A Mexican couple whose newborn son was abducted shortly after birth by a woman pretending to be a nurse has finally been reunited with their now-teenage son, thanks to high-tech facial analysis.
The new parents saw their son for the last time on Dec. 15, 2005, when a woman pretending to be a health care worker at IMSS Hospital General Regional in Guadalajara, Mexico, said she needed to take him for feeding as visiting hours had ended, Newsflash reported.
The fake nurse never brought their son back.
For years, the young parents tried to get their son back, all to no avail.
The young couple after their son was stolen
Now, over 16 years later, Yasir Macias and Rosalia Lopez have been reunited with their son, Salvador.
In September 2021, the Jalisco Institute of Forensic Sciences carried out a facial analysis using a photo of the missing newborn to determine how he might look today.
A few months later, investigators came across a teen with very similar characteristics to their analysis.
“The Public Ministry agency obtained the results of the expert reports, which confirmed 99.99 percent that the minor is directly related to both the mother and father, who have already been notified,” the State Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement.
Jalisco Governor Enrique Alfaro congratulated the investigators for reuniting the family.
“From my heart, all my best wishes for this new life that begins today. All my appreciation to Forensic Sciences for their great work, to Security Coordinator @RicardoSBeruben and @FiscaliaJal for not letting go, and to everyone behind this great achievement,” he wrote.
No one has been arrested for the abduction and authorities are continuing to investigate the crime.
A Kansas City, Missouri, mom decapitated her six-year-old son and a dog, according to police
Tasha Haefs, 35, allegedly beheaded her biological son after believing the devil was speaking to her on Tuesday night, Feb. 15, according to Kansas City police.
Police responded to a call where the woman said the devil was trying to attack her.
When asked if she suffered from a mental illness she hung up the phone.
Police turned up to the home to conduct a welfare check and they found blood leading to the front door.
The woman was heard by police singing inside.
Officers knocked on the door but the mother began singing louder.
One police officer looked through a window into the house and saw the severed head of a child.
The police broke their way into the woman’s home to find her with blood on her legs and feet.
They also found the decapitated child’s body in the kitchen and after searching the home found a dog decapitated in the basement along with two knives and a screwdriver covered in blood.
Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said because Ms Haefs was “in such extreme mental distress, she did a series of things that were very disturbing”.
Ms Baker told the press in a statement: “The community now knows some of the terrible details of the death of this six-year-old child, it takes our breath away.”
The child was Tasha’s biological son and she allegedly admitted to killing him.
Ms Baker added: “Anytime it’s a child, it just takes on a different depth of despair.
“It’s difficult to imagine the grief for this boy’s family. For the child’s classmates. His friends. Neighbors. The first responders who went to this crime scene.”
Prosecutors asked that Ms Haefs be held without bond.
Brazil football icon, Adriano allegedly once consoled himself up after a failed transfer by spending £13,000 on 18 prostitutes.
The 40-year-old former Inter Milan striker saw a move to French outfit Le Havre fall through in 2015 after departing Brazilian outfit Atletico Paranaense the previous year.
The Ligue 2 side had offered the 48-cap Brazil international a contract at Stade Oceane, with Adriano agreeing to the deal. But the proposed switch collapsed at the last minute after a takeover at Le Havre went wrong.
According to Brazilian publication Extra, the 2004 Copa America winner consoled himself by visiting a brothel. They state that Adriano flew from France back to Rio de Janeiro where he splashed £13,000 on 18 sex workers.
He took the group of women to a private party at Motel Vip’s where he spent a further £8,600 on a binge until the early hours of the morning.
The former Corinthians centre-forward retired in 2016 following a short stint at Miami United where he scored once in his only match.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk suffered a backlash after sharing a satirical tweet comparing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler in the wake of the ongoing ‘Freedom Convoy’ protests, launched by those against the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Musk was responding to a Twitter post by the trade publication CoinDesk which reported that the Canadian government was cracking down on crypto transactions aimed at helping the truckers protesting vaccine mandates.
The chief executive of Tesla tweeted a meme that showed a photo of Hitler with the words “Stop comparing me to Justin Trudeau” above the image and “I had a budget” below.
The tweet, which Musk deleted about 12 hours after he posted it, was criticized by other Twitter users, one of whom wrote: “This is extremely poor taste, not a good look at all, there is [a] better way to make an argument.”
The American Jewish Committee issued a statement condemning Musk’s tweet. “Once again, Elon Musk has exercised extremely poor judgment by invoking Hitler to make a point on social media. He must stop this unacceptable behavior,” the AJC said. “Musk may believe posting a meme comparing Justin Trudeau to a genocidal dictator who exterminated millions is an appropriate way to criticize policies he disagrees with. It is not. It never is.
The group added: “Musk must apologize and find other ways to voice his displeasure.”
Musk did not respond to the AJC or the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum, but posted another tweet that suggested his Twitter followers read a book about the economic history of Nazi Germany for “an in-depth explanation”.
The world’s richest man has frequently spoken out in favour of the Canadian trucker protests against Covid-19 mandates. Last month he posted a photo of the long line of trucks and tweeted: “Canadian truckers rule”. In another post he said: “If Canadian government is suppressing peaceful protests, that’s where fascism lies.”
Musk has ties to Canada. His mother, Maye Musk, is a Canadian national. The Tesla boss moved with his family to Canada from his native South Africa at a young age. He then relocated to the United States as a young adult to pursue his studies at the University of Pennsylvania.
I shall be presenting an analysis of the legal predicament of DCP Abba Kyari. I intend to demonstrate that the crimes of Abba Kyari are actually the crimes of the Nigerian police as a whole. You must understand that it would have been impossible for Abba Kyari to rise so rapidly through the ranks despite the absence of any remarkable education or credentials unless he truly represented what the Nigerian police stood for. It would have been impossible for Abba Kyari to hold many sensitive and vital positions in the Nigerian police if he did not enjoy the blessings and active endorsement of his seniors. Abba Kyari headed SARS in Lagos, where it was known that thousands of suspects were tortured, executed, disappeared, or framed up for offenses they did not commit. It is impossible for the senior police officers not to have been aware of the bloody record of Abba Kyari as the head of SARS, Lagos. And to reward him, he was promoted to head the contrivance known ironically as the Intelligence Response Team (IRT). And naturally, IRT under Abba Kyari became the biggest killing machine in the Nigerian police force, far exceeding the record of atrocities for which SARS was unequaled. . Indeed, as a matter of commonsense, whatever Abba Kyari is accused of doing now is simply the basic modus operandi of the Nigerian police. If Kyari was perceived by the police to have done anything wrong, he would not have become their best officer. And whatever the police may do today, make no mistake, Abby Kyari was the best of the Nigerian police by their horrible standards. And never you forget that the Nigerian police never caught Abba Kyari. In their book, he is a good man and the good officer. Abba Kyari got into trouble by the FBI standards, not by the standard of the Nigerian police. He again got into trouble by the standard of the NDLEA, not by the standard of the Nigeria police. And in each case, the Nigerian police tended to shield him. It took an open battle between the NDLEA and the police for Abba Kyari to be arrested for dealing in narcotics with chilling evidence against him. What does that tell you? . The Nigerian police, as a matter of common practice, will take money from a rich person and arrest and detain anyone the rich person wanted detained. That was exactly what Abba Kyari did for Hushpuppi. Also, maybe unknown to the average Nigerian, the desire of the rich person may be the death of his opponent. If he paid the police, the police would kill the person wanted dead. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that if Abba Kyari could detain a person just because of 8 million Naira, he would kill a person for 16 million naira, and he must have done that again and again. He got caught. While on suspension awaiting extradition request, the police allowed him to retain command position in the same IRT he was supposedly suspended from. He was seen mingling with the top officers in the force, while on suspension. Indeed, he was untouchable. The reason is because, as far as the Nigerian police were concerned, Abba Kyari had done no wrong. While on suspension, the same Abba Kyari had the temerity to play a coordinating role in an international drug cartel. And the Nigerian police had no problem with that. . As horrible as the specific actions of Abba Kyari may be, Nigerians need to know that 90% of Nigerian police officers are like Abba Kyari. Their system endorses it. They are doing what Abba Kyari did, though they are not yet caught. That is how they live. As good as it may be that Abba Kyari is going down and traveling far to meet justice, the fact remains that nothing will change in the Nigerian police without a comprehensive reform of the force. . I will shed more light on this subject when I post my analysis. Try to read it. It was not easy for me when in 2018 I was forced to publicly describe the Nigerian police force as the biggest crime gang in Nigeria. I would hate to say that about any police force in the world, how much more the police force of my own dear country. For the audacity to condemn the Nigerian police, I was framed up for murder and armed robbery and a judicial system that is so indulgent toward the Nigerian police remanded me in prison for two years. It is a shame, indeed, that the EndSARS riot proved me right two years later, and Abba Kyari cases have again proved me right four years later.
Darius Makambako 30, with his wife Precious 28, really wanted to have a child, but a renowned doctor had told the couple that the husband was sterile. The couple was tired of being in a 6 year childless marriage.
So Makambako, a member of the Tanzanian Police Force (Traffic Department), after calming his wife’s protests, hired his neighbour Evans Mastano 32, a fellow police officer in the country’s commercial city, to impregnate his wife.
Since Evans was already married and the father of two beautiful daughters, plus looked very much like Darius to the boot, the plan seemed good.
Makambako paid Mastano 2,000,000 Tanzanian Shillings (equivalent to K10,000) for the job and for three evenings a week, for 10 consecutive months in 2016.
Evans tried desperately, a total 75 different times, to impregnate his friend’s wife Precious, but failed.
Reports say Precious, a nurse at a private clinic, had decided to get a three months’ vacation leave (March to June 2016), to dedicate her time to sleeping with her husband’s best friend and neighbour, in order to have her first child, but the man failed to impregnate her, despite the husband leaving them in bed the whole day, at most times.
When Precious failed to get pregnant for 10 months however, Makambako could not understand and insisted that Evans have a medical examination, which he did in January 2017.
The doctor’s pronouncement that Evans Mastano was also sterile, shocked everyone, except his wife, who was forced to confess that Evans was not the real father of her two children, but his cousin Edward!
“I was forced to secretly sleep with his first cousin for these two children, after realising that my husband could not impregnate me for two years.” Angela told the Dar-es-Salaam Today News.
Now Makamboko is suing Evans for breach of contract, in an effort to get his money back, but Evans refuses to give it back, because he says he did not guarantee conception, but only that he would give it an honest effort.
Emmanuel Ikechukwu Umeonyihirioha has become the first Igbo language lecturer at Oxford University.
Emmanuel made the announcement on his official Twitter handle on Thursday.
