Archive November 8, 2025

Okonjo-Iweala Denies Viral Post Criticising Tinubu Over Insecurity

By in News, Nigeria News

Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has distanced herself from a viral social media post falsely attributed to her, which criticised President Bola Tinubu over the way he handles insecurity in Nigeria.

A post via her verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Saturday, described the message as fake and malicious, stressing that it did not originate from her.

She cautioned the public against believing or sharing the false information, adding that legal steps were being taken against those behind the impersonation.

“Beware, this story going around on WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook is false! We are taking action! The person who did this could not even spell my name,” she wrote.

The clarification comes following a post, titled “Trump didn’t ‘hit’ us – our leaders did,” which claimed that Okonjo-Iweala accused Nigerian leaders of prioritising rhetoric over decisive action against banditry and insurgency.

It also claimed that the former Minister of Finance urged Tinubu to “stop the damage control speeches” and “secure the people.”

Okonjo-Iweala, however, condemned the impersonation. She urged the culprits to take responsibility instead of hiding behind her identity.

“Whichever coward did this should write the message in their own name and not hide behind mine or anyone else’s! Scammers and 419ers, stop!” she added.

READ ALSO: [VIDEO] EFCC Officials Storm Anambra, Vote Buying Reported

Her reaction came amid renewed controversy over comments by U.S. President Donald Trump, who alleged that Christians were being targeted in Nigeria.

On his Truth Social platform, Trump warned that the United States might “go in guns blazing” if the alleged killings continued.

Reacting to Trump’s genocide claims, Tinubu, in a post on X, emphasised that the Nigerian Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and that his administration actively engages leaders of all faiths to promote peace and security.

He rejected foreign portrayals of Nigeria as a religiously intolerant nation, describing them as inaccurate and inconsistent with the country’s diversity and unity.

The President said religious tolerance “has been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so.”

Primark’s ‘statement’ £36 blazer resembles £695 designer brand

By in Entertainment News, News

The high street fashion giant is stocking a blazer that resembles a designer style

Primark is selling a ‘statement’ blazer that resembles a much pricier alternative. With a reputation for stocking budget-friendly fashion and accessories, the retailer is a favourite with many high street shoppers. One of its latest styles could also impress designer fans.

Primark is stocking a £36 chocolate brown blazer that looks similar to a £695 designer brand. The retailer’s Paula Echevarría Faux Suede Blazer could be compared to Róhe’s Suede Blazer. However, there’s a distinct price difference, as the Róhe blazer is currently listed for £695 on Mytheresa.

Shoppers should note that the blazers are not identical, with the fabric and construction of the styles offering key differences. The designer brand uses 100% goat leather, while the high street brand uses polyester for its faux suede look.

However, there are visual similarities between the blazers, which are both offered in chocolate brown colour, drawing on one of this year’s most popular colour trends. Both blazers also opt for patch pockets, notched lapels, and a double-button fastening. As such, Primark’s blazer could be tempting for shoppers looking for a similar style at a more affordable price point.

For shoppers interested in the Primark style, the blazer is available to click and collect, or customers can check stock availability at their local store on the brand’s website. The blazer is typically available in sizes XS to XL, although not all sizes are currently in stock online.

The full product description states: “Step up your smart-casual style with this Paula Echevarría Faux Suede Blazer. Designed in a deep chocolate brown shade, it’s made from soft faux suede with a smooth, brushed texture for a refined finish.

“The relaxed fit and wide notched lapels give it a timeless look, while the two-button closure adds a classic touch. Large patch pockets with rounded edges bring a stylish, practical detail and the fully lined interior ensures a clean, comfortable fit. Perfect for adding a polished twist to everyday outfits or dressing up for special occasions.”

For shoppers interested in the Róhe style, the blazer is available on Mytheresa’s website. It’s usually offered in sizes 32-44, although not all sizes are currently in stock online.

The full product description states: “Not a simple blazer, this design from Róhe is crafted from buttery soft suede. The single-breasted silhouette is enhanced by the cinched waist and complete with elegant notch lapels.”

Elsewhere, blazer shoppers looing for an alternative might prefer Next’s £55 Chocolate Brown Twill Melange Relaxed Blazer. While the blazer is offered in chocolate brown with notched lapels, the pockets differ from those of the Primark and Róhe styles to present a distinct look.

Article continues below

Anambra Poll: IPC Faults Late Arrival Of INEC

By in News, Nigeria News

The International Press Centre (IPC) has raised concerns over the late deployment of some INEC officials in Onitsha, which it said, created apprehension among voters.

