Gbagada residents lament activities of criminals disguising as tricyclists (Guardian)
Gbagada residents, who have been patronising tricyclists for their transportation needs after Lagos State announced a total ban on okada operation in the state, on September 1, 2022, are lamenting that criminals, formerly using Okada to rob in the area have adopted a new strategy.
According to them, these criminals now disguise as tricyclists, also known as Keke Marwa operators to rob them.
The residents said the trend is more prevalent in the Ifako area of Gbagada and are calling on the state government to come to their aid.
A resident, Samuel Oriade, said criminals, who disguised as Keke Marwa riders, now use the opportunity to rob commuters of their valuables. Read more
Sultana Nabilah’s Cerebral Palsy Foundation launches in Lagos (DailyTrust)
Sultana Nabilah’s Cerebral Palsy Foundation (SNCPF), a not-for-profit organisation focused on caring for teens and adults with neurological conditions, has unfurled plans to build an “inclusive village” for teens with special care.
The organisation revealed the plan at its launch in Lagos on Wednesday.
SNCPF is an NGO created in the name of Nabilah, a 15-year-old girl with cerebral palsy, and it aims to provide holistic life for special care people.
According to Akeem Oyetunde, chairman of the organisation’s Board of Trustees, although SNCPF was established in the name of Nabilah, it was created to provide a care net for other people living with disabilities (PWDs).
He added that the organisation is ready to make the world a better place for people of special care. Read more
Lagos residents raise the alarm over pedestrian bridge at Charity (Guardian)
Lagos residents have raised the alarm over the faulty pedestrian bridge at Charity Bus Stop, Lagos, with students of Command Day Secondary School, Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC), Oshodi, Lagos, now taking a quick dash to cross the Oshodi-Apapa expressway.
Residents demand that the pupils and other pedestrians should be saved from the danger of crossing the road in the morning and after school hours. They are calling on the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing to fix the damaged pedestrian bridge, which has been shut by Lagos State Government for safety reasons.
The pedestrian bridge serves students, commuters and officers for years, until recently.
It has been shut for weeks and nothing has been done to repair it, thereby putting the school children and others at risk. Read more
No rift with Obi, says Soludo (Nation)
Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo yesterday dismissed an alleged rift between him and former governor and Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi.
He insisted that Obi remained his brother despite their political differences.
Soludo in an article titled, ‘History beckons and I will not be silent,’ dismissed Obi’s chances of winning the presidential poll.
He also said poverty worsened under Obi in Anambra.
Speaking at St. Patrick’s Cathedral Awka, during the Thanksgiving mass for Most Rev. Paulinus Ezeokafor in celebration of his 70th birthday, Soludo said he would soon meet with Obi to iron out their differences. Read more
Flood victims protest in Delta, accuse govt officials of sharp practices (Vanguard)
Aggrieved flood victims from Isoko, Delta State, yesterday, stormed Asaba, the state capital, vowing to hold ‘mother of all protests’, if they are not compensated within 14 days.
The aggrieved victims, numbering over 100, who besieged the gate of the State Government House, alleged that there were corrupt practices in the manner they were demobilised from their respective Internally Displaced Persons, IDP camps.
They alleged that several millions of naira meant for flood victims have found their way into private pockets.
Carrying placards with different inscriptions, one of the protesters, who simply gave his name as Ewoma, decried the alleged fraudulent and corrupt way some government officials in charge of the compensation carried out the exercise. Read more
Kidnappers in army uniform abduct Lagos passengers, probe begins (Punch)
A yet-to-be-identified man has narrated his ordeal in the hands of suspected kidnappers who abducted him and other passengers in the Lekki area of Lagos State.
The victim, in a viral video on Thursday, said he boarded a commercial bus to the Iyana-Oworo area of the state, but in the course of the journey, discovered that he had fallen into the hands of suspected kidnappers.
He said, “I got into a bus heading to Iyana Oworo and noticed this weird smell. Anybody who has been in a military training or setting will know about gasses that knock people off. I knew that was what it was, so I spat in my handkerchief and used it to cover my nose.
“In about five to 10 minutes, every other passenger in the bus had fallen asleep except members of the team who had all used nose masks to cover their noses.” Read more
Interswitch SPAK 4.0 National Science Competition kicks off (Vanguard)
Interswitch, Africa’s leading integrated payments and digital commerce company, has commenced the airing of the fourth season of the InterswitchSPAK National Science Competition on cable and terrestrial TV.
On the path to inspire Africa to greatness, InterswitchSPAK serves as Interswitch’s CSR vehicle to encourage and reward interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) among secondary school students in Nigeria and Africa between the ages of 14 and 17.
The programme began airing on Sunday, November 6, 2022. Subsequently, its schedule is slated to air on AIT Network on Sundays at 7:30 pm and DSTV Africa Magic Family Main Show on Sundays at 5:30 pm, with repeat broadcasts on Wednesdays at 3 pm.