He said, “It is official that I am the first official Igbo Language lecturer at the number one university in the world, the University of Oxford.
“Our induction happened today by Marion Sadoux, Head of Modern Language Programmes, University of Oxford Language Centre.
“This became possible in account of the James Currey Society. This is the first time the Igbo language will be taught at the university. History has been made.”
It is official that I am the first official Igbo Language lecturer at the number one university in the world, the University of Oxford. Our induction happened today by Marion Sadoux, Head of Modern Language Programmes, University of Oxford Language Centre. pic.twitter.com/OqFDdHrUkJ
Many of the people on the FBI’s cyber most wanted list are Russians. While some allegedly work for the government earning a normal salary, others are being accused of making a fortune from ransomware attacks and online theft. If they leave Russia they would be apprehended- but at home they appear to be given free hand.
The U.S. Justice Department has offered a $5 million bounty for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a Russian man indicted for allegedly masterminding a vast, international cybercrime network that called itself “Evil Corp” and stole roughly $100 million from businesses and consumers.
Maksim V. Yakubets wanted by FBI
The $5 million reward is being offered for 32 year-old Maksim V. Yakubets, who the government says went by the nicknames “aqua,” and “aquamo,” among others. The feds allege Aqua led an elite cybercrime ring with at least 16 others who used advanced, custom-made strains of malware known as “JabberZeus” and “Bugat” (a.k.a. “Dridex“) to steal banking credentials from employees at hundreds of small- to mid-sized companies in the United States and Europe.
From 2009 to the present, Aqua’s primary role in the conspiracy was recruiting and managing a continuous supply of unwitting or complicit accomplices to help Evil Corp launder money stolen from their victims and transfer funds to members of the conspiracy based in Russia, Ukraine and other parts of Eastern Europe.
These accomplices, known as “money mules,” are typically recruited via work-at-home job solicitations sent out by email and to people who have submitted their resumes to job search Web sites.
Money mule recruiters tend to target people looking for part-time, remote employment, and the jobs usually involve little work other than receiving and forwarding bank transfers. People who jump on these offers sometimes receive small commissions for each successful transfer, but just as often end up getting stiffed out of a promised payday, and/or receiving a visit or threatening letter from law enforcement agencies that track such crime.
According to the U.S. Justice Department, Yakubets/Aqua served as leader of Evil Corp. and was responsible for managing and supervising the group’s cybercrime activities in deploying and using the Jabberzeus and Dridex banking malware.
The DOJ notes that prior to serving in this leadership role for Evil Corp, Yakubets was also directly associated with Evgeniy “Slavik” Bogachev, a previously designated Russian cybercriminal responsible for the distribution of the Zeus, Jabber Zeus, and GameOver Zeus malware schemes who currently has a $3 million FBI bounty on his head.
Evil Corp’s leader Maksim V Yakubets, and administrator Igor Turashev, had been charged in a 10-count indictment, including bank fraud, conspiracy, computer hacking and wire fraud in 2019.
Separately, the US Treasury Department said that in collaboration with Britain’s National Crime Agency, it was freezing all assets of the two Russian men, along with 15 other associates.
Maksim V. Yakubets being questioned by a Russian police officer close to his Lamborghini
The British agency called Evil Corp “the world’s most harmful cyber crime group” and posted pictures on Twitter of Yakubets, his customised Lamborghini sports car and his 2017 wedding, on which it said he had spent more than $300,000.
Kim Kardashian’s friends and family are reportedly in support of her romance with comedian Pete Davidson because she is ‘genuinely happy’ with him.
A source told People on Thursday that the 41-year-old Keeping Up With The Kardashians star’s ‘friends are excited to see her genuinely happy’ as she and the 28-year-old Saturday Night Live star grow closer.
‘Everyone around her is just happy she’s happy,’ the source added.
Kim and Pete appear to be going strong since they were first linked in November 2021.
The reality star had previously filed for divorce from her husband Kanye West in February 2021, after nearly seven years of marriage.
Since their split, Kanye has waged war with Kim’s man on Instagram with a relentless series of mocking posts.
His recent posts includes one in which Kanye lambasted Pete for an SNL segment in which he poked fun at the rapper, a move which saw Kim unfollow Kanye on Instagram.
On Thursday, Kanye admitted that he had ‘bittersweet’ feelings about his ex’s new Balenciaga campaign in an Instagram post that was deleted about an hour after it appeared.
A prominent Colorado plastic surgeon is facing manslaughter charges following the death of an 18-year old patient 14 months after a botched surgery.
Dr. Geoffrey Kim, 52, turned himself in to Arapahoe County Sheriff’s officials on Wednesday, Feb. 16, after a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Prosecutors have yet to file the criminal complaint, but the surgeon is expected to face several charges, including felony negligent homicide, reckless manslaughter and misdemeanor obstruction of service, said Vikki Migoya, a spokesperson with the Office of the District Attorney for the 18th Judicial District.
Kim was released shortly after his arrest and posted a $5,000 bond.
According to investigators, Kim was supposed to perform a breast augmentation surgery on 18-year old Emmalyn Nguyen on Aug. 1, 2019 when the teen went into cardiac arrest after she was placed under anesthesia by nurse anesthetist Rex Meeker.
Investigators said Kim admitted he did not call 911 for at least five hours. Nguyen was left brain dead and unable to speak or walk. She died 14 months later.
“The investigation has taken more than two years to complete and involved dozens of interviews and search warrants,” said Travis Stewart, Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office Captain of Investigations, in a statement. “Our hope is that this will be the beginning of bringing justice and a sense of closure to Emmalyn’s family.”
Rex Meeker is also facing a felony reckless manslaughter charge and is expected to turn himself in sometime on Friday, Feb. 18, Ginger Delgado, spokesperson for the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, told The Post. A warrant also has been issued for his arrest.
Lou Shapiro, a Los Angeles-based criminal defense attorney, said it’s highly unusual for a medical doctor to face criminal charges over patient care, but the alleged facts in Kim’s case are “disturbing.”
Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Maguire are reportedly locked in a power struggle over the Manchester United captaincy at the moment.
According to a report in The Mirror, the pair have been in conversation with interim boss Ralf Rangnick about a change of skipper for the rest of this season.
The idea is that Ronaldo is handed the armband to take pressure off Maguire, but the England international is reluctant to agree as he doesn’t want to lose the captaincy permanently.
The report details that there is now a growing belief in the dressing room that Ronaldo will take over as captain, while Maguire struggles for form at center-back.
A source explained: ‘Originally, Ronaldo was asking players to back Harry. But the problem is the manager now wants Ronaldo to mentor all these younger players.
‘That’s left Harry in no man’s land, as he’s the captain and having to say and follow whatever Ronaldo says, to keep everything sweet.’
Ronaldo has been mentoring the younger players as per Rangnick’s instructions since the German arrived in November. But Maguire is said to feel ‘marginalised’ by Ronaldo’s role in the dressing room.
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Manchester United captain, Harry Maguire has dismissed reports of a “power struggle” with Cristiano Ronaldo.
This is coming after a story published in The Mirror described how Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo are locked in a power struggle regarding who should skipper the side between now and the end of the season.
The report claimed that the United duo have been in conversation with interim boss Ralf Rangnick about the situation, with Maguire reluctant to hand over the armband for fear of losing it permanently.
Addressing The Mirror’s report, Maguire wrote on Twitter: ‘I’ve seen a lot of reports about this club that aren’t true and this is another. Not going to start posting about everything that is written but I needed to make this one clear. We’re united and focused on Sunday. Enjoy your day everyone.’
Nigerian international, Odion Ighalo has insisted that he has no regrets playing for Manchester United because being the first and only Nigerian to play for the club is a great achievement for him.
The 32-year-old joined Manchester United in a deadline day move in January 2020. He made 23 appearances for the club, scoring five times and providing one assist, before his exit in 2021.
Despite not winning a trophy at the club, Ighalo is still proud to have represented the club, he grew up supporting.
“In years to come, you need something to show your children, “Ighalo told ESPN.
“I have been talking to my children about Manchester United, the experience.
“I left Old Trafford with pride, with my head up, because it was my dream team and not everybody’s dream comes to pass. Mine came to pass so every day of my life, I’m grateful.
“To be the first Nigerian to play there and so far the only Nigerian, those are great achievements for me and I did well so I’m happy for that.
“The atmosphere in Old Trafford is different. It is a big club. If you’re not inside, you don’t know how big the club is. It is a massive, massive, massive club.
“So, I thank God I played for the biggest club in the world, it’s an achievement for me and when you say, “what I should do better? I think I did everything I should do. I worked hard, I scored a few goals and I’m happy.
“I don’t have one regret; I have zero regrets for my time at Manchester United. They are still my team till today and I’m going to support that team to death.
“Even when they are struggling, I will still support them because it is Red Devils all the way.”
A dad has been hailed a hero after he killed his teen daughter’s stalker when he showed up at their house with a gun.
The stalker, 18-year-old Eric Rohan Justin, blasted the front door open with his handgun to try and kill Ava Majury, a 15-year-old TikTok star from Naples, Florida.
Prior to showing up at her home with a gun, he had been harassing her. The harassment began only weeks after signing up to TikTok in 2020.
Ava posts singing and dancing videos alongside those of her pulling practical jokes on her family and this has made her popular on TikTok.
But she told the New York Times that the darker side of her fame came when Rohan Justin tracked her down after buying personal details off her friends, including her telephone number.
On a day in June 2021, the teenage stalker arrived at the family home and began firing shots through the front door with a handgun, leading Ava and her two brothers to hide in their parent’s bedroom.
Recalling the moment of terror, she told the newspaper: “All I remember was, I heard it, I felt it in my chest, and I looked up, and there was a hole in my door from the fragments.”
While this was going on, Ava’s father, a retired police officer, rose to the occasion.
Mr Marjury asked the stalker to drop his weapon but he refused so he shot him dead.
No charges were brought against the father as a result of Florida’s ‘stand your ground’ law, which permits homeowners to use lethal force against intruders if there is a clear threat to life.
Police searching the stalker’s two mobile phones after his death found that he had saved hundreds of photographs of Ava alongside some of her TikTok videos.
Justin’s father shared his shock at the incident, telling newspaper: “He was a nice kid. I’m at a loss for words. I don’t know what went bad with him. He made a bad choice.”
Former Cameroon and Barcelona footballer, Samuel Eto’o has been declared as the father of a 22-year-old woman by a court in Madrid
Eto’o who is the current president of Cameroon FA has never acknowledged that he was the father of a woman, Erika Do Rosario Nieves and he did not attend the court proceedings in Madrid.
But on Thursday, February 17, Court number 83 in Madrid reached a verdict to conclude a legal process that was commenced by the woman’s mother in 2018.