Lanre Arogundade of IPC reported that some officials had to relocate from the INEC office due to inadequate facilities.

“At 8:30 a.m., officials were just about to leave for polling units. This delay is worrisome,” he said.

He noted that the first set of officials arrived at some polling units at 7:07 a.m., while others reached as late as 8:10 a.m. By 8:30 a.m., they had completed preparations, pasted voter registers, and were ready to start voting.

“These delays at the start of accreditation can create uncertainty. We hope officials arrive at all units on time,” Arogundade added

Buses conveying voting materials were spotted leaving the venue as staff commenced movement to their assigned locations. Photo Credit: Taiwo Adeshina/ChannelsTv

READ ALSO:  Shops Open As Nnewi Residents Shun Anambra Election

He also noted that no major incidents had occurred, but BVAS malfunctions could undermine credibility.

Meanwhile, Situation Room observer Dimma Nwobi alleged vote-buying in some areas.

EFCC officials were seen monitoring locations following these reports. Residents also reported minor BVAS issues as voting began.

Market Activity Amid Voting

In Nkwo Igboukwu, Aguata Local Government Area, some traders opened shops despite the election.

Channels Television learned that they were activities initially before intervention by market leaders.

“When we arrived, business was ongoing. Market masters later ordered everyone to close and warned of a ₦10,000 fine for defaulters,” he said, noting that some traders admitted “disinterest” in voting.

According to INEC, Aguata has 150,575 collected PVCs. Across Anambra, 2,769,137 voters, representing 98.8% of registered voters, had collected cards, expected to vote at 5,718 polling units in 21 local government areas.

Officials deployed early to polling stations in Awka South, Amawbia, and Ekwulobia. Voting began peacefully at Fegge Community Primary School in Onitsha.

Samson Itodo, Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, said parties must take responsibility for voter apathy.

“If voters are not showing up, parties are failing in communication and trust,” he said.

Civil society representative Jake Epelle described the security atmosphere as calm. INEC Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan was urged to ensure a credible process, noting that “no excuses for failure will be accepted.”

Argentina lose comfort of underdog tag against Wales

By in News, Sports News
Getty Images
Chris Kirwan

BBC Sport Wales
  • 8 Comments

Having started Wales’ slump in Marseille two years ago, Argentina now intend to deny Steve Tandy a morale-boosting start to life as national boss.

It has been 27 months and nine games since a Welsh Test win at Principality Stadium, a World Cup warm-up triumph against England.

Wales start a new era as underdogs in Cardiff on Sunday (15:10 GMT) when Tandy calls the shots for the first time.

The head coach bids to follow up July’s success in Japan, which ended a humiliating 18-Test losing streak that began with the World Cup quarter-final defeat by the Pumas.

Standing in their way are an Argentina side ranked sixth in the world and who are fresh from a tense and tight Rugby Championship.

Under head coach Felipe Contepomi they have earned the right to come to Cardiff with confidence as a genuine top-level team.

    • 20 hours ago

    • 1 day ago

    • 2 days ago

Battle-hardened Pumas’ mixed summer

Argentina won two of six Rugby Championship games – against New Zealand in Buenos Aires and Australia in Sydney – and yet that was a slight disappointment.

The Pumas were still in title contention after round four, but finished bottom for the first time since 2022, after a home two-Test summer series defeat by England.

Their only major Rugby Championship failure was a second-half blowout against South Africa in Durban, when a 25-23 half-time deficit turned into a 67-30 hammering.

The Pumas were competitive, but 2025 has so far failed to provide the huge strides hoped for after a famous Dublin win against the British and Irish Lions before their victorious tour to Australia.

Nonetheless, Argentina are a team with genuine aspirations of a European clean sweep when travelling to Cardiff, Edinburgh and London.

Contepomi was quick to issue a warning when the subject of Wales’ 18-Test losing streak was raised.

“Wales’ losing run is history,” said the former Bristol and Leinster fly-half or centre. “Where they are coming from doesn’t matter and the last time that we came to Principality Stadium was 2022 when they were coming through a rough time and beat us.”

Absentees offer Wales hope

Argentina stunned the Lions 28-24 at the Aviva Stadium, but are without seven players – six of them starters – from that success.

La Rochelle tight-head prop Joel Sclavi, Exeter’s Franco Molina and second-row partner Pedro Rubiolo, who plays for Bristol Bears alongside flanker Benjamin Grondona, Zebre scrum-half Gonzalo Garcia, Benetton fly-half Tomas Albornoz and Saracens centre Lucio Cinti are sidelined though injury.

