Nigeria’s Super Eagles will discover their group foes for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations on Thursday (today).

The highly anticipated draw ceremony is billed for the magnificent Parc Des Expositions, Abidjan.

Placed in Pot 2, Jose Peseiro’s side could face defending champions Senegal, hosts Cote d’Ivoire, Atlas Lions of Morocco, Desert Foxes of Algeria, Carthage Eagles of Tunisia and Pharaohs of Egypt in the group stage.

The Super Eagles were eliminated in the Round of 16 of the competition at the last edition in Cameroon.

The West Africans started the competition on an impressive note, winning all their group stage games.

They however lost 1-0 to Tunisia to exit the competition.Cote d’Ivoire will host the competition from January 13 to February 11, 2024.

A single ticket sold in California has won $1.76 billion (£1.4 billion) on the Powerball – the second-largest lottery jackpot in history.

The identity of the ticket holder has not been disclosed.The winner has the choice of having the money paid out over 30 years, or receiving an estimated $774.1 million lump-sum payment.

The biggest ever win was $2.04 billion in November 2022.

That ticket was also bought in California.

The odds of winning the jackpot are one in 292.2 million.

In comparison, the odds of being struck by lightning over the next year is 1 in 1.22 million, according to the US National Weather Service.

The winning ticket was purchased at Midway Market & Liquor in Frazier Park, 75 miles (120 km) north of Los Angeles, Powerball said.

Tickets cost $2 each and are sold across the US, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

Huge billion dollar prizes have become more common as ticket prices have been raised.

The game has also been tweaked, with players now choosing five numbers from one to 69 instead of from one to 59 under the previous rules.

Players also select the Powerball – their sixth number – from one to 26, instead of the previous one to 35.

That decreases the chance of winning the grand prize from one in 175.2 million to the current one in 292.2 million.

On Wednesday, UN secretary general António Guterres voiced grave concern over the escalating conflict in Israel and Gaza and stressed the need to prevent the violence from spreading into the wider region.

The UN chief raised the alarm over clashes along the Blue Line, the demarcation between Israel and Lebanon, and reported attacks from southern Lebanon.

Mr Guterres, who made the call at a news briefing at the UN Headquarters in New York, appealed to all the parties to avoid further spread of the conflict.

“I appeal to all parties – and those who have an influence over those parties – to avoid any further escalation and spillover,” he said.The UN chief reiterated the need always to protect civilians, as guaranteed by international law.

“I call for the immediate release of all Israeli hostages held in Gaza,” he said.

The UN chief underscored that UN premises, hospitals, schools and clinics must never be targeted and stressed the urgency of humanitarian access to the enclave.

“Crucial life-saving supplies – including fuel, food and water – must be allowed into Gaza. We need rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access now,” he said.

According to the UN Humanitarian Affairs Coordination Office (OCHA), the death tolls in Israel from attacks by Palestinian armed groups and in Gaza due to Israeli bombardments have continued to rise, with mass displacement soaring across the enclave.

OCHA cited Israeli media, which reported that as of Tuesday evening, more than 1,000 Israelis, including foreign nationals, were killed, and at least 2,806 people were injured, according to the ministry of health.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said at least 830 Palestinians have been killed and 4,250 injured.

Over a tenth of the population in Gaza, more than 260,000 people, have been displaced since the current conflict on October 7, and the numbers are rising fast.

Amidst the volatile situation, the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) reported that eleven of its staff members had been killed since Saturday, while 30 students at its schools died and a further eight were injured.

The Bauchi government has terminated the appointment of Aminu Umar, the chairman of the interim management team of Wikki Tourists Football Club.

This is contained in a statement by Muhammed Salis, the youth and sports development commissioner, on Wednesday in Bauchi.

“It is with a heavy heart that I write to inform you of our decision to terminate your role as the interim chairman of Wikki Tourists Football Club, effective immediately (today),” said the statement.

It added, “Your appointment as interim chairman was a testament to our belief in your ability to steer the club in the right direction. However, we have observed a series of actions that regrettably contravene the clear instructions and guidelines provided for the proper management of the club.”

