Emirates suspends Nigerian flights indefinitely (DailyTrust)
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) carrier, Emirates, has suspended its flights to Nigeria indefinitely, citing its trapped funds in Nigeria.
It also said it was yet to get its allocation from the $260m released by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to clear part of the blocked funds belonging to foreign airlines.
Daily Trust reports that Emirates had suspended its flight on September 1 but reinstated it after the CBN announced the release of $260m to clear part of the outstanding funds now estimated to over $700m.
Daily Trust reports that this flight suspension occurred a week after the UAE authorities suspended visa issuance to Nigerians visiting Dubai, which has further reduced the load factors of airlines. Read more
Lagos Market Fire: Traders, plaza owner bemoan N1bn losses (Punch)
Traders at the Tejuosho Market, Yaba, Lagos State, on Wednesday, lamented a fire incident that ravaged their stalls, destroying goods and machines they valued at a billion naira.
The fire, which happened on Tuesday, razed the Yaba Goshen Clothing Plaza, popularly known as The Kitchen.
Eyewitnesses claimed that the fire started from the generator stand at the back of the plaza.
When our correspondent visited the market on Wednesday, she observed that the stalls and machines had been reduced to scraps and ashes. Read more
2 days power blackout cripples Federal High Court, Lagos (Nation)
For the second day in a row, activities at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos have been crippled following a power blackout.
The Nation reports that the court has been in darkness since Wednesday morning following the non-supply of electricity to the facility.
Some cases slated for hearing Wednesday and Thursday, could not go on as the atmosphere was inconducive for some judges.
Despite the poor lighting nevertheless, some judges, court officials, lawyers and litigants carried on proceedings. Read more
Insecurity, poor funding mitigating Nigeria from attaining food security – Experts (Vanguard)
As part of efforts to foster development in Nigeria’s agro and allied business sector, experts have called on the government to tackle insecurity currently ravaging the country, and increase funding in the agricultural sector.
Speaking at the Vanguard Agro and Food Business roundtable held in Lagos on Thursday, the Managing Director Goshen Exquisite Marble, S.T Kuti-George noted insecurity as one the banes affecting the growth of agriculture in Nigeria with its ripple effects on the Nigerian economy.
George who was the immediate past chairman of the National Association of Small-Scale Industrialists also asserted the place of easy access to funding for farmers, saying such will upscale the productivity of the agricultural sector and consequently improve the economy.
He also advocated the introduction of modern technology into the agricultural sector as well as giving farmers easy access to low-prized fertilizers. Read more
4 Anambra men gang-rape teenager over father’s ‘sin’ (Punch)
The National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, Anambra State, in collaboration with vigilantes, has arrested three persons for allegedly gang-raping a 13-year-old girl.
PUNCH Metro gathered that four suspects were involved in the incident, but while three of them were arrested, the fourth suspect escaped when security operatives invaded their neighborhood at Nkpor, near Onitsha, Anambra State.
The state Commissioner for Women and Social Affairs, Ify Obinabo, disclosed the incident to journalists in Awka on Wednesday through her media aide, Chidimma Ikeanyionwu.
She said the culprits had been handed over to the state police headquarters in Awka, where they would be prosecuted. Read more
OAU debunks rumoured death of former VC (Leadership)
Authorities of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State have debunked the rumoured death of its former acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Anthony Elujoba.
A statement made available to journalists in Osogbo by the university’s public relations officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, stated that the rumoured death is unfounded.
“The attention of the authorities of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, has been drawn to an unfounded rumour making the rounds in the social media that a former acting vice chancellor of the university, Prof. Anthony Elujoba is dead.
“The rumour was not only false but wicked, malicious, unfortunate and downright satanic. Most unfortunate was that a few conventional media houses also aired the rumours on their frequency modulation, abandoning the age – long media maxim of ” if in doubt, leave out”. Read more
Flooding: Bayelsa not among 10 worst-hit states, Jigawa is number 1 – Minister (Channels)
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq has stated that from assessments carried out so far by the ministry, Bayelsa State is not among the top ten most affected states by the recent floods.
Addressing State House correspondents at the weekly ministerial briefing on Thursday, the minister said, instead, Jigawa is ranked number one most hit state.
She made the comment in reaction to claims made by elder statesman and leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark who implored the Federal Government to act to save flood victims in the Niger Delta and not abandon them.
According to the ministry, the criteria used to arrive at the conclusion are based on the following indices: the number of deaths recorded and displaced persons per state, number of injuries, partially damaged, houses totally damaged, farmlands partially and totally damaged. Read more
I never said Ayo Adebanjo has been removed as Afenifere leader – Fasoranti (Independent)
Elder statesman, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, has declared as false the news report making the rounds that he said Chief Ayo Adebanjo is no longer the acting leader of Afenifere.
