Manchester United will give Cristiano Ronaldo compassionate leave for as long as he needs following the tragic death of his baby boy, according to Mail Online.
The Portuguese star and his partner Georgina Rodriguez announced the sad news on Monday night April 18, adding that only the birth of a healthy twin baby girl gave them ‘the strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness’.
The former Juventus striker missed Tuesday night’s game against Liverpool at Anfield after United gave him compassionate leave to be with his family.
Interim manager Ralf Rangnick said: ‘Yes, of course, this is the worst that can happen. I am a father of two sons myself so I am fully aware of what that means.
‘We are all behind him, we are all with him, and wish that he and his family are strong together.’
Earlier a statement from the club read: ‘Everybody at Manchester United and indeed the football world is sending love to Cristiano Ronaldo and his family, after the club legend made a heart-breaking announcement on Monday evening.
‘Family is more important than everything and Ronaldo is supporting his loved ones at this immensely difficult time.
‘As such, we can confirm that he will not feature in the match against Liverpool at Anfield and we underline the family’s request for privacy. Cristiano, we are all thinking of you and sending strength to the family.’
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has released the names of the militants allegedly responsible for the killings in the South-East.
The secessionist group alleged that some fake self-acclaimed ESN operatives are behind the killings in Orlu, Imo State.
In a statement on Tuesday, April 19, the IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, gave the names of the alleged militants as: Chibuike Igwe, Paul Udenwa From Amaifeke Orlu, Okwudili Dim (aka) One Nigeria, the man called Sky from Umutanze Orlu and the man called 2men from Umuna in Orlu.
Powerful urged members of the public who have information on the whereabouts of the listed persons to report to IPOB and ESN members for prompt action.
Shaun Pinner and Aiden Aslin, who were captured by Russian forces while fighting in the southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, appeared on Russian television and asked Boris Johnson to help get them home.
The two asked for their freedom in exchange for Viktor Medvedchuk, a Ukrainian opposition leader who’s been arrested last week for breaking house arrest.
Last Wednesday in Stockholm, the prime ministers of Sweden and Finland, countries where neutrality and military non-alliance are deeply woven into their cultures, shocked the world by issuing a joint statement that, thanks to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, they were considering applying for membership in NATO.
“There is a before and after Feb. 24,” Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson told reporters in reference to Russia’s latest military incursion in Ukraine. “The security landscape has completely changed.”
“We have to be prepared for all kinds of actions from Russia,” Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said, adding that Finland would decide about applying to NATO in a matter of weeks.
While both countries had already closed off their skies to Russian air traffic, the announcement about NATO membership further risked the wrath of the Kremlin, which has repeatedly threatened both against joining the 30-member military alliance.
Over the last week in Sweden, radios, portable generators and camping stoves are flying off shelves as its 10.4 million citizens begin stocking up on canned food, water, flashlights and matches in preparation for anticipated acts of Russian sabotage.
In Finland, where the government has stockpiled enough grains and fuels in strategic reserves to last at least five months, they’re expecting more cyberattacks like those that hit the ministries of defense and foreign relations on April 8, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the Finnish Parliament via video.
Like the Swedes, the 5.5 million residents of Finland believe that Russia will soon target its infrastructure, including the internet and electrical grid, and Russian violations of the airspace in both countries are already on the rise.
On Monday a few thousand people gathered in Senaatintori Square in Helsinki, Finland, to show their support for Ukraine. (Alessandro Rampazzo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
In response to their public declarations of interest in NATO membership, Moscow has renewed its threats to retaliate and bolster nearby ground and air forces, deploying “significant naval forces in the Gulf of Finland,” according to Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council.
“There can be no more talk of any nuclear-free status for the Baltic [Sea],” Medvedev added, a threat dismissed by analysts in the region as saber rattling, since tiny Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave on the Baltic, is widely believed to already hold nuclear weapons.
“If you’re talking about large nuclear weapons, it doesn’t really matter if the bases literally are in the Baltic Sea or the Gulf of Finland, if it is in Kaliningrad or if they’re 500 miles away,” Charly Salonius-Pasternak, security and defense analyst at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs in Helsinki, told Yahoo News.
The addition of Finland and Sweden to the Western military alliance would not only expand NATO territory by 300,000 square miles toward the northeast — in blatant defiance of Putin’s demands last December to shrink NATO’s footprint — but it would also roughly double NATO’s borders with Russia to nearly 1,600 miles.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who called Sweden and Finland “our closest partners,” said in early April that he expected all NATO “allies will welcome them.”
He added, “We know that they can easily join this alliance if they decide to apply.”
“These are two really capable military powers, who are far more capable than the size of the countries would suggest,” Ivo Daalder, former U.S. ambassador to NATO, told Yahoo News with regard to Sweden and Finland.
And they would also boost military capabilities in the Baltic Sea, home to three small NATO countries — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — whose defense has always posed a problem for the alliance, Daalder said.
The likely accession of Finland and Sweden is “a really big deal” for NATO as well as Finland and Sweden themselves, Daalder added.
“Sweden has been neutral or [militarily nonaligned] since 1814,” he noted.
And Finland, which became independent from Russia over a century ago, “has never wanted to be part of any alliance since it became independent in 1917… But for the invasion of Ukraine, this wouldn’t have happened.”
Indeed, even three months ago the prospect of Sweden and Finland joining NATO didn’t appear in the cards.
Finnish Prime Minister Marin said in January that her country was “very unlikely” to join NATO under her watch, a sentiment that was echoed by Sweden’s defense minister.
Two weeks ago, however, Marin did an about-face, proclaiming that “Russia is not the neighbor we thought it was.”
The fact that “Russia seems willing to invade, on completely false pretenses, its neighbors that don’t belong to NATO” sparked a realization among Finns, who have long tried to placate the Kremlin, Salonius-Pasternak said.
Specifically, when the citizens of Finland, which fought the Soviet Union after it invaded in 1939, watched Russia’s savage attacks unfold in Ukraine, something fundamental changed in their logic.
After Russia’s atrocities in Bucha became clear earlier this month, Finnish public support for joining NATO soared to 68%.
Local thinking, Salonius-Pasternak said, switched from “If we join NATO, Russia may get annoyed and do something bad to us” to “They may do something bad anyway, so why not seek a form of deterrence that is completely unavailable to them?”
“What happened,” Salonius-Pasternak added, “was the Finnish population drew some conclusions which forced the hand of the Finnish political elite, and thereby also the Swedish.”
Gunilla Herolf, senior associate research fellow at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs in Stockholm, agreed that Finland is blazing the trail toward NATO membership.
“Finland has been taking the lead,” she told Yahoo News.
“After public support for NATO went up so much in Finland, people in Sweden started to realize that it’s very likely that Finland will join, and that made public opinion go up in Sweden as well.”
The two countries have a very close relationship, she added, which only intensified in 2014 when Russia invaded Ukraine the first time, annexing Crimea.
Herolf expects that the extensive cooperation of Sweden and Finland with NATO, with which they often perform joint military exercises and whose forces they fought alongside in the Balkans and Afghanistan, will help speed up the process of applying for membership.
But there’s a risk: While Finland and Sweden are expected to apply in the coming weeks, their acceptance into the military alliance depends on unanimous agreement from all 30 of NATO’s current members, a process that could take months.
“That invitation needs to be ratified by all 30 current members, and that means that the U.S. Senate will have to ratify it, and 29 parliaments will have to ratify it,” said Daalder.
While he doesn’t foresee any problems, he added, “you never know — maybe a parliament gets dissolved and therefore there’s no parliament to ratify it.”
Until their membership is ratified, Finland and Sweden will remain vulnerable.
If Russia attacked either before they were admitted to the alliance, neither could invoke Article 5, the NATO clause that states that an attack on one member is an attack on all.
Another potential snag is the upcoming presidential election in France. Right-wing candidate Marine Le Pen, currently trailing incumbent President Emmanuel Macron by at least 7 points, has vowed to cut France’s military involvement with NATO.
“While the ratification process among the 30 NATO members could happen quickly,” said Daalder, “the problem is it needs to go quickly in 30 countries.
The real question is, what do you do in the meantime?”
Once Finland and Sweden are officially invited to apply to NATO, Daalder said, even before their membership is approved by member countries, “the president of the United States should make clear that until such time as these countries are formally part of NATO, that we, the United States, hopefully with partner countries, are committed to defending their security.”
In the meantime, both Finland and Sweden are boosting their armed forces and ramping up annual spending on civil defense and arms.
The Finnish government in February ordered 64 F-35s from Lockheed Martin, with a price tag of over $9 billion.
Sweden, where the 2021 defense budget was around $7 billion, is expected to raise that amount to about $11 billion, roughly the 2% of GDP required of NATO members. [Yahoo]
The US has announced it is looking at plans to label Russia a state sponsor of terrorism.
A Monday night, April 18, report by CNN quotes a senior administration official saying US State Department officials are looking at every tool available to them to hold Russia accountable for the war in Ukraine, including the possibility of labeling Russia a state sponsor of terrorism.
The officials added that the process could take weeks before a determination is made.
The definition of a state sponsor of terrorism is a country that has “repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism,” according to the State Department. There are only four countries that are currently labeled state sponsors of terrorism by the US: North Korea, Iran, Cuba and Syria.
“We’re taking a close look at the facts. We’re taking a close look at the law,” said State Department spokesperson Ned Price on CNN Monday when asked about the possibility of designating Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.
“Whether it is this authority, whether it’s any other authority available to us under the law, we will apply it if it’s effective and appropriate.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed on Monday he has asked US President Biden in one of their recent phone conversations to designate Russia a state sponsor of terrorism.
The US adding Russia to the list would be a symbolic move that would also inflict an even greater cost on Russia’s economy.
Labelling Russia a ‘state sponsor of terrorism’ would lead to actions such as prohibiting Russia from buying certain items that can be used for commercial or militarily purposes, and sanctions on other people, organizations and countries still engaged in trade with Russia.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin could consider striking a NATO base in order to stop the transfer of arms to Ukraine, a former British security chief has warned.
Lord Ricketts, the UK Government’s first national security adviser, said that Putin is becoming ‘increasingly desperate to choke off the flow of arms’ to Ukraine.
Lord Ricketts even suggested that Putin could attack aircraft or convoys headed to the country from NATO.
He fears the war is moving towards ‘an angry stalemate, where Russia will hold on to quite a large part of the country’ and Ukraine will not agree a settlement deal.
He also warned that the conflict could continue for ‘years and years to come’ as a guerrilla war like an ‘open wound in the middle of Europe’.
‘I suppose what President Putin wants us all to fear is that he might want to use a nuclear weapon in Ukraine, which would be a momentous escalation and ensure Russia was isolated around the world,’ he said to the BBC on Sunday, April 17.
‘More likely, I think what they’re looking at is some way of preventing or limiting this flow of arms into Ukraine, keeping the Ukrainian Armed Forces going.
‘So we may see attacks on convoys or aircraft bringing the arms in from the west.
‘I think what they’re looking at is some way of preventing or limiting this flow of arms into Ukraine, keeping the Ukrainian Armed Forces going,’ he warned.
Lord Ricketts warning comes asUkraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky said that it is important for Russia not to win any territory in the Donbas region.
‘This is why it is very important for us to not allow them, to stand our ground, because this battle… it can influence the course of the whole war,’ he told CNN.
‘I don’t trust the Russian military and Russian leadership.
‘That is why we understand that the fact that we fought them off and they left, and they were running away from Kyiv — from the north, from Chernihiv and from that direction … it doesn’t mean if they are able to capture Donbas, they won’t come further towards Kyiv.’
The Ukrainian president has also urged the West to prepare for a nuclear attack from Mr Putin. He said that the Russian leader may consider tactical attacks if his war stalls any further.
‘We shouldn’t wait for the moment when Russia decides to use nuclear weapons… We must prepare for that,’ he said.
‘Chemical weapons, they should do it, they could do it, for them the life of the people, nothing. That’s why.
‘We should think not be afraid, not be afraid, but be ready. But that is not a question for Ukraine, not only for Ukraine but for all the world.’
Footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo and his partner, Georgina Rodriguez have announced the death of their newborn baby boy.
The pair took to social media on Monday night, April 18, to reveal one of his twins had died .
