“Our Punch Years” for launch December 20 @ NECA Hall
A compendium of stories of 38 ex-staff of Punch Newspapers titled, “Our Punch Years” will be presented to the public on Wednesday, December 20 2023 at the NECA Hall, Plot A2, Hakeem Balogun Stree, Central Business District, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos. The book was compiled over 18 months and was edited by Mr. Lekan Otufodunrin, Executive Media Career Development Network. Chairman of Punch Nigeria Limited, Mrs. Angela Emuwa is billed to chair the occasion of the launch. The book is perhaps the first attempt to chronicle the story of The Punch from the perspective of ex-staff. Otufodunrin who has over the years been passionate about best practices in the journalism profession, said the collection is dedicated to the founding Chairman of Punch Nigeria Limited, Chief James Olu Aboderin.
Source:Punch
December 19, 2023 11:45 UTC
2023's best sports documentary is about Mike Tyson's Punch-Out
The History of Mike Tyson's Punch-Out World RecordsThe video comes from YouTuber Summoning Salt, who is known for crafting exhaustive deep dives about video game speedrunning history. Recommended VideosHis latest video, The History of Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out World Records, is his most extensive deep dive yet. Okay, yes: Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! Though its two-plus hour runtime might seem like a tall order, The History of Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out World Records is worth every second. While it ends with an impressive world record, there’s still hope that someone could one day come along and shave even more seconds off the world record.
Source:Punch
December 19, 2023 04:00 UTC
Ukraine cuts military operations as foreign aid dries up
Ukraine has warned it is already being forced to downsize some military operations because of a drop-off in foreign aid. It comes as billions of dollars of US and EU aid have been held up amid political wrangles. Tarnavskyi said that the country lacked artillery shells, particularly for its Soviet-era weapons. We’re re-planning tasks that we had set for ourselves and making them smaller because we need to provide for them.”He said that diminishing foreign military aid was already having an impact on the battlefield, and forcing a change in tactics. Havryliuk said Kyiv was confident its international partners would overcome political differences to provide Ukraine with aid as before.
Source:Nigerian Tribune
December 18, 2023 20:59 UTC
ECOWAS Court orders Niger junta to release President Bazoum
On Friday, 15 December, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice sitting in Abuja, ruled that the ousted president of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum, be reinstated as leader of the country. Mr Bazoum was overthrown by members of his presidential guard on 26 July. The coup was widely condemned and prompted sanctions from ECOWAS, amid widespread calls for a return to democratic rule. READ ALSO:Judge Geberi-Be Quattara ordered Niger’s military government to re-establish constitutional order through Mr Bazoum’s immediate and unconditional release and reinstatement. The Niger junta rejected an earlier offer from ECOWAS to lift sanctions against the country if Mr Bazoum is released.
Source:The Guardian
December 18, 2023 20:23 UTC
How to stop incessant building collapse — Expert
The Chief Executive Officer, Max-Migold, Paul Erubami, has said that an effective facility management sector can stem the tide of building collapse in Nigeria. To achieve this, he explained that Nigeria’s facility management sector needs nothing less than 250,000 facility managers to stem the rampant building collapse. He advised the government to speak with professionals like the Association of Facility Management in Nigeria to come up with training programs for all public officers. According to him, facility management is a movement that needs to be advocated for, both in the public and private sectors to have a safe environment. He said, “We have to stem brain drain, building collapse, and issues of dilapidation, and build a society where facilities and maintenance should be looked at with a lifecycle mindset.”
Source:Punch
December 18, 2023 20:18 UTC
Egypt election: President Sisi wins third term
Egypt’s President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has won a third six-year term with 89.6% of the vote, the electoral commission has announced. Leading opposition candidate Ahmed Tantawy had pulled out months before last week’s poll, claiming intimidation and violence against his campaign camp. Sisi, who is 69, first became president in 2014, a year after he had led the military’s overthrow of his Islamist predecessor Mohammed Morsi. With the Egyptian economy heavily dependent on imports, the prices of basic commodities have skyrocketed beyond the reach of many households and a black market for foreign currency has flourished. Egyptian opposition groups complain they cannot operate effectively due to a constant crackdown on dissent.
Source:Nigerian Tribune
December 18, 2023 19:51 UTC
Vatican approves blessings for same-sex couples, put caveats
The Vatican on Monday approved blessings for same-sex couples but insisted they must not be established as a Catholic rite nor given in contexts related to civil unions or weddings. In a document approved by Pope Francis, the Vatican backed “the possibility of blessings for couples in irregular situations and for couples of the same sex”. However, it does not change the Catholic Church’s stance on same-sex marriages or unions. In 2021, the Vatican said the Church does not have the power to bless same-sex unions because God cannot “bless sin”. “To avoid any form of confusion or scandal”, blessings for same-sex couples cannot be “performed with any clothing, gestures, or words that are proper to a wedding”.
