Tears as Lagos govt auctions 44 vehicles for traffic offences (Guardian)
“My heart bled seeing my car auctioned in my presence. I tried bidding, but each time I bid, there was always someone adding N100, 000 to my offer. That was how I lost my car, which was auctioned for N1.2 million.” These were the words of a former owner of Toyota Corolla 2003 model whose car was auctioned yesterday.
It was mixed feelings for car owners and bidders as the Lagos State Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences auctioned 44 vehicles forfeited to the Lagos State Government for traffic offences.
Offenders had arrived with the expectations to bid for their vehicles and get their cars back at an affordable price but they were shocked to meet crowd of businessmen, ready with cash to also bid for the seized vehicles. Read more
19-year-old, friend nabbed for setting ex-lover’s house, girlfriend ablaze (Punch)
Nineteen-year-old Jemila Ibrahim and her friend, Fatima Mohammed, have been arrested by the personnel of the Lagos State Police Command for setting her ex-lover’s house ablaze at the Monkey Village, FESTAC area of the state.
It was gathered that Jemila and her friend stormed the residence of her ex-lover, Mohammed Yusuf, around 5.30pm on November 18 and set it ablaze, while his girlfriend, Rabi was inside.
PUNCH Metro learnt that Yusuf, who got to know about the incident, rushed home to rescue Rabi and took her to hospital, where she died on Saturday around noon. Read more
#EndSARS: Drama as petitioner confronts officer who assaulted him in 2012 (Vanguard)
A mild drama played out on Tuesday when a petitioner, Mr. Okoli Agu Abunike, spotted a Police lawyer who assaulted him at the hearing of his case.
Abunike had just been cross-examined by police counsel, Emmanuel Eze, when he sought the panel’s permission to speak.
Abunike, a father of five, had already answered questions about his allegations that in 2012, Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) operatives detained and tortured him for 47 days at their Ikeja station.
The petitioner, a litigation clerk, upon getting the permission to speak from panel chair Justice Doris Okuwobi,(Rtd), he pointed at the police lead counsel, Mr Joseph Eboseremen, and accused him of assault. Read more
1,168, 790 voters for Lagos East bye-elections – INEC (Guardian)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Lagos State says a total of 1,168,790 voters will be participating in the Dec. 5 rescheduled Lagos East bye-elections.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC, Sam Olumekun told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Tuesday said that the voters were those who possessed Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) in the senatorial district.
The INEC boss, however, said that the district has 1,343,448 registered voters spread across 71 wards, 1,928 polling units and 188 voting points. Read more
Man bags 40 days imprisonment for stealing sweets, boxers in supermarket (Vanguard)
A Grade 1 Area Court Karu, Abuja on Tuesday sentenced a 40-year-old man, Kabiru Zakari to 40 days in prison for stealing sweets and boxers in a supermarket.
The judge, Inuwa Maiwada gave the verdict after the convict had pleaded guilty to a two-count charge of criminal trespass and theft.
Maiwada, however, gave an option of N10, 000 fine, with a warning that the convict desist from committing crimes.
He also ordered that he should undergo an intensive Islamic study at the prison for better transformation of character. Read more
#EndSARS: CNN dares FG, releases second report on Lekki shootings (Punch)
Amid threats of sanction from the Federal Government over its investigative report on the shootings at Lekki toll plaza during the #EndSARS protests, CNN has released a second report on the incident.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, had last week described CNN’s report on the Lekki shootings as poor journalism, adding that the network deserved to be sanctioned.
Mohammed also followed up the threat with a letter addressed to the management of CNN in Atlanta. Read more
WTO DG: Coast clears for Okonjo-Iweala as Korea drops candidate (Vanguard)
The coast seems to be clear for Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to emerge as the next Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) as her only opponent, South Korean Yoo Myung-hee is set to withdraw from the race.
A report by Washington Trade Daily said that South Korea has decided to withdraw its candidate from the WTO top job). Myung-hee is South Korea’s trade minister.