The government noted that “these violations include, but are not limited to, borrowing funds without due approvals, making appointments without adhering to due process, a failure to accept and rectify mistakes after receiving warnings.”

The Bauchi government explained that the “actions compromised the transparency, accountability and effective governance we expect within the club” and “as a result, we are left with no choice but to terminate your interim chairmanship.”

The statement also mentioned that the Bauchi government appreciated the efforts he had put into the club and his commitment to its success.

“However, we must uphold the principles of good governance, responsible financial management and adherence to established procedures,” it said.

“We trust that this decision will serve as an opportunity for both you and the clubs to reassess and move forward in a manner that upholds the highest standards of integrity and professionalism.”

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has offered his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant further support following the Islamist militant group Hamas’s unprecedented killing of Israeli civilians.

On Wednesday evening, Germany gave the green light to Israel to use two of its Heron TP combat drones in its attacks on the Gaza Strip.

The German Ministry of Defence announced it approved an Israeli request to use unmanned aerial vehicles in the fight against the Islamist group Hamas.

Germany’s armed forces, the Bundeswehr, currently leases five drones from the Israeli arms manufacturer which builds them.

Two aircraft are in Israel, where German soldiers are trained to use them.

German news magazine Der Spiegel reported that Israel has suspended the training of the German pilots while the drones are redeployed.

Mr Pistorius, speaking on the fringes of a meeting of NATO defence ministers earlier on Wednesday, had said if the situation worsened, Israel would consult with its partners.

He said Germany is ready to help, including delivering humanitarian aid if Israel requests it.

Previously, Israeli officials had said that they “do not need support of a military or technical nature,” Mr Pistorius said.

“It is about political support,” he added.Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza, launched a large-scale attack against Israel on Saturday.

Israel responded with ongoing airstrikes on the densely populated coastal enclave.More than 1,000 people on each side have been killed.

Several hundred people gathered for a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Vienna on Wednesday despite a ban to stop it.

The atmosphere during the unauthorised demonstration was heated, but the police did not report any violence, Austria’s APA news agency reported.

Police did not interfere with the demonstrators at Stephansplatz in the city centre but prevented them from continuing through the streets.

Police refused to issue a permit for the vigil after invitations featuring a Hamas slogan appeared on the internet.

The rally was banned because the organisers did not distance themselves from Hamas’ calls for violence against Israel.

Police chief Gerhard Pürstl said the violent conflict in the Middle East should not be carried onto the streets of Vienna.

Israel was stunned by a large-scale attack by Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip on Saturday and has retaliated with massive airstrikes on the territory.

More than 1,000 people have died on each side.

Hurricane Lidia made landfall on Mexico’s Pacific coast on Tuesday with very strong wind and rain, causing at least one death.

The eye of the storm, rated a category four out of five, impacted the town of Las Peñitas, 55km south-west of the resort of Puerto Vallarta.

With sustained winds of up to 220km per hour, according to the Mexican weather service.

In Punta de Mita in the western state of Nayarit, a falling tree killed a man in his car, the newspaper El Occidental reported on Tuesday evening, citing the civil defence authority.

According to the U.S. Hurricane Centre in Miami, Lidia had developed into an “extremely dangerous’’ hurricane shortly off the coast.

In the affected areas in the states of Jalisco and Nayarit, local authorities said schools would be closed until Wednesday.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador called on residents of the region to seek safety and stay away from low-lying areas and rivers.

Soldiers and civil defence officials were on duty, López Obrador wrote on the online platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Mexico’s weather service warned of very heavy rains in Colima, Jalisco, Michoacán, and Nayarit.

Waves up to nine metres high were expected along the coast.The hurricane season started in the Pacific on May 15 and the Atlantic on June 1.

The season ends in both regions on November 30.

Tropical cyclones form over warm ocean waters.

Increasing global warming increases the probability of strong storms.

A hurricane is defined as a tropical storm system with sustained winds of at least 119km per hour.

