BIGNEWS24HOURS: 10/29/13

Tuesday 29 October 2013

B’Haram: Death toll in Yobe attack hits 127

Members of the boko haram sect

Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah

Supervising Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike and ASUU President, Dr. Nasir Fagge

Supervising Minister of Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday met with the Academic Staff Union of Universities in Abuja.

It could not be ascertained if the meeting which lasted barely one hour produced desirable results.

The ASUU President, Dr. Nasir Fagge and the minister refused to speak with journalists after the meeting.

NMA blames corruption for low life expectancy

A farmer and his children plant a field with bean seeds and fertilizer in southern Ethiopia in 2008, a year after severe floods in the country destroyed most of the food crop. Ethiopia is the 10th most vulnerable country to climate change impacts, according to a report by Maplecroft.

Climate change may be "serious obstacle" to sustainable growth in key cities, says report
The climate change vulnerability index is published by risk analysis firm Maplecroft
Nearly a third of the world's economy will come from highly or extremely vulnerable places
Bangladesh was the most vulnerable country and its capital the most vulnerable city

Boxing | South Africa

Joe Horn, a welterweight boxer who became an excellent ring official, has died in Johannesburg.

Horn, who fought in the 1960s, was 72 years old when he died on Monday.
He was born in Johannesburg on December 22 1940, and made his professional debut in March 1963.
He twice fought Boela Meyers, the 1960 Rome Olympic bronze medallist, losing on points on both occasions. Their first encounter was Horn’s third professional fight, at the Ice Drome in Durban. The second was at the Ellis Park Tennis Stadium in Johannesburg four months later.
Horn, a southpaw, beat Mickey Ravell, Jannie Jacobs, Gert Maritz, Nelie Hoffman and former SA featherweight, lightweight and welterweight champion Charlie Els.

Rugby | International Rugby

Australia's Will Genia believes the hard line approach of coach Ewen McKenzie will see the "most disciplined" Wallaby side he has known also become a winning one.
McKenzie took over from New Zealander Robbie Deans following Australia's 2-1 series loss to the British and Irish Lions in July and it was not long before he sentenced James O'Connor to international exile.

Rugby | Vodacom Super Rugby

Benji Marshall © Gallo Images

Auckland Blues' star recruit Benji Marshall admitted on Wednesday he was nervous about making the transition from rugby league to union in next year's Super Rugby competition.
Marshall was officially unveiled as a Blues player when the squad for the 2014 season was announced, with the 28-year-old moving to the 15-man code after more than a decade with Wests Tigers in Australia's National Rugby League.

Golf | Golf Globe

Tiger Woods believes Rory McIlroy is slowly getting his golf game back on track and predicted on Tuesday that the former world No 1 would claim a breakthrough first victory of the year by the end of December.
McIlroy was on top of the world at the end of 2012, having won the orders of merit on both sides of the Atlantic, but he has had a turbulent season this year on and off the course.
The Northern Irishman changed his clubs in January, a switch that was criticised by several pundits. He is also in the middle of a bitter court dispute with his former management team and, according to media reports, has split from girlfriend Caroline Wozniacki.
"He is playing better and swinging a lot better," 14-times major champion Woods told Reuters in an interview. "You can see that some of the stuff he and his coach are working on are starting to come together.

Golf | Golf Globe

Three years ago at Sheshan International, hundreds of fans wanting an autograph stood outside the clubhouse where Tiger Woods was signing his scorecard at the HSBC Champions. They excitedly began chanting in Chinese, "We want Tiger! We want Tiger!"
Their hopes faded and the chanting stopped when they realised he had left, and then a lone voice pierced the late afternoon air with a wistful plea in broken English.
"Tiger, where are you?"

Golf | SA

Top South African amateur Zander Lombard will have to pull out all the stops in Wednesday’s final round to beat Otto van Greunen for the IGT Challenge Pro Tour’s Race to Q-School at Silver Lakes Country Club.
The 18-year-old amateur squandered his chances to share the lead with a double bogey finish for 70, while Van Greunen fired a five-under-par 70 to hit the front at 10-under-par 134.
The Maccauvlei professional will take a two shot cushion over the country’s No 2 ranked amateur into the final round, but he has a five shot edge on James Searson and Terence Boardman, tied for third after matching 70s.

Tennis | ATP

Jo Wilfried Tsonga © Reuters Images

Richard Gasquet kept his ATP World Tour finals hopes alive when he overcame Fernando Verdasco 7-5 6-7(6) 6-3 to reach the Paris Masters third round as fellow Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga crashed out of the race on Tuesday.
Ninth seed Gasquet, enjoying his best season since he reached the last four at Wimbledon and a career-high world No 7 spot in 2007, looks set to grab one of the three remaining tickets to next week's season-ending London event.

