New father, Ryan Shelton and Georgina Aldridge, 44, got together while he and his girlfriend Jess were living at her parents’ home in Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire.
Jess Aldridge, 24, (middle) with her boyfriend, Ryan Shelton, 29, (right) and Jess’s mother Georgina, 44, who Ryan has run off
Georgina, a grandmother-of-six said ‘these things happen’ when she was confronted over the affair behind daughter Jess’s back.
The pair are now staying at Georgina’s sister’s semi-detached home 30 miles away in Oxfordshire until they move into their new property at the end of the month.
Georgina Aldridge (left) and her daughter’s ex-boyfriend Ryan Shelton (right) have been pictured at their love nest 30 miles away from the family home a week after affair was revealed.
Ryan and Jess moved in with Georgina and her husband, Eric, to the family home to form a support bubble during the pandemic as Jess was preparing to have their baby.
Within weeks of moving in, Ryan had begun an affair with the grandmother-of-six who he left Jess for two days after Jess came home with his newborn son, Reuben, Mail Online reported.
According to The Sun, Mrs. Aldridge sent her daughter a series of text messages outlining the beginning of her new relationship with her grandchild’s father.
Mrs. Aldridge wrote: ‘If you want the truth Ryan has been trying for three years and I gave in the last six months.
‘He shows me [your texts] every day and tells me everything.’
‘We are so close you wouldn’t even know. I know the ins and outs of him daily.’
Commenting on her mother’s betrayal, Jess Aldridge said: ‘It’s a horrible thing mum has done. Ryan has cheated on me at least three times before.
‘It’s hilarious that they think they’ve got this strong relationship. She’s welcome to him.’
Mr. Shelton, who works as a car parts salesman, said: ‘I don’t care what everyone thinks, I am in love with Georgina and I don’t care who knows about it.
‘Other people’s opinions don’t bother me at all. I know what’s happened.
‘There are two sides to every story and I know the truth behind all this. Not everyone will like what’s happened but it’s none of their business.’
Jess welcomed her son Reuben into the world via C- section at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital on January 28 before he left her for her mother, 44.
Emma Aldridge, Ms. Georgina’s sister said: ‘Dad is grieving. He’s not dealing with it at all well. We all feel completely betrayed by mum, especially my dad.
‘She’s always been his rock and he isn’t coping well without her. I’m really worried about him.
‘I’m disgusted by what mum has done. It’s pulling the whole family apart. How could she do this? She’s betrayed us.’
The 14th edition of the Headies Awards took place at the Eko Hotel and Suites on Sunday, February 21, but had limited attendees due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The red carpet began at 5pm while the main event commenced at 8 pm
Fireboy DML was the biggest winner of the night after he clinched five awards to equal the records of Wande Coal and Psquare (Paul & Peter Okoye) for the most wins in one night.
The singer clinched the BEST R&B ALBUM with LAUGHTER, TEARS, AND GOOSEBUMPS. He also won the ‘Best POP Album’ with his second album titled APOLLO.
Fireboy clinched the BEST R&B SINGLE award with his song titled Tatoo, and later appeared on stage again to claim the HEADIES REVELATION awards.
For his last award, the singer won the Album of The Year award.
The event was hosted by TV personality, Nancy Isime and comedian, Bovi.
See the full list of winners below; (Winners are higlighted)
BEST RECORDING OF THE YEAR
A non-voting category for the best recording (that meets the judges’ requirements of excellence; songwriting, production, rendition) by an artiste or group in the year under review.
OZYMANDIAS – BRYMO SMILE – WIZKID FEAT. HER WONDERFUL – BURNA BOY DREAMER – FIREBOY DML GHOST TOWN – WURLD
BEST POP SINGLE
A voting category for the best pop single in year under review (by single individual or group).
BILLIONAIRE – TENI NOBODY – DJ NEPTUNE FEAT. JOEBOY & MR. EAZI. LADY – REMA FEM – DAVIDO JORO – WIZKID SKELETUN – TEKNO
SONG OF THE YEAR
A voting category for the most popular song in the year under review.
FEM – DAVIDO NOBODY – DJ NEPTUNE FEAT. JOEBOY & MR. EAZI JORO – WIZKID MAFO – NAIRA MARLEY DUDUKE – SIMI
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
An individual responsible for producing the most acclaimed song or album in the year under review.
PHEELZ – ‘BILLIONAIRE’ BY TENI SPAX – ‘AWAY’ BY OXLADE KEL P – ‘PULL UP’ BY BURNA BOY SARZ – ‘MAD’ BY SARZ & WURLD
BEST RAP ALBUM
A non-voting category for the best album by a rap artiste or group in year under review.
GOD’S ENGINEERING – AQ ILLY CHAPO X – ILLBLISS YPSZN2 – PSYCHO YP CULT! – PAYBAC IBORO THE ERIGMA II – ERIGGA
BEST R&B ALBUM
A category for the best r&b album in the year under review (by single individual or group).
1. LAUGHTER, TEARS AND GOOSEBUMPS – FIREBOY DML
2. I LIKE GIRLS WITH TROBUL – SARZ & WURLD
3. KING – PRAIZ
4. BOO OF THE BOOLESS – CHIKE
5. CELIA – TIWA SAVAGE
BEST ALTERNATIVE ALBUM
A category for the best Alternative album in the year under review (by single individual or group).
YELLOW – BRYMO LUCID – ASA THE LIGHT – BEZ PIONEERS – DRB LASGIDI ROOTS – THE CAVEMEN
BEST POP ALBUM
A category for the best pop album in the year under review (by single individual or group).
APOLLO – FIREBOY DML AFRICAN GIANT – BURNA BOY A GOOD TIME – DAVIDO WOMAN OF STEEL – YEMI ALADE AFRO POP VOL. 1 – ADEKUNLE GOLD
BEST MUSIC VIDEO A voting category for the best conceptualist, best directed and most exciting video in the year under review. This award goes to the video director.
1. ELI – FIREBOY DML BY CLARENCE PETERS
2. 1 MILLI – DAVIDO BY DIRECTOR K
3. SMILE – WIZKID BY MEJI ALABI
4. BILLIONAIRE – TENI BY TG OMORI
5. SHEKERE – YEMI ALADE BY OVIE ETSEYATSE
BEST R&B SINGLE A category for the best r&b single in the year under review (by a single individual or group).
UNDER THE SKY – PRAIZ DUDUKE – SIMI MAD – SARZ & WURLD BAD INFLUENCE – OMAH LAY TATTOO – FIREBOY DML DANGEROUS LOVE – TIWA SAVAGE
BEST COLLABORATION
A voting category for the best r&b, pop or hip-hop collaborative track (including cameos).
KNOW YOU – LADIPOE FEAT. SIMI NOBODY – DJ NEPTUNE FEAT. JOEBOY & MR. EAZI SWEET IN THE MIDDLE – DAVIDO FEAT. NAIRA MARLEY, ZLATAN & WURLD DON’T CALL ME BACK – JOEBOY FEAT. MAYORKUN TOTORI – ID CABASA FEAT. WIZKID & OLAMIDE GET THE INFO – PHYNO FEAT. PHENOM & FALZ
BEST RAP SINGLE
A voting category for a single (released on-air) recording of a rap song.
OGB4IG – REMINISCE SHUT UP – BLAQBONEZ COUNTRY – ILLBLISS GET THE INFO – PHYNO, FALZ & PHENOM BOP DADDY – FALZ FEAT. MS. BANKS
BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE(MALE)
A non-voting category for the single male artiste with the most outstanding vocal performance on a single song or album.
WURLD – GHOST TOWN CHIKE – FORGIVE PRAIZ – UNDER THE SKY COHBAMS – PLENTI NONSO AMADI – WHAT MAKES YOU SURE JOHNNY DRILLE – COUNT ON YOU
BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (FEMALE)
A non-voting category for the single female artiste with most outstanding vocal performances on a single song or album.
SIMI – NO LONGER BENEFICIAL LINDSEY ABUDEI – ONE ON THE OUTSIDE NINIOLA – ADDICTED J-DESS – CHI EFO YEMI ALADE – LAI LAI IMANSE – AJALA
NEXT RATED
This category is a voting category for the most promising act in the year under review.
TEMS OMAH LAY OXLADE BELLA SHMURDA
HEADIES REVELATION
A voting category for the best new artiste with a debut album adjudged to be outstanding in terms of artistic quality and impact within the year under review.
VICTOR AD FIREBOY DML JOEBOY TENI REMA CHIKE
LYRICIST ON THE ROLL
A non-voting category for the rap artiste with the best lyrical depth and performance on a single song or album.
AQ – EUNICE BLAQBONEZ – DEFINE RAP 2 MI ABAGA – TRINITY ILLBLISS – COUNTRY PHENOM – GET THE INFO PHYNO – SPEAK LIFE
BEST STREET-HOP ARTISTE
A voting category for the artiste whose songs are inspired by the streets. Such song should captain lingua, which may also be originated by the artiste and popular on the street.
BEST ‘ALTERNATIVE’ SONG A voting category for the artiste whose songs reflect any form or style of music which falls outside the mainstream of recent or past popular musical trends.
CORNER – LADY DONLY FEAT. VANJESS & THE CAVEMEN I WONDER – MOELOGO BITTER – DEENA ADE ANITA – THE CAVEMEN MONEY DEVOTION – GBASKY GOD SAVE THE QUEEN – OLU
ALBUM OF THE YEAR A voting category for the best album (solo or group) in year under review, that meets judges’ requirements of excellence (songwriting, production, rendition and impact).
AFRICAN GIANT – BURNA BOY APOLLO – FIREBOY DML AFRO POP VOL. 1 – ADEKUNLE GOLD YELLOW – BRYMO BOO OF THE BOOLESS – CHIKE
ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
Most critically and commercially adjudged artiste in the year under review. Overall most successful artiste in the year under review.
BURNA BOY DAVIDO WIZKID MAYORKUN TIWA SAVAGE
AFRICAN ARTISTE RECOGNITION
A non-Nigerian award category for an individual African artiste or group with the most outstanding achievement, impact and infiltration into the Nigerian music scene in the year under review.
MASTER KG KUAMI EUGENE SAUTI SOL SHAATA WALE STONEBWOY
HEADIES’ VIEWER’S CHOICE A voting category to award the fan’s favorite artiste with the most digital tractions (downloads, views, streams) in the year under review.
DAVIDO OMAH LAY BURNA BOY FALZ FIREBOY DML MAYORKUN DJ NEPTUNE
WIZKID
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: A voting category for the rookie of the year who has had a successful year musically, with the absence of an album in the year under review.
OLAKIRA ALPHA P JAMOPYPER ZINOLEESKY BAD BOY TIMZ
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR:
A non-voting category for the writer of a song (that meets the judges’ requirements of excellence, composition, arrangement, rendition) in the year under review.
SIMISOLA BOLATITO OGUNLEYE (SIMI – DUDUKE)
ADEDAMOLA ADEFOLAHAN (FIREBOY DML – DREAMER) DAMINI OGULU (BURNA BOY – WAY TOO BIG) STANLEY OMAH DIDIA (OMAH LAY – BAD INFLUENCE) SADIQ ONIFADE (WURLD – GHOST TOWN ADEKUNLE KOSOKO (1 MILLION – DAVIDO)
SPECIAL RECOGNITION: A special recognition to an individual(s) for excellence and outstanding impact to the entertainment industry.
EEDRIS ABDULKAREEM
TIMAYA
HALL OF FAME: A special recognition to an individual for excellence and outstanding impact to the entertainment industry.
Family members of embattled preacher, Prophet Shepherd Bushiri who few months ago fled South Africa where he is facing charges of theft, money laundering, and fraud in connection with an alleged R100 million investment scheme with his wife Mary, have been barred from leaving his home country, Malawi.
Bushiri’s family were allegedly stopped from leaving Malawi for Kenya at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA). eNCA reported that Prophet Bushiri’s two daughters, Raphaella and Israella together with his mother-in-law, Magdalena Zgambo, and another family member, Esther Bushiri were turned away at Kamuzu International airport by Malawian authorities on their way to Kenya.
While one of Bushiri’s lawyers maintained that one of the preacher’s daughters requires urgent medical attention in Kenya, the police stormed the Enlightened Christian Gathering Church (ECG) home after the debacle.
The preacher and his wife who were not found at home, later claimed that they were at a hospital.
Meanwhile, South Africa has since filed extradition papers to try and get the fugitive couple back to South Africa to stand trial for their fraud case.
North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un’s wife has made her first appearance in more than a year after she withdrew from the public eye throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
Ri Sol-ju was pictured with her husband on Tuesday February 16, at a concert to mark the birthday of Mr. Kim’s late father and the country’s former leader Kim Jong-il, known as the Day of the Shining Star in North Korea.
She made the appearance amid growing concern among international media over her wellbeing, with speculation that she may have been pregnant.
Mrs. Sol-ju had not been seen in public since January 2020, when she attended a Lunar New Year event with her husband.
But on Tuesday, the couple were pictured smiling and laughing without observing social distancing or wearing face masks like everyone else at the event which took place at the Mansudae Art Theatre in Pyongyang.
According to the Korean Central News Agency, the two were welcomed with thunderous cheers and music at the concert hall, and their photographs from the event were splashed on the front pages of state-run newspapers.
Authorities in China have banned BBC World News from broadcasting in the country.
The news follows a move by Britain’s communications regulator to strip the state-run China Global Television Network (CGTN) of its broadcast license in the U.K. last week. The CGTN was also found in breach of British broadcasting regulations last year, for airing the footage of UK citizen, Peter Humphrey ‘confessing to a criminal offence’ after he was allegedly forced to do so.
According to the state news agency Xinhua, China’s National Radio and Television Administration said BBC World News “was found to have seriously violated regulations on radio and television management and on overseas satellite television channel management in its China-related reports which went against the requirements that news reporting must be true and impartial, and undermined China’s national interests and ethnic solidarity.”
