Meghan Markle reveals she suffered devastating miscarriage months ago while carrying son Archie in her arms

 

Meghan Markle has revealed that she suffered a miscarriage after falling ill at her home.

 

The Duchess of Sussex said she was changing baby Archie’s nappy at their former home in Los Angeles when she "felt a sharp cramp"

 

The tragedy took place in July on a morning that “began as ordinarily as any other day”.

 

In a personal piece called The Losses We Share, Meghan wrote in the New York Times: “After changing his diaper, I felt a sharp cramp.

 

“I dropped to the floor with him in my arms, humming a lullaby to keep us both calm, the cheerful tune a stark contrast to my sense that something was not right.

 

“I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second.”

 

She added: "Hours later, I lay in a hospital bed, holding my husband’s hand. I felt the clamminess of his palm and kissed his knuckles, wet from both our tears.

 

"Staring at the cold white walls, my eyes glazed over. I tried to imagine how we’d heal."

 

Read Meghan's full article here.

US election: Joe Biden becomes first-ever presidential candidate to receive 80 million votes

 

President-elect, Joe Biden's total tally of votes has surpassed 80 million, making him the first-ever presidential candidate in United States history to achieve the feat.

 

The vote-tracking count from the Cook Political Report reported the Democrat has so far received roughly 51 percent of the national popular vote to Donald Trump’s 47.1 percent.

 

Biden is the first presidential challenger to capture more than 50% of the popular vote while running against an incumbent since Franklin Delano Roosevelt defeated Herbert Hoover in 1932.

 

A total of 80,033,996 ballots have been cast for Biden, according to Cook Political Report data.

The previous all-time record of 69,498,516 was set by Barack Obama (with Biden as his running mate) in 2008.

 

Trump’s vote total of 73,878,907 is the most ever for a Republican candidate, as well as the most ever for a presidential loser.

 

More than 156 million people voted in the 2020 election, a turnout of more than 66 percent. 

 

Mr. Biden is preparing to formally announce members of his incoming national security team after the federal agency responsible for his transition to the White House announced that it will begin after Democrats and watchdog groups criticised its chief for “stonewalling” at the president’s behest.

 

In a letter to Mr Biden, the General Services Administration’s Emily Murphy said“I was never directly or indirectly pressured by any Executive Branch official — including those who work at the White House or GSA — with regard to the substance or timing of my decision.”

Later, Mr Trump said that “in the best interest” of the US, he recommended that Ms Murphy “and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same”.

#EndSARS protest: FG is not panicking over UK lawmakers’ demand for sanctions, no serious government will take such decision based on fake news - Lai Mohammed

 

Lai Mohammed has reacted to the UK Parliament's call for sanctions against the Nigerian government over reports of alleged human right abuses during the #EndSARS protest. 

 

The minister of information and culture who reacted to this in an interview with NTA on Wednesday November 25, stated that the federal government is not panicking over the demand. 

 

Lai Mohammed who stressed that the entire #EndSARS protest was fuelled by fake news, added that no serious government will take a decision such as imposing sanctions based on ''fake news.''

 

He said; 

 

“We  earlier stated that government all over the world who have taken hasty decisions about Nigeria on this issue should please seek the truth.

“If the decision of any government all over the world is based on fake news, it is very risky. It brings me to the issue of the UK parliament resolution. We are not panicking at all as a government for two reasons – the resolution of the UK parliament is not the decision of the country and no serious government will take a decision such as imposing sanctions based on fake news.

“This is why we are warning foreign countries to seek the truth and beware of fake news. The entire #EndSARS protest was fuelled by fake news.”

FIFA unveils full nominees list of The Best FIFA Player of the Year Awards 2020

 

Nominees for the 2020 Best FIFA  Player of the Year awards have been announced ahead of the annual ceremony.

 

Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Lewandowski, Lucy Bronze and Sam Kerr are amongst the biggest names to have been nominated for this year's award.

 

The awards ceremony was introduced in 2016, after FIFA broke out from the Ballon d'or, and
Cristiano Ronaldo claimed the first prize, before retaining it in 2017.

