Today’s Headlines: Why Atiku Can’t Win Presidency; Judge Ends Trump’s WSJ Lawsuit

The only thing former vice president Atiku Abubakar has going for him is his intransigence. He was vice president between 1999 and 2007, the last four of those years as an alienated deputy to his boss, former president Olusegun Obasanjo.

As a serial presidential aspirant or candidate since 2003, and with each succeeding election cycle, Alhaji Atiku has proved more intransigent, combative, and increasingly and desperately ambitious. He is entitled to his goals in life.

But, as he has probably discovered, the more he strives for the presidency, his life’s goal since 2003, the more the position becomes elusive. Consequently, the frustrations he has endured for more than two decades have turned him into a bitter and vexatious old man. By the next presidential election, he will be over 80 years old, and his chances of winning the presidency much slimmer than when he started out clumsily.

WASHINGTON, Oct 31 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s second attempt to sue the Wall ​Street Journal was dismissed with prejudice on ‌Saturday, ending his pursuit of a defamation lawsuit over the news outlet’s reporting on his ties to ​sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The US District Court ​for the Southern District of Florida held ⁠that Trump again did not show actual ​malice, a requirement for a public figure’s defamation ​claim. “As with his first attempt, he has failed,” Judge Darrin P. Gayles wrote.

Gayles highlighted the paper’s “thoughtful and detailed ​investigation” and reporters’ efforts to seek comment ​from Trump and other officials before publishing the article. “Grasping at ‌straws, ⁠the Amended Complaint attempts to manufacture flaws with the investigation,” Gayles wrote.

Trump’s lawyers argued that the story should have been dropped after he ​denied involvement ​with Epstein. “That ⁠is not what the actual malice standard requires and runs afoul of ​the First Amendment,” Gayles wrote.

Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, have secured a place in the semi-finals of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup after defeating Venezuela 1-0 in their quarter-final encounter on Sunday.

A late penalty converted by Aishat Oduntan in the 89th minute proved decisive, giving the Nigerian youngsters a hard-fought victory at the Mohammed VI Football Academy.

The encounter remained goalless at half-time, with both teams struggling to convert their attacking opportunities into goals.

The Flamingos eventually broke the deadlock in the closing stages when Oduntan stepped up to convert from the penalty spot, sending the Flamingos ahead with only minutes left to play.

Venezuela attempted to respond, but Nigeria held firm to protect their advantage until the final whistle.

𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗴 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻

An East Carolina Pirates defensive back suffered a fractured leg after an unusual collision with a referee during his team’s 17-9 victory over the Temple Owls in U S, according to BBC Sport on Sunday.

David Coleman Jr was standing on the field alongside his teammates between plays when an official ran towards the area near the 40-yard line.

However, as the referee approached the players from behind, he slipped and slid into Coleman Jr, sending the defender tumbling forward onto the turf.

Coleman Jr remained on the ground for some time before two teammates helped carry him off the field to avoid putting weight on his injured leg.

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