US revokes both study and work visas for 1,000 Chinese students and researchers

September 10, 2020

The United States government has revoked visas of more than 1,000 Chinese students and researchers under an order issued by President Donald Trump accusing some of them of espionage and working for the Chinese communist party, the State Department said Wednesday September 9.

As tensions between Beijing and Washington rose on multiple fronts, Trump, in a May 29 proclamation, declared that some Chinese nationals officially in the United States for study have stolen intellectual property and helped modernize China’s military.

The State Department, on Wednesday September 9 for the first time, has now released first figures on the effects of Trump’s order, stating that more than 1,000 visas have been revoked since June 1 when implementation began.

“The high-risk graduate students and research scholars made ineligible under this proclamation represent a small subset of the total number of Chinese students and scholars coming to the United States,” a State Department spokeswoman said.

“We continue to welcome legitimate students and scholars from China who do not further the Chinese Communist Party’s goals of military dominance,” she said.

The State Department also accused some of the students and researchers of stealing research information from American scientists working to develop a covid-19 vaccine.

Nearly 370,000 students from China were enrolled at US Universities in 2018-19, the most of any country, pouring in income to the educational sector now laden with Coronavirus pandemic economic effects.

Source: Jide N.

Ghanaian pastor shoots wife dead in the US

September 9, 2020

A popular US-based Ghanaian pastor identified as Sylvester Ofori has been arrested after he shot his wife Barbara Tommey dead.

The incident took place outside the 27-year-old woman’s workplace at the Navy Federal Credit Union, near the Mall at Millenia in Orlando, on Tuesday 8th September 2020.

Barbara was shot by Sylvester, near the business’ front doors on the 4600 block of Gardens Park Boulevard just before 9 a.m., an Orlando Police Department spokesperson said.

Tommey was pronounced dead at Orlando Regional Medical Center shortly after she was rushed there for medical attention.

Ofori, 35, was taken into custody at his apartment Tuesday evening, the OPD spokesperson said. He is being held at the Orange County Jail without bond on a charge of first-degree murder with a firearm.

During a press conference Tuesday morning, Chief Orlando Rolón said the shooting was captured on CCTV.

“You can tell that she was surprised by what was happening,” he said.

Popular Ghanaian pastor shoots wife dead in the US

The Navy Federal Credit Union released a statement on the shooting.

The statement reads: “This morning, a team member was fatally injured during an act of violence outside our Millenia branch, by a man she knew, according to the police.

“Our thoughts are with our team member’s family. Our number one priority is keeping both our members and team members safe. We will ensure all team members at the branch are provided with the support they need during this time. Any further information can be provided by the Orlando Police Department.”

Pastor Sylvester has reportedly been abusing his wife for a long time. Due to the abuse, Barbara was persuaded by her family to leave him. But Sylvester tracked her to her workplace yesterday and shot her 7 times.

A woman named Lisa, who witnessed the shooting, said: “I’m shaken up right now, I’m still shaken up.”

She said she saw Barbara come outside to move her car before she was shot.

“The next thing I knew, he raised his hand with the gun in it, and he shot her,” she said.

“The guy was walking behind her. I don’t know if she knew he was there or not. I started running and as I’m running, I hear three or four more shots.”

Lisa spoke highly of the deceased woman.

She said: “She was always very nice when I came into the bank. She’s very nice, very nice.”

Source: Jide N.

Oxford University Covid-19 vaccine trial paused, a participant very sick

September 9, 2020

Oxford University Coronavirus vaccine trial has been paused after a participant had a suspected adverse reaction in the UK.

Spokesman for AstraZeneca, the company working with a team from Oxford University said the trial was placed on hold after to review the “potentially unexplained illness” in one of the participants.

The spokesperson told Guardian;

“As part of the ongoing randomised, controlled global trials of the Oxford coronavirus vaccine, our standard review process was triggered and we voluntarily paused vaccination to allow review of safety data by an independent committee.
“This is a routine action which has to happen whenever there is a potentially unexplained illness in one of the trials, while it is investigated, ensuring we maintain the integrity of the trials. In large trials illnesses will happen by chance but must be independently reviewed to check this carefully.
“We are working to expedite the review of the single event to minimise any potential impact on the trial timeline. We are committed to the safety of our participants and the highest standards of conduct in our trials.”

The AstraZeneca-Oxford University vaccine is seen as a strong contender among dozens being developed globally. Hopes have been high that the vaccine might be one of the first to come on the market, following successful phase 1 and 2 testing.

Its Phase 3 testing in recent weeks has involved some 30,000 participants in the US as well as in the UK, Brazil and South Africa. Phase 3 trials in vaccines often involve thousands of participants and can last several years.

The vaccine, which had been expected to be publicly available as early as January, is one of two projects on which the Australian government plans to spend $1.7bn as part of a deal to ensure free vaccines for all citizens.

Source: Francisca C.

Pizza Hut to shut 29 restaurants and cutting off 450 jobs in UK

September 9, 2020

Pizza Hut has announced plans to shut 29 of its 244 UK restaurants, putting around 450 jobs at risk.

The highly-popular restaurant chain said it faced ‘significant disruption’ from the coronavirus pandemic and that the lockdown was so detrimental that ‘sales are not expected to fully bounce back until well into 2021.’

A Pizza Hut Restaurants spokeswoman said: “We are committed to doing the right thing, and in order to secure as many jobs as possible and continue serving our communities, we are working to reach an agreement with our creditors.

“While we are likely to see 29 Hut closures and 450 job losses, any measures we take aim to protect about 5,000 jobs at our remaining 215 restaurants, as well as the longevity of the business.”

She added: “We understand this is a difficult time for everyone involved.

“We appreciate the support of our business partners and are doing everything we can to help our team members during this process, including speaking with those affected by the consultation.”

The move is expected not to affect operations or jobs at Pizza Hut Delivery or related franchises.

Source: Hajia R.

Ukrainian church leader who blamed COVID-19 on gay marriage, tests positive for the virus

September 9, 2020

A prominent religious leader in Ukraine who blamed the Coronavirus pandemic on same-sex marriage has tested positive for the virus, his church announced.

Patriarch Filaret, 91, the leader of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate, contracted COVID-19 and was subsequently hospitalized, the church confirmed a statement shared on its website and on Facebook over the weekend.

In a follow-up statement released on Tuesday September 8, the church said its leader’s health is “stable” as “treatment continues.”

“We ask you to continue to pray for His Holiness Patriarch Filaret, so that the All-Merciful and Almighty Lord God will heal the Patriarch,” the statement continued.

Back in March, Patriarch Filaret in an interview with a local Ukrainian TV station reportedly called the crisis “God’s punishment for the sins of men and sinfulness of humanity.”

“First of all, I mean same-sex marriage,” he added. “This is the cause of the coronavirus.”

Following Filaret’s controversial comments, the Ukrainian LGBTQ rights group Insight filed a lawsuit against him in April.

“Our aim is to show people that there is no longer place for such statements from church leaders in Ukraine,” Insight’s leader, Olena Shevchenko, told Thomson Reuters Foundation at the time.

According to the foundation, the suit sought an apology from Filaret for disseminating false information and a correction from the TV station that aired his controversial remarks.

Source: Francisca C.

France striker, Kylian Mbappe tests positive for Covid-19

September 9, 2020

France and Paris Saint-Germain striker, Kylian Mbappe has tested positive for Coronavirus.

The French FA confirmed his diagnosis in a statement on Monday September 7, saying the 21-year-old is asymptomatic and has also been ruled out of France’s match against Croatia on Tuesday night after returning a positive test result.

“Kylian Mbappe will not participate in France versus Croatia on Tuesday evening at 20:45CET at the Stade de France,” a statement from the French FA has confirmed.

“The result of his Covid-19 test carried out by UEFA on Monday morning was found to be positive. He was placed away from the group after receiving the results, at the end of training, before going back to his own home in the evening.

“Like the entire delegation, Kylian Mbappe had undergone a test prior to the games of the international break. The result was negative, like the one last Wednesday, at the request of UEFA, before Sweden against France.”

Kylian Mbappe becomes the seventh PSG player to test positive for coronavirus after Neymar, Marquinhos, Keylor Navas, Angel Di Maria, Mauro Icardi and Leandro Paredes.

Source: Usman O.

Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez and their kids [photos]

September 9, 2020

Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez shared beautiful photos of their blended family to celebrate Labour Day.

The new family portraits show the couple in all-white alongside their four children: Rodriguez’s daughters Natasha, 15, and Ella, 12, and Lopez’s 12-year-old twins Emme and Max.

One photo shows Rodriguez kissing his fiancée on the cheek as she closes her eyes outside their family home.

“Tree cheers,” Alex, 45, captioned a photo shared to his Instagram.

“Wishing everyone a happy and healthy Labor Day, from our family to yours,” J.Lo captioned photos shared to Instagram.

Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez and their kids share beautiful blended family photo to celebrate Labour Day

Source: Francisca C.

Kevin De Bruyne wins PFA Player of the Year

September 9, 2020

Kevin De Bruyne has been crowned Manchester City’s first-ever PFA Player of the Year.

The Belgian midfielder equalled Arsenal’s legend Thierry Henry’s Premier League record of 20 assists in a single season as City finished second to Premier League champions Liverpool. He also scored 13 goals.

De Bruyne edged out team-mate Raheem Sterling, and Liverpool quartet Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jordan Henderson, Virgil Van Dijk, and Sadio Mane to win the award on Tuesday night, September 8.

The Belgian equalled Thierry Henry’s Premier League record of 20 assists in a single season as City finished a distant second to Premier League champions Liverpool.

‘It’s a huge honour. To be voted for by your colleagues and competitors from other teams who you play against is amazing,’ De Bruyne said.

‘It’s strange that I’m the first one at City given all the good players that have played here before and who are still playing here but it’s nice.’

‘When players vote for you, and it’s everyone who is voting not just a few, that means you’ve done really well during the season,’ added De Bruyne, who was also awarded Premier League Player of the Season last month.

‘Most of the time Pep just lets me be me. He gives me a lot of freedom. I don’t know why, it’s just the way it goes between us and he knows I will always put the team first.

‘If I can help myself, I’ll do that, but he knows I want the team to win and if the team wins then I’ll gain from it. In that sense he trusts me completely.’

Source: Usman O.

Iran’s Supreme leader,says cartoons of Prophet Mohammed is ‘unforgivable’

September 8, 2020

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has condemned the republishing of cartoons of the prophet Muhammad in a French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

Charlie Hebdo had republished the same cartoons about the Great Prophet and Islam that prompted a deadly attack on the magazine in 2015.

Khamenei in a statement released on Tuesday September 8, said the “grave and unforgivable sin” committed by the French magazine to insult the divine character of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) once again laid bare the devilish hostility and grudge that Western political and cultural organizations hold against Islam and the Muslim community.

He also decribed the justification of freedom of expression given by certain French politicians for refusing to condemn “such a serious crime as rejected, wrong and demagogic”.

