FCT, Danladi Etsu Zhin, has died at 54. A close aide to the deceased, Godwin Omonya, who confirmed the death, said Zhin died in the early hours of Sunday, at a private hospital in Abuja.
He added that Zhin had been hospitalized for over a month as a result of undisclosed ailments, however, at 12:34 am on Sunday, he died.
He disclosed that the remains of the deceased have been deposited at a hospital morgue in Abuja, by his family members.
It was learnt that the late Zhin, was a House of Representatives aspirant for the Abuja South constituency under the platform of APC, in the 2019 election. Read more
5 die, 2 injured in Bauchi auto crash (Independent)
No fewer than five persons have lost their lives while two others lost their lives in a fatal motor accident at Isma village along Bauchi -Jos highway.
The fatal accident involved a Peugeot 406 with Registration number KRD649CA, a private car and DAF tanker trailer with registration number MSA394SA belonging to the fleet of AIB.
According to a road traffic crash (RTC) report from: RS 12.1 Bauchi Sector Command, the crash occurred on the 5th of November 2022 at about 0750 hrs and 7 persons were involved in the crash to include 3 Male Adults, 3 Female Adults and 1 Female Child.
“The Crash was caused as a result of speed limit violation (SPV).The vehicles and properties were handed over to the GRA Police Station in Bauchi, the Motor Traffic Division (MTD) the corpses and other victims were taken to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, (ATBUTH) for deposit at the mortuary and medication” The RTV report said. Read more
US singer and rapper Aaron Carter dies aged 34 (BBC)
Singer and rapper Aaron Carter has died at the age of 34.
He was the younger brother of the Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter.
Website TMZ said Carter was found dead in his bath at his home in Lancaster, California, on Saturday morning. Representatives of his team confirmed his death, PA reported.
“Right now it’s a really bad time, we’re trying to figure out what happened and what the cause of it was,” they said.
“We’re just as upset as everyone and hope that fans can give thoughts and prayers to his family.” Read more
Black Panther director Ryan Coogler reveals details of his final call with Chadwick Boseman (Metro)
Black Panther director Ryan Coogler has revealed the details of his final call with Chadwick Boseman before his death.
The actor starred as the film’s titular character in the first installment of the franchise before his death aged 43 in 2020.
It came after being diagnosed with stage four colon cancer, for which he had privately been undergoing cancer treatment since 2016.
Marvel bosses decided that the much-loved star would not be recast in the upcoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, with producers instead making the sequel a tribute to Boseman and his character’s legacy within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Read more
Duran Duran’s Andy Taylor misses Hall Of Fame ceremony due to cancer treatment (NME)
Former Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor was forced to miss the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame ceremony due to ongoing treatment for stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer.
Duran Duran were among those inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame last night (November 5) and former guitarist Taylor was due to reunite onstage with the band for the first time in 17 years.
Taylor joined the band in 1980 and left in 1986. He then rejoined in 2001 and played guitar on 2004’s ‘Astronaut’ before leaving again in 2006.
Asked about Duran Duran’s performance at the ceremony earlier this year, vocalist Simon Le Bon said “I’ve already had a definite yes from Andy. He’s definitely up for it,” before saying how “we didn’t have so-called ‘acrimonious splits.’ It was gentlemanly and it was understood.” Read more
Glastonbury Festival ticket sale hit by technical issue (BBC)
A “technical problem” has led to difficulties for some people trying to buy tickets for next year’s Glastonbury Festival.
Second release tickets went on sale at 09:00 GMT on Saturday but many fans reported the site repeatedly crashing during the booking process.
Tickets took more than an hour to sell out, and organiser Emily Eavis apologised to those who missed out.
She said there would be a ticket resale in 2023. Read more
Tanzanian Tug of War wins top prize at Tunisia’s Carthage Film Festival (AlArabiya)
Tanzanian film Tug of War, about love and politics during the final years of British colonial Zanzibar, has won the Tanit d’Or at Tunisia’s prestigious Carthage Film Festival.
Africa’s oldest film festival, held in the capital Tunis, presented a total of 170 films from around 40 countries, and ended with the prizes on Saturday night.
The winning film whose title in Swahili is “Vuta N’Kuvute” was directed by Amil Shivji.
Two other feature-length films also received awards at the 33rd edition of the festival devoted to Arab and African filmmakers. Read more
Richard E Grant: Learning NI accent led me to the love of my life (BelfastTelegraph)
Star Richard E Grant has revealed he went in search of an Ulster accent – and ended up with a 40-year romance.
The Withnail and I star was a struggling actor when he first arrived in London in 1982 and looking for parts.
He said he was advised to learn a Northern Irish twang in a bid to get a role in productions about the Troubles.
