Georgia confirms Biden victory and finds no widespread fraud after recount

Friday, November 20, 2020 NEWS No Comments

 

Georgia has confirmed Democratic President-elect Joe Biden as the winner of the Nov 3 election in the state after completing a hand audit of ballots on Thursday, November 19, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said.

The audit, launched after unofficial results showed Biden leading Republican President Donald Trump by about 14,000 out of more than 5 million votes cast, ended with Biden winning by 12,284, according to data from Raffensperger's office.

 

"Georgia's historic first statewide audit reaffirmed that the state's new secure paper ballot voting system accurately counted and reported results," Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, said in a statement.

"This is a credit to the hard work of our county and local elections officials who moved quickly to undertake and complete such a momentous task in a short period of time."

The confirmation makes Biden the first Democratic presidential candidate to win the southern US state in almost three decades, since Bill Clinton in 1992. 

The Biden campaign's communications director for Georgia, Jaclyn Rothenberg, said in a statement Thursday evening that the recount outcome, "simply reaffirmed what we already knew: Georgia voters selected Joe Biden to be their next president."

"We are grateful to the election officials, volunteers and workers for working overtime and under unprecedented circumstances to complete this recount, as the utmost form of public service," she said.

Raffensperger, a Republican, is expected to formally certify Biden's victory today, November 20th, despite pressure from Trump, who has claimed without evidence that there were widespread irregularities and fraud in states that he lost to Biden, including Georgia.

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Femi Gbajabiamila reacts after a stray bullet fired by his security detail killed a newspaper vendor in Abuja

Friday, November 20, 2020 NEWS No Comments

 

A security detail attached to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Thursday, November 19, fired a gunshot that killed a newspaper vendor in Abuja.

 

In a statement released on his social media handles, the Speaker while expressing his regret over the unfortunate incident, gave an account of how it happened. Gbajabiamila said the security detail has been suspended from his convoy and he has ordered an investigation into the incident. 

 

Read his statement below

''A horrible incident has taken place. This evening as I left the national assembly, I stopped as usual to exchange pleasantries with the newspaper vendors at the corner. Many of them have known me since I first moved to Abuja and it was a friendly exchange.

Unfortunately, after the convoy set out in continuation of movement, unidentified men obstructed the convoy which got the attention of security men in the convoy who shot into the air to disperse them.

Some hours later, after getting to our destination, it was brought to my attention that someone was hit by a stray bullet, contrary to an earlier report by men in the convoy that they applied their security discretion to shoot in the air.

I have caused a report to be made to the local police station and an investigation has commenced.

In the meantime; the officer who fired the fatal shot has been suspended from the convoy pending the conclusion of the investigation.

My value for human life and my respect for all people - irrespective of social economic status – is what endeared me to these vendors and these are the reasons why I stop my convoy quite often to connect with them. For one of them to have been shot by my security detail is horrific and I cannot begin to imagine the grief and loss Ifeanyi’s family must feel on this sad day. No family should have to go through this.

I am personally distraught about this incident and my deepest sympathies go to the victim, his family and Abuja vendors.''

 

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Senior Pentagon official Anthony Tata tests positive for COVID-19

Friday, November 20, 2020 NEWS No Comments

 

A senior civilian Pentagon official has tested positive for COVID-19 after meeting with Lithuanian defense minister Raimundas Karoblis last Friday, November 13.

 

According to a Pentagon statement, Tata will isolate at home for the next 14 days. It was further gathered that Karoblis also tested positive for COVID-19 and the Lithuanian Embassy told the Pentagon of his infection on Thursday November 18. 

 

Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman;

 

"Mr. Tata was tested today and has tested positive for COVID-19 on two successive tests. He will isolate at home for the next 14 days in accordance with Center for Disease Control protocols."

 

Hoffman who all of the U.S. officials were tested after the Lithuanian Embassy notified the Pentagon on Thursday that Karoblis had tested positive, further revealed that the Pentagon is continuing to conduct further contract tracing on DoD personnel who have had close contact with the Lithuanian delegation or Tata.

