Former Miss America Leanza Cornett, who was crowned in 1993, has died at age 49.
Her death was announced by the Miss American Organization on social media.
“We are devastated by this sudden loss in our Miss America family and we are deeply sorry for her family and close friends for their loss,” the statement read. “At the moment, we do not have any further information regarding a service for Leanza and we ask that you please respect her family during this difficult time.”
“Hold on tight to those you love today. Time is certainly precious,” the organization added, with a sign-off of “With much love.”
No cause of death was given for Cornett, who was born in Virginia and was raised in Florida. However, News 4 Jax in Jacksonville, Florida, reported that Cornett had suffered a head injury on Oct. 12, according to a Facebook page monitoring her status.
The Deputy Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Wasiu Sanni has said he thought we would have over 1000 deaths from the October 20th shooting that happened in Lekki.
According to the lawmaker, the videos that circulated on social media gave him the impression that about one thousand mortality was recorded.
Speaking at a plenary in the house, Wasiu alleged that influencers aggravated and catalyzed the destruction of Lagos state.
Watch the video below …
Deputy Speaker of Lagos House of Assembly, Wasiu Sanni, says social media influencers made the shooting of peaceful #EndSARS protesters in Lekki worse than it was.
Lagos lawmaker, Desmond Elliot has been forced to apologise for calling Nigerian youths CHILDREN.
The lawmaker was dragged front and back ad across every Nigerian market today after the video of him calling the youths CHILDREN was leaked online today.
He admitted making a ''mistake'' and said he allowed his emotions get the better part of him.
Desmond while speaking in the House floor and addressing the speaker spoke about how 'rude' and 'destructive' the youths were during the protests and demanded something be done about it now, or else, there might be no Nigeria in 5 years time. His apology below....
“I have read your honest feedback& suggestions& I sincerely apologize for addressing the youth as “Children.
I did not mean to be insensitive with this, it was borne out of the magnitude of destruction&looting of businesses I witnessed when I went on a tour of my constituency.
I saw women crying and my constituent members distraught as a result of the damages inflicted on their source of livelihood. I was moved by this while giving my submission on the floor of the House.
I allowed my emotions get the better of me and for this I apologize to everyone my earlier statements may have hurt.
Please, understand that even the best of us make mistakes. This is why, moving forward, I ask that we all try to engage constructively on the issues that affect all of us. I promise to do the same.
The pain that I feel for my constituents, the calls for assistance that I continue to get, and the need to mitigate against further destruction and violence will continue to drive my engagements and my work.
I thank you all for expressing your views, and in the future, I promise to be more conscious and aware. Together, we will build a better Nigeria.”
Suspected hoodlums under the guise of EndSARS protesters in Ebonyi have murdered a Police Inspector, Mr Egu Omini and cut off his manhood.
The hoodlums also snatched his AK-47 rifle after attacking a police station in Abakaliki, the state capital.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Philip Maku disclosed this in a statement issued to reporters by the Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), Mrs Loveth Odah, in Abakaliki today.
The commissioner said the hoodlums regrouped in their large numbers on Monday, Oct. 26 and reinvaded the Central Police Station, Abakaliki for the second time, setting the station ablaze including police patrol vehicles.
“Exhibit vehicles, tricycles/motorcycles and other police property seen within the station were burnt; they shot sporadically at the Policemen, and as a result gruesomely murdered Insp. Egu Omini, cut off his private part and snatched his AK-47 riffle.
“On Oct. 21, the first of the protest in the state, two policemen, Paul Akpu and PC Ali Samson sustained bullet injuries and two days later one of the victims, Akpu died while on admission at Alex-Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki.
“The hoodlums proceeded to B Division KpiriKpiri/C Division Ekumenyi (Eke-Abe Police Station) and set the two stations on fire, after looting exhibit motorcycles, Plasma TVs, Fans and other valuables from the exhibit rooms. “On Wednesday 28/10/2020 at about 4am, the hoodlums again stormed Ezza North Divisional Headquarters, vandalized the building, burnt two vehicles and Exhibit motorcycles.
“They shot and wounded One Insp. Okewu Sunday and snatched his AK-47 rifle. The victim is currently receiving treatment in the hospital,” the statement said.
President Muhammadu Buhari has said Nigeria’s economy is too fragile for fresh Covid-19 lockdown.
The President, therefore, urged Nigerians to obey all protocols recommended by health authorities to curtail the spread of the lethal coronavirus.
Buhari, who stated this today via his verified Twitter handle, said compliance with Covid-19 protocols by all Nigerians is crucial to avert a second wave of the pandemic in the country.