That led him to the door of voice coach Joan Washington, who would then become the love of his life. Read more
Ukraine war: US urges Kyiv to be open to talks with Moscow, report says (SCMP)
The United States is privately encouraging Ukraine to signal an openness to negotiate with Russia, The Washington Post reported, as the State Department said Moscow was escalating the war and did not seriously wish to engage in peace talks.
The newspaper cited unnamed sources as saying the request by American officials was not aimed at pushing Ukraine to the negotiating table, but a calculated attempt to ensure Kyiv maintains the support of other nations.
US and Ukrainian officials acknowledged that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s ban on talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin had generated concern in parts of Europe, Africa and Latin America, where the war’s effects on costs of food and fuel are felt most sharply, the Post said.
“Ukraine fatigue is a real thing for some of our partners,” it quoted an unnamed US official as saying. Read more
Wilder vs Joshua 2023 unlikely (Punch)
Anthony Joshua is unlikely to face Deontay Wilder in 2023, as the Bronze Bomber already has his next two fights lined up ahead of a massive Pay Per View in Las Vegas next year.
As WBN confirmed, Wilder turned down an offer to meet with Anthony Joshua in Abu Dhabi this week as a fight with Andy Ruiz Jr. draws closer.
Wilder vs Ruiz Jr. is on the cards for the first quarter of 2023 in the world’s boxing capital.
A date of March 18 is already booked at the MGM Grand Garden Arena by Premier Boxing Champions and Tom Brown Sports. Read more
No date announced for NPFL kickoff – Owumi (Sun)
Prince Davidson Owumi, the Head of Operations of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) has said the Interim Management Committee (IMC) have not announced any date for the start of the 2022/23 league season.
He said the clarification became necessary as a result of trending stories in the media which did not emanate from any member of the IMC.
“Our attention has been drawn to stories which are mere media speculations suggesting the league will commence on December 1.
“This cannot be true as NPFL matches are traditionally not played on Thursdays and December 1 is a Thursday “, Owumi stated.
Arsenal back on top after Gabriel winner at Stamford Bridge (RTE)
Gabriel scored the winner to return Arsenal to the top of the Premier League in a hard-fought 1-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Manager Mikel Arteta remains unbeaten in all of Arsenal’s Premier League visits to Stamford Bridge since he took the reins in December 2019, as his side left with all three points in a game of few clear-cut chances.
The central defender poked a probing goalward-bound looped corner from Bukayo Saka over the line for the only goal of the game in the 63rd minute.
Chelsea had been looking to return to winning ways in the league having been hammered 4-1 at Brighton the previous weekend, with manager Graham Potter suffering his first defeat since he took charge of the club in September. Read more
Canadian star Alphonso Davies suffers hamstring strain, ”not in danger” of missing World Cup (CBC)
Bayern Munich says Alphonso Davies’ injury is not as bad as initially feared and his participation in the World Cup for Canada is “not at risk.”
The 22-year-old Davies suffered what Bayern said Sunday was a “hamstring strain” in the team’s 3-2 win at Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga on Saturday. He’ll miss the German soccer club’s last two remaining games before the winter break but should return in time for Qatar.
Bayern said its medical department confirmed the diagnosis and “the Canada international’s participation in the World Cup in Qatar is not at risk.”
Canada has World Cup warmups against Bahrain in Manama on Nov. 11 and Japan in Dubai on Nov. 17. Read more
MotoGP: Francesco Bagnaia wins the world title at season-ending Valencia Grand Prix (BBC)
Italian Francesco Bagnaia has been crowned MotoGP world champion after finishing ninth in the season-ending Valencia Grand Prix.
The title marks the greatest comeback in MotoGP’s history as the Ducati rider had trailed Fabio Quartararo by 91 points midway through the season.
Yamaha’s Quartararo, the 2021 champion, needed a victory to overcome Bagnaia’s 23-point advantage but finished fourth.
Suzuki’s Alex Rins won the race ahead of Brad Binder and Jorge Martin. Read more
Lindsay Davenport identifies reason for Cori Gauff’s poor WTA Finals debut (TennisWorld)
American tennis legend Lindsay Davenport has come to the defence of Cori Gauff as she feels that the exhaustion and fatigue were a big reason why the 18-year-old went winless in her WTA Finals debut. Gauff, who made her maiden Grand Slam final at this year’s French Open, suffered straight-set defeats to Caroline Garcia and Daria Kasatkina in her first two group singles matches.
Gauff also competed in the doubles event with Jessica Pegula as the American duo went 0-3. After Gauff lost each of her first five WTA Finals matches, Davenport explained why Gauff should not be criticized.
“It’s the first season that Coco Gauff is not under the age of eligibility.
She’s played over 20 tournaments, she’s looked exhausted. She kind of looked the same as Guadalajara, and I think for a player that was such a great junior, it’s been so fun to get to the top. But also, normally, you don’t take five losses in a row. Read more