Gunmen kidnap medical doctor in Benue (Punch)
Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted a medical doctor identified as Dr Alex Gyemwase, in Zaki Biam, the headquarters of Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State.
A stepbrother to the victim, Peter Gyemwase, said that the suspected kidnappers stormed the doctor’s residence opposite NKST Secondary School, Zaki-Biam at about 8pm on Tuesday.
The victim is said to be a medical director in Hope and Maternity Clinic in the town.
Peter said, “Yes, My brother was kidnapped around 8pm in his house opposite NKST school in Zaki Biam. Read more
APC to hold presidential campaign rally In Lagos on Saturday (Independent)
The Chairman of the Local Organising Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Rally, Senator Ganiyu Solomon has announced that the ruling party will hold a presidential campaign rally on Saturday in Lagos State.
Solomon who briefed journalists on the development on Wednesday at Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja said, “It is my pleasure to address the good people of Lagos State through the entire media on the All-Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential rally scheduled to hold on Saturday, 26th November 2022, between 11 am and 2 pm, at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere.
“The event holds a promise for mass attendance by members of our great party and members of the general public because of the popularity of our presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who has remained the most consistent, the biggest contributor and the most visible democratic icon since the advent of this dispensation in 1999. Read more
FG commissions N8b cargo scanners at Lagos port after widespread criticism (Leadership)
After widespread condemnation and criticism of continuing 100% cargo examination despite acquisition of cargo scanners, the federal government has finally commissioned the N8billion non-intrusive inspection (NII) equipment, also known as cargo scanners, at the Apapa Port complex.
The scanners which have been abandoned at the nation’s seaports for over one year were commissioned on Tuesday by the minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, amid skepticism by maritime operators who feared sabotage by officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
Speaking at the commissioning of the three new Scanners, Ahmed, commended the Federal Executive Council (FEC), for granting approval for the procurement and Installation of the Scanners and also the training of 120 officers of the service.
She, however, said the project would no doubt aid the NCS in the delivery of its mandates, in line with the key priorities of President Muhammadu Buhari-led Administration targeted at reducing poverty and stimulating favourable macroeconomic conditions for sustained growth and development. Read more
Buhari nominates Lauretta Onochie as NDDC chair, 14 other board members (Channels)
President Muhammadu Buhari has nominated his Special Assistant on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie as substantive chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as well as 14 other board members.
In a letter sent to the Senate which contained the list of nominees, Buhari asked the upper chamber to confirm the appointments.
Senate President Ahmad Lawan read the letter during Wednesday’s plenary session.
This is the second time Buhari is forwarding a list of nominees for the NDDC board for confirmation. Read more
INEC reacts to court order for resumption of voters’ registration (Guardian)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reacted to a court order directing it to resume voters’ registration for the 2023 election.
INEC spokesperson Festus Okoye said it is impossible to resume the continuous voter registration (CVR) exercise.
“It would be constitutionally and legally impossible for the commission to resume the continuous voter registration exercise,” Okoye during a Channels Television interview on Tuesday.
The INEC official cited challenges of resources and mobilisation of security personnel as factors that will hinder a resumption of voters’ registration.
“It would be constitutionally and legally impossible for the commission to resume the continuous voter registration exercise,” Okoye said. Read more
1 dead, as hoodlums set Osun monarch’s palace on fire (DailyTrust)
One Prince Lukman Olatunji Gboleru was reportedly killed over an attempt by yet to be identified persons to access the locked palace of Akirun of Ikirun in Ifelodun local government area of Osun State.
This is as three firefighters deployed to the town to quench fire that razed part of the palace were attacked by a mob, preventing them from accessing the palace.
It was gathered that some security operatives exchanged gunfire at the entrance of the palace with some hoodlums which eventually resulted in the deceased’s death.
Findings gathered that some hoodlums jumped into the palace and set part of it on fire. Read more
Rivers community residents flee farmlands over herdsmen invasion (Punch)
Some residents of Abgeta 2, Chuobo community in Ebubu Clan, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State have raised the alarm over the alleged invasion of their farmlands by suspected herdsmen.
The community leaders said some natives are fleeing from the area for fear of being attacked by the herders, even as it was gathered that one person sustained injuries while trying to stop the herdsmen from crossing his farmland.
The Youth President of Agbeta 2, Chuobo Community, Justice Kanibo, while speaking to newsmen appealed to the Chairman of Eleme LGA to come to their aid, alleging that the invaders were usually in possession of guns. Read more
Education not a scam, says Chinko Ekun (Nation)
Singer Oladipo Olamide Emmanuel aka Chinko Ekun has argued education is certainly not a yardstick to achieving success in life.
The 29-year-old “Able God” crooner in a tweet explained education is, however, necessary to navigate around life’s phases, disagreeing with the notion that it is a scam.