“Looking at the trends in other countries, we must do all we can to avert a second wave of COVID-19 in Nigeria.
“We must make sure that our cases, which have gone down, do not rise again. Our economy is too fragile to bear another round of lockdown,” @MBuhari tweeted.
Buhari had in March imposed a total lockdown on parts of the country including Lagos, Abuja and Ogun. The lockdown lasted for over five weeks and had a tremendous effect on the country’s economical activities with the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry putting the loss at about N3bn in the period under review.
The Federal Road Safety Corps, on Thursday, confirmed the death of 21 people, including school children, in an auto crash at Mgbowo in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The Enugu Sector Commander, Mr Ogbonna Kalu, who confirmed the incident said the accident occurred on Wednesday afternoon.
He said the accident involved a school bus and trailer.
The commander blamed the accident on speeding beyond the limit and dangerous driving.
Kalu said, “21 persons have been confirmed dead and more than 50 persons were in the school bus.
“Also of note is that not all the deaths were school children. Those working on the roadside were part of the casualties.
“From available information, the accident was caused by dangerous driving.”
The Federal Government on Thursday announced a two-day total closure of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos State for a concrete work on some sections.
The Federal Controller of Works in the state, Mr Olukayode Popoola, in Lagos said that the closure would begin from midnight of Oct. 30 and end at midnight of Nov. 1.
“We are planning to cast two number expansion joints, and we shall close the Third Mainland Bridge from midnight of Oct. 30 until midnight of Nov. 1,’’ he said.
The controller said that there was the need to shut both bounds of the bridge from Adeniji Adele to Adekunle in addition to the closed bound of the bridge, to complete the work.
According to him, the closure is to ensure that there is no vibration on the bridge during casting in-place of the newly-installed expansion joints.
“This is to allow for the setting of the special concrete, which allows the concrete to achieve its required compressive strength,’’ Popoola said.
He said that the Federal Government decided to close the bridge on a weekend to minimise the impact on vehicular traffic.
According to him, adequate traffic managers will be deployed to control all the alternative routes.
“We regret any inconveniences this two-day closure will cause,’’ Popoola said.
The Third Mainland Bridge is going through a series of repair.
It was partially shut on July 24 for the repair.
The repair is expected to last for six months. It is divided into two phases of three months on each carriageway, starting with the Oworonsoki bound carriageway.
The first total closure of a section of the bridge from Adekunle to Adeniji Adele was done from Oct. 9 to Oct. 11 midnight, to complete the first stage of casting works.
The 11.8km bridge is the longest of the three bridges connecting Lagos Island to the mainland.
The bridge starts from Oworonshoki, which is linked to the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway and the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and ends at the Adeniji Adele Interchange on Lagos Island.
Constructed in 1990, the bridge was adjudged as the longest in Africa until 1996 when the Oct. 6 Bridge in Cairo was completed.
Saudi Arabia will open the Umrah pilgrimage to Mecca for Muslims from other countries from Nov. 1, Saudi media reported on Thursday.
The news comes as the kingdom relaxes measures it had taken to check the spread of the coronavirus.
“The Umrah pilgrimage is allowed for Muslims from across the world,” Saudi state TV said, citing a statement from the Ministry of Pilgrimage.
The Saudi-owned, Dubai-based TV channel Al-Arabiya said Umrah will be allowed from Nov. 1
Umrah is a pilgrimage which can be undertaken at any time of the year, in contrast to Hajj, which has specific dates according to the Islamic lunar calendar.
Saudi Arabia closed its borders in February to foreign Umrah pilgrims, and in March stopped its own citizens and residents from taking part.
In July, it allowed a limited number of domestic pilgrims to perform the Hajj.
The Ekiti State Commissioner for Health, Dr Oyebanji Filani, on Thursday, disclosed that no fewer than 800,000 babies die of poor breastfeeding yearly across the globe.
Oyebanji stated that poor breastfeeding was largely responsible for high infant mortality in Nigeria, which he said was being gradually checkmated due to the advent of exclusive breastfeeding and improved medical practices.
Filani spoke in Ado Ekiti on Thursday at a press parley commemorating the 2020 edition of breastfeeding week in Ekiti State.
“Findings have shown that investing in breastfeeding will prevent 13 percent of child deaths and morbidity if 90 percent of mothers exclusively breastfeed their infants for the first six months of life.
“Globally, only 38 percent of infants are exclusively breastfed and suboptimal breastfeeding contributes to 800,000 infant deaths globally on annual basis.