Israel has pledged to cease all types of assaults on its citizens, according to Michael Freeman, the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, who shared this commitment during a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.

Mr Freeman, also the permanent representative of Israel to ECOWAS, expressed concerns over the Hamas group’s killing of over 1,000 unsuspecting civilian Israeli citizens, describing it as terrorism.

According to him, Israel will do what it should to end wars against Hamas attacks.

Mr Freeman said, “So, Israel is going to react; we have declared war on Hamas.

“It is important to state at this point that this is not a war that is between Israel and Palestine; this is not about Israel and Palestine.

“This is about Israel and Hamas; this is about good and evil; this is about civilisation and barbarism.”

He assured Israel’s plan to do everything within its ambit to avoid civilian casualties during the war against Hamas.

He mentioned that the Israeli move would not be about religion—Islam, Judaism, or Christianity—but about evil and good.

The ambassador further said Israel did not desire war in any circumstances but would remain committed to protecting its citizens in all possible ways.

“If Hamas will surrender, this will be over tomorrow morning; if terrorism will be over, that is not realistic.

“I am focused on dealing with Hamas, and I am focused on stopping it,” the envoy added.

Earlier, the Palestinian Ambassador to Nigeria, Abdallah Shawey, underscored the need to apply international laws to resolve the lingering crisis between Palestine and Israel.

Mr Shawey, while commenting on the ongoing war between the two countries, urged the international community to stop treating Israel as a nation above the law.

In response to the Palestinian government’s position about Hamas, the envoy said the group was not a terrorist organisation.

He said there should be fair treatment for all parties, saying the lives of all individuals mattered and thereby condemning the incessant killings ongoing in both countries.

Mr Shawey said, “The group is not a terrorist organisation, but it is fighting the course of the people to liberate their land from Israeli occupation.

“The ceasefire agreement between the warring parties depends on Israel, which owns a comprehensive military formation with support from allies like the United States.”

Hamas is a Palestinian political and militant organisation that governs the Gaza Strip, one of the two Palestinian territories with a presence in the West Bank.

A31-year-old driver, Seun Shittu, was on Wednesday docked in the Ojo Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly stealing 35 bags of cashew nuts.

The police charged Mr Shittu with two counts of conspiracy and theft before Magistrate L K J Layeni.He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The prosecutor, Simon Uche, told the court that the defendant committed the offence sometime in May in the Abule-Osun Area of Ojo.

He alleged that the defendant, being the driver for MEDLOG Logistics Company, was entrusted with 35 bags of cashew nuts to convey to the company’s terminal in Ikorodu.

The police said the defendant conspired with others at large and stole the consignment.

He said the offence contravened sections 287 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

Magistrate Layeni admitted the defendant to N500,000 bail with two sureties.He adjourned the case until November 29 for trial.

Lionel Messi will not join another team on loan when the Major League Soccer season ends, says Guillem Balague.

The Inter Miami captain, 36, has been linked with a return to Barcelona and a switch to the Saudi Pro League.

Inter Miami are out of play-off contention after Saturday’s 1-0 loss to FC Cincinnati and their season ends on 21 October.

Argentine World Cup winner Messi has only played 72 minutes in the MLS since early September due to injury.

After the MLS regular season ends, Argentina have World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil on 17 and 22 November and Messi is then expected to take a month’s holiday.

“Messi will have around one month holiday, like other footballers. So forget any move to Saudi or similar,” says Spanish football expert Balague.

He will then return for pre-season in Miami with the MLS new season starting in February.

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner joined Inter Miami from Paris St-Germain in July and guided the club to their first Leagues Cup victory in August, before losing the US Open Cup.

Although he has scored 11 goals in 13 games for the side, only one of those has come in his five MLS appearances.

Messi has been linked with a return to Barcelona ever since he left for PSG in 2021 after 21 years at the club.

Asked about the rumours after the loss to FC Cincinnati, Inter Miami manager Tata Martino said: “That’s surprising. I know nothing about that. If you’re telling me that he’s going to go visit Barcelona on vacation, yes, it’s probable, but I don’t have any information on the other part.”