Xinhua quoted a statement from the regulator: “As the channel fails to meet the requirements to broadcast in China as an overseas channel, BBC World News is not allowed to continue its service within Chinese territory. The NRTA will not accept the channel’s broadcast application for the new year.”
U.K. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called the move “unacceptable.”
“China’s decision to ban BBC World News in mainland China is an unacceptable curtailing of media freedom,” Raab tweeted. “China has some of the most severe restrictions on media & internet freedoms across the globe, & this latest step will only damage China’s reputation in the eyes of the world.””
The BBC said it was disappointed with the decision by Chinese authorities.
“The BBC is the world’s most trusted international news broadcaster and reports on stories from around the world fairly, impartially and without fear or favour,” it said in a statement.
Yasmin Qureshi, a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China UK, said “The decision to ban the BBC from airing in China is yet another example of the intolerance that the Chinese government has towards those who reveal the truth about its authoritarian rule.”
Billionaire Amazon owner, Jeff Bezos has reclaimed his title of world’s richest person, ending Elon Musk’s six-week reign on top of the list.
Musk lost about $4.5 billion on Tuesday after Tesla (TSLA) shares fell 2.4%, taking him to second place on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index ranking.
Bezos’ net worth also fell by about $372 million but that was enough to take him to top spot, a position he has held for about three years.
As at Wednesday, February 17, the Bloomberg Billionaire’s index currently says Bezos is worth $191 billion compared to Musk’s $190 billion.
Musk’s surge to first place happened in early January, when the 170 million shares of Tesla he already owns.
Amazon CEO Bezos’s stake in the company increased by $75 billion in 2020, to $173.3 billion, given the huge increase in sales driven by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Bill Gates remains at the world’s third-richest person with $137 billion of worth.
Armed bandits have razed the building of the Holy Family Catholic Church and two homes in Kikwari village, Kajuru Local Government Area.
The State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday February 21,
said locals fled the area on receiving information that some bandits were sighted outside the village.
“On getting to the location, the armed bandits set ablaze the place of worship and the two houses,” the commissioner stated.
Receiving the report, Governor El-Rufai commisserated with the community, and condemned the setting ablaze of the place of worship and two houses by armed bandits.
The Governor empathized with the church and assured them that the government under his watch would continue to work hard in the fight against banditry and other crimes.
He charged worshippers to remain strong in their faith and devotion, and see it as an act perpetrated by enemies of peace, humanity and diversity who will not succeed but will be defeated by the grace of God.
The Governor directed the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency to urgently assess the damage done and take appropriate action.
On the other side..
Governor Abubakar Sani Bello has announced the release of the abducted 21 passengers of Niger State Mass Transit bus.
He announced their release on Twitter on Sunday, February 21.
The 21 passengers were abducted by the bandits, while traveling from Kontagora to Minna on 14 February. On 17 February, the RPG wielding bandits released video and photos of the captives, threatening to kill them.
Governor Bello did not indicate whether a ransom was paid to get the captives released.
”We are pleased to announce to the general public the release of the NSTA passengers abducted a week ago while returning to Minna along the Minna-Zungeru road.”his tweet read
The immediate past governor of Imo state, Senator Rochas Okorocha, has been arrested by the police after he led a team of his supporters to reopen the Royal Palm Estate sealed by the state Government.
Okorocha who was accompanied by his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, broke the keys used to seal the hotel which belongs to his wife, Nkechi.
The state government had last Friday, February 19, recovered the Royal Palm Estate along Akachi road.
The seizure, according to the team led by Commissioner for Lands, Enyinnaya Onuegbu, was in compliance with the directive of the Imo State gazette on the report of the Judicial Commission of Enquiry on the recovery of Lands and other related matters.
Okorocha is currently being detained at the state police headquarters. Police sources say he will be charged to court tomorrow February 22.
Watch a video of the Okorocha being arrested below:
Many persons have been injured and several cars have been destroyed following a clash between supporters of former governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, and supporters of the incumbent governor of the state, Hope Uzodinma, at the Royal Spring Royal Spring Palm Hotels and Apartments in Akachi, Owerri on Sunday February 21.
Last Friday, the state Commissioner for Lands, Enyinnaya Onuegbu, led some members of the state task force to confiscate the property said to belong to Nkechi, Okorocha’s wife’s.
This evening, the former governor led some of his staunch supporters to forcefully repossess the hotel. This was resisted by the supporters of the incumbent governor. A fight broke out leading to some of them sustaining varying degrees of injury. Vehicles were also destroyed during the clash.
Okorocha has since been arrested for breach of public peace.
The 14th edition of the Headies award took place at Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos today February 21. Desmond Elliott, Laycon, Iyabo Ojo, Lilian Afegbai, Tobi Bakre, Kim Oprah, Wathoni, and others attended the award ceremony.
Russia has reported the first case of a bird flu strain, H5N8, being passed from poultry to humans.
Russian health officials said seven workers at a poultry plant in the country had been infected following an outbreak there in December 2020 but they are now recovering.
“All seven people… are now feeling well,” Anna Popova head of Russia’s consumer health watchdog said.
She added that adequate measures had been quickly taken to stop the spread of the disease.
After Russia reported the case to the World Health Organization, Ms Popova said there was no sign of transmission between humans.
She praised “the important scientific discovery” by Russia’s Vektor laboratory, which had isolated the strain’s genetic material from the infected workers.
“The discovery of these mutations when the virus has not still acquired an ability to transmit from human to human gives us all, the entire world, time to prepare for possible mutations and react in an adequate and timely fashion,” Ms Popova said.
It is normal for strains of bird flu to occasionally infect humans and have led to deaths – but this is the first report of the H5N8 strain being passed from bird to humans.
A United Airlines flight was forced to return to Denver International Airport to make an emergency landing on Saturday afternoon, Febuary 20th, after the engine caught fire shortly after takeoff, sending aircraft debris on people’s houses in Colorado.
The Boeing 777 which had 241 people on board returned to the airport around 1:30 p.m. after suffering an engine issue. The flight had been bound for Honolulu.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed in a statement that the Boeing 777-200 safely returned to the Denver International Airport after “experiencing a right-engine failure shortly after takeoff.”
“The FAA is aware of reports of debris in the vicinity of the airplane’s flight path,” the statement said.
The flight returned about 20 minutes after the police department in Broomfield, Colorado, said via Twitter that it had received reports that an airplane flying over the Denver suburb had engine trouble and had “dropped debris in several neighborhoods around 1:08 p.m.”
No injuries were reported.
Police said debris landed in Commons Park and the Northmoor and Red Leaf neighborhoods of Broomfield.
Images from the scene showed large pieces of debris lying in the front yards of homes and a soccer field at the local park.
United Airlines told CNN there were 241 people, including 10 crew members, aboard Flight 328. All passengers were safely deplaned and transfered on a new flight.
“United Flight 328 experienced an engine failure and safely returned to Denver. We are in contact with the FAA, NTSB and local law enforcement,” United Airlines said in a statement. “The NTSB is investigating and has directed that any persons with debris from this event contact their local law enforcement agency.”
The union representing United pilots commended the crew of Flight 328 and said Saturday “there is no substitute for experience.”
“We are thankful for the tremendous teamwork shown by the entire flight and cabin crew, and that there were no injuries on the ground or in the air,” the United Master Executive Council of the Air Line Pilots Association, International told CNN in a statement.
According to air traffic control communications with Flight 328, the pilots were heard issuing a mayday call, telling air traffic controllers “we’ve experienced engine failure” as it caught fire.
“NTSB has opened an investigation into the Feb. 20, 2021, engine event on a United 777. Denver-based NTSB investigators are responding,” NTSB public affairs officerPeter Knudson said in a statement.
A military aircraft has crashed in Abuja. The photos of the pilot and co-pilot can be found below:
co- Pilot
Pilot
The aircraft, King Air 350 en-route to Minna crashed at Bassa Airport Village on Sunday morning, February 21, after reporting engine failure
Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika confirmed the crash in a tweet and said it “appears to be fatal”.
The Minister also urged Nigerians to be calm and wait for the outcome of an investigation by the military.
He wrote: “A military aircraft King Air 350 has just crashed short of our Abuja runway after reporting engine failure enroute Minna. It appears to be fatal. We should remain calm & wait for the outcome of investigation by the military, while we pray for the departed soul/souls if any.”
Video shared online shows firefighters battling the blaze from the crash scene. There are also unconfirmed reports that there is no survivor.
The Nigerian Air Force has confirmed the death of seven personnel after one of its military aircraft crashed in Abuja.
The military aircraft, Beechcraft KingAir B350i crashed at Bassa Airport Village on Sunday morning, February 21, after reporting engine failure.
Air Vice–Marshal Ibikunle Daramola, NAF Director of public relation and information, said in a statement that the aircraft crashed while returning to the Abuja Airport after reporting engine failure en route Minna.
He also said all the 7 personnel on board sadly died in the crash
The Air Vice-Marshal also confirmed that the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), AVM Oladayo Amao, has ordered an immediate investigation into the crash.
He wrote: “This is to confirm that a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Beechcraft KingAir B350i aircraft crashed while returning to the Abuja Airport after reporting engine failure enroute Minna. First responders are at the scene. Sadly, all 7 personnel on board died in the crash.”
“The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), @CAS_IOAmao, has ordered an immediate investigation into the incident. While urging the general public to remain calm & await the outcome of investigation, the CAS, on behalf of all NAF personnel, commiserates with the families of the deceased.”
Jasmine Harrison, 21, from the UK, has become the youngest female to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean after completing a 3,000-mile (4,800-kilometer) journey from Spain to Antigua.
Harrison completed the 2020 Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge on Saturday, February 20, in 70 days, 3 hours and 48 minutes — a new world record for the youngest female to row solo across any ocean, organizer, Atlantic Campaigns said.
Along the way, she had a “near collision with a drilling ship, two capsizes, lots of peanut butter and Nutella consumed,” Harrison posted on Twitter.
Harrison wrote on her website that she was inspired to take part in the challenge when she saw the 2018 race finish while teaching swimming in the Caribbean.
“It wasn’t just watching and holding the flares at Nelson’s Dockyard for a race finish that inspired me, it was also talking to a family member of a lad that had just completed who told me just how much of an amazing thing it was. I didn’t say ‘not a chance I would do that,’ it was more a fact of why not do it?” she wrote.
She wrote on her Facebook page that she hopes “to bring inspiration to young people that it is okay to go at things alone,” according to her Facebook page.
Tennis star, Novak Djokovic, beat fourth-ranked Daniil Medvedev on Sunday, February 21, to win his 18th career Grand Slam title.
Djokovic ranked No. 1 in the world, defeated Medvedev of Russia, 7-6, 6-2, 6-2, in the Australian Open men’s singles final .
The first test came early for Medvedev, after Djokovic broke him in his first service game and cruised to a 3-0 lead.
But a game later, Medvedev outclassed Djokovic on a 28-shot rally that had both players moving from sideline to sideline to get his first chance to break Djokovic’s serve.
Minutes later it was 3-3.
Medvedev Serving at 5-6 and down a point, he sent a forehand wide with Djokovic pushing to the net, and caught a bad break ticked the top of the net cord and gave Djokovic a sitter for an easy passing shot.
After prevailing in the first set, Djokovic lost his serve in the next game, but broke Medvedev three times in the second set.
On match point, Djokovic rose for a lob, stretched and whipped one last winner past Medvedev.
Knowing he had won, he collapsed on the court but rose quickly, pumping his arms at his box and the crowd.
In Djokovic’s extra-ordinary career he has made nine Australian Open finals and won each time, including in the last three years.
With this win, Djokovic is now just two behind Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the race to achieve the most major men’s singles titles in a career.
Brazilian football legend, Ronaldinho’s mother reportedly passed away after testing positive for Covid-19.
Dona Miguelina, aged 71, was hospitalised after testing positive for the virus in December 2020, in their home city of Porto Alegre.
Ronaldinho’s former club Atletico Mineiro confirmed her death on Twitter on Sunday, February 21, with a message of condolence.
“It is with great sadness that Clube Atlético Mineiro receives the news of the death of Doña Miguelina, mother of Ronaldinho Gaúcho,” read the club statement.
“The Atleticana Family is in mourning and shares the moment of pain with their idol. May God receive you with open arms and comfort the heart of our eternal ace.
Ronaldinho is yet to make an official statement over the reported death of his mother.
In December, the former, Barcelona and AC Milan playmaker confirmed his mother’s condition on social media.
“Dear friends, my mother has COVID and we are in the fight for her to recover soon,” Ronaldinho posted on Twitter on December 21.
“She is in the intensive care center, receiving all the care. I thank you in advance for your prayers, positive energies, and affection. Mother strength.”
The 40-year-old had a close relationship with his mother, who always accompanied him throughout his career. In 2005, he dedicated his Ballon d’Or award to her.
A new father has abandoned his newborn child and girlfriend, and ran off with his girlfriend’s 44-year-old mother instead.
24-year-old JessAldridge told The Sun that she was shocked to find out that her boyfriend and baby daddy was having an affair with her own mother. She revealed that she was betrayed by her partner Ryan Shelton, 29, while she was heavily pregnant and they lived in a support bubble with mum Georgina and her husband Eric.
Within weeks of their moving in, the gran-of-six began flirting with Ryan. And, by the time Jess came home with newborn Reuben, they had run off together and moved into a new home 30 miles away.
Jess said;
“We were stuck together for months in the house during lockdown. It was so hard, especially as Ryan and mum were always being so flirty. I felt so uncomfortable, it was a horrible experience.”
It was further learnt that Ryan Shelton sent a text to Jess hours after she had given birth to their son, telling her he was ending their relationship.
She added;
“You expect a new grandmother to fall in love with the baby — not the father.