“So, any baby who is exclusively breastfed for the first six months without any formula, has fewer ear infections, respiratory illnesses, and bouts of diarrhoea and has fewer hospitalisations and trips to the doctor,'' he said.
Hours after he escaped from Oko Correctional Centre in Edo state, with other prisoners, a yet to be disclosed Prisoner, has reportedly killed his neighbor who testified against him in court.
About 1,993 prisoners escaped from two correctional facilities in Edo state.
Few have been arrested while about 1,818 prisoners are still on the run and had flooded the streets launching various degrees of attacks.
Addressing newsmen yesterday, Babatunde Kokumo, Edo commissioner of police, said they have arrested 126 suspected criminals and 10 amongst them were escapees.
His words according to TheCable: “We have commenced actions against the criminal elements. It will interest you to know that 10 of the criminal elements who escaped from Oko Correctional Centre on Airport Road, Benin and the Correctional Centre on Sapele Road, Benin were also arrested.
“One of them, after having escaped from Oko correctional centre, ran back to his village on the same day, to kill the person who stood as a prosecution witness in the case that took him to the correctional centre.
He has been arrested and he is among the suspects.
“Another group of three escapees from the correctional centre in Benin also went ahead to snatch a Lexus Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV). Three of them met at the correctional centre and they were caught by the police.
“A set of two escapees equally stole a Toyota Camry car. They also met at the correctional centre. They were arrested by Okada Division of Edo State Police Command. We have a total of ten escapees.
“The guns were also recovered from the criminal elements.”
Davido has once again slammed popular Nollywood actor turned politician, Desmond Elliot over his comments on social media bill in the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Recall that two days ago, Davido agreed with a tweet that said Desmond Elliot is a proof that a youth could be president and still fail Nigerians.
In a new video released today, the lawmaker is heard slamming celebrities and social media influencers saying they had a grip on the EndSARS protesters. He went on to call youths CHILDREN which triggered many social media users.
Desmond said; “Mr. Speaker, we need to address certain things. The Nigerian Youth, The Social Media, The Social Influencers, All of these are making the narrative that we are seeing today, except we are joking with ourselves. Social media is good but it has Negative impacts.
“Let me thank you for condemning the killings and carnage that happened at Lekki. When i went through the comments i could not believe it Mr. Speaker, the curses, the abuses from children and i ask myself, is this Nigeria ? What is going on?
“Children cursing, people having the effrontery to enter an Oba’s palace, hold the staff of office ? Culture is gone. Mr. Speaker, in the next 5 years, there will be no Nigeria if we don’t act now.
“The youth is not only those who do the peaceful protest, those who have looted and destroyed lives are youths as well.”
“Go to the elections, if you are tired come and enter government. People are dying. The narrative must change,” he added.
Just like many Nigerians reacted, Davido also reacted tweeting;
''Desmond Elliot just destroyed all the precious child hood memories he gave us in movies.'
The Lagos State Government has approved the re-opening of all classes in public and private schools across the state from Monday, November 2, 2020.
It said boarders in public schools are to resume on Sunday, Novermber 1.
Schools in the state were shut on October 19, 2020, following safety concerns after hoodlums hijacked the #ENDSARS violence.
Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Folasade Adefisayo, who disclosed in a statement, explained: “This has been an unprecedented year with the recent happenings that have regrettably led to frequent closure of schools with attendant learning disruptions faced by all children.”
“We pray and hope that there will be no more disruptions in the academic calendar. However, the State Government will always regard the safety of pupils/students, parents and all staff as a matter of priority.
“We recommend that when schools resume on Monday, teaching and learning should continue unhindered till the end of the term.”
The Commissioner advised pupils/students to take their studies more seriously to recover the lost period.
Media personality, Toke Makinwa has tested positive for coronavirus.
She announced this today on her instagram page, less than a week to her birthday.
According to Makinwa who turns 36 on November 3, she has been battling with the virus for about two weeks and is unsure how she got infected.
Although Makinwa is not out of the woods yet, she remains hopeful that the worst days are far gone.
Read her statement below:
I have been missing in action for a bit guys, the last two weeks of my life has been pretty tough to handle. I tested positive to COVID-19 and my experience wasn’t great (I mean it’s Covid), shooting this Vlog was a lot as I am not a 100 per cent yet but I’m hopeful the worst days are behind me.
Covid is real guys, there is a second wave of the virus in town and it is spreading really fast. I can’t say for sure where I caught it but the worst thing for me was contact-tracing. Having to call people I have been exposed to, to tell them to quarantine and trace people they have also been exposed to, the whole thing is a mess.