Chief Fasoranti, in a statement dated November 3, 2022, and signed by his Personal Assistant, Mr A. Abiola, also declared that he never said future meetings of the group would be held in his Akure home.
Chief Fasoranti described the false report as designed to cause confusion and polarise Afenifere.
The statement reads: “It has come to Papa R.F. Fasoranti’s knowledge that some sections of the media, especially the social media, have been ascribing to him false statements designed to cause confusion and polarise Afenifere. Read more
Selena Gomez hints at new music in 2023 (MusicNews)
Selena Gomez hopes to release new music in 2023.
The former child star’s last studio album was 2020’s ‘Rare’, while last year she put out the Spanish language collection ‘Revelación’, and the ‘Come and Get’ hitmaker has hinted that she’ll return with more tunes next year.
Asked when fans can expect new music, she told Variety at the ‘Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me’ premiere at the AFI Festival on Wednesday (02.11.22): “Hopefully next year.”
The 30-year-old singer-and-actress also teased that it’s about time she played some shows for her fans. Read more
Bono opens book tour before adoring fans at Beacon Theatre (NYPost)
Bono opened his book tour Wednesday night in what he called a “transgressive” mood, a little bit guilty for appearing on stage with three musicians who were not his fellow members of U2 and otherwise singing, joking and shouting out his life story to thousands of adoring fans at Manhattan’s Beacon Theatre.
He even performed one song in Italian, a flawlessly operatic take of “Torna a Surriento.”
“This is all a little surreal,” he noted at one point. “But it seems to be going well.”
The 62-year-old singer, songwriter and humanitarian described himself as an eternal boy (born Paul David Hewson) with his fists “in the air,” a “grandstanding” rock star and a baritone trying to be a tenor. He is now a published and best-selling author, his “Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story” out this week and already in the top 10 on Amazon.com. Read more
Equalizer 3 drug bust drama as Italian police seize cocaine from catering staff (Metro)
Italian paramilitary police raided hotel rooms used by employees of a catering company on The Equalizer 3 on the Amalfi coast, arresting two staff members and seizing more than 100 grams of cocaine.
Italian newspaper Il Giornale (via Variety) reported that the bust took place on Tuesday (November 1) with Carabinieri police entering hotel rooms in the seaside resort of Maiori used by catering staff members on Denzel Washington film The Equalizer 3.
The picture is currently being filmed in the area with production company Garbo Produzioni.
Investigations began after the head of the film’s catering service reportedly died of a sudden heart attack on Monday (October 31) evening. Read more
Kevin Spacey to receive Lifetime Achievement Award from Italy’s National Museum of Cinema (People)
Kevin Spacey is stepping back into public life.
On Thursday, Variety reported that the actor will make his first public speaking appearance in five years when he takes part in a masterclass at the National Museum of Cinema in Turin, Italy and receives a lifetime achievement award on Jan. 16, 2023.
The masterclass and event will also include a screening hosted by the museum of one of 63-year-old Spacey’s movies that the actor himself will select and introduce, according to the outlet.
In 2021, Spacey filmed his first movie role since sexual assault allegations against him first surfaced in Turin for his cameo as a police detective in Franco Nero’s Italian film L’uomo Che Disegnò Dio, as Variety noted. Read more
Neil Young ‘‘Harvest Time’’ documentary set for release in December (NME)
A new documentary film about Neil Young‘s 1972 album ‘Harvest’ is set to be screened in cinemas next month.
The film, which features never-before-seen footage that was filmed in northern California, London and Nashville, is being released to celebrate the record’s 50th anniversary this year.
Set to be screened in cinemas on December 1 (with select encores on December 4), Neil Young: Harvest Time will be preceded by a personal introduction from Young about the film and album.
“Created between January and September 1971, this docu-film takes viewers on an intimate journey to Young’s Broken Arrow Ranch in Northern California for the ‘Harvest Barn’ sessions, to London for an iconic performance with the London Symphony Orchestra, and to Nashville where the then 20-something Neil Young worked on various tracks of this signature album,” a synopsis for Harvest Time reads. Read more
No plans to move UK’s Israel embassy to Jerusalem – No 10 (BBC)
Downing Street has said there are no plans to move the UK’s embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Liz Truss had ordered a review of the embassy’s location when she was prime minister.
The spokesperson of new PM Rishi Sunak said the idea “had been looked at” but the embassy would not be moving.
A move would have been contentious, with the Palestinians previously calling Ms Truss’s proposal a “blatant violation of international law”.
The opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem in 2018 was met with outrage across the Arab world. Read more
Microsoft extends aid for Ukraine’s wartime tech innovation (ABC)
Ukraine is counting on more Western technological support as its war against Russia drags on, with Microsoft pledging Thursday to extend its backing for Kyiv’s “extraordinary” wartime innovation through the end of next year.
