Anambra’s First Lady Visit Flood Victims In IDP Camps

The Anambra State Government has announced plans to embark on unified vaccination of citizens to prevent possible outbreaks of cholera and other infectious diseases in the state as an attendant effect of the devastating flood disaster.

The Executive Secretary of Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ASPHCDA), Dr Chioma Ezenyimulu, made this known in Awka at a one-day media engagement ahead of the state Measles Campaign which will begin Tuesday, October 25.

Ezenyimulu who was represented at the event by the State Director, Disease Control and Immunization, Dr. Placid Uliagbapusi, said though the state has scheduled to hold the measles vaccination campaign, the flood disaster being felt in seven out of the 21 Local Government Areas, had increased worries of a likely outbreak of cholera and other diseases.

“We are worried that with the devastating flood disaster, the state might witness cholera and other communicable diseases if care is not taken,” she said.

Uliagbapusi called on the public for enhanced hygiene and sanitation in their environment as that was critical to check the outbreak of communicable diseases.

Mr Christian Maluchukwu, an official of the World Health Organization (WHO) in a goodwill message, noted that there was the need for the media and the public to support the campaign.

Representatives of the United Nations International Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) and the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), delivered messages at the event with over 50 Media personnel and participants.

Tension All The Way! But Like Falconets 12 Years Ago, Flamingos Eliminate Us In Quarter-Finals

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October 21, 2022

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What looked impossible was Friday afternoon made possible by the Nigeria U-17 women football team.

They proved that impossibility is nothing!

And so, the Nigeria Flamingos are the first team to get through to the semi finals of the U17 Women’s World Cup in India.

They eliminated the great US! They have thus repeated what their seniors, Falconets, the U-21 did in the same quarter finals against the US in Germany in 2010.

Like it happened 12 years ago in Germany, the Nigerian team have again eliminated the US at the quarter-finals with the same score lines: 4-3 on penalties after 1-1 at regulation time.

The heroine was Omamuzo Edafe whose penalty kick put Nigeria ahead in the 25^th minute of the delayed match.

With full time ending at 1-1, and game decided by the lottery of penalty shootout, Edafe was the scorer of the decider!

Her first goal came when Amina Bello was fouled in the box by Sanchez. But it took the VAR to confirm the resultant penalty kick.

Five minutes to the end of the first half, the hard-working Americans were rewarded with a beautiful goal by Amalla Villarreal. Nigeria now await the winner of Tanzania versus Colombia for the semi final duel.

Uwcl: Barcelona Ready To Conquer Europe Again – Oshoala

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October 21, 2022

Asisat Oshoala believes Barcelona sent a strong message to their European rivals following Tuesday night’s 9-0 drubbing of Portuguese club, Benfica.

The Blaugurana recorded their biggest win in the UEFA Women’s Champions League and laid down a stunning marker in the Group D encounter.

The Super Falcons forward netted a brace and also provided two assists in the game.

The 28-year-old was voted the Player of the Match.

Barcelona lost in the final of the competition last season, but Oshoala insists they are ready to rule the continent once again after a blistering start to the current campaign.

“We have to send a message to all the teams that we will be going all-out this season as always,” Oshoala told Uefa TV.

“Personally, the goals are not the most important thing but [how] the team play and how I try to help the team.”

Oshoala has battled with injuries in recent times.

The talented striker missed a large chunk of last season with injury.

She also damaged her knee ligaments on international duty with Nigeria at the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations in June.

“I had my first 90 minutes of football [of the season],” added Oshoala.

“I think I put in more effort to help my team-mates, to get better, to try and play some good football and entertain the people. And of course I got two goals so I’m happy.”

King Charles III Symphathises With Nigeria Over Flooding

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October 21, 2022

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King Charles III, in a message to President Muhammadu Buhari, has sympathised with Nigeria over recent flooding in the country.

Over 600 persons have died in the recent floodings in the country as of Sunday.