The loss of Garcia, who started the first five rounds of the Rugby Championship, is considerable and leaves the inexperienced Simon Benitez Cruz and Agustin Moyano, who made their Test debuts in the summer, as the options at Principality Stadium.

Nonetheless, Contepomi fields a 23 featuring 19 of the players who lost 29-27 to the Springboks in the Rugby Championship finale.

“We had some injuries, but we are happy with the whole group that we have here – I would be very confident with playing any of the 32 that are training with us,” said the head coach.

The autumn tour will indicate Argentina’s depth and the absentees have not prevented the bookies pricing the visitors as healthy favourites.

Pumas power mixed with pace

Argentina's Julian Montoya carries the ball against South Africa at TwickenhamGetty Images

Despite the notable absentees Argentina still boast serious quality that allows them to mix up their game.

They field Toulouse centre Santiago Chocobares and powerful back-row forward Pablo Matera, brutal flanker Marcos Kremer moves to lock, hooker Montoya leads from the front and (the unrelated) Santiago and Mateo Carreras are game-breakers.

If Welsh legs are weary then dazzling Toulouse full-back Juan Cruz Mallia will exploit them off the bench.

Kremer topped the Rugby Championship tackle chart with 97 – 11 more than second-placed Aussie Fraser McReight – while Mallia was first for offloads and Bautista Delguy was joint top for clean breaks.

Only Springboks superstar Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and All Blacks wing or full-back Will Jordan beat more defenders than Matea Carreras and number eight Joaquin Oviedo.

Rankings reveal the gap

Wales have not been above Argentina in the world rankings since 1 October 2023, and that was only for a fortnight before that quarter-final defeat.

Tandy takes over a side ranked 12th – the Pumas have not been as low as that since October 2014.

Argentina have been a constant in the top 10 since then and will hope to keep pushing by enjoying strong autumn results.

Getting off to a strong start is crucial before what appear to be tougher Tests at Murrayfield and Twickenham.

The new-look Wales set-up has presented analytical challenges this week as the Pumas prepared at St Peter’s RFC in Cardiff.

“We don’t know what to expect from Wales in terms of the tactics or strategy, but they will be tough to beat because they always fight and have quality,” said captain Montoya.

“They have a very good coaching ticket with Steve Tandy, Danny Wilson, Matt Sherratt plus Dan Lydiate and Duncan Jones,” said Contepomi.

“They are very good coaches, so I expect them to be a very knowledgeable team.

“We admire Wales’ passion and how they never give up. They live and breathe rugby so we are expecting a highly motivated team in one of the best stadiums in the world.

“We are expecting a very, very tough encounter because Wales are highly motivated to start a new era well and they are a team with quality throughout their 23.”

Argentina: S Carreras; Delguy, Piccardo, Chocobares, M Carreras; Prisciantelli, Benitez Cruz; Vivas, Montoya (capt), Delgado, Petti, Kremer, Matera, JM Gonzalez, Oviedo.

Related topics

  • Welsh Rugby
  • Wales Rugby Union
  • Rugby Union

Gaza’s water turns poisonous as Israel’s genocide leaves toxic aftermath

By in News, World News

Israel’s war on Gaza has not only razed entire neighbourhoods to the ground, displaced families multiple times and decimated medical facilities, but also poisoned the very ground and water on which Palestinians depend.

Four weeks into a fragile ceasefire, which Israel has violated daily, the scale of the environmental devastation is becoming painfully clear.

Recommended Stories

list of 3 itemsend of list

In Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, what was once a lively community has become a wasteland. Homes lie in ruins, and an essential water source, once a rainwater pond, now festers with sewage and debris. For many displaced families, it is both home and hazard.

Umm Hisham, pregnant and displaced, trudges through the foul water with her children. They have nowhere else to go.

“We took refuge here, around the Sheikh Radwan pond, with all the sufferings you could imagine, from mosquitoes to sewage with rising levels, let alone the destruction all around. All this poses a danger to our lives and the lives of our children,” she said, speaking to Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim Alkhalili.

Heavily damaged buildings are reflected in a water basin in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood of Gaza City on October 22, 2025 [File: Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP]

The pond, designed to collect rainwater and channel it to the sea, now holds raw sewage after Israeli air attacks destroyed the pumps. With electricity and sanitation systems crippled, contaminated water continues to rise, threatening to engulf nearby homes and tents.