To participate in the thrilling weekly show, viewers are encouraged to tune in and watch as young Nigerians display their brilliance across subjects anchored on STEM, as they compete for the grand prize of N12.5 million in scholarships among other exciting prizes. Read more
Marketers warn of possible petrol price increase (Punch)
Oil marketers, on Thursday, issued a stern warning to the public, asking them to expect to buy petrol at ‘any price’.
Marketers, under the aegis of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, told The PUNCH that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited refused to give its members products, and that they bought at N205 from third parties.
National Controller Operations, IPMAN, Mike Osatuyi, told The PUNCH that members of the association had bought products for N205 and would add N13 transportation to the cost.
“NNPC refuses to give us fuel. We buy from third parties and can sell at any price because if the landing cost to our stations is N218 per litre, how much do you expect us to sell? So the public should expect fuel at any price, depending on the area,” he said. Read more
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever rules box office (Variety)
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever continued to rule over the Thanksgiving holiday box office. Faced with only token opposition, the superhero sequel picked up $10 million on Wednesday. The Marvel and Disney release is on pace to earn roughly $63 million over the five-day period, easily topping the competition.
Another Disney movie, “Strange World,” is bombing, grossing a disappointing $4.2 million on Wednesday as it eyes a five-day haul of under $24 million. That’s a terrible result for the $180 million-budgeted animated adventure. For comparison sake, “Encanto,” another recent Disney animated offering, earned $40.3 million over the Thanksgiving holiday in 2021 — and that was considered to be a soft result for the family film. “Encanto” didn’t really tap into the zeitgeist until it started streaming on Disney+ when “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” became ubiquitous.
Among the other newcomers, Sony and Black Label Media’s “Devotion,” an inspirational drama about two elite US Navy fighter pilots, grossed $1.8 million. It’s looking at a five-day haul of $10.2 million.
MGM and United Artists Releasing’s “Bones and All” is stumbling in its expansion, earning roughly $900,000 on Wednesday. The off-beat story of young cannibals in love is on pace to earn $4.3 million over the five-day period. It opened last weekend in limited release. Read more
Man charged with murder after mum and two daughters die in flat fire (Metro)
A 31-year-old man has been charged with the murders of a woman and her two daughters who died following a fire at their home in Nottingham.
Fatoumatta Hydara, 28, and Fatimah Drammeh, three, and Naeemah Drammeh, one, lost their lives.
Ms Hydara was rushed to Queen’s Medical Centre following Sunday’s fire in Fairisle Close at 3.17am.
Her two children were taken to the same hospital and pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Read more
Paula Abdul roasted for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade ‘turkey’ dance (NYPost)
She’s getting roasted.
Former “American Idol” judge Paula Abdul was canned Thursday after she performed a tap dance during the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on the Jennie-O Turkey Store float.
The 11-second clip was posted on Twitter and immediately caused a squawk among social media users.
“Budget performance,” slammed one user.
“I didn’t realize there was a big head filter,” joked another person.
“She’s faking everything about this,” a third person said. Read more
Universal flu vaccine could counter future pandemic (BBC)
Scientists say they have made a breakthrough designing a vaccine against all 20 known types of flu.
It uses the same messenger-ribonucleic-acid (mRNA) technology as successful Covid vaccines.
Flu mutates and the current annual jab is updated to ensure the best match for the sort circulating but would probably not protect against new pandemic types.
The new vaccine triggered high levels of antibodies, in tests on ferrets and mice, that could fight a broad range.
The antigens it contains – safe copies of recognisable bits of all 20 known subtypes of influenza A and B viruses – can teach the immune system how to fight them and, hopefully, any new strain that could spark a pandemic, the researchers say, in the journal Science. Read more
Witness describes horrific Walmart shooting scene, says gunman Andre Bing ‘shot dead bodies to make sure’ (NYPost)
The crazed Walmart manager who killed six people was “hunting” for specific coworkers, a witness to the gruesome massacre claimed Thursday.
Jessica Wilczewski says when Andre Bing walked into the break room at the beginning of the evening shift Tuesday night in Chesapeake, Virginia, he knew who he wanted to kill.
“The way he was acting — he was going hunting,” she said. “The way he was looking at people’s faces and the way he did what he did, he was picking people out.
“What I do know is that he made sure who he wanted dead, was dead,” Wilczewski added. “He went back and shot dead bodies that were already dead. To make sure.” Read more
Tanzania starts rationing power because of drought (VOA)
Tanzanian authorities have started rationing electricity because of a drop in hydropower generation brought on by drought, the national provider said Wednesday, with some areas set to suffer nine-hour outages.
The East African nation has the capacity to generate nearly 1,695 megawatts through hydropower, natural gas and other means.
But it is facing a shortage of 300 to 350 megawatts, Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (Tanesco) managing director Maharage Chande said.
“There are two major reasons which have caused the shortages in generation: prolonged drought and ongoing maintenance in some of our plants,” Chande told reporters in the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, on Wednesday. Read more
Twitter Folds Brussels Office, Sparking Concern From E.U. Policymakers – Report (Variety)
Twitter has folded its Brussels office following a wave of company-wide cuts and departures. Although the Brussels office was small, it was perceived as a “crucial conduit to European policymakers,” according to the Financial Times, which was first to report the news.