“She is meant to be a granny to my two children and helping me look after them but instead she’s off shagging my boyfriend.”
When Jess confronted her mum, she shrugged and said;
“We can’t help who we fall in love with.”
Jess had been with car parts salesman Ryan for three years after meeting online. She gave up working as a housekeeper at a Premier Inn in Chipping Norton, Oxon, before having their first child Georgiana in September 2019.
Recounting how Ryan broke up with her after the birth of their son, she said;
“Ryan had seen baby Reuben for only a few minutes after he was born and then 10 minutes the day afterwards as he was moving all his stuff.
“They were in such a rush. He had even had my mum waiting for him with the car packed in the car park.”
The new lovers have gone public with their relationship on Facebook, leaving friends and family stunned with the act. Jess who has now returned to the two-bed rented home she used to share with Ryan in Willersey, said;
“They’ve just been so selfish. I’m horrified.
“How am I supposed to explain to everyone that the kids’ dad and their gran are in a relationship?
“Some of our friends saw his new relationship status on Facebook and were stunned.
“I’ve had lots of messages asking what happened and if I’m OK.
“Last Valentine’s Day Ryan was really romantic and bought me a litre bottle of Gordon’s pink gin, a box of Cadbury’s Milk Tray and a card.
“But this year he’s left me and our children and gone off with my mum. I’ve been put off men for a long time. I’m not looking for a boyfriend any time soon.”
WordPress caching can be complicated and some might even call it boring. Trying to explain the details of such a complex technology might take a full book. However, we can break down the idea of caching by comparing it to a simple math problem. What’s 10 times 2? Most people can immediately tell you the answer is 20. Why is that? They’ve memorized the answer. In fact, there’s probably a minimal amount of calculation going on their head. This type of memorization comparison is definitely simplifying website caching, but it helps us visualize how the process works and why you might need a WordPress caching plugin.
Your website may be viewed dozens of times each month. Maybe you see even higher numbers, in the hundreds, thousands, or millions. Seeing as how your website is most likely serving up the same, or similar, content on a regular basis, wouldn’t it be nice if the server could remember those files to serve up your website every time?
Caching Explained
In short, every webpage visited on your site requires a request to the server, processing by that server (including database queries), then a final result sent from the server to the user’s browser. The result is your website, complete with all of the files and elements that make it look the way it does. For instance, you might have a header, images, a menu, and a blog. Since the server has to process all of those requests, it takes some time for the complete webpage to be delivered to the user–especially with clunky or larger websites.
That’s where a WordPress caching plugin comes into play! The caching plugin instructs the server to store some files to disk or RAM, depending on the configuration. Therefore, it can remember and duplicate the same content it’s been serving in the past. As a result, your web pages load much faster, directly from cache. Basically, caching reduces the amount of work required to generate a pageview.
When Do You Need a WordPress Caching Plugin?
We talked a bit about speed, but do you always need a WordPress caching plugin? And what are some of the other benefits of caching?
Those are some excellent questions, and for those of you managing your own servers or are on shared hosting, a caching plugin usually makes perfect sense.
Disadvantages of Caching Plugins
However, sometimes you don’t need a caching plugin at all. If you decide on a managed WordPress host like Kinsta, we take care of caching for you. Caching is done at the server-level, and in most cases, in a much faster manner. Compared to a plugin, the server-level caching requires no expertise, no tweaking dozens of settings trying to achieve the fastest speeds; it’s simply fast all the time!
An instant 37% reduction in the loading time after moving @WPColt to @kinsta! (NO CACHING PLUGINS) 🚀🚀🚀
We don’t allow most caching plugins on our platform as they deteriorate performance. There are a lot of things that can simply go wrong with caching plugins unless you know what you’re doing.
You Always Need Some Type of Caching
Regardless of whether you have server-level caching or go with a plugin, you’ll always need caching in some form. So, what are some of the other benefits of caching?
You speed up your website for users – We already covered this, but it’s nice to mention again since it’s the primary advantage.
You improve your overall user-experience – Since the website moves faster for users they are now more likely to browse around. Faster websites are known for decreasing bounce rates, since people are not interested in waiting around for a page to load for 10 seconds.
Your server uses fewer resources – This ties into speed, since the fewer resources make for a faster site. However, it also puts less of a strain on your server. This is very important when it comes to highly dynamic sites, such as membership sites, and determining what you can and cannot serve from cache.
You may see a boost in search engine optimization – Once again, this relates to the speed and user experience, but with all of those areas improving you’re able to show Google and other search engines that your website is worth indexing at a higher ranking. Basically, a fast website + a great UX = SEO improvement.
You’ll see lower TTFB – Caching is one of the easiest ways to lower your TTFB. In fact, in our tests caching typically reduces TTFB by up to 90%! 😮
No Caching vs With Caching
We ran a few speed tests with Kinsta’s server-level caching so you can see the difference it makes, both in terms of overall speed and TTFB.
No Caching Speed Test
We first ran 5 tests on Pingdom without caching enabled and took the average.
As you can see server-level caching decreased our page load time by 23.04%! And that’s without any extra work involved. This site we tested is also fairly optimized, so larger unoptimized sites are bound to see even greater differences.
No Caching TTFB
As we mentioned earlier, it’s also important to note the difference in TTFB without and with caching. TTFB in Pingdom is represented by the yellow “waiting” bar. As you can see the TTFB with no caching is over 200 ms.
High TTFB with no caching
With Caching TTFB
Now if we take a look at the TTFB with caching enabled we can see that it is under 40 ms.
Low TTFB with caching enabled
The Best WordPress Caching Plugins
If you intend on managing your own server or are using shared hosting, these are the caching plugins to try out. Some of them are more intuitive than others, but all of them have great reviews. Many online posts will try to compare the speeds of caching plugins and sell you on the best one. However, this is almost impossible because these plugins are going to perform differently based on your own server, configuration, resources, and even physical location.
Here’s a short list of the top WordPress caching plugins for you to quickly browse through. If you’re interested in learning about the details from each one, keep reading below.
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In our experience, you should try at least two or three WordPress caching plugins and make a decision based on your experience. For instance, you might like the user interfaces from some caching plugins far better than others. Some caching plugins are also stronger when it comes to ease of use.
We suggest running a speed test with a website speed test tool such as Pingdom or GTMetrix after implementing each plugin. Or one of the many other website speed test tools out there. This way, you’re able to see the impact each WordPress caching plugin has on your website’s performance.
We take care of caching on a server level for you so you can spend less time worrying about your website, and more time growing your business.
Important: Remember to run your speed tests multiple times to ensure that it is serving from cache. Whenever you clear cache on your WordPress site, it has to rebuild. Some caching plugins also have the option to “warm” (preload) the cache after it’s cleared.
Caching plugins, besides speeding up your site sometimes can cause issues. There is an error “No update required. Your WordPress database is already up-to-date!” caused by a caching plugin you’re using on your site.
Now, without further ado…keep reading to learn all about the best WordPress caching plugins and what they can do for you.
1. WP Rocket
WP Rocket is a premium WordPress caching plugin with three payment plans offered. You technically only have to pay for a one-time fee, but the support and updates are included if you keep the payments going for every year. That said, caching for one website is listed at $39, with support for three websites at $99 and unlimited websites for $199. Although you can find other free plugins, these are quality rates for one of the most feature-packed caching plugins on the market. There is no free trial or free version of the plugin, but the developers do offer a 14-day money back guarantee.
One of the reasons we like the WP Rocket plugin so much is because of its simple user interface and quick setup. It’s a WordPress caching plugin with the power to make your site blazing fast, but any beginner could sit down and understand most of the settings involved.
It’s also nice that WP Rocket is built to run smoothly with eCommerce websites, seeing as how those are often the types of sites that need the caching speed most. Overall, you might be wondering why you should shell out any money for a WordPress caching plugin when so many other competitors give away caching plugins for free. The reasoning is because WP Rocket has far more features and it’s easier to use.
For instance, WP Super Cache has page caching but no browser caching. WP Rocket has both. Hyper Cache lacks lazyload, something that WP Rocket provides to you. The list goes on, but it’s important to remember that the $39 is a small price to pay for the features provided.
Why is this one of the best WordPress caching plugins?
WP Rocket provides a developer-friendly experience and a dashboard for beginners to feel comfortable. It’s not too often developers have much to play around with inside caching plugins. On the other hand, standard caching plugins sometimes look far too complicated for beginners.
The plugin has an extremely simple setup for all users.
You can lazyload your media with WP Rocket. This means that the images don’t load on your website until the user scrolls over them. So the server doesn’t have to put the work in if it’s not necessary.
WP Rocket integrates with some of the top multilingual plugins on the market.
Multisite compatibility is offered through the plugin.
You can preload cache.
You receive tools for both minification and concatenation.
One unique feature involves the optimization of Google Fonts. I’ve yet to see this on any of the other caching plugins I’ve used.
Support for object caching.
WP Rocket is fully compatible with Kinsta’s server-level caching. So if you want to take advantage of all the optimization features WP Rocket has to offer you can do so.
Check out the official WP Rocket documentation when configuring and testing it on your WordPress site.
2. Cache Enabler
Cache Enabler is a free and open-source caching plugin from our partner KeyCDN, who powers the Kinsta CDN. The disk caching engine is quite fast and reliable, while the WordPress multisite support is an advantage for those with networks of websites. This is a top-notch caching plugin without the price tag. You’re not quite getting the full suite of features that you would from WP Rocket, but it’s a viable alternative for those on a budget.
Its claim to fame is that it’s the first WordPress plugin that helps you serve WebP images without the need for JavaScript. If this sounds like jibberish to you, just know that although JavaScript is a valuable coding language, some situations make it less than desirable for speed. Overall, the Cache Enabler plugin combined with the Optimus, ShortPixel, or EWWW plugin allows you to take advantage of this newer image format. This is great for any online business owner since the majority of websites have many images, especially blogs and eCommerce stores.
Lastly, the Cache Enabler settings are short and sweet, asking for things like the cache expiry and caching behavior preferences behind the scenes. It shouldn’t confuse many people, since the Settings page provides explanations, and there aren’t that many settings to begin with.
Why is this one of the best WordPress caching plugins?
The Cache Enabler plugin offers a unique way to serve up WebP images. To convert your images to WebP format, you can use Optimus, ShortPixel, or EWWW Cloud (we recommend the cloud version for performance).
The user interface is simple and to the point. It’s by far one of the easiest caching plugins to configure. All experience levels should be fine handling this type of WordPress caching plugin.
The actual cache size is displayed on the dashboard to understand how much space the cache is taking up. It’s an efficient and fast caching program with automated and manual options for clearing the cache.
Minification is available for both inline JavaScript and HTML.
Cache Enabler combines with a plugin called Autoptimize to include extra features like injecting CSS into the page head. For the most optimal Autoptimize settings you can follow our detailed setup guide.
The Comet Cache plugin is a reputable and popular solution with both free and paid versions. The paid version starts at $39 and goes all the way up to $139. This a one-time fee, but you can pay additional fees if you’d like extended customer support. Comet Cache has similar features as the previous caching plugins, but one area it excels at is the documentation.
Comet Cache is fairly easy to install and simple to move around the dashboard. However, it beats out the majority of the competition in the documentation department. Even on the regular WordPress plugin page, you’ll find dozens of links and FAQs to guide you and educate you about caching.
A full knowledge base and blog are provided on the Comet Cache website, and you’ll see all sorts of information comparing the free and pro versions. Much of the reason you might upgrade to the pro version is that of its automation. Basically, you’re able to set it and forget it, allowing the caching plugin to do most of the work for you. The free version does most of the same tasks, but some of the time you have to complete those tasks manually. The client-side browser caching comes in handy as well, since you’re essentially double caching, with the server on your end and the browser on the user’s end.
Why is this one of the best WordPress caching plugins?
Comet Cache features a fast configuration and a reasonable backend for setting up your caching within minutes.
Caching can be done on posts, pages, categories, or tags.
The paid version offers automatic and intelligent cache clearing. This way you have the option to set the caching preferences upon installation and forget about them into the future.
RSS feeds can be cached to ensure that none of your content syndication is delayed.
Most of the primary features are given away for free, so you don’t necessarily have to upgrade to the paid version.
The premium version is just about the same as what you would get from WP Rocket, so we’d recommend testing out both to see which one you like the best.
As one of the most popular plugins in the WordPress plugin library, W3 Total Cache is a common WordPress caching plugin shown on these types of roundups. Although we like it for a free solution, it’s far from perfect (and actually it could hurt performance if you’re with Kinsta). The main downside is that the backend settings are often quite plentiful and difficult to understand. The developers do a decent job of completing the right settings for you, but beginners will still find it confusing.
We take care of caching on a server level for you so you can spend less time worrying about your website, and more time growing your business.
That said, W3 Total Cache is a free, open-source WordPress caching plugin with millions of installations. It has the advantage of integrating with a CDN, and it works well for mobile-friendly sites as well as regular desktop ones. The plugin also boasts that it’s a useful companion for websites with SSL certificates, making it an ideal speed solution for eCommerce stores.
Since W3 Total Cache is an open-source plugin you don’t have to pay any money for it. All of the features are includes with the base plugin, with no upgrades suggested along the way. The good news is that the plugin covers you on multiple fronts, like by offering bandwidth savings through minifications, HTTP compression, and feed optimization.
As we mentioned before, it’s not our favorite backend configuration, but that also might just be personal preference. Regardless, a WordPress caching plugin such as W3 Total cache is bound to improve your overall site performance and boost your conversion rates because of that site performance.
Why is this one of the best WordPress caching plugins?
W3 Total Cache is completely free and it provides the majority of caching plugins you’ll need to keep your site fast and highly-optimized.
Although you shouldn’t always follow the crowd, popularity is often an indicator of quality. W3 Total Cache has thousands of great reviews and millions of installations.
The plugin is compatible with all sorts of hosting options such as dedicated servers, shared hosting, and clusters.