The Iranian Supreme leader said;

“The deeply anti-Islamic policies of Zionists and the arrogant governments are the reason for such hostile moves that take place every now and then,” Ayatollah Khamenei said, adding that the insulting move at the current juncture could be aimed at distracting the attention of West Asian nations and governments from the ominous plots that the US and the Zionist regime have hatched against the region.
“Muslim nations, particularly West Asian countries, must remain vigilant about issues in this delicate region, and never forget the hostilities of the Western politicians and leaders against Islam and Muslims.”

Despite the outrage the cartoon has incited in the Muslim world, French President Emmanuel Macron has refused to criticize the satirical magazine’s decision to republish the cartoon. According to him, Charlie Hebdo had broken no law in republishing the cartoons to mark the September 2 opening of the trial into a deadly 2015 attack on its offices by Islamist extremists.

Source: Lucky B.

Selfie: Lady plunges to her death while posing for photos

September 8, 2020

A woman has died after she slipped and fell while posing for photos during a date with her fiance.

31-year-old Dorcas Jepkemoi Chumba drowned when she fell into a dam at Chepkiit Waterfalls in Nandi County, Kenya, on Sunday, August 30

Her fiance, Benjamin Kazungu had been using her phone to take pictures of her when the tragedy occurred and she was immediately swept away by raging waters before he could save her.

Lady plunges to her death while posing for photos during an outing with her fiance? in Kenya

Kazungu said that he had taken his girlfriend out for a picnic at the famous falls to enjoy the breathtaking sight of the waterfall. He said that they had longed to hang out at the place as they both loved adventure but he did not know that it would be the last time he would ever see his girlfriend.

He recounted how he was taking photos of his fiancém unaware that the photos would be the last memory he would have of his fiancé.

He narrated how wonderful it was watching her pose with excitement for the pictures before she accidentally slipped into the flooded dam, disappearing into the waters as he tried unsuccessfully to save her.

“I encountered the worst scene of my life. Seeing her sinking helplessly into the water and my effort proving futile breaks my heart even more,” said Kazungu.

The family of the deceased have been camping at the falls since the sad incident with the hope of retrieving the body. Efforts by local divers to retrieve Jepkemoi’s body have been unsuccessful.

“We have been camping here since Sunday, local divers have been trying, but they are yet to get the body out,” said Jepkemoi’s brother Victor Kiptoo.

Kiptoo said his sister was jovial on the fateful the day before her death as she was anxiously waiting to go for a picnic with her lover.

He appealed to county governments of Uasin Gishu and Nandi together with the national government to help the family of nine children to retrieve the body of their sister.

“Painful as it is, it has happened, and we accept it, what we are requesting is help to retrieve the body for burial,” said Kiptoo.

Source: Jide N.

Covid-19 patient raped by an ambulance driver on their to the hospital in India

September 8, 2020

A 19-year-old girl was allegedly raped by an ambulance driver on her way to the hospital after she tested positive for COVID-19.

The teenage girl was reportedly attacked by a man known as V Noufal, 29, while on their way to the Firstline Covid Treatment Centre in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala, India, on Saturday night, September 5.

Noufal was arrested on Sunday morning September 6, after the victim told a staff of the hospital about the alleged incident when she arrived in Pandalam.

After his arrest, Police said he had not obtained the mandatory clearance certificate before joining as a driver.

Health Minister KK Shailaja described the attack in Kerala as ‘shocking’ and ‘inhuman’.

A health department official told The Indian Express that the driver is usually sent alone to a particular locality to pick up patients to limit the exposure of health workers.

The official said: ‘The driver’s chamber is partitioned and no other staff or nurse accompanies the driver while ferrying patients to hospital.

‘This is to limit the exposure of health workers to infected persons. In rare cases, if the patient is serious, we send a nurse. In this case, both patients were stable.’

The attack is the latest in a series of high profile sexual offenses in India. Last week, a three-year-old girl was raped and strangled in the Lakhimpur Kher district, of Uttar Pradesh.

Source: Lucky B.

Man rushed to hospital after sticking beer glass up his butthole

September 8, 2020

A 53-year-old man was rushed into surgery after he inserted a beer glass into his butt hole and couldn’t get it out.

The incident took place in the county of Lu in the south-western Chinese province of Sichuan.

The patient, named as Mr Huang, was taken into theatre after struggling to pull the vessel out himself.

Medics were forced to operate because the glass was firmly wedged around 6cm in his rectum.

It is believed the man inserted the glass in his bum for sexual pleasure.

Brit Dr Carol Cooper said: “Most people who do this are men, often with a sexual motive.

“While it’s good to explore one’s sensuality, shoving things like candles, spray cans, and Christmas ornaments up the rear end is taking it too far.”

A British Medical Journal report warns doctors not to laugh or shame patients who end up in A&E with items up their bum.

It says: “Generally, patients with rectal foreign bodies try to retrieve the objects by themselves because of shame and embarrassment to seek medical care.

“But the majority fail in these attempts and eventually present to the emergency room.

“Management of these patients requires a respectful and non-condemnatory attitude on behalf of doctors and nurses.

“Prior to discharge, patients should be educated on the potential dangers of their habit.”

It is not known how long the Chinese victim will take to recover.

A report by the Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Southwest Medical University said the patient inserted the upside-down glass vessel up his backside.

They said it measured 5.62cm in diameter and was 5.91cm tall.

X-ray pictures show the glass lodged in the patient’s back passage, with a team of dedicated doctors working to remove it.

Source: Jide N.

Charlie Hebdo 2015 attack trial, revisited today in Paris

September 7, 2020

A Paris court on Monday sat through a viewing of graphic images of the 2015 Charlie Hebdo newsroom attack scene, prompting horrified members of the audience to leave the room in tears.

More than five years after the massacre at the satirical paper, the CCTV images and police pictures taken during and right after the attack stirred strong emotions in the courtroom.

“Some people may find these scenes disturbing,” warned the court’s presiding judge Regis de Jorna as proceedings got under way.

Once the viewing started, some attack survivors left the room in tears.

In the box of the accused, some watched while others looked away.

Everybody else took in the images of the extreme violence of the attack in shock and icy silence.

‘Inhuman’

“What we’ve just seen is inhuman,” said Caty Richard, a lawyer for one of the civil parties. “They were killing machines.”

It was 11:33 am on Wednesday, January 7, 2015, when the Kouachi brothers, Cherif and Said, entered Charlie Hebdo’s premises in Paris and killed 10 people in under two minutes.

In total 12 people, including some of France’s most celebrated cartoonists, were gunned down at the scene.

The former head of the Paris police’s anti-terror unit, Christian Deau, walked the court through the events, his calm, almost clinical delivery of the facts accentuating the horror of his account.

The first of the graphic pictures, taken by police right after their arrival, shows the entrance used by the two brothers just before shooting down the paper’s webmaster, Simon Fieschi, who was later evacuated, seriously injured.

In the adjacent room Moustapha Ourrad, a copy editor who worked at Charlie Hebdo for 30 years, is seen dying in a pool of his own blood.

A picture of the main conference room shows a tangle of bodies, dead or dying amid printers and stacks of printing paper.

In total, 33 bullet cartridges were found at the crime scene, 21 from Cherif Kouachi’s weapon alone.

Police found seven rounds in the body of chief editor Stephane Charbonnier, known as Charb, fired at point-blank range of less than 10 centimetres (four inches), Deau said.

Execution-style

The trajectory of the bullets found in the bodies of most of the murdered cartoonists were consistent with execution-style killings from behind, Dead added.

Closed-circuit video recordings showed the killers seemingly calm and determined during the attack, and also during their getaway when they casually killed a police officer, Ahmed Merabet, who was already on the ground.

Following a sustained exchange of fire with several police units, the two killers abandoned their vehicle whose windows had been shot to pieces.

Police later found enough extra weapons in the car to lead them to believe that the brothers may have been planning more attacks, Deau said.

Police killed the brothers two days later after a manhunt.

Fourteen suspected accomplices are on trial in connection with the Charlie Hebdo attack, and with a related attack on a Jewish supermarket.

The killings sparked a series of attacks on French soil, including “lone wolf” attacks by people said to be inspired by the Islamic State group that have since claimed more than 250 lives.

Hearings began last week under heavy security as eleven of the suspects faced the court on charges of conspiracy in a terrorist act or association with a terror group.

Three others, including the wife of one of the gunmen, are being tried in absentia because they fled to IS-held territory in Syria days before the attacks.

The court is to hear the testimony of attack survivors on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Source: Murtala D.

Covid-19: Morocco locks down Casablanca, shuts schools

September 7, 2020

Morocco imposed a lockdown on Casablanca and shut its schools Monday, the day pupils were due to return to classes, in a bid to stop the spread of Covid-19.

The new measures, which include restrictions on movement and a night-time curfew, would be in place for two weeks in the commercial capital, the authorities said a statement issued late Sunday.

“We risk being overwhelmed by the virus,” said Health Minister Khalid Ait Taleb.

“Therefore, drastic measures are required, otherwise the situation may get out of control in the coming days,” the official MAP news agency quoted him as saying.

Morocco has seen a spike in coronavirus cases in recent weeks. It recorded 2,234 new infections on Sunday, a record for a single day, with 42 percent of them in Casablanca, home to 3.3 million people.about:blank

Since detecting its first case in early March, Morocco has recorded 72,394 cases of Covid-19 infection, including 1,361 deaths.

The authorities blame the spread of Covid-19 on people’s failure to adhere to health protocols.

Casablanca, along with Marrakesh, had already been subject to a series of restrictions three weeks ago, including beach closures and shortened business hours.

Authorities decided on Monday to close educational institutions including primary, middle and high schools as well as universities.

That came after epidemiologists voiced concern over the health system’s capacity to respond to the crisis, and the additional risks posed by the start of the school year.

All exits to major cities were closed from midday, with travel only allowed with “exceptional authorisation” issued by local authorities.

‘Negative effects’

The decision not to reopen schools drew criticism on social media from Moroccans expressing their disappointment.

“We spent the weekend labelling school supplies with the children, they were on cloud nine over returning to school tomorrow,” wrote one father on Twitter. “How do you explain this to a six-year-old and an eight-year-old?”

Another parent was also indignant: “They tell us, without any notice, without delay and late in the evening… that we are being forced into semi-imprisonment,” he tweeted.

Ahead of the planned opening, epidemiologists had raised concerns over the health risks of students returning to school and the capacity of the health sector to respond to a further spike in cases.

Dr. Tayeb Hamdi, vice president of the national health federation had recommended postponing the start of the school year to “avoid schools becoming vectors of contamination”, in an interview published Monday by the news site Medias24.

But the head of the child psychiatry department of the largest hospital in Casablanca, Ghita Benjelloun, also flagged “extremely negative effects” of keeping schools closed after a long lockdown that generated among young people “a lot of fear, anxiety and insecurity”.

Cases of suicide attempts, violence and conduct disorders among young patients — both children and adolescents — have tripled in her department since the lockdown, she said, according to Medias24.

In mid-June, the Moroccan Pediatrics Society had alerted authorities to the possible “devastating effect” of lockdown on youths.

Source: Murtala D.

Tokyo Olympics must continue in 2021

September 7, 2020

The Tokyo Olympics will go ahead in 2021 ‘with or without Covid,’ the International Olympic Committee vice president said on Monday, September 7.

