These are the stories that drove conversation today.

The Association of Residents Doctors, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, says its members will donate 100 pints of blood as contribution to the development of the community and patients care.

The association’s President, Dr Ajibola Salami made this known during a blood donation exercise by the doctors in LASUTH, held on Friday in Lagos.

The exercise was part of activities lined up for the association’s 2018 Scientific Conference and Annual General Meeting with the theme: “A Healthier Nigeria: Roads and Road Blocks.’’

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There is a report by Premium Times that says that a terrorist group is gradually gaining prominence in Tangaza Local Government Area, Sokoto.

The group, the report states, possess sophisticated weapons and are applying ‘strange laws’ and punishing defaulters, in the area which they have taken control of.

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Less than three months to the 2019 general elections, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, (APGA) has been broken into three factions.

A new faction, the Authentic APGA addressed a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday.

Addressing newsmen Thursday, Jerry Obasi and Abdullahi Musa, National Chairman and Secretary, respectively of the Authentic APGA accused the Honourable Victor Oye-led National Working Committee of impunity, lack of transparency and mismanagement of the party finances.

They also accused the Anambra governor and chairman of the APGA Board of Trustees, Willie Obiano of anti-party activity over his recent adoption of All Progressives Congress (APC), presidential candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari as the opposition party candidate at a public function.

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The Nigerian police Friday, said that 104 bandits have been killed in a special anti-rustling operation conducted in Zamfara on Thursday.

The police said 50 hideouts of the bandits were also destroyed and hundreds of stolen cattle and sheep recovered and handed to the owners.

One police officer was killed during the operation in Birnin Mogaji, Zurmi Local Government Area, police spokesperson Jimoh Moshood said in a statement.

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President Muhammadu Buhari will leave for Katowice, Poland, to attend the 24th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP24) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) December 2-4, 2018.

A statement issued by Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity) in Abuja on Friday, explained that the COP24 Summit, which will be held at the International Conference Centre (MCK) and the adjacent Spodek Arena in Katowice, is being convened under the Presidency of Poland.

It pointed out that the conference is expected to finalise the rules for the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change under the Paris Agreement Work Programme (PAWP) – the rule book for implementation.

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And stories from around the world…

Ukraine has banned Russian men aged between 16 and 60 from entering the country.

The move comes amid rising tensions after Russian border guards opened fire on and captured three Ukrainian vessels and 24 crew on Sunday, prompting Ukraine to institute martial law in 10 regions to prevent what it described as a possible land invasion by Russia.

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U.S. President Donald Trump has defended the business dealings he had with Russia before becoming president, again calling current investigations a “witch hunt”.

On Thursday his ex-lawyer admitted lying to Congress about a property deal Trump was planning in Moscow.

In a series of tweets, Trump said the deals were “very legal”, he put up “zero money” and abandoned the project.

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Medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) says there have been too many “horrific episodes of sexual violence” against women and girls over the past 10 days in northern South Sudan.

MSF has given “emergency medical and psycho-social support to 125 women and girls who were raped, robbed and beaten in Rubkona County”, it said in a statement.

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The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has published its preliminary lists of nominees for the 2018 African men’s and women’s Player of the Year awards.

Thirty-four names have been revealed for the men’s category, with eight of the nominees playing in the English Premier League.

Last year’s winner, Egypt forward Mohamed Salah is joined on the list by his two Liverpool team-mates Sadio Mane of Senegal and Guinea international Naby Keita.

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Zimbabwe‘s President Emmerson Mnangagwa is expected to break ground for the building of a new parliament, the information ministry has tweeted.

The building which is to be located on farmland north-west of the capital, Harare, will have a total floor area of 33,000 square metres.

The project will cost $46 million (£36 million), news site Quartz reported in 2016.