Inside Abuja’s murky commercial sex trade (DailyTrust)
Many young women and girls are caught in the web of commercial sex trade in the nation’s seat of power, Abuja, daring the attendant dangers, Daily Trust on Sunday reports.
Every night, thousands of women and girls in Nigeria stand the risk of numerous dangers and even death in the practice of trading their bodies for money to total strangers they meet on the streets.
While viewed as a morally unacceptable practice across Nigerian societies, and illegal especially in northern states that are governed by the Sharia law; these girls have chosen a tightrope walk, hanging their lives on the line for fleeting gains that often lead to painful consequences. Read more
“Poorest I have ever been is $1,200,” Femi Otedola’s daughter, Temi reveals (Vanguard)
Temi Otedola, Nigerian actress and daughter of billionaire Femi Otedola, has revealed the poorest she has ever been.
The 27-year-old disclosed the poorest amount she has ever had was $1,200 (about a million naira).
She made this known in an interview with popular YouTuber, Korty EO’s latest vlog. Korty EO asked: “What’s the brokest [poorest] you have ever been?”
Temi said, “$1,200.” Read more
NDLEA arrests fugitive Abuja drug kingpin 7 years after escape from prison (Guardian)
NDLEA has arrested a wanted drug kingpin, Ibrahim Momoh, seven years after he had escaped from Kuje Prison in the FCT.
Also known as Ibrahim Bendel, he was serving a prison term also for drug dealing when he escaped from custody.
NDLEA’s spokesman, Mr Femi Babafemi, stated on Sunday in Abuja that Momoh was arrested in a raid on his hideout at Filin Dabo, Dei-Dei area of Abuja. Read more
Electricity Subsidy: Tinubu sensitive to masses’ plight, says APC chieftain (Punch)
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Osun State, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has said that the directive of President Bola Tinubu, on the stoppage of the implementation of the hike of electricity tariff is commendable.
Oyintiloye, while speaking with newsmen on Sunday in Osogbo, said that the directive was a true reflection that the president was sensitive to the plights of the masses.
It will be recalled that the minister of power, Adebayo Adelabu, had on November 8 revealed that President Tinubu recently stopped the implementation of a hike in electricity tariff and insisted that subsidy be paid on power consumed nationwide.
Oyintiloye, a member of the defunct APC Presidential Campaign Council, said that removing electricity subsidy while Nigerians were still battling with the effects of fuel subsidy removal would have been counterproductive. Read more
Jan 27: Yabatech Alumni begin sales of election forms (Vanguard)
The Yaba College of Technology Alumni Association is billed to commence the sales of Election Forms from Monday 20th November to Saturday 2nd December, 2023, as potential Candidates who are interested to contest any position are advised to pick the Form.
In a Statement released by the Electoral Committee Chairman, and Secretary, Tunji Makinde and Mark Orgu respectively, at the weekend, said that, all the Election Guidelines and Procedures have been made known to the public.
Thus, interested Candidates are to visit the Alumni Secretariat (Office) and pick up the Forms from the Alumni Secretariat after making payment at the College Microfinance Bank in the name of Yabatech Alumni Association, while following all the processes made known in the various Alumni Whatsapp platforms. Read more
Gbenga Adeyinka takes Laffmattazz Global in 2024 (ThisDay)
As the Laffmattazz Unity Tour approaches its grand finale, the convener Gbenga Adeyinka the 1st has announced ambitious plans to internationalize the renowned comedy show. The revelation came during a press conference detailing the Lagos finale, set to unfold on Sunday, November 26, at the Balmoral Convention Centre in the Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos.
Adeyinka emphasized the need for Laffmattazz to transcend Nigeria’s borders, marking a strategic shift. He also disclosed that this year marked the last time the tour will feature six cities in the South-west. Future editions will tour only three cities: Lagos, Abeokuta and Ibadan.
For 13 years, Adeyinka has steered the Laffmattazz tour across Southwestern states, not just as a source of entertainment but as a platform for emerging comedians. This year’s Unity Tour carries special significance, serving as a response to the disunity following the recent general elections. Read more
Ex-lawmaker hails NLC, TUC for suspending strike (Guardian)
A former House of Representatives member, Mr Robinson Uwak, on Sunday, commended the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) for the suspension of the indefinite nationwide strike.