The young woman’s mother Adileusa is said to have met Eto’o at a nightclub in Madrid in 1997 when he was playing for Leganes, who were based near the Spanish capital.
Eto’o spent the 1997/98 season on loan at Leganes from Real Madrid netting four goals in 30 appearances – before briefly breaking into the first-team squad of Real Madrid.
As a result of the relationship that developed, the lawsuit stated, the woman discovered in February 1998 that she had become pregnant.
The lawsuit added that Eto’o “told her that he would act responsibly with respect to the common child, although he preferred that she did not give birth to the child.”
The lawsuit added: “during the pregnancy she tried to communicate with the future father (Eto’o), but he did not answer her phone calls or reply to her emails.”
Eto’o is alleged to have ended all communication with the mother, who gave birth to Erika in the Alarcon Foundation hospital in Madrid in 1999.
The mother of the child started the lawsuit in 2018 by providing biological evidence that supported her testimony that Erika was the daughter of the former striker.
Eto’o is said not to have been involved with the court at any point during proceedings and was not present during the decision.
In its ruling, the court ruled that Eto’o must now pay allowance to the young woman totalling €1,400 per month and dated back to the moment that the lawsuit was filed.
Eto’o is widely recognised as one of the greatest African footballers of all time.
During his career he scored 70 goals across four seasons at Real Mallorca before starring at Barcelona between 2004 and 2009 – netting 130 goals in 199 appearances.
He also won two Champions League titles, one with Barcelona and the other with Inter Milan..
He went on to have spells with Chelsea, Everton, Sampdoria, Antalyaspor and Konyaspor, before finishing his career with Qatar SC in 2019.
Amazon has suspended Black Lives Matter from its charity platform AmazonSmile this week for failing to disclose where it’s $60 million in donations has gone.
AmazonSmile, which donates 0.5% from purchases to designated nonprofits, still lists dozens of local Black Lives Matter (BLM) chapters among its thousands of approved charities, but noticeably absent is the BLMGNF, the national arm of the BLM movement.
“We offer the AmazonSmile program to make it easy for our customers to support their favorite charitable organizations, and we work to offer a broad spectrum of organizations, including those working to end racial injustice,” an Amazon spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “States have rules for nonprofits, and organizations participating in AmazonSmile need to meet those rules. Unfortunately, this organization fell out of compliance with the rules in several states, so we’ve had to temporarily suspend them from the program until they come into compliance.
“We hope that happens soon, and in the meantime, customers who have already selected them in AmazonSmile are able to continue supporting them, and we’ll hold any funds accrued until they’re back in compliance.”
The suspension was first reported by the Washington Examiner.
The news comes after BLMGNF shut down all of its online fundraising earlier this month following demands by attorneys general in California and Washington state that it submit delinquent financial disclosures for 2020, the Examiner reported.
“We take these matters seriously and have taken immediate action,” a BLMGNF spokesperson told FOX Business on Feb. 3. “We have immediately engaged compliance counsel to address any issues related to state fundraising compliance. In the interim, we have shut down online fundraising as we work quickly to ensure we are meeting all compliance requirements.”
However, BLMGNF remained out of compliance in California, Washington, New Jersey, North Carolina, Connecticut, Colorado, Maryland, Maine, and Virginia as of Wednesday, the Examiner reported.
At the end of 2020, Black Lives Matter said in an impact report that it raised $90 million, spent $8.4 million in operating expenses, distributed $21.7 million in grants to 33 other organizations, and closed the year with a $60 million balance. An investigation conducted by the Examiner found that BLM has not publicly named anyone in charge of the roughly $60 million bankroll since its co-founder, Patrisse Cullors, resigned in May 2021.
According to the right-leaning charity watchdog Influence Watch, it is not clear who leads BLMGNF.
Multiple local BLM chapters and families of Black people killed by police have spoken out against the BLMGNF and demanded it disburses its millions to Black communities.
President Buhari donned a casual and trendy look on Wednesday, February 16, when he received in audience the President of Guinea-Bissau H.E Umaro Sissoco Embalo on the sideline of the EU-African Union Summit in Brussels, Belgium.
La Liga president, Javier Tebas has stated that Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland will join Real Madrid this summer from Paris Saint-Germain and Borrusia Dortmund respectively.
The French superstar, who is a long-term target of Real Madrid, is yet to sign a new contract with Paris Saint-Germain, meaning he will become a free agent this summer.
Tebas also said that Mbappe will not be the only top signing by Madrid in the coming transfer window.
“Madrid will get Mbappe and [Erling] Haaland as the others [Barcelona and Juventus] are half [financially] ruined,” he said.
“That Mbappe comes is great news for LaLiga. It would be a joy for LaLiga. It’s the best thing that could happen to LaLiga.”
Tebas later clarified his comments regarding Mbappe and said that while he does not have any facts, there is strong indication that the France international will leave PSG at the end of the season.
“I have no information regarding Mbappe,” Tebas said. “But I’ve seen few cases of players who have six months left on their contracts that have not renewed their contracts and then went on to continue at the club.”
PSG turned down a €200 million bid from Real Madrid for Mbappe last summer.
Minister of communications and digital economy, Isa Pantami has said that the federal government has outlawed the use of public email systems for official communication.
Addressing journalists at the end of the weekly federal executive council (FEC) meeting presided over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday February 16, Pantami said the council approved the ‘National Policy on the Government, Second Level Domain’, which mandates the migration of all official communications from generic domains to the nation’s second-level domain under government top-level domain.
All government agencies have now been directed to switch to an official communication medium and stop using public email systems such as Gmail, Yahoo mail, Hotmail, and others.
The Minister said;
“This policy has been approved, and it focuses more on mandating federal public institutions, ministries, departments, agencies (MDAs) and all institutions as long as they are for government; they should migrate from using generic domains in their websites and their emails to our second level domain under government top-level domain,” Pantami said.
“For example, you will discover today, some government institutions will engage in official communications using private email: yahoo.com hotmail.com gmail.com.
“And it is an official communication and someone may retire or will complete his tenure or the tenure can be terminated, and he will go with the same email. And in that email, there are many official documents.
“So, this will not be tolerated by the government anymore. Any official communications must be using an official email and that email should not be a generic one, it must be ‘.gov.ng.’ What is most important is ‘.ng’ that is our national identity.
“There are many categories of the second-level domain, some are for military, you will see like mil.ng mil is a short form of military.ng for Nigeria. You can see .gov.ng — Gov for government and ng for Nigeria.
“So, there are categories of the second-level domain, while our country top-level domain.ng must be there in our websites so that whoever gets access will know that this website is from Nigeria, while for email, it must reflect the official name.”
After a dramatic exit from Instagram, the notorious Tinder Swindler has returned to the world of the Internet – and it’s a doozy of a site he’s chosen for his new home.
Simon Leviev – who also goes by the name of Shimon Hayut – has gained fame as the subject of Netflix’s The Tinder Swindler documentary, which exposed him for scamming people online through the dating app.
Leviev (or Hayut) has created an account on Cameo, which is an American video-sharing website that allows celebrities to send personalised video messages to fans. We’re a bit baffled as to who would be a “fan” of a man who scammed women over dating apps, but there you go.
His profile reads that he is “excited to be on Cameo to wish the special person in your life whatever you need!”
A personalised video for you or someone else costs £148, while “engaging video content” for business purposes is priced at £1,036.
“Hi everybody I’m so excited to be here on Cameo, I’m Simon Leviev, if you want any blessing, anything birthday or whatever, shout out, I’m so excited to be here,” he says in a video that plays on his profile. “I wish you a great and magnificent day everybody, take care.”
Shortly after the documentary aired, the conman left Instagram after making a dramatic statement about setting the story of his crimes straight.
“I will share my side of the story in the next few days when I have sorted out the best and most respectful way to tell it, both to the involved parties and myself,” he posted. “Until then, please keep an open mind and heart.”
Since then, Leviev has caused outcry by pitching both a TV dating show and his own podcast based on women competing for his love.
Yeah, we can’t say we’ll be signing up to Leviev’s Cameo any time soon.
A Kenya-based Belgian TikTok star, Frank De Tank a.k.a Frank Murugi has been exposed as a fugitive drug lord.
The 42-year-old TikTok star who has over 1 million followers on the platform, flew to Kenya in 2017 and rented a house in Nairobi’s leafy suburbs of Milimani, where he lived with his 22-year-old girlfriend.
Frank said to be a father of two and prime suspect in one of Belgium’s most serious crime cases, was deported back home last week following reports of being wanted for allegedly raising Ksh.452 million (€ 3.5 million) as drug trafficking proceeds.
His extravagant lifestyle, on the other hand, drew scrutiny from members of the public and police officers after he went on a spending spree, splurging money on supercars and high-end exotic resorts.
International media reports revealed that Frank and his friend El Hajjioui Nordin were suspected leaders of a gang that trafficked over 2000 tons of cocaine in 2015 and 2016.
Nordin is said to have been sentenced in absentia to 40 years in prison, but has since fled to the United Arab Emirates, specifically Dubai. Belgian authorities have requested his extradition, but the UAE has denied the request.
Frank, who had previously worked as a dock worker at the Belgian port, was then arrested and questioned. Later, he agreed to work with the police to assist in the arrest of the trafficking syndicate. He was released on bail and the is when he flew to Kenya in 2017. Further investigations led to his re-arrest.
Trial of the TikTok star who faces up to 12-year jail sentence, began on February 11, 2022.
Bollywood actor, Deep Sidhu has been killed in a horror car crash with a truck on a motorway.
The 37-year-old Punjabi star was travelling on the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway that bypasses Delhi when the accident occurred on Tuesday night.
The actor was rushed to a hospital but was declared dead when brought in.
“Deep Sidhu died in the accident. A woman accompanying him has been admitted to the hospital with some injuries,” said police inspector Jaspal Singh.
“An investigation to determine the exact cause of the accident is underway.”
Photos from the scene showed a white Mahindra Scorpio, which Sidhu was driving, smashed into the rear of a trailer truck following the crash at approximately 9.30pm on Tuesday (15 February).
The actor attracted controversy for his role in the widespread protests against farm laws that took place across India last year.
The Rang Punjab actor was arrested after being accused of leading a group of protesters in storming Delhi’s historic Red Fort using tractors on January 26.
The protesters had clashed with police on the fringes of the largely peaceful rally.
Police launched a manhunt which lasted two weeks in a bid to arrest the actor and a £1000 reward offered for information.
After being arrested he was held in jail for two months before being granted bail.
The chief minister of his home state Charanjit S Channi wrote: “Deeply saddened to learn about the unfortunate demise of renowned actor and social activist Deep Sidhu
“My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved family and fans.”