‘It will take place with or without Covid. The Games will start on July 23 next year,’ said John Coates ,who heads the International Olympic Committee’s Coordination Commission for the Tokyo Games.

‘The Games were going to be the Reconstruction Games after the devastation of the tsunami,’ he said, referring to a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan in 2011.

‘Now very much these will be the Games that conquered Covid, the light at the end of the tunnel.’

The Olympics were originally scheduled to start in July 2020, but were postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Games are now set to open on July 23, 2021.

Japanese officials have made clear they would not delay sport event a second time beyond 2021.

A recent poll found just one in four people in Japan want them to go ahead next year, with most backing either another postponement or cancellation.

Coates said the Japanese government “haven’t dropped the baton at all” following the postponement, despite the “monumental task” of putting the event back a year.

“Before Covid, (IOC president) Thomas Bach said this is the best prepared Games we’ve ever seen, the venues were almost all finished, they are now finished, the village is amazing, all the transport arrangements, everything is fine,” he said.

“Now it’s been postponed by one year, that’s presented a monumental task in terms of re-securing all the venues… something like 43 hotels we had to get out of those contracts and re-negotiate for a year later.

“Sponsorships had to be extended a year, broadcast rights.”

With much of that work underway, or accomplished, a task force has been set up to look at the different scenarios in 2021 – from how border controls will affect the movement of athletes and officials, to whether fans can pack venues.

The group, comprising Japanese and IOC officials, met for the first time last week to set up a task force to draw out plans required for the games to go ahead in 2021.

“Their job now is to look at all the different counter-measures that will be required for the Games to take place,” said Coates, the long-time president of the Australian Olympic Committee.

“Some countries will have it (Covid) under control, some won’t. We’ll have athletes, therefore, coming from places where it’s under control and some where it is not.

“There’s 206 teams… so there’s a massive task being undertaken on the Japanese side.”

Source: Jide N.

Ola Aina, Super Eagles Defender, set to join Fulham on loan from Torino

September 7, 2020

Super Eagles wing-back, Ola Aina, who plays for Serie A club Torino is set to join premier league side, Fulham.

The Nigerian international will join the Cottagers on an initial season-long loan, with the deal expected to be completed this week.

According to Sky Sports, Fulham will have the option to make Aina’s loan a permanent transfer for a figure in the region of £11m.

Aina, a graduate of Chelsea’s academy, spent the 2017-18 campaign away on loan at Hull before making a season-long loan move to Torino the following year.

Super Eagles defender, Ola Aina set to join Fulham on loan from Torino

The 23-year-old made 37 appearances across all competitions for Torino in the 2019/20 season and contributed two assists.

The British born footballer, who pledged his international future to Nigeria in May 2017, won bronze with the Super Eagles at the Africa Cup of Nations Cup tournament in 2019.

Source: Usman O.

Nigeria’s revenue has dropped to more than 60% – President Buhari

September 7, 2020

President Buhari has raised an alarm over the decline in the country’s revenue amid the Coronavirus pandemic.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who delivered President Buhari’s remark at the start of the first-year Ministerial performance review retreat holding in Abuja on Monday September 7, said his administration adopted a N2.3 trillion economic sustainability plan to mitigate the effect of the economic slowdown.

He said;

“For the government, it has been a particularly trying time. As a result of the poor fortunes of the oil sector, our revenues and foreign exchange earnings have fallen drastically. Our revenues have fallen by almost 60 percent.
“Yet we have had to sustain expenditures, especially on salaries and capital projects, in order to keep the economy going.
“But we have also had to take some difficult decisions to stop unsustainable practices that were weighing the economy down.”

President Buhari who denied claims of his administration being insensitive to the suffering of Nigerians following the increased prices of fuel and electricity, said he directed Ministers and senior administration officials to swiftly implement the Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) to give succor to Nigerians.

He added;

“This government is not insensitive to the condition of our people and the very difficult economic situation and we will not inflict hardship on our people.
“In this regard, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has created credit facilities (of up to N100B) for the Healthcare (N100 Billion) and Manufacturing (N1 Trillion) sectors.
“From January 2020 to date, over N191.87B has already been disbursed for 76 real sectors projects under the N1Trillion Real Sector Scheme; while 34 Healthcare projects have been funded to the tune of N37.159B under the Healthcare Sector Intervention Facility.
“The facilities are meant to address some of the infrastructural gap in the healthcare and manufacturing sector as a fall out to the COVID-19 pandemic and to facilitate the attainment of the Governors 5-year strategic plan.”
Source: Hajia R.

India overtakes Brazil in the Covid-19 cases

September 7, 2020

India has surpassed Brazil on Monday September 7, to become the second-worst affected country in the world hit by coronavirus.

A total of 90,802 new cases were registered overnight, taking the total number of cases to 4,204,613. India were able to go from three to four million cases in 13 days, while it took Brazil 25 and the US 16 days.

Less than a quarter of these cases are active and the recovery rate is more than 77%, according to the Indian health ministry.

The Indian government has stepped up testing capabilities with over a million tests every day, which is one reason for the spike in cases showing up in smaller towns, cities, and rural India.

Dr. Harendra Kushwaha, the head of the COVID-19 rapid response team in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad, said his team are overseeing two blocks of Makanpur and Kinauni that comprise of nearly 200,000 people, a task that is overwhelming for his ’80-strong group.’

Dr Kushwaha told Sky News: “These are corona warriors who are risking their lives meeting COVID-19 patients and their families.

“People don’t know if they are carrying the virus and may spread it indiscriminately. We have to break the chain.”

India overtakes Brazil to become second worst-hit country by Coronavirus pandemic

Source: Lucky B.

COVID-19: France puts more departments on Covid high alert

September 7, 2020

French authorities have placed seven more departments covering major cities such as Lille, Strasbourg and Dijon on high alert as increases in Covid-19 infections accelerate, the government said Sunday.

Of France’s 101 mainland and overseas departments, 28 are now considered “red zones” where authorities will be able to impose exceptional measures to slow the number of new coronavirus cases.

The move comes as France reported a record of nearly 9,000 daily cases on Friday, and a further 8,550 cases in the past 24 hours on Saturday, when the nationwide test positivity rate increased to 4.7 percent.

Paris and the Bouches-du-Rhone department encompassing the southeastern city of Lyon were the first to be placed on high alert by the government on August 14 after infection rates began to climb.

That prompted local officials to require face masks in all public spaces to slow the virus’s spread, in hope of avoiding a spike in cases that could again overwhelm hospitals as autumn approaches.about:blank

The Sante Publique France health agency, which has warned of “exponential” caseload increases, said Saturday that 53 new outbreak clusters had been discovered in the previous 24 hours, bringing the total number under investigation to 484.

Twelve more Covid-19 deaths were reported, for an overall toll of 30,698 since the pandemic flared last March.

Concerns over infection risks have already prompted officials to close 22 schools after cases were detected just days after students returned from the summer break last week, and dozens of individual classes have also been suspended.

And in the southwest region of Aveyron, officials announced that a care home for the elderly 43 residents and 11 members of staff had tested positive for the virus, with two elderly people being hospitalised.

The Council of State, France’s highest administrative court, meanwhile slightly modified orders requiring the wearing of masks in several cities in the eastern Bas-Rhine region, including Strasbourg, and in the southeast Rhone region covering Lyon.

It accepted health ministry arguments that citywide orders imposing the wearing of masks were reasonable, but ordered less restrictive measures in less built-up areas in Bas-Rhin — and in Rhone, changes to the orders to allow for the practice of sports.

On Sunday, the government said pre-school teachers as well as those with deaf students would soon be given transparent masks to facilitate comprehension at a crucial education stage for young children.

“More than 100,000 of these masks will be produced by the end of this month,” the state secretary in charge of people with disabilities, Sophie Cluzel, told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper.

Source: Jide N.

2 Nigerians arrested for defrauding a German company of 14.7m euros

September 7, 2020

The Cybercrime Unit of the Nigeria Police Force, INTERPOL, National Central Bureau, Abuja has arrested two (2) suspects for their complicity in a major multi-million Euro scam touching on the procurement of COVID-19 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

A statement released by the spokesperson of the Nigerian Police Force, Frank Mba on Sunday September 6, says the suspects, Babatunde Adesanya a.k.a Teddy, 50years old Master degree holder in Cell Biology and Akinpelu Hassan Abass, 41years old, the M.D Musterpoint Investment Nig. Ltd, who are members of a “sophisticated transnational criminal network,” allegedly cloned the corporate website of ILBN Holdings BV, Holland to transact with and defraud one Freiherr Fredrick Von Hahn, a representative of the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The arrest of the suspects was sequel to a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) received by the Bureau from the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice conveying a request from the German Government for investigations into a fraudulent transaction on the procurement of COVID-19 Personal Protective Equipment linked to a Nigerian-based Bank Account.
Discrete investigations by INTERPOL Nigeria revealed that the suspects and their Holland-based cohorts, one Eduardus Boomstra and Geradius Maulder specialized in identity theft, cyber-stalking, cloning of corporate websites amongst other cyber mischiefs to defraud unsuspecting members of the public across the world. In this instance, the suspects fraudulently obtained from Mr Freiherr Fredrick Von Hahn the sum of 1.5m Euro and another 880,000 Euro as advanced payment for the supply of COVID-19 PPEs valued at 14.7million Euros. Disturbed by the non-arrival of the PPEs, Mr Freiherr Fredrick Von Hahn eventually visited the corporate office of ILBN Holdings BV in Holland to inquire reasons for the delay in supplying the items only to find out that the company never did business with him and that the transaction was a scam. The fraudsters merely cloned the company’s website and falsely presented themselves as representatives of the company before subsequently executing the fraudulent transaction. Consequently, he reported the case of fraud to the Police in Holland and this led to the arrest of Eduardus Boomstra and Geradius Maulder in Holland and investigations extended to Nigeria.
Investigation by INTERPOL Nigeria further revealed that Babatunde Adesanya received 498,000 Euro from Eduardus Boomstra and Geradius Maulder through his Citibank London account and transferred same to an account number domiciled with a Lagos branch of a leading commercial bank in Nigeria belonging to Musterpoint Investment Nig. Ltd.” the statement in part reads

While commending the Commissioner of Police, INTERPOL, CP Garba Baba Umar and operatives of INTERPOL Nigeria, Cybercrime Unit for a job well done, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP M.A Adamu, NPM, mni assured members of the public and the international community of the commitment of the Force to tackling cybercrimes and other transnational crimes.

Mba said the suspects will be arraigned before a competent court of law soon.

SOurce: Jide N.

“Death should be democratic’ – Alain Cocq

September 7, 2020

A French man, Alain Cocq, 57, with an incurable illness who unsuccessfully tried to convince France President Emmanuel Macron to allow him to die by “active medical assistance” says he wants to live stream his own death on Facebook.

Alain Cocq, from Dijon in eastern France, has a rare incurable medical condition that causes his arteries to stick together.

Cocq wants to determine how he dies and has decided to stop all medical care, food and drink on Friday September 4 at 11 p.m., so he can hasten his death, which is legal in France.