Recall in October 2021, the couple announced on social media that they were expecting twins – a boy and a girl. Sadly they lost one of the twins, the boy, while the girl is alive.
Taking to social media to announce the passing, Ronaldo wrote;
“It is with our deepest sadness we have to announce that our baby boy has passed away. It is the greatest pain that any parents can feel.
“Only the birth of our baby girl gives us the strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness. We would like to thank the doctors and nurses for all their expert care and support.
“We are all devastated at this loss and we kindly ask for privacy at this very difficult time. Our baby boy, you are our angel. We will always love you.”
Before the birth of the new Twin, Cristiano, had four children- his first son Cristiano Jr, a set of twins and a daughter, Alana Martina, with partner Georgina.
Chelsea defender, Antonio Rudiger has reportedly rejected an offer by rival club, Manchester United.
According to reports, Rudiger, 29, is one of United’s defensive targets when the transfer window opens in June, as his contract at Stamford Bridge runs out at the end of the season.
The two parties are believed to have held discussions about a possible deal for Rudiger to join Old Trafford as Manchester United’s Harry Maguire has struggled this season.
In February, Rudiger spoke of his happiness at Chelsea but indicated his wage demands must be met if he is to remain at the Blues..
Rudiger told The Athletic: “I feel great here, I have always said it. I think the way I play you can see that I’m happy here. But there are also other people who have to make decisions.’
Concerning amy move, Manchester Evening News reported that Rudiger is likely to reject United’s advances as he wishes to sign for a club who will play Champions League football next season.
The news is a big blow to United who are in desperate need of a top central defender having conceded 44 goals in the Premier League already this season.
Last year, United signed Raphael Varane from Real Madrid but the Frenchman has struggled to stay in the team since arriving in Manchester with injuries . He’s been limited to 15 appearances this season . While Lindelof and Bailly have atimes failed to flatter this season.
The mother of a 10-year-old Chrisland school VGC pupil who was filmed having sex with her classmates in Dubai and the video released online has come out to speak and seek justice.
In a video shared online by Ubi Franklin, the distraught mother said about a month ago, she received a call from one Mrs. Azike, the headteacher at Chrisland school VGC, who told her she needed to see her. She said she was already on her way out of Lagos when she received the call and that two days later, she visited her daughter’s school where she met with Mrs. Azike and two other officials. She said Mrs. Azike told her that her daughter who was left in their care was caught kissing another boy and that it was discovered that they got the kissing game from ”Truth and Dare”.
The distraught mum said Mrs. Azike told her that what they wanted her to do was to retrieve the phone she gave to her daughter from her so that she wouldn’t keep practicing kissing. She said one of the school officials, Mrs. Kemi, who was also in the meeting, appealed to her not to tell her husband about the kissing incident as it is not everything women should tell their husbands.
”I said no problem. As long as this is just kissing, I will caution my daughter. So I left them. I didn’t hear anything from them again. The girl was going to school. I thought everything was fine. Not until after two to three weeks that we had the conversation, Mrs Azike, the head teacher sent me a link that she wanted us to have a zoom meeting by 5pm. I said I was going to join them.” she said
She said she had a meeting with some persons including the board of directors of the school where one of them started talking to her about forgiveness.
”We had the meeting. There were many people, boards of directors. I was even the one asking them what is your name? Can you introduce yourself? One particularly said that his name is Akin. The Akin was the person leading the meeting. He began by saying if there is no sin there cannot be forgiveness. He was speaking in parables.
At a time I had to scream ‘what are you people talking? what are you people discussing?’ He now said they just wanted to do a follow up to ensure that I have withdrawn Juliann’s phone and to check on how Juliann is doing. I said Juliann is fine but he now made a comment. He said ”when it happened”. I said ‘Sir what happened? He said Juliann did not tell you? I said no Juliann did not tell me anything.
I was screaming at them ”Tell me what? Juliann did anything happen? Juliann said no”. I said Okay as it is now I don’t even know what you people are talking about but if it extends more than this that my husband would definitely know about it. The way you people are calling me I am not comfortable with it. At the end, we finished the meeting and we left. They didn’t tell me anything. I went on my own” she said
Juliann’s mum said she received a call from another parent of a pupil in the school who informed her of what had happened to her daughter.
”The day after, a parent called me after we had that zoom meeting..the next day that she needed to see, that it is very very urgent. So I had to go her house. When I got to her house, she said something has been trending in Chrisland which I am not even aware, that she has told them that she doesn’t think that I am aware of this incident.
The woman now called me and said look at this video. See what is trending in Chrisland. All the parents are aware.
So immediately I informed my husband. We began to call Mrs Azike. She refused to pick her call. I called her more than 20 times she didn’t respond to the call but later I think she spoke with my husband and told him that she doesn’t know anything if such a thing existed. That was how I began to beat my daughter that why would this happen? What is going on?
As we were beating her, the girl now said Mummy please can I talk to you? She said Chrisland, Mrs Azike threatened her not to speak out. She narrated how it happened. How they abandoned them in a hotel, how the school left them and how she got into this thing that is happening now.”
The distraught mum said the school authorities had all the while been sending delegates from their headquarters to have meetings with her 10-year-old daughter without her daughter.
”They have been coming to have meetings, sending delegates from their headquarters to have meetings with my daughter without my consent. I was not aware. We were not informed. Please I am begging Nigerians to help me. Help me because Chrisland was trying to hide this issue. They were trying to push us out of the way and my daughter was going psychologically in sin. I am begging fellow Nigerians to help me.”she said
Speaking further, she said
”As a mother and the part that Chrisland played to cover up this rape issue…On the day of mother’s day, I was in the school. We were all there, not knowing that they had other delegates that came to interrogate my daughter. As soon as we finsihed that mothers day, I left and they took my daughter elsewehere to go and interrogate her without my consent.
Secondly they have been threatening my daughter that if she speaks out they are going to kill her, that it is a man’s world. That she should keep quiet and shouldn’t disclose it to me and my daughter was dying in silence I didn’t know. Everyday when she is going to school I will be forcing her, I will be telling her come out, come outside. This child will not want to go to school.
Even her class teacher, Mr Timothy was calling her ”stupid girl, useless girl” in the midst of other children.
Please help me. They took this girl to go and do pregnancy test without me or the father knowing and lied to us that they were taking her for COVID test. They took her almost three times for COVID test. Please is it possible? Do they use blood sample for COVID test? Do they use urine for COVID test? I did not know not until when this thing came up.
To crown it all, because we have started confronting them and started telling them we are aware of what happened, they now sent her a suspension letter”
She said when she asked her daughter how she was allegedly raped, she said
”My daughter said that they went out in the morning to have breakfast and one of the boys, Kachi, begged her that she should borrow him her phone charger. So she gave Kachi the charger. Then later in the evening after they had dinner, the Kachi now called her room that she should come and pick up her charger.
So she went to the place to get the charger. When she got there they opened the door and one of them asked her to take her charger from the toilet. It was when she entered the toilet they now hijacked her and told her to drink a substance. So they were all under the influence of drugs and after that she did not know what she was doing again. That was what she narrated to me and they told her to be climbing them and somebody stood and was videoing them and was posting it out”
Troops of 34 Artillery Brigade Nigerian Army (NA) have neutralized a member of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate Eastern Security Network(ESN) at Ihioma Community in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State.
Police said the troops on routine patrol encountered members of the group who fired sporadically at Banana Junction to enforce the illegal sit-at-home order on citizens going about their legitimate businesses. The police said the IPOB/ESN members on sighting the troops withdrew in a blue Toyota Highlander towards Ihioma Community for reinforcement.
In the firefight that ensued during the operation, one of IPOB/ESN member was taken out, while others fled in disarray. Troops are combing the general area in a follow up operations to track down the fleeing members of the group.
Confirming the incident, Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, the director of Army Public Relations, said that having suffered a casualty and effectively denied freedom of action by the troops, the”irredentist group resorted to cheap propaganda to whip up public sentiments by circulating a doctored video on the social media alleging troops’ complicity in their mindless atrocities. Onyema said this propaganda should be disregarded in its entirety.”
A toddler has lost the ability to walk and speak after she was diagnosed with a rare form of a dementia when she was born.
Florence Swaffield was able to walk when born.
She even ran down the aisle with the rings as the flower girl at her parent’s wedding in September 2021.
But just months later her condition became worse to the extent she fell over 100 times a day and she has lost some of her communication skills.
Her parents say she is now only able to say ‘uh oh.’
She has been diagnosed with CLN2 Batten’s disease, which currently has no cure. Those who have it have a life expectancy of between six and 12 years, meaning without medical developments Florence is unlikely to grow.
The doctors say as the disease develops, it will see her revert to a baby-like state as she loses the ability to communicate, walk and eat or drink independently.
Clinging on to a faint hope, Florence’s mum says her little girl is a cheeky, funny character who is ‘full of life’ and has ‘the most infectious belly laugh’, and she says she’s determined to do ‘whatever it takes’ to give her ‘the best life possible’.
Pheobe, a government worker for the Department for Transport from Coventry, West Midlands, said: ‘The video of Florence running down the aisle and giving he rings to Joe is just priceless to us.
‘In a way, we are thankful that we were oblivious to Florence’s condition as we were able to make such special memories together that we will cherish for the rest of our lives.’
Series of tests carried out on her revealed that she had CLN2 Batten disease, and had passed it to Florence unknowingly.
Her disease is so rare that it only affects up to 50 people in the UK.
But Florence also has another rare genetic complication, as tests showed she also has Ververi-Brady Syndrome, a condition characterised by mild developmental and speech delay. This was confirmed as a spontaneous mutation.
Her parents say she is the only person in the world with these two mutations occurring simultaneously.
Phoebe said: ‘We were trying to make the doctors understand that Florence was not like other children her age, but I just felt really unheard and out of control.’
‘I just didn’t know life could be so cruel, and I didn’t think it could happen to our family,’ her mum, Phoebe said.
As part of her treatment, Florence receives an enzyme infusion every two weeks at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, which she will have to undergo for the rest of her life.
There is a faint hope that gene therapy will become available and help her treatment , but the treatment is only in the research phases in the US as clinical trials are yet to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Ukranian soldiers of the besieged city of Mariupol will fight to the end against Russian forces, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has revealed.
Russia’s military says it controls almost all of Mariupol, while Ukraine’s Azov Battalion is still holding out in Azovstal, a huge steelworks overlooking the Azov Sea.
The port city has not fallen despite an ultimatum from Russia’s military to the remaining Ukranian fighters to give up, he said.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has now revealed that the Ukranian defenders will fight till the end even though Russia has chosen to destroy the city and it’s inhabitants completely.
Capturing the whole of the city is seen as a major strategic prize for Russia, leaving it in control of a vast swathe of southern and eastern Ukraine and the Russian forces have announced they will stop anyone from entering or leaving the city from Monday, April 18.
In an interview with the ABC, Shmyhal said a Russian deadline for Ukrainian forces in Mariupol to surrender by Sunday had been ignored.
“The city still has not fallen,” he said. “There is still our military forces, our soldiers, so they will fight until the end. And as for now, they still are in Mariupol.”
As Mariupol defenders continue to hold out, President Volodymyr Zelensky brushed aside the idea of letting Moscow take over parts of eastern Ukraine to stop the conflict.
“Ukraine and its people are clear. We have no claim to anyone else’s territories but we are not going to give up ours,” he said.
Clergyman Apostle Johnson Suleman has spoken about the ‘disunity’ amongst the Igbos.
According to him, Igbos never support their own and would publicly disown one another. Making reference to the struggle of Biafra, Suleman said if the nation is created, it will still be an Igbo man that will destroy it as they do not support themselves.
He also made reference to the emergence of an Igbo Senate President Evan Enwerem whom he said was removed by another Igbo man, Chuba Okadigbo who was also replaced by Anyim Pius Anyim.
Suleman opined that the problem of the Igbos are the Igbos.
”Somebody from the South, somebody from the East. You betray your people. Look at this agitation for Biafra. Who are the people attacking Biafra most, Igbos. Shameless Igbos.
Am I in support of Nigeria dividing, No!. Am I in support of Nigeria seperating, No. Do I believe we should be together? Yes. But even if you don’t agree with the man who is your brother, should you say it publicly if you are not a fool? Can’t you say it amongst your people?
If today they get that Biafra, it is an Igbo man that will scatter it. That is the truth.