Born in Punjab state, Sidhu started his career as a model before landing a role in the film Ramta Jogi in 2015, according to CNN affiliate CNN News-18.
American actor, Zachary Horwitz, was Monday, Feb. 14, sentenced to 20 years in jail.
Horwitz swindled $650 million in a huge Hollywood ponzi scheme, using it to finance a lavish lifestyle of yachts, jets and fast cars.
He created fake contracts that he told investors were with HBO and Netflix to trick them into handing over vast sums of money, which he splurged on private flights, cars, and a luxury Los Angeles mansion, complete with a wine cellar.
“Horwitz portrayed himself as a Hollywood success story,” prosecutors said, according to the Department of Justice.
“He branded himself as an industry player, who… leveraged his relationships with online streaming platforms like HBO and Netflix to sell them foreign film distribution rights at a steady premium.
“But, as his victims came to learn, (Horwitz) was not a successful businessman or Hollywood insider. He just played one.”
Horwitz, who acted in horror films under the name Zach Avery, told investors he was buying foreign distribution rights for US movies, and then selling them to streaming platforms.
The 35-year-old gave each victim a note promising a handsome profit six or 12 months later.
Over seven years he kept the scheme going by using new investors’ money to repay the old ones.
By the time it all fell apart, more than $230 million had vanished.
He admitted security fraud in October 2021 and acknowledged that he had never bought any film rights, or secured any distribution contracts.
It would be “difficult to conceive a white-collar crime more egregious,” prosecutors said in a memo to the judge, noting he started his life of crime by swindling university friends, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“He began by betraying the trust of his own friends, people who lowered their guard because they could not possibly imagine that someone they had known for years would unflinchingly swindle them and their families out of their life savings,” they wrote.
Horwitz was jailed for 20 years, and ordered by Judge Mark Scarsito to repay $230 million to his victims.
Paris Saint-Germain football club of France have offered Kylian Mbappe a contract that would make him the highest paid footballer on the planet.
In a move to keep him at the Parc des Princes beyond this summer, the Ligue 1 giants are ready to make him the highest-paid player in the world by offering him a deal well in excess of £500,000-a-week with the total package reaching 1m a week according to a report by the Independent.
The 23-year-old has just four months left to run on his current deal, and is currently free to speak to other clubs across Europe over a free transfer.
The striker has been the target of interest from Real Madrid, who made two bids for the France international last summer, both of which were turned down by PSG.
The mega offer can never be matched by Real Madrid who also want to sign Mbappe.
It is not the first time that the club have attempted to tie down Mbappe, with sporting director Leonardo revealing last summer the player had turned down their best ever offer to any player.
A Ghanaian farmer has been hospitalised with gunshot wounds following a failed suicide attempt after he shot his wife for denying him sex.
Charles Soglo, 31, from Adansi Nyakumase in the Ashanti Region attempted suicide after shooting Doris Amoah, 21, who survived the incident.
Takyi Adansi Fomena District Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Yaw Ohene, confirmed the incident to AdomNews correspondent, Isaac Normanyo.
“Charles Soglo shot his hands and lost two of his fingers and shot his chest. His wife had been transported to the hospital when a team of officers got to the scene. The officers then transported the suspect to the hospital,” he added.
Chief Supt Ohene noted that Doris Amoah was rushed to New Edubiase Government Hospital and is responding to treatment.
Also, the suspect has been admitted at the Saint Benito Mini Hospital at Adansi Dompoase and is receiving treatment under strict surveillance.
He also confirmed that Police have retrieved the single barrel gun used in committing the crime, and that Charles Soglo will be arraigned following his treatment.
Spain has been shocked by the news of a triple homicide in the city of Elche, after a 15-year-old boy confessed to killing his parents and younger brother after a family argument over Wi-Fi. Police confirmed that the 15-year-old, who has not been named, was arrested on Friday accused of the triple murder, which according to the Spanish press, had its roots in an argument over his poor grades at school, reports Xinhua news agency.
Local press reported that the boy’s mother cut off his access to Wi-Fi as a punishment for his poor performance at school and also his refusal to help around the house. The teenager took a shotgun and shot his mother dead, before killing his father and 10-year-old brother with the same weapon when they returned home and discovered what had happened.
He remained in the house with the dead bodies for three days before admitting what he had done to relatives, who were growing concerned after not hearing from the family. Police then arrested the teenager, and he formally confessed to the triple killing at the Elche Police Station where he remains in custody.
The Kano State Hisbah Board has arrested 78 youths at a party over alleged acts of immorality and indecent dressing.
It was gathered that the youths, both male and female, were arrested during a raid at an event centre called ‘White House’ in the Nassarawa GRA area of Kano.
The Director-General, Kano Hisbah Command, Harun Ibn Sina told Daily Trust that the youths were not arrested for conducting same-sex marriage as being reported.
“When we received the report, we went there and could not establish a fact that they were holding same-sex marriage but we caught them in a highly immoral situation both the males and females,” the Hisbah commander said.
He said the suspects also denied that they were officiating or in attendance of any same-sex marriage but rather celebrating the birthday of their peer.
Ibn Sina added that all those arrested are currently under the custody of the command at the time of filing this report.
NATO and the United States have said Russia is still building up troops around Ukraine despite Moscow’s statement on Wednesday, February 16 that it was pulling back troops, questioning President Vladimir Putin’s desire to negotiate a solution to the crisis between the two former Soviet Union countries.
In Ukraine, people raised flags and played the national anthem to show unity against fears of an invasion on Wednesday, February 16, the day that the US said Russia would attack Ukraine.
On Wednesday the Ukrainian government said a cyberattack that hit the defence ministry was the worst of its kind.
The cyber attack comes after Russia’s defence ministry said its forces were pulling back after military exercises in southern and western borders of Ukraine.
Russia published video that it said showed tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and self-propelled artillery units leaving the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow seized from Ukraine in 2014.
However, responding to Russia’s claims, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said key Russian units were moving towards the border, not away.
“There’s what Russia says. And then there’s what Russia does. And we haven’t seen any pullback of its forces,” Blinken said in an interview on MSNBC.
“We continue to see critical units moving toward the border, not away from the border.”
The CIA says the risk of Russian aggression against Ukraine would remain high for the rest of February and Russia could still attack Ukraine “with essentially no, or little-to-no, warning”.
CIA analysts have warned that the crisis between Russia and Ukraine may rumble on for months to come.
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said moving troops and tanks back and forth did not amount to proof of a pullout.
“What we see is that they have increased the number of troops and more troops are on their way. So, so far, no de-escalation,” he said before an alliance meeting in Brussels.
Stoltenberg later said NATO could prove Russia’s failure to pull back its troops with satellite imagery. He also said NATO had asked its commanders to plan for the deployment of battlegroups to the alliance’s southeastern flank.
The United Kingdom said it will double the size of its force in Estonia and send tanks and armoured fighting vehicles to the small Baltic republic bordering Russia as part of the NATO deployment, British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said.
The Kremlin said NATO’s assessment was wrong and that Russia never planned to attack Ukraine but wants to lay down “red lines” to prevent its neighbour from joining NATO, which it sees as a threat to its own security.
The Kremlin said Russia president Vladimir Putin was keen to negotiate with the US, which has offered discussions on arms control and confidence-building measures while ruling out a veto on future NATO membership for Ukraine.
Moscow has accused Washington of ‘hysterical war propaganda’ after repeated warnings by the US of a possible attack and reports in some Western media that it would happen on Wednesday.
Military analysts say a significant military withdrawal would involve field hospitals and fuel stores being dismantled and units from Russia’s far east, which are taking part in exercises in Belarus this week, returning to bases thousands of miles away.
The embattled Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, has claimed that members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Eastern Security Network (ESN) are behind his travails.
Abba Kyari is currently being investigated by the NDLEA over drug related charges and also has an impending extradition request to the US over fraud connections with serial fraudster, Hushpuppi.
But while appearing before a probe panel led by Joseph Egbunike, a Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, Kyari claimed his character is being attacked by IPOB.
In a report submitted by the panel to the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, which was in turn forwarded to the Police Service Commission (PSC), Kyari said the IPOB and its armed wing were after him due to the onslaught he launched against them in the South East.
“It is a campaign to smear his reputation by members of IPOB/ESN who vowed to destroy him, due to onslaught against them in the South East,” the ‘super cop’ was quoted to have said in the report.
But the panel, which faulted his claim, saying his claim is ‘watery’ and demoted him from the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police to Assistant Commissioner of Police.
Drugmaker, Pfizer has reported having more than double of annual profits due to its sales of vaccines in 2021, forecasting that the company will make more than $50 billion in 2022 for its Covid-19 vaccine and therapeutic.
Pfizer, whose vaccine developed with German company BioNTech wand as the first approved in the United States to counter the deadly covid-19 virus, sees slightly lower 2022 revenues for the vaccine compared with the just-finished year.
But the company says it’ll be making a large amount of revenues from Paxlovid, the company’s pill for Covid-19.
Chief Executive Albert Bourla described 2021 as a “watershed year” for Pfizer, adding that the company’s efforts in the pandemic “have fundamentally changed our company forever.”
Besides vaccines, sales were mixed across Pfizer’s other divisions. Revenues dipped for internal medicine and inflammation and immunology, but rose for oncology, hospitals and rare disease.
Pfizer reported annual profits of $22 billion, more than double the 2020 level. Annual revenues nearly doubled to $81.3 billion, with $36.8 billion from the Covid-19 vaccine.
For 2022, Pfizer expects $32 billion in revenue from Covid-19 vaccines and $22 billion in revenues from Paxlovid.
The results show how covid has transformed Pfizer, which a year ago had projected just $15 billion in Covid-19 vaccines sales in 2021 and ended up selling more than twice that amount after repeatedly lifting the forecast.
Bourla said the company is currently working on a new vaccine candidate based on the Omicron variant of Covid-19, as well as a new “potential next-generation oral Covid-19 treatment.”
Pfizer says it expects to produce 120 million treatment courses for Paxlovid, with six million in the first quarter and 30 million the first half of 2022.
The company said around 100 countries have already negotiated to buy Paxlovid. The treatment has so far been approved in about 40 countries.
Bourla said the sales for Paxlovid “could be way bigger” than current forecasts. The 2022 estimate of $22 billion is based on signed contracts and negotiations where there is essentially an agreement, he said.
Bourla said the company’s scientists “continue to monitor the Covid-19 virus and believe it is unlikely that it will be fully eradicated in the foreseeable future.”
“That said, we now have the tools — in the forms of vaccines and treatments — that we believe will help enable us to not only better manage the pandemic but also help countries move into the endemic phase,” he said.
A charming fraudster has been jailed for over four years after conning a millionaire he met on Tinder out of £150,000.