“Your Excellency, Dear Mr President,” he began in the message. “I wanted you to know how deeply saddened both my wife and I are to hear of the many people who have lost their loved ones and whose lives have been so dreadfully affected as a consequence of the devastating floods across Nigeria.

“We remember with the greatest affection our visits to Nigeria and the kindness of the people we met.”

While reiterating the UK’s support to Nigeria, he said “however inadequate this may be under such tragic circumstances, our most heartfelt sympathy is with all those who have suffered so much, and our thoughts are with those working to support the recovery efforts.

“I know that the United Kingdom stands in solidarity with Nigeria as you recover from these truly terrible events.”

Nigeria’s Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, in a statement via Twitter, revealed that the disaster had also forced more than 1.3 million away from their homes.

“Unfortunately, over 603 lives have been lost as of today October 16, 2022,” said Humanitarian Affairs Minister Sadiya Umar Farouq.

Table Tennis: Quadri Aruna Qualifies For Wtt Cup Finals

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October 21, 2022

Nigerian table tennis star Quadri Aruna will be featuring for the second time at the WTT Cup Finals after the African champion joined the list of top 16 elite players listed for the $1m prize money championships in Xinxiang, China from October 27th to 30th.

Aruna who remains the only and first African to compete at the prestigious tournament alongside other top 16 players in the world has again proved his worth after his qualification was confirmed by the organisers.

Despite suffering an opening round defeat of 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 11-9) to Sweden’s Anton Kallberg at the WTT Championship in Macao, Aruna will leave with a WTT Cup Finals ticket of his own after Germany’s Timo Boll failed to beat 7th seed Lin Yun-Ju in Macao.

Boll still remains in contention but is now dependent on results elsewhere going his way. For the end-of-the-year WTT Cup Finals, Aruna’s spot was secured after Boll lost 3-2 (9-11, 14-12, 11-9, 7-11, 11-6) to Yun-Ju to give the Nigerian a passage to his second appearance at the lucrative tournament.

At the maiden edition of the WTT Cup Finals, Aruna made it to the quarterfinal stage and he will be making a return to the big stage where only the world’s 16 best will be sharing from the $1m purse.

If Aruna’s conqueror Kallberg exits in the round of 16, then Boll will take home the 15th ticket for Xinxiang, and the Swedish player’s chances of qualifying will come to an end.

As things stand, Chinese Taipei’s Chuang Chih-Yuan is currently Xinxiang bound, and can only lose his ticket if Kallberg, France’s Alexis Lebrun, or United States’ Kanak Jha makes the final in Macao or if one of Mattias Falck or Yang Wang lifts the Men’s Singles trophy.

Aruna is the only African to have featured in the WTT Cup Finals having qualified as the 14th player to Xinxiang alongside China’s trio of Fan Zhendong, Ma Long, Liang Jingkun, Japan’s Tomakazu Harimoto, Sweden’s Truls Moregard, and Brazil’s Hugo Calderano among others.

Official Name: Republic Of Benin

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October 21, 2022

Official Name: Republic Of Benin

Area: 44,310 sq mi (114,763 sq km)

Population: (2022 est.) 13,024,000

Capital: Porto-Novo (official), Cotonou (de facto)

President: Patrice Guillaume Athanase Talon

The Fon people and related groups constitute two-fifths of the population; minorities include the Yoruba, Fulani, and Adjara.

Languages: French (official), Fon.

Currency: CFA franc.

Extending about 420 mi inland from the Gulf of Guinea, Benin includes a hilly region in the northwest, where the maximum elevation is 2,103 ft.

There are plains in the east and north and a marshy region in the south, where the coastline extends about 75 mi (120 km).

Benin’s longest river, the Ouémé, flows into the Porto-Novo Lagoon and is navigable for 125 mi of its 280-mi length.

It is a multiparty republic with one legislative house; the head of state and government is the president, who may be assisted by the prime minister.

Benin has a developing mixed economy based largely on agriculture and operates an offshore oil field.