Washington Trade Daily quoted sources as saying South Korea has notified the US of its decision and is expected to make it public “in the coming days.” Read more
Hit-and-run driver kills woman in Onitsha – FRSC (Guardian)
A hit-and-run driver on Tuesday killed a woman near Toronto Hospital, Onitsha, while she was trying to cross the Onitsha-Awka road, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
Mr Andrew Kumapayi, State Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Anambra, who confirmed the incident to NAN in Awka, said that the incident occurred “around 9.20 a.m.”
“According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred around 9:20 a.m. They said the vehicle was speeding and fled after knocking the woman down. Read more
Reps pass Petroleum Industry Bill for second reading (Punch)
The House of Representatives, at the plenary on Tuesday, passed the Petroleum Industry Bill for second reading.
Members of the House debated the bill for over one hour, led by the Majority Leader, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa.
While all the lawmakers who spoke expressed their support for the bill, some of them called for its speedy passage due to the expected impact on the petroleum industry. Read more
Jesus Christ’s ‘childhood home’ discovered by archaeologist (Metro)
A British archaeologist has made the extraordinary claim to have discovered the childhood home of Jesus Christ himself.
The astonishing find has occurred at an excavation site in Nazareth, Israel led by Professor Ken Dark from the University of Reading.
Professor Dark has spent 14 years examining a brick and mortar dwelling that is believed to date back to the 1st century.
It is located in a limestone hillside beneath the Sisters of Nazarath Convent. Remaining intact for two centuries, the dwelling was clearly the mark of a master craftsman. Read more
New York City’s first black mayor David Dinkins dies (BBC)
The first and only black mayor of New York City, David Dinkins, has died at the age of 93.
Officers were called to his home on Monday evening, New York police were quoted by the Associated Press (AP) as saying. Initial indications were that he died of natural causes.
The son of a barber born in 1927 in New Jersey, he studied at Howard University and Brooklyn Law School.
He later went on to serve as the city’s mayor from 1990 to 1993.
His successor, Rudy Giuliani, paid tribute to Mr Dinkins on Twitter on Monday night, saying he had given a “great deal of his life in service to our great City. That service is respected and honoured by all”. Read more
China slams Pope Francis over remark on Uighur minority in book (AlJazeera)
China has criticised Pope Francis over a passage in his new book in which he mentions the suffering of China’s Uighur Muslim minority group, saying his remarks have “no factual basis at all”.
“People of all ethnic groups enjoy the full rights of survival, development, and freedom of religious belief,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a daily news briefing in Beijing on Tuesday.
Zhao made no mention of the camps in which more than a million Uighurs and members of other Chinese Muslim minority groups are reported to be held. Read more
Paris police in ‘shocking’ clash at migrant camp (BBC)
French police violently dismantled a makeshift migrant camp in the heart of Paris overnight, clashing with migrants and activists.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin tweeted that some of the scenes were “shocking”, and ordered the police to provide a full report on their actions.
Dozens of small tents were removed from Place de la République, with occupants sometimes being tipped out by police.
The homeless migrants say they are forced to live on the streets. Read more
Meryl Streep raps on soundtrack to Netflix movie (Metro)
Meryl Streep proves once again that she is a woman of many talent as she has a go at rapping for her new movie The Prom. The musical Netflix film, directed by Ryan Murphy, stars Meryl and James Corden as fading actors who try to resurrect their careers by giving a teenage girl a prom to remember with her girlfriend. We already knew that the Oscar-winning actress has musical chops, but this is a side of the actress we’ve not seen before. The soundtrack for The Prom, out on December 4 includes the feel good song Wear Your Crown. Read more
Hybrid cars emit way more pollution than advertised (NYPost)
Top auto brands are getting smoked by environmental analysts who have found that their carbon emissions are much higher than what carmakers had reported.