Cocq says he knows after stopping medical care and feeding he will suffer extreme pain till he dies, but he us willing to share his death experience with the world by live streaming on Facebook.

It is not clear whether the live stream of his death will be allowed under Facebook’s policy.

Euthanasia, also known as assisted dying, is illegal in France but suicide is legal.

French law also says that deep and continuous sedation, which can hasten a person’s death and render them unconscious until they die, is not legal unless under specific circumstances set out by the 2016 Claeys-Leonetti Law, which also requires a person’s death to be imminent.

Cocq, wrote a letter to Macron dated July 20 asking the President to allow him to die “with dignity,” describing his “extremely violent suffering.”

“I would like to make it clear to you that on this day I find myself in a situation of having on sound mind, confined in a dysfunctional body, crippled by suffering,” he wrote in the letter.

“Would you withstand, Mr President, having your intestines emptied into a pouch, having your bladder emptied into a pouch and that you are fed by a pouch, that a third party must bathe you, to be crippled by unbearable pain?” Cocq wrote in the letter.

According to Cocq, Macron should review French laws that prevent health care professionals from hastening the deaths of their dying patients with medicine.

“I simply ask to leave with dignity, with active medical assistance, because my dysfunctional body prevents me from doing so surrounded by my family and my friends,” he wrote.

“Some use the term ‘active euthanasia’ or ‘assisted suicide,’ but for me the term most suitable is ‘end of life with dignity with active medical assistance,'” he wrote.

President Macron in his response, said he was “moved” by Cocq’s letter and admired the “remarkable willpower” he had shown in fighting “incessant battles” with the illness.

But Macron said he could accept his request because he is “not situated above the law” and could not ask someone “to overstep our present legal framework.”

Speaking to CNN on Friday September 4, Cocq said that he expected that Macron would not be accept his request but that he appreciated the “compassion” he had shown him in his letter.

“Today, I am full of plenitude. I took the decision to end my life on June 26, which is when I asked my medical assistant to type the letter I later sent to the President.
“It was a brutal decision, but I can tell you I haven’t felt that good in a long time,” he told CNN.
“I know I am about to endure pain like I’ve never endured before, for about five to seven days,” he said.

On the decision to live stream his death via Facebook, which will be on mute, he added: “I am not doing this for voyeurism. I want to inform people about something we all know but refuse to talk about. Pain.”

“I chose to show this pain,” he said. “The basis of a democracy is that citizens have a free choice. Death should be democratic.”

Cocq, a christian also said that he did not believe what he was doing was anti-religious.

“God is love, and God will not let his people suffer unnecessarily,” he said.
It’s unclear whether anyone assisting him in his death would be prosecuted or whether authorities are planning to stop him from aiding his death.

Source: Jide N.

50-year-old security man suffocates with his face mask on

September 6, 2020

A security guard identified as Solomon Ede has died after he allegedly slept wearing his face mask in his place of work in Alako area of Abeokuta, Ogun state on Friday, August 28.

The Nation reports that Solomon was well known in the area for never failing to wear his face mask as part of measures to protect himself from contracting the dreaded Coronavirus. However, on Friday, the 50-year-old had a few glasses of local gin popularly known as Ogogoro before going to bed. He went to bed with his face mask on.

50-year-old security man suffocates after reportedly sleeping with his face mask on

His lifeless body was discovered face down, suggesting that he died of suffocation from the face mask. Neighbors who came to fetch water at the compound of the house where the deceased worked, banged on the gate of the building endlessly but late Ede did not come out to grant them access to the tap.

It was said that the noise at the gate of the building alerted late Ede’s boss who opened the gate for the visitors and decided to check on Ede in his room. He noticed that the door was locked so he forced it open only to find Ede lying face down on the bed lifeless and with his face mask in place. The boss was said to have raised the alarm which attracted other residents to the building, with many blaming the deceased’s tragic death on his obsession with alcohol.

A source said

“But for the noise from those who came to fetch water in the early hours of the day, no one would have known that a tragedy had occurred.
It was when the deceased failed to come out of his apartment to attend to those fetching water in the premises of the house that his boss came out and discovered his body.”

Shocked by the discovery, the deceased’s employer reported the matter to a police division at Kemta, Idi Aba.

Residents of the area claim the deceased took to alcohol after suffering depression. He was said to have been warned by his employer and others to desist from his habitual abuse of alcohol.

“He usually removed his face mask before going to bed. But he took some ogogoro late in the evening and was downcast. Those who saw him at the entrance of his apartment asked him to remove the mask on his face and go to bed, but he refused.
”However, he went to bed forgetting to remove his face mask and slept face down. He was probably choked to death by the face mask,” one of the residents who spoke on condition of anonymity said
Source: Jide N.

Abacha: How to make the your African Salad

September 5, 2020

Abacha, which is also known as African salad, is a delicious Nigerian meal that is most popular among the Igbo people

Time : 40 minutes

Recipe cuisine : Local

Nutrition : A serving of abacha contains 373 calories, 2g protein and ditery fiber 1g

About

Abacha, which is also known as African salad, is a delicious Nigerian meal that is most popular among the Igbo people. It is not only delicious, but highly nutritious as well.

Ingredients

5 serving

300 g Abacha (dried shredded cassava) 100g Ugba(Ukpaka)
200 ml Palm Oil 2 tablespoonful ground Crayfish
1 teaspoon ground Ehuru(calabash nutmeg)(optional)
1 level teaspoon ground Potash(akaun)
1 Stock cube/ powder(seasoning cube) 1 large or 2 small Onions
to taste Chili Pepper/ any hot pepper (to taste) Salt
1 tablespoonful finely chopped Garden Egg leave.(You can use
thinly sliced utazi leaves or spinach leaves as an alternative)
Boiled Dried fish or Stockfish Kpomo or Kanda (cow skin)

Steps

First wash, season and cook the kpomo(slice the kpomo into tiny bits). b. Soak the dry prawns in hot water to soften them a bit and strain. c. If you haven,t done this yet, also cut the fresh fish and fry. Also shred the boiled dried fish / stock fish. Then set all aside for later use.
Dissolve the ground akaun (potash) in about 3-4 tablespoonful of water and pass through a sieve to remove particles. Set the liquid aside for later use. e. Rinse the Ugba in lukewarm water, strain and set aside. f. Place the dry abacha in a bowl and soak in cold water for about 8 minutes until it goes from pure white color
Another method is to pour hot boiling water over the dry abacha, stir well and leave to soak for 1-2 minutes. Then pour the abacha into a sieve and let the water strain.
Slice one onion bulb into rings, and dice or pound the other onion bulb. Now for the preparation…. 1. Pour the palm oil into a clean dry pot, add the potash liquid and mix until the color begins to chage from orange to yellow and the mixture becomes a thick paste
Add the crayfish, pepper, diced/pounded onions, the ground ehuru(calabash nutmeg), ogiri and stock bube, mix thoroughly until well combined. 3. Now, place the pot on low heat, add the strained abacha and adjust for salt if neccessary. Mix well and put off the heat as soon as the abacha is warmed up. Tip: don’t leave the abacha for too long on heat, or you’ll end up with ”Abacha pottage” 🙂
You can choose to serve the meal as it is, along with the accompaniments, but if you choose to go further and mix it all in one pot. 4. Then, add the ugba(ukpaka),chopped garden eggs, the cooked dried/stock fish(if using), softened large prawns, and the kpomo. Mix well until all the ingredients are well blended.
Finally, add the sliced leaves, stir well and transfer to a serving plate. Garnish the prepared Abacha ncha (African salad), with the onion rings and fried fish…Enjoy!

Source: Kingsley U.

Body found outside Prince William & Kate’s home

September 5, 2020

A body has been found in a Kensington Palace lake – home to Prince William, Kate Middleton and Princess Eugenie.

The body was retrieved last weekend from one of the ornamental lakes at the front of the London palace.

Police discovered the corpse during a search for artist Endellion Lycett Green, granddaughter of poet laureate Sir John Betjeman.

Delli was later found alive, and the corpse turned out to be that of another woman.

Body found outside Prince William and Kate

In a message shared with friends, John Lycett Green, Delli’s brother, confirmed it had been a case of mistaken identity and she was found “alive, safe and well.”

He said: “My sister Endellion is alive, safe and well.

“Thank you all for the support and love you showed for Delli and her family.

“Sorry to all of you that, like us, were grieving for the wonder that is Delli. We were told a body was found and was her.

“It was not, and Delli was found last night.”

Mr Green added: “RIP the soul that was found in Kensington Round Pond on Saturday morning.”

A friend of the family told the Daily Mail: “Delli went through a bad patch, but it’s a huge relief to everyone that she is safe and well.

“It’s been a traumatic week.”

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “The death is being treated as unexplained at this time, but is not thought to be suspicious. Inquiries are ongoing.”

The spokesman added that Endellion’s family were contacted “as part of inquiries to establish the identity of the deceased.”

Source: Lucky B.

Kai Havertz from Bayern Leverkusen signs £89m with Chelsea

September 5, 2020

Chelsea have confirmed the record signing of Kai Havertz from Bayer Leverkusen for a fee of £89million.

The 21-year-old attacking midfielder becomes the club’s sixth major signing, joining Germany team-mate Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech, Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva, Malang Sarr, and Xavier Mbuyamba.

Havertz is now Chelsea’s second most expensive signing after Kepa Arrizabalaga joined from Athletic Bilbao (£71.6m) in 2018. He is also the most expensive German player of all time following the move.

Chelsea completes record ?89m signing of Kai Havertz from Bayern Leverkusen

The Germany international has scored 36 goals and contributed 25 assists in 118 appearances since making his debut for the Bundesliga club in October 2016.

‘I am very happy and proud to be here,’ Havertz said. ‘For me it is a dream come true to play in a big club like Chelsea and I can’t wait to meet all the players and the trainers. Yeah, I am very happy to be here!’

Chelsea director Granovskaia said of landing Havertz: ‘Kai is one of the best players of his age in world football, so we are very happy that his future lies at Chelsea. He has proven pedigree in one of the best leagues in Europe, he plays for the German national side and he is an exciting, dynamic talent. We are delighted to be able to add his versatility and quality to the squad before the season begins.’

Source: Usman O.

SANDF soldier charged with attempted murder for inflicting HIV on partner..

September 5, 2020

A soldier in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has been charged with attempted murder for allegedly infecting his partner with HIV intentionally.

The 44-year-old staff sergeant stationed at the SANDF’s Special Forces Unit based in Phalaborwa, Limpopo was arraigned in court on Friday September 4.

News24 reported that the soldier who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, underwent compulsory regular medical examinations as a SANDF operative and these include HIV tests.

In October 2007, he tested positive for HIV at the SANDF sickbay in Phalaborwa. Further tests confirmed his positive status. In 2016, the accused became romantically involved with a corporal in the SA Air Force. The accused had consensual and unprotected intercourse with her on several occasions between December 2016 and April 2017.

It was gathered that before the couple became romantically involved, the female corporal tested negative for HIV in August 2016. In the charge sheet made available to the publication, the lady also revealed that she never had an intercourse with anyone from the time she received her HIV report until she became involved with the accused.