During the time of the Senate. When an Igbo man became a senator, it was an Igbo man that removed him. You remember the Enwerem, Chuba Okadigbo, Pius Anyim…remember all of them? It was Igbo that was removing Igbos. That was the first and shortest Senate Presidency we have had in this country.
An Igbo man employs an Igbo boy to sell in his shop, he will wreck him. he will carry all the man’s money, he will buy land. He wouldn’t wait to be settled.
The problem of Igbo is Igbo. I repeat it, if you sell your brother, even the buyers will not trust you.”
Manchester City have reportedly agreed to terms with Erling Haaland to make him English Premier League’s highest-paid player.
Haaland is currently one of the most sought-after players in the world. Since joining Borussia Dortmund from Red Bull Salzburg, he has scored 82 goals in 85 appearances in all competitions.
It appears that City have now moved into pole position in the race to make Haaland their star striker, with Daily Mail reporting that the Premier League table-toppers have made a ‘significant step’ in their pursuit.
Negotiations with Haaland have reached such an advanced stage that they are now expected to trigger the release clause that will become active in his contract this summer. An agreement has been reached on personal terms with the Norwegian, who will be given a sizeable incentive to move to Manchester.
It is claimed that City will make him the English top-flight’s highest-paid player to tempt him into joining. They are ready to pay the 21-year-old a weekly wage of £500,000, taking him above Cristiano Ronaldo.
Haaland is ‘likely’ to sign a five-year deal with Pep Guardiola’s side within the next week.
World’s richest man Elon Musk has revealed that he is homeless and stays with friends,
The Tesla and SpaceX mogul revealed that he hardly spends any of his money on material things and only bought a plane so he can spend more time working.
Musk told TED in an interview, which aired on Monday, April 18, that he does not own a single house even in his base of Texas or near Tesla’s San Francisco headquarters.
Instead, the businessman, who is estimated to be worth over £200billion, chooses to make use of his many friends’ guestrooms.
The 50-year-old said: “I don’t even own a place right now, I’m literally staying at friends’ places. If I travel to the Bay Area, which is where most of Tesla’s engineering is, I basically rotate through friends’ spare bedrooms.”
Musk has also rejected the billionaire lifestyle of a yacht and non-stop holidays.
He said: “I don’t have yacht, I don’t take vacations, so its not that my personal consumption is high. One exception is a plane but if I don’t use the plane I have less hours to work.”
A man from Kentucky, USA who was fired for having a panic attack that his bosses saw as ‘violent’ after he was thrown a birthday party at work against his wishes has been awarded $450,000 by a jury.
Kevin Berling asked an office manager at the Gravity Diagnostics lab in Covington, Kentucky not to throw him a party because of his anxiety disorder in August 2019.
When he found out that a party was planned for lunchtime, he spent the break in his car working on breathing techniques to quell his stress.
According to NewYorkTimes, the next day, he had another panic attack in a meeting with two supervisors who talked to him about his ‘somber behavior.’
The company says he had clenched his fists, turned red and ordered his superiors to be quiet during the meeting, leaving them ‘shaken.’ Berling’s lawyer says the closed fists were part of a coping maneuver to deal with the tense situation.
‘They were absolutely in fear of physical harm during that moment,’ Brazil, the company’s co-founder, told the Times. ‘They both are still shaken about it today.’
He was sent home after the meeting. A couple hours later, he texted one of his superiors to apologize, according to a complaint filed in Kenton County Circuit Court.
He was fired via email three days later. He then filed a disability discrimination suit a month later, in September 2019.
On March 31, a jury awarded Berling $150,000 in lost wages and benefits and $300,000 for suffering, embarrassment and loss of self-esteem after finding that he had been discriminated against for his disability.Gravity founder Julie Brazil, who does not appear to have been involved in the party planning, says she stands by her decision to terminate him ‘for his violation of our workplace violence policy.’
Gravity founder Julie Brazil (pictured below) who does not appear to have been involved in the party planning, says she stands by her employees’ decision to terminate him ‘for his violation of our workplace violence policy.’
A lawyer for the company says the company will challenge the verdict and may file an appeal.
‘My employees were the victims in this case, not the plaintiff,’ she said.
Gravity Diagnostics is licensed in ‘all 50 states’ in the US and serves ‘over 1,000 customers from small private practices to universities, to Fortune 500 companies,’ according to its website.
Berling had been working at the Covington lab for 10 months .
His lawyer Tony Bucher says he had received ‘outstanding’ monthly reviews. The company itself in a statement said Berling was never given a bad review.
His lawyer points to the amount of money Berling could have earned at his job had he not been fired, given that the COVID-19 pandemic sent the lab’s value soaring.
‘Based on his employment records, where would he be?’ Bucher told LINK nky. ‘There are people whose income has gone up at least 50 percent during that time. He lost a nice opportunity with that company.’
The lawyer says the person responsible for scheduling the celebrations simply forgot to honor his client’s request.
‘She didn’t do it to be mean. She said she would accommodate it and she just forgot,’ he said.
‘Basically what the argument was is he was fired for having a panic attack,’ Bucher said. ‘They made assumptions that he was dangerous based off of his disability and not off of any evidence that he was violent.’
Brazil says her employees made the right choice to protect their co-workers.
‘My employees deescalated the situation to get the plaintiff out of the building as quickly as possible while removing his access to the building, alerting me and sending out security reminders to ensure he could not access the building, which is exactly what they were supposed to do,’ she told LINK nky.
‘As an employer who puts our employee safety first, we have a zero-tolerance policy and we stand by our decision to terminate the plaintiff for his violation of our workplace violence policy,’ Brazil said.
‘My employees were the victims in this case, not the plaintiff.’
Elon Musk has mocked fellow billionaire Mark Zuckerberg, claiming he exercises too much control over his social media businnesses, while calling him ‘Zuckerberg the 14th’ in a mocking reference to the Sun King.
Musk, 50, who on Thursday tabled a $43 billion bid of Twitter to take the company private, was in Vancouver for a TED conference, and was asked about his plans to buy Twitter, which he confirmed earlier that morning.
He insisted that it was ‘not a way to make money’, but rather a bid to defend democracy and protect freedom of speech.
Asked what he would say to critics pointing out that the world’s richest man controlling such an influential platform could be dangerous, Musk replied that he wanted to make the platform more open, not more restricted.
‘As for media sort of ownership, I mean, you’ve got Mark Zuckerberg owning Facebook and Instagram and WhatsApp, and with a share ownership structure that will have Mark Zuckerberg the 14th still controlling those entities,’ Musk said, in a reference to Louis 14th, the all-powerful ‘Sun King’.
‘Like, literally,’ Musk added.’We won’t have that at Twitter.’
Musk said that he wanted to keep the maximum number of shareholders within Twitter, rather than dominating it himself. He currently owns 9.1 percent of Twitter. Zuckerberg owns 12.8 percent of Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
Musk also said that he wanted to help freedom of speech rather than do media censorship like Zuckerberg.
‘If in doubt, let the speech exist,’ said Musk.
‘If it’s a, you know, a gray area, I would say let the tweet exist.’
He added: ‘I’m not saying that I have all the answers here, but I do think that we want to be just very reluctant to delete things. And just be very cautious with permanent bans. Timeouts, I think, are better than permanent bans.’
He also said that he has a ‘Plan B’ if his initial $41 billion offer fails
‘My strong intuitive sense is having a public platform that is maximally trusted and broadly inclusive is important to the future of civilization,’ he said
It’s not the first time Musk and Zuckerberg have knocked each other .
Musk in the past tweeted that people should ‘#DeleteFacebook’, accused Facebook of ‘spying’ on users, and blamed the company for stirring up the January 6 insurrection.
Musk on Thursday admitted that he didn’t know if his bid for Twitter would go through.
‘I’m not sure I will actually be able to acquire it,’ he told the Vancouver audience.
‘I could technically afford it, but this is not a way to make money.’
Football star, Cristiano Ronaldo will receive a mega bonus of £850,000 following his hat-trick in Manchester United’s 3-2 win against Norwich on Saturday, April 16, according to a. New report.
According to The Sun UK, Ronaldo triggered a bonus-related clause in his contract after reaching 21 goals for the season on Saturday.
Ronaldo’s contract includes a £750,000 bonus for reaching 20 goals this season plus a further £100,000 for his hat-trick strike.
The report adds that Ronaldo will now receive £100,000 for any other goal he scores in the remainder of this season.
Also the club will pay their top scorer this season £1million and Ronaldo seems almost certain to win the cash prize as he is 12 goals ahead of his closest challenger Bruno Fernandes.
Furthermore, Ronaldo would reportedly receive around £2.75million in total payments if he manages to reach 30 goals this season.
In the seventh minute against Norwich, Ronaldo opened the scoring with a tap-in, and he proceeded to make it 2-0 with a header. Norwich managed to pull level to 2-2 but Ronaldo secured all three points for United with a free-kick.
The Kremlin has resorted to recruiting children to boost its troop numbers in eastern Ukraine, according to human rights officials.
In a bid to replace the estimated 30,000 soldiers either killed, wounded or captured so far in the war, Moscow is said to be recruiting from youth clubs and conscripting 16-year-olds.
So-called ‘patriotic clubs’ sprang up in Russian-occupied parts of eastern Ukraine following its invasion in 2014 as part of a campaign to promote the country’s culture in Luhansk and Donetsk.
The reports come as Ukraine has been forced to give volunteer civilians weapons training so that they can defend their cities. The training includes close defence tactics, use of weaponry, military tactics, and first aid. Yesterday, Ukrainian officials called on the United Nations to investigate Russia’s alleged use of ‘child soldiers’
According to human rights organisations, the children are undergoing military training and could be sent to the frontline perhaps against their will.
Reports have also suggested the badges and insignia of Russian military cadets, who are also not supposed to be deployed to war zones, have been found on battlefields in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian parliament commissioner on human rights Lyudmyla Denisova said: ‘The occupation authorities [of Luhansk and Donetsk] are conducting the mobilisation of children who participated in the so-called patriotic clubs, to the levels of illegal weapons formations.
‘They have been doing military training and there have been deaths among these teenagers [in Ukraine].
‘Now they are promoting the entry into the army of civilians, including children in the temporarily occupied territories.
‘In doing so, the Russian Federation has violated the laws and customs of war provided by the 1949 Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians… and the rights of children.
‘The recruitment of children is a violation of international law.’
The FBI has blamed hackers associated with the North Korean government for stealing more than $600 million in cryptocurrency last month from a video gaming company.
The hack is the latest in a string of audacious cyber heists tied to the North Korean government who have for years avoided sanctions placed by the UN over it’s nuclear weapons testsing .
“Through our investigation we were able to confirm Lazarus Group and APT38, cyber actors associated with the DPRK, are responsible for the theft of $620 million in Ethereum reported on March 29th,” the FBI said in a statement. “DPRK” is an abbreviation for North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and Ethereum is a technology platform associated with a type of cryptocurrency.
The FBI in its statement was referring to the recent hack of a computer network used by Axie Infinity, a video game that allows players to earn cryptocurrency. Sky Mavis, the company that created Axie Infinity, announced on March 29 that unidentified hackers had stolen the equivalent of roughly $600 million — valued at the time of the hack’s discovery — on March 23 from a “bridge,” or network that allows users to send cryptocurrency from one blockchain to another.
In response, the US Treasury Department on Thursday, April 14 placed sanctions on Lazarus Group, a hackers believed to work on behalf of the North Korean government.
US Treasury stated it had sanctioned the specific “wallet,” or cryptocurrency address, that was used to cash out on the Axie Infinity hack.
North Korea last month fired what is believed to be its first intercontinental ballistic missile in more than four years.
Most Rev Matthew Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese says, every aspect of life in the country has been killed while corruption is enthroned under President Muhammadu Buhari.
He made the declaration in his Easter message titled, ‘To mend a broken nation: The Easter metaphor’.
Kukah lambasted the president over his government’s “inability to combat insecurity and corruption”.
He said, “Our dear country, Nigeria, still totters and wobbles as we screech towards a dangerous and avoidable canyon of dry bones. The real challenge is how to find the slippery rungs on the ladder of ascent so we can climb out.