I share my experience on the Vlog today which is late I know but pls be patient with me, the road to recovery is a lot, I am tired all the time, I have a bit of memory loss and I’m trying to find out what day is what. Doesn’t help that Nigeria itself has gone through something in this time too.
Phewwww!!!! Health is the real wealth guys, pls be safe out there. My birthday is in less than a week, I just want to be 100% again. Covid is real, wear your mask and wash your hands always. Ok bye”
A hero eight-year-old boy saved his mum, sister and pet rabbit from their burning home after he luckily woke early and alerted the family to the blaze.
Amy Brown was alerted to the fire by son Jenson early on October 13, who had gone downstairs to watch television at around 6am.
But he soon raced back upstairs to tell his mum the screen had exploded - the fire turned out to have been caused by the tumble dryer setting on fire.
The family were forced to flee the house in Swindon, Wilts., as the flames spread quickly, eventually gutting the house - costing them everything.
A fundraiser has since been launched to help Amy and partner Richard Bird out, which has already topped £1,000.
Amy, 33, said: "It's an ongoing joke in our family that Jenson gets up at 5am.
"If he had stayed in bed that day things could have been very different. We're not going to get him to stay in bed again!
"As I came downstairs I could see smoke starting to come under the kitchen door. He alerted me to the fact there was something wrong."
Amy then took the children outside and went back into the kitchen - where the smoke was so thick that she couldn't see the family rabbit, three year-old Naala.
The local fire service was then called and, happily, managed to rescue the pet, who appeared none the worse for her ordeal.
But Amy added: "Everything we had is just completely destroyed. The insurance company has told us there's nothing that can be fixed. We've lost everything.
"[The fundraiser] is not something you expect. I was shocked by the fact she'd done it in the first place.
"It warms my heart to know there are people out there willing to help when help is needed."
Rapper Ladipoe has tested positive for Coronavirus.
The rapper disclosed this on his social media page.
He also said his symptoms are mild and that he’s getting better.
His social media post reads; ''I recently received the results for my COVID-19 test and it was positive.
I have been in isolation for about 10 days now. Due to the state of affairs in the country, this Monday was the earliest i could get tested. My symptoms have been mild and i am getting better everyday.
Please continue to take the necessary safety precautions when you are out to protect yourself and your loved ones.
Not everyone has mild symptoms. This is definitely something to be taken seriously.''
Former South Korean president Lee Myung-bak was ordered back to prison Thursday as the country’s Supreme Court upheld a 17-year jail term for bribery and embezzlement offences.
The conservative Lee, who served as president from 2008 to 2013, had been out on bail awaiting the ruling and was not in court for the decision, but police were seen at his Seoul home to take him away, according to reports.
The ruling is not subject to further appeal and at age 78 means Lee is likely to die in prison unless he receives a presidential pardon.
All four of South Korea’s living former presidents are either behind bars or have served jail terms — often as a result of investigations begun under successors who are political rivals.
Lee was first convicted of embezzlement and accepting bribes in late 2018 and jailed. An appeals court later increased his sentence to 17 years but granted him bail pending a further appeal to the nation’s highest court.
The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld his conviction for embezzling 25.2 billion won ($22 million) and accepting bribes totalling 9.4 billion won, as well as the 17-year sentence.
Lee is also subject to a 13-billion-won fine and must forfeit assets of 5.7 billion won.
“There was no legal fallacy in the appellate court’s ruling on bribery and embezzlement,” the Supreme Court said in a statement.
Lee’s conservative successor Park Geun-hye is currently serving 20 years in jail for bribery and abuse of power after being ousted in 2017 over a corruption scandal that prompted massive street protests.
Another former leader, the liberal Roh Moo-hyun, took his own life after being questioned in a corruption probe involving his family — an inquiry that took place during Lee’s presidency.
Roh was the political mentor of incumbent President Moon Jae-in, who served in the Blue House throughout Roh’s presidency, including a year as his chief of staff.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, has rejected the report by Amnesty International on the Lekki shootings.
Adesina, who is the President’s most senior spokesman, said on Thursday that Amnesty could not have more facts about the country than the Presidency which has a ‘helicopter view’ of things happening in the country.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme, Adesina said the looting and rioting were not caused by the military shootings because there was already violence before the Lekki incident.
Responding to a question on the Lekki shootings, he said, “You are not quite correct. You are falling for the narrative of Amnesty International. And Amnesty is wrong. Anarchy had broken loose before even Lekki. The prisons in Benin and Oko had been broken open before Lekki. Orile police station had been burnt before Lekki.