Richard Dexter, 38, was handed four years and six months after fraudulently claiming he was a ‘successful businessman’ on the verge of the a ‘big windfall’ to swindle his lover.
Dexter duped Middle East-based executive Amrita Sebastian into sending him £141,500 in a series of payments saying they were for investments in biopharmaceutical technology
‘Well-educated and well-dressed’ Dexter claimed he had more than £4.2 million tied up in an investment account – but it was a ‘complete fiction’ and it was his friend’s account and had just 37p in.
The father of two reportedly spent Miss Sebastian’s money on ‘relatively high living’ – including paying £15,000 to a classic car company. He claimed international companies 3M and Pall Corp were interested in tech equipment he had the patents for and willing to sign on deals worth up to £12 million.
Pall and 3M have never had any contact with Dexter, the court heard. Dexter persuaded Miss Sebastian that he needed capital to start production of a piece of scientific equipment – a ‘Bioreactor Paddle’.
He told Miss Sebastian ‘she wouldn’t lose anything’ and that he would pay her £100,000 as interest.
Dexter, who sobbed during the two-hour and 15-minute hearing, told the court: ‘I haven’t been able to put into words what I would say to [Miss Sebastian] if she was here.
‘[I have not] had any courage to contact her or put it onto paper, but I’m very, very sorry to the point that I think about it every day, from the minute I wake up until I go to sleep.
‘I can’t justify myself for what I did.’
Dexter’s partner, 37-year-old Hayley Jones, wept and told the court her boyfriend of three and half years is a good father.
Sentencing Dexter, Judge Mousley QC said: ‘I’m left in no doubt that dishonesty is a feature of your character and it is profound.
‘You are someone who shows no hesitation in resorting to lies with an ease that is almost breathtaking.
‘When your truthfulness is challenged you reach for more lies to cover your tracks.’
The judge added: ‘There was absolutely no sign of you apologising to [Miss Sebastian] and there’s little sign of any remorse.
‘What you did affected her mental health and you have never spared a thought for her.’
A hearing to determine how money is paid back has been set for April 7.
A court heard Dexter, of Southsea in Portsmouth, Hants, met Indian Miss Sebastian on Tinder in 2015 and posed as a businessman selling biopharma tech.
At Portsmouth Crown Court, prosecutor Robert Bryan said: ‘He claimed he was a successful businessman selling biopharma technology and he said he was worth £6.8 million and was involved in Hollywood studios.
‘He alluded to his immense wealth and private jets, expensive cars, and said he had more by way of interest in his investments than a doctor’s salary.’
In one text to Miss Sebastian, Dexter said: ‘Hey! I’m 32, most of my friends did uni and have debts and worries and all earn £40,000 to £60,000. I bought a hot air balloon yesterday just because I could.’
Miss Sebastian, who travels to the UK twice a year from Dubai, met with Dexter in August of 2015.
Over the course of 15 months, she made a series of payments, some as large as £68,000.
By the end of 2016, when his finances were in ‘dire straits’, Dexter convinced her to send him the final £5,500.
Miss Sebastian described him as ‘desperate’ for money, adding: ‘Because he had so much of my money already I felt trapped to keep him onside and I felt the £5,500 was a small loan.’But she said she still perceived there was ‘no risk’.
Later, as Miss Sebastian pleaded to have her investments returned, Dexter lied that he had ‘closed a deal with 3M for £3.6 million’ and that Miss Sebastian was entitled to £1.8 million as he tried to keep her onside.
Miss Sebastian ‘of course’ received nothing back, with Dexter giving her ‘excuses’ and ‘leading her along’.
Dexter’s home was raided by police in April 2018 after Miss Sebastian reported the fraud.
One businessman Dexter had contact with, Roy Maunder, said he was ‘always trying to portray himself as a successful businessman’.
Mr. Maunder said: ‘His stories came across as fanciful… He was a liar but a likeable character, he was a charmer.’
Dexter’s grandmother told the court he would regularly ask her to transfer him £10 because his ‘card wasn’t working’.
John Lucas, defending, asked Judge Mousley QC for ‘mercy’ and not to jail Dexter as he is ‘likeable and a very good father’.
He claimed Miss Sebastian’s money went on ‘general everyday living’ and to cover debts.
Mr. Lucas added: ‘He was in debt, he had debts to close friends. He got himself into a pickle and was investing Bitcoin unsuccessfully.
‘This man will not offend again… He’s charming and dresses well… He’s a well-educated young man who made a big error of judgement.’
A Texas man who had been sleeping with his sister, beat her to death with a baseball bat after he found out she had sex with another man, prosecutors said.
Jose Manuel Guzman, 32, allegedly killed his sister in the Canutillo home they shared, the El Paso County District Attorney told the El Paso Times.
Guzman allegedly snapped after he learned of his sister being with a male friend who visited a night earlier. He then attacked her with a “massage instrument” and a bat.
Afterward, he tried to mop up the blood in the home and fled as he heard law enforcement approaching, according to the Times.
He was later arrested and charged with murder. He is in jail on a $1 million bond.
Prosecutors say Guzman is from Guatemala and a legal US resident, although he is not a US citizen. He has lived in El Paso since he was 3 years old and only recently learned that he had a sister in Guatemala.
They met and allegedly began a sexual relationship, according to authorities.
El Paso prosecutors said Guzman was a drug dealer with previous criminal charges, including a 2017 case where he is accused of breaking a man’s arm with a baseball bat and smashing his windows. He also reportedly has previous family violence and drug possession cases.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has unveiled new missiles known as ‘khaibar buster’ with a 900-mile range that could hit American bases in the middle east and also attack Israel..
The missile is named after a Jewish castle overrun by Muslim warriors led by Prophet Mohammed in the early days of Islam.
Iranian armed forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri described it as a strategic, ‘long-range’ missile.
He said during the unveiling: ‘The enemies of the Revolution and the Islamic Republic do not understand anything but the language of power and force’.
It was unveiled during a visit to a surface-to-surface missile base of the Guards’ air force, with the chief of the aerospace department Amirali Hajizadeh present.
The unveiling comes at critical moment as Iran and Western powers talks in Vienna to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.
US National Security Officials on Wednesday, February 9, told senators in a closed-door briefing that Iran could have enough enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon within weeks
The missile has high accuracy and can defeat shield systems, state media says although the claim is not yet verified.
‘I see no way to stop Iran’s progress other than reentering this deal,’ Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), chair of the Foreign Relations Committee’s Middle East panel told Politico’s NatSec Daily.
‘And I left the briefing more certain than ever that we better be serious about trying to get back into an agreement.’
Iran has pushed ahead with producing enriched uranium since President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal four years ago
Around 11 people have died after high waves swept away a group of people on a beach on Sunday February 13, in Indonesia’s East Java province.
The incident took place on Sunday despite warnings from authorities advising people to avoid the sea, AP reported citing officials.
Java Budi Santosa, Head of Operation Unit of the Disaster Management and Mitigation Agency told Xinhua that the accident occurred at about 12:25 am (local time) on Sunday when people were conducting a traditional ritual at the Payangan beach in Jember district.
The 11 people who have died were part of a group of 24 people from several villages who participated in a local ritual.
In the local ritual, participants had to swim in the ocean, AP reported citing officials from the Surabaya Search and Rescue Agency.
The 13 survivors including a 2-year-old girl at the Payangan beach in Jember district are undergoing treatment at a health clinic.
Israel Adesanya has defeated Robert Whittaker to retain his middleweight title at UFC 271 in Houston, Texas.
The reigning UFC middleweight champion battled Whittaker over five rounds to ultimately win a unanimous decision in his fourth consecutive title defense in front of 6,000 fans packed into the Toyota Center
The final scorecards read 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47 with Adesanya moving to 22-1 in his career with the victory.
“I knew he was going to bring everything cause last time I took everything away from him,” Adesanya said after his latest win. “So he had nothing to lose. Like I said, I’m the champ, you want it, come get it.”
Judges Jacob Montalvo and Doug Crosby had Adesanya winning the first three rounds and Whittaker taking the final two. Judge Mike Beltran had Adesanya winning all but the second round, which he gave to Whittaker.
Adesanya outlanded Whittaker 79-59 in significant strikes, according to UFC Stats. But Whittaker landed more significant strikes to the head, 38-36, with Adesanya outlanding Whittaker in strikes to the legs, 29-13. Whittaker landed four takedowns, which matched Marvin Vettori for the most by any opposing fighter against Adesanya in the UFC, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
Coming in, ESPN had Adesanya ranked No. 2 and Whittaker ranked No. 9 on its MMA pound-for-pound rankings. At middleweight, Adesanya was No. 1 and Whittaker No. 2.
Adesanya (22-1) stopped Whittaker via second-round knockout at UFC 243 in October 2019 to win the title.
The Indigenous People of Biafra has said that it will be avenging burning of houses belonging to suspected members or supporters of the proscribed group by soldiers and operatives of South-East security outfit, Ebube Agu.
The group’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, challenged the South-East governors to rise against the situation, if they had no hand in it, stating that there’s nowhere in the North where innocent villagers are being attacked by security agents and their houses set on fire.
Alleging that over 30 houses have been burnt down in Enugu, Imo and Ebonyi states, IPOB accused the federal government of making plans to introduce Internally Displaced Persons’ camps in the South-East region as is the case in the North.
The statement read;
“IPOB will not allow this barbarity and cruelty to continue. We will avenge these unprovoked and needless attacks against the houses of innocent Biafran citizens. The mindless burning down of houses in our region by Nigerian security operatives and Ebubeagu cannot go unreciprocated.
“We warned against the formation of Ebubeagu in Biafra land because we knew they were coming to collude with the security agencies in killing our people.
“But the people ignored our warning, and today, we have been vindicated. Our fears have come true, but the wicked will not go free. For doing this to our people, we declare that the days of Ebubeagu in Biafra land are numbered. They will pay for what the military is using them to do against their fellow Biafrans.
“Very soon, we will make public the total number of houses so far burnt down in different parts of Biafra land, especially in Enugu, Imo and Ebonyi states.
“We also want the governors of these states to take note, and not blame IPOB for any reprisal, because we can’t fold our arms and allow criminals in security uniforms to continue to commit genocide in Biafra land unchallenged. Since nobody is defending our hapless people, we shall not abandon them. Enough is enough!”
IPOB also accused Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership and politicians in the region of doing nothing to address the mayhem going on in Igbo land.
The statement added;
“The Nigerian Army and the police, which cannot withstand terrorists rampaging and ravaging the whole North, must pay for their treachery! They will soon face the wrath of the people. Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership and the politicians are not left out, because they have done nothing to stop the mayhem.