“One would be tempted to ask, what is there to say about our tragic situation today that has not been said? Who is there to speak that has not spoken? Like the friends of Job, we stare at an imponderable tragedy as the nation unravels from all sides. The government has slid into hibernation mode.
“It is hard to know whether the problem is that those in power do not hear, see, feel, know, or just don’t care. Either way, from this crossroad, we must make a choice, to go forward, turn left or right or return home. None of these choices is easy, yet, guided by the light of the risen Christ, we can reclaim our country from its impending slide to anarchy.
“The challenge of fixing this broken nation is enormous and, as I have said, requires joint efforts. With everything literally broken down, our country has become one big emergency national hospital with full occupancy. Our individual hearts are broken. Our family dreams are broken. Homes are broken. Churches, Mosques, and infrastructure are broken. Our educational system is broken. Our children’s lives and future are broken. Our politics is broken. Our economy is broken. Our energy system is broken. Our security system is broken. Our Roads and Rails are broken. Only corruption is alive and well.
“The greatest challenge for Nigeria is not even the 2023 elections. It is the prospect for the reconciliation of our people. Here, the Buhari administration sadly has divided our people on the basis of ethnicity, religion, and region, in a way that we have never witnessed in our history. This carefully choreographed agenda has made Nigerians vulnerable and ignited the most divisive form of identity consciousness among our people. Years of friendships, cultural exchange, and collaboration built over time have now come under serious pressure from stereotyping.”
Gunmen have killed an official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Imo State.
The official identified as Nwokorie Anthony was shot dead during the Continuous Voter Registration Exercise (CVR) in Ihitte Uboma Local Government Area of the state on Thursday.
Two other staff involved in the registration exercise at the polling unit are also missing.
According to the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Emeka Ezeonu, Nwokorie was killed at Nkwo Ihitte (PU 004) in Amakohia Ward (RA 02) of Ihitte Uboma LGA, while whereabouts of two other staff involved in the registration exercise were unknown.
Following the tragic incident, the electoral commission suspended the exercise in the LGA.
A National Commissioner of INEC and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, announced the development in a statement on Thursday.
“Prior to this incident, the commission had suspended the CVR in Orsu and Njaba Local Government areas of the state on account of insecurity while the exercise is taking place only at the INEC LGA office in Oru East, Oru West, Orlu and Ohaji-Egbema Local Government Areas of the state,” Okoye said.
“The commission extends its condolences to the family of Nwokorie Anthony and prays that God will grant them the fortitude to bear the loss. The incident has been reported to security agencies to unravel the circumstances that led to this unfortunate incident and bring the culprits to justice,”
He urged the President General of the various Town Unions in Imo State as well as all the critical stakeholders to protect staff of the commission engaged in national assignment.
“The safety and security of staff is of paramount importance to the commission, particularly with the devolution of the voter registration exercise beyond our state and local government area offices nation in our determination to serve Nigerians better.”
A man who used an 80cm earphone wire while masturbating ended up getting it stuck in his bladder.
The 34-year-old was admitted to the emergency department of Dr Soetmo General-Academic Hospital in Surabaya, Indonesia, after complaining of stomach pains when urinating.
He revealed to doctors that he had inserted an earphone wire into his urethra between 3-5 times a week while masturbating.
Doctors who checked out the bloke say they didn’t find any signs of psychotic symptoms, OCD, anxiety or depression.
The strange insertion was carried out “based on sexual pleasure and gratification,” and the wire that had lodged itself in his bladder was “visible and quickly identified” by the hospital team.
The wire had been coiled and fortunately not attached to the bladder wall, with an extraction carried out using grasping forceps, while the earphone wire was said to be 2-3mm in size and 80cm in length.
The man was discharged the next day with no reported bladder residue and was later diagnosed with polyembolokoilamania, the act of inserting foreign items into orifices such as the rectum or vagina.
According to a medical journal published on Science Direct, the man “showed no apparent psychotic behaviours and was mentally well”.
The journal states: “Self-inserted urinary bladder foreign bodies for sexual gratification generate a significant challenge for physicians due to its difficult diagnosis and management.
“Most patients were late to be admitted due to embarrassment leading to serious short-term and long-term complications. We report a 34-year-old male with an earphone wire as a urinary bladder foreign body.
“The findings in the patient were compared with the currently published reports through a comprehensive literature review to evaluate the current strategy for diagnosis and management for self-inserted genitourinary foreign bodies to achieve sexual pleasure.”
The U.S. government has announced that it has approved the sale of attack aircraft and other military equipment to Nigeria to use in fighting terrorists operating in the country.
According to a statement released Thursday, April 14, by the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the equipments are to cost Nigeria about $997 million.
The approval comes after months of back and forth on the matter, with the US initially reported to have denied Nigeria’s request over human rights concerns.
The acquisition of the military equipment comes less than a year after the U.S. government supplied the country with 12 units of super tucano aircrafts.
According to the statement released on April 14, 2022, the equipment requested to be purchased by the Nigerian government include 12 AH-1Z Attack Helicopters; twenty-eight (28) T-700 GE 401C engines (24 installed, 4 spares); and two thousand (2,000) Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) guidance sections.
Others are Night Vision Cueing Display (NVCD); commercial variant GPS with Standard Positioning Service (SPS), and communication equipment.
The equipment also include electronic warfare systems; AN/AVS-9 Aviator’s Night Vision Imaging System; M197 20mm machine gun; Target Sight System (TSS); support equipment; spare engine containers; spare and repair parts; tools and test equipment; technical data and publication.
The statement said the sum to be paid by Nigeria also covers the training of personnel in handling the equipment.
The statement reads: “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a strategic partner in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“The proposed sale will better equip Nigeria to contribute to shared security objectives, promote regional stability and build interoperability with the U.S. and other Western partners.
“This sale will be a major contribution to U.S. and Nigerian security goals. Nigeria will have no difficulty absorbing the equipment and services into its armed force.”
The U.S. also stated that the training of Nigerian officials for the maintenance of the equipment will be for a period of five years and will require approximately three contractor support representatives to reside in Nigeria for a period of two years.
Rumours online are suggesting that Rihana has allegedly broken up with rapper A$AP Rocky for cheating.
The pop singer, who is currently pregnant with her first child allegedly caught ASAP Rocky cheating with Fenty footwear designer Amina Muaddi, according to Kurro, a prominent Hollywood tabloid.
Kurro affirmed the following: “Rihanna and ASAP Rocky are rumoured to have broken up.”
“Apparently, Rihanna dumped him after discovering he was having an affair with Fenty footwear designer Amina Muaddi.”
Rihanna and ASAP Rocky made headlines together when they announced they were having a child together in February 2022.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested Eberechukwu, the wife of former Anambra State governor, Willie Obiano.
According to Punch report, Mrs Obiano, who has been under investigation for alleged fraud, is currently in the custody of the commission in Abuja.
The EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said he was not aware of the former First Lady’s arrest and promised to find out but he did not respond to further inquiries.
The latest development is coming about a month after her husband was arrested at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos, as he was preparing to board a flght to Houston, the United States, hours after handing over to his successor, Soludo.
He was subsequently moved to Abuja the following day and quizzed over alleged misappropriation of public funds, including, N5 billion Sure-P and N37 billion security vote which was withdrawn in cash.
Two inmates at a women’s prison in New Jersey are pregnant after having sex behind bars with transgender inmates.
The state Department of Corrections told NJ.com that the unidentified jailbirds became pregnant at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility after engaging in “consensual sexual relationships with another incarcerated person”.
It is unclear if the women had sex with the same transgender inmate, or if it was two different inmates. It is also unclear how far along the two inmates are, and whether they plan to continue with their respective pregnancies. An investigation has been launched.
This is coming a year after New Jersey enacted a policy to allow prisoners to be housed in accordance with their preferred gender identity.
There are more than 800 prisoners, including 27 transgender women, at the Jersey correctional facility, which does not require trans women to undergo gender-reassignment surgery in order to be housed there.
The policy requires state prisons to provide more protections for transgender, intersex, and nonbinary people.
The state must house prisoners by the gender they identify with rather than the sex they were born with, and the policy says a prisoner can announce a change in gender identity at any time while they’re behind bars, the Daily Mail reported.
The policy also entitles those individuals to single-cell housing until they are permanently placed, private shower time, and a prohibition of physical examinations to determine an inmate’s sex.
Transgender inmates also have the right to have input into housing decisions and to appeal the determinations that are made by DOC.
Male officers are also prohibited from doing pat-down searches on transgender women, according to the policy.
The union that represents the corrections officers who work at the facility said the new policy made things more dangerous.
The union representing correctional officers at the facility issued a statement decrying the policy allowing transgender females to be incarcerated at Edna Mahan.
It read;
‘We opposed this policy change believing it would be detrimental to the general population of female inmates being housed at Edna Mahan and also bring added stress to our correctional police officers assigned to this institution’
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has offered to buy 100 percent of Twitter for $54.20 per share in cash, stating that he wants it to be transformed as a private company.
Musk’s offer price of $54.20 per share, which was disclosed in a regulatory filing on Thursday April 14, represents a 38 percent premium to Twitter’s April 1 close, the last trading day before the Tesla CEO’s more than 9 percent stake in the company was made public.
The filing showed Musk was offering to pay a total of $41.39 billion (€37.92 billion) to buy the platform.
That amounts to $54.20 per share, up 38% on the price per share before Musk bought over 9% of shares on April 1. Twitter’s share price jumped markedly in pre-market trading, already approaching the value Musk had offered.
“I invested in Twitter as I believe in its potential to be the platform for free speech around the globe, and I believe free speech is a societal imperative for a functioning democracy.
However, since making my investment I now realize the company will neither thrive nor serve this societal imperative in its current form. Twitter needs to be transformed as a private company . As a result, I am offering to buy 100% of Twitter for $54.20 per share in cash, a 54% premium over the day before I began investing in Twitter and a 38% premium over the day before my investment was publicly announced. My offer is my best and final offer and if it is not accepted, I would need to reconsider my position as a shareholder,” Musk said.
Earlier this week, Musk said he had abandoned a plan to join Twitter’s board, just as his tenure was about to start. Taking the board seat would have prevented him from a possible takeover of the company.
Since the abduction of about 276 Chibok schoolgirls by Boko Haram, over 1,500 school children have been kidnapped by armed groups in Nigeria.
This is according to an investigation by the human rights group, Amnesty International.
” Nigerian is failing to protect vulnerable children. By refusing to respond to alerts of impending attacks on schools across the north of the country, the Nigerian authorities have failed to prevent mass abductions of thousands of school children,” Amnesty International’s Nigeria Director, Osai Ojigho.
A statement by the organisation on Thursday faulted Nigerian authorities for failing to learn from the Chibok incident and preventing further crimes.
“In all cases, the Nigerian authorities have remained shockingly unwilling to investigate these attacks or to ensure that the perpetrators of these callous crimes face justice. Every fresh attack is followed by further abductions that deprive school children of their right to liberty — and leave victims’ families with no hope of accessing justice, truth, or reparations,” Ojigho said.
“The Nigerian authorities must urgently comply with the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child to which it is a state party. They must take concrete steps to prevent the abduction of children and ensure that those suspected of criminal responsibility face justice in fair trials and rescue the hundreds of children who remain in captivity.”
LGTBQ couples and activists have been warned not to display the lifestyle or rainbow flags at the World Cup in Qatar, to protect them from being attacked for promoting gay rights.
A senior leader overseeing security for the tournament told The Associated Press that rainbow flags could be taken from fans at the World Cup.
Major General Abdulaziz Abdullah Al Ansari insisted that LGBTQ couples would be welcomed and accepted in Qatar for the November 21-December 18 FIFA showpiece despite same-sex relations remaining criminalised in the conservative Gulf nation.
However, Al Ansari is against the overt promotion of LGBTQ freedoms as symbolised by the rainbow flag that FIFA and World Cup organisers had previously said would be welcome across Qatar’s eight stadiums.
Al Ansari told AP: “If he (a fan) raised the rainbow flag and I took it from him, it’s not because I really want to, really, take it, to really insult him, but to protect him.
“Because if it’s not me, somebody else around him might attack (him) … I cannot guarantee the behaviour of the whole people. And I will tell him: ‘Please, no need to really raise that flag at this point’.”
He added: “You want to demonstrate your view about the (LGBTQ) situation, demonstrate it in a society where it will be accepted.