She also disclosed that she was persuaded into having unprotected by the soldier who made her believe he was HIV negative. It was alleged that the soldier will either refuse to wear a condom during s3x, would prematurely remove the condom before the completion of s3xual intercourse or would insist and persist on having unprotected s3x with the victim. The victim tested positive for HIV in April 2017.

Though the soldier is currently out of custody on a warning, the case was adjourned till September 16.

Source: Jide N.

Naomi Campbell sued by billionaire ex-boyfriend Vladislav Doronin

September 5, 2020

Super model, Naomi Campbell has been sued by her Russian billionaire ex-boyfriend, Vladislav Doronin who accused her owing him lots of money and holding on to his property.

In court documents obtained by TMZ, Doronin who dated Campbell from 2008-2013 alleged that his supermodel ex has refused to pay back a sum he loaned her over the years (though the exact amount remains unclear) and is also holding on to some of his unspecified belongings worth in excess of $3 million.

When Campbell and Doronin split seven years ago, an insider had claimed that their separation had something to do with the billionaire being “too swept up in the celebrity lifestyle” that Campbell is part of.

The insider told PageSix at that time;

“In many ways their relationship is like a business arrangement. Naomi brings glamour to his hotels and properties, and he treats her extremely well. But they spend a lot of time apart due to work commitments.”

Doronin, who made his fortune as a real estate developer often showered Campbell with extravagant gifts during their five-year relationship. The owner and chairman of Aman Resorts took her on trips on his yacht and getaways to his private home on Cleopatra Island in Turkey.

Source: Hajia R.

Kanye West reveals he spent as much as $50 Million on his Sunday Service

September 5, 2020

Kanye West spared no expense in putting together his Sunday Service.

The rapper recently sat down with Nick Cannon for a segment on Nick’s podcast, “Cannon’s Class”

During the chat, Kanye boasted he’s richer than Donald Trump. He said he spent as much as $50 Million on his Sunday Service in 2019. The money was spent on choir uniforms, flights, operas and all the other operating expenses that went with it.

Sunday Service travelled around the country last year, with stops at Coachella, Skid Row in Los Angeles, Houston, Howard University in D.C., the family home in Calabasas, his ranch in Wyoming, The Forum in Inglewood, Louisiana, Chicago, Ohio, Joel Olsteen’s Lakewood Church and Jamaica.

There were also construction costs. For the Sunday Service on Easter at Coachella, bulldozers moved tons of earth to make a huge hill for the performance.

Kanye says the cash was taken out of funds set aside for marketing his Yeezy shoes. He said the shoes sell themselves, meaning he didn’t need to spend all the marketing budget on the shoes, so he used it to put on Sunday Service.

Watch Kanye speak in the video below.

https://share.tmz.com/videos/2020-08-31-083120-kanye-4844519/

Source: Lucky B.

President Buhari’s daughter, Hanan wedding photos

September 5, 2020

President Buhari and his wife, Aisha, on Friday, September 4, gave their daughter, Hanan’s hand in marriage to her fiance, Turad Sha’aban.

The wedding took place in the Presidential Villa in Abuja and was attended by various dignitaries.

Guests at the wedding included Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and wife, Dolapo, Senate President Ahmed Lawan, Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila, Ekiti state governor Kayode Fayemi and wife Bisi, Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige, Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote, first ladies of various states and many others.

See more photos below.

Photos from the wedding of President Buhari

Source: Francisca C.

Pre-wedding photos of President Buhari’s daughter

September 5, 2020

First lady, Aisha Buhari just released the stunning pre-wedding photos of her daughter, Hanan who is set to get married to her fiance, Turad Sha’aban, in the presidential villa, Abuja, today September 4.

Continue to see more photos.

Stunning pre-wedding photos of President Buhari

Source: Francisca C.

Nigeria receives samples of Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine

September 4, 2020

The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, has received samples of Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine from Russia’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Alexey Shebarshin.

A statement released by the Ministry of Health’s Director of Information, Media, and Public Relations, Olujimi Oyetomi, says the vaccines were presented by the Russian envoy to the Health Minister during a visit to the ministry in Abuja today, September 4.

Recall that the World Health Organisation, WHO, had said it would review the effectiveness of the vaccine when Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin, said they had approved a vaccine offering “sustainable immunity”.

The statement adds that the Minister has immediately handed over the vaccine samples to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, and the Nigeria Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development, and others for review and possible validation.

Source: Lucky B.

Cristiano’s girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez at Venice Film Festival [photos]

September 4, 2020

Georgina Rodriguez, the stunning partner of superstar footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo, commanded attention as she attended the 77th Venice Film Festival for The Human Voice screening on Thursday, September 3.

The Argentine model, 26, stormed the red carpet dressed in an exquisite pink gown with a racy slit which rocked with matching face mask and heels.

The Venice Film Festival which is one of the world’s oldest award ceremonies, started on Wednesday September 2, and will end on September 12.

See more photos below.

Source: Francisca C.

Kano musician sentenced to death for blasphemy appeals death sentence

September 4, 2020

Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, the Kano singer sentenced to death for blasphemy by a Shari’a court, has appealed the death sentence.

On August 10, Sharif was sentenced to death by hanging by the Upper Shari’a Court in Kano after he was found guilty of committing blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad in a viral song.

After he was sentenced, he was given a grace period of 30 days to appeal the judgement.

Sharif’s counsel, Kola Alanipini, in a suit filed at the Kano State High Court on Thursday, September 3, has asked the court to set the judgement aside, TheCable reports. This follows report Thursday morning that the copies of the judgement were handed to Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and human rights lawyer.

Abdullahi Ganduje, the Governor of Kano State, had stated that the State Government has accepted the death penalty and would not waste time to sign the verdict if Sharif-Aminu doesn’t appeal after 30 days or if he loses the appeal.

Source: Kingsley U.

Meghan is suing a picture agency over paparazzi photos

September 4, 2020

Meghan Markle is suing a picture agency over paparazzi photos of her walking her dogs with her son Archie.

The Duchess of Sussex claims her privacy was breached when the snaps were taken in Vancouver in January, and has launched legal action against Splash News.

The High Court in London heard on Thursday afternoon, September 3, that Meghan claims her and her son’s privacy was invaded during the incident and that data protection laws were broken when the photos were sold to British newspapers.

Meghan Markle sues agency over paparazzi pics of her walking dogs with Archie

Barrister Jonathan Barnes, representing Meghan and her son, told the hearing she denies suggestions that she agreed to the pictures being taken or “acquiesced” when she saw Splash photographer Steve Dennett.

“They were papped in this location,” he told the court.

“The photographs which are the first stage of the wrongful conduct we complain about took place in Vancouver.”

He said his client argues she and her son, eight months old at the time, were walking on a “private recreational route” on Vancouver Island, close to the £10m mansion where they were staying at the time.

“The day before, Mr Dennett was at the private home of the claimants, doing what might be colloquially known as casing their home, taking photos through the security fence,” said Mr Barnes.

“He wasn’t at the park by accident.”

Mr Barnes said the photos were sold by Splash to Associated Newspapers and News Group, publishers of the Mail and The Sun respectively.

Within hours of being taken they had been published in the MailOnline under the headline “Meghan Markle beams as she takes her dogs for a walk with Archie in a baby carrier”.

“That conduct, which is essentially trading of private information or personal data, all took place here,” he said.

Meghan’s lawyers sent Splash a cease and desist letter but the agency did not withdraw the images, Mr Barnes said, sparking an application for the court for an injunction to stop them being used again.

“These images about which objection is raised are still being syndicated, they could be bought and sold in this jurisdiction in two minutes time if necessary,” he said.

At Thursday’s hearing a judge ruled the Duchess’ lawyers could serve court papers on the LA-based operation of Splash News.

The photo agency was not represented in court, but Mr Barnes said several points of a possible defence had already been raised by its lawyers in a letter sent in February.

He said Splash suggested the Duchess and her son had “no reasonable expectation of privacy”, they may have agreed to the images being taken, and the photos were “in the public interest and public debate was being assisted by use of the photographs”.

The legal claim is being brought by the Duchess of Sussex and Archie Mountbatten Windsor, with both mother and father Prince Harry acting as litigation friends for their one-year-old son.

Legal papers will now be served on Splash in the US, giving the agency a chance to file a defence to the privacy claim.

Source: Jide N.

Nigerian man uses spoons to create great artworks [photos]

September 4, 2020

Abinoro Akporode Collins, a great Nigerian artist, makes installations with spoons, an art that always gets people talking – Born in Nigeria in 1984, the man’s works have been exhibited as far as United Arab Emirate – Abinoro said that his passion for art started when he was a little boy.

After a young Nigerian man, Emmanuel, drew American pop star, DJ Khaled with a pencil, showing great facial details, you would think you have seen it all.

Abinoro Akporode Collins, wowed internet users after his works resurfaced online, drawing comments from many. Simple cutleries like spoons form the main material for his artworks. He uses them to create whatever art he wants.

In some of his pictures on Instagram, he displayed amazing pieces like an eagle, human portraits, among other great works. Abinoro was born in 1984 and graduated with distinction from the Auchi School of Art and has since exhibited his works in both Nigeria and UAE.

Zee Arts Gallery noted that birds are always a subject in his works as he also gives expressions to many life issues.

According to Design Indaba, the Nigerian man discovered his talent when he was small, a passion which made him pursue his interest in arts. “As a sculptor, a major challenge as a Nigerian is poor power supply resulting in the artist spending more money running generators,” he said.

Despite the odds stacked against him, Abinoro is still creating arts that have never ceased to amaze people.

Source: Jide N.

Young artist wows social media with artworks [photos]

September 4, 2020

A 28-year-old Nigerian man, Alex Peter Idoko, is creating amazing arts through wood burning, pencil, among others – Alex said he has always had a passion for drawing portraits since he was little and has been developing it –

With his pieces already exhibited in some very important places, the artist keeps using his art to showcase human realities.

A young Nigerian man, Alex Peter Idoko, has amazed social media users with his artworks using a razor blade and sandpaper on burnt wood. His works can be found on Instagram. Some of his pieces shared online showcase people with varying emotions.

370 Likes, 11 Comments - Alex Peter Idoko (@alexpeter_idoko) on Instagram: “"Black's elixir" Drawn with Razorblade on wood X charcoal " Burning and for… | Burn mark

His public profile describes him as a skilled self-taught artist. Born in Lagos in 1992, the 28-year-old Nigerian discovered his skill when he was little, a passion he grew up into developing.

His amazing portrait drawing started when he was in secondary school. He sharpened his craft through different mediums like pastel, pencil, pen, and the use of a razor, sandpaper, and burner, an art called pyrography.