“Elders and stakeholders in the South-East region should not beg us to calm down when we begin to pay back these agents of death and sorrow in their own coin. Instead, they should tell the Army and the police to stop burning down people’s properties now. By the time we shall begin to reciprocate these atrocities, we won’t listen to anybody.
“South-East governors must rise against this barbarity if they have no hand in it. There is nowhere in the North where innocent villagers are invaded by security agents and their houses set on fire.”
Kanye West’s former girlfriend Julia Fox and rapper Azealia Banks have been slamming one another on social media just days after Julia separated from Kanye.
The fight appeared to start after Azealia branded Julia a “low-rate escort” and her son a “crackbaby” which led to Julia sharing the chats online and claiming that Azealia once asked her for the phone number for a drug dealer .
After Julia – who has a son Valentino with her ex Peter Artemiev shut down claims she cried when she and Kanye West ended their romance, Azealia reposted Julia Fox’s Instagram statement and slammed her, calling her a sex worker.
“We already know the tea Foolia! [You] came to Miami looking for sex work, [the] same lawyer was in contract with Ye and it was a weak PR stunt from the jump,” Azelia wrote.
“What did you hustle him for?” Azelia Banks asked Fox.
“A bag and some Lucien’s? You absolutely did not come up because if this is how women who ‘always date billionaires’ behave when shit goes south, threatening tell-all books… You can kiss your days as a low-rate escort goodbye, sis.”
Azealia Banks wasn’t finished.
She went on: “The things you have made public in regards to your drug abuse (shit he probably had no clue about in the beginning) are not what he needs associated with him in any custody battle that may arise in court during divorce proceedings.”
In another post, Azealia then branded Julia a “liability,” adding that “the fact [she] thought [Kanye would] pick [her] over his children just reeks of entitlement, a lack of any real motherly instinct, and proves that [she is] in fact, a woman child.”
“We won’t be purchasing your book, I wouldn’t write it if I were you. It’ll make [you] look racist and bitter. You are not Karrine Steffans level of legendary. You’ve already told your secrets, sis. It’s over.”
Azelia then went on to address rumours that she had a crush on Kanye.
“Babes, Kanye has tried to sign me four times. I’ve repeatedly rejected him. Kanye has a crush on me, but I like his white friends more tbh,”
She then claimed that Kanye owes her “A LOT of money.”
In another message, Azealia shared a screenshot where Julia had warned her not to “talk s**t” about her son.”
She typed atop of the message: “Okay your son is a crackbaby….what next.”
Azealia then uploaded a photo showing Julia sitting on the floor dressed in a bra and knickers injecting herself in the arm with a needle.
Fox in retaliation then leaked a screenshot of messages that she claims were between herself and Azealia.
In one of the screenshots, Azealia allegedly asks: “Julia who sells molly and Percocet in NYC?”
Julia then seems to respond: “Hi love sry i was sleeping!!! let me ask around cuz i deleted all the dealers from my phone when my sis OD’d.”
The actress claimed she shared the chat after Azelia Banks kept calling her a junkie online.
Fox wrote over the screenshot: “So it has come to my attention that this troll keeps calling me a junkie umm sis do u recall @azealiabanks.”
In a second post, Julia then opened up on her addiction issues.
“I’m open about my issues with addiction because I want to destigmatize it! Not al addicts are ‘junkies’,” she wrote.
Julia continued: “That is so horrible to say. It’s a real f*cking disease. And I’ve also been open about my recovery journey!!! But nobody wants to mention that right….. If this troll says one more thing about my parenting or my son…”
“She added, “I was too nice to her cuz I felt sorry for her but now I realize why she spends all the holidays alone. Nobody wants that energy sis!!!”
Back in January 2020, Julia revealed that when she was 17 she almost suffered from a near-fatal overdose.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, she said: “It’s kind of a miracle that I’m okay because a lot of the people I grew up with aren’t doing so well,” Fox shared. “They’re still on drugs or in jail. A lot of them died.”
Then in July, she said she is now sober after struggling with heroin and pills for some time.
A man who suffered horrific abuse at a Catholic boarding school in Scotland has secured a record £1.4million in compensation.
The 54-year-old, known only as AB, was sexually assaulted by religious brothers John Farrell, Paul Kelly, and Gerard Ryan.
According to Mail Online, the incident occurred during a 14-month spell while he was boarding at St Ninian’s School in Falkland, a religious teaching order within the Catholic Church that was run by the Christian Brothers.
AB was raped, molested, and beaten by all three teachers. They would also frequently play the song Ashes to Ashes by David Bowie during their attacks.
The Christian Brothers tried to have the legal case against them thrown out at the All Scotland Sheriff Personal Injury Court. But Sheriff Christopher Dickson dismissed the attempt and ordered them to pay damages of £1.39million.
It is believed to be the highest sum ever awarded to a survivor of abuse.
In 2016, Farrell was convicted of four abuse charges and jailed for five years while Kelly was convicted of six and got ten years. Ryan died in 2013 before he could be investigated.
AB said: ‘Finally, after 40 years, I have been acknowledged and those responsible can be exposed.’
Describing speaking to the police, he said: ‘It was terrifying but empowering. Exhausting but freeing. Painful but therapeutic. I’ll always feel the pain. But at least now I’m not alone. I am supported.
‘And I can now slowly look to the future instead of being chained to my past.’
Last year the school was described as a ‘place of abuse and deprivation’ by Judge Lady Smith in a ruling from the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry. She ruled children had suffered physical, emotional, and sexual abuse and said the evidence was ‘distressing’.
Kim Leslie, of law firm Digby Brown, said: ‘We’re not aware of any higher sums ever being awarded to a survivor so this settlement is truly a landmark one.’
An online influencer who claimed she was thrown out of the Vatican for being “too sexy” has now said she will stop being Catholic because of how she was treated.
Juju Vieira, who is originally from Brazil, was on a trip to Saint Peter’s Basilica at the heart of the holy city while in Rome on January 30, 2022.
She wore a fitted dress and long boots for the visit.
She claims that while there she was told she was not dressed properly and asked to leave.
Juju said: “I went to the Vatican like everyone else goes to take pictures.
“A gentleman who worked there came close to me and said that the place was for prayers and that I was not dressed properly and invited me to leave, ‘kicked’ me out of the Vatican.
“I was embarrassed because there were other people there who heard this. I felt disrespected.”
Since then, Juju, who is baptised and was raised in a strict Christian home and regularly attended mass, claims she has been persecuted by trolls online, who are sending hateful messages.
“I met the lack of God in the hearts of people who call themselves Catholic in the worst possible way,” Juju told her followers on Instagram.
She added: “They found out my number and I even received threats. I don’t identify with that kind of religious conduct.”
As a result of what happened at the Vatican and the resulting abuse, she has now decided to give up her faith and explore other religions.
She said: “I want to be who I am, dress the way I want, sexy or not.
“I want to know other religions, today I identify more with spiritism.”
The Vatican has a strict dress code for both men and women, which involves covering shoulders and knees.
The website states: “Women are not permitted to wear sleeveless tops, crop tops, or tight shirts. Shoulders should be covered, and if wearing a skirt or dress, it must cover the knees.
“It is usually a good idea for women to bring a shawl and a pair of leggings when visiting during the colder months, as well as a light jacket that can be rolled up into a pleasingly tiny bag.”
Juju claims she was not aware of the code and was dressed as she would normally for a day out.
The model said: “I didn’t even know there were rules.
“A person of common sense will not visit the Vatican in club clothes. I was stylish in my winter clothes, everything matched.
“I went in comfortable clothes that I would feel good in for long walks.
A dramatic scene was recorded at a burial ceremony in Gatanga, Kenya as mourners fled for their lives after a relative of the deceased dropped a beehive near his casket.
The burial ceremony is said to be that of a 30-year-old man identified as Wilson Nyaga. Nyaga killed himself last week by hanging himself on an avocado tree belonging to his stepbrother.
In line with the community’s tradition, the tree the deceased hanged himself on was later cut down and this angered Nyaga’s stepbrother.
The deceased’s brother who asked to be compensated before he is buried, vowed to stop the burial ceremony if his demand is not met.
Chege Nduati, one of the family members said;
“We went to the morgue to collect the body and just moments after the mourners settled for the service, the culprit climbed up the tree and pulled down the beehive”
Another family member said;
“We did not think that his threat could come to this extent which has led to many people getting hurt.”
Following his action, tens of mourners and members of the clergy were badly stung by the bees and are currently receiving treatment in local hospitals.
It took hours for things to return to normal at the funeral service. Police have launched a man hunt for the culprit who is currently on the run.
The Department of Security Services (DSS) on Wednesday February 16, explained why Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) who is accused of various offences including treasonable felony and terrorism, cannot wear clothes with an insignia of a lion’s head.
At resumption of trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja, Mr Kanu’s lead counsel, Mike Ozekhome, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, drew the trial judge, Binta Nyako’s attention to the difficulties encountered in trying to get new clothes to the IPOB leader at DSS detention facility in Abuja.
Recounting how the trial judge ordered that the DSS should allow Kanu to change his clothes from the Fendi jumpsuit he had been wearing to court, Ozekhome pleaded with Justice Nyako to ask the DSS counsel to provide an explanation.
Defending DSS’ decision to deny Nnamdi Kanu a change of cloth, the security agency’s counsel said the clothes that were brought for the defendant had lion’s head embroiled on them and this “offend the standard operating procedures”.
The DSS counsel said;
“My Lord, clothes that were brought for the defendant had lion’s head embroiled on them, and the defendant (Mr Kanu) can’t wear clothes with a lion’s head.
“Cothes with lion’s head offend the standard operating procedures”
It was also gathered that Kanu insisted on wearing the Igbo ethnic attire which carries an insignia of a lion’s head.
A two-year-old boy has drowned in a villa swimming pool while his model mum reportedly partied with friends at a photoshoot nearby.
Wiyada Pontawee, 26, and her photographer husband took toddler Chawanakon Hancharoenpanna to a house in Pattya, Thailand on Valentine’s Day.
It is reported that several other adult models attended the party, which doubled as a photo shoot for Pontawee and other attendees.
Wiyada, whose nickname is “Soda”, posed in front of the pool in a revealing black bikini and another of her on a snooker table with her legs spread.
As she posed during the photoshoot, Chawanakon Hancharoenpanna and his brother are seen splashing about in the swimming pool nearby.
Chawanakon, who was only two days from his third birthday, tragically drowned in the pool later that evening while his mother was reportedly working inside, taking photos and videos indoors.
Chawanakon’s father heard him struggling in the water and they called emergency services around 10pm on Feb 14, 2022.
Medics performed CPR on the youngster who was taken to hospital and sadly pronounced dead later that evening.