“Many policemen had been burnt before Lekki. So, you cannot say it was Lekki that precipitated all those things. Look at the timelines, look at when all those things. You will discover that it had happened before Lekki. So, you are falling for the gambit of Amnesty International.
“Amnesty International does not have all the facts, they don’t run this country, they shouldn’t know beyond what they have been told. They shouldn’t know more than you and I should know as media people as watchers of developments.”
When asked if it was the President’s thinking that Amnesty’s report was wrong, Adesina said the global watchdog had been known to always make unsubstantiated reports about Nigeria.
“Many times, the military has come out to dispute facts brought out by Amnesty,” he said.
When probed further as to whether the President approved the military action in Lekki as the commander-in-chief, Adesina said he would not want to undermine the work of the panel of inquiry looking into the matter.
The Ministry of Fiance has issued a scam alert to Nigerians looking to benefit from the Federal Government assistance to businesses affected by Covid-19.
Already there's a link that has been shared on social media asking people to apply there.
Debunking it as fake, the Ministry on twitter account wrote;
“It has come to our attention that a link is being shared via social media requesting for applications for a FG 3 Million grant. The general public should note that this is a SCAM. Any requests for applications are only via official channels & websites. Pls beware! #FinMinNigeria”.
Remote workers who need a change in scenery could well bag a bucket-list-worthy alternative to a home office.
That's because the Cayman Islands have just launched a new scheme for "professionals and digital nomads", allowing them to stay for up to two years.
Just picture it; morning strolls on the beach, lunchtime swims in those crystalline waters, and heaps of sunny weather.
The new Global Citizen Concierge Program is open for applications, and allows remote workers to come and live on the island for up to two years.
It all sounds quite dreamy - but the salary requirements will quickly bring you back down to reality.
That's because the scheme requires you to show that you're earning at least $100,000 if you're a single household.
Bringing a spouse/partner along for the adventure? You'll need to prove you're making at least $150,000.
Oh, and those costs go up if you're looking to bring your kids along too.
Still, if you are intrigued then you can find out more on the Visit Cayman Islands website.
Successful applicants will be granted a stay of up to 24 months, not to mention there will be a dedicated concierge to help them find accommodation to help them settle into life in the Cayman Islands.
Fees to take part in the programme start from $1,469 a year, and there will be some additional requirements such as proof of employment and medical insurance.
The Cayman Islands aren't the only dreamy Caribbean hotspots offering a programme of this nature - and some have significantly lower salary requirements if you do want to go.
Islands including Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, and Barbados have all launched schemes for remote workers.
Of course if you don't want to commit to a long-term stay, a holiday could do just the trick - and there are Caribbean islands you can visit without needing to quarantine on either side.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has explained why the Trump administration is opposed to the selection of former Nigerian finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, as the director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
The United States said it supported instead Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee.
She is “a bona fide trade expert who has distinguished herself during a 25-year career as a successful trade negotiator and trade policy maker, ” the US statement read.
Although the U.S. did not mention Mrs Okonjo-Iweala, it said “The WTO is badly in need of major reform. It must be led by someone with real, hands-on experience in the field.”
The U.S. position was seen Wednesday night as another blow at the WTO by the Trump administration.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who faced a re-election battle on 3 November, had described the WTO as “horrible” and biased towards China.
The Trump administration has already paralysed the WTO’s role as global arbiter on trade by blocking appointments to its appeals panel.
Now it is threatening to render it leaderless for weeks or months to come.
The WTO itself has called a meeting for Nov. 9, less than a week after the U.S. election, by which time it hopes to have secured full backing for Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
The decision needs to be approved by consensus, however, meaning any of the 164 WTO members could block her appointment.
After weeks of consultations, three WTO ambassadors, the “troika” charged with finding a successor to Brazilian Roberto Azevedo, announced at a meeting in Geneva on Wednesday that the former Nigerian finance minister should be the next chief as she had secured cross-regional backing.
“All of the delegations that expressed their views today expressed very strong support for the process, for the troika and for the outcome. Except for one,” WTO spokesman Keith Rockwell told reporters after the closed-door meeting, specifying that the one was the United States.
William Reinsch, a former senior Commerce Department official now with the Center for Strategic and International Studies said the U.S. move was likely to worsen trade tensions already running high within the WTO.
“It’s very Trumpian. They’re basically saying ‘We want to get our way and we’re willing to throw sand in the gears if we don’t get it’,” he said, adding that it was possibly a bid to gain concessions in other disputes.