“We realise that this man got the ticket, comes here to watch the game, not to demonstrate, a political (act) or something which is in his mind.
“Watch the game. That’s good. But don’t really come in and insult the whole society because of this.”
Al Ansari’s warning was condemned by fans and anti-discrimination campaigners.
“Often, so-called ‘protections’ are in fact smokescreens to cover up human rights violations,” said Julia Ehrt of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association and Ronain Evain of Football Supporters Europe in a joint response.
Julia Ehrt added: “FIFA and Qatar must address these concerns immediately, and show the world there is a chance of carrying out a rights-respecting and safe tournament for LGBTIQ fans.”
Al Ansari said he was not telling LBGTQ fans to stay away from Qatar or warning them of facing prosecution.
He said: “Reserve the room together, sleep together — this is something that’s not in our concern. We are here to manage the tournament. Let’s not go beyond, the individual personal things which might be happening between these people … this is actually the concept.
“Here we cannot change the laws. You cannot change the religion for 28 days of the World Cup.”
He added: “I am risking … a minority view against a majority.
“We have to be close to the problem before it erupts and gets out of control. … If somebody attacks you, then I have to get involved and it will be too late.”
Russia has reportedly lost its fortieth high-ranking military officer since the start of the war in Ukraine.
Lieutenant Colonel Denis Mezhuev was killed on the frontline.
Mezhuev commanded the Sevastopol Red Banner regiment under the 1st guards motor rifle division, which moved from Kyiv to the battle-scarred east in recent days.
A social media post by a junior Russian politician read: ‘Denis Mezhuev died in battle. His son can be proud of his dad.’
Pro-Putin poet Andrey Kovalev called on the Kremlin to award Lt Col Mezhuev the nation’s top honour posthumously. He said: ‘For his deed he is worthy of the title of Hero of Russia.’
Ukraine says Russia has now lost a total of seven generals and 33 colonels
The overall Russian losses since the war began on 24 February are believed to be in the region of 20,000 but Moscow has failed to give accurate figures.
Other recent high-ranking officers killed include Lt Gen Yakov Rezantsev, commander of Russia’s 49th combined army, who was killed in a strike near the southern city of Kherson on March 25.
The pro-Kremlin Wargonzo Telegram channel reported that Ukrainian marines from the 36th brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces cooperated in an operation ‘to evacuate the body of our high-ranking officer from the Illich factory in Mariupol’ without naming the general but giving his rank.
They wrote: ‘After yesterday’s operation to eliminate a neo-Nazi breakthrough from the Illich plant, the surrendered Ukrainian marines not only shared information about where the general’s body was, but also volunteered to participate in the DNR People’s Militia’s operation to evacuate it.
‘Namely, they acted as guides and showed a safe route,’ said the outlet.
‘For a long time the neo-Nazis refused to hand over his body or report his whereabouts. Instead, Azov fighters posted a video of mocking the corpse.’
Russia has warned NATO that if Sweden and Finland joined the military alliance then the Kremlin would have to bolster its nuclear defences in the Baltic.
‘There can be no more talk of any nuclear-free status for the Baltic – the balance must be restored,’ said Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council.
‘Naturally, we will have to reinforce these borders. Until today, Russia has not taken such measures and was not going to. If our hand is forced well… take note it wasn’t us who proposed this.’
The former president added Russia would ‘seriously reinforce its group of ground forces and air defences and deploy significant naval forces in the Gulf of Finland.’
The threat comes after Sweden and Finland edged closer to NATO membership yesterday, and their application bids could be submitted in weeks.
Sweden’s prime minister Magdalena Andersson is understood to be eager for the country to join the trans-Atlantic alliance by June, to the fury of Vladimir Putin who invaded Ukraine in part for its desire to join the pact.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, asked about the comments by journalists, said that ‘this has been talked about many times’ and Putin has issued an order on ‘reinforcing our western flank’ due to NATO’s growing military potential.
Asked if this reinforcement would include nuclear weapons, Peskov said: ‘I can’t say… There will be a whole list of measures, necessary steps. This will be covered at a separate meeting by the president.’
The Swedish application is expected to be submitted by the NATO meeting in Madrid on June 29-20, Swedish reports said yesterday.
Similarly, Finland is hoping to start its application process ‘within weeks, not within months’, its prime minister Sanna Marin said.
And today, Finland announced a military exercise in Western Finland with the participation of forces from Britain, the United States, Latvia and Estonia.
Shortly after actor Al Pacino, 81, was seen on a dinner date with a woman 53 years his junior who has been identified as Noor Alfallah, 28, it has been uncovered that they’ve been in a romantic relationship for quite some time.
Pacino and Alfallah, who comes from a wealthy Kuwaiti-American family, were pictured together this week at a group dinner celebrating a new art exhibition featuring the works of painter Julian Schnabel.
The Oscar-winning actor exited the Felix Restaurant in Venice Beach, California, on Saturday evening April 9, with the successful TV producer after the pair dined on Italian food at the high-end eatery. The two stars were joined at the dinner by friends Jason Momoa, 42, and Julian Schnabel, 70, as Al and Noor left in the same car.
Before hopping into the vehicle, Noor who is also vice president of Lynda Obst Productions at Sony, was seen enjoying a cigarette outside.
Noor previously dated Mick Jagger, 78, billionaire investor and philanthropist Nicolas Berggruen, 60, and has also been spotted out in Los Angeles with 91-year-old Clint Eastwood, whom she insisted was a family friend.
Speaking to Hello shortly after, she discussed her romance with Sir Mick, saying that she ‘doesn’t regret’ their relationship despite their huge age gap.
Noor said at the time ‘Our ages didn’t matter to me. The heart doesn’t know what it sees, it only knows what it feels. It was my first serious relationship, but it was a happy time for me.’
She added: ‘[He’s] much fitter than I am. I really respect that he is so disciplined.’
On her recent relationship, a source told Page Six that Pacino and Noor started seeing each other during the pandemic. The source said;
“Pacino and Noor started seeing each other during the pandemic. She mostly dates very rich older men, she was with Mick Jagger for a while, and then she dated Nicholas Berggruen.
“She has been with Al for some time and they get on very well. The age gap doesn’t seem to be a problem, even though he is older than her father.
“She moves with the wealthy jet-set crowd, and she comes from a family with money.”
This is the first time Pacino has been seen out with a date since his 2020 breakup from Israeli actress Meital Dohan, who did have a problem with the age gap.
“Weeds” actor Dohan, now 42, said after ending their two-year relationship that their nearly four-decade age gap between them became too difficult.
Two attack helicopters reportedly entered Russian airspace and delivered at least six strikes on residential buildings
Russia has claimed that two Ukrainian helicopters were responsible for an attack on the border village of Klimovo in Bryansk Region on Thursday, which left seven people injured. The incident had earlier been attributed to the Ukrainian military by the region’s governor.
An update on the attack was given by the national Investigative Committee, which said it was treating the incident as a criminal conspiracy. Its statement outlined that two Ukrainian military attack helicopters crossed into Russian airspace at around midday local time, flying at a low altitude.
The aircraft fired heavy weapons at the village, delivering at least six strikes on residential buildings, the statement said. Seven people were injured and six houses were damaged in the attack, the investigators said.
Earlier, health officials said a two-year-old boy and his mother, who is pregnant, were among the seven victims of the attack. Two people were said to be in a serious condition.
It was one of two separate incidents in the border area on Thursday that Russian officials blamed on Ukrainian forces. The second was the alleged Ukrainian shelling of a border crossing some 40km southwest of Klimovo.
Russian border guards said a group of some 30 refugees from Ukraine came under mortar fire as they were passing the checkpoint. Nobody was hurt in the attack, but two civilian cars were damaged, the report said.
On April 1, a similar Ukrainian air raid targeted an oil storage facility in the Russian city of Belgorod. Investigators reported that two helicopters fired at least four missiles, causing significant damage on the ground.
The Russian Defense Ministry on Wednesday warned it may escalate military action in Ukraine if the country’s military conducts more attacks on targets in Russia. “Decision-making centers” in Kiev may be targeted, the statement said.
Russia attacked its neighbor in late February, following Ukraine’s failure to implement the terms of the Minsk agreements, signed in 2014, and Moscow’s eventual recognition of the Donbass republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. The German- and French-brokered Minsk Protocols were designed to give the breakaway regions special status within the Ukrainian state.
The Kremlin has since demanded that Ukraine officially declare itself a neutral country that will never join the US-led NATO military bloc. Kiev insists the Russian offensive was completely unprovoked and has denied claims it was planning to retake the two republics by force
Nigeria is to conduct its Population and Housing Census by April 2023.
The Chairman of National Population Commission (NPC), Alhaji Nasir Isa Kwarra, announced this Thursday after the Council of State meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He said the pilot census would be conducted in June this year immediately after the political parties had completed their primary elections to produce candidates for 2023 general elections.
“If you are a private sector, you’re producing something, certainly, you need to know the population of an area if you want to create a market there. So, census data is very crucial, very important. Because, the data we’ve been using are just projections, estimation. And are sort of obsolete, we need the actual census data to use for our planning.”
Haryana Police has arrested a Nigerian national wanted for allegedly smuggling 280 gram heroin worth over N1.2m.
The accused identified simply as Nnamdi was arrested from Delhi on Tuesday, April 12.
Fatehabad SP Surender Singh Bhoria said the Anti-Narcotic Cell had recently arrested two youths Sanjay and Akshay from Tohana town of Fatehabad and recovered 280 grams of heroin from their possession.
During interrogation, Akshay revealed that he had bought heroin from Nnamdi who was staying in Delhi.
Following the information, a police team was sent to Delhi to arrest him.
The accused was produced before a court which sent him to three-day police custody.
United States (US) authorities have indicted the Nigeria police, military, and Department of State Services (DSS) for corruption, human rights violation, and impunity.
US Department of State said this in the 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for Nigeria.
“Impunity, exacerbated by corruption and a weak judiciary, remained a significant problem in the security forces, especially in police, military, and the Department of State Services,” US Department of State said in the report.
“Police, the military, and the Department of State Services reported to civilian authorities but periodically acted outside civilian control.
“There were credible reports that members of the security forces committed numerous abuses.”
The report contained incidents of extrajudicial killings, stifling of free speech, human rights violations, political witch-hunting, and others issues in Nigeria.
The US said the opaque nature of disciplining offending officials encourages impunity and that the systems shield erring officers found culpable in multiple crimes.
“The government regularly utilized disciplinary boards and mechanisms to investigate security force members and hold them accountable for crimes committed on duty, but the results of these accountability mechanisms were not always made public,” US Department of State said.
Two of Nigeria’s antigraft agencies – the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were cited for inconclusive prosecution of public officials charged for corruption.
The US Department of State report accused the antigraft agencies of being selective and “focused on low- and mid-level government officials.” It, however, acknowledged that both organisations brought indictments against various active and former high-level government officials.
“Many of the corruption cases, particularly the high-profile ones, remained pending before the courts due to administrative or procedural delays,” the report said, stating that the government deliberately underfunds the judiciary to make it ineffective.
On human rights violations, the report noted that the National Committee against Torture established by the Ministry of Justice has been hindered from working effectively due to a “lack of legal and operational independence and limited funding.”
“Prison and detention centre conditions remained harsh and life-threatening,” the report said. “Prisoners and detainees reportedly were subjected to gross overcrowding, inadequate medical care, food and water shortages, and other abuses. Some of these conditions resulted in deaths.”
Pastor Paul Enenche of Dunamis International Gospel Center has spoken about everything he knows regarding Osinachi Nwachukwu’s death.
In a video posted to his Facebook page, Enenche stated the late singer complained of chest pains and respiratory stress during a visit to his office with her husband.
Pastor Paul Enenche
He added that following his prayers, he assisted in her transfer to a different hospital, where she was examined and treated for the illness.
The cleric claimed the church was unaware of the domestic violence she experienced in her marriage.
“Over two and half months ago, she came to see me with her husband with complaints of chest pains, and respiratory stress. I prayed for her and prayed again. And when the symptoms did not abate, I counselled that they should go to the hospital to know exactly what the issue was.
“They asked that I help facilitate the process and I called our head of the medical team to assist handle their situation. He called FMC Jabi and they were attended to,” he said.
