Lassa fever deaths hit 178, cases now 989 (Punch)
The number of Lassa fever cases in Nigeria has increased to 989, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
The suspected cases of the disease also stand at 7,492 as of November 20, 2022.
The situation report for week 46 released by the NCDC on Friday also showed that the disease had claimed 178 lives so far in 2022.
According to the report, 71 percent of all confirmed cases were recorded in Ondo, Edo, and Bauchi states. Read more
Bamise: Family plans to mark posthumous 22nd birthday (Vanguard)
The family of a 21 years old fashion designer, Ayanwola Oluwabamise, who was found dead when she boarded a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) at Chevron, Lekki enroute Oshodi in February this year, will mark her 22nd posthumous birthday in Lagos.
The deceased elder brother in an e-flier made available to Vanguard, said this will take place on November 30, 2022, though venue and time of the event are yet to be disclosed.
Recall that Oluwabamise’s body was recovered after she boarded the Lagos State Franchise scheme, on February 26, 2022.
During investigations, the bus driver, Nice Andrew Ominikoron, said she was to visit her elder whose wife was about to be put to bed when she met her untimely death. Read more
NIS working to clear backlog of passports – C-G (Guardian)
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), on Thursday, reiterated its commitment to ensure timely and efficient service delivery to Nigerians.
The Comptroller-General, Mr Isah Jere, represented by Mr Tony Akuneme, the NIS Public Relations Officer, gave the assurance during a press briefing at the NIS headquarters in Abuja.
The C-G assured that the service has adopted measures to clear the backlog of passport applications trapped by the COVID-19 lockdown.
Jere said he understood the frustration of Nigerians over the delay in getting their travelling documents but said the personnel were working extra hours to meet the yearnings of Nigerians. Read more
4th Mainland Bridge to cost $2.5b, preferred bidder to be announced before the end of 2023 – Lagos Govt (Independent)
The Lagos State Government has said that the proposed 4th Mainland Bridge is expected to cost $2.5 billion.
The State Government also said that the preferred bidder among the three shortlisted companies would be announced before the end of 2022.
Mr. Ope George, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Government on Public Private Partnerships (PPP) gave the hint on Friday during an interaction with journalists in Lagos.
According to George, the project is being conceived as a PPP transport infrastructure development, which includes the construction and operation of a greenfield tolled road and bridge with a design speed of 120km/h, including the development of adjacent real estates. Read more
Lagos Assembly holds valedictory session for late lawmaker, Olawale (Vanguard)
The Lagos State House of Assembly on Thursday held a valedictory session for the late member, Mr Abdul-Sobur Olawale who passed on in Jos during an APC presidential rally on Tuesday.
Raising the lawmaker’s demise in a motion at the plenary on Thursday, the Majority Leader of the House, Mr Sanai Agunbiade, described Olawale as an angel who did not show his identity.
The assembly had, on Tuesday, announced the demise of the lawmaker, who until his demise, represented Mushin Constituency II and Chairman, House Committee on Local Government and Community Relations.
The 58 years old Omititi as he was fondly called by his constituents, friends, associates, political loyalists and admirers, was born on March 12, 1964. Read more
Court sacks Osun chairmen, councillors (Nation)
A Federal High Court in Osogbo has sacked the chairmen of 30 Local Government Areas, 32 Local Council Development Areas, 7 Area Offices and 393 councillors in Osun State elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on October 15th 2022.
The Nation reports the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) filed a suit against the Local Government election before the Federal High Court challenging Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC), All Progressives Congress (APC) and its chairman, Gboyega Famodun.
Justice Nathaniel Ayoola, who presided over the suit while giving judgement on Friday, said the election conducted by OSIEC on October 15th 2022 contravened Sections 29 and 32 of the Electoral Act, 2022.
