Terrorists levy Katsina community N10m (Punch)
Terrorists operating in the Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State have demanded a sum of N10m from Gobirawa community over the alleged killing of one of their members by a farmer on the outskirts of the community.
The spokesperson for the Katsina State Police Command, Gambo Isah, who confirmed this to our correspondent on Friday, explained that the terrorists threatened to kill all the residents of the community if the ransom was not paid.
Gambo said, “The report that some terrorists demanded N10mn from a community in Katsina is true. I stated it in the statement I made available to newsmen today.”
He explained that the problem began in October, when one of the terrorists, belonging to a faction group of Hamisu, attacked a farmer, identified as Yahaya Dandai, while working on his farmland located on the outskirts of the community. Read more
Amaechi bags degree in law as Baze university graduates 504 students (Vanguard)
Immediate past Minister of Transport and former governor of Rivers State,Chief Rotimi Amaechi, on Saturday,,graduated from Baze University,Abuja, with a Bachelor of Law,LL.B Degree.
The former minister was among the 504 students who graduated from the school in various fields of study, having not only successfully passed their examinations but also found worthy in learning and character by the authorities of the school.
They were awarded their various certificates at the 9th Convocation Ceremony of the school. Read more
Sanwo-Olu bags AMMBAN Award for financial inclusiveness (Leadership)
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has received an award from the Association of Mobile Money & Bank Agents in Nigeria (AMMBAN) in recognition of his unflinching commitment to financial inclusiveness and the creation of an enabling environment for Fintechs to thrive in the state.
The state’s Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Rabiu Olowo who received the award on his behalf at the 6th AMMBAN national conference with the theme: “Agency Banking in the Digital Age: Enforcing Standard, Seizing Opportunities and Managing Risks”, held in Lagos stated that the state government has continued to design support structures to ensure the protection, sustainability and growth of mobile and banking agents in the state.
The Commissioner stated that in ensuring financial inclusiveness and to effectively compete in the global economic space, the Lagos State government recently launched the upgraded Lagos State Resident Identity Card (LAD ID Card). Read more
My administration will fully tap Lagos tourism potential – LP Candidate, Rhodes-Vivour (Independent)
The Gubernatorial Candidate of the Labour Party in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour has said that his administration will fully tap the tourism potentials of the state come 2023 if elected.
Gbadebo stated this while speaking at the Ikorodu Oga day on Friday in Lagos.
Having described the festival as the most celebrated in the Ikorodu area of Lagos, he noted that there are many cultural activities in other areas of the state that have been jettisoned for a long time.
Rhodes-Vivour, therefore, stated that the economic status of the state will be above the ranks if the jettisoned areas are reawakened. Read more
TikToker banned over fake news on Osinbajo’s daughter (Vanguard)
A content creator, @Realcharley22 has been banned by TikTok for disseminating fake news about Kiki Osinbajo, the daughter of Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.
The Liberian TikToker had earlier in the week stated that Kiki had been detained in the UK for having a significant amount of US currency.
@Realcharley22 claimed she will be charged for money laundering, being that she was unable to prove the source of those funds.
The statement says, “It’s likely she will be charged with money laundering if she cannot prove the source of those funds. Her money has been seized until she brings her proof. Her boyfriend is a baller so maybe it’s their money but then from which source? Read more
Buhari celebrates Jonathan at 65 (Nation)
President Muhammadu Buhari has hailed his predecessor, former President Goodluck Jonathan, for his personal sacrifices for the good of Nigeria and world peace.
The President’s encomiums for Jonathan were contained in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, marking the former President’s 65th birthday anniversary.
According to the statement, Buhari observed that Jonathan’s peaceful and sacrificial disposition has earned him the admiration of Nigerians and the global community, hence continuously positioning him for more services to humanity.
“On behalf of the government and Nigerians, President Muhammadu Buhari rejoices with former President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GFCR, on his 65th birthday, November 20, 2022. Read more
Why no-work-no-pay policy should start from Buhari – Sowore (Punch)
The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, while speaking on the issues between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, said the ‘no work, no pay’ policy reportedly enforced on the lecturers ought to be applicable to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).
Sowore, who spoke at the presidential town hall organised by Daria Media and Cabal Entertainment on Friday evening, insisted that if the FG must enforce the ‘no work, no pay’ policy, the enforcement must start from Buhari because he barely worked.
While fielding a question on the government’s insistence on enforcing the policy on ASUU, who embarked on strike for eight months, and how he could handle it differently, Sowore maintained that Nigerian workers must be paid when their industrial action was based on a just course.
Sowore said, “When the strike is just, you will have to pay the strikers. They didn’t want to do this, it was the government that forced them into it. Read more
2023: PDP G5 flags off campaigns in Rivers (Channels)
Five aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) known as the G5 on Saturday flagged off the party’s state-level campaigns in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Governor Nyesom Wike (Rivers) hosted his brother governors – Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Samuel Ortom (Rivers), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, the campaign venue.
The five governors donned black trousers, black hats, and white Etibor outfits synonymous with the Niger Delta zone. Members of the party also filled the stadium to the brim with PDP paraphernalia.