In 1894, Dahomey became a French protectorate; it was incorporated into the federation of French West Africa in 1904. It achieved independence in 1960.

Dahomey was renamed Benin in 1975. Its chronically weak economy created problems for the country into the 21st century.

Mashki Gate: Stunning Ancient Rock Discovered Found In Iraq

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October 21, 2022

Archaeologists in northern Iraq have made an exciting discovery – unearthing beautiful rock carvings that are about 2,700 years old.

They were found in Mosul by a US-Iraqi excavation team working to reconstruct the ancient Mashki Gate, which Islamic State (IS) militants destroyed in 2016.

Iraq is home to some of the world’s most ancient cities, including Babylon.

But years of turmoil have seen many archaeological sites looted and damaged by militants and military action.

The eight marble reliefs show finely chiselled war scenes, grape vines and palm trees.

They date back to the Assyrian King Sennacherib, who ruled the ancient city of Nineveh from 705 to 681 BC, the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage said, in a statement seen by AFP.

The powerful king was known for his military campaigns, including against Babylon, and his vast expansion of Nineveh.

It is believed the relics once adorned his palace, and were then moved to the Mashki Gate, Fadel Mohammed Khodr, head of the Iraqi archaeological team, told AFP.

The Mashki Gate was one of the largest in Nineveh, and was an icon of the city’s size and power. The gate was reconstructed in the 1970s, but was destroyed with a bulldozer by IS militants in 2016.

The militant group ransacked and demolished several ancient sites that pre-date Islam in Iraq, denouncing them as symbols of “idolatry”.

Mr Khodr said that when the marble slabs were positioned at the gate, they were partly buried. The sections underground were preserved and bear the carvings seen today; whatever was above-ground was wiped smooth over the centuries.

The excavation team, which comprises experts from Iraq’s Mosul University and the United States’ University of Pennsylvania, is working to restore the Mashki Gate site to how it was before IS bulldozed it.

FIFA Rejects Tv Bids For Women’s World Cup

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October 21, 2022

Women’s football has been smashing attendance and viewing records after surging in popularity.

Fifa, world football’s governing body, rejected recent bids for the television rights to the 2023 Women’s World Cup as too low and challenged broadcasters to offer better value.

“This is not a case of being priced out, but rather testament to a lack of willingness of broadcasters to pay what the women’s game deserves,” Romy Gai, Fifa’s chief partnerships and media officer, said in an interview.

Fifa has already turned down offers to broadcast the tournament in Italy, Germany, France and the UK and expects a similar outcome in Spain, Gai said. He declined to say which broadcasters had submitted bids for games.

The draw for the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand will take place this weekend. Because of the time difference, evening games will air much earlier in the day in Europe, making it harder for some people to watch.

Women’s football has been smashing attendance and viewing records after surging in popularity. A record 3.6 million fans tuned into the final of the Women’s Champions League in May, and the Women’s Euro 2022 also set records for attendances and TV viewers.

“Audience figures show that the Women’s World Cup 2019 in France was a catalyst for change in terms of TV audience,” Gai said.

“A combined 1.12 billion viewers tuned into official broadcast coverage across all platforms of the final between America and the Netherlands, which became the most watched Fifa Women’s World Cup match ever.”

A large discrepancy remains between broadcast payments for the men’s and women’s games, according to Gai. He said that for women’s matches in the UK, broadcasters pay roughly 2 per cent of what they do for the men’s equivalent. That’s despite the women’s audience being equal to about 20 per cent of the men’s.

Official Fifa figures show the 2018 men’s World Cup in Russia generated roughly US$3 billion (S$4.28 billion) in broadcast revenue, whereas the equivalent 2019 women’s competition brought in about US$300 million.

“We know the opportunity for women’s football is there,” said Gai. “Now, together, we need to capture it.”

Plastic Bags, Straws To Be Banned On The Isle Of Man In 2023

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October 21, 2022