Chinko Ekun also recommended that children be taught that beyond acquiring education to make a living, they can also use it to explore their talents and skills.
He said: “Education no be scam but it ain’t the yardstick to success. Two ways to interpret or decipher: A child needs to be learned to catch up with technology and how the world is evolving. Read more
Marsai Martin and Omari Harwick play to win in Fantasy Football (CNN)
The new film Fantasy Football capitalizes on some of its stars’ natural talent.
Marsai Martin channels lots of girl-boss energy playing Callie Coleman, a tech-savvy young woman whose father’s long career in the NFL lands him with the Atlanta Falcons team.
Her production company is behind the family-friendly film. (Martin, 18, set a Guinness World Record in 2020 as the youngest Hollywood executive producer to work on a major production.)
She and co-stars Omari Hardwick (Bobby Coleman), Rome Flynn (Anderson Fisher), along with the film’s director Anton Cropper, recently spoke with CNN when they appeared at a Falcons game held at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Read more
Margot Robbie claims Hollywood still has sexual harassment problems after #MeToo (DailyMail)
Margot Robbie has revealed that there are still problems with abuse in Hollywood following the #MeToo movement.
The social movement went viral in 2017 following numerous sexual-abuse allegations against Harvey Weinstein, with the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Lawrence and Uma Thurman leading a number of high profile stars discussing their experiences.
Yet Margot, 32, has revealed that there’s still a long way to go before Hollywood can say it’s clear of sexual predators, noting ‘it’s a big ship to turn around.’
Speaking at BAFTA: A Life In Pictures, supported by electronics brand TCL, in London on Tuesday evening, she was asked how her experiences in the industry have changed post-#MeToo. Read more
‘‘Move on!’’ Leigh Francis tells Craig David to get over their 20-year Bo’ Selecta! feud (Standard)
Leigh Francis has advised Craig David to “move on” from their Bo’ Selecta row.
The comedian, who uses the comedy name Keith Lemon, had famously impersonated the singer on Bo Selecta, which ran on Channel 4 from 2002 to 2009.
While Francis impersonated several stars on his hit show, it was his impersonation of the 7 Days singer that became the most popular character among viewers.
As David, Francis donned a rubber mask with exaggerated features and walked around with a colostomy bag. Read more
US Congress to hold hearing on Ticketmaster after Taylor Swift ‘Eras Tour’ saga (NME)
A US Senate antitrust panel is to hold a hearing on the lack of competition in the ticketing industry following Ticketmaster’s issues in managing the sale of Taylor Swift‘s ‘Eras Tour’ last week.
The company announced last Thursday (November 17) that the general ticket sale for Swift’s 2023 North American dates was cancelled, citing “extraordinarily high demand” and “insufficient remaining ticket inventory”.
It came after many customers reported technical problems while attempting to access a Ticketmaster pre-sale for ‘The Eras Tour’ on Tuesday (November 15), including lengthy wait times and website outages.
Ticketmaster subsequently said that there had been “historically unprecedented demand” as “millions” of Swift fans tried to secure tickets. It’s since been reported that 14million people had endeavoured to make a purchase via the site that day, with 2.4million being successful in doing so. Read more
Russia puts Kremlin critic Ilya Yashin on trial (AlJazeera)
A court in Moscow has begun the trial of Russian opposition politician Ilya Yashin, who faces up to 10 years in prison for denouncing the war in Ukraine.
The trial against Yashin, a 39-year-old Moscow city councillor, begins during an unprecedented crackdown on dissent in Russia, most of whose opposition activists are either in jail or exile.
Yashin refused to leave after President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine on February 24.
He is an ally of jailed opposition leader Alexey Navalny and was close to Boris Nemtsov, an opposition politician assassinated near the Kremlin in 2015. Read more
Women who said they were sexually abused by George Foreman speak out (Fox)
Two women who said they were sexually abused by boxing champion George Foreman spoke out and shared their stories during a press conference Tuesday.
Gwen H and Denise S, both pseudonyms, filed lawsuits earlier this year accusing Foreman of sexually abusing them in the 1970s.
“He asked me to remove my clothes and if I didn’t then my father would be fired, so I complied,” stated Gwen H.
Gwen H said in her lawsuit that she first met the ex-boxing champ at 9-years-old and accused him of sexually abusing and raping her when she was 15 and 16 years old. Read more
French Catholic archbishop admits ”inappropriate acts” with young adult woman (RFI)
A French former archbishop admitted Wednesday to “inappropriate acts” with a young adult woman several decades ago. The Strasbourg public prosecutor has confirmed that the authorities have opened an investigation into possible sex crimes.
The confession by Jean-Pierre Grallet, 81, deepens a gathering storm around the French Catholic Church, already reeling after revelations of sexual abuse by senior clergy.