Caching is provided for all mobile environments as well. This way, when someone lands on your website while on a mobile device, they still get the same benefits of caching as they would on a desktop
SSL support is provided for when you’re trying to make your online store faster.
The CDN works with the media library so that you’re able to see how well your images are being optimized.
Minification and compression are provided, along with caching of your database, objects on your disk, and posts.
WP Super Cache is yet another example of an open-source caching plugin with millions of installations. Most of the time when you search for a caching plugin you’ll see WP Super Cache and W3 Total Cache on the top of the list. It doesn’t help that they have similar names, but your best bet is to install both of them separately to see which one is your favorite. Some people might be more keen on installing WP Super Cache, simply because it comes from the folks at Automattic.
Anyway, WP Super Cache is free and open-source, with no upgrades needed after the installation. It works efficiently by creating static HTML files and serving those files instead of the heavy WordPress PHP scripts. A benefit of going with WP Super Cache is that it offers three caching modes. One of them is called Simple Mode, which is what the average WordPress user would go with since it’s the least risky. However, one of the modes is called Expert Mode, where you’re able to super cache your files with some modifications to the .htaccess file. It’s great for advanced developers who would like more control over the caching process.
As suggested, most users will go with the Simple caching mode. With this configuration, the WP Super Cache Plugin is easy to set up, allowing for the compression of pages, simple caching, cache rebuilding, and CDN support. Not only that, but you’re able to identify known users and not cache the pages for them if needed. The extra homepage checks are also useful for when you’d like to ensure your primary webpage is at its most optimized.
One of the best parts of WP Super Cache is the garbage collecting. In short, your cache directory actually fills up over time and can cause your site to run slower. Therefore, WP Super Cache completes an automated garbage collection process on a regular basis, cleaning out the old files and keeping your site optimized.
Why is this one of the best WordPress caching plugins?
WP Super Cache has the reputation and track record to ensure that it’ll provide excellent caching services for all of your websites, regardless of size.
It’s a free, opensource product from Automattic. So, you know that updates will come out regularly and the plugin is not going away anytime soon.
The backend interface has most of the settings you need filled in already. It’s pretty easy to comprehend and activate, even for beginners.
The plugin uses a process of garbage collecting, where it clears out old files from the cache so that your caching process doesn’t slow down your site in the process.
WP Super Cache has been integrated with a unique CDN setup for a better distribution of your files.
You have three caching modes to choose from, from Simple to Supercaching. This opens up opportunities for all skill levels, since the Simple cache is best for regular users, and the Supercache mode allows for advanced users to really speed up their sites.
The plugin has a unique feature called Cache Rebuilding, where the cache on your blog isn’t cleared whenever a comment is posted. Instead, it rebuilds the cache and serves up the old page to other users.
Unfortunately, they don’t have any official documentation, although they do have a lot of information on their repository page. ShoutMeLoud also has a great tutorial on how to configure WP Super Cache on your WordPress site.
6. WP Fastest Cache
As you can see, many of these WordPress caching plugins have names that are far too similar. WP Fastest Cache is no different, but it does have some unique features that make it a respectable caching plugin for all websites (if you’re hosting your site at Kinsta, we noticed this plugin can deteriorate performance, hence it’s not recommended). All users download the free version to start the process, but a premium plugin is available that can only be purchased in the WP Fastest Cache settings module.
The premium plugin only requires a one-time fee and offers a wide range of tools not provided in the free version. That said, most sites will be happy with what the free plugin offers. For instance, the free version of WP Fastest Cache has desktop caching, minification of HTML, and combination options for JavaScript and CSS.
Browser caching and GZIP tools are also provided in the free version. Overall, WP Fastest Cache has been known to speed up your website and improve its performance when compared to a site without any caching plugin at all. The Settings page is pretty much a list of checkboxes. We’d argue it’s one of the easier Settings pages to walk through since it provides information boxes to explain what each of the settings does. You can also jump to different tabs for managing items like cache timeouts, image optimization, and the CDN.
Why is this one of the best WordPress caching plugins?
The free version is useful for most sites, and we’ve found that it typically serves sites faster than much of the competition.
The Settings page is easy to understand, since it’s simply a list of checkboxes with information about each setting.
You can quickly upgrade to the premium version right in the WordPress dashboard. There’s no need to download a plugin from the development website.
You can combine and minify CSS and JavaScript.
CDN integrations are possible without much configuration.
Image optimization is handled separately from caching. So you’re able to see exactly how much space is being saved with one of your biggest resource hogs.
There’s a feature for creating a cache specifically for your mobile theme. You’ll also find an option to not serve a cached version for the desktop to the mobile users.
Unfortunately, they don’t have any official documentation all in one place, but they do have a lot of tutorials on their blog about how to configure WP Fastest Cache on your WordPress site.
7. Hyper Cache
Hyper Cache may be the last caching plugin on our list but it’s no slouch. It’s an excellent solution for you to test out on either a high-end server or a low resource hosting option. The Hyper Cache plugin runs solely on PHP, so no complex configurations are required and you can run the plugin on any type of WordPress blog.
It’s also aware of mobile environments, so the caching still occurs when someone is looking at your site on a phone or tablet. The Hyper Cache plugin is an open-source project, so you don’t have to pay a dime or worry about upgrades in the future. You can, however, support the developer with a donation.
Some of the primary features include a simple and fast installation process, excellent for beginners and regular WordPress users who don’t want to go through a giant list of caching settings. The compression caching does a wonderful job of optimizing your bandwidth and improving your overall page speed. In addition to that, the plugin is meant to work well with bbPress. So, if you’re planning on running a forum it’s a great solution for caching all of the forum pages.
Overall, the Hyper Cache plugin makes its greatest splash with the simplicity of the configuration. It’s somewhat of a “set it and forget it” type plugin, where you shouldn’t have to think about it after the installation. Some of the settings are a little tricky or given strange names, but they all typically have recommendations on what to activate and information on what each setting does for your website.
Why is this one of the best WordPress caching plugins?
The plugin doesn’t have any payment plans at all. It’s a free, open-source plugin with all of the features included upon download.
It’s a mobile aware caching plugin, so the caching occurs on smaller devices as well.
CDN support is provided for tapping into a larger network of servers and speeding up your site even more.
The Hyper Cache plugin delivers options for serving cached pages to users who comment on your blog. This benefits blogs with lots of comments. So, if you have a significant amount of conversation on your blog you still know that your site is going to run fast.
Compression is managed through the plugin, even for non-cached pages.
The plugin detects if a website theme has been switched to a mobile version.
One interesting feature is that the Hyper Cache plugin will move the cache folder away from your blog. This means that when you complete backups for your website the cache folder won’t be included in those backups. It’s basically allowing you to create smaller backup files and save space in the process.
LiteSpeed Cache: An all-in-one site acceleration plugin, featuring an exclusive server-level cache and a collection of optimization features. To take real advantage of this plugin you should use it on a LiteSpeed Web Server.
Summary
The reason for caching your website isn’t that hard to understand. However, the functions behind that caching are often too complicated for the average WordPress user. Therefore, when you go into a caching plugin’s settings you may have no idea how to figure out if it’s any good.
Once again, if you’re working with a managed WordPress host, there’s no need to get a WordPress caching plugin. Your host does the job for you and the caching is completed on the server. However, for those with shared hosting, or any type of hosting where you’re managing it all, caching plugins are essential.
If you’re not interested in handling your own caching (and you’d like a faster website,) consider signing up for a managed WordPress hosting account like Kinsta. If you still plan on managing your own hosting, start at the top of this list and keep working your way down until you find the best interface. After you’ve narrowed down the list to a few of your favorites, run speed tests to figure out which ones actually improve your site’s performance the most.
If you have any questions about WordPress caching plugins, or if you’d like to talk about your own experiences with these plugins, drop a line in the comments section below.
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Porn star, Stormy Daniels has called the alleged sex she had with former president Donald Trump ‘the worst 90 seconds of my life’
Daniels shared the details of what she claims happened while chatting with former Trump fixer, Michael Cohen for his new podcast, which was released on Monday February 8.
Cohen spent time in jail for paying Daniels $130,000 hush money during the 2016 presidential campaign to try and cover up the alleged sex story.
The disgraced lawyer who Trump has branded a liar, apologized to Daniels for causing her ‘needless pain’ by arranging the payment.
Trump is alleged to have had sex with Daniels months after Melania gave birth to their son Barron, who is now 14.
News of the alleged fling hit US tabloids shortly after, then re-emerged after Trump ran for office.
The former president – who met Daniels at a celebrity golf tournament a year after he wed third wife Melania – denies her claims of a fling.
But Daniel still insists it happened. Recalling the alleged sexual encounter, Daniels claimed that an almost-naked Trump sat on the edge of a hotel bed waiting for her.
‘I just froze and I didn’t know what to say.” She said in the Podcast which came out Monday night, February 8.
‘He had stripped down to his underwear and was perched on the edge of the bed doing his best yet horrifyingly disturbing impression of Burt Reynolds.’
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, continued: ‘I went to sidestep and he stood up off the bed and was like “This is your chance.” ‘And I was like “What?” and he was like “You need to show me how bad you want it or do you just want to go back to the trailer park?”‘
Daniels claims she then had sex with the ex-President.
She admitted the sex was consensual and has spoken about the alleged encounter before, telling an earlier interviewer that sex with Trump was ‘textbook generic.’
An elderly American man collapsed and died on Sunday morning shortly after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
The man, who was in his 70s, fell as he left Manhattan’s Jacob Javits Convention Center just 25 minutes after receiving his shot, New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said in a statement.
He was pronounced dead at a local hospital shortly after he was rushed there.
It’s currently unclear if the man’s death is linked to the vaccine, but an investigation is now underway.
‘Initial indications are that the man did not have any allergic reaction to the vaccine,’ Zucker said in his statement.
The man’s sudden collapsing followed a mandatory 15-minute observation period, in which he ‘exhibited no adverse reactions or any distress,’ Zucker added.
The FDNY said the patient was taken to the hospital by Senior Care just before 11 am Sunday, where he died shortly after arriving.
The identity of the man has not yet been revealed by officials. It’s also unclear which type of COVID-19 vaccine he received.
In his statement, Zucker stressed that he and other public health experts believe the vaccine ‘is safe, and together with continued vigilance including wearing a mask and social distancing, it will bring an end to this pandemic.’
‘I encourage all eligible New Yorkers to get vaccinated,’ Zucker continued.
So far, nearly one million people in New York City have been vaccinated, with 1.5 million residents having received their first doses statewide.
In total, nearly 42 million doses have so far been administered in the US.
One dose of a vaccine has been administered to 31,579,100 million people, which equals to 9.6 percent of the population. While over 9,147,000 Americans have now received both doses of a vaccine, amounting to 2.78 percent of the population.
American rapper, Juelz Santana received a huge surprise from his wife, Kimbella Vanderhee, on his 39th birthday.
Santana, took to his Instagram page earlier today to share a sweet video of his wife surprising him with a Maybach Truck, which is worth over $160, 000.
“WOW… I Can’t Believe It, My Wife Got Me The MayBach Truck 4 My Bday. I Love u Soooooo F$$kin Much My Love, U R The Best @kimbellasworld,” he wrote in his caption.
Joe Biden’s administration has announced a sweeping immigration bill that would create an eight-year path to citizenship for millions of immigrants already in the country and provide a faster way for undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children to gain citizenship.
Here’s what the bill, titled the US Citizenship Act of 2021, announced on Thursday, February 18 includes:
1. Plan for a pathway to citizenship- The bill cuts the time to acquire citizenship to eight years instead of 13.
Individuals would be in a temporary status for five years, with three years until they get citizenship, amounting to an eight-year path.
While undocumented immigrants who came to the US as children, who fall under a form of humanitarian relief known as Temporary Protected Status or who are farmworkers can go directly to green cards if they meet requirements, including passing background checks.
But to be eligible for the bill’s legalization plan, immigrants must have been in the country before January 1, 2021.
2. Biden’s proposed bill, if passed, would remove the word “alien” from US immigration laws, replacing it with the term “noncitizen.”
According to the administration the change, is “to better reflect the President’s values on immigration.”
The term “illegal alien,” is seen as a dehumanizing slur by immigrant rights advocates, and was well used during the Trump era.
3. The bill provides funding to US Citizenship and Immigration Services to chip away at the backlog of asylum applications.
4. The bill provides funding for more immigration judges with emphasis on access to counsel.
It authorizes funding for counsel for children and vulnerable individuals, and eliminates the one-year limit for filing an asylum case.
5. The bill repeals the bars to reentering the United States if an individual had previously been illegally residing in the country
It increases the number of available so-called diversity visas, which are awarded by random selection in select countries to promote immigration from places that don’t otherwise send many immigrants to the US.
6. The bill would increase the number of visas granted annually from 55,000 to 80,000.
The legislation proposes creating a commission composed of employers, labor unions and civil rights advocates to make recommendations on improving worker verification.
7. The measure would also increase protections for immigrants who come forward to report labor violations and increase penalties for employers who knowingly hire undocumented workers.
8. Invest in US-Mexico border and Central America.
The bill would help South American countries tackle smugglers and narcotics and trafficking networks. It would seek to create legal and safer pathways for migration by setting up refugee processing in Central America and would create a $4 billion investment plan in the region.
The legislation will be hard to pass in Congress, where House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has just a five-vote margin and Senate Democrats do not have the 60 votes needed to pass the measure in the Senate as the Senate is divided 50-50.
Islamic cleric, Sheikh Abubakar Gumi, says the abducted staff and students of Government Science College Kagara in Niger state may regain their freedom today, February 21.
Recall that on Wednesday, February 17, armed bandits dressed in military camouflage, stormed the school and abducted 27 students and shot one of the students dead. They also abducted three staff members as well as 12 family members of the staff.