Football | Nigeria

Okrika in action © Shengolpix

BPL Fantasy League

Okrika coach, Blessing Iyo has said his target is the podium dance at the ongoing Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) sponsored Rivers State Governor’s Cup in the state capital, Port Harcourt.
The Cup holders on Monday subdued hard-fighting Degema 2-0 in the quarterfinals at the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt.
Okrika will on Wednesday at same venue fenced off the expected stiff challenge from last year’s quarterfinalists, Oyigbo in the first semifinal for a place in the final of the foremost annual grassroots football showpiece.

Football | Africa

Yaya Toure © Backpagepics

Manchester City and Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure was unveiled in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on Tuesday as goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep).
The 30-year-old, who is the only African footballer on a 23-man list of candidates for the 2013 Fifa / Ballon d’Or, will join the campaign against Elephants poaching.

Football | Spain

Cesc Fabregas © Action Images

BPL Fantasy League

Barcelona moved four points clear of Atletico Madrid at the top of La Liga as they eased to a 3-0 win over Celta Vigo.
Alexis Sanchez continued his fine scoring form after netting the decisive goal in Barça's 2-1 win over Real Madrid at the weekend when he tapped home the opener after just nine minutes.
Celta had their chances to equalise towards the end of the first period, but went two behind at the beginning of the second when Cesc Fabregas' drive rebounded into his own net off goalkeeper Yoel Rodriguez and Fabregas added a third with a clinical finish soon after.
With Barça in the midst of seven games in 22 days, coach Gerardo Martino made five changes from the side that started the match against Madrid on Saturday.

Football | World Cup 2014

Martin Caceres © Action Images

Juventus defender Martin Caceres has been recalled to the Uruguay squad for their intercontinental World Cup playoff against Jordan next month.
Caceres, who missed Uruguay's last South American group qualifiers last month through injury, was included in a 29-man squad named on Tuesday by coach Oscar Tabarez.
The squad includes strikers Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, who were among the 23 players nominated for the Fifa World Player of the Year award on Tuesday.
Uruguay, semifinalists at the last World Cup in South Africa in 2010, visit Jordan in Amman in the first leg on November 13 before hosting the second leg at the Centenario in Montevideo a week later.
It is Uruguay's fourth consecutive playoff, having qualified for the 2002 and 2010 finals via the same route. They lost out in a playoff for a place at the 2006 finals against Australia.
Jordan are looking to reach the finals for the first time after winning an Asian fifth-round playoff against Uzbekistan.

Football | Italy

Inter Milan missed the chance to put pressure on the sides above them in the Serie A table when they were held to a 1-1 draw at Atalanta on Tuesday.
Ricardo Alvarez put Inter in front 16 minutes in, controlling a header down by Rodrigo Palacio and firing low past Andrea Consigli at his near post.
However, Atalanta were defending an unbeaten record at home against Inter dating back to April 2008 and were also looking to make it four straight Serie A wins.

Football | Capital One Cup

Jose Mourinho got the better of old adversary Arsene Wenger once again as Chelsea showed their strength-in-depth by reaching the League Cup quarterfinals with a 2-0 win over London rivals Arsenal on Tuesday.
Both teams rang the changes but it was Chelsea's new-look side that gelled, restricting the hosts to a few sights of goal while consistently threatening on the break and finding the net through Spaniards Cesar Azpilicueta and Juan Mata.
It was a difficult night for Wenger, who enjoyed a simmering feud with the Chelsea boss during the Portuguese's first spell in the Premier League with the West London side and has now not beaten Mourinho in nine attempts.

Football | Fifa U17 World Cup

Cote d' Ivoire booked a place in the quarterfinals of the 2013 Fifa Under-17 World Cup after shading an entertaining round of 16 contest with Morocco in Fujairah.
The speedy and talented west Africans took an early lead only for Moroccan sensation Younes Bnou Marzouk to draw level in the second half. Junior Ahissan sealed the 2-1 victory for the Ivorians, who will now play Argentina in the last eight.

President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday wrote the Senate expressing his intention to present the 2014 budget to the National Assembly on Nov. 12.

Jonathan, in a letter dated Oct. 23, expressed his intention to present the 2014 budget to the National Assembly.
“I write to crave your kind indulgence to grant me the slot of 12:00 noon on Tuesday, Nov. 12 to enable me formally address a joint session of the National Assembly on the 2014 budget.

PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN (L), WITH PRESIDENT SHIMON PERES OF ISRAEL, DURING A BILATERAL MEETING IN JERUSALEM ON MONDAY

President Goodluck Jonathan has vowed that his Administration will continue to actively combat the menace of terrorism in partnership with all peace-loving countries of the world.

He made the pledge on Monday in Jerusalem at a meeting with President Shimon Peres of Israel.
Mr. Jonathan said that Nigeria will welcome enhanced cooperation and aid from Israel for its ongoing efforts to end terrorist attacks and insurgency in parts of the country.

APC GOVERNORS AT THEIR INAUGURAL MEETING IN LAFIA, NASARAWA STATE IN JULY

Governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) under the umbrella of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) have decried Sunday’s disruption of a meeting by the G-7 governors at the Sokoto State governor’s lodge in Abuja.

The G-7 governors, who are members of the Abubakar Kawu Baraje-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had to abort their meeting at the Sokoto Governor’s Lodge after a detachment of armed policemen stormed the venue in apparent readiness for a showdown. The meeting was eventually held at the Kano Governor’s Lodge.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has declared that there will be no sacred cows in the fight against corruption in the country.

The ruling party made this known on Tuesday in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Olisa Metuh in Abuja in reaction to the N225 million bulletproof cars’ scandal rocking the Aviation Ministry.
The party spokesman declared that the PDP had never and would never condone any form of corruption.
He said, “The position of our great party on corruption is unambiguous and our zero tolerance for corrupt practices abounds in practical examples”.
This, he said was so because the party`s founding fathers placed utmost premium on transparent and accountable government as a platform for achieving a better Nigeria.
“Our successive leaders since 1999 have resolutely stuck to this”.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has declared that there will be no sacred cows in the fight against corruption in the country.

PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN (L) WITH PRESIDENT MAHMUD ABBAS OF PALESTINE DURING HIS VISIT TO RAMALLAH ON TUESDAY

President Goodluck Jonathan and the President of the Palestinian National Authority, Mr. Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday in Ramallah reached an accord on the establishment of a Framework for Bilateral Cooperation between Nigeria and Palestine.

The agreement was reached after talks at which both leaders stressed the need to expand and deepen the scope of bilateral relations for the mutual benefit of their peoples.

Football | Germany

Hoffenheim have decided not to appeal against the German Football Federation's (DFB) decision to validate their 'phantom goal' 2-1 defeat at home to Bayer Leverkusen, the Bundesliga club said on Tuesday.
Stefan Kiessling's ultimately decisive counter for Leverkusen came when he headed the ball the wrong side of the post, only to see it slip in through a hole in the side-netting, with the referee awarding a goal.
On Monday the DFB decided against ordering a replay of the match originally held on October 18, choosing instead to let the result stand.

Football | Fifa U17 World Cup

Nigeria's Golden Eaglets cruised past Iran 4-1 in one of the round of 16 matches at the ongoing Fifa Under-17 World Cup on Tuesday to set up a quarterfinal meeting with Uruguay.

He always manages to get out of it one way or another.
R&B singer, Chris Brown has escaped the clutches of the law again; sources say that he was released a few hours ago with bail and the assault charge has been reduced from a felony, which could have landed him in prison.
He’s also required to stay 100 yards away from the man he allegedly punched in D.C yesterday.

We all see how the likes of P-Square, Wizkid and even Banky W, drive in the latest cars and are seen spending clean naira notes everyday; but do you think those riches came overnight???
Today we hear Banky W’s story; he started from an undergraduate begging for audience at salons in the United States to his present status.
32-year-old Banky has built a musical empire that has produced internationally acclaimed artistes like Skales and Wizkid.

Reports reaching me this morning say that Nollywood’s bad boy turned born-again, Jim Iyke is planning to relocate to Ghana, the home country of his girl, Nadia Buari.

Singer, Davido has been under a little scrutiny after his Skelewu video saga.
Davido has indirectly shown that he isn’t bothered as long as he is still getting paid. The singer flaunted the newly minted American hundred dollars with former US President, Benjamin Franklin wearing a contented face.

Some reports have hit the the internet that ace female comedian, Princess and her husband Adeshola Jeremiah, are expecting their first child.

Even Angelo was almost forced to come to Nigeria to attend her birthday, though he came, another male contestant was more visible with Beverly than her supposed boyfriend, Angelo himself. But now, it’s over, and Beverly has already learnt her lessons.
Check out her tweets below.