SIEC lawis inconsistent with sections 29 & 32 2022 Electoral Act that provides 180 days notice“Notice of election is fundamental. Section 150(3) of the Electoral Act says any election conducted in violation of the provision of the law shall be invalid. I hold the view that the plaintiff has made a good case.He said: “The case is held in favour of the plaintiff and against the respondents. Read more
Buratai seeks support for Tinubu/Shettima presidential bid (Leadership)
Former Chief of Army Staff and former Nigerian Ambassador to Benin, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, on Thursday solicited for support for the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen Bola Tinubu.
Buratai made the call while receiving the Award of ‘Philanthropist per Excellence’ from the National Forum of Ex- Councilors in Gora, Keffi local government area of Nasarawa State.
He said: “I’m ready to run for office now” and charged Nigerians to ensure continuity of the present administration.”
He said the call was premised on the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in different fronts, adding that there was need for continuity to make Nigeria great. Read more
Drug War: NDLEA, French Police commend partnership as Marwa seeks more support (Channels)
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), has commended the support from the Police Nationale (RAID) of France especially in the areas of training and equipment.
The NDLEA boss who spoke in his office in Abuja on Friday when the Police Attaché at the French Embassy in Nigeria, Emmanuel Verin, led a team of French VIP trainers including Cedric B. and Christophe J. who were in the country to train a number of NDLEA officers in special operations, paid him a courtesy visit.
According to Marwa, “I’ll like to appreciate the French government for its support as one of our leading partners. We have received tremendous help from France not only in terms of training but also equipment.
“The support was capped with my recent visit to France where we received warm reception at all the institutions visited and the training promised was promptly organized. We’re grateful for that and we are looking forward to more collaboration and support.” Read more
Alec and Hilaria Baldwin take ‘epic fail family photo’ with seven kids (PageSix)
Hilaria Baldwin and Alec Baldwin’s Thanksgiving family photo attempt was a “fail.”
Hilaria Baldwin hilariously gave up on getting an orderly family photo with her seven children while celebrating Thanksgiving.
“Happy gratitude day from our epic fail family photo to what is probably yours,” the fitness guru wrote alongside a chaotic Instagram snap Thursday.
“Our love and gratitude to all of you for being wonderful forces of light in our lives,” she continued.
Baldwin, 38, kissed her 1-year-old daughter Lucia’s cheek in the social media upload while sitting beside her husband, Alec Baldwin.
The “30 Rock” alum, 64, held son Romeo, 4, on his lap as the little one ate a snack. Read more
Daniel Craig: Dame Angela Lansbury was ‘‘so game’’ during final screen appearance (Standard)
Daniel Craig said Dame Angela Lansbury’s Bedknobs And Broomsticks is still one of his “favourite” films, describing her as “so game” during her appearance in his latest film Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.
James Bond star Craig, 54, reprises his role as suave detective Benoit Blanc which sees him travel to Greece to peel back the layers of a mystery involving a new cast of colourful suspects.
The sequel features the final on-screen appearance from Murder, She Wrote actress Dame Angela, who died “peacefully” in her sleep aged 96 on October 11.
Craig said on The Graham Norton Show: “It was her very last screen performance. She was so game. I was a fan, Bedknobs And Broomsticks is still one of my favourite movies.” Read more
Malawi’s Vice-President Saulos Chilima arrested for corruption (BBC)
Malawi’s Vice-President Saulos Chilima has been arrested on allegations that he accepted money in exchange for awarding government contracts, the country’s anti-corruption agency says.
He is accused of receiving $280,000 (£230,000) from a British businessman “and other items”, a statement says.
Mr Chilima has appeared in court but has not commented on the charges.
He had already been stripped of his powers in June when he was first accused by the Anti-Corruption Bureau.
It had named him and another 83 Malawian officials as allegedly having corrupt dealings with the British businessman, named as Zuneth Sattar. Read more
Big Bang Theory star Kaley Cuoco’s new movie finally released in the UK (DigitalSpy)
The Big Bang Theory alum Kaley Cuoco finally has her new movie Meet Cute released in the UK.
The movie is available to watch on Amazon Prime right away and stars The Suicide Squad’s Pete Davidson alongside The Flight Attendant’s Cuoco.