 

Karoblis also met with multiple senior Pentagon leaders, including acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller, the secretaries of the Army and Air Force and the secretary of the Navy. Each of those officials have been tested since their meeting, Hoffman said. He did not say how those leaders had tested.

 

This is not the first time senior officials at the Pentagon have experienced a Coronavirus scare. A majority of the Joint Chiefs of Staff went into quarantine and self-isolation after the vice commandant of the Coast Guard tested positive for coronavirus following a meeting of the military's top leaders.

 

The deputy commandant of the US Marine Corps subsequently tested positive for the Coronavirus. And the No. 2 officer in the Space Force also tested positive for Coronavirus after contracting it in a separate incident. 

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Get approval before using corps members’ uniform in movies — NYSC tells filmmakers

Friday, November 20, 2020 NEWS No Comments

 

Filmmakers have been asked to always seek proper approval from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) management before using corps members’ uniform in their movies.

 

Mr Christian Oru, NYSC Assistant Director of Legal Services, said this during a meeting between National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) and creative industry stakeholders in Lagos. 

 

Oru disclosed that illegal use of its uniform in movies would no longer be tolerated by the management and also directed filmmakers to submit an application letter, stating exactly what the uniform would be used for. He added that they must acknowledge NYSC in the movie asides submitting their scripts to enable them observe how NYSC would be represented in the movie.

 

Oru said; 

 

“For any film maker that wants any of his casts to wear the corps members’ uniform while shooting movies, we require that you write an application letter to NYSC to indicate your interest.

“We also demand that you submit your script to us for proper vetting to know how NYSC will be represented.

“We know the script is your copyright and we will do everything to ensure confidentiality."

 

Announcing that administrative handling charges have been introduced for filmmakers before the use of the uniforms, the NYSC Assistant Director of Legal Services also said NYSC is open to allowing filmmakers to advertise their movies on its various camp grounds.

 

He added; 

 

“We want a token from what you generate from the production of such movies where our uniforms are used, this is known as administrative charges.

“This is because we spend money to produce these uniforms, we will like to work with you and we promise that we will all be on the same page to ensure we are developing the industry and the nation as well."

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Buhari is like snow - Governor Yahaya Bello

Friday, November 20, 2020 NEWS No Comments

 

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state described President Buhari as snow while commenting on the book "The Buhari in us". 

 

The Kogi state Governor who also stated that Buhari is a superb human being, added that in Islam he is described as the "pure one". He further averred that the Nigerian leader is kind-hearted and well-intentioned. 

 

Bello added that the "occultist followership" Buhari has is natural and not gotten with money. 

 

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"You are a very stupid idiot. Omo ale." Kunle Afolayan slams follower who asked why his latest movie 'doesn't have subtitle'

Friday, November 20, 2020 ENTERTAINMENT NEWS No Comments

 

Kunle Afolayan has slammed a follower who questioned why his latest movie doesn't have subtitle. 

 

The follower wrote: "@kunleafolayan Citation Is A Great Film No Doubt, But Non Subtitle Of French Part Is A Great Disservice To The Movie."

 

However, it turns out that the movie has subtitle on Netflix and the follower likely watched on an unauthorized  platform, and this angered Kunle.

 

And the filmmaker responded: "You are a very stupid idiot. That’s what you get if you keep downloading films from unauthorized streaming platforms. Omo ale."

 

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146 new cases of COVID19 recorded in Nigeria

Friday, November 20, 2020 NEWS No Comments

 

Nigeria recorded 146 new cases of COVID19 on Thursday, November 19. 

 

According to the NCDC, Lagos recorded 62 new cases while the FCT recorded 23 new cases. Other states with new cases include Kaduna-21 Ogun-12 Rivers -12 Ondo-5 Oyo-3 Plateau-3 Bauchi-2 Katsina-2 and Kano-1

 

Nigeria has so far recorded 65,839 confirmed cases of the viral disease with 61,573 patients discharged, while 1,165 deaths have been recorded.

 

See the number of cases per states below

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