SEARCH: Police looking for evidence after Bijan’s death
But someone saw him with the camera and told police that Bijan, who was registered disabled and couldn’t work, had taken pictures of children.

Football | Spain

A few familiar faces will stand between leaders Barcelona and a 10th win in 11 La Liga outings this season when the unbeaten champions take to the pitch at struggling Celta Vigo on Tuesday.
The Galician club, who recorded only their second win of the campaign at Malaga on Saturday and are 15th after 10 rounds, are coached by former Barca and Spain midfielder Luis Enrique, who took charge of Barca's B team in 2008 before an unsuccessful stint at Serie A club AS Roma.
In his first term in charge at Celta, the 43-year-old has three Barca academy graduates in his squad: forward Nolito, on-loan midfielder Rafinha - the younger brother of Bayern Munich playmaker Thiago Alcantara - and centre back Andreu Fontas.

Tennis | WTA

Serena Williams believes her best years may still be ahead of her after she ended 2013 in record-breaking style on Sunday.
The 32-year-old American successfully defended her WTA Championships title, beating Li Na, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0, to finish 2013 with a 78th victory against just four losses, and 11th title of the year.
Williams finished the campaign with prize money of $12 385 572, shattering the all-time women's record set last year by Victoria Azarenka, who won $7 923 920.
It's also the third-highest single season prize money total in tennis history, men's and women's – only Novak Djokovic's 2011 and 2012 totals are higher.

Football | Spain

Real Madrid have asked Fifa to rectify comments from its president Sepp Blatter that appeared to mock their Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo, coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Tuesday.
Blatter was asked at the Oxford University Union on Friday to give his opinion of Ronaldo and Barcelona's World Player of the Year Lionel Messi.

Football | International

Fifa says the qualifying draw for the 2018 World Cup will be made on July 25, 2015 in St. Petersburg.
The event was confirmed on Tuesday at a meeting of the local organising committee in Kazan.
Fifa also confirmed a lucrative expansion of its sponsorship program for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, being played in Russia and Qatar, respectively.

The premises of the Federal Civil Service Commission in Abuja

Obasanjo and Shagari

Prof. Sola Adeyeye

Football | International

Lionel Messi, Franck Ribery, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Neymar are among 23 candidates on the short list for the Ballon d'Or announced by Fifa on Tuesday.
Ribery, who won Uefa's best player in Europe award for the 2012-13 season, helped Bayern Munich win the Champions League and Bundesliga and German Cup titles.
Messi, winner of the last four Ballon d'Or awards in voting by coaches, team captains and media, was injured late in the season and could not prevent Barcelona from being beaten by Bayern in the Champions League semifinals.
Neymar joined Messi at Barcelona this season after a move from Santos in his native Brazil, while Welshman Bale moved to Real Madrid from Tottenham in September for 100 million euros, the richest transfer in football history.
Another nominee was Liverpool forward Luis Suarez, who missed the start of the 2013-14 Premier League season while serving a 10-game suspension for biting Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic during a Premier League game in April.
The Ballon d'Or, or world player of the year, winner will be announced January 13 in Zurich.
Two now-retired managers - Alex Ferguson of Manchester United and Bayern's Jupp Heynckes - are among 10 nominees for Fifa's coach of the year award.

STORY HIGHLIGHT

China censors images of jeep that plowed into Tiananmen Square, killing 5
Police are looking for suspects from the restive western region of Xinjiang, source says
Analyst: Incident could be considered a major loss of face for Beijing
Internet searches combining the words Tiananmen, terrorism and car crash blocked

Beijing (CNN) -- Chinese authorities have made a concerted effort to censor images and online accounts of a jeep that plowed into crowds in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, killing five and injuring 38, amid suggestions police are looking for suspects from the restive western region of Xinjiang.

While the cause or motive for Monday's crash remains unclear, one manager at a five-star hotel in Beijing, who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the case, told CNN that the city's hotels had received a notice from local police requesting assistance in the investigation of a "major incident" late on Monday.

It listed four people with names that suggested they belonged to the Uighur ethnic group that comes from Xinjiang Province, where tensions between Han Chinese and the largely Muslim Uighurs have sometimes turned violent.

Is Jonathan encouraging corruption?

The All Progressives Congress has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of shielding the Aviation Minister, Ms. Stella Oduah, in the N255m bulletproof car scandal rocking the ministry.

Comments:

Multiclique: Why do we have the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission and the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police Force? Why set up an administrative panel to investigate fraud if it isn’t aimed at covering up tracks and loopholes? If the man GEJ is sincere, he should have called in all these anti-corruption agencies to investigate the matter independently.