Meet Cute follows Sheila (Cuoco) and Gary (Davidson) on their love-at-first-sight first date. But soon, it’s clear it’s not first-sight at all. Sheila uses a time machine to go back in time and fall in love with Gary over and over again in order to mold him into her ideal partner.
The movie, which is directed by Alex Lehman, was originally released on Peacock in the US back in September but has only just become available to watch for UK viewers. It hasn’t exactly been lauded by critics, however. It currently sits on a middling 57% on Rotten Tomatoes. Read more
Kele Okereke announces new album ‘‘The Flames pt. 2’’ and shares 1st single ‘‘Vandal’’ (NME)
Kele Okereke has announced new album ‘The Flames pt. 2’ and shared the first single “Vandal”
The Bloc Party frontman’s sixth solo studio album is due for release on March 24, 2023 via KOLA Records / !K7.
First single “Vandal” – the artwork for which features Kele burning a copy of The Smiths’ ‘The Queen Is Dead’ – takes aim at what Britain appears to stand for, opening with a harsh, distorted guitar and looping bass melody before climbing to a juddering electronic climax.
“As a British born Nigerian, that debate has made me angry,” the artist said, questioning to idea of what it means to be British. “It has felt like for these last few years I have been carrying around a lot of that anger, so with ‘Vandal’ I felt I needed to put it somewhere useful.” Read more
Kanye West says Donald Trump insulted him and Kim Kardashian during Mar-a-Lago meeting (HipHopDX)
Kanye West claims Donald Trump insulted him and his ex-wife Kim Kardashian during his recent meeting with the former president at his Mar-a-Lago.
The Chicago rapper took to Twitter on Thursday (November 24) to share a video of him recapping his visit to Trump’s Florida estate. Standing next to Ye was alt-right political commentator Milo Yiannopoulos, who he recently hired to work on his own 2024 presidential campaign.
“I think the thing that Trump was most perturbed about [was] me asking him to be my vice president. I think that was, like, lower on the list of things that caught him off guard. It was the fact that I walked in with intelligence,” he said, referencing the prominent (yet problematic) political figures he’s assembled around him.
Kanye West went on to reveal Donald Trump was “really impressed” with controversial white supremacist Nick Fuentes, who the G.O.O.D. Music founder traveled to Florida with, while asking him why he didn’t free those who stormed the Capitol Building on January 6, 2021. Read more
Indonesia earthquake toll reaches 310 as more bodies found (ABC)
The death toll from an earthquake that struck Indonesia’s Java island early this week rose to 310 after rescuers found more bodies under landslides, an official said. At least 24 people remain missing.
In devastated towns in western Java, residents gathered near badly damaged mosques for Friday prayers. Others held prayers along with rescuers between the tents at evacuation centers.
Bodies were recovered Friday in two areas of mountainous Cianjur district where landslides triggered by Monday’s quake brought tons of mud, rocks and broken trees, said Henri Alfiandi, chief of the National Search and Rescue Agency.
More than 1,400 rescuers have been searching through the rubble since the magnitude 5.6 quake, which injured more than 2,000 people. Read more
African-born players representing non-African nations in 2022 W’Cup. (Punch)
At the 70th FIFA Congress held in September 2020 the congress voted to pass changes for eligibility in national teams.
Prior to this, the rules stated that players were tied to a national team for the rest of their international careers on the basis of a single appearance when they were younger. It meant that one appearance in a competitive match, including Nations League games, tied players to that country for life.
However, at the 70th Annual Congress, it was resolved that players were no longer tied to a national team on the basis of a single appearance. The rule change now allows players to switch nationalities if they have played no more than three competitive matches at the senior level prior to them turning 21, with no appearances for the first nation in a FIFA World Cup final match or continental finals.
In the ongoing 2022 World Cup in Qatar, quite a number of African players were seen representing non-African countries. The PUNCH takes a look at these African-born players making a mark on the global stage. Read more
CAFWCL: Diri gives Bayelsa Queens N28m largesse (Sun)
Bayelsa Queens players will receive credit alerts from their respective banks after they got N28million largesse from Governor, Senator Douye Diri, for their spectacular performance at the 2022 CAF Women’s Champions League (CAFWCL) in Rabat, BSNSports.com.ng reports.