In an interview with Punch, Gumi, who has been in talks with the bandits in the forest, said there is a possibility that the abducted persons might be released today.
“What I hear from (our contact) is that they are still negotiating to release them (schoolchildren and staff members) and hopefully, hopefully, we will get them tomorrow (Sunday), hopefully.
Up till now, they have not been able to identify the boys, who (did the kidnapping). You know they are splinter groups. So, when you are dealing with groups like that in a vast area, with no communication, no road, then it has to be slow. But the main actors are ready to negotiate and stop the kidnapping altogether.”
Asked if the negotiation involved money, Gumi said responded
“No, no; it does not. If it involves money, it means the same criminality. They are saying these are our conditions and we will stop this thing. So, negotiation is ongoing and their demands are being looked into, which are very simple.”
According to Gumi, the bandits are mainly asking the state to release their comrades in the custody of security agencies.
“They have just four people in detention and they are asking for them. They also need assurance and that is why we are calling for amnesty for them. They have been fighting for a long time; it’s been more than eight years.
“These people are fighting for their existence because when they go to town they are lynched, when the police see them on the road, they arrest them; sometimes they are executed extrajudicially, so they took arms against the state. When you give them amnesty, all of them will drop their weapons.”he said
President Joe Biden is expected to announce on Friday that the United States will make first contribution of $2 billion to a U.N.-backed program seeking to distribute COVID-19 vaccine doses to people in the poorest countries in the world, according to senior Biden administration officials.
ABC News reported that Congress had already allocated the money in December for the U.S. Agency for International Development to provide to Gavi, an international vaccine distribution alliance. The congress provided a total of $4 billion and officials said that the U.S. would give the rest to Gavi over the course of this year and 2022.
President Biden intends to announce during a virtual meeting of the Group of Seven leaders.
To date, 10 countries have administered 75% of all COVID-19 vaccines, while more than 130 countries have not yet received a single dose, the United Nations said Wednesday.
The United States has so far purchased 600 million vaccine doses, but it does not intend to give any of them to other countries until “there is sufficient supply in the United States.”
Popular Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, met with abductors of the staff and students of Government Science College, Kagara, Niger State.
According to TVC News, the meeting took place at Tagina forest in Niger State on Thursday, February 18.
The bandits wielding their guns, were led by their leader, Dogo Gide. Sheik Gumi appealed to them to give peace a chance.
The bandits attacked the school on Wednesday, February 17, killed one of the students and abducted 27 of them. The bandits also abducted 3 staff of the school and 12 family members of the staff.
American rapper, Mark Anthony Morales, popularly known as Prince Markie Dee from the 1980s hip-hop trio the Fat Boys, has died at the age of 52.
Morales’ manager and friend Louis Gregory confirmed his death on Thursday night, writing on Twitter that the rapper is “forever in his Heart.”
“Prince Markie Dee was more than a rapper; he was one of my very best and closest friends,” Gregory tweeted, along with a picture of Morales.
“My heart breaks today because I lost a brother. I’ll always love you Mark and I’ll cherish everything you taught me. Tomorrow is your birthday, swing my way big bro.” He added
No cause of death has been given.
Morales, who would have turned 53 today, was a pioneering member of the Fat Boys, a 1980s hip-hop group that emerged in New York.
The group was known for using beatboxing in their music and for ushering in other hip-hop legends like Biz Markie and Doug E. Fresh.
Born Mark Morales, the Puerto Rican emcee formed Fat Boys originally under the name the Disco 3 with Damon Wimbley (aka Kool Rock-Ski) and Darren Robinson (aka the Human Beat Box) in 1983. Their first album, 1984’s Fat Boys, was produced by Kurtis Blow.
Morales also co-founded the production company Soul Conventions, which has produced songs for Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, Craig Mack and Marc Anthony.
Nigerian soldiers have unconvered Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau’s farm inside Sambisa Forest in Borno state.
A video shared online showed Nigerian Troops of Operation Tura Takaibango, local vigilantes and local farmers jubilating as they harvested crops from the farm.
Watch the video below….
Two top Boko Haram Commanders, Abul-Bas and Ibn Habib, have been killed in an ambush conducted by troops of Operation Lafiya Dole in the Sambisa forest.
A statement released by the Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Mohammed Yerima, Abul-Bas was second in Command to Abu Fatima, while Ibn Habib was the BHT Commander in charge of Njimia and Parisu camps in the Sambisa forest.
”The renewed offensive operations by troops of Operation TURA TAKAIBANGO in Operation LAFIYA DOLE Theatre, has continued to inflict heavy casualty on the Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs) and the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) criminals.
Among the latest exploits by the troops of Sector 1 was the ambush by troops of 121 and 151 Battalions on Tuesday, 9 February, 2021, sprang at BHTs crossing point between Vuria and Guja settlements along road Banki Junction – Pulka axis.
During the ambush, the troops neutralized 3 BHTs among who were 2 of the most wanted Terrorist Commanders known as “Abul-Bas and Ibn Habib. The troops also recovered 3 x GPMG, 7 x AK47 rifles, a belt of ammunition containing 446 rounds of 7.62mm, one Boxer Motorcycle and one ITEL 2160 mobile phone among others.
Abul-Bas and Ibn Habib were among the top BHTs commanders of the Shekau faction operating in Sambisa forest and environs. The 2 BHT Commanders have been on the Intelligence watch-list for some time. Abul-Bas was a top commander second to Abu Fatima while Ibn Habib was the BHT Commander in charge of Njimia and Parisu camps in the Sambisa Forest.
The neutralization of Abul-Bas and Ibn Habib by our gallant troops has inflicted a big blow on the operations of the terrorists and has further boosted the morale of own troops in the ongoing operation “TURA TAKAIBANGO”.
Some recipients of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine have been left with itchy and swollen skin/ red lumps on their arm seven to 10 days after getting vaccinated.
The lump is sometimes painful to the touch and always appears on the arm in which the vaccine was administered, Mail Online reports.
The report also said the reactions have only occurred in people who received Moderna’s COIVD-19 vaccine, and it’s because they have previously gotten tetanus vaccines, the chickenpox vaccine, and the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine.
But Doctors have said there is no cause to raise alarm as the splotch is a harmless response from the immune system to the shot that fades within a week.
‘We want to reassure people that this is a known phenomenon,’ Dr. Esther Freeman, director of global health dermatology at Massachusetts General Hospital, told USA TODAY.
‘Having a big red splotch on your arm for a couple of days may not be fun but the reality is there’s no need to panic and no reason not to get your second shot.’
According to Freeman, the official term used by dermatologists and allergists to describe the side effect is ‘delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity.’ (Cutaneous means affecting the skin, hypersensitivity means an unwanted reaction produced by the immune system and delayed because it typically occurs days after the shot is given).
Freeman is currently the principal investigator examining reports of skin reactions to COVID-19 vaccines around the world.
So far, just 14 cases have been reported in the global registry, but she believes more people have experienced the reaction but are yet to report it .
One person who reported a reaction is Amelia Brown, a former certified nursing assistant from Visalia, California. She said she experienced COVID arm days after she got her first dose of the Moderna vaccine on January 11.
Brown told FOX 26 that she woke up one week later, on January 18, with a red splotch on the arm she received the shot in.
‘It was just red and angry and had hives, like you could feel the bumps,’ she said.
‘It had just grown overnight from like, a dollar size to like, a baseball size,’ Brown told FOX 26.
‘And it was very swollen, hot to the touch, sore, even if I wore my coat that day, the pressure of the coat was painful.’
Brown said she applied ice to harm for two or three days before the red patch began to disappear.
‘It just made me kind of nervous and I’m going, ‘I know I have to go back for a second shot, I’m not sure if I should,” she told FOX 26.
Doctors advised that they take an antihistamine or Tylenol to treat the pain but don’t avoid getting the second dose.
‘We don’t want people to panic and we don’t want people to think they can’t get their second dose just because they have this delayed reaction,’ Freeman told USA TODAY.
Abdullahi Mohammed, the son of Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed has called on Nigerians to resist the attempt to brand all members of ethnic groups as kidnappers, prostitutes, drug dealers and internet fraudsters.
Abdullahi made the call today on the heels of kidnappings and killings in some parts of the country blamed on suspected Fulani herdsmen.
He shared a picture which shows different tribes in Nigeria and the way people from these tribes have been tagged.
“We should stop the ethnic tags and call a crime a crime, a criminal a criminal. With no biase or prujudice.”he wrote.
A former digital strategist for the Senate Republican Conference, who helped design social media ads for Donald Trump’s reelection campaign, has been charged with distributing child pornography.
Ruben Verastigui, 27, was charged with distributing child pornography after he was arrested last Friday, according to a release from the Metropolitan Police Department.
‘Between March 2020 and February 2021, an investigation revealed the suspect distributed, received, and possessed images of child pornography,’ the release states.
Verastigui, who posted a photo of himself at the White House just two months ago, worked for the Senate Republican Conference until July 2020, according to his LinkedIn. The investigation into his alleged offenses took place while he was still working for the GOP.
He had most recently been working at non-profit Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions, and was no longer employed there as of Saturday, the Daily Beast reports.
‘The details of the allegations against Mr. Verastigui are tragic and shocking,’ a spokesperson for the non-profit told the Daily Beast. ‘He is no longer employed by the organization and we are prepared to fully cooperate with law enforcement requests in this matter to any extent needed.’
Special agents with Homeland Security began looking to Verastigui while investigating a group of at least 18 people who they say were trading child porn, according to court documents.
The website name was not released ‘to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation.’
Investigators say that Verastigui allegedly went by the username ‘Landon’ in the group chat and used the handle @somethingtaken. Verastigui is said to have told another user that ‘babies’ were his ‘absolute favorite.’
‘Well like I said babies are some of my biggest turn-ons and beast,’ Verastigui allegedly said in the direct message, according to the court documents. ‘Young rape… F**k I love all that.’
He also allegedly sent additional messages about wanting to look at ‘hardcore’ videos, responding ‘F**K YES!!!’ to a video he was sent of an adult sexually penetrating a child.
One of the emerging 9ja musician based in France had an exclusive interview with Tinatalks today.
During the interview, he expressed his ambitions, challenges, career goals and his efforts to make Nigerian EU based artists to come togethe to make Nigerian music great in foriegn lands.
“better days”
It could be recalled that he rallied lots of EU-based artists to stream 9ja vibes online during the pandemic, thereby lifting the hearts during the lockdowN
His latest “Better days” is currently making waves in Europe and some parts of Africa. Let’s give our artists the maximum support to make hs career soar.
Former Newcastle, Crystal Palace, and Paris Saint-Germain, midfielder Yohan Cabaye, has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 35.
Cabaye saw his one-year contract with Saint-Etienne expire at the end of last season and the Frenchman has decided to hang his boots after 543 appearances at six different clubs.
The midfielder started his career with Lille in 2004 and helped the club win a league and cup double in the 2010-2011 season. He also made 48 appearances for the France national team.
In an emotional tweet, which he captioned ‘the final whistle’, Cabaye shared a statement which read: ‘It is with great emotion that after more than 17 years of passion, love for football, emotions greater than each other, memories that will forever remain serious in my memory, human encounters and unforgettable sports that I am announcing the end of my career as a professional footballer.
‘Even if this decision may seem obvious and unavoidable having passed 35 in the world of football, it is still difficult to take and to accept because my love for football is immense.
‘You have to know, then, to take a step back and especially measure the chance to have been able to live your passion, your childhood dream in order to be able to move forward.
‘I cannot thank enough all the people that I have been able to rub shoulders with over the past few years; my teammates, my coaches, my leaders and my presidents, the supporters of the clubs I have been through but also those of the France national team who encouraged me when I had the honour of wearing the shirt of my country.
‘Thank you my family, my friends as well as my agents who supported me and accompanies me throughout this adventure. Thank you to my five children, Myla, Charlize, Romy, Linoi and Maian for giving me so much love and strength to face certain difficult moments in the life of a footballer.
‘Thanks to all of you, I went beyond my dreams. Thank you from the heart. Yohan Cabaye.’
Newcastle tweeted: ‘Congratulations on a fantastic career @YCabayeofficiel and all the very best for the future!’ They also posted videos of two goals he scored for them against Manchester United.
After making his name with Lille, Cabaye joined Newcastle in 2011 , scoring 10 Premier League goals across his first two seasons and seven in 17 games in 2013-14 before he joined PSG in January with a bid of around £19m.
He struggled to establish himself with the Ligue 1 champions and returned to England with Crystal Palace in 2015, scoring nine goals in 96 league games.
Cabaye also had a short spell with Al Nasr before he finished his career back in his homeland with St Etienne
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama has said that the President of Benin Republic, Patrice Talon had expressed readiness of his country to become Nigeria’s 37th state.
Speaking after a close door meeting with Beninoise Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Aurélien Agbenonci, Onyeama said the Beninoise president made the offer when he visited President Muhammadu Buhari a few weeks back.
He said;
“The President of Benin said as far as they are concerned, they want (not just saying it like that) but in reality, Benin should be the 37th state of Nigeria.
“We should really be one. They charged us to come together at ministerial level, to work out a framework for a sustainable relationship.”
Onyeama further disclosed that both presidents also discussed agreements between the two countries to put the issue of smuggling to an end once and for all.
Crystal palace and Ivory Coast footballer, Wilfried Zaha has vowed to stop taking the knee before matches and urged fellow black footballers to do the same because he believes the gesture has lost its meaning and may even be making blacks a ‘target’ for racial abuse.
The former Manchester United player, 28, believes taking the knee to show support for racial equality is becoming ‘something we just do now’.
Brentford players have stopped making the gesture as they ‘no longer feel that it is making an impact’.
Zaha speaking at Thursday’s Financial Times’ Business of Football summit, said: ‘I’ve said before that I feel like taking the knee is degrading and stuff because growing up my parents just let me know that I should be proud to be black no matter what and I feel like we should just stand tall.