The European group Transport and Environment (T&E), which campaigns for renewable energy in transportation, found three top-selling plug-in hybrid SUVs — BMW’s X5, Volvo’s XC60 and Mitsubishi’s Outlander — are emitting 28% to 89% more carbon dioxide than advertised, even under ideal road conditions. Read more
Arrest in Mexico over Mormon massacre (BBC)
Federal prosecutors in Mexico have arrested a suspect in the killing of nine members of a Mormon community in northern Mexico last year.
Three women and six children, all dual US-Mexican citizens, were driving through the Sonoran desert when they were killed in an ambush.
Mexican security officials said the man, identified only as Roberto N, was a former police officer. Read more
World Athletics Awards: Two Africans make final five for women’s award (BBC)
Ethiopia’s Letsenbet Gidey and Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir have both been named among the final five nominees for the Female Athlete of the Year award for 2020.
The sports’ governing body World Athletics, which was formally known as the IAAF, reduced the nominations from 10 down to five on Tuesday.
Three other African athletes missed out on the final list, with Ethiopia’s Ababel Yeshaneh alongside Kenyan duo Faith Kipyegon and Hellen Obiri having been among the original 10. Read more
Guardiola, Klopp welcome virus fan-return plan (Guardian)
Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp on Tuesday welcomed the government’s decision to allow fans back into stadiums, a move described by the English Football League chief as a “lifeline” for smaller clubs.
Lower-league clubs, who do not enjoy the TV riches of the Premier League, have been struggling to make ends meet, with supporters shut out during the coronavirus pandemic.
But under plans unveiled on Monday, up to 4,000 people will be able to return to outdoor sports stadiums, depending on levels of Covid-19 in the area, from December 2. Read more
Lewis Hamilton: Andy Murray says F1 champion deserves knighthood (BBC)
Three-time Grand Slam tennis winner Andy Murray believes Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton deserves to join him as a British sporting knight.
Reports have suggested that Hamilton, who won a record-equalling seventh title last week, will be awarded a knighthood in the New Year Honours.
“In terms of what he has achieved as an athlete, of course he deserves it,” Murray, 33, told Good Morning Britain. Read more
Knee surgery: Aguero won’t be rushed into action, says Guardiola (Punch)
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says he will not rush Sergio Aguero back into action despite his side’s lack of goals in the Premier League.
City’s record goalscorer was an unused substitute in Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Tottenham as he nears a return from his latest injury problem.
The 32-year-old Argentine missed the end of last season and the start of the current campaign after undergoing knee surgery in June. He has since had another lay-off after suffering a hamstring injury last month.
City have scored just 10 goals in eight top-flight matches this season, though their strike record in Europe is more impressive, with nine goals in their three games. Read more
Liverpool’s Salah available to face Atalanta after negative coronavirus test (BBC)
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah is back in training and could face Atalanta in the Champions League on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old missed Sunday’s 3-0 win over Leicester after testing positive for coronavirus while on international duty with Egypt.
But he has since tested negative and took part in training on Monday. Read more
Eriksen set for Inter Milan exit as dream Italy move turns sour (Guardian)
Christian Eriksen’s dream move to Inter Milan looks over with the former Tottenham Hotspur playmaker requesting to leave the Italian giants after just 10 months.
The Danish international arrived on a four-and-a-half-year contract worth 20 million euros ($23 million) plus 7.5 million euros in bonuses in January.
But during a year overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic, the 28-year-old has been unable to reproduce his form with Spurs, where he scored 69 goals and had 89 assists in 305 appearances, or recently with Denmark. Read more
London to stage Diamond League meeting July 2021 (BBC)
The London Stadium will stage a midweek Diamond League athletics meeting next July after the 2021 provisional schedule was announced.
The meeting will take place on Tuesday, 13 July, 10 days before the start of the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics.
However, Gateshead’s International Stadium, which was due to host a meeting, has not been included.
The calendar consists of 14 meetings beginning in Rabat in May and ending in Zurich in September. Read more