The G5 has been consistent in its demand that Benue-born Iyorchia Ayu step down as PDP national chairman for “fairness and justice”, saying northerners should be the party’s chair and presidential candidate. Read more
University of Idaho students stabbed to death in their beds (BBC)
Nearly a week after four University of Idaho students were found dead in their rental home, a coroner has revealed they were stabbed in their beds.
The three young women and young man were probably sleeping when they were attacked on Sunday 13 November, said Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt.
They were stabbed multiple times with a “pretty large knife”, she added.
No arrests have been made and police in the college town of Moscow have warned the killer may still pose a threat.
More than 25 investigators are working on the investigation with assistance from the FBI and Idaho State Police. Read more
Eva Mendes calls Ryan Gosling her ‘husband,’ fuels marriage speculation (PageSix)
Eva Mendes seemingly confirmed that she and Ryan Gosling secretly tied the knot during an interview on Thursday.
While promoting the Ronald McDonald House charity on “Today Australia,” the “Training Day” star, 48, referred to Gosling as her “husband” after being asked about her time Down Under.
“I’m loving it here,” the mother of two said. “Everybody is amazing, everybody is welcoming us, it’s been so beautiful. My husband Ryan is here … and our children are here, we’re having the best time.”
Mendes — who shares daughters Esmeralda, 8, and Amada, 6, with the 42-year-old actor — went on to joke about her “ordinary” looking spouse after hosts Karl Stefanovic and Allison Langdon played a shirtless clip of Gosling from “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” Read more
Keanu Reeves lines up next lead movie role in Jonah Hill project (DigitalSpy)
Keanu Reeves has landed a major new role in Jonah Hill’s next directorial project.
21 Jump Street actor Hill made his move into directing with the 2018 film Mid90s, and after the search for a new project, he’s landed on something called Outcome, which he has co-written with Ezra Woods.
It’s not known what the plot of the film will be, nor who Reeves is playing, and we may not find out for a while. The film doesn’t have a distributor yet, with Deadline reporting that it will open up to bidding soon. Apparently, several studios — both traditional and streaming — are keen to put in an offer for this one.
Reeves has got a fair bit on his plate over the next few years, starting with the fourth John Wick movie. A trailer for the latest instalment in the franchise features a few new faces, including pop star Rina Sawayama in her big-screen acting debut. Read more
Diane Kruger boards Canal+ Romy Schneider doc, shares new details about Marlene Dietrich passion project (Variety)
Diane Kruger will partner with French pay-tv leader Canal+ to star in an hour-long documentary retracing the life and career of Romy Schneider, with production set to begin next week.
Produced by Canal+ Docs and directed by Marjory Déjardin, the film is part of a larger series called “Elle parle d’Elle” (She Talks About Her), which centers on contemporary stars as they explore the lives of 20th century icons, creating echoes between the two subjects. Previous installments found Carole Bouquet retracing the steps of Coco Chanel, for example.
“[Romy Schneider] really was the reason I wanted to become an actor and to study acting in France,” Kruger tells Variety from the Marrakech Film Festival. “There’s sort of a parallel drawn to my own life and where I’m from, so that should be interesting.” Read more
Pharrell Williams believes God put him on Earth to make music (MusicNews)
Pharrell Williams is convinced God put him on Earth to make music.
The ‘Happy’ hitmaker has been reflecting on his 30 years in the music industry and declared he still “really loves” his job after three decades – and he’s determined to continue for as long as he can to share the talent bestowed on him from above.
Speaking to Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, he explained: “I just calculated the other day, I thought it was only during 20-something years, but ‘Rump Shaker’ came out, might have been August 25, 1992. I need to figure that out. But it’s been 30 years since I’ve released something commercially … And it’s been 30 years. 30 years of, I really write. I really produce. I really compose. I really do this, bro. I really do it, and I really love it. I really love this.”
Pharrell went on to add: “This is what I do. This is what I love to do. This is what God gave me. You know what I’m saying? And nobody, I’m not going to let … Listen. My gift will never be spoken down upon. I will do everything in my power to highlight it, because that’s my job … it’s not my fault if you don’t know that you’re fire. You know what I’m saying? But I know what I am. I know what God put in me.” Read more
Florence + The Machine postpone rest of UK tour due to broken foot (NME)
Florence + The Machine have postponed the remainder of their UK tour after Florence Welch broke her foot.
In a statement posted to Instagram, Welch revealed that she unknowingly played last night’s (November 18) show at London’s The O2 with the fracture, and had the break confirmed this morning after an X-Ray.
She shared her disappointment in the new post and revealed that the shows – which were set to continue tonight with a second London gig and run until the end of the month – are in the process of being rescheduled for 2023.
Welch wrote: “I’m so sorry to say that after an X ray it seems I was dancing on a broken foot last night. It is not in my nature to postpone a show, and certainly not a UK tour, but I’m in pain and as dancers know, dancing on an injury is not a good idea. And have been told not to perform to avoid further damage.” Read more
Ukraine war: Rishi Sunak visits President Zelensky in Kyiv (BBC)
Rishi Sunak pledged £50m in defence aid to Ukraine as he met the country’s President Volodymyr Zelensky in his first visit to Kyiv since becoming prime minister.