‘Trying to get the meaning behind it, it’s becoming something that we just do now and that’s not enough for me.
‘I’m not going to take the knee, I’m not going to wear Black Lives Matter on the back of my shirt because it feels like it’s a target. We’re trying to say that we’re equal but we’re isolating ourselves with these things that aren’t even working anyway, so that’s my stand on it.
‘I feel like we should stand tall. Now I don’t really tend to speak on racism and stuff like that because I’m not here just to tick boxes. Unless action is going to happen, don’t speak to me about it.’
Zaha, has also been targeted with abuse on several occasions on social media in the past.
Speaking on the On the Judy podcast, Zaha said: ‘The whole kneeling down – why must I kneel down for you to show that we matter?
‘Why must I even wear Black Lives Matter on the back of my top to show you that we matter? This is all degrading stuff.
‘When people constantly want to get me to do Black Lives Matter talks and racial talks and I’m like, I’m not doing it just so you can put “Zaha spoke for us”. Like a tick box, basically.
‘I’m not doing any more, because unless things change. I’m not coming to chat to you just for the sake of it, like all the interviews I’ve done.
‘All these platforms – you see what’s happening, you see people making fake accounts to abuse black people constantly, but you don’t change it.
‘So don’t tell me to come and chat about stuff that’s not going to change. Change it. All that stuff that you lot are doing, all these charades mean nothing.’
UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman (pictured top right) has revealed he would be interested moving up to the middleweight division, but only if his friend and fellow Nigerian Israel Adesanya (pictured top left) is no longer champion.
Usman, a Nigerian and American says he would ‘absolutely’ consider stepping up to the 185 pounds category after he beat Gilbert Burns 34 seconds into the third round at UFC 258 – taking his record to 18-1, defending his title for the third time.
However, he admitted the move is dependent on Adesanya as he ‘would never entertain going up to fight his friend as he would rather ‘two Africans held belts than one African with two belts’.
Usman said he would consider the step up if Adesanya says he wants ‘nothing to do with’ the middleweight anymore.
He told ESPN: ‘Absolutely, absolutely. If Izzy’s willing to move up – well he is moving up, but if he’s willing to give up that 185 belt and says “I have nothing to do with that anymore”, then absolutely I would entertain that thought.’
Usman and Adesanya are regarded as two of the most dominant champions in the UFC at present, but neither of them will fight each other due to a long-standing friendship.
Usman added: ‘On no account right now would I ever entertain going up to fight Izzy. That’s just not something that I’m interested in.
‘I’ve stated over and over before, I’d rather two Africans with belts as opposed to one African with two belts.
‘After March, it’s gonna be three Africans with four belts. It’s a good time to be an African.’
General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries, Apostle Johnson Suleman has reacted to the “audio clip” released by a former Pastor in his church, Mike Davids who accused him of sleeping with his wife, Pastor Faith Edeko.
Recall that former Omega Fire Ministries Pastor, Mike Davids had released an audio clip in which a voice he claimed was that of Apostle Suleman was heard threatening to “make him disappear”.
Media Personality, Daddy Freeze who has now obtained an audio clip which is supposedly the original recording after calling the OFM General Overseer to hear his own side of the story, said he (Suleman) admitted he was the one in the recording but claimed it was doctored.
Daddy Freeze wrote;
So I called @johnson_suleman_official to hear his own side of the story…
He said that he was the one in the recording, but that it was doctored. Personally, I see where he is coming from, to me o, this particular recording sounds more original. – What’s your take?
An eight-day-old baby has died after being snatched from her bed by a group of monkeys.
The girl’s mum was devastated to find her newborn twin girls gone from their beds after a pack of primates invaded her home on Saturday, Feb 13, in Mela Alangam (West Rampart) near Thanjavur Palace in India.
Locals spotted the animals carrying the babies across rooftops and managed to rescue one of the baby girls after she was left on a roof.
Tragically, the other baby girl was later recovered from a nearby moat and pronounced dead at the scene.
Buvaneswari, the mother of newborn twin girls, said that monkeys entered her home and picked up the sleeping babies on Saturday.
Buvaneswari further said she was shocked to see the monkeys on the roof and began yelling. It was only later that she realised that her children were missing.
As she began to cry, neighbours came to help and reportedly retrieved one baby from the roof but couldn’t find the other one.
Moments later, the other baby was found in a nearby water body. Medical team reached the spot but pronounced the child dead.
Inspector S Chandramohan of Thanjavur West police told the Times of India: “Once we got the information about the incident, we rushed to the spot and searched for the second baby.
“We finally located the infant on the moat. We have sent the body to the Government Medical College Hospital for postmortem.”
Senators have voted unanimously to award Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman a Congressional Gold Medal.
Goodman played an integral role in protecting lawmakers from the violent riots in Washington, D.C. that left five people dead on Jan. 6. On Friday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer paid tribute to the officer and asked the Senate to pass legislation to award him the Gold Medal — Congress’ highest honor.
Thank you, Officer Goodman.
I just put forward legislation to award him the Congressional Gold Medal—Congress's highest honor.
It passed the Senate.
Our heartfelt gratitude goes to him, the Capitol Police, Metro Police, and teams that were protecting the Capitol on January 6.
“In the weeks after the attack on January the sixth, the world learned about the incredible bravery of Officer Goodman on that fateful day,” Schumer said, according to CNN, as his fellow lawmakers stood to applaud Goodman, who was in the room.
“I think we can all agree that Eugene Goodman deserves the highest honor Congress can bestow,” Schumer added.
“In the face of lawlessness, the officers of the U.S. Capitol lived out the fullest sense of their oaths,” Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said, The Washington Postreported. “If not for the quick thinking and bravery of Officer Eugene Goodman in particular, people in this chamber may not have escaped that day unharmed.”
In a previous statement, USCP Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman said, “To have our police officers’ bravery acknowledged at a time when they’re experiencing tremendous emotions and exhaustion is a gift. We have too many heroes to count and we are humbled Congress may recognize them in this way. From the cards and letters of support we’ve received from around this great country to this incredible award, we are deeply humbled and appreciative.”
The award comes days after Democrats released never-before-seen footage of Goodman leading Sen. Mitt Romney away from the pro-Donald Trump rioters who had breached the building.
House impeachment manager Stacey Plaskett introduced the video during Trump’s second impeachment trial, which began after the former president was charged by the House with inciting an insurrection.
Plaskett explained: “In this security footage, you can see Officer Goodman running to respond to the initial breach. Officer Goodman passes Sen. Mitt Romney and directs him to turn around in order to get to safety.”
The Lagos Police Command has said its officers will remain at the Lekki tollgate, until further notice from the Commissioner Hakeem Odumosu.
This directive was confirmed by the command’s spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, on Monday.
According to Adejobi, the police officers have also laid siege to five other locations in the state.
“Our policemen are still at the tollgate, it is a deployment and we are working with an operation order and until there is a stand-down order of the operation from the Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, the men will still be there.
“We have not arrested anyone today, there was no breakdown of law and order, no gathering or procession, everything is normal in the area.
“But we are still maintaining our ground there and we have deployment in about five places aside from the Lekki tollgate and our men are still on standby at these strategic places.
“We have police deployment in Unity Park, Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ogombo Junction, Adeniran Ogunsanya Junction, among others,” he said.
Policemen were initially deployed to the Lekki tollgate, ahead of the #OccupyLekkiTollGate and #DefendLagos protests scheduled for February 13, 2021.
They arrested over 40 protesters at the tollgate including popular comedian, Mr. Macaroni.
The Lagos state police command has given reasons for arresting 40 persons that participated in the #OccupyLekkiTollgate protest earlier today.
A statement released by the spokesperson of the state police command, Muyiwa Adejobi says they were arrested for conspiracy, conduct likely to cause breach of peace, and violation of COVID-19 protocols.
The statement in part reads
The command has arrested forty (40) suspects at Lekki Toll Gate plaza, Lagos State, on Saturday 13th February, 2021, for conspiracy, conduct likely to cause breach of peace and violation of COVID-19 protocols.
The suspects had gathered at the Lekki Toll Gate plaza creating tension and behaving in such a manner that could cause breach of public peace without due regard for COVID-19 protocols major of which are use of nose masks and social distancing.
The command has however arraigned the suspects today to the mobile court at Panti, Yaba accordingly but were however granted bail by the court. They will appear in court on the next date of adjournment, 2nd March, 2021, with the certificate of COVID-19 test.
The command therefore assured the general public that it will always discharge its statutory duties as expected within the ambit of the law, while appealing to Lagosians to be law-abiding and go about their lawful businesses.”
Ex-Australia Olympic swimmer, Scott Miller has been arrested by police and charged with running a drug trafficking syndicate, after £1.12million worth of methamphetamine, also known as ‘ice’ or meth was concealed inside candles in his home.
Miller won a silver medal in the 100m butterfly at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and bronze in Australia’s 4x100m medley squad.
Scott Miller, 45, and an accomplice were arrested in police raids in Sydney suburbs on Tuesday morning, February 16.
Police saw methamphetamine, a kilo of heroin, other drugs and cash in the raids.
A police spokesman described Miller as the head of a ‘criminal syndicate’ that sold ice across New South Wales in Australia.
During the moment cops broke into the apartment during the raid, Miller reportedly found sitting topless and had jeans on.
He was later handcuffed and taken to a local police station.
A New South Wales Police statement said: “Earlier this year, detectives from the State Crime Command’s Drug and Firearms Squad, with assistance from the NSW Crime Commission, commenced investigations into criminal syndicate involved in the supply of prohibited drugs – mainly methamphetamine (ice) – across NSW.
“Following extensive inquiries, investigators assisted by South West Metropolitan Region Enforcement Squad, Public Order Riot Squad and Operation ODIN, executed three search warrants at a business at Bankstown, unit at Rozelle and home at Balmain from 6am today (Tuesday 16 February 2021).
“Officers located and seized approximately one kilogram of heroin with a street value of $250,000 (£140k), over $75,000 (£42k) cash, mobile phones, documents, encrypted electronic devices and smaller amounts of prohibited drugs, all which have been taken for further forensic examination.
“A white Toyota Camry, which police will allege was used by the syndicate to transport prohibited drugs, was also seized.”
Dr. Dre’s estranged wife Nicole Young is requesting the court examine the cash flow of three women she says the hip-hop mogul dated during their marriage, amid their ongoing divorce battle.
Young, 51, wants the three alleged girlfriends of the Compton, California native, 55, to sit for depositions to know if Dre lavished them with money and gifts, TMZ reported on Tuesday February 9.
In the document obtained by TMZ, Young claims an attorney representing lleged girlfriend is trying to delay their depositions until the validity of the prenup is decided
In one instance, Young said she wants lawyers to speak with one of the alleged mistresses as to whether Dr. Dre two years ago bought her a $2.15 million home.
This comes weeks after Dre agreed to cut Nicole a $2 million check for temporary support, on top of the $293,306 a month he’s already giving her in the wake of a brain aneurysm he suffered last month at his home in Pacific Palisades, California.
In June 2020, Young filed for divorce from Dre after 24 years of marriage, as they share two children – son Truice Young, 24, and daughter Truly Young, 20.
A Chinese lab in Wuhan, investigated by the World Health Organization over the origins of Covid-19 reportedly designed secret cages for breeding bats for virus experiments.
The Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) was found to have filed patents for “bat rearing cages” and “artificial breeding” systems in the months before covid-19 first emerged in 2019 December.
The institute located just miles from Covid’s ground zero has been subjected to scrutiny since the virus emerged.
The World Health Organisation released a report this week exonerating the lab, saying the lab wasn’t responsible for Covid-19 origins, but the US and the UK have branded the WHO’s report a “whitewash” after new revelations about the work of Chinese scientists led by Dr Shi Zhengli, months before the pandemic.
An online profile of the lab reportedly claimed it has capacity to keep 12 bat cages and WIV scientists filed patents in June 2018 and October 2020 for the cages and methods for breeding of bats, which are believed to be the natural reservoir of Covid.
According to the Mail on Sunday, the first patent was filed for “bat rearing cages” which would be “‘capable of healthy growth and breeding under artificial conditions” while the second patent relates to a method of “artificially breeding” of wild bats, and in the document it describes bats being “artificially” infected with coronaviruses.
According to the patent, the breeding scheme will allow them to create a “brand-new model experimental animal for scientific research”.
The US has accused the lab of having links to the Chinese military.
The White House also announced on Saturday, February 13 that it has “deep concerns” that the Chinese government may have interfered with WHO’s investigation into the origins of Covid.
This week a WHO team swung its weight behind the Chinese government’s effort to deflect blame over the origins with the virus.
The team ruled out the lab leak, suggested the virus may have come from outside of China, and appeared to place their focus on claims the virus may have come from frozen food. And then just days later, WHO investigator Dominic Dwyer backtracked saying Chinese authorities refused to hand over raw data.
He said: “Why that doesn’t happen, I couldn’t comment. Whether it’s political or time or it’s difficult .
“But whether there are any other reasons why the data isn’t available, I don’t know. One would only speculate.”
WHO investigator Peter Daszak, reportedly has links with WIV, and previously claimed no live bats were being kept by the lab.
In April 2020, he said: “All bats are released back to their cave site after sampling. It’s a conservation measure and is much safer in terms of disease spread than killing them or trying to keep them in a lab.”
In December, he he claimed labs he had worked with “DO NOT have live or dead bats in them. There is no evidence anywhere that this happened”.
An Iranian cleric, Ayatollah Abbas Tabrizian has warned his social media followers not to “go near” anyone who’s had the covid-19 vaccine, as they have turned to gays and homosexuals.
Ayatollah Abbas Tabrizian took to Telegram, a social media app where he has 210,000 followers, to publish a homophobic rant over the weekend.
“Don’t go near those who have had the COVID vaccine,” he said.
“They have become homosexuals.”