 Luka Modric picked up the award in 2018, before Lionel Messi came out on top in 2019.

 

This year’s ceremony will be held on 17 December, and FIFA have announced their full list of candidates for the seven individual trophies on offer , stating that public voting open until 9 December at 11:59pm on FIFA.com.

 

See Full list of Nominees and categories below

 

The Best FIFA Women’s Player:

Lucy Bronze (England / Olympique Lyonnais / Manchester City WFC)

Delphine Cascarino (France / Olympique Lyonnais)

Caroline Graham Hansen (Norway / FC Barcelona)

Pernille Harder (Denmark / VfL Wolfsburg / Chelsea FC Women)

Jennifer Hermoso (Spain / FC Barcelona)

Ji So-yun (Korea Republic / Chelsea FC Women)

Sam Kerr (Australia / Chelsea FC Women)

Saki Kumagai (Japan / Olympique Lyonnais)

Dzsenifer Marozsán (Germany / Olympique Lyonnais)

Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands / Arsenal WFC)

Wendie Renard (France / Olympique Lyonnais)

 

The Best FIFA Men’s Player:

Thiago Alcântara (Spain / FC Bayern München / Liverpool FC)

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal / Juventus FC)

Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium / Manchester City FC)

Robert Lewandowski (Poland / FC Bayern München)

Sadio Mané (Senegal / Liverpool FC)

Kylian Mbappé (France / Paris Saint-Germain)

Lionel Messi (Argentina / FC Barcelona)

Neymar (Brazil / Paris Saint-Germain)

Sergio Ramos (Spain / Real Madrid CF)

Mohamed Salah (Egypt / Liverpool FC )

Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands / Liverpool FC)

 

The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper:

Ann-Katrin Berger (Germany / Chelsea FC Women)

Sarah Bouhaddi (France / Olympique Lyonnais)

Christiane Endler (Chile / Paris Saint-Germain)

Hedvig Lindahl (Sweden / VfL Wolfsburg / Atlético de Madrid Femenino)

Alyssa Naeher (USA / Chicago Red Stars)

Ellie Roebuck (England / Manchester City WFC)

 

The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper:

Alisson Becker (Brazil / Liverpool FC)

Thibaut Courtois (Belgium / Real Madrid CF)

Keylor Navas (Costa Rica / Paris Saint-Germain)

Manuel Neuer (Germany / FC Bayern München)

Jan Oblak (Slovenia / Atlético de Madrid)

Marc-André ter Stegen (Germany / FC Barcelona)

 

The Best FIFA Women’s Coach:

Lluís Cortés (Spain / FC Barcelona)

Rita Guarino (Italy / Juventus Women)

Emma Hayes (England / Chelsea FC Women)

Stephan Lerch (Germany / VfL Wolfsburg)

Hege Riise (Norway / LSK Kvinner)

Jean-Luc Vasseur (France / Olympique Lyonnais)

Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands / Dutch national team)

 

The Best FIFA Men’s Coach:

Marcelo Bielsa (Argentina / Leeds United FC)

Hans-Dieter Flick (Germany / FC Bayern München)

Jürgen Klopp (Germany / Liverpool FC)

Julen Lopetegui (Spain / Sevilla FC)

Zinedine Zidane (France / Real Madrid CF)

 

FIFA Puskas Award (Best goal award):

Shirley Cruz (CRC) – Costa Rica v. Panama [Concacaf Women’s Olympic qualifying] (28 January 2020)

Giorgian De Arrascaeta (URU) – Ceará SC v. CR Flamengo [Brasileirão - Brazil] (25 August 2019)

Jordan Flores (ENG) – Shamrock Rovers FC v. Dundalk FC [League of Ireland] (28 February 2020)

André-Pierre Gignac (FRA) – UANL Tigres v. Pumas UNAM [Liga MX - Mexico] (1 March 2020)

Sophie Ingle (WAL) – Arsenal WFC v. Chelsea FC Women [FA Women’s Super League - England] (19 January 2020)

