Ukraine War: Kyiv Locals Queue For Water

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October 31, 2022

People in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv had to queue for water after Russian missiles struck key facilities across the country on Monday.

An evening update from the city’s mayor, Vitaliy Klitschko, said 40% of consumers in Kyiv remained without water, and 270,000 homes had no power.

Thirteen people were injured in the attacks nationwide, Ukraine said.

Russia said the strikes were aimed at Ukraine’s military control and energy systems, and that all targets were hit.

But the Ukrainian military said it had shot down 45 out of 55 missiles that were launched.

For security reasons, the outside world is rarely shown the destruction of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure by Russian airstrikes.

Ukrainian officials say this is to avoid sharing information that could be used in future attacks, including locations hit – or potentially missed.

But the consequences of Monday’s strikes were everywhere to be seen. Rolling power cuts have been introduced in several regions.

Ukrainians in general have been urged to reduce what is already an “extremely frugal” electricity consumption, in the words of President Volodymyr Zelensky.

In Kyiv, streetlights were turned off and trolleybuses replaced with conventional buses.

Long queues were seen across the city, as residents lined up to collect water from pumps after their own supplies were cut.

Mr Klitschko earlier said as many as 80% of Kyiv’s consumers had been left without water in their homes, and urged fellow residents of the capital to head out and stock up.

In a later update, he said many households had been reconnected.

In addition to the capital, other areas affected by the strikes included Lviv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzia.

Overall, 18 facilities – most of them energy-generating – were hit in 10 regions, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.

One of the missiles intercepted by Ukraine’s air defences landed in a border town in Moldova, causing damage to houses but no casualties, according to authorities in the neighbouring country.

Moldova later said a Russian embassy employee in Chisinau had been told to leave its territory – without specifying who the individual was.

UK’s Electric Vehicle Charging Sites To Open Welsh Seaside Resort

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Angel Gimalo

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October 31, 2022

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One of the UK’s biggest electric vehicle charging sites is set to open in a Welsh seaside resort.

It will provide 36 charging points at the West Kinmel Street Car Park, in Rhyl, near the town’s railway station.

Denbighshire council said it was due to open next month, making it the biggest in Wales.

One councillor said he hoped it would encourage more visitors to the area and provide charging points for residents.

“This charging hub will also support our important climate change work and be of clear benefit to nearby households who don’t have the capability for off-road charging facilities,” said Barry Mellor, lead member for environment and transport.

Exploring Farin Ruwa Waterfall, Nasarawa State

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Angel Gimalo

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October 31, 2022

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Located between the boundary of Bokkos and Wamba local council, the Farin Ruwa waterfall is also about 120km away from Lafia and 30km away from Wamba.

Farin Ruwa is just as spectacular as Canada’s Niagara Falls and Zambia’s Victoria Falls.

This waterfall is such a sight to behold. Tourists and adventure seekers are welcome anytime. However, the best time to visit the waterfall is during the dry season. This is because the road leading to the falls is not friendly at all.

The road is covered by bushes. If you must go during the raining season, you need to be covered up if you are allergic to grasses touching your skin.

37,832 New PVCs Still Uncollected in Lagos, INEC Reveal

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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October 31, 2022

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said 37,832 of 60,370 newly printed Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for new registrants are still uncollected in Lagos State, six months after release.

INEC’s Public Affairs Officer in Lagos State, Adenike Oriowo, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday that so many old PVCs were still awaiting their owners to collect them at the 20 Local Government Area offices of INEC in the state.

Oriowo, who expressed dissatisfaction with the poor turnout of many electorates to the collection of PVCs, urged them not to wait until the last-minute rush before the 2023 general elections.

She said that the statistics as of Oct. 21 showed that INEC in Lagos state had received 6,570,291 PVCs from the commission’s National Headquarters prior to the 2019 general elections.

“Old PVCs collected up till Oct. 21 was 5,644,239 while the total uncollected old PVCs at the same time was 926,052.

“The new PVCs received from INEC headquarters earlier this year were 60,370 while only 22,538 were collected as of Oct. 21.

“Total uncollected new PVCs as of Oct. 21, was 37,832,” Oriowo said.

She said that the overall total PVCs received from the INEC National headquarters now was 6,630,661.

While the overall total PVCs collected by their owners as of Oct. 21 was 5,666,777, the overall uncollected was 963,884.

INEC had fixed Feb. 25, 2023, for presidential and national assembly elections while March 11, 2023, was scheduled for governorship and state assembly elections.