But his comments about the vaccine has been met with strong criticism from other Iranians including LBGT rights activists and health officials.
“Like other clerics in the regime, also Tabrizian relates all the shortages [shortcomings] to sexuality,” dissident Sheina Vojoudi told The Jerusalem Post.
“The clerics in Iran are suffering from lack of knowledge and humanity.
“Actually, his goal of spreading nonsense is to try to scare people [out] of getting vaccinated, while the leader of the regime and other officials got Pfizer, and they don’t provide it for the people with the excuse that they don’t trust the West.”
UK human rights activist Peter Tatchell said: “Ayatollah Tabrizian combines scientific ignorance with a crude appeal to homophobia.”
“He’s demonising both the vaccination program and LGBT+ people without a shred of evidence.
“By seeking to scare the public into not getting vaccinated against Covid-19, he is fuelling the pandemic and putting lives at risk.
“Typical of many Iranian religious and political leaders, his bizarre, irrational claims scapegoat LGBTs and put theological prejudice before scientific knowledge.”
Meanwhile thousands of gay people have been executed in Iran from 1979 to 2019 and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javid Zarif has dismissed international outrage over its anti-gay policies, saying:
“Our society has moral principles, and according to these principles we live…
“These are moral principles regarding the behaviour of people in general, and that is because the law is upheld and you abide by laws.”
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and Rep. Bennie Thompson, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, have sued former US President Donald Trump, his lawyer Rudy Giuliani and two right-wing extremist groups, alleging they conspired to incite the deadly Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday, February 16, in Federal District Court for the District of Columbia, alleges that Trump and Giuliani, in collaboration with the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, conspired to incite the riot to keep Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election.
It claims they did so in violation of the Ku Klux Klan Act, a Reconstruction-era statute designed to protect both formerly enslaved African Americans and lawmakers in Congress from white supremacist violence.
Reps. Hank Johnson and Bonnie Watson Coleman will join the litigation as plaintiffs in the coming days, according to a press release.
The lawsuit recounts Trump’s actions leading up to the Jan. 6 riot, building a case against him in similar fashion to House impeachment managers. It cites Trump’s remarks during “Save America” rally as evidence that he mobilized and directed insurrectionists to storm the Capitol. After his supporters entered the halls of Congress, the lawsuit alleges, Giuliani called lawmakers individually, asking them to try to “slow down” the Electoral College vote count.
“If we don’t put a check on the spread of domestic terrorism, it will consume this nation and transform it to something that none of us recognize,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in an interview. “We must, as a nation, prevent the spread of this type of boldness where [insurrectionists] will go to our U.S. Capitol and seek an act of treason.”
Johnson added that he sees the lawsuit as an aggressive push against domestic terrorism, which he said poses a direct threat to communities of color.
“You look at what took place in the ’20s, ’30s, ’40s and ’50s, those were acts of domestic terrorism against citizens. It was based on race,” Johnson continued. “They were acts of domestic terrorism, based on one’s belief of who should be legitimate citizens and who are not.”
The lawsuit also quoted extensively from remarks Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., made after the Senate voted to acquit Trump on Saturday, including his statement that “there is no question that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of that day.”
The suit asks a judge to rule that the actions of the defendants violated federal law and seeks unspecified monetary damages.
In response to the NAACP lawsuit, Trump adviser Jason Miller said the former president had been “acquitted in the Democrats’ latest impeachment witch hunt,” adding: “The facts are irrefutable”.
“President Trump did not plan, produce or organise the January 6 rally on the Ellipse. President Trump did not incite or conspire to incite any violence at the Capitol on January 6,” he added.
?The suit comes days after Trump was acquitted of inciting the riot at his second impeachment trial by the Senate.
A Mexican beauty queen is facing up to 50 years in prison after being arrested on suspicion of being part of a kidnapping gang.
Laura Mojica Romero, 25, is currently being detained in Huatusco, a city in the Mexican state of Veracruz.
She is one of three women and five men arrested by authorities. She was identified only by her first name in a statement released by investigators in the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz.
Ms. Mojica was described as one of ‘eight alleged members of a criminal organisation specialising in kidnap’ in the statement.
Prosecutors said an elite anti-kidnap unit had acted to ensure there was ‘no truce for people who cause serious harm to Veracruz’ following their arrest.
They added: ‘The capture of Luis Antonio ‘N’; Raúl ‘N’; María del Rosario ‘N’; Ana Martha ‘N’; Laura ‘N’; César Enrique ‘N’; Diego ‘N’ and Jossiel ‘N’ took place in Veracruz when personnel specialized in tackling kidnapping carried out an operation to capture those now linked to this judicial investigation.
‘The eight alleged kidnappers have been remanded in custody for two months while the investigation continues.’
Laura is understood to have been held in Huatusco, a city in the Mexican state of Veracruz.
Romero, who comes from the city of San Juan Bautista Tuxtepec in Oaxaca, won the Miss Oaxaca 2018 regional beauty contest and took part in the Miss Mexico competition the following year.
The English-speaking model went on to represent her nation at the 2020 International Queen of Coffee beauty pageant in Colombia.
The model defined herself as ‘more than just a pretty face’ in an interview in January 2019 after her Miss Oaxaca triumph.
The business studies graduate said her priorities included tackling the problem of violence against woman, saying: ‘We can’t stand idly by, we have to eradicate violence against women, through campaigns and educational talks that make men aware of this issue.’
Nigeria’s consumer price index, (CPI) which measures inflation increased by 16.47% (year-on-year) in January 2021. This is 0.71% points higher than the rate recorded in December 2020 (15.75%).
This is according to the latest Consumer Price Index report, released by the National Bureau of Statistics.
According to the report, Nigeria’s headline inflation has risen to its highest in over three years while food inflation rose to its highest since July 2008, when it stood at 20.9%.
On a month-on-month basis, the Headline index increased by 1.49% in January 2021. This is 0.12% points lower than the rate recorded in December 2020 (1.61%).
Food inflation
The food index rose sharply to a record high to stand at 20.57% in January 2021 compared to 19.56% recorded in the previous month.
On a month-on-month basis, the food sub-index increased by 1.83% in January 2021, down by 0.22% points from 2.05% recorded in December 2020.
The rise in the food index was attributed to increases in prices of Bread and cereals, Potatoes, Yam and other tubers, Meat, Fruits, vegetables, Fish and Oils and Fats.
Core inflation
The “All items less farm produce” or Core inflation, which excludes the prices of volatile agricultural produce stood at 11.85% in January 2021, up by 0.48% when compared with 11.37% recorded in December 2020.
On a month-on-month basis, the core sub-index increased by 1.26% in January 2021. This was up by 0.16% when compared with 1.10% recorded in December 2020.
The highest increases were recorded in prices of Passenger transport by air, Medical services, Hospital services, Passenger transport by road, Pharmaceutical products, Paramedical services.
Others include; Repair of furniture, Vehicle spare parts, Motor cars, Miscellaneous services relating to the dwelling, Maintenance, and repair of personal transport equipment.
Worst hit states
Kogi States led the list of states with the highest inflation rate in January 2021 with 21.38%.
Closely followed by Oyo State with 20.17%, Bauchi (19.52%), Ebonyi (18.74%), and Benue State (18.33%).
On the other hand, Cross River recorded the lowest at 12.22% followed by Abuja (12.94%), Kwara (13.96%), Abia (14.03%), and Enugu (14.26%).
In terms of food inflation, Kogi State also recorded the highest at 26.64%, followed by Oyo State (23.69%).
Others on include; Rivers (23.49%), Benue (22.97%), and Kwara (22.76%).
It is worth noting that in analysing price movements under this section, note that the CPI is weighted by consumption expenditure patterns which differ across states.
Accordingly, the weight assigned to a particular food or non-food item may differ from state to state making interstate comparisons of consumption basket inadvisable and potentially misleading.
Meanwhile, the urban inflation rate rose to 17.03% (year-on-year) in January 2021 from 16.33% recorded in December 2020, while the rural inflation rate stood at 15.92% in January 2021 compared to 15.20% recorded in December 2020.
What this means
The rise in the consumer price index indicates that consumers spent more in the month of January compared to December, despite the high spending that December is naturally known for.
This also implies that Nigeria is yet to recover from the downturn caused by the covid induced lockdown as well as the closure of land borders in 2019.
Billionaire Amazon owner, Jeff Bezos has reclaimed his title of world’s richest person, ending Elon Musk’s six-week reign on top of the list.
Musk lost about $4.5 billion on Tuesday after Tesla (TSLA) shares fell 2.4%, taking him to second place on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index ranking.
Bezos’ net worth also fell by about $372 million but that was enough to take him to top spot, a position he has held for about three years.
As at Wednesday, February 17, the Bloomberg Billionaire’s index currently says Bezos is worth $191 billion compared to Musk’s $190 billion.
Musk’s surge to first place happened in early January, when the 170 million shares of Tesla he already owns.
Amazon CEO Bezos’s stake in the company increased by $75 billion in 2020, to $173.3 billion, given the huge increase in sales driven by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Bill Gates remains at the world’s third-richest person with $137 billion of worth.
The house of Harington and Leslie has an heir. Game of Thrones stars Rose Leslie and Kit Harington have welcomed a baby boy, their first child together. Harington’s publicist Marianna Shafran confirmed the birth Tuesday, saying Harington and Leslie are “very very happy!”
No further details were given.
It’s the first child for both the 34-year-old Scottish actor Leslie and the 34-year-old English actor Harington, who married in 2018.
They announced in September that they were expecting the child.
The New York Post’s Page Six first reported the news of the birth after publishing a photo of the couple running errands with the baby in London.
Their relationship began in 2011 on the set of HBO’s Game of Thrones where they played star-crossed lovers Jon Snow and Ygritte, he a brother of the Night’s Watch with world-changing secrets in his past, she a part of the rebel wildlings.
Her boyfriend, Venture capitalist Carter Reum, 40, proposed to her on a private island on Feb. 13 after dating for a year.
He popped the question with an emerald-cut diamond ring designed by Jean Dousset, the great-grandson of Louis Cartier.
“I am excited about this next chapter and having such a supportive partner,” Hilton told Vogue. “Our relationship is one of equals. We make each other better people. He was absolutely worth the wait!”
The socialite turned reality TV star turned DJ took to Instagram on Wednesday, her 40th birthday, to confirm her engagement, writing “When you find your soulmate, you don’t just know it. You feel it.”
“My love & I have been together since our first date, and for my birthday, he arranged a special trip to tropical paradise. “
“As we walked to dinner along the beach, Carter led us to a cabana adorned with flowers and dropped to one knee. I said yes, yes to forever.”
“There’s no one I’d rather spend forever with. Here’s to Love – the Forever Kind.”
In photos from the proposal, the DJ and entrepreneur is seen wearing a white Retrofete dress, a crown from Loschy, and rhinestone gloves. While Carter was dapper in a white suit.
Hilton and Reum first sparked rumors that they were dating last January when they were spotted packing on PDA at a Golden Globes party.
The couple later confirmed their relationship on Instagram in April with a photo of the pair kissing, which Hilton captioned, “My favorite thing to do is make memories with you,” Your kisses are magical. I love being yours and knowing you’re mine.”
Paris Hilton has previously been proposed to by model Jason Shaw, Greek socialite Paris Latsis, and actor Chris Zylka.
A woman and her daughter have died of carbon monoxide poisoning in Houston after running a car in the garage to stay warm amid record-low temperatures.
Officers with the Houston Police Department and members of the Houston Fire Department were dispatched to 8300 La Roche for a welfare check, and upon arrival found the four people “affected by carbon monoxide poisoning,” the police department said in a statement on Tuesday, February 16.
“Initial indications are that [a] car was running in the attached garage to create heat as the power is out,” the statement said. “Cars, grills and generators should not be used in or near a building.”
The woman and an 8-year-old girl who was found in the residence did not survive, according to police, while an adult male and a 7-year-old boy were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The unidentified woman had been on the phone with a relative when she became disoriented and passed out in the running car, KTRK reported.
The relative then reportedly called the police, who found the woman dead in the car and the girl dead in the condo.
“This is so heartbreaking,” Chief of Police Art Acevedo said in a statement. “Please bundle up and be aware of the extreme danger carbon monoxide poses for us. Praying for this family.”
“It’s a very difficult time. A lot of people are without power,” Lt. Larry Crowson told reporters at a news conference, according to ABC13. “I know it’s cold, but you’ve got to be careful about using generators or cars inside a garage or any type of fire, grill or charcoal grill. Carbon monoxide is odorless and can kill people very easily.”
An Algerian court has sentenced a man to death over the kidnap and murder of a French mountain climber, Hervé Gourdel in 2014.
Hervé Gourdel, 55, was abducted while exploring Djurdjura National Park and later a graphic beheading video emerged of his death.
The Jund al-Khilafa group, affiliated to the Islamic State, claiming responsibility for his death leading to widespread condemnation.
His captors say they posted a video of his beheading online after France refused to comply with their demand to halt its air strikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria.
The French president at the time, François Hollande, condemned the killing as a “cruel and cowardly” act.
His body was not found until January 2015, after Algeria mobilised thousands of troops to aid in its recovery.
One suspect, Abdelmalek Hamzaoui, appeared in court on Thursday, February 18, while others were being tried in absentia.
Several of Gourdel’s climbing companions, identified Hamzaoui as being among their kidnappers.
Hamzaoui denied taking part in the killing, telling the court he had been accused only to “close the case and please the French”.
Manchester City football club of England have denied making any offer to Lionel Messi, even though the Barcelona forward’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season.
Messi is free to speak to non-Spanish clubs and has been linked with several clubs like City and Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain.
Reports emerged this week that City made a revised transfer offer for Messi but the club has now denied the reports.
City are one of the few clubs that could afford his salary and there have been reports that a deal could also see him play for other sides in the City Football Group – including New York City FC.