Uwak, in a statement in Abuja, said the action was a demonstration of patriotism and empathy towards ordinary Nigerians who would have been most impacted by an indefinite strike.
The lawmaker also commended President Bola Tinubu’s government for the quick intervention leading to its call off. He sympathised with the President of the NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, over the assault meted to him during his visit to Imo in solidarity with workers. Read more
FG disowns ‘‘Child Support Scheme’’ platform (Tribune)
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu, on Sunday, urged Nigerians to disregard the trending fake news tagged: ‘Federal Government’s ₦50,000 Child Support Fund for all Nigerian Parents is ongoing.’
The Minister issued the notice via a statement signed by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Honourable Minister, Rasheed Olanrewaju Zubair.
According to the statement credited to the Minister, the security agencies have commenced investigation with a view to unmasking the scammers behind the fake news. Read more
Goodfellas and Sopranos actress Suzanne Shepherd dies, aged 89 (NME)
Actress Suzanne Shepherd, who appeared in both Goodfellas and The Sopranos has died, aged 89.
The death of the late actor is reported to have been confirmed by her granddaughter to the US Sun, although a cause of death has not yet been reported and no official statement has been released.
In Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas (1990), Shepherd played the mother of Karen Hill (played by Lorraine Bracco). The film also starred Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta and Joe Pesci. Read more
Brad Pitt attends Grand Prix practice session in Las Vegas amid production on his F1 movie (People)
Brad Pitt is doing some field research for his latest movie!
The actor, 59, who is set to star in an upcoming Formula 1 (F1) film, was spotted at a practice session for the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Friday night.
The Moneyball star was photographed in the pit lane ahead of the racing event — the latest round of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) Formula One World Championship, which was won by Dutch driver Max Verstappen on Saturday. Read more
Derby teenager who killed 82-year-old man with single punch sentenced to 2 years in youth detention (Sky)
Omar Moumeche was 16 years old when he attacked Dennis Clarke at Derby bus station in May 2021.
Now aged 18, the killer was sentenced today after being found guilty of manslaughter in July.
The week-long trial heard how Mr Clarke was surrounded by a group of three teenagers after he allegedly challenged them over messing around on an escalator in the Derbion centre in Eagle Market, Derby. Mr Clarke was then followed to Derby bus station, where he was attacked. Read more
Michael B Jordan to direct “Creed IV” (FilmNews)
Michael B. Jordan is set to direct “Creed IV”.
The 36-year-old actor made his debut feature film behind the camera with Creed III – which grossed more than $275 million worldwide after being released in March – and the film’s producer Irwin Winkler has confirmed that a follow-up is in the works and bosses want to get the star back at the helm because he did such a good job last time.
Speaking at Deadline’s Contenders Film: Los Angeles event on Saturday (18.11.23), Irwin said: “We are planning to do ‘Creed IV’ right now. Read more
Father of tragic Taylor Swift concert goer vows “someone will be punished” over daughter’s death (Mirror)
The father of Ana Clara Benevides, a Taylor Swift fan who died on Friday while attending a concert in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has called for an in-depth investigation into his daughter’s death, urging that “someone will be punished”.
Ana died at the age of 23 after attending the Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos stadium in Rio. She is said to have collapsed after high temperatures in the city became incredibly high. Reports claim she went into cardiac arrest, was taken to hospital and then died – the cause of Ana’s death has yet to be officially announced.
And now Ana’s grieving father has spoken to Folha de São Paulo newspaper. Weiny Machado, 53, has made a plea for a concise investigation to be carried out, with him keen to learn what happened in the run-up to Ana’s death. Read more
Varadkar raises concerns about EU ‘‘double standards’’ on Israel and Palestine (BelfastTelegraph)
Irish premier Leo Varadkar has said there are “double standards” from the EU and some Western powers in relation to Israel and Palestine.
The Taoiseach said the stance of some Western countries in response to the Israel-Hamas war had “undermined the fight” to garner support for Ukraine as it battles against the ongoing Russian invasion.