It was not Grammy-winning Nigerian singer, Burna Boy’s night as he lost all seven nominations at the 2023 BET Hip-Hop Awards which was held at Atlanta’s Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center on October 3, 2023, and broadcast Tuesday night (October 10, 2023).

He lost the Hip Hop Artist of the Year, Lyricist of the Year and Best Live Performer of the Year categories to Kendrick Lamar.

Burna Boy also lost: Hustler of the Year to 50Cent and Best Collaboration of the Year for ‘Sittin’ On Top Of The World’ feat, 21 Savage to Lil Durk and J. Cole’s ‘All My Life.’

His other losses include Best Hip Hop Video for ‘Sittin’ On Top Of The World’ feat, 21 Savage to Lil Uzi Vert’s ‘Just Wanna Rock’, and Song of the Year to the same song.

Meanwhile, Ghanaian prodigy, Black Sherif won the Best International Flow category defeating South Africa’s late AKA and K.O, France’s Gazo and Ninho, UK’s J Hus, Central Cee and others.

Charles Oliveira has pulled out of the rematch with defending lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi through injury.

Brazil’s Oliveira, 33, split his eyebrow open in sparring on Monday and has been replaced with Australian featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.

Russian Makhachev, 31, holds the belt after beating Oliveira at UFC 280 via unanimous decision last year.

UFC 294 takes place on 21 October.

Makhachev successfully defended his title at UFC 284 against home favourite Volkanovski in Perth, Australia by unanimous decision in February.

To set up the rematch, Oliveira defeated American Beneil Dariush in June.

Journalist Cheng Lei has returned home to Australia after more than three years of detention in China.

“She was met at the airport by the Foreign Minister Penny Wong,” Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, announcing her release.

Cheng Lei, 48, was working as a business reporter for China’s state-run English language TV station CGTN when she was arrested on 13 August 2020.

She was later accused of “illegally supplying state secrets overseas”.

Her charges were never made public.Ms Cheng was freed as frosty relations between Canberra and Beijing appear to be thawing. Tensions between the two countries deepened during the pandemic, which led to a Chinese ban on Australian exports like barley, coal, and timber. Those blocks were lifted earlier this year, the first signs of a gradual easing of the diplomatic impasse.

On Wednesday, following Ms Cheng’s release, Mr Albanese said it would facilitate his trip to China at a “mutually agreed time” this year.

He added that Ms Cheng has been reunited with her two children in Melbourne.”Her return brings an end to a very difficult few years for her family. The government has been seeking this for a long period of time and her return will be warmly welcomed not just by her family and friends but by all Australians,” Mr Albanese said, adding that he spoke to Ms Cheng over the phone earlier on Wednesday.

He noted that her case “was concluded through the legal processes in China”.

After her arrest in China,Ms Cheng spent the first six months of her detention in solitary confinement without charge.

Last March, she was tried in secret in a Chinese court. Australia’s ambassador to China Graham Fletcher, tried unsuccessfully to gain entry to the court to witness proceedings. Her family also did not know the charges she faced.

China’s Ministry of State Security said on Wednesday that Ms Cheng was deported after serving a sentence of two years and 11 months.

She had pleaded guilty to her charges, it added. Beijing has not said when she was sentenced. But it’s likely that the time Ms Cheng spent in detention before she was tried early last year is being counted towards her sentence.

Born in China, Ms Cheng migrated with her family to Melbourne, Australia, when she was 10 for her father to pursue a PhD programme. She later returned to China and joined CGTN in 2012.

In August, she spoke publicly for the first time about her imprisonment in an open letter to the people of Australia, which had been dictated to a group of diplomats who were able to speak with her each month.

“I miss the sun. In my cell, the sunlight shines through the window, but I can stand in it for only 10 hours a year. I can’t believe I used to avoid the sun when I was living back in Australia… It’ll probably rain the first two weeks I’m back in Melbourne.”