Source:Nigerian Tribune
December 18, 2023 18:08 UTC
Military coup may spread across Africa — Minister
Yusuf Tuggar, has warned against describing the unconstitutional change of government in West Africa as solely a regional problem. Tuggar also insisted that the coup could engulf the entire African continent and add to the challenges of terrorism and other cross-border criminalities if not addressed. Tuggar, in a statement signed by his media aide, Alkasim Abdulkadir, on Monday, argued that “Some might say West Africa must have a problem and that is why the crisis is happening there. “West Africa was not responsible for the implosion of Libya that brought out the proliferation of arms. “The AU body of programmes would bring in development and infrastructure when we do not give in to this military takeover.”
Source:Punch
December 18, 2023 18:03 UTC
Court orders ex-minister to apologise over anti-judiciary comment
A Federal Capital Territory High Court has declared the comment by a former Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Pauline Tallen, against a court judgment as unconstitutional, reckless, and disparaging. A Federal High Court in Yola had nullified the candidature of Aishatu Binani as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the state in a suit filed by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, challenging her emergence. Delivering judgment on the matter on Monday, the court held that her comment was contemptuous. Lawal said the court ordered that she risked being barred from holding any public office in the country if she disobeyed. Consequently, the court declared that the said statement of Dame Pauline Tallen (the defendant) was unconstitutional, careless, reckless, disparaging, a call to disobey the judgment of the court, and therefore contemptuous of the Federal High Court of Nigeria.
Source:Punch
December 18, 2023 17:21 UTC
Allow married women bear their fathers’ names, MURIC tasks FG
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has tasked the Federal Government to allow married women to bear their fathers’ names. “Our attention has been drawn to the plight of married Muslim women who are being disallowed by employers from bearing their fathers’ names. “Instead of this, we advocate the adoption of the women-friendly Islamic practice which allows married women to bear their fathers’ surnames after marriage. “Those who want to be sincere among married women today will confirm the stress they have gone through from this experience. Islam sets women free from such stress by permitting married women to retain their original family names.
Source:Nigerian Tribune
December 18, 2023 15:12 UTC
Khalil Rountree Jr. explains decision not to follow up knockout punch of Anthony Smith at UFC Vegas 83
Khalil Rountree Jr. believes he leveled up against Anthony Smith, and the finishing sequence is proof. This past Saturday, Rountree faced Smith in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 83 where Rountree scored the most impressive win of his career, knocking Smith out with a walk-off finish. From a fan standpoint, I think it’s just a fight that’s a sick fight. “I hope people don’t think that’s me saying I deserve a title shot. Let’s make it happen.’ I think that’s more what it is.
Source:Punch
December 18, 2023 13:27 UTC
Solving national leadership problem
The sad fact is that our past political leaders have failed to engender true peace and unity in Nigeria. Our past national leaders, both politicians and military rulers, could not harness our abundant natural resources such as limestone, tin-ore, bauxite, crude oil, and others, to leapfrog Nigeria to the acme of economic and technological advancement. A national leader destitute of leadership qualities, moral probity, political ideologies, and vision cannot put the country on the path of national development. These politicians do not possess leadership qualities, political ideologies, moral probity, empathy, and forbearance. And when elections are free and fair, political leaders who have moral scruples, leadership qualities, political ideologies, and vision will emerge in Nigeria.
Source:Punch
December 18, 2023 10:29 UTC
JAMB announces 2024 UTME/DE registration dates, fees increase | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced the official start of profile creation for the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE) registration exercise. It also stated that the prospective candidates have six weeks, until Monday, February 26, to complete their registration. According to JAMB, for those seeking admission through Direct Entry, the registration process starts later, on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, and closes on Thursday, March 28, 2024. The main UTME itself will take place over ten days, from Friday, April 19th, 2024, to Monday, April 29th, 2024. “For more enquiries, kindly visit our website at http://jamb.gov.ng, our social media handles or any JAMB office near you.”
Source:The Guardian
December 18, 2023 10:16 UTC
Contributory pension retirees demand minimum stipend
Retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme have demanded the implementation of minimum pensions. They made their request known in a statement titled, ‘Demand for the full implementation of Contributory Pension Scheme in Nigeria,’ which was signed by the President, Contributory Pensioners Union of Nigeria, Eleyele Branch, Ibadan, Matthew Shittu. The retirees stated, “Current wage upward review of minimum wage of N30,000 to federal civil servants/retirees, which no provision was made for pensioners under the Contributory Pension Scheme. The retirees frowned at the non-disclosure of the template for calculating retirees’ benefits under the CPS. It stated, “The union also demands that, henceforth, any entitlement due to retirees under the CPS should not be paid like 2.5 per cent which was pro-rated into 10 years.
Source:Punch
December 18, 2023 09:53 UTC
Emmett knocked out Bryce Mitchell with a brutal punch that left him unconscious and convulsing
That allowed the Josh Emmett-Bryce Mitchell matchup to escalate and both fighters were in the T-Mobile in Las Vegas along with the chosen few and Mitchell wasn't the initial opponent either. The punch actually caused Mitchell to start convulsing in very distressing scenes. He was also left unconscious for a period of time, showing the incredible connection that Emmett made with the punch. Rakhmonov goes straight for title shotWe can't stop talking about 29-year-old Kazakhstani welterweight Shavkat 'Nomad' Rakhmonov, as his 18-0 record is no fluke. He already has six UFC fights under his belt and this time he submitted Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson in 4:56 of the second round.
Source:Punch
December 17, 2023 22:37 UTC