We haven’t made any offer for Messi. Either now or last summer and there are no plans to make any” a club official told Goal.
Messi, turns 34 in June, and will wait until the end of the season to decide his future as whether to extend his contract at Barca, where he has spent his entire professional career.
Japan’s Naomi Osaka beat America’s Jennifer Brady in the Australian Open final on Saturday morning, February 20, to win her fourth Grand Slam title.
Osaka, 23, won 6-4 6-3 and has the enviable record of being unbeaten in major finals.
Osaka won the first set when Brady, made bad errors in the game.
Osaka then seized control from that point, going 4-0 ahead in the second set before sealing a deserved victory with the last set.
Osaka has now won two Australian Open titles after also triumphing at Melbourne Park in 2019, with her other Grand Slam successes coming at the US Open in 2018 and 2020.
Osaka has not suffered a defeat since February 2020 and has won her last 20 matches.
“Hello everyone. Firstly I want to congratulate (and then looks to Brady and asks if she prefers Jenny or Jennifer. ‘Jenny’ is the reply) said Osaka as she clutched the Trophy.
She continued: “I’d like to congratulate Jennifer”
“It feels incredible to have fans, I played the last Grand Slam without fans, to have this energy means a lot,”
“I really want to thank my team – this one is for you.”Lastly but not least, thankyou to you guys. Thank you for coming and watching. To have this energy really means a lot. Thank you so much.”Thank you for opening your hearts and arms towards us. I feel like playing a Grand Slam right now is a privilege, and thank you for this opportunity.”
Osaka moves up to world No 2 following her latest victory, behind Australia’s Ashleigh Barty, but there is no doubt as to who is the dominant force in women’s tennis right now – especially on hard courts.
In the men’s final, Novak Djokovic will face Medvedev on Sunday.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI has linked Instagram celebrity, Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, a.k.a Hushpuppi, to North Korean hackers said to be the biggest bank robbers in the world.
The Justice Department in a detailed statement released on Friday, February 19, alleged that Hushpuppi took part in a “North Korean-perpetrated cyber-enabled heist from a Maltese bank in February 2019.” According to the statement, his role was as a collaborator with a North Korean money launderer, Ghaleb Alaumary, 37, based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
“Alaumary agreed to plead guilty to the charge, which was filed in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on Nov. 17, 2020.
“Alaumary was a prolific money launderer for hackers engaged in ATM cash-out schemes, cyber-enabled bank heists, business email compromise (BEC) schemes, and other online fraud schemes. Alaumary is also being prosecuted for his involvement in a separate BEC scheme by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.
“With respect to the North Korean co-conspirators’ activities, Alaumary organized teams of co-conspirators in the United States and Canada to launder millions of dollars obtained through ATM cash-out operations, including from BankIslami and a bank in India in 2018.
“Alaumary also conspired with Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, aka “Ray Hushpuppi,” and others to launder funds from a North Korean-perpetrated cyber-enabled heist from a Maltese bank in February 2019”the statement read
Hushpuppi was arrested in Dubai in June 2020, and extradited to the US where he is being charged by the United States Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles with conspiring to launder hundreds of millions of dollars from “business email compromise” (BEC) frauds and other scams.
His trial was to have commenced late last year, but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read the full US Justice Department statement on Hushpuppi’s alleged involvement with the three North Korean military hackers
A federal indictment unsealed today charges three North Korean computer programmers with participating in a wide-ranging criminal conspiracy to conduct a series of destructive cyberattacks, to steal and extort more than $1.3 billion of money and cryptocurrency from financial institutions and companies, to create and deploy multiple malicious cryptocurrency applications, and to develop and fraudulently market a blockchain platform.
A second case unsealed today revealed that a Canadian-American citizen has agreed to plead guilty in a money laundering scheme and admitted to being a high-level money launderer for multiple criminal schemes, including ATM “cash-out” operations and a cyber-enabled bank heist orchestrated by North Korean hackers.
“As laid out in today’s indictment, North Korea’s operatives, using keyboards rather than guns, stealing digital wallets of cryptocurrency instead of sacks of cash, are the world’s leading bank robbers,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
“The Department will continue to confront malicious nation state cyber activity with our unique tools and work with our fellow agencies and the family of norms abiding nations to do the same.”
“Today’s unsealed indictment expands upon the FBI’s 2018 charges for the unprecedented cyberattacks conducted by the North Korean regime,” said the FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate.
“The ongoing targeting, compromise, and cyber-enabled theft by North Korea from global victims was met with the outstanding, persistent investigative efforts of the FBI in close collaboration with U.S. and foreign partners. By arresting facilitators, seizing funds, and charging those responsible for the hacking conspiracy, the FBI continues to impose consequences and hold North Korea accountable for its/their criminal cyber activity.”
“The scope of the criminal conduct by the North Korean hackers was extensive and long-running, and the range of crimes they have committed is staggering,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tracy L. Wilkison for the Central District of California.
“The conduct detailed in the indictment are the acts of a criminal nation-state that has stopped at nothing to extract revenge and obtain money to prop up its regime.”
“This case is a particularly striking example of the growing alliance between officials within some national governments and highly sophisticated cyber-criminals,” said U.S. Secret Service Assistant Director Michael R. D’Ambrosio.
“The individuals indicted today committed a truly unprecedented range of financial and cyber-crimes: from ransomware attacks and phishing campaigns, to digital bank heists and sophisticated money laundering operations. With victims strewn across the globe, this case shows yet again that the challenge of cybercrime is, and will continue to be, a struggle that can only be won through partnerships, perseverance, and a relentless focus on holding criminals accountable.”
The hacking indictment filed in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles alleges that Jon Chang Hyok (???), 31; Kim Il (??), 27; and Park Jin Hyok (???), 36, were members of units of the Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB), a military intelligence agency of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), which engaged in criminal hacking. These North Korean military hacking units are known by multiple names in the cybersecurity community, including Lazarus Group and Advanced Persistent Threat 38 (APT38). Park was previously charged in a criminal complaint unsealed in September 2018.
The indictment alleges a broad array of criminal cyber activities undertaken by the conspiracy, in the United States and abroad, for revenge or financial gain. The schemes alleged include:
Cyberattacks on the Entertainment Industry: The destructive cyberattack on Sony Pictures Entertainment in November 2014 in retaliation for “The Interview,” a movie that depicted a fictional assassination of the DPRK’s leader; the December 2014 targeting of AMC Theatres, which was scheduled to show the film; and a 2015 intrusion into Mammoth Screen, which was producing a fictional series involving a British nuclear scientist taken prisoner in DPRK.
Cyber-Enabled Heists from Banks: Attempts from 2015 through 2019 to steal more than $1.2 billion from banks in Vietnam, Bangladesh, Taiwan, Mexico, Malta, and Africa by hacking the banks’ computer networks and sending fraudulent Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) messages.
Cyber-Enabled ATM Cash-Out Thefts: Thefts through ATM cash-out schemes – referred to by the U.S. government as “FASTCash” – including the October 2018 theft of $6.1 million from BankIslami Pakistan Limited (BankIslami).
Ransomware and Cyber-Enabled Extortion: Creation of the destructive WannaCry 2.0 ransomware in May 2017, and the extortion and attempted extortion of victim companies from 2017 through 2020 involving the theft of sensitive data and deployment of other ransomware.
Creation and Deployment of Malicious Cryptocurrency Applications: Development of multiple malicious cryptocurrency applications from March 2018 through at least September 2020 – including Celas Trade Pro, WorldBit-Bot, iCryptoFx, Union Crypto Trader, Kupay Wallet, CoinGo Trade, Dorusio, CryptoNeuro Trader, and Ants2Whale – which would provide the North Korean hackers a backdoor into the victims’ computers.
Targeting of Cryptocurrency Companies and Theft of Cryptocurrency: Targeting of hundreds of cryptocurrency companies and the theft of tens of millions of dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency, including $75 million from a Slovenian cryptocurrency company in December 2017; $24.9 million from an Indonesian cryptocurrency company in September 2018; and $11.8 million from a financial services company in New York in August 2020 in which the hackers used the malicious CryptoNeuro Trader application as a backdoor.
Spear-Phishing Campaigns: Multiple spear-phishing campaigns from March 2016 through February 2020 that targeted employees of United States cleared defense contractors, energy companies, aerospace companies, technology companies, the U.S.Department of State, and the U.S. Department of Defense.
Marine Chain Token and Initial Coin Offering: Development and marketing in 2017 and 2018 of the Marine Chain Token to enable investors to purchase fractional ownership interests in marine shipping vessels, supported by a blockchain, which would allow the DPRK to secretly obtain funds from investors, control interests in marine shipping vessels, and evade U.S. sanctions.
According to the allegations contained in the hacking indictment, which was filed on Dec. 8, 2020, in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles and unsealed today, the three defendants were members of units of the RGB who were at times stationed by the North Korean government in other countries, including China and Russia. While these defendants were part of RGB units that have been referred to by cybersecurity researchers as Lazarus Group and APT38, the indictment alleges that these groups engaged in a single conspiracy to cause damage, steal data and money, and otherwise further the strategic and financial interests of the DPRK government and its leader, Kim Jong Un.
Money Launderer Charged in California and Georgia
Federal prosecutors today also unsealed a charge against Ghaleb Alaumary, 37, of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, for his role as a money launderer for the North Korean conspiracy, among other criminal schemes. Alaumary agreed to plead guilty to the charge, which was filed in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on Nov. 17, 2020. Alaumary was a prolific money launderer for hackers engaged in ATM cash-out schemes, cyber-enabled bank heists, business email compromise (BEC) schemes, and other online fraud schemes. Alaumary is also being prosecuted for his involvement in a separate BEC scheme by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.
With respect to the North Korean co-conspirators’ activities, Alaumary organized teams of co-conspirators in the United States and Canada to launder millions of dollars obtained through ATM cash-out operations, including from BankIslami and a bank in India in 2018. Alaumary also conspired with Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, aka “Ray Hushpuppi,” and others to launder funds from a North Korean-perpetrated cyber-enabled heist from a Maltese bank in February 2019. Last summer, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles charged Abbas in a separate case alleging that he conspired to launder hundreds of millions of dollars from BEC frauds and other scams.
Accompanying Mitigation Efforts
Throughout the investigation, the FBI and the Justice Department provided specific information to victims about how they had been targeted or compromised, as well as information about the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used by the hackers with the goals of remediating any intrusion and preventing future intrusions. That direct sharing of information took place in the United States and in foreign countries, often with the assistance of foreign law enforcement partners. The FBI also collaborated with certain private cybersecurity companies by sharing and analyzing information about the intrusion TTPs used by the members of the conspiracy.
In addition to the criminal charges, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Treasury, today released a joint cybersecurity advisory and malware analysis reports (MARs) regarding North Korean cryptocurrency malware. The joint cybersecurity analysis and MARs highlight the cyber threat North Korea – which is referred to by the U.S. government as HIDDEN COBRA – poses to cryptocurrency and identify malware and indicators of compromise related to the “AppleJeus” family of malware (the name given by the cybersecurity community to a family of North Korean malicious cryptocurrency applications that includes Celas Trade Pro, WorldBit-Bot, Union Crypto Trader, Kupay Wallet, CoinGo Trade, Dorusio, CryptoNeuro Trader, and Ants2Whale). The joint cybersecurity advisory and MARs collectively provide the cybersecurity community and public with information about identifying North Korean malicious cryptocurrency applications, avoiding intrusions, and remedying infections.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI also obtained seizure warrants authorizing the FBI to seize cryptocurrency stolen by the North Korean hackers from a victim in the indictment – a financial services company in New York – held at two cryptocurrency exchanges. The seizures include sums of multiple cryptocurrencies totalling approximately $1.9 million, which will ultimately be returned to the victim.
Jon, Kim, and Park are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit computer fraud and abuse, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.
In relation to the case filed in Los Angeles, Alaumary has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The investigation of Jon, Kim, and Park was led by the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, which worked closely with the FBI’s Charlotte Field Office. The U.S. Secret Service’s Los Angeles Field Office and Global Investigative Operations Center provided substantial assistance. The FBI’s Cyber Division also provided substantial assistance.
The investigations of Alaumary were conducted by the U.S. Secret Service’s Savannah Field Office, FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, and the U.S. Secret Service’s Los Angeles Field Office and Global Investigative Operations Center. The FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division also provided substantial assistance.
The case against Jon, Kim, and Park is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anil J. Antony and Khaldoun Shobaki of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section, with substantial assistance from Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Antony and Shobaki are also prosecuting the case against Alaumary, in which the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia and the Criminal Division’s Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) provided substantial assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Antony and Shobaki, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Galatzan of the Asset Forfeiture Section, also obtained the seizure warrants for cryptocurrency stolen from the financial services company in New York.
The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance throughout these investigations, as did many of the FBI’s Legal Attachés, as well as foreign authorities around the world. Numerous victims cooperated and provided valuable assistance.”
Kim Kardashian has officially filed for divorce to end her marriage of six years to Kanye West.
A representative for the reality star confirmed the new development to TMZ, saying the divorce is “amicable,” and that Kardashian is asking for joint legal and physical custody of the couple’s four kids, which West is “fine” with the joint custody arrangement.
It was also reported that both Kim and Kanye are committed to co-parenting together.
The report also said there is a prenup and that they have since reached a property settlement agreement.
The docs, filed by Laura Wasser, don’t list a date of separation, according to TMZ.
The news comes after a source told E! News their relationship had effectively reached its breaking point following months of private turmoil.
“It’s gotten to the point where they haven’t spent time together as a married couple in months,” an insider shared with E! News. “They’ve seen each other for the sake of the kids but have been living separately. Kim knows the marriage is over. She’s known for a while.”
The couple, who both went public with their relationship in April 2012, got married in May 2014. They share four children together, North West, 7, Saint West, 5, Chicago West, 3, and Psalm West, 20 months.