“There is no doubt there are grave impacts on all citizens: Foul odours, insects, mosquitoes. Also, foul water levels have exceeded 6 metres [20ft] high without any protection; the fence is completely destroyed, with high possibility for any child, woman, old man, or even a car to fall into this pond,” said Maher Salem, a Gaza City municipal officer speaking to Al Jazeera.

Local officials warn that stagnant water could cause disease outbreaks, especially among children. Yet for many in Gaza, there are no alternatives.

“Families know that the water they get from the wells and from the containers or from the water trucks is polluted and contaminated … but they don’t have any other choice,” said Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza City.

A boy fills a plastic bottle with water inside a camp for displaced Palestinians at a school-turned-shelter in Al-Rimal neighbourhood of Gaza City on November 5, 2025. [File: Omar Al Qattaa]
A boy fills a plastic bottle with water in a camp for displaced Palestinians, at a school-turned-shelter in the Remal neighbourhood of Gaza City on November 5, 2025 [Omar Al Qattaa]

Destroyed water infrastructure

At the COP30 Climate Summit in Brazil, Palestinian Ambassador Ibrahim al-Zeben described the crisis as an environmental catastrophe intertwined with Israel’s genocide.

“There’s no secret that Gaza is suffering because of the genocide that Israel continues to wage, a war that has created nearly a quarter of a million victims and produced more than 61 million tonnes of rubble, some of which is contaminated with hazardous materials,” he said.

“In addition, the deliberate destruction of sewage and water networks has led to the contamination of groundwater and coastal waters. Gaza now faces severe risks to public health, and environmental risks are increasing,” al-Zeben added.

Israel’s attacks have also “destroyed” much of the enclave’s agricultural land, leaving it “in a state of severe food insecurity and famine with food being used as a weapon”, he said.

In September, a UN report warned freshwater supplies in Gaza are “severely limited and much of what remains is polluted”.

“The collapse of sewage treatment infrastructure, the destruction of piped systems and the use of cesspits for sanitation have likely increased contamination of the aquifer that supplies much of Gaza with water,” the report by the United Nations Environment Programme noted.

Benedict Cumberbatch reveals secret ‘struggle’ as he reflects on fatherhood

By in Entertainment News, News

Benedict Cumberbatch has risen to fame over the years as he has taken on plenty of iconic roles such as Sherlock Holmes, Dr Strange and Smaug

Benedict Cumberbatch has opened up about his secret “struggle” as he speaks about his family life. The star is best known for his acting work but is also open about the realities of being a dad.

The actor is dad to three sons – ages ten, eight and six – with his wife Sophie Hunter. Benedict’s latest project is starring in new film The Thing With Feathers where he plays a struggling dad.

Away from his usual big budget movies, the project is an independent film. The movie follows a father and two sons as they struggle to cope with the sudden loss of their wife and mother.

READ MORE: Debenhams unveils early Black Friday deals on Estée Lauder, Benefit and more

READ MORE: Graham Norton admits he ‘zones out’ when celebrity chat show guests ‘drone on’READ MORE: Robbie Williams’ ‘prostitute’ admission leaves Julia Roberts speechless

The trio are attempting to move on with their lives while dealing with grief which is depicted as a large crow. Benedict said he used his experience as a dad in order to play his new role.

However, this wasn’t without it’s difficulties as he said the job was a very emotional one. Speaking to The Times, Benedict explained that there were a lot of tears shed in the making of the film.

He said: “My costume was covered in tears. There were so many costume changes. It’s the unexpected things which make you cry, which is so true to grief.”

He added that as someone who boarded at all-boys school Harrow, he is feeling the impact of growing up without girls and women around him.

“I’m still struggling in ways I wouldn’t if I’d had sisters my age or been in a co-ed school. It’s b******t,” he said.

“Because boys and girls mature at different times, so they have to be focused on what? Results-based educational needs? Who gives a f*** what GCSEs and A-levels you get, unless it’s somehow important for your pupillage or whatever. Rant rant rant. But seriously.”

The Sherlock star also revealed that his emotions are now “paper thin” after becoming a father and that the film Barbie brought him to tears. He added that his sons think he’s more of a pushover than their mum.

Earlier this year, Benedict admitted that things ‘got nasty’ between him and his The Roses co-star Olivia Colman due to the toxic nature of their characters.

Article continues below

He told Yahoo Entertainment: “There was one speed bump where it started to get a bit toxic, and I was like, ‘I might need to check in with you as a friend, because this is getting a bit nasty now.”