Announcing cash rewards on Wednesday inside the Executive Council Chambers in Government House, Yenagoa, Senator Diri said 21 of the first team players would receive one million Naira each while the 14 reserve players would each get N500,000.
Coach Domo Okara got N1.1 million, his assistants N500,000 each, support staff N300,000 each and all the board members got N1.5 million.
While directing that the monies be released to the team before the end of November, he also made a personal donation of $4000 to the team in fulfillment of his promise at the quarter-final stage of the competition. Read more
Mike Dean slams VAR over “indefensible” decision as World Cup officials under scrutiny (Mirror)
Former Premier League referee Mike Dean has hit out at the “indefensible” decision to hand Cristiano Ronaldo his record-breaking penalty against Ghana.
The former Manchester United forward won a contentious spot-kick after the slightest of contact with Southampton defender Mohammed Salisu. The referee did not hesitate over the decision, with VAR electing not to intervene.
Ronaldo stepped up and thumped his effort past Ghana stopper Lawrence Ati-Zigi to become the first male player to ever score in five separate World Cups. Dean was not happy that he got the opportunity in the first place and was left aghast at the decision to give a penalty.
Speaking after full-time, the 54-year-old said: “The defender [Salisu] clearly plays the ball. ‘Ronaldo then touches the back of the defender, goes down, instigates contact. Read more
Argentina’s Lionel Messi emotionally, physically ready for Mexico – Scaloni (ESPN)
Lionel Messi is emotionally and physically ready to face Mexico in Argentina’s key Group C World Cup match on Saturday, according to manager Lionel Scaloni.
Argentina fell to a shock 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday and need a victory against Mexico to keep their World Cup campaign on track. Scaloni said Messi, 35, trained with the rest of the team on Thursday and is ready for the challenge on Saturday.
“He’s feeling well but more than ever we need everyone,” Scaloni said. “We have no questions over [Messi’s] physical level, and emotionally he’s feeling well so no problems there.”
He added: “Leo is doing well, as are his other teammates. We know tomorrow we have an important match and most young players know that everything will be left on the pitch. Everything depends on us — that’s why we need to give everything on the pitch.” Read more
Mattia Binotto reveals why Ferrari were forced to stop development ‘‘very early’’ (F1News)
Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has insisted in recent weeks that despite his team falling some way short of the constructors’ championship, he is happy with how the season has gone.
The Swiss claimed that Ferrari’s objectives were never to challenge for the title in 2022, and has refused to accept the season as a failure for the team.
The team faced late pressure to avoid the embarrassment of being overtaken by a struggling Mercedes team in the championship, but managed to hold on to their runner up spot with a strong end to the year in Abu Dhabi.
Despite these previous comments which suggest the Scuderia had somewhat of a successful season, Binotto has now changed his stance and addressed where his team did in fact go wrong. Read more
Davis Cup 2022: USA dumped out by Italy in last 8 (Sky)
USA’s bid for a record-extending 33rd Davis Cup title is over after they lost a doubles decider to Italy in Thursday’s quarter-final in Malaga.
Italy’s Simon Bolelli and Fabio Fognini beat Tommy Paul and Jack Sock 6-4 6-4 to secure a 2-1 win and their country’s first semi-final in eight years, in which they will play Germany’s conquerors Canada.
The singles rubbers were split between the nations, with Lorenzo Sonego putting Italy 1-0 up by virtue of a 6-3 7-6 (9-7) success over Frances Tiafoe before USA levelled proceedings as Taylor Fritz saw off Lorenzo Musetti 7-6 (10-8) 6-3.
That meant a doubles fixture was needed for the first time in this season’s quarter-finals, with Croatia and Australia having recorded 2-0 wins over Spain and Netherlands respectively earlier this week. Read more