Exploring Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica

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Angel Gimalo

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October 31, 2022

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The Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station is known as the southernmost place on our planet, where the United States scientific research station at the South Pole is located.

Standing at an elevation of about 2,835 meters (9,301 feet) above sea level, it was built for the first time in November 1956 by the United States Naval Construction Battalions, better known as Seabees, with the purpose of scientific researches of the polar regions of the Earth.

What once was the old station, nowadays is referred to as Old Pole, it was assembled from prefabricated components delivered to the South Pole by air and airdropped, and originally built on the surface, with covered wood-framed walkways connecting the buildings.

Unfortunately, due to the strong winds which were blowing snow which was accumulating at the structures, three years after its construction, it was already buried by almost 2 meters (6 feet) of snow.

This was one of the reasons for the station to be demolished in 1975, and replaced with a better one, known as the Dome.

The Dome facility was designed to house 18 science and support personnel during the winter and 33 during the austral summer, however, over the years, the facility’s infrastructure and technology have exceeded its design and operational life.

The Dome served as a station for the South Pole expeditions from 1975 until 2003, when it was discovered that during the winter of 1988, the foundation base ring beams were broken due to being over-stressed, which lead to dismantling the station in late 2009.

Since 2003, a new station which is adjacent to the Dome began hosting the scientists who were and still are living at the South Pole.

This new, elevated station includes a modular design, to accommodate an increasing station population, and an adjustable elevation, in order to prevent the station from being buried in snow.

The elevated Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station, during the summer months has a population of about 150, where most of the personnel leave by the middle of February, and there is mostly support staff plus a few scientists, who keep the station functional through the six months of Antarctic night.

What the station is researching encompasses a number of sciences among which are glaciology, geophysics, meteorology, upper atmosphere physics, astronomy, astrophysics, and biomedical studies.

Still, getting there is really difficult as there are only certain countries which are sending scientists, nonetheless, there is only one sunrise and one sunset in the year and those who are able to see that are definitely mesmerized.

Deployment, Posting, Relocation Free- NYSC

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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October 31, 2022

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The National Youth Service Corps has said that all its services, including deployment, posting and relocation of Corps members are free and do not attract any fee.

The NYSC management, in a reaction to some adverts and notices in the social media requesting money for deployment, posting and relocation of Corps members, added that provision of kit items such as the NYSC uniforms among other services are also without any cost to Corps members.

In a statement signed by the Corps’ Director of Press and Public Relations, Eddy Megwa, the NYSC warned members of the public and prospective Corps members not to patronize impostors whose intention is to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.

The statement read, “The attention of the NYSC Management has been drawn to adverts and notices making rounds in the social media requesting for payments from the unsuspecting public regarding deployment, posting and relocation of Corps Members.

“(The) NYSC wishes to state categorically that all services including deployment, posting, relocation and provision of kit items like (the) NYSC uniforms among other services, to Corps Members while in camp are free and do not attract any fee.

“Management hereby warns Members of the public, especially Corps Members and Prospective Corps Members, to beware of impostors that may wish to defraud them in the name of NYSC services.

“Kindly visit all authentic NYSC Social Media Platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Registration portal, website and telegraph) for up-to-date information on our activities and programme.

“The NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Muhammad Kaku Fadah, wishes all Prospective Corps Members safe journey to their respective Orientation Camps as the Scheme commences the 2022 Batch ‘C’ Stream One Orientation Course.”

NANS Decries Recent Fuel Scarcity, Seeks Functional Refineries

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Rhoda Onuzulike

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October 31, 2022

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The National Association of Nigerian Students has decried the recent scarcity of fuel in some states of the Federation.

The student body, in a statement on Monday, asked the Federal Government to make the country’s refineries functional. It further bemoaned the hardship which the fuel crises had foisted on Nigerians amid skyrocketing costs of living.

In the statement signed by its National Public Relations Officer, Giwa Temitope, NANS said, “Once again, Nigeria has been gripped by acute fuel scarcity. For some days now, fuel stations across the length and breadth of the country are selling the Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) between N190 and N210 per litre against the supposed official price of N167.

“Meanwhile, some fuel stations have intentionally closed down in order to give room for black market to thrive and force the citizens to buy at N350 and N400 per litre.

“In all these, the Department of Petroleum Resources, which is meant to be performing monitoring duties, is lost.”