Alex Peter Idoko, - Country N/A | Keepface

Themes in his work are corruption, conflict, and other issues affecting society. Alex once bagged an Award of Excellence at the 2016 Benue Youth Choice Awards. “My inspiration sometimes is an unconscious burst of creativity in art that originates from the mind and intertwines with an unusual history in a figurative sense that mentally stimulates my viewers,” he said

Nigerian Man Alex Wows Social Media With Beautiful Art Works

Source: LegitNG

Messi ‘agrees to €700m Man City contract’

September 4, 2020

Barcelona star, Lionel Messi has reportedly agreed a five-year contract with the owners of Manchester City and New York City FC, which will see him spend three years in the Premier League before moving to Major Soccer League. R/MetroUK/

Two weeks ago, Messi submitted a transfer request to the Barcelona board, saying he wanted to mutually end his contract after enduring another unsuccessful season at the club .

According to The Daily Record, City Football Group (CFG) have agreed a five-year deal with Messi worth £623m (€700m) which will see him play for Manchester City for three seasons before moving to America to play for major league side, New York City FC.

The report also states that the Argentine skipper has also been offered an equity stake in City Football Group as part of the deal.

The contract can only come into play when Messi sorts out his current deal with Barcelona, which runs until 2021.

The 33-year-old has a clause in his contract which states he can leave on a free transfer at the end of each season should he want to. But Barcelona have claimed that the clause expired on June 10, while Messi and his representatives are arguing that it should have been extended to the end of August due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Messi is Barcelona’s highest goalscorer of all time and has won six Ballon d’or awards while at the club he joined at the age of 13.

According to The Daily Record, City Football Group (CFG) have agreed a five-year deal with Messi worth £623m (€700m) which will see him play for Manchester City for three seasons before moving to America to play for major league side, New York City FC.

The report also states that the Argentine skipper has also been offered an equity stake in City Football Group as part of the deal.

The contract can only come into play when Messi sorts out his current deal with Barcelona, which runs until 2021.

The 33-year-old has a clause in his contract which states he can leave on a free transfer at the end of each season should he want to. But Barcelona have claimed that the clause expired on June 10, while Messi and his representatives are arguing that it should have been extended to the end of August due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Messi is Barcelona’s highest goalscorer of all time and has won six Ballon d’or awards while at the club he joined at the age of 13.

Source: Usman O.

Man kills Burger King employee after order takes too long

September 4, 2020

A man has been accused of shooting and killing a Florida fast-food employee after his order took too long.

WKMG reported that a woman was upset that her Burger King order took too long. She then called her boyfriend to come to the restaurant to deal with one of the employees, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

According to the sheriff’s office, deputies responded to the reported shooting at Burger King on the 7000 block of E. Colonial Drive around 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

When deputies arrived they discovered Desmond A. Joshua, 22, suffering from a gunshot wound in the parking lot. He was transported to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Authorities recovered surveillance video showing Joshua in a physical altercation with a man who had him in a headlock, according to the affidavit.

Witnesses told police that the woman who was in line was mad about the delay so she reportedly got out of her vehicle and yelled that she was going to have “her man” come to the restaurant.

An employee refunded her $40 for the meal and asked her to leave, according to the report.

The woman left the Burger King and returned in a white truck with 37-year-old Kelvis Rodriguez-Tormes, who was demanding that Joshua fight him, deputies said.

A witness intervened to stop the fight when Rodriguez-Tormes put Joshua in a headlock and started choking him, according to the affidavit.

Deputies said after a witness pulled Rodriguez-Tormes off of Joshua, he went to his truck and got a gun, and told Joshua, “You got two seconds before I shoot you.”

Rodriguez-Tormes then reportedly shot and killed Joshua and drove off in the white truck, deputies said.

WKMG reported that Joshua had just started working at the fast-food chain a few days earlier.

Rodriguez-Tormes is charged with first-degree murder with a firearm, destruction of evidence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to arrest records.

Source: Jide N.

Nigeria bars Air France, Lufthansa, Etihad, KLM, others from flying in

September 4, 2020

As Nigeria plans for the resumption of international flights on Saturday September 5, September 5, the Federal Government has barred some airlines from operating in Nigeria.

Speaking at the briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on Thursday, September 3, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, said the international airlines denied flying approval include Air France, KLM, Etihad, Rwandair, Lufthansa, TAAG Angola Airlines and others.

According to Sirika, the airlines that have been given licence to operate include Middle-East, British Airways, Delta Airlines, Qatar Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Egyptair, Air Peace, Virgin Atlantic, Asky, Africa World Airways (AWA), Air Cote-d’Ivoire, Kenya Airways, Emirate, and Turkish airlines.

It is important that we announce the airlines that are allowed for operations into the country. The ones not approved are Air France. Middle East Airlines is approved for only Lagos (airport). British Airways (is) approved – allowed entry under Covid-19 protocol.
The reason for Air France is that tourists business holders are not allowed entry. KLM not approved for the same reason as Air France. Delta Airlines, no restrictions – USA, we have an Open Skies with them and they also allow us in.
Qatar Airways are allowed and approved under Covid-19 protocol. Etihad, not approved. Ethiopian Airlines allowed entry under Covid-19 protocol. Egyptair approved, allowed entry under Covid-19 protocol.
Rwandair not approved. Air Peace, not applicable, they are our own carrier in Nigeria, we thank them. Virgin Atlantic, approved, allowed entry under Covid-19 protocol. Air Namibia, not approved. Asky, approved. Royal Air Maroc, not approved. African World Airways, Ghana, approved.
Air Cote d’Ivoire, approved. Lufthansa, not approved. Kenya Airways approved. Emirates Airlines, approved. Turkish Airlines, approved. Cabo Verde not applicable as international flights are not resumed. Angolan TAG, not approved. South African Airways not applicable as international flights are yet to resume.” he said

The Minister also announced that passengers who undergo COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests more than four days before their departure date will not be allowed to enter the country. According to him, all COVID-19 tests must have been done within 72 hours before the departure date.

“All intending travellers to Nigeria must have tested negative for COVID-19 by PCR in country of departure before boarding. This has not changed,” he said.
The PCR test must be within four days before departure and we prefer 72 hours pre-boarding and note that in certain countries, the PCR test will only be accepted from identified laboratories.
Tests done more than four days before departure are not valid. This is very important. And persons will not be allowed to board; but for the 72-hours minimum, this is advisory and will not preclude boarding.” he said

The international airspace was shut in March as part of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

Source: Murtala D.

“Destiny’s Child” LeToya reveals how bad things got for her after her exit

September 4, 2020

LeToya Luckett broke down in tears as she opened up about how bad things got for her after her Destiny’s Child exit.

During an Instagram Live session, Luckett revealed she hadn’t lived as a “normal teenager” during her time with the famous girl group and the transition was “uncomfortable” when she exited.

Luckett joined Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowland and LaTavia Roberson to form Destiny’s Child in 1993. Ahead of the debut of the “Say My Name” music video in 2000, Luckett and Roberson were replaced by Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin.

Luckett exited the girl group after a nasty spat with the band’s manager, Beyonce’s father, Mathew Knowles.

The ousted members filed a lawsuit against Knowles, but it was settled out of court.

Talking about it on Instagram Live, the singer discussed how she found it hard to make a living after leaving the band as she never attended college.

“Coming out of that, I wasn’t the most secure person because I was so used to having a team mentality and to think of going out on my own was terrifying,” the singer, 39, began. “The thought of singing made me angry. I didn’t believe I had a voice, I didn’t believe I could sing, I didn’t believe I could return to the music industry.”

“I’m not gonna lie to you, after DC I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I was about 18 years old, I hadn’t lived as a normal teenager, I hadn’t gone to college,” she explained.

After a fan asked her how she coped with being let go from one of the most famous acts in music, Luckett became emotional describing her ordeal.

“During my journey I was staying at people’s house, I never told these stories before — I slept in a car in L.A. while I was making my first [solo] album,” she explained. “Not a lot of nights, but you know what I’m saying?”

Luckett also detailed how she lived in a hotel and survived by eating Oodles of Noodles.

She tearfully reminisced on cooking the noodles “on a coffee pot at the hotel.”

She said: “I was drinking a gallon of water and buying the microwavable Oodles of Noodles. And I was like cooking them on the coffee pot in the hotel.”

The entertainer began to weep as she added, “Yeah. It was a lot. I was uncomfortable for a minute.”

Finally, Luckett got out of the hotel after landing the lead role in the 2010 movie “Preacher’s Kid”.

She has since starred in a number of TV shows, and is now pregnant with her second child.

Luckett said landing her first acting gig on “Preacher’s Kid” helped get her back on her feet. But her relationship with God really turned her life around.

“Make a long story short, after surrendering and getting to know God on a whole ‘nother level, I learned to surrender, get out of my own way, stop living in fear and allow him to direct my path.”

Luckett went on to record three solo studio albums after leaving “Destiny’s Child.” In 2017, she married Tommicus Walker and the couple share two children together.

Watch her Instagram Live video below.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CEhzk7anBtD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Source: Hajia R.

Sevilla re-sign Croatian star, Ivan Rakitic from Barcelona

September 4, 2020

Spanish club, Sevilla, today Tuesday September 1, announced that they have re-signed Croatian midfielder, Ivan Rakitic, from Barcelona for an initial fee of €1.5 million.
The final transfer could end up costing Sevilla a total of €10 million.

Posting on their website, Sevilla confirmed that they’ve reached an agreement with Barca on Tuesday which will see the 32-year-old go back to Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium .

Rakitic spent four years on Sevilla’s books before joining Barca, scoring 32 goals and 41 assists in his first 149 games.

Barca have released an official statement on their website confirming the 32-year-old’s departure, which reads: “FC Barcelona publicly expresses its gratitude to Rakitic for his commitment and dedication and wishes him good luck and success in the future.

“Versatile, hard-working and with a good vision of the game, he ends his career as a Barca player with 310 games, in which he has made 40 assists and 36 goals.

“This Wednesday, September 2, starting at 11 am, the farewell ceremony and subsequent telematic press conference of the player will take place.”

Source: Usman O.

An Austraslian nurse looking like “plastic doll’ after spending $100K

September 4, 2020

An Australian nurse who spent $100,000 on boob jobs and treatments claims she’s addicted to plastic surgery and plans to get more work done.

Tara Jayne McConachy, 31, from Melbourne, has travelled the world having surgery. She plans to have her eyes re-coloured and ribs removed soon.

The Instagram star spent a hundred thousand Australian dollars on five separate breast augmentations.

She said, according to Daily Star: “I’ve had five breast augmentations – my most recent implant size is 1050cc, tip rhinoplasty, buttocks implants, veneers, botox and fillers.”

She claims she’ll never stop having procedures done to meet her dreams of a “plastic doll” look.

The model continued: “I don’t know the exact amount I’ve spent on surgery, but it’s easily in the vicinity of $100k.”

Tara was in Europe, having yet more surgery, when the coronavirus lockdown began.

She said: “I had no time to recover properly as Australia was urging residents that were overseas to immediately return home as the borders were closing.

“Thank god I had my mum with me because I couldn’t have done it without her!”

Tara added: “There is no limit for me when it comes to plastic surgery.

“It is incredibly addictive and I already want bigger breasts!

“As soon as travel is permitted, I have plans to go back overseas to visit my surgeon and get my breast size increased to 1500cc [from their current 1050ccc].”

Before surgery

She continued: “I’m also exploring changing my eye colour to an even more vibrant green, plus fixing my eyelids with a canthoplasty, blepharoplasty and a brow lift.

