Chidimma Adetshina: Miss South Africa finalist wins Miss Nigeria after citizenship row
Chidimma Adetshina has been crowned Miss Universe Nigeria after a contentious attempt to compete in Miss South Africa last month.
Adetshina, 23, was born to a Nigerian father but has South African citizenship.
However, when she ran for Miss South Africa, she found herself the subject of a national row when some South Africans, including a government minister, opposed her participation because of her roots.
South Africa’s minister of sports, arts and culture Gayton McKenzie posted on X saying: “We truly cannot have Nigerians compete in our Miss SA competition. I wanna get all facts before I comment but it gives funny vibes already.”
In a different post, he said: “South Africans shouldn’t be shamed and accused simply because they are asking needed questions of the lady that wants to represent them as Miss South Africa.”
The nation’s home affairs department became involved after Miss South Africa organisers asked them to investigate Adetshina’s nationality.
They discovered her mother “may have” committed “fraud and identity theft” but “Adetshina could not have participated in the alleged unlawful actions of her mother, as she was an infant at the time”.
Chidimma Adetshina. Pic: chichi_vanessa/Instagram
The department also said it was looking into whether the allegations could impact Adetshina’s citizenship status.
A day later, Adetshina pulled out of the contest for the “safety and wellbeing” of herself and her family.
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Becoming Miss Universe Nigeria
But it wasn’t the end of the road for Adetshina’s dreams of representing a country.
The organisers of Miss Universe Nigeria had been “closely following” the controversy and invited her to participate in their contest, saying she could “represent her father’s native land on the international stage”.
“We believe you would be an outstanding contender,” said the invitation.
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After winning the contest on Saturday, an elated Adetshina told the audience: “This crown is not just a crown of beauty, it is going to unite us as one.
“I am really proud and grateful that I am going to represent Nigeria at the Miss Universe, and I know we are going to win,” she said.
She will now represent Nigeria at November’s Miss Universe competition in Mexico.
“Super high-IQ revolutionaries” who are willing to work 80+ hours a week are being urged to join Elon Musk’s new cost-cutting department in Donald Trump’s incoming US government.
The X and Tesla owner will co-lead the Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
And in a post on X, the official DOGE account put out a call to arms for people to sign up and help “dismantle government bureaucracy”.
The post said: “We are very grateful to the thousands of Americans who have expressed interest in helping us at DOGE.
“We don’t need more part-time idea generators.
“We need super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ hours per week on unglamorous cost-cutting.
“If that’s you, DM this account with your CV. Elon & Vivek will review the top 1% of applicants.”
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Elon Musk speaking at an event held at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. Pic: AP Photo/Alex Brandon
In a reply to an interested party, Mr Musk suggested the lucky applicants would be working for free.
“Indeed, this will be tedious work, make lost of enemies & compensation is zero,” the world’s richest man wrote.
“What a great deal!”
When announcing the new department, President-elect Donald Trump said Mr Musk and Mr Ramaswamy “will pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies”.
Mr Musk has previously made clear his desire to see cuts to “government waste” and in a post on his X platform suggested he could axe as many as three-quarters of the more than 400 federal departments in the US, writing: “99 is enough.”
At least 10 people have been killed after a fire broke out at a retirement home in northern Spain in the early hours of this morning, officials have said.
A further two people were seriously injured in the blaze at the residence in the town of Villafranca de Ebro in Zaragoza, according to the Spanish news website Diario Sur.
Two people remain in a critical condition following the blaze. Pic: AP
They remain in a critical condition, while several others received treatment for smoke inhalation.
Firefighters were alerted to the blaze at the residence – the Jardines de Villafranca – at 5am (4am UK time) on Friday.
Several residents were treated for smoke inhalation. Pic: AP
Those who were killed in the fire died from smoke inhalation, Spanish newspaper Heraldo reported.
The residence is home to 82 elderly residents.
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The blaze started in one of the rooms, Fernando Beltran, the national government’s top official in the region, told reporters.
All of the victims were elderly residents, he added.
Relatives wait for news outside the care home. Pic: AP
Fire crews, paramedics and police officers remain on site, said a spokesperson for the regional government of Aragon who confirmed the fatalities.
It took firefighters several hours to extinguish the blaze, they said.
The cause of the fire is unknown and is being investigated.
At least 10 people have been killed after a fire broke out at a retirement home in northern Spain in the early hours of this morning, officials have said.
A further two people were seriously injured in the blaze at the residence in the town of Villafranca de Ebro in Zaragoza, according to the Spanish news website Diario Sur.
Two people remain in a critical condition following the blaze. Pic: AP
They remain in a critical condition, while several others received treatment for smoke inhalation.
Firefighters were alerted to the blaze at the residence – the Jardines de Villafranca – at 5am (4am UK time) on Friday.
Several residents were treated for smoke inhalation. Pic: AP
Those who were killed in the fire died from smoke inhalation, Spanish newspaper Heraldo reported.
The residence is home to 82 elderly residents.
Read more from Sky News:
Mass displacement in Gaza – people unsure where to go
Donald Trump picks vaccine sceptic as health secretary
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
The blaze started in one of the rooms, Fernando Beltran, the national government’s top official in the region, told reporters.
All of the victims were elderly residents, he added.
Relatives wait for news outside the care home. Pic: AP
Fire crews, paramedics and police officers remain on site, said a spokesperson for the regional government of Aragon who confirmed the fatalities.
It took firefighters several hours to extinguish the blaze, they said.
The cause of the fire is unknown and is being investigated.
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