Enenche said a CT scan was done and the doctor felt more investigation needed to be done either at UNIABUJA teaching hospital or National Hospital.
He explained that Osinachi did a biopsy of the lungs tissue at the National Hospital and the result was milder than what the CT scan earlier showed and he was happy they were relieved.
Osinachi Nwachukwu
The cleric said Osinachi called him daily and reported progress as she needed no oxygen at some point.
“She called me literally daily and reported progress and I prayed with her. She told me they checked her oxygen perfusion and it was 100% and we were very excited at that progress. That was the point it was before we went to the crusade in Cameroon. It was the second night in Cameron that I got to know of the unfortunate incident of her passing.
“If there was domestic violence that led to it or coincided with those symptoms she came with, there is no way I will know. If there was domestic violence there is no way I will know,” he said.
Enenche said the things he heard after her passing was strange to me. He said Osinachi’s twin sister told him that the talented singer had begged her not to inform the church.
According to him, Osinachi’s first son said that he didn’t inform the pastor about his mother’s domestic abuse since their father constantly questioned what they talked about with Eneche whenever he and his siblings greeted the pastor.
He went on to say that he approached some of the persons who knew about the abuse and was told that it was Osinachi who pleaded with them not to tell anyone about it.
Enenche also prayed that God would provide grace to Osinachi’s family at this difficult time.
Doctors were shocked to find an eight inch dumbbell, weighing 2kg, inside a man’s rectum after he arrived at A&E complaining of cramps and severe constipation.
Medics said the patient was “uncooperative” while he was being examined, so they decided to X-ray his abdomen.
They then found an object, that was later revealed to be a 2kg dumbbell, lodged firmly in the 54-year-old man’s rectum.
When medics at the hospital in Manaus, Brazil, were unable to remove the object using tweezers, they opted for a “manual extraction”.
This meant they put their hand into the man’s bum to remove the dumbbell.
According to a report in the International Journal of Surgery Case Reports written by Dr Ana Elisa de Landa Moraes Teixeira Grossi and her team, a surgeon inserted their hand “up to the forearm” to get a grip on the item.
Dr Ana wrote: “Despite the location of the object being considered high, manual transanal extraction was chosen, inserting the surgeon’s forearm with some difficulty, without post-extraction complications.”
Jessica DeFino, a former employee for the now-defunct Kardashian-Jenner official apps has served a blunt response to Kim Kardashian’s infamous “get your f – -king ass up and work” career advice.
Jessica DeFino documented her experience working as an assistant editor on the Kardashian-Jenner Official Apps between 2015 and 2016 in an explosive tell-all.
Recalling her time working for the billionaire family to VICE, the writer claims that despite American’s most famous family possessing unimaginable wealth, she was paid just $35,000 per year.
She stated that her wages were “low and laughable in LA, especially considering my experience”, explaining how after tax, she would take home just enough to cover rent and utility bills.
32-year-old DeFino first blasted the reality show royals back in March after Kim Kardashian boldly declared: “I have the best advice for women in business.”
“Get your f – – king ass up and work,” Kardashian said. “It seems like nobody wants to work these days,” she added in the now-viral video shared by Variety, which was subsequently mocked online. DeFino was one of the women who chastised the superstar for her tone-deaf comments.
In a Twitter post published March 9, the writer wrote;
“I was an editor on the Kardashian apps in 2015 in LA.
“I worked days nights & weekends, could only afford groceries from the 99 Cents Only Store, called out ‘sick’ more than once bc I couldn’t put gas in my car to get to the office, & was reprimanded for freelancing on the side.”
The scathing tweet quickly went viral, racking up more than 600,000 likes. Now, in a scathing new piece — titled “I Worked My Ass Off for the Kardashian-Jenner Apps. I Couldn’t Afford Gas” — for Vice, DeFino elaborates on her experience, and has spoken with other employees of a Kardashian enterprise who similarly claim they were overworked and underpaid.
DeFino was an employee of Whalerock Industries, the digital media company the Kardashian-Jenner clan brought on in May 2015 to create their apps. Each sister launched an app featuring exclusive content for paying subscribers, with the venture reportedly netting them millions of dollars before they shut down in 2019.
Jessica wrote in VICE;
“When I read Kardashian’s original quote about women not working hard, I thought of the labor I put into launching the Kardashian Jenner Official Apps—days, nights, holidays, weekends, whenever and wherever I was needed.
“I wasn’t alone. I spoke to two former employees who worked on the apps and two former employees of KKW Beauty, Kim Kardashian’s cosmetics line, all of whom described an environment of overwork at the expense of their mental and sometimes physical health, as well as their career advancement.”
DeFino who declared in the piece that she made an annual salary of $35,000, added that she ended up with just over $600 per week in her bank account after taxes. The amount barely covered the costs of food, rent, bills and gas.
In the article, DeFino recalls one time where she could only afford to put $4 worth of gas in her car, which wasn’t enough to get her from the office to her home.
“I panicked, slapped at the steering wheel, and screamed. And then I cried,” she wrote of the traumatic experience, which took place back in 2015.
DeFino doesn’t hold back from blasting the work culture at Whalerock, saying she was “called into a manager’s office and reprimanded” after higher-ups found out she was writing freelance articles on the side in order to supplement her meager income.
She also alleges that staffers confronted her when they found out she was applying for other jobs.
“The company seemed to be surveilling all possible paths to a liveable income, from freelancing to finding a new job. I felt manipulated and monitored, paranoid and trapped,” DeFino wrote in the piece.
Elsewhere in her explosive tell-all, Jessica recalls being awarded a free sample of Crème de la Mer after winning Employee of The Week on one occasion.
Jennifer Chan, who joined the Kardashian-Jenner apps as a senior editor in July 2015, also shares her experience in the article, claiming she once had to spend the night in the office ahead of the apps launching at 3am in September 2015.
She said;
“We had to sleep overnight [in the office] to make sure. I think it was a Sunday, too. We just spent the night.”
The publication also states “the sisters were likely unaware of what the people behind their apps were paid.”
One of the Vice interviewees who did not wish to use her real name stated: “I worked all the time. I did not sleep enough. I was drinking alcohol — way too much alcohol — to deal with the stress. I became physically unwell. My hair was falling out.”
DeFino also alleges she suffered health issues due to work and financial stress at Whalerock, saying she fell into a “deep depression.”
She eventually left the company in 2016 after working there for one year and three months. The Kardashian-Jenner apps eventually shuttered in 2019.
Two other women who previously worked for Kim Kardashian’s cosmetics brand, KKW Beauty, say they experienced similar levels of overwork and underpay. One of the employee claimed that the Kardashian-Jenners viewed themselves as “the royal family of America” and thought that employees would “take any pay” to work with the
Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson recently stepped out for a double date with Jeff Bezos and his girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez, in Los Angeles.
The date night took place on April 10 at the A.O.C restaurant in West Hollywood.
According to an eyewitness, Kim and Pete looked more smitten than ever.
“Kim and Pete arrived in her Maybach, while Lauren and Jeff had a driver drop them off,” the eyewitness tells E! News. “The foursome dined together for over three hours. They emerged all together, with Kim and Pete leading the way.”
The eyewitness added, “Kim and Pete couldn’t have looked any happier. Kim was giggling and cuddling up to Pete. She whispered something in his ear and they both laughed. They wrapped their arms around each other all the way to the car. Pete opened the door for Kim and made sure she got in safely.”
Pete was originally set to join Jeff’s Blue Origin flight to space in late March, but the company then announced that the comedian wouldn’t be on aboard, although no specific reason was given.
A 62-year-old man has been named as a person of interest in the attack which left 10 people with gunshot wounds, with police offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
Frank James reportedly posted hundreds of unhinged and bigoted videos on his YouTube channel ranting about ‘killing everything in site’ and slamming New York City Mayor Eric Adams, the city’s homelessness crisis, and unsafe subways.
Police said keys found at the 36th Street subway station in Sunset Park belong to a U-Haul truck in Brooklyn that was rented by James and found abandoned five miles from the scene in Brooklyn.
Authorities are now examining social media videos in which James made ‘concerning’ threats against Mayor Adams and raged against white people, Puerto Ricans, Jewish people, climate change and the police, whilst also decrying the United States as a racist place awash in violence. Officials have since tightened security for Adams.
‘This nation was born in violence, it’s kept alive by violence or the threat thereof and it’s going to die a violent death. There’s nothing going to stop that,’ James said in a ranting video on YouTube under the name ‘Prophet of Truth88’.
The rambling, profanity-filled YouTube videos posted by James, who is black, are replete with violent language and bigoted comments, sometimes against other black people. He is also featured sharing conspiracy theories – such as claiming that the Twin Towers could never have been brought down on 9/11 by planes.
One video, posted April 11, criticizes crime against black people and says drastic action is needed.
‘You got kids going in here now taking machine guns and mowing down innocent people,’ James says. ‘It’s not going to get better until we make it better,’ he said, adding that he thought things would only change if certain people were ‘stomped, kicked and tortured’ out of their ‘comfort zone.’
Several of James’ videos mention New York’s subway. One, posted on February 20, says the mayor and governor’s plan to address homelessness and safety in the subway system ‘is doomed for failure’ whilst another on January 25 criticizes Adams’ plan to end gun violence.
James references psychiatric facilities he has attended in the Bronx and in New Jersey, saying the staff failed to help him and ‘made me more dangerous’.
‘Mr. Mayor, I’m a victim of your mental health program,’ James said in one lengthy video.
‘I’m 63 now full of hate, full of anger, and full of bitterness.’
He also criticized the mayor for not doing more to combat homelessness.
‘Eric Adams, Eric Adams: What are you doing brother? What’s happening with this homeless situation,’ he said while referring to the subway.
‘Every car I went to was loaded with homeless people. It was so bad I couldn’t even stand. I had to keep moving from car to car.’
He continued: ‘He can’t stop no crime in no subways. He may slow it down but he ain’t stopping it.’
‘That means you’d have to have police in every station and that’s just not possible,’ he added.
The NYPD said they were increasing security for Adams after police discovered the videos.
His most recent video was posted the day before the attack, entitled: ‘Domesticated Averages’, and featured clips of black men in court, accompanied by James’s monologue.
He warns young people not to get caught up in violence, saying:
‘This is why it’s important to think about what you’re going to do before you do it.
‘Let’s not forget, I’ve been through a lot of s*** where I could say I wanted to kill people.
‘I wonder why people die right in front of my f****** face immediately.
‘But I thought about the fact that, hey man, I don’t want to go no f****** prison – f*** that.’
He also ranted about racism in society.
‘The main thing about the story of black people in this country is that there’s nothing f****** over here,’ he said.
‘The emancipation approximation didn’t stop f******. The civil rights movement didn’t stop a f****** thing.
‘This train is still moving and it’s moving in directions just gonna take you to your f****** death.’
In another video, on March 1, he railed against police brutality and societal racism.
‘Oh no, your son shouldn’t have his f****** black brains blown out by racist cop,’ he says.
‘No, that shouldn’t happen.
‘No, you shouldn’t be denied housing in a white neighborhood.
‘No, that should not happen.
‘You shouldn’t be lynched, you black son of a b****.’
He emphasized his PTSD multiple times, without detailing what caused it, and raged against the staff of Bridgeway Behavioral Health Services – a psychiatric care facility in New Jersey.
James showed the faces of the staff and managers on the screen behind him, saying: ‘these are the people that was supposed to be helping me. They made me worse.’
He added: ‘They f****** made me worse.
‘They made me more dangerous than I could ever have been.’
James also referenced mental health facilities in the Bronx.
He mocked Adams’s plan to bring in mental health workers to deal with the subway homeless problem.
‘Here’s the help. Here’s the cavalry, Eric Adams,’ he said, referencing the New Jersey social workers pictured behind him.
‘A bunch of f****** predators, a bunch of deviants, a bunch of psychopaths and sociopaths.
‘They’re gonna help you, Eric.’
James also said he was discriminated against because he was not gay. ‘They’re all homosexual and whatever they have at Bridgeway is a homosexual thing,’ he said. ‘If you’re not homosexual you’re not welcome in Bridgeway.’
James said he ‘was a nice person’ previously. ‘Remember, I was a nice person. I wanted to help people. Now I’m wanting to kill everything in sight. I was planning to kill everything I saw based on how I was treated by these.’
He then ranted about climate change.