“While I’m at it I’ll probably be getting cheek implants, a mini facelift and I’m even looking into the possibility of having ribs removed for a more tapered waist.”

Tara began financing her surgeries with an OnlyFans account this month and says it’s been a “smart move”. She claims she made $10,000 in the first three days.

Tara’s most shocking feature is her lips.

She said: “My lips are definitely my statement.

“I always make sure they’re nice and plump and get regular injections.

“I’ve definitely lost count of how much product is in there!

“I’m finally happy with how they look so now it’s just all about maintenance.”

Tara adds that she feels younger, thanks to surgery. She says she feels closer to 21 than 31.

She said: “I’m like a fine wine, I only get better with age. And, of course, surgery!”

Source: Jide N.

Some Nigerians die of COVID-19 in South Africa

September 4, 2020

The Nigerian Union in South Africa (NUSA) Says 11 Nigerians have so far died of COVID-19 in the country.

In a statement released, the president of the union, Adetola Olubajo, said that the COVID-19 deaths were for Gauteng Province alone, adding that the union is yet to receive figures from eight other provinces in South Africa. He cautioned Nigerians who still do not believe the disease to do so and take all the protocols seriously.

“At the last count, 11 Nigerians have died from COVID-19 in Gauteng Province alone. I have attended the funeral of some of them.
Many people believe that COVID-19 pandemic is political and fake and that they are just seeing figures.
On the contrary, we have seen quite a number of our people that have died from the disease in South Africa.
Another challenge we have is stigmatisation and refusal of infected people to disclose their status. We have provided a channel through which the identities of infected people will be protected and we give them the much-needed support.
For instance, in case someone can’t get an ambulance, as soon as we get such a call, we ensure the person gets the ambulance” he said

Source: Lucky B.

A lady blacklisted from flying for strolling on airplane wing (video)

September 3, 2020

A mother-of-two has reportedly been blacklisted from flying after she was captured on video strolling along an airplane wing.

In the video, the Ukrainian mum is seen using the emergency exit to access the wing to “get some air” because she was “too hot”, according to reports.

She can be seen sitting beside the engine and relaxing out for a bit, before eventually wandering back into the cabin.

The Ukraine International Airlines 737 had just touched down at Kiev’s Boryspil Airport from the Turkish city of Antalya and had taxied from the runway to the terminal to wait for passengers to deplane. But the woman got tired of waiting.

According to The Sun, the woman, who was travelling with her husband and two children, didn’t even have that much longer to wait, as almost everyone had disembarked.

“The aircraft landed and almost all the passengers got off,” one fellow passenger told reporters. “She walked almost all the way from the tail to the emergency exit row, opened the door and went out.”

“By that time her two children were outside the plane and standing right next to me. They were surprised, saying: ‘that’s our mum!'”

The pilot sounded the alarm, and police, ambulance and border guards were summoned.

The passenger was tested for both drugs and alcohol, but had neither in her system.

When questioned by police, she told them she was “too hot”.

The airline confirmed the incident, adding the woman was now blacklisted.

“A passenger of flight PS6212 Antalya-Kyiv illegally opened the emergency exit of the plane after it stopped near gate 11 of terminal D and went on to its wing,” it said.

“The passenger was flying on a charter vacation with her husband and children.

“The chief pilot immediately summoned the aviation security, border service, police and medical center of Boryspil Airport.

“The passenger was blacklisted for gross violation of aviation safety rules and behavior on board.”

Watch the video below.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ПРО БОРИСПІЛЬ • НОВИНИ • ПОДІЇ (@boryspilchany)

Source: Hajia R.

Coronavirus found on PSG stars, Neymar, Di Maria and Paredes

September 3, 2020

Paris Saint-Germain team-mates, Neymar, Angel Di Maria, and Leandro Paredes have reportedly tested positive for Coronavirus.

The Ligue 1 champions did not name the players involved, but Neymar, Angel Di Maria, and Leandro Paredes are believed to be the three players to have tested positive, as reported by French outlet, L’Equipe.

The three players have been holidaying in Ibiza following the club’s defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League final on August 23.

A club statement read: ‘Three PSG-English players are confirmed positive after a Sars CoV2 test and have undergone the appropriate health protocols,’

‘All players and staff will continue to be tested over the next few days.

Trois joueurs du @PSG_inside sont confirmés positifs au test Sars CoV2 et sont soumis au protocole sanitaire approprié.
L’ensemble des joueurs et du staff continueront à réaliser des tests pendant les prochains jours.
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) September 2, 2020

All three players will now spend time in quarantine and may likely miss the first PSG fixture of the new season against Lens on September 10.

Source: Usman O.

Tyler Perry has joined the Hollywood billionaires -Forbes

September 3, 2020

Tyler Perry has joined the growing list of Hollywood billionaires according to Forbes.

According to the American business magazine, Perry has a networth of $1 billion and has earned more than $1.4 billion in pretax income since 2005. Forbes also reported that filmmaker owns the entirety of his creative output, which includes more than 1,200 television episodes, 22 films, at least two dozen plays and a 330-acre studio lot in Atlanta.

The filmmaker told the magazine that he learnt the value of ownership at a young age. He said;

“My father was a subcontractor, and he would get paid on Fridays and be so happy that he had made $800,” he recalled to Forbes. “But I would watch the man that owned the house sell it and make $80,000. So I always knew that there was more power in the man that owned the house rather than the man that actually was working on it and building it. So I always wanted to be the guy that owned the house.
“Ownership for me was easy because I was underestimated. They said, ‘Sure, you can own it.’ They didn’t think it’d be worth anything.”

On lack of diversity in his movies, Perry said;

“I wanted to foster an environment where minorities and women and LGBTQ, anybody who wanted to come and work and do a great job was welcome. What I found is, if you invest in the underdog, if you invest in the people who haven’t had the opportunity, the level of gratitude and understanding for what is happening for them is so powerful. It’s just wonderful.”

The mogul joins a group of Black billionaires that includes Robert F. Smith, Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, David Stewart, Jay-Z and perhaps Kanye West. It was also reported that his movies alone have grossed nearly $1 billion to date, and he owns the rights to all of them.

Forbes reported that Perry used his ownership of all his creative output to broker a deal with ViacomCBS that pays him $150 million a year for new content and gives him an equity stake in BET+, the streaming service it debuted last September. He has homes in Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, as well as two private jets.

Source: Lucky B.

“Tyson Fury is my senior but I don’t find him intimidating”- Anthony J.

September 3, 2020

WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, has said he should not be mentioned in the same category as Tyson Fury because he achieved so much in a shorter time frame compared to Fury.

Both heavyweight boxers have agreed financial terms on a two-fight deal, due to take place next year but Joshua, 30 believes Fury, 32, is ‘five or six years’ ahead of him in boxing terms.

Speaking to GQ Middle East, AJ said: “Being world champion, with all those knockouts, you do feel kind of unstoppable.

“But realistically, in boxing terms, I’m way ahead of where I should be. I’m working at such a quick pace. I shouldn’t even be in a position where I’m mentioned in Tyson Fury’s era.

“He’s five or six years ahead of me in terms of turning professional. In fact, when he was turning pro, I was just putting on my gloves for the first time.”

Fury became the number one ranked boxer in the heavyweight division after humiliating Deontay Wilder for the WBC title in February, but Joshua says he does not view Fury as a ‘massive threat’.

“Tyson needs educating. All of us athletes do.” Joshua continued.

“We often didn’t go far in school, so a lot of our comments and actions aren’t great. But let’s talk about him as a boxer.

“I don’t find him intimidating and I haven’t seen him do anything in the ring where I think, ‘this guy is going to be a massive threat’.

“He’s talented and he’s awkward, and that’s often enough to get you quite far in life.”

Source: Usman O.

Men and their genes could disappear someday..

September 3, 2020

The male-determining Y chromosome could be dying out and this has prompted discussion of whether men could disappear with it.

The Y chromosome has far fewer genes than the X and research suggests it’s gradually shrinking even further.

A person’s sex is determined by whether they have two X chromosomes (which causes ovaries to develop) or an X and a Y (which results in testes).

X has approximately 1,000 genes while Y has just 45 and research suggests the Y chromosome is gradually shrinking even further.

Genes develop mutations over time, some of which are harmful. Chromosome can avoid passing on such harmful mutations by mixing and matching with each other during meiosis — the stage of foetal development during which our forming bodies develop sperm or eggs.

This process breaks up the genes and makes it more likely that only strong, non-harmful ones get passed on.

However, only X chromosomes can swap with each other, while Y isn’t similar enough to combine.

Because individuals don’t (generally) have two Y chromosomes, Y can’t recombine with itself and thus it has become smaller and smaller over millions of years of evolution.

Research conducted by Jennifer Graves, a geneticist at La Trobe University in Melbourne, suggests that 166 million years ago the Y chromosome had a similar number of genes as X, approximately 1,669.

“So it doesn’t take a great brain to realise that if the rate of loss is uniform —10 genes per million years — and we’ve only got 45 left, the whole Y will disappear in 4.5 million years,” she told Live Science.

Research suggests the rate of degradation has slowed over time, and that the human Y chromosome has lost only one gene since humans and rhesus monkeys diverged 25 million years ago.

But losing the Y chromosome completely is still a possibility, as it’s happened to other species including underground rodents called mole voles, as well as certain species of spiny rats in Japan.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that men are doomed, as the loss of the Y chromosome doesn’t erase the male sex from a species as both spiny rats and mole voles still have males and females.

“People think that sex is sort of a very determined thing,” said Rasmus Nielsen, a geneticist at the University of California, Berkeley.

“That if you have a Y chromosome, then you’re a man, or you don’t have [a] Y chromosome, then you’re female. But it doesn’t work like that.”

“In truth, 95% of genes that are expressed differently between males and females don’t actually live on the X and Y chromosomes.

“Losing the Y chromosome doesn’t mean losing the male,” Nielsen explained.

If the Y chromosome was to vanish, another gene would likely take over as the main determinant of sex during human development.

Source: Jide N.

A father allegedly killed his wife and two teenage sons

September 2, 2020

A father was arrested for allegedly killing his wife and two teenage sons “because he had a headache and was tired of them yelling.”

James Lee Webb, 57, was arrested and charged with capital murder after calling the cops on himself on Monday, August 31, 2020.

Webb and his wife, Victoria Ronack Bunton, began arguing at around 10am on Monday morning after he complained of having a headache and that her sons, aged 13 and 16, were being too loud, according to the affidavit.

During the argument Webb allegedly produced a handgun and shot Bunton, before killing both of the teenagers.

Webb waited one hour and then called 911 and confessed, the document states.

When cops arrived they took him into custody. When he was later interviewed, Webb allegedly told a detective that he was tired of his family yelling at him and telling him there was nothing wrong with him.

Man kills his wife and two sons ?because he had a headache and was tired of them yelling?

He is currently being held at Lew Sterrett Jail and his bond will be determined by a Dallas County Magistrate.

Neighbor Chanel Lockhart told Fox4: “Last time I saw her, she was getting groceries out of the car and the boys were helping her.