“I haven’t seen a tree in three years,” she said.Some critics have long accused China of using prisoners as political bargaining chips.

Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were also detained in China between 2018 and 2021, accused of espionage.

They were released hours after the US extradition request against Huawei’s chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou was dropped, although Beijing denied any connection between the two matters.

One other Australian, Yang Hengjun, remains imprisoned in China under national security charges.

He was charged in August 2019 with espionage, and tried in May 2021. He has not been formally sentenced.

Nigeria can produce eight million metric tonnes of fertiliser every year. The programme lead for the African Fertiliser Initiative with the International Fertiliser Development Centre (IFDC), Sebastian Nduva, made this known while speaking at the NPK Technical Working Group Validation Workshop in Abuja.

The expert said Nigeria had the largest number of registered fertilizer blending plants in Africa and is close to being self-sufficient in NPK fertiliser production.

“Nigeria has 70 registered fertiliser blending plants in the country. Unfortunately, due to the high cost of the major farm inputs, among other factors, about 500,000mt is demanded,” he said.

Mr Nduva also said the high cost of fertilisers was due to the importation of 40 per cent of raw materials used for fertiliser production, the local price of the farm input influenced by global forces, currency devaluation, conflicts in Eastern Europe has affected the sourcing market among other factors.

He said stakeholders believe that if the government can take advantage of local production and the efficient and transparent system along with the procurement and distribution of fertiliser, it will help reduce farmers’ costs.

Also speaking, the senior special assistant to the president on agribusiness and productivity enhancement, Kingsley Uzoma, commended the IFDC for aligning with the government’s objective to enhance food security.

Mr Uzoma said with the data provided on the dashboard, the federal government can offer valuable guidance to potential investors in the fertiliser industry.

He suggested the need for the programme to consider including fertiliser quality, saying the inclusion would provide a more comprehensive overview of the industry, benefiting both investors and government initiatives.

The president of the Fertiliser Producers and Supplier Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN), Abubakar Kasim, recalled that President Bola Tinubu rolled out plans to distribute fertilisers to farmers.

The FEPSAN president also agreed that the fertiliser blending plants in the country have installed a capacity of eight million metric tonnes of NPK but have never produced beyond two million metric tonnes due to a lack of raw materials foreign exchange, among other limitations.

Airlines in Nigeria have urged the federal government to provide a window of “special funding” for operators of local airlines in the nation’s aviation sector.

Top Brass Aviation Limited CEO Roland Iyay made the call on behalf of the AON during a visit to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyomo, in Abuja on Monday.

He said the call for providing a window of special funding for operators in aviation was necessitated due to the nature of the aviation business and its growing contribution to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

“We are just asking for a special funding window that should be of a single digit, and that is easily accessible. We want FG to create a special funding window for domestic Airlines for capital assets acquisition and consider providing the necessary support of domestic Airlines for competitive funding through world-renowned funding organisations such as EXIM, EDC, and AFREXIM Bank.

“We plead for immediate revision of all ill-conceived stifling policies inimical to industry growth, adoption of an annual simulator Recurrent check for flight Crews and the adoption of the manufacturers’ recommended maintenance service intervals. Just as it is enshrined in the Aircraft Type Maintenance Planning Document (MPD) by the Nigeria Civil Aviation of Nigeria (NCAA),“ he said.

He appealed to the government for immediate review of all industry taxes and charges to determine applicability and quantum in line with the cost recovery model of the aviation Parastatals.

Mr Iyayi reiterated establishing and providing a dedicated support line for domestic Airline Operators to unfettered access to foreign exchange through the Central Bank of Nigeria in support of local and international transactions.

He called for the facilitation, liberalisation, procurement and distribution of Jet-A1 nationwide and allowing the AON to procure requisite licenses for product importation and distribution through strategic partnerships.

According to him, the government should ensure immediate prioritization of a modernisation programme for passengers and handling equipment at major Airports to manage passengers and associated baggage efficiently.

He added, “The government should prioritise the immediate installation and commissioning of bird hazard management equipment and FOD programmes at all Airports nationwide to enhance safety, reduce aircraft damage and increase insurance premiums.