‘The planet is reconfiguring,’ he said, referencing desertification and oceans rising, wiping out arable land.
He talked at length about Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, saying that Putin was going to unleash nuclear weapons on the world and kill everyone.
He also claimed the Russian invasion of Ukraine was proof that black people were treated with disdain in society.
‘These white motherf******, this is what they do,’ he said.
‘Ultimately at the end of the day they kill and commit genocide against each other. What do you think they gonna do to your black ass?’
And he said the war in Ukraine was a prelude to race war.
‘It’s just a matter of time before these white motherf****** decide, ‘Hey listen. Enough is enough. These n****** got to go,” he said.
The only options James could find, he claimed, was to commit more violence or become a criminal.
‘And so the message to me is: I should have gotten a gun, and just started shooting mother*******,’ he said.
Police are offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to James’s arrest. The MTA and Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 100 both offered $12,500 each in reward money and the New York City Police Foundation offered $25,000 in reward money to bring the total reward offering to $50,000.
The Enugu police command, on Monday, said an unidentified male traveller was killed after gunmen attacked a Sienna vehicle in the state.
Daniel Ndukwe, spokesperson of the Enugu police command, confirmed the development to NAN.
The male traveller was said to have boarded the vehicle, which was heading to Onitsha in Anambra in the early hours of Monday at the Holy Ghost roundabout axis of Enugu metropolis.
“Yet-to-be identified miscreants, operating in a mini-bus, shot an unidentified male traveler and in the process torched a Sienna vehicle around Holy Ghost Roundabout axis in the early morning hours of today,” Ndukwe said.
“The victim was immediately moved to the hospital for treatment by police operatives, who responded to a distress call on the incident.
“He, however, was later confirmed dead by doctors on duty and deposited in the mortuary for preservation and autopsy.”
“The said area, including other parts of the state, remains relatively peaceful.”
The spokesman added that a manhunt for the assailants had been launched.
There have been several attacks across states in the south-east in recent months, leading to killings and destruction of property.
Although the Indigenous People of Biafra has been accused by security agencies of being behind the attacks following the declaration and subsequent cancellation of a sit-at-home order in honour of Nnamdi Kanu, its leader, the group has maintained that it has no hand in the violence.
Russian leader, Vladimir Putin has stated that peace talks with Ukraine is ‘dead’
According to Putin, without a deal acceptable to Russia, his forces would continue their offensive against Ukraine .
Putin’s statement on Tuesday, April 12 comes as Russian forces bombarded Ukrainian military positions and residential areas in the country’s east and unleashed new rocket attacks.
In his first comments on the war in almost a month, Putin said that peace talks had stalled after what he called a “fake” situation in Bucha, a town outside of Kyiv where Ukrainian officials reported the discovery of several hundred dead civilians this month after Russian troops retreated.
Ukrainian and Western officials are pursuing investigations into potential war crimes committed in Bucha and in other formerly Russian-held towns in northern Ukraine before Moscow’s withdrawal at the end of March.
Ukrainian authorities are also investigating allegations by Ukrainian forces that they came under a Russian chemical attack in Mariupol, where Russia is still fighting to consolidate gains.
Putin also said Ukrainian negotiators had “deviated from agreements” reached in Istanbul.
Ukraine last month presented its proposal for a neutral status and international security guarantees, but the two sides involved in the conflict – Ukraine and Russia, haven’t moved closer toward a potential cease-fire.
“We have again returned to a dead-end situation,” Putin said.
“Inconsistency about essential matters has been creating well-known difficulties in achieving final agreements on the negotiating track which would be acceptable to us. Unless that happens, the military operation will continue until it concludes and the objectives set at the beginning of this operation are achieved.”
Putin said the main goal of the offensive was “to help people in Donbas,” in another sign that his forces would launch an assault on the eastern region. He added that “there is no doubt” the goal will be achieved, speaking during a visit to the Vostochny Cosmodrome, a Russian spaceport in the country’s Far East, along with his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko.
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Tuesday that high-precision air- and sea-based missiles launched overnight destroyed an ammunition depot and a hangar with Ukrainian aircraft at the Starokostiantyniv military airfield in the western Khmelnytskyi region, as well as an ammunition depot near Havrylivka in the Kyiv region.
While the Ukrainian Air Force said it had downed a Russian plane, two helicopters and four drones.
It seems that in the midst of anguish and gnashing of teeth, Kemi Olunloyo, a blogger who cares less about emotions while plying her trade for profit, constantly enjoys choosing a perspective that not only tramples upon the grave of the dead, but also burdens the family and friends (Frank Edwards in this case) of the deceased for the rest of their life.
She claims Frank Edwards has been sleeping with Late Evangelist Osinachi Nwachukwu. Oluloyo as we all know, will always have her own twist to every story.
Look at the case of #JusticeforSylvesterOmoruyi for example. After reading her twist to the story, I couldn’t help but wonder. If she had lost her empathy as a mother in Sylvester’s case, did she also lose her identity as a woman in this case? Or like Bobrisky, is she also on a mind confusion adventure?
Hearing about the death of this gifted singer, Osinachi Nwachukwu, was a shocker, but the cause of her death wasn’t in the least surprising.
Late Osinachi Nwachukwu
I see everywhere on social media that almost everyone has an opinion to share, ranging from the late singer being stuck in an abusive marriage, to the role the church had to play in keeping her in an abusive marriage.
It constantly amazes me how people of the world are quick to point fingers at the church, someone must be blamed and obviously, it should be the church. Now had the scenario been different and Osinachi opted for a separation or a divorce, these people would still have taken to social media to talk about how Christian marriages are a sham and the likes.
Recently, these social media armies against the church had Charlie Boy who has been married for 40 years applauded while denigrating Pastor Chris Okotie and Pastor Chris Oyakilome. But Charlie is “better” than the church and the world in that there is no hypocrisy in him.
On his 40th wedding anniversary, he had this to say. “My 40 year old marriage has been a living hell many times”!
Keep in mind that the Church in itself is not the building, but humans who are committed to serving Christ. Perhaps, speaking out like Charlie may be all that is needed to have better marriages, for secrecy often times is the strength of abusers.
Now the best these humans can do is to offer advice and guidance. In the end, the decision is ours to make. Christ gave us the power of choice, which after over two thousand years is still constant. We can only wonder what Osinachi thought was worth her life, but the sad truth remains she had a choice and she made her decision.
Now the ones who love her are left to deal with the pain of the choices she made.
But since the world needs something to talk about, let’s look at the rate of abuse and how much of a norm it has become.
Remember Bamise? The beautiful young lady who was ABUSED then brutally murdered in a #BRT in Lagos?
Ooh you think it’s just a coincidence?
Young Bamise murdered in BRT in Lagos
How about our very famous Remi Tinubu? “Mother of modern Lagos” like her political fans will yell!
In July 2016, Senator Dino Melaye stood on the ground of the hallowed Red Chambers of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to insult her, using vulgar words I’d rather not write for the sake of my readers who are minors.
Well, you all thought Remi deserved it. And hailed your Abuser in the Senate for a job well done! That day, the dignity of the Nigerian woman, wife, and mother was caricatured before the watching world.
For whatever reason, the world didn’t deem it fit for Dino Melaye to apologize to a woman. Days after, he marched on Bourdillon with pride to trample on the consciences of a nation who wouldn’t stand up for her women.
Oh, you felt it was for Asiwaju to defend his wife? No! Nigerians own the Senate where Remi was verbally and emotionally abused and not her husband.
We failed Remi, Bamise and now Osinachi!
Senator Oluremi Tinubu
The truth is every woman in Nigeria is open to abuse, especially from the male gender, and we have been told countless times to stay put and deal with it.
They are men, they would flex muscles… We are women, we should be understanding.
Don’t provoke your husband they’ll say. Don’t argue with a male colleague, you should rather learn from them.
Growing up, my younger brother used to hit me a lot. I obviously didn’t have his physical strength, so I was no match for him.
My late mom, God bless her soul couldn’t do much other than shout at him and tell me how he was a “man” (boy though) and I shouldn’t “look for trouble”. Even our boys are initiated quite early into our cult of societal abuse where it proves they are men.
My Dad travelled a lot back then, so by the time he came home, the news was old and he would just have a talk with my brother.
But I remember the last time my brother hit me. It was after our mom’s demise. We had an argument as usual and he used his fist.
My dad came home that night and after I recounted the day’s experience, he dealt with my brother. I don’t know what he did, but the magic worked.
I am a believer in the institution of marriage as exampled by Christ in His love for His church, an advocate for gender equality and freedom for women in the context of the scripture.
But I have come to realize that while we encourage women to fight for their freedom, our desired results will not be achieved without the support of amazing men who are modelling Christ like my father, who have just the right magic wand to give male chauvinists a brain reset.
The Central Bank of Nigeria has granted Momo Payment Service Bank Limited final approval to commence operations.
This was revealed in a statement signed by the company’s secretary, Uto Ukpanah, on Monday.
This is coming after the CBN granted the firm approval in principle to operate in November 2021.
The statement read, “We refer to our notification issued on 5 November 2021 in which we communicated receipt of the approval in principle from the CBN for Momo PSB.
” The date of commencement will be communicated to the CBN in accordance with its requirements.
“MTN Nigeria affirms its commitment towards the financial inclusion agenda of the CBN and the Federal Republic of Nigeria and we are excited at this opportunity to support its fulfilment.”
President Joe Biden has signed legislation blocking Russian oil from being imported into the U.S. and severing all trade relations with the country over its invasion of Ukraine.
Biden signed two bills on Friday seeking to further isolate Russia economically as the U.S. maintains pressure on Moscow to end its invasion of Ukraine. The legislation, which passed overwhelmingly in both houses of Congress, will work to strike an economic artery of energy-rich Russia while relegating the country to the same trade status as Myanmar, Cuba and North Korea.
While Biden had earlier signed an executive order banning imports of Russian oil and gas, House Resolution 6968 codifies the ban into law.
The second bill, H.R. 7108, goes further by suspending normal trade relations with Russia and its ally Belarus. The bill also directs the U.S. trade representative to take steps to suspend Russia’s participation in the World Trade Organization (WTO).
“We know that it will not immediately end the fund of the Putin war machine, but it is a step in the right direction,” Democratic Representative Lloyd Doggett, a sponsor of the Russian oil ban, said on the House floor Wednesday.
He noted that it took “six long weeks” to approve the legislation after negotiations with the Senate. As the bills made their way through both chambers, some Republican lawmakers questioned the effectiveness of cutting off Russian oil imports, suggesting they could strengthen the country’s ties to China while increasing gas prices.
Importing or exporting $5.6 trillion worth of goods and services in 2019, the U.S. is the world’s largest trading nation, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). Countries with a permanent normal trade relations designation have advantages in conducing commerce with the U.S., such as reduced tariffs. The U.S. has used the designation to influence countries on human rights issues.
The passage of the bills comes as U.S. officials have voiced growing alarm of alleged human rights violations committed by Russian soldiers in Ukraine. Biden has called for Russian President Vladimir Putin to stand trial for war crimes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for the U.S. and the European Union to ratchet up sanctions against Russia to end its invasion.
Democratic Representative Richard Neal, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, hailed the passage of both bills, saying in a statement they’ll “hold the Putin regime responsible for its campaign of terror against the Ukrainian people.”
Photos have emerged showing doctors in Ukraine perform an incredible life-saving operation on a badly injured Ukranian soldier. According to the DailyMail, a combination of Ukrainian and Belarusian doctors extracted the entire bullet during surgery at Feofaniya Hospital in Kyiv, and footage shows the soldier’s heart pulsating as doctors carefully try pulling out the Russian bullet from the Ukrainian’s heart.
The soldier survived the open heart surgery and later reportedly said he was eager to continue fighting against Russia.
He was later seen standing beside the surgeons who helped save his life.
Friday and Monday have been declared as holidays by the federal government for Easter celebrations.
The announcement was made on Tuesday April 12 by Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, on behalf of the federal government.
Dr Shuaib Belgore, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry in a statement released on behalf of the minister, urged Christians to emulate the attributes of sacrifice, togetherness, forgiveness, kindness, love, peace and patience, which were the attributes and practices of Jesus Christ, as exemplified by his ministry on earth.