“You would never think that he would do that. And she had a heart. She was so sweet to everybody.

“You’d never think that one day he would call and say he killed his kids.”

Another neighbor, Justice Johnson, told the outlet: “I’ve been knowing them for two years, going with their mama to the grocery store, helping with groceries, getting on the school bus.”

Her daughter, Sylvia, added: “I didn’t talk to them as much. But when I did come outside, they’d speak. They didn’t just walk past me. They’d be like, ‘hey.'”

Source: Jide N.

Gabriel Magalhaes joins Arsenal after signing £27m contract

September 2, 2020

Arsenal has finally confirmed the signing of Brazilain defender Gabriel Magalhaes from Lille.

The Premier League club made the announcement this afternoon with the help of his Brazilian compatriots, David Luiz and Willian.

In a clip posted to the club’s official Twitter page, Luiz starts by congratulating Willian on his move to the Emirates, with the winger replying: ‘I’m so happy we will soon be together. Let’s go full throttle and win trophies.

Luiz then says ‘It’s so good that our little Brazilian family keeps growing’, and adds that he has ‘heard the family will get even bigger’. The pair then mention Magalhaes before inviting him into the call to ask if he has joined.

The 22-year-old defender then appears in an Arsenal shirt, saying ‘what’s up boys?’ as he is welcomed by his compatriots. ‘I’m so happy to be here with you guys. Let’s make it count,’ he adds. ‘I cannot wait, let’s win trophies. We’ve already started well!’

📞 This is Arsenal calling!

📺 Join us for a very special video call…

🇧🇷 @DavidLuiz_4
🇧🇷 @WillianBorges88
🇧🇷 ❓ pic.twitter.com/O3WcU7SeN7
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) September 1, 2020

Speaking about his new signing, Manager Mikel Arteta said Magalhaes had ‘outstanding qualities’ to make the team stronger defensively.

‘We welcome Gabriel to Arsenal,’ he said. ‘He has many qualities which will make us stronger as a defensive unit and as a team. He has proved with Lille that he is a defender with many outstanding attributes and we are looking forward to watching him grow as an Arsenal player.’

Technical director Edu added: ‘We are delighted to have signed Gabriel. He is a player we have been studying for a while and he was in demand from many clubs, so we are proud to have agreed and completed this transfer with Lille and the player.

‘Gabriel is a player of high quality and Mikel and his coaches are looking forward to integrating him into the club.’

Source: Usman O.

Kylie and Kanye West tops Forbes’ highest-paid celebrities list for 2020

September 2, 2020

Kanye West top Forbes' highest-paid celebrities list for 2020

Forbes has released its annual Top 100 Highest-Paid Celebrities List, with the stars collectively raking in a reported $6.1 billion before taxes, a $200 million drop from 2019.

The magazine published the list on Monday, August 31, and Kylie Jenner together with her brother-in-law, Kanye West, topped the list, raking in $590 million and $170 million respectively.

The 23-year-old Kylie Cosmetics CEO made US$590 million thanks to the 51 percent sale of her Kylie Cosmetics company to Coty Inc.

43-year-old West who is already a Billionaire earned a cool $170 million. He made most of his ?earnings from his Yeezy sneakers deal with Adidas.

Rounding up the Top 5 is tennis player Roger Federer who earned $106 million, soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo who raked in $105 million, and fellow soccer player Lionel Messi $104 million.

Here is the complete list of Top 20 stars who made Forbes’ Highest-Paid Celebrities List 2020:

1. Kylie Jenner: $590 million

2. Kanye West: $170 million

3. Roger Federer: $106 million

4. Cristiano Ronaldo: $105 million

5. Lionel Messi: $104 million

6. Tyler Perry: $97 million

7. Neymar: $95.5 million

8. Howard Stern: $90 million

9. LeBron James: $88.2 million

10. Dwayne Johnson: $87.5 million

11. Rush Limbaugh: $85 million

12. Ellen DeGeneres: $84 million

13. Bill Simmons: $82.5 million

14. Elton John: $81 million

15. James Patterson: $80 million

16. Stephen Curry $74.4M

17. Ariana Grande $72M

18. Ryan Reynolds $71.5M

19. Gordon Ramsay $70M

20. Jonas Brother $68.5M

Source:

4 feet snake was pulled out from a Russian woman’s mouth

September 2, 2020

According to reports, the reptile crawled inside her as she slept in the yard of her home in Levashi village in Dagestan. When she started feeling unwell, she was rushed to a hospital where she was put under general anaesthetic.

This is the horrifying moment a 4ft snake was pulled out from a Russian woman’s mouth.

According to reports, the reptile crawled inside her as she slept in the yard of her home in Levashi village in Dagestan. When she started feeling unwell, she was rushed to a hospital where she was put under general anaesthetic.

During her operation, a doctor was filmed removing the snake after inserting a tube down her throat.

The female patient was not identified and her current condition is unknown.

Locals in the Levashi village say such incidents happen infrequently and they have advised people not to sleep outside because of the risk of snakes slithering inside their mouths.

See Video Below:

Source: Francisca C.

Meghan praises Prince Harry for being a proud ‘feminist’

September 1, 2020

Meghan Markle praised Prince Harry for being a proud “feminist” and for setting a “beautiful example” for their son Archie by being so “comfortable” advocating for women’s rights.

The Duchess of Sussex sat down for a ‘backyard chat’ with Gloria Steinem.

During the chat, Meghan, 39, recalled a moment when Harry, 35, proudly told Gloria: “You know that I’m a feminist too, right Gloria?! It’s really important to me that you know that.”

Meghan shared the sweet story in a written Q&A for female empowerment platform Makers Women, during which she and Gloria, 86, discussed a range of issues, including voter suppression, women’s rights, and the importance of representation.

Meghan Markle praises Prince Harry for being a proud

Speaking about how her own understanding of feminism has evolved over the years, Meghan praised Gloria for being such an inspiration to her. Meghan then named her husband as a perfect example of a man who is both a feminist and “masculine”.

Responding to Gloria’s point that it is possible to be “a feminist and be masculine and a guy”, Meghan said: “Like my husband!”

She then went on to recall a conversation that she and Harry had with Gloria, saying: “I love that when he just came in he said, ‘You know that I’m a feminist too, right Gloria?! It’s really important to me that you know that.’ “

“But you need that,” Meghan continued, noting how important it is for her that her one-year-old son is able to look up to Prince Harry.

She said: “And I look at our son and what a beautiful example that he gets to grow up with a father who is so comfortable owning that as part of his own self-identification.”

Meghan added: “That there’s no shame in being someone who advocates for fundamental human rights for everyone, which of course includes women.”

Gloria also complimented Harry’s parenting skills. She described the royal as a “nurturing father” who will ensure that Archie “will grow up knowing it’s OK to be loving and nurturing.”

The women also spoke about the importance of voting – particularly among women and people of color.

In her introduction to the Q&A, Meghan highlighted a quote from Gloria that stuck out to her most during their chat: “If you don’t vote, you don’t exist.”

“These words from Gloria Steinem have stuck with me since she first spoke them during this conversation,” Meghan wrote. “Throughout our friendship, we’ve spoken of our shared beliefs surrounding women’s rights, the need for representation and the very timely conversation on voting.”

Meghan said that she believes “we vote to honor those who came before us and to protect those who come after us”, adding that Gloria is one of the women she honors when she casts her vote

Source: Jide N.

Mali suspended from international Francophone organisation

September 1, 2020

The Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) has suspended the membership of West African nation Mali, increasing international pressure on the military junta that seized power in Mali last week after a coup d’etat that ousted Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Prime Minister Boubou Cisse from power.

On August 18, 2020, rebel troops seized Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Prime Minister Boubou Cisse in a dramatic escalation of a months-long crisis, announcing military rule .

Neighbouring states in West Africa including Nigeria, the European Union , France and the African Union, condemned the coup and warned against any unconstitutional change of power in the country.

Now the leadership of OIF has suspended Mali after holding a meeting via video conference, saying that the body would maintain any cooperation with the Malian junta that would help the civilian population and aid a transition to democracy.

The OIF in a statement also called for the liberation of the ousted president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and called for the establishment, as soon as possible, of “a transition government led by an civilian authority”.

The decision by OIF comes a day after envoys from the West African bloc ECOWAS led by former Nigeria president Goodluck Jonathan and the new Malian military rulers failed to agree on a timetable to return Mali to democratic rule.

OIF’s suspension comes after ECOWAS suspended Mali from it’s membership saying the coup was unconstitutional.

On Tuesday August 25th, Ecowas and the Military rulers said they had failed to reach agreement after ECOWAS announced that one of it’s requirement was to return Keita to power.

But the military Junta said that won’t be possible because Keita no longer wanted to be restored to power.

Keita was elected in 2013 and re-elected for a second term in 2018 but failed in his fight against Islamic terrorism, ceding a large portion of the country to terrorist control.

This situation plus an already damaged and fragile economy increased frustrations among Malians towards his rule.

Source: Murtala D.

President Buhari’s daughter, Hanan, 22, to Turad Sha’aban set to wed

September 1, 2020

The invitation to the wedding fatiha between President Buhari’s youngest daughter, Hanan, and Turad Sha’aban has been sent out.

The marriage is billed to take place on Friday, September 4, 2020. The venue for the wedding is the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock.

This is the first-ever wedding to take place in the Aso Rock Villa.

The groom is the son of a former lawmaker, Alhaji Mahmud Sani Sha’aban, who represented Zaria in the House of Representatives from May 2003 to May 2007.

Sha’aban is also a former governorship candidate in Kaduna State under the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria.

See the wedding IVs below.

Wedding invitation of President Buhari?s daughter, Hanan, 22, to Turad Sha?aban is released

Source: Hajia R.

Chadwick Boseman secretly got married before his death

August 31, 2020

Chadwick Boseman, the late Hollywood actor, best known for his role in Marvel film, Black Panther got secretly married before his death, it has been revealed.

Even though Boseman was a public figure, he kept most of his private life from public glare as not many people knew that he got married before his demise on Friday night, August 28.

The actor passed away at his home in Los Angeles after a private four-year battle with colon cancer.

Before his death, his wife was at his bedside alongside close family.

According to page six reports, Boseman got engaged to his long time girlfriend, Taylor Simone Ledward, in 2019. The two were pictured together at several events in 2019, and secretly got married ten months before the actor’s death.

The couple were reportedly planning to tie the knot with a big ‘2020’ wedding before the cold hands of death snatched the actor away at the age of 43.

His wife, Ledward is a singer who graduated from California State Polytechnic University.
Their budding romance was first confirmed in 2015, when the pair were spotted together by paparazzi at Los Angeles International Airport.

She was then seen with him again in 2017 as a guest on US talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

In 2018 she started joining him at star-studded premieres including Black Panther and 21 Bridges.

Before then they kept much of their early relationship secret.

In March 2019, he spoke about their romance for the first time at the 50th NAACP Image Awards, saying: ‘Simone, you’re with me every day. I have to acknowledge you right now. Love you.’

To which she replied: ‘I love you’.

He leaves behind his wife, no children and close family members.

Source: Murtala D.

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