Wiyada said: “I’m heartbroken. I don’t want to live anymore. I am praying to bring my son back to life.”
The boy’s father, Pongrit Hancharoenpanna, told paramedics that he and his wife “were working” at the time of the accident.
Speaking from the scene, he said: “I was working when it happened. Then I heard the sound from the water and saw my boy in the pool. He was choking, so I jumped in to help him but it was too late.”
Wiyada regularly poses in explicit images for OnlyFans and other adult websites where she charges followers for the content she makes.
Some undocumented migrants on Mexico’s southern border sewed their mouths shut on Tuesday, February 15 in a bid to convince Mexico’s immigration authority to grant them passage toward the U.S. border.
The migrants, mostly Central and South Americans, helped each other seal their lips using needles and plastic threads, leaving a small space to consume liquids and using alcohol to wipe away drops of blood from the stitches, photos show .
“The migrants are sewing their lips together as a sign of protest,” said Irineo Mujica, an activist at the demonstration.
“We hope that the National Migration Institute can see that they are bleeding, that they are human beings.”
Mexico’s migration agency (INM) said in a public statement that “it is worrying that these measures have been carried out with the consent and support of those who call themselves their representatives, with the intention of pressuring authorities on an attention already provided.”
Some migrants could be seen carrying their children when they staged the dramatic protest in Tapachula, a border city with Guatemala, which for months has been filled with thousands of migrants waiting for papers to be able to freely cross the country.
“I’m doing it for my daughter,” said Yorgelis Rivera, a Venezuelan. “She has not eaten anything in the last few hours and I see no solution … from the authorities.”
“We are like prisoners here,” Rivera said, adding she has been waiting for a response from Mexico’s migration agency for more than a month.
In recent years, the number of migrants arriving in Mexico from other South American countries fleeing violence and poverty has increased . In 2021, Mexico recorded an 87% increase in the number of asylum applications, mainly from Haitians and Hondurans
Donald Trump is now back on social media with his new social media platform called Truth.
According to a tweet from his son, Donald Jr., Trump shared his first post on his upcoming social media platform Truth Social, writing: ‘Time for some Truth!!!’
Trump’s alleged post read: ‘Get ready! Your favorite president will see you soon’
Truth Social is slated to launch Monday, February 21 according to its Apple App Store listing and the platform is almost an identical replica of Twitter, the social media platform that Trump was an avid user on before being suspended.
Echoing Donald Jr.’s claims, social media users claim that the beta version of Truth Social launched for some users, including the former president who has been testing the platform.
‘TRUTH Social (beta) has dropped and President Trump is active on his own account!’ tweeted Liz Willis, VP of operations at Right Side Broadcasting Network. ‘The world is healing.’
Trump has talked about his plans to take on Big Tech ever since he was banned from Twitter and Facebook during the aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, when a pro-Trump mob attacked police and stormed Congress.
He announced he was launching Trump Media Technology Group toward the end of last year, with plans for a subscription video-on-demand service called TMTG+ with entertainment, news and podcasts, as well as the new social media platform.
Screenshots of Trump’s Truth Social account show he reportedly joined the social media network on February 10.
As of midday Tuesday, he had 175 followers. It is unclear if his follower count has since grown as the platform is still not accessible to everyone .
Trump, who will serve as TMTG’s chairman, first announced the creation of Truth Social last fall, saying the platform would create a rival social network to the current ‘liberal media consortium’ and ‘fight back against the ‘Big Tech’ companies of Silicon Valley, which have used their unilateral power to silence opposing voices in America.
‘I created TRUTH Social and TMTG to stand up to the tyranny of Big Tech. We live in a world where the Taliban has a huge presence on Twitter, yet your favorite American President has been silenced,’ he said in October.
‘This is unacceptable. I am excited to send out my first TRUTH on TRUTH Social very soon. TMTG was founded with a mission to give a voice to all. I’m excited to soon begin sharing my thoughts on TRUTH Social and to fight back against Big Tech. Everyone asks me why doesn’t someone stand up to Big Tech? Well, we will be soon!’
A U.S. patient with leukemia has become the first woman and the third person in the world to be cured of HIV after receiving a stem cell transplant from a donor who was naturally resistant to the virus that causes AIDS, researchers reported on Tuesday February 15.
The case of a 64-year-old woman of mixed race, presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunisitic Infections in Denver, is also the first involving umbilical cord blood, a newer approach that may make the treatment available to more people.
Since receiving the cord blood to treat her acute myeloid leukemia, a cancer that starts in blood-forming cells in the bone marrow, the woman has been in remission and free of the virus for 14 months, without the need for potent HIV treatments known as antiretroviral therapy.
The two prior cases occurred in males, one white and one Latino, who had received adult stem cells, which are more frequently used in bone marrow transplants.
“This is now the third report of a cure in this setting, and the first in a woman living with HIV,” Sharon Lewin, President-Elect of the International AIDS Society, said in a statement.
The case is part of a larger U.S.-backed study led by Dr. Yvonne Bryson of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), and Dr. Deborah Persaud of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
The woman in question was diagnosed with HIV in 2013 and leukemia in 2017, making her a potential candidate.
She received the treatment four years ago, and in the time since her cancer has gone into remission, and her HIV treatment was discontinued last winter.
Her body reacted well to the treatment, the doctors report, and she quickly saw positive results.
Despite dropping HIV treatment over a year ago, the virus has not resurged in her. Repeated scans of her body show no HIV cells with the potential of replicating. They also drew cells from her body and attempted to infect them in a laboratory, and failed.
If a few more years pass and doctors still fail to find any HIV in her body and fail to infect her cells, then they will declare her ‘cured’ of the virus.
“I’m excited that it’s turned out so well for her,” Dr Yvonne Bryson told NBC.
She added that the New York patient’s case has added “more hope and more options for the future’ of HIV treatment.
Cristiano Ronaldo Jr, the 11 year old son of superstar footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo has signed for Manchester United’s academy, following in the footsteps of his father.
Cristiano Jr has played for the club’s academy on a number of occasions over recent months, after Ronaldo Sr rejoined the club last summer.
The youngster has now officially signed a professional deal with United and will wear the famous No7 jersey, won by his father at all his clubs..
The announcement was made by his fellow academy starlet Gabriel on Instagram, after the duo signed their contract terms at the same time.
In the post, he said: ‘Delighted to finally have my signing day done even better to have mine with teammates @cristiano JR.’
Ronaldo’s son is yet to open an Instagram account of his own but Georgina Rodriguez, Ronaldo Sr’s pregnant girlfriend, proudly shared pictures of the moment Ronaldo Jr signed for his new club.
She posted on Instagram: ‘Pursuing our dreams together. Mom loves you.’
The body of a 70-year-old woman has been found in her house in Italy, two years after her death.
Marinella Beretta’s decomposed body was discovered by the Como fire brigade following complaints that a tree had fallen in her garden as a result of overgrown vegetation, Como City Hall press officer Francesca Manfredi said on Wednesday, February 9.
Before her death, she lived alone near Lake Como in Lombardy, Italy.
Manfredi said the cause of Beretta’s death is unknown, and the coroner has established that she died sometime toward the end of 2019, based on the level of decay to her body.
No relatives of Beretta have yet come forward, Manfredi said, adding that police are investigating whether she had any surviving family.
As at press time, Beretta’s body was at the morgue, and a funeral date has not yet been set.
“I will try to be there and I invite the city to be present,” Como mayor Mario Landriscina said as he invited the town’s residents to attend Beretta’s funeral.
He revealed that the local government would take care of the funeral arrangements.
“This is the moment to be together, and even if this woman had no relatives, we could become her relatives.”
On Facebook, Elena Bonetti, Italy’s minister for family and equal opportunities, mourned Beretta’s solitary death.
“What happened to Marinella Beretta in Como, the forgotten loneliness, hurts our consciences,” she said. “Remembering her life is the duty of a community that wants to remain united.”
Bonetti added: “Taking care of each other is the experience of families, institutions, of our being citizens. No one should be alone.”
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that self-registration outlets will be introduced in Abuja and Lagos for the 2022 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE) examinations.
JAMB’s Head of Media and Information, Dr Fabian Benjamin made the announcement on Monday February 7.
Fabian said JAMB is introducing the self-registration outlets to leverage the digital competency of the increasing number of computer-savvy candidates. He noted that they are hopeful that the newly introduced system would, in the long run, reduce the crowds at the Computer Based Test (CBT) in the two cities.
He said;
“The conception of this noble idea is to, besides advancing the digital competence of candidates who feel they can do the registration on their own, expand the registration access points in line with COVID-19 protocols.
“The service provider, Bankfort, expressed optimism about the immense potential of the seamless registration mode, stating that it is the norm rather than the exception in more developed climes.”
The board also announced the adoption of ‘66019’ as an additional and optional USSD code besides the ‘55019’ code that had been in operation since 2018, for UTME/DE registration and other essential services.
It explained that the initiative was to facilitate a hitch-free 2022 UTME/DE registration exercise by ensuring that was no difficulty whatsoever in the creation of profiles by candidates, especially in a situation whereby many of them would send requests via one USSD code.
Prospective candidates for the 2022/23 UTME/DE are to use both codes to create their profiles for registration.
He added;
“As usual, candidates are required to send their National Identification Number (NIN) via either of these USSD codes for their details to be pulled from the NIMC database before they proceed to any accredited centre for biometric capturing.”
JAMB also hinted that it was perfecting arrangements aimed at adopting an additional USSD code, in its efforts to eliminate all bottlenecks associated with the creation of profiles.
The University of California has agreed to pay $250m to over 200 women who allege they were sexually assaulted by a campus gynaecologist.
Multiple women accused the university’s Los Angeles campus (UCLA) of deliberately hiding James Heaps’ alleged sexual abuse of patients.
Dr Heaps was based at the UCLA student health centre during his 35-year career between 1983 and 2018 and allegedly abused hundreds of women, some of whom had cancer.
The university did not begin investigating complaints against Heaps until 2017 and hundreds of lawsuits against the school accused the learning center of deliberately hiding the gynaecologist’s alleged sexual abuse of patients.
In 2019, his medical licence was suspended by a judge for the duration of the sex abuse case and now the school has agreed to pay the hefty sum as compensation to the aghroved parties.
The university said it hoped the financial settlement would provide “healing and closure” for the women involved.
Last July, a federal judge approved a $73m settlement against Heaps, which was brought by more than 5,500 women.
According to lawyers in the case, he was once the highest paid doctor in the entire University of California system.
Heaps now faces 21 criminal counts of sexual abuse against seven women and has pleaded not guilty.
“The conduct alleged to have been committed by Heaps is reprehensible and contrary to the University’s values,” a UCLA statement said.