The last two pillars of the Brussels office, Julia Mozer and Dario La Nasa, reportedly left the company last week.
Mozer and La Nasa were in charge of Twitter’s digital policy in Europe, including the compliance to EU’s disinformation code and the Digital Services Act, which aims to limit the spread of illegal content online.
The disbanding of the Brussels office is taking place at a critical time as the Digital Services Act came into effect last week, and EU officials are concerned that Twitter will not abide by these new rules. Read more
Gyan faults Ronaldo penalty call (Punch)
Former Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan believes Cristiano Ronaldo benefited from a contentious call for his penalty goal against Ghana in their 2022 World Cup Group H game at the Stadium 974, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Portugal won the frenetic game 3-2, with goals from Jao Felix and Raphael Leao, after Andre Ayew had cancelled out Ronaldo’s opener from the spot.
Osman Bukhari headed in a late second goal for Ghana, but the Portuguese held on for a nervy win against the team that raised the hope of Africans.
Gyan, who was on punditry duty for SuperSport TV during the game described the penalty call as soft. Read more
Cristiano Ronaldo says Manchester United ‘chapter is closed’ after Portugal beat Ghana (Metro)
Cristiano Ronaldo says his ‘chapter is closed’ at Manchester United following Portugal’s 3-2 victory over Ghana at the World Cup on Thursday.
Ronaldo made history during the match as he scored a penalty to put Portugal in front in the second half. That goal meant that Ronaldo has scored in five different different World Cups – a feat no other male player has achieved.
Portugal were involved in a dramatic end to the game but were able to hold on for the win which puts them top of Group H.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, finishes the week without a club as Manchester United announced on Tuesday evening that his contract had been terminated in response to his controversial interview with Piers Morgan. Read more
Delta 2022 National Sports Festival will hold as scheduled, LOC assures (Guardian)
The Local Organising Committee (LOC) for Delta 2022 National Sports Festival yesterday, assured that the Games will hold as scheduled.
The LOC said the statement became necessary because of rumours of a possible shift in date for the 21st Festival, which is billed to hold from November 28 to December 10.
The LOC’s Co-chairman, Chief Tonobok Okowa, who is also chairman of Delta Sports Commission and president of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), said preparations for the Games are on course with contractors handling the various projects working round the clock to put finishing touches to the state of the art facilities.
“The swimming pool is ready, and the multipurpose indoor sports hall will be handed over to us on Saturday. Read more
Richarlison spearheads Brazil’s World Cup charge (BBC)
Richarlison may have to justify his place as Brazil’s number nine to outsiders but he used his debut on the World Cup stage to demonstrate exactly why coach Tite is unswerving in his admiration.
Tottenham’s striker is up against formidable competition for his place in the team in Qatar from the likes of Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus and Rodrygo of Real Madrid, while Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino did not even make the journey.
In a squad overflowing with attacking riches, Tite has made Richarlison his first-choice striker to complement the gifts of Neymar and Vinicius Junior, and was the spearhead as the tournament favourites opened with an impressive 2-0 win over Serbia at Lusail Stadium.
Richarlison ended Brazil’s frustration in the face of Serbia’s massed defensive ranks when he pounced after goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic turned away Vinicius Junior’s shot just after the hour. Read more
Neymar in tears after injury during Brazil’s World Cup win vs Serbia (Metro)
Neymar was in tears on Brazil’s bench after he was forced off with an ankle injury during the 2-0 win over Serbia in their World Cup opener on Thursday evening.
Two goals from Richarlison got Brazil’s World Cup campaign in Qatar off to a flying start, but one of the tournament favourites now face an anxious wait after their talisman was forced off in the closing stages of the second half.
Neymar was fouled nine times during the game against Serbia – more than any other player on the pitch – and he even played on for 12 minutes after he suffered the challenge which caused the damage to his ankle.
After being substituted with 10 minutes remaining, Neymar was treated by two physios on the bench but the 30-year-old’s pain was evident as he covered his face with his jersey while he was being consoled by his Brazil teammates. Read more
USMNT hope to be next World Cup team to pull off upset (NYPost)
The last time the United States played England at the World Cup, The Post dubbed it the greatest tie against the British since Bunker Hill — a shocking 1-1 draw in Rustenburg, South Africa.
The time before that, as 500-to-1 underdogs, the United States scored one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history, a 1-0 win in Belo Horizonte, Brazil in 1950.
So the history, at least, favors the Americans. So, too, does an upset-laden atmosphere at this World Cup, with Saudi Arabia stunning Argentina and Japan taking down Germany.
On paper, though, it will be a hill to climb for the United States when it takes the pitch against England for the third time in World Cup history at 2 p.m. on Friday — a game in which a result of any kind, win or draw, would prove enormous for the Americans’ chances of advancing out of Group B. Read more