Grallet said in a statement that he “profoundly regretted” his actions in the 1980s when he “strayed” and “hurt someone” before being named archbishop of Strasbourg in eastern France in 2007.
He gave no further details, but the Strasbourg prosecutor’s office confirmed that an investigation had been underway since January concerning “incidents of a sexual nature”. Read more
Another upset as Japan beat Germany 2-1 in historic comeback (Vanguard)
Another upset sprang up on Wednesday when Japan came from a goal down to defeat Germany at the ongoing FIFA World Cup.
Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano scored in the 75th minute and the 83rd minute respectively to cancel out Ilkay Gundogan’s penalty in the first half.
Germany were dominant in the game and started the game with real threats coming close to scoring when Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger had his header a bit to the right.
The Germans got their breakthrough via the spot after Japan conceded a penalty in the 31st minute.
Manchester City midfielder Gundogan put the ball to the right of the Japan goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda who delved to his left. Read more
Qatar 2022: Nigerians rue Super Eagles’ absence (Leadership)
With the 2022 FIFA World Cup in full swing in Qatar, the absence of Nigeria’s Super Eagles at the global soccer showpiece has left the football fans in the country in a state of despair and agony.
Some of the football fans who spoke to LEADERSHIP Sports on the streets of Abuja, said watching the World Cup without their national team is shameful and a setback for football development and the unity of the country. Recall that Nigeria’s Super Eagles lost the ticket to the Qatar World Cup to Black stars of Ghana on away goal rule following a disappointing 1-1 draw at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium. The first leg of the World Cup two-legged play-off matches in Kumasi Ghana ended goalless.
Abiodun Peter, a Nigerian who has chosen to support Senegal to win the coveted trophy that has been elusive for African teams, said it is painful watching the World Cup that Nigeria is not participating. Read more
Cristiano Ronaldo hit with 2 match ban and FA fine less than 24 hours after Man Utd exit (Express)
Cristiano Ronaldo has been handed a £50,000 fine and a two-game ban from the FA less than 24 hours after he mutually terminated his contract with Manchester United. The punishment relates to an incident following the Red Devils’ match against Everton in April, when the Portuguese star appeared to knock a young supporter’s phone out of his hands in a fit of rage.
The 37-year-old has been dominating the headlines recently following his explosive interview with Piers Morgan, in which he laid into a number of figures at United such as their Glazer owners and manager Erik ten Hag.
Following Ronaldo’s comments, it emerged on Tuesday that both he and the club had agreed to terminate their relationship, with Ronaldo now a free agent. Now, however, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has received bad news from the FA, according to The Mirror.
The ban handed out means that if Ronaldo were ever to return to the Premier League he would be suspended for two matches, with the likes of Newcastle and Chelsea among those said to be interested in his services. And he will also be required to pay a hefty £50,000 fine due to his actions at Goodison Park earlier this year. Read more
Germany players cover mouths in team photo amid OneLove armband row (ESPN)
Germany players placed their hands over their mouths during a team photo ahead of their game against Japan for their World Cup Group E on Wednesday as the row over FIFA’s threat of sanctions over the “OneLove” armband continued.
All Germany players took part in the gesture in front of dozens of photographers on the pitch ahead of kickoff, after world football body FIFA had threatened seven European teams with sanctions if they wore the armband symbolising diversity and tolerance.
Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, sitting next to FIFA President Gianni Infantino in the stands, sported the armband as she chatted with the football administrator.
Earlier, she had criticised FIFA, saying the threat of sanctions was a mistake and not acceptable behaviour. Read more
Horner explains decision to bring Ricciardo back to Red Bull (RN365)
Christian Horner has explained Red Bull’s logic for bringing Daniel Ricciardo back to the Milton Keynes team.
Red Bull have announced the return of the eight-time Grand Prix winner as ‘third driver’ for next season.
The Australian took seven Grands Prix victories during his time at Red Bull, which lasted from 2014 to 2018, before his stints at Renault and McLaren.
A difficult season at McLaren meant he was left without a drive for next season, with Mercedes and Red Bull both becoming interested in taking the 33-year-old as reserve driver. Read more
Carlos Alcaraz ”aspires to be one of the best in history”, says Rafael Nadal (Eurosport)
Rafael Nadal says Carlos Alcaraz “aspires to be one of the best in history” as he evaluated the stunning progress of his countryman in 2022.
Alcaraz ended the year as world No. 1, a feat many wouldn’t have predicted given his tender age – 19 – and limited experience on the ATP Tour.
But he won tournaments in Rio, Miami, Barcelona and Madrid, and capped those successes with a first major at the US Open in September.
Nadal didn’t have too bad a year either, landing two Grand Slams – at the Australian Open and French Open – to take his total to 21, before injury hampered him in the second half of the season. Read more