Microsoft’s financial commitment of more than $400 million enables the Ukraine government and other organizations to continue using the Microsoft cloud and its public data centers across Europe, the company’s president, Brad Smith, announced at the annual Web Summit tech conference in Lisbon, Portugal.
Cloud technology offers resilience and security for Ukraine operations, Smith said, after Russia targeted Ukrainian data centers with air strikes when it invaded more than eight months ago.
The invasion triggered “extraordinary innovation” by the Ukrainian military, Smith said. Read more
CAF: Plateau United motivated to qualify — Sports commissioner (Punch)
The Plateau State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Dung Dalyop, on Wednesday said Plateau United is highly motivated to qualify and succeed in the 2022/2023 CAF Confederation Cup.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Plateau United, in the 2022/2023 CAF Confederation Cup playoff first-leg match, were bright in thrashing Al Akhdar Sports Club of Libya 4-1 in Abuja.
Dalyop told newsmen after the match that everything has been put in place to ensure the successful outing of the team in the competition.
“Well, I can tell you for a fact that the boys have been motivated to succeed in the CAF Confederation Cup. Read more
Women’s Nations League to be introduced for 1st time in 2023 (BBC)
A Women’s Nations League will take place for the first time next year.
European football’s governing body Uefa announced the new competition will begin in Autumn 2023 in the lead up to the 2025 Women’s European Championship.
The men’s Nations League was introduced in 2018 to replace international friendlies with more competitive games.
“Off the back of a historic Women’s Euros, it’s now time to further develop women’s national team football,” said Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin. Read more
Milan reignite interest in Chelsea winger Ziyech (FootballItalia)
Milan are feeling ambitious after their progression to the Champions League knock-out stages and have reportedly reignited their interest in Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech.
The Rossoneri were interested in picking up the 29-year-old Moroccan winger in the summer transfer window but ultimately turned their focus to Belgian talent Charles De Ketelaere, who was signed from Club Brugge. Ziyech is still struggling for regular playing time in West London, having made his last Premier League start back in August.
As reported by Daniele Longo of Calciomercato.com, Ziyech is keen on the idea of joining Milan and his entourage has expressed this to directors Paolo Maldini and Frederic Massara in recent days.
The current idea is a loan deal with a buy option attached and Milan are seriously considering the operation, although no final decision has been made. Read more
De La Hoya pleads with networks to deliver Tank-Garcia (BoxingScene)
Oscar De La Hoya says the only impediment remaining for a Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia lightweight super fight lies with the broadcasters.
De La Hoya’s company, Golden Boy Promotions, backs Garcia and has a content deal with the streaming platform DAZN. Davis, on the other hand, is backed by Al Haymon whose Premier Boxing Champions has a deal with the premium cable network Showtime.
Recently, BoxingScene.com reported that the question of who will carry the pay-per-view for a Davis-Garcia fight remains the biggest sticking point in negotiations. All other terms, with the fighters and promoters, appeared to have been agreed to for a January fight at a catchweight of 136 pounds.
De La Hoya — speaking from Abu Dhabi where his charge Gilberto Ramirez will take on light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol this Saturday — put the onus on the networks to make Davis-Garcia. Read more
NBA: Kyrie Irving and Brooklyn Nets pledge $1m after criticism over anti-Semitism (BBC)
The Brooklyn Nets and Kyrie Irving have pledged to donate $1m (£880,000) to combat “hate and intolerance” after he was criticised for sharing a link about a film featuring anti-Semitic tropes.
In a joint statement, Irving, 30, said he “meant no harm” but stopped short of apologising for the social media post.
Some fans wore ‘Fight Anti-Semitism’ T-shirts courtside at the Nets’ game against the Indiana Pacers on Monday.
Irving said not everything in the film reflected his “morals and principles”.
The seven-time NBA All-Star added: “I oppose all forms of hatred and oppression and stand strong with communities that are marginalized and impacted every day. Read more
Rafael Nadal isn’t confident about World Tour Finals after suffering Paris Masters defeat (CNN)
Rafael Nadal is out of the Paris Masters after being defeated by Tommy Paul – and the Spaniard isn’t betting on winning the ATP Tour Finals, either.
Paul, ranked No. 31 in the world, secured a 3-6 7-6(4) 6-1 victory over world No. 2 Nadal, who hadn’t played since teaming up with his long-time rival Roger Federer at the Laver Cup.
Down after the first set, the American bounced back to break Nadal to love for 2-2 in the second.
Paul then broke Nadal’s serve three times in the deciding set to wrap up the victory, in the process denying the Spaniard a chance to return to the top of the world rankings. Read more