BREAKING NEWS

  Romelu Lukaku missed a string of late chances as Belgium crashed out of the World Cup in the group stage after a 0-0 draw with Croatia on Thursday which sent the 2018 runners-up into the knockout phase. Croatia had a penalty award controversially cancelled by VAR early in a largely uneventful first half. The introduction of Lukaku at the interval changed the game, but he was guilty of three dreadful misses as Zlatko Dalic’s side rode their luck to hold on. Croatia progressed as runners-up in Group F behind winners Morocco who beat Canada 2-1 to also qualify for the last 16 Belgium, the world’s second-ranked side, saw their run of reaching at least the quarter-finals at four straight major tournaments come to an abrupt end. Roberto Martinez’s men managed just one goal in the tournament in a fortunate opening 1-0 win over Canada Martinez dropped captain Eden Hazard to the bench as one of four changes which also saw Leandro Trossard and Dries Mertens start for the first time in Qatar. T

  The South African mother, Nomboleko Simayile, accused of killing her four children has died in the hospital.    Simayile was  arrested  on November 9, 2022, after she allegedly killed her children by smashing their heads with a sledgehammer at Mhlabubomvu locality, in Engcobo village, the Eastern Cape. According to the media, while in police custody on Sunday afternoon, November 20, she complained about not feeling well.    She was then immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention where she passed away. The cause of death is yet to be established. Simayile was set to apply for bail in the Engcobo Magistrates Court but she collapsed in the police holding cells. It was a dramatic turn of events as Engcobo residents waited for proceedings to start in the Engcobo Magistrates Court.   Simayile's bail application had to be postponed.    Her lawyer informed the magistrate that she had been lying on the floor in the cells for quite some time, without medical assistance.

  Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly offered himself to Real Madrid to end his Manchester United nightmare. The 37-year-old Portuguese accused the Red Devils of betraying him in a  tell-all interview with Piers Morgan last week. Amid the fall-out with United, Ronaldo has now offered himself to the Spanish giants on a six-month contract, according to Sport. The Spanish outlet claim Ronaldo wants to return to the Bernabeu as a replacement for the injured Karim Benzema in January. The Ballon d'Or winner was forced to pull out of France's World Cup squad after picking up a thigh injury. Man United are looking to terminate Ronaldo's contract seven months early without paying any of the £16million he is predicted to earn by June 2023.

  Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka has said that the removal of history from the curriculum of Nigerian schools by the government is a criminal act.    Speaking at the 24th edition of the Lagos Book and Arts Festival organized by Book Kraft, Soyinka stated that memories of Biafra can't be erased by the removal of history from schools' curriculum as the agitation can never be defeated and can never be wiped away.   He said;    “Collective memory is the key because it is that memory which is related to the mechanisms of relating reality to whatever narrative is given to us. It is far more important and it is more dangerous because you can get trapped in it because it is collected as a community activity and some of that I think is happening to us here in Nigeria. “I’m referring of course to Biafra.  “The collective memory there is very strong, even before the war, I warned that this collective memory might remain to plague efforts at nation being and that therefore, everything should

 

  Nigerian-born Canadian councillor, Mrs Khadijah Haliru, in an exclusive interview on Friday advised the political class to give opportunities to youths to govern Nigeria. Mrs Haliru, a graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, who emerged at the polls as a councillor of Ingersoll town, Oxford County, Ontario, Canada, last month also spoke about the brain drain in the country and how the Nigerian government can take advantage of it.

  The Independent National Electoral Commission has stated that it will print a total of 187million ballot papers. According to the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, preliminary registered voters in Nigeria now stand at 93.5 million, noting that 9,518,188 new voters were added to the existing register of 84,004,084 voters.   Okoye on Friday November 17, said  93.5 million ballot papers will be used on the 25 February 2022 for the presidential election and the remaining 93.5million ballot papers will be for run off of the presidential election in a case where there is no clear winner. The same, he said, would be applicable to states. According to him, the Commission decided to print 187 million ballot papers for the presidential elections, as it will be difficult to engage printers at a short notice and also the issue of logistics. Okoye said, “As of today, 18 political parties will participate in the 2023 general election and t