He said that neither Shannon Airport, nor any other Irish airport, was being used by the US military to support Israel. Read more
Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starship rocket and spacecraft lost in second test flight (CNN)
SpaceX’s gargantuan deep-space rocket system, Starship, safely lifted off Saturday morning but ended prematurely with an explosion and a loss of signal.
The Super Heavy booster and Starship spacecraft successfully separated after liftoff, as the Starship lit up its engines and pushed away. That process ended up destroying the Super Heavy booster, which erupted into a ball of flames over the Gulf of Mexico. But the Starship spacecraft was able to briefly continue its journey.
The Starship system made it much farther into flight than the first attempt in April. The rocket and spacecraft lifted off the launchpad at 8 a.m. ET, with the Super Heavy booster igniting all 33 of its Raptor engines. Even during ground tests, SpaceX has had a hard time getting all of those engines, clustered together at the base of the rocket, to power on consistently at the same time. Read more
Euro 2024 Qualifier: France smash records in 14-0 win (DailyTrust)
Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick in France’s record-breaking 14-0 thrashing of 10-man Gibraltar in Euro 2024 qualifiers on Saturday.
Les Bleus set a new record margin of victory in European qualifying and a national record in Nice.
Ethan Santos’ own goal and Marcus Thuram had already opened the floodgates before 17-year-old Warren Zaire-Emery scored. Read more
NPFL: StarTimes announces free broadcast of Akwa, Remo clash (Punch)
Pay TV brand, StarTimes has announced that the Nigeria Premier Football League clash between Akwa United and Remo Stars on Sunday at Nest of Champions, Uyo Akwa-Ibom will be free-to-view for all active and non-active subscribers on Beta Sports, Channel 244.
StarTimes secured the exclusive rights to air the NPFL matches for five seasons for N5.9bn recently.
PR Manager, Startimes, Lazarus Ibeabuchi, in a statement on Sunday, promised to deliver high-quality coverage of the top-flight league. Read more
France beats Gibraltar a record 14-0 in Euro 2024 qualifier (CNN)
It was a night that will live long in the memory for France fans as Les Bleus thrashed 10-man Gibraltar by an astonishing 14-0 in their European Championship qualifying match, with Kylian Mbappé scoring a hat trick.
This was the world’s No. 2-ranked team playing against a country ranked 198 in the world and the gulf between the two was evident on the pitch.
It was the biggest winning margin in the history of the qualifiers, surpassing Germany’s 13-0 thumping of San Marino in 2006, and marked the first time a European team had scored 14 goals in a World Cup or European Championship qualifying match, according to Reuters. Read more
Kieran Trippier leaves England squad and misses North Macedonia trip for personal reasons (Mirror)
Kieran Trippier has left the England camp due to a personal matter ahead of the Euro 2024 qualifier in North Macedonia.
Gareth Southgate ’s side secured progress to next summer’s finals with two games to spare and Friday’s forgettable 2-0 win against Malta all but assured their spot among the top seeds in the December 2 draw.
England end their Euro 2024 qualification campaign and 2023 fixture calendar in Skopje on Monday night, when they will be unable to call upon Newcastle full-back Trippier. Read more
Bob MacIntyre: Scottish golfer secures PGA Tour card after finishing joint-18th in Dubai (BBC)
Bob MacIntyre secured his first PGA Tour card by finishing in joint-18th place at the DP World Tour Championship.
The Scot, 27, has now finished 13th in the overall DP World Tour rankings, qualifying him for one of the 10 PGA Tour spots available.
Ryder Cup player MacIntyre, who was 11 under par, has three professional wins and has featured at all four majors. Read more
Pro-Palestine protester wrestled to ground after approaching Virat Kohli during World Cup final (Telegraph)
A protester wearing a ‘‘Free Palestine’’ t-shirt disrupted the Cricket World Cup final by running onto the pitch and putting his arm around Virat Kohli, before being wrestled to the ground and removed.
The protestor ran onto the outfield and reached Kohli, who appeared clearly unsettled. He was then wrestled to the ground by security after escorted off the outfield and out of the ground.
Around 6,000 police are on duty at Modi Stadium for the final. The protestor breached a ten foot high fence to reach the outfield. Read more