Aregbesola also called on Christians and all Nigerians alike to use the occasion of this year’s Easter celebration to pray for an end to all security challenges bedevilling every part of the country.
The Minister assured that the federal government will leave no stone unturned to ensure that the recent attacks by undesirable elements on the highways, airport and the railway are timely brought to an end.
The statement added;
“Security is everybody’s business. I therefore urge Nigerians and foreigners resident in our country to display a high sense of citizenship and public spiritedness at this critical time in the history of our country, by supporting the efforts of all security agencies in bringing peace and security of lives and property of the citizenry”
Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly been dropped as an ambassador for Save the Children after he allegedly ‘assaulted’ a 14-year-old Everton fan by smashing his phone out of his hand following Manchester United’s 1-0 defeat at Goodison Park.
Jake, who has autism, was filming the Manchester United players leaving the pitch at full-time when Ronaldo appeared to knock the phone out of a boy’s hand as he headed towards the tunnel.
The fan has since been identified as Jake Harding, who has autism. Merseyside Police have confirmed they are looking into the incident and are seeking further information.
His mother Sarah Kelly told the Liverpool Echo that the phone belonged to Jake, claiming that the Portuguese striker ‘assaulted’ him and had bruised his hand by knocking the phone to the floor.
Miss Kelly also said her son has declined an invitation from Ronaldo to attend a match at Old Trafford.
In the latest blow to Ronaldo’s public image following the incident, La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Save the Children has dumped the Portugal star after 10 years as an ambassador.
The 37-year-old no longer appears on the list of ambassadors on the international charity’s website. Ronaldo first started working with the charity in 2013.
Ronaldo has since apologised for his ‘outburst’ and had to invite the boy to watch a match at Old Trafford, but Miss Kelly said the experience has left Jake wary of going to a football match again.
United have reportedly declined to punish Ronaldo but a spokesperson confirmed they will cooperate with the FA and the police’s inquiries.
Ronaldo said: ‘It’s never easy to deal with emotions in difficult moments such as the one we are facing. Nevertheless, we always have to be respectful, patient and set the example for all the youngsters who love the beautiful game.
‘I would like to apologise for my outburst and, if possible, I would like to invite this supporter to watch a game at Old Trafford as a sign of fair-play and sportsmanship.’
Manchester United have reportedly reached an agreement in principle with Erik ten Hag to become their new manager.
The Ajax and Dutch boss is said to have signed four years deal, with the Red Devils finally finding a permanent successor to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who was sacked in November.
Ralf Rangnick has since presided over first-team affairs and will move into a two-year consultancy role at the end of the season.
Old Trafford chiefs made a breakthrough in negotiations with Ten Hag on Tuesday after multiple in-depth interviews, as the 52-year-old laid out his long-term plan for United, including having the final say on transfers and transforming their style of play.
Ten Hag will now become the Red Devils’ fifth permanent manager in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, following David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russian troops of carrying out ‘hundreds of rapes’ including sexual assaults on small children.
Putin’s soldiers have been linked to a string of horrific atrocities across Ukraine, including the brutal rape and murder of women and children, often in front of their own family members. Moscow has denied the claims.
Speaking to Lithuanian lawmakers today, Zelensky said: ‘In areas freed from the occupiers, the recording and investigation of war crimes committed by Russia continues. New mass graves are found almost daily.
‘Testimonials are being collected. Thousands and thousands of victims. Hundreds of cases of torture. Bodies continue to be found in drains and cellars.
‘Hundreds of cases of rape have been recorded, including those of young girls and very young children. Even of a baby!’
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda responded saying, ‘It’s simply impossible to imagine a greater horror.’
Kateryna Cherepakha, president of La Strada-Ukraine, said her organisation’s emergency hotlines had received calls accusing Russian soldiers of nine cases of rape involving 12 women and girls.
She told the UN: ‘This is just the tip of the iceberg. We know and see – and we want you to hear our voices – that violence and rape is used now as a weapon of war by Russian invaders in Ukraine.’
An 11-year-old boy is among the alleged victims after he was reportedly raped by Russian troops in front of his mother who was tied to a chair and forced to watch.
Ukraine’s Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights Lyudmila Denisova said the boy was attacked in Bucha where scores of dead civilians showing signs of torture were found weeks after it was recaptured.
Denisova also claimed that five soldiers in Putin’s army raped a 14-year-old girl who has become pregnant. She said an estimated 120,000 Ukrainian children were rounded up and kidnapped, with some raped and others smuggled over to Russia.
On April 8, a 16-year-old girl and 78-year-old woman were among those raped, official Oleksandr Vilkul claimed.
Meanwhile, one of Putin’s soldiers has been arrested after footage emerged of him allegedly raping a baby in Ukraine.
Alexei Bychkov, 24, sent the vile footage to a Russian comrade before he was detained on Saturday, it was reported.
The soldier is said to have shared other videos of his abuse of children to other friends and colleagues.
Elsewhere in Bucha, 25 girls and woman aged 14 to 25 were ‘systematically’ raped while being held captive in a basement, it has been claimed. Nine of the women are now pregnant.
Denisova said: ‘Russian soldiers told them they would rape them to the point where they wouldn’t want sexual contact with any man, to prevent them from having Ukrainian children.’
Meanwhile, a 50-year-old woman who lives 45 miles from Kyiv said a Chechen soldier barged into the home she shared with her husband on March 7.
She told the BBC: ‘At gunpoint, he took me to a house nearby. He ordered me: ‘Take your clothes off or I’ll shoot you.’ He kept threatening to kill me if I didn’t do as he said. Then he started raping me.
‘While he was raping me, four more soldiers entered. I thought that I was done for. But they took him away. I never saw him again.’
Russia has warned Finland and Sweden against joining Nato, saying the move would not bring stability to Europe.
Nato was formed in 1949 to counter the threat of Soviet expansion and domination, and since the fall of the Berlin wall a number of formerly communist eastern European countries have joined the military alliance.
Member states agree to come to one another’s aid in the event of an armed attack against any individual member state.
Back in February Maria Zakharova, Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, warned of “military and political consequences” if the countries joined the bloc.
And on Monday, April 11, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that “the alliance remains a tool geared towards confrontation” and thst Moscow is clear when it comes to opposing any potential enlargement of the alliance.
Peskov warned the bloc “is not that kind of alliance which ensures peace and stability, and its further expansion will not bring additional security to the European continent”.
The warning by Russia comes as US defence officials expect Sweden and Finland to bid for membership of the alliance, potentially as early as June saying Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine has been a “massive strategic blunder” which is likely to bring Nato enlargement.
The move would see the Western alliance grow to 32 members and US State Department officials said last week that discussions had taken place between Nato leaders and foreign ministers from Helsinki and Stockholm.
Before Russia invades Ukraine, Russia demanded that the alliance agree to halt any future enlargement, but the war has led to the deployment of more Nato troops on its eastern flank and a rise in public support for Swedish and Finnish membership.
Finnish lawmakers are expected to receive a security report from intelligence officials this week, and Prime Minister Sanna Marin said she expects her government “will end the discussion before midsummer” on whether to make a membership application.
Finland shares a 1,340km (830 miles) long border with Russia and has been angered by the invasion of Ukraine.
While Sweden’s ruling Social Democratic party, which has traditionally opposed Nato membership, said it is rethinking this position in light of Russia’s attack on its western neighbour. Party secretary Tobias Baudin told local media that the Nato review should be complete within the next few months.
“When Russia invaded Ukraine, Sweden’s security position changed fundamentally,” the party said in a statement on Monday.
Also both countries stepped up defence spending since the invasion of Ukraine.
On Monday, army leaders in Helsinki announced a new plan to allocate €14m (£10.88m) to purchase drones for Finland’s military.
And last month Swedish officials said they would boost defence spending by three billion kronas ($317m; £243m) in 2022.
Mrs. Uchechi Kanu, wife of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has petitioned the United Nations Security Council over his abduction, rendition and continued detention by the Nigerian Government in cahoots with the Kenyan Government.
In the petition signed on behalf of Mrs. Kanu, the International Counsel and Spokesman for Nnamdi Kanu, Mr. Bruce Fein insisted that the action of both governments was in breach of the fundamental human rights of Kanu.
Mrs. Kanu asked the Security Council to also set up a commission of inquiry to investigate the alleged torture of her husband, and bring those involved to book.
The petition, addressed to the United Kingdom Ambassador to the United Nations and President of the United Nations Security Council, Honorable Barbara Woodward, reads:
Re: Petition to the United Nations Security Council to establish an independent Commission to investigate the complicity of Nigerian and Kenyan government officials or their agents in the criminal kidnapping, torture, extraordinary rendition, and indefinite arbitrary detention of United Kingdom citizens Nnamdi Kanu from Nairobi to Abuja and for the establishment of a Special Tribunal outside either Nigeria or Kenya to prosecute the suspects identified by the Commission
We, the undersigned respectfully petition the United Nations Security Council, acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, to pass a resolution establishing an international
Independent investigation Commission to establish criminal responsibility for Nnamdi Kanu’s kidnapping, torture, and extraordinary rendition from Nairobi, Kenya to Abuja, Nigeria on or about June 2021, and indefinite, ongoing, arbitrary detention in solitary confinement thereafter by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The resolution should also establish a Special Tribunal to prosecute persons the Commission finds have been responsible for Nnamdi Kanu’s kidnapping, torture, extraordinary rendition, and arbitrary detention.
Convincing evidence in the public domain, direct and circumstantial, implicate Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigerian Attorney General Abubakar Malami, and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, among others, in the above-referenced crimes against Nnamdi Kanu.
The governments of Nigeria and Kenya cannot be trusted to investigate or prosecute themselves. The universal legal principle that a person cannot be a judge in his own case applies here.
We submit that Security Council Resolution 1595, which established an independent Commission to investigate the assassins of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Harari, and Security Council Resolution 1757, which established a Special Tribunal for the prosecution of the responsible parties found by the independent Commission, should be considered as templates for the corresponding resolutions.
We are requesting for investigation and prosecution of the crimes against Nnamdi Kanu by Nigerian and Kenyan government officials or their agents.
We would welcome the opportunity to meet with you or your staff in person or over the internet to further elaborate on this petition.
Bayern Munich superstar, Robert Lewandowski has reportedly agreed term to join Barcelona after infoming his German club that he won’t sign a new contract.
The striker’s current deal with the club expires in the summer of 2023 and he has been linked with a move to Barcelona in recent weeks.
Polish television channel TVP Sport have reported that the 33-year-old has told the club’s CEO and veteran goalkeeper Oliver Kahn that he plans to leave the club and has agreed personal terms with Barcelona.
It’s said that ‘all the terms of the contract have been agreed’ and that Bayern Munich are already preparing for life without the Polish international.
If Lewandowski makes a move to Spain, he would become the first Polish player to ever represent Barcelona.
The Catalan giants have already made impressive progress since club legend Xavi replaced Ronald Koeman as manager.
Spanish publication Sport last week reported that Lewandowski ‘will do everything’ to join Barcelona and that the Spanish side could offer Sergino Dest in return who is a target of the reigning Bundesliga champions.
In his eight seasons at the club he has gone on to become one of their greatest ever players and is only behind Gerd Muller in their all-time record scorer list. In total, Lewandowski has scored a phenomenal 340 goals in 369 appearances since joining the club from rivals Borussia Dortmund in 2014.
Doctors in France have used forceps to carry out an operation on a man who was ‘pregnant in eye with flies’.
The 53-year-old patient had admitted himself to a hospital in France, complaining of an itching right eye that he had suffered from for several hours.
According to a report by the New England Journal of Medicine, the man told doctors he had been gardening near a horse and sheep farm earlier in the day when he felt something enter his eye.
After doctors examined his eye they found ‘more than a dozen mobile, translucent larvae’ moving around on his cornea – the transparent outer covering at the front of the eye.
They also found them inside his conjunctiva, the membrane lining the eyelid and white parts of the eye.
Doctors identified the organism as Oestrus ovis (also known as the sheep bot fly) larvae.
These flies can cause parastic infestations as they can fly into the eye and deposit its larvae there.
The man was diagnosed with external ophthalmomyiasis, which is ‘an infestation of the outer structures of the eye by fly larvae.’
The doctors say they had to remove them by physically plucking them out of the eye with a pair of forceps as the creatures have ‘oral hooks’ used to cling on to the cornea.