NANS said pepper grinders, barbers, transporters (motorcyclists, tricyclists, motorists), saw milers were all counting their losses because there was a limit at which they could raise prices without undermining patronage.

“And, ordinarily, with the collapse of the naira against the dollar (N801 to $1), goods and commodities will skyrocket thereby taking its toll on the lives of the Nigerian people,” it added

“We understand that the first and the most obvious problem of the downstream sector is the desolate state of the country’s four refineries which this administration came out at a time with the claim that they had all been revived. Unfortunately, it was just an attempt to, once again, sell lie to the Nigerian people.

NANS said licensing private individuals to own refineries was not in the interest of the people.

“It is based on this that we are demanding that the Federal Government must make these refineries work again. Giving private interests licenses to own refineries is not in the interests of the Nigerian people as it will only compound the crisis in the oil industry because of the dominance of private interests in refining, storage and distribution of petroleum products.

“It has been said that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited is the most corrupt and useless government agency in the country, considering the report of the Natural Resource Governance Institute,” NANS alleged.

“We have read of how the NNPC accounts remains unaudited and how the agency spends billions of dollars earned revenue without recourse to due process. The corruption in the NNPC in connivance with oil racketeers is making mockery of Nigeria as one of the largest oil producers in the world.

“Just few weeks ago, a vessel conveying illegal fuel was seized by a private security firm of an ex-militant, Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo. Rather than make proper investigations on it and bring those behind it to book, the Nigerian military set the vessel ablaze. We see that as an attempt to cover-up. Also, we read of how a pipe illegally diverting fuel deep down the sea was unravelled few weeks ago, till this very moment, no arrest has been made. We can go on and on.

“As an association, we want to state emphatically that this is not the kind of change the Nigerian people signed up for; the country is now in a very chaotic situation,” it added.

The student body thereby sought, “An immediate reversal to the old price; no to deregulation; FG must make the refineries work again; and no to the tyranny of marketers.”

The reports that fuel scarcity has recently gripped different parts of Nigeria, forcing motorists to spend hours at filling stations while battling to get the product.

Liverpool’s long unbeaten home run ends in shock 2-1 defeat by Leeds

By

Emenike Agu

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October 31, 2022

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Liverpool suffered a surprise 2-1 loss to Leeds United after Dutch winger Crysencio Summerville’s 89th minute strike in their Premier League clash at Anfield on Saturday that took the visitors out of the relegation zone.

The Reds’ first top-flight home defeat in 30 games follows last week’s loss at bottom side Nottingham Forest and further deepens the crisis around the struggling Merseyside club, who are ninth in the table on 16 points after 12 games.

The win takes Leeds up to 15th on 12 points.

Liverpool got off to another disastrous start after four minutes when Joe Gomez played a blind backpass to Alisson who had moved out of his goal and slipped, leaving a gaping space for Rodrigo to run in and tap the ball into the empty net.

Mohamed Salah levelled for Liverpool 10 minutes later when Andy Robertson crossed for the Egyptian international to hook a volley into the net from close range, igniting the Liverpool supporters as their team began the chase for a winner.

Leeds continued to threaten on the break, though, and Brenden Aaronson almost put them back in front a few minutes later, meeting Rasmus Kristensen’s cross from the right with a deft volley that cannoned off the crossbar.

Leeds French keeper Illan Meslier kept his side in the game almost single-handedly in the second half, pulling off a superb save from Darwin Nunez in a one-on-one after 67 minutes and then clawing away a shot from the same player 11 minutes later.

Meslier’s saves set the scene for Summerville to steal the three points with a last-gasp poacher’s finish.

On the eve of his 21st birthday, the forward snapped up a ball in the box from Patrick Bamford and quickly pulled the trigger, firing across Alisson into the net.

It was Leeds’ first away win of the season and a first league loss for Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk at Anfield since he signed for Liverpool in January 2018.

“It’s a huge moment for me and my family,” Summerville told Sky Sports. “Scoring at Anfield is a big moment for me. It went so quick … when you’re in the box, you have to think quickly. It just happened.”

Liverpool boss Juergen Klopp is in no doubt about what he expects of his under-performing side. “We have to fight and that is what we must do,” he said.

Titanic Battle: South Africa , Nigeria Clash In Women’s Football As Mamelodi Clash Tackles Balyesa Queens

By

Emenike Agu

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October 31, 2022

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Sworn rivals, Nigeria and South Africa again clash today in women’s football as CAF President owned South African outfit, Mamelodi Sundown face Bayelsa Queens in a Group B match of the African Women’s Championship match in Marrakech, Morocco.