The meeting was held to show “continued UK support” for Ukraine, No 10 said.
“We discussed the most important issues both for our countries and for global security,” Mr Zelensky wrote on Telegram following the meeting.
“We are stronger and we will achieve the desired results,” he added. Read more
Osimhen beats Gavi, Valverde to Globe Soccer Awards (Punch)
Nigeria international Victor Osimhen has emerged as the best young player of the year 2022, winning the glamorous 2022 Globe Soccer Awards for his excellent performance this season.
“Congratulations to Victor Osimhen on winning the 2022 #GlobeSoccer Award for POWER HORSE EMERGING PLAYER OF THE YEAR” according to a statement from official Globe Soccer Awards Twitter official Twitter handle @Globe_Soccer
The prestigious award took place at the Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai on Thursday, three days before the start of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Osimhen, Gavi and Valverde were the three finalists for the ‘Emerging Player Of The Year’ in Dubai and the Nigeria international has beaten the Barcelona and Real Madrid midfielders. Read more
Knicks fall right back to concerning old ways in one-sided loss to Warriors (NYPost)
The Knicks left their game in Denver.
Their improved defense, their shot-making, their bench production — none of it made the trip to the Bay Area.
The Knicks didn’t resemble the team that pulled off a back-to-back sweep of the Jazz and Nuggets on Tuesday and Wednesday in the opening quarter, and they couldn’t recover. In those fateful first 12 minutes, the Knicks fell behind by 16 and treated defense like an optional exercise, handling the ball without any semblance of care. The positive vibes from those two wins felt like a distant memory as the defending champion Warriors toyed with them in a one-sided 111-101 victory at Chase Center on Friday night.
“The second, third and fourth quarters, we played the way we needed to play in the first quarter. But we had given them such a cushion that we didn’t give ourselves a real chance,” coach Tom Thibodeau said.
The Knicks (8-8) frequently were scrambling on defense, out of position as the Warriors’ ball movement tied them in knots. Their offense often resulted in forced shots or ball-handling miscues. Golden State entered the game a middling 6-9, but certainly didn’t look like a team that has struggled early in the season. The Warriors held the Knicks to 34.5 percent shooting, forced 16 turnovers and hit 18 3-pointers themselves. Read more
Gregg Berhalter hails ”formidable” Wales before the USMNT’s World Cup opener (DailyMail)
USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter has warned his team it faces a ‘very difficult’ opening match in Group B against Wales on Monday.
Berhalter’s team is back in the World Cup for the first time since 2014 and bidding to lay down a marker ahead of the next tournament, which the USA co-hosts in 2026.
Furthermore, there is excitement around the potential of the USA roster which is the second-youngest in Qatar with an average age of 25 years and 214 days.
But Berhalter has underlined to his team that Wales is not an opponent to take for granted. Read more
Man City sent resounding transfer message amid Premier League title race with Arsenal (MEN)
Manchester City fans have sent a well-timed confidence boost to the club by expressing their near-complete satisfaction with Pep Guardiola’s squad.
City enjoyed a great start to the campaign after they flew out of the traps, defeating neighbours Manchester United 6-3 and sailing through to the knockout stages of the Champions League. New signing Erling Haaland has been a revelation since his arrival and already has a remarkable 23 goals to his name.
However, while it’s by no means panic stations just yet, there was a noticeable drop-off in performance levels as the World Cup break edged closer. Though the Blues responded well to the loss to Liverpool in terms of results, they struggled against Brighton at times and it took a late goal to defeat Fulham.
The downward trend culminated in the final game before the break as Guardiola’s side were deservedly beaten by Brentford after they registered one of their worst displays in recent memory. Perhaps the looming World Cup subconsciously impacted those heading to Qatar and everything will be fine once the Premier League resumes, but it has still been a concerning spell. Read more
Andrey Rublev reaches ATP finals last 4 for the 1st time as Stefanos Tsitsipas crashes out (Eurosport)
Andrey Rublev reached the prestigious last four of the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time in his fourth attempt after he beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 3-6 6-3 6-2 on Friday evening.
The Russian’s win completed the semi-final line-up, as the 25-year-old joined Novak Djokovic, Taylor Fritz, and his next opponent, Casper Ruud, in the next round.
Tsitsipas started strong and controlled the opening set before a fiery Rublev stormed back into the contest in the second.
It was not only a physical battle but a mental test too, as Tsitsipas started to lose concentration and let his form slip which Rublev took full advantage of. Read more
Horner reflects on Verstappen/Perez controversy (RN365)
Christian Horner believes that Red Bull have learned from their “mistakes” following the team orders controversy involving Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Verstappen refused to let Perez by on the final lap of the race when asked by the team, with the Dutchman stating over the radio: “I gave my reasons and I stand by it.”
In response, Perez said over his own radio that the incident would show “who he really is” in reference to Verstappen, though later admitted that he regretted his remarks.
Horner was quizzed about the situation ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and acknowledged that it had been an “unfortunate situation”. Read more