Zlatko Junuzovi? (AUT) – SK Rapid Wien v. FC Red Bull Salzburg [Bundesliga - Austria] (24 June 2020)

Hlompho Kekana (RSA) – Mamelodi Sundowns FC v. Cape Town City FC [South African Premier Soccer League] (20 August 2019)

Son Heung-min (KOR) – Tottenham Hotspur FC v. Burnley FC [Premier League - England] (7 December 2019)

Leonel Quiñónez (ECU) – Universidad Católica v. CSD Macará [Serie A - Ecuador] (19 August 2019)

Luis Suárez (URU) – FC Barcelona v. RCD Mallorca [LaLiga[MG(1] - Spain] (7 December 2019)

Caroline Weir (SCO) – Manchester City WFC v. Manchester United WFC [FA Women’s Super League - England] (7 September 2019).

 

Lewandowski is the heavy favorite to win this year's men's award.

Low UTME cut-off mark for admission into universities is making northern youths lazy – Governor El-Rufai

 

Governor Nasir El-Rufai has averred that the low cut-off marks needed for admission into northern universities via the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) is making northern youths ‘lazy’.

 

The Kaduna state Governor who said this during the plenary session on “Rethinking Sub-National Competitiveness” at the ongoing Nigerian Economic Summit, stated that even though many think JAMB is building the nation with different cut-off mark for different states, they are however dividing it.

 

El-Rufai also rhetorically asked if the North has caught up with people from other regions even though JAMB is giving them lower cut-off marks. 

 

He said; 

 

“The northerners are at advantage. The low JAMB cut-off mark is making northern youth lazy rather than encouraging them. Despite the advantage of the education in Nigeria, we have the highest number of children out of school.

“For example, Joint Admissions Matriculation Board, (JAMB), gives different cut-off mark for different states and you say you are building a nation, no you are dividing it.

“I am from the north but we have suffered educational disadvantage and the JAMB has given us lower cut-off mark to catch up, have we caught up?

“It is making people lazy."

 

On selecting leaders based on their ‘origin’, El-Rufai said; 

 

“This has become a big problem for Nigeria. Zoning in political parties cannot solve the economic problems we are facing. Selecting the best person to get the job done will benefit everyone.

“The best we can do is to give everyone equal opportunity.”

 

The Kaduna state Governor also called for the federal police and judiciary to be reformed to improve their effectiveness.

 

He added; 

 

“Implement state policing. Some governors have more influence on the police than others; state governors cannot control security actions except there is an order from the IGP. This makes state governors handicapped in serious matters.

“Same is applied to the judiciary system. We are the only country in the world that is running a federal judiciary system. This has exposed the sector to inefficiency. There are decisions for states to take for example, land issues, traditional issues.”

Our recession will be shortlived- Lai Mohammed

 

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has said that the Federal government is confident that with the intervention policies, with the fiscal and monetary interventions have been put in place, the current economic recession will be short-lived.

 

The National Bureau of Statistics, NBS had two days ago said that Nigeria’s economy has slipped into another recession, the second time since 2016.

 

Speaking during an interview with NTA today November 25, Mohammed said the recession is inevitable due to the global collapse in oil prices occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic. He said other countries like Finland, Hungary, Spain, and others have gone into recession due to the fall in the price of crude oil worldwide.

 

“It is true we are in a recession. Recession comes when a country records two consecutive quarters of negative growths. But we must go beyond that to understand that despite that, our economy is still very well in circumstances.

The main reason why we have entered into this recession is the oil sector. The oil sector recorded -13.89% and that is the worst in 14 quarters. Of course, it is easy to understand why; with the pandemic, there is low demand for oil…but when you look at the non-oil sector which is about -2.51 % in Q3, it is far better than what it was in the Q2.

Overall, yes, we are in a recession and it is inevitable but while our Q2 result was -6.1%, South Africa was -50% and as we speak today, Finland, Hungary, Spain, Mexico, Russia, Romania, Belgium, Austria have all fallen into recession.

But we are very confident that with the intervention policies, with the fiscal and monetary interventions the government has put in place, the recession will be short-lived.” he said