“Embracing the PPP model with prospective investors for the establishment, tooling and operation of local MRO facilities and providing special incentives to encourage increased investments in the sector.”

Governor Abba Yusuf has offered a permanent and pensionable appointment to a casual worker at the Kano Pilgrims Welfare Board, Dayyabu Haladu, who returned missing $16,000 during the last Hajj operation in Saudi Arabia.

This was disclosed in a statement by the governor’s press secretary, Bature Dawakin Tofa, on Tuesday.

Mr Yusuf also offered him a gift of N1 million and an automatic slot for the forthcoming Hajj.

The governor disclosed this while receiving the board’s report for the 2023 Hajj. He expressed appreciation to the casual worker for displaying self-contentment.

Mr Yusuf said such character displayed by Mr Dayyabu was an excellent behaviour worthy of emulation by all and sundry.

“As a casual staff whose allowance is nothing to take home about, this gentleman managed to return the lost money. It shows how this person has a fear of Allah, and he deserved to be celebrated,” the governor said.

Mr Yusuf called on the people of Kano to maintain the hard-earned reputation of the state by showcasing the good virtues of trustworthiness, self-discipline and contentment so that they could live a happy life.

The casual worker revealed that he returned the lost money to the board due to godly fear, knowing well that it is improper to use what does not belong to him despite the current economic hardships.

He thanked the governor for the gesture, saying it was the most joyful moment of his life.

Meanwhile, the governor has promised that the famous tricyclist Auwalu Salisu, who returned a missing N16 million belonging to a foreigner, will soon be honoured by the government.

The governor said pointers have been indicating significant improvement in showing the extreme level of trustworthiness by the people of Kano, which, by extension, was projecting the good image of Kano.

The Enugu women on Monday held a special thanksgiving service in celebration of Governor Peter Mbah’s tribunal victory.

The Enugu governorship election petitions tribunal, on September 21, upheld Mr Mbah’s victory as the elected governor of Enugu in the March 18 poll.

The thanksgiving service, which began with the Holy Mass by Anthony Udeh, the Government House chaplain, had women from 17 LGAs and women support groups in attendance.

The Enugu State Prayer Network coordinator, Favour Ugwuanyi, said Enugu women gathered at Okpara Square, where they held their monthly prayer to thank God for the victory he gave to Mr Mbah.

According to her, women in Enugu meet at the venue every 9th of every month to pray for the Enugu government, Enugu, families and Nigeria at large.

“Women from all the offices, parastatals, 17 LGAs, political parties and 11 ministers of God, women support groups gathered here to celebrate what God did for Mbah and Enugu State at the tribunal,” she said.

Ms Ugwuanyi also called on those in opposition to support Mr Mbah, stressing that Enugu “belongs to all of us, and they should join hands together with the present government to make Enugu great.”

“People who say Mbah is not doing any project should have patience with him because it is too early to judge, adding that six months is not enough to lay foundations,” stated Ms Ugwuanyi.

“They are in a hurry, and Mbah is going to make it. He has to set machinery on the ground, study the environment, problems and challenges, harvest decisions of people with his own to come up with solutions.”

Ngozi Enih, the Commissioner for Children and Gender Affairs and Social Development, lauded the women for attending the thanksgiving as “we are their zeal in holding monthly prayers for the state.”

While urging women to continue their prayers for Enugu State, Enih said their prayers would enable Mr Mbah to achieve his plan for the Enugu people.

She also lauded Mbah for paying N450 million counterpart fund to the World Bank for women in Enugu, which she said would not be a loan but a grant to them.

According to her, the gesture aligns with Mbah’s promise to end poverty in Enugu during his tenure in office.

Ms Enih said, “Among all the 36 states in Nigeria, Enugu state was the first state that paid N450 million counterpart fund for women, and so far only Enugu and Ondo states have paid the money.

To access the money, all you need to do is to register yourselves at poverty eradication and human development and then collect your certificate at our ministry and open an account.”