South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns are the defending champions. In recent time, matches in women’s football have seen the South Africans having the edge over Nigeria.

The latest was the Falcons versus Bayana Bayana duel in Morocco earlier this year in the CAF Women’s Cup of Nations.

Bayelsa Queens are debutants in the competition that has just entered its second edition. But owing to Nigeria’s stature in women’s football, today’s match is seen as a kind of early final.

Bayelsa Queen’s captain, Uzoamaka Igwe already knows the enornimity of the clash.

She told CAF media: “I know is not going to be easy. Mamelodi Sundowns are here as the champions and will give us a difficult match but we have prepared well and trained hard to do well in the tournament.”

Her statememnt is underlined by the determination of the defending champions.

Jerry Tshabalala, their coach remarked: “When we came year last year, the idea was for us to win the championship, we are back again, and want to defend our title.

“We’ve won our [South African ]league three times in a row, and we hope to be the first team to win the Women’s Champions League title back-to-back. Against Bayelsa Queens, we understand the challenge that we will face and also know what to expect.”

The defending champions are however not taking things for granted. “Playing against a Nigerian club like Bayelsa Queens is going to be tough but we are not coming to underestimate any team in this competition” remarked Lelona Daweti, striker of Mamelodi Sundowns.

” We are trusting ourselves and our coaches. So, we will come out to do our best, and play our good football as Mamelodi Sundowns and the rest will follow.

Among the players listed by Bayelsa Queen is Edidiong Etim, scorer of Nigeria’s second goal in the six-goal thriller with Germany in Sunday’s third place match at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in India.

It is doubtful, if she will be availaible for tonight’s potential thriller with the South Africans.

Expert debunks misconceptions over IVF born Children

By

Cleopatra Okohai

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October 31, 2022

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A gynaecologist and an expert in In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) based in Akwa Ibom State, Dr. Oladipo Shittu, has debunked misconceptions in some quarters that children born through In Vitro Fertilisation normally develop mental health issues during their stages of development.

He said children born through IVF are normal and beautiful, adding that such claims can only be found to be true if the person in question has a hereditary problem.

Dr. Shittu who is the Chief Executive Officer of Shelterd’ IVF and Fertility Centre, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State stated this while fielding questions from newsmen on Saturday at a media briefing to mark the 2nd anniversary of the centre, located along Oron road, Uyo, the state capital.

He said, “A child born through IVF is totally normal and beautiful. Some people have the misconception that babies born through IVF have mental problems, it is totally untrue unless the woman has a hereditary problem.”

The medical doctor who is also a fellow of the West African College of Surgeons with special training in IVF also faulted the claim by some religious leaders that IVF is a man trying to be God.

According to him the beliefs by some religious leaders that IVF is ungodly is not true, adding that he has since the establishment of the Centre, deconstructed such misconceptions in the state.

He added “Misconceptions are rife, Some religious leaders believe that IVF is ungodly, that it is a man trying to be God, and I must say that when I brought IVF to the state, I have to deconstruct the misconception about IVF, it is not a man trying to be God, rather it is the idea that God impacted in man because God is a scientist.

Continuing he said “When we transfer embryos we have absolutely no power over the implant, we always tell patients that when we transfer we have no power to the implant, it is only God that determines implantation. So, IVF is a man being used by God and not a man trying to be God.

“People also have this misconception that IVF is only for the rich, this is not true, IVF is not as expensive as it used to be, in those days, you need to have 2 to 3 million naira, although there has been a lot of research to bring down the cost of IVF, sometimes you have fee discount so that more people can assess it. Some people also believe that IVF is for the elderly, but that is also not true, it’s for everybody who has fertility issues,” Shittu said.

The medical expert who disclosed that the anniversary celebration coincided with the delivery of a triplet in the centre said though the impression is that IVF and many advanced treatment options for infertility have the reputation of being very expensive and untouchable financially, he has brought a message of that IVF is not so costly and many people with fertility issues have embraced it in the state.

“We also want to tell the people of Akwa Ibom that they do not need to go outside the state or the country for treatment, IVF is available here in Uyo.

“When we started this centre two years ago, our message was that IVF works, it is considered the best treatment for people that are considered infertile in old age, for people that have unexplained infertility, for people that have blockage of the fallopian tube, people that want a particular gender, for a couple that are AS, AS, they can have sickle cell free babies,” he said.