“Our first and highest obligation will always be to the communities we serve, and we hope this settlement is one step toward providing healing and closure for the plaintiffs involved.”
Kara Cagle, a breast cancer survivor who alleged Heaps assaulted her while she was undergoing treatment at the university, told the Los Angeles Times:
“Today, after eight long years, I received recognition of what happened to me.
“Although there is some consolation in that, my heart breaks for all the women who were not spared, all the women who suffered after me, because UCLA refused to act.”
The settlement does not stop an ongoing lawsuit by more than 300 patients.
Two cases of Lassa fever have been found in England, with a further “probable” case being investigated.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the cases which have been identified are within the same family in the east of England and are linked to recent travel to West Africa.
Lassa Fever is an illness caused by the Lassa virus, which usually infects people through exposure to food or household items that have been contaminated with the urine or faeces of infected rats. The virus can also be spread through infected bodily fluids.
UKHSA said. It added cases that occur elsewhere are “almost exclusively in people who work in endemic areas in high-risk occupations such as medical or other aid workers.”
One of the cases identified has recovered while the other is being treated at the Royal Free London Foundation Trust. The third probable case is being treated at Bedfordshire Hospitals Foundation Trust.
Dr. Susan Hopkins, chief medical advisor at UKHSA said: “Cases of Lassa fever are rare in the UK and it does not spread easily between people. The overall risk to the public is very low. We are contacting the individuals who have had close contact with the cases prior to confirmation of their infection, to provide appropriate assessment, support, and advice.
“The UKHSA and the NHS have well-established and robust infection control procedures for dealing with cases of imported infectious disease and these will be reinforced.” she added
Derby County manager and former Manchester United captain, Wayne Rooney, has revealed the real reason Sir Alex Ferguson left Manchester United.
According to the former Manchester United striker who is the club’s and England’s highest goalscorer of all time, Ferguson ‘got out’ of the club as ‘quick as he could’ once he realised the club was in decline.
Ferguson, spent 27 years at Old Trafford, but retired in 2013 and he left a title-winning team for his successor, David Moyes. But since then till now, the club been in a decline, winning just four trophies since then and no premier league titles.
In 2010, Rooney asked Manchester United to let him join another club, questioning United’s ambition after Ronaldo and Tevez were sold in 2009. Ferguson made Manchester United win two league titles in the next four years.
Rooney then fell out with Ferguson again during the Scot’s final year at Old Trafford, when he once again asked to depart and at that time Manchester City were on the rise. .
Rooney says the former united coach dumped United knowing they were in decline .
“Actually, if you look five years down the line from that meeting – Alex Ferguson knew where the club was going and he got out of there as quickly as he could, and they’re still picking up the pieces now,” Rooney was quoted by Metro.
Presidential sources have said that suspended super cop, Abba Kyari, who was taken into custody by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Monday, February 14, will be extradited to the United States after his probe for an illicit drug deal.
According to The Nation, the Federal Government has concluded plans with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Intelligence (FBI) to hand over Kyari who is wanted for taking bribes from suspected celebrity internet fraudster, Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, alias Hushpuppi, from a $1.1million loot.
It was also learnt that the police authorities delayed action on Kyari for four days until the Presidency directed Inspector-General Baba Usman to release him to the NDLEA.
Shortly before he was released to the anti-drug agency alongside four other police officers indicted for the same misdemeanor, the NDLEA had declared Kyari wanted after announcing his involvement with drugs and releasing a video of his attempt to bribe operatives to the public.
Sources said President Muhammadu Buhari received a report on Kyari from the Chairman of the NDLEA, Gen. Buba Marwa.
The other suspects taken into custody are Sunday Ubuah, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP); Bawa James, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP); Inspector Simon Agrigba and Inspector John Nuhu.
According to a top source in the presidency, the Federal Government was already finalizing the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) with the U.S. on Kyari’s extradition.
A Presidency source was quoted as saying;
“It was after the briefing that the agency set the machinery in motion to arrest Kyari and four others. Two drug suspects linked with the Kyari group are already in the agency’s custody.
The interrogation of the five police officers will begin on Tuesday (today) alongside the two drug traffickers in NDLEA’s net.
Both the traffickers and the police officers will have the opportunity to face detectives on how Kyari became an intermediary.
It is expected that this action may lead to the unearthing of the drug cartel in the country.”
An Indian businessman, Vyapak Nutal, has been taken into custody for interrogation by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, over the smuggling of 134,700 bottles of Codeine syrup into the country through the land border between Nigeria and Niger Republic in Sokoto state.
A statement released by Femi Babafemi, spokesperson of NDLEA, says the suspect had loaded the consignment into trucks in Cotonou, Benin Republic and drove through the land borders via the Niger Republic before entering Sokoto state at the Illela border. Settled in a hotel in Sokoto state, credible intelligence revealed that Nutal began to look for buyers for the controlled drug. While operatives were on his trail, officers of the Department of State Security were able to apprehend him and swiftly handed him over to NDLEA on Wednesday 10th February 2022.
In a related development, attempts by drug traffickers to export large quantities of Heroin, Methamphetamine, Khat, Tramadol and Cannabis through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA as well as three courier companies in Lagos have been frustrated by narcotic officers who intercepted the illicit consignments.
At the Lagos airport, operatives on Tuesday 8th Feb arrested one Felix Rotimi Eshemokhai with 1.75kg heroin while trying to board Royal Air Maroc to Casablanca, Morocco while another trafficker, Okafor Emmanuel Onuzuruike was also nabbed same day during his bid to travel on RwandAir to Dubai with 2.2kg of Cannabis concealed in foodstuff.
Not less than 25 kilograms of Methamphetamine, Tramadol, Cannabis and Khat concealed in motor parts, MP3 player, speaker and fabrics heading to USA, UK, Australia, Dubai and Madagascar were seized at three major courier companies in Lagos.
In Gombe state, 31,000 capsules of Tramadol were recovered from a truck that left Onitsha, Anambra state for Mubi, Adamawa state and the owner, Ibrahim Tukur Bage, arrested on Friday 11th Feb, while attempting to escape. This followed the arrest of Aliu Salami, 43, with 143.9kg cannabis at Oke-Ata, Abeokuta South LGA, Ogun state on Wednesday 9th Feb.
In the same vein, not even a bunch of talisman (charms) used by a trans-border drug dealer, Shu’aibu Salisu could save him and his gang as their consignment of 578kg of Cannabis meant for Niger Republic was intercepted in Kwara state on 8th Feb when two persons: Gambo Lawal and Ibrahim Mohammed were arrested while conveying the drug to someone in Charanchi, Katsina State. A follow up operation led to the arrest of Salisu and two others; Sani Musa and Auwal Amina the day after at different locations within Kaita LGA, Katsina.
In Benue state, a fake security agent, Mr. Dennis Emadiong was on Saturday 12th Feb arrested at NDLEA check point, Alaide, Benue with 239grams of cannabis and 10 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition while on his way from Akwa Ibom to Maiduguri, Borno state. Another suspect, Stephen Folorunsho was also nabbed during a routine Stop and Search operation, along Apir-Makurdi road with 147 compressed blocks of cannabis weighing 130kg stuffed inside bales of used clothes popularly called Okrika on his way to Gombe State.
In Adamawa state, no fewer than 22,700 tablets of Tramadol and Exol-5 were seized in Numan area of the state from two drug dealers: Mmaduabuchibeya Kingsley and Onyeke Kenneth in separate raids on Thursday 10th February.
While commending the officers and men of Sokoto, Gombe, Ogun, Kwara, Adamawa, Benue, MMIA Commands as well as those of the Directorate of Operation and General Investigation, DOGI, for their resilience in the various drug supply reduction efforts, he charged them and their compatriots across other commands to remain on the offensive against the cartels while he hailed the synergy and support from other security agencies.
A Catholic priest has resigned from an Arizona church after the Vatican ruled that thousands of his baptisms are invalid because he used the wrong words for 25 years
Father Andres Arango left his post at the St. Gregory Catholic Church in Phoenix this month after disclosing that he used an ‘incorrect formula’ that invalidated the baptisms. He has previously worked in churches in Brazil and San Diego.
Instead of saying ‘I baptize you’ which invokes the power of God, as required by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Arango said ‘we baptize you’ – which refers to the community.
According to the ruling, using the wrong phrasing invalidated all the baptisms Arango had performed since being ordained in 1995 through June 2021. And as a result, this could also invalidate ensuing confirmations and Eucharists.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix said that it was possible that some marriages could be affected, but did not explain further.
He’ll now work full-time offering spiritual guidance to Catholics whose baptisms were ruled invalid so that he can baptize them again.
The church said the number of invalid baptisms runs into the thousands, but did not reveal exactly how many Arango performed.
The Vatican issued a doctoral note in 2020, clarifying that Baptisms conferred with the formula ‘We baptize you in the name of the Father and the Son of the Holy Spirit,’ were invalid.
Church leaders at The Roman Catholic Diocese investigated its faith leaders after the note was issued, and last month found that Father Arango had incorrectly performed the baptisms. It included baptisms at his previous parishes in Brazil and San Diego.
Following the Vatican’s note of clarification, other priests working in Catholic diocese across the United States realized they had also been improperly baptized by priests.
It was explained that after becoming an ordained priest for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City in 2020, Father Zachery Boazman reviewed a video of his 1992 baptism and realized the wrong wording had been used.
He was re-ordained following the discovery, the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City said.
In a letter announcing his resignation, Father Arango apologized to those his mistake has affected and asked the community for ‘prayers, forgiveness, and understanding.’
‘It saddens me to learn that I have performed invalid baptisms throughout my ministry as a priest by regularly using an incorrect formula,’ Arango said. ‘I deeply regret my error and how this has affected numerous people in your parish and elsewhere.
‘With the help of the Holy Spirit and in communion, with the Diocese of Phoenix, I will dedicate my energy and full-time ministry to help remedy this and heal those affected.’
Arango remains a priest in good standing, and the situation has not disqualified him from his vocation and ministry, the Diocese said.
Those whose baptisms were invalid might have to repeat the second and third sacraments – confirmation and Eucharist after receiving a second, valid baptism.
It’s not clear how the situation could impact marriages, but the Diocese said that it could.
‘Maybe!’ it said in a statement. ‘Unfortunately, there is no single clear answer. There are a number of variables when it comes to valid marriages, and the Tribunal is here to help.’
Diocese of Phoenix Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted said he did not believe Arango didn’t intentionally harm or deceive parishioners.
‘On behalf of our local Church, I too am sincerely sorry that this error has resulted in disruption to the sacramental lives of a number of the faithful,’ Olmsted said in a statement.
‘This is why I pledge to take every step necessary to remedy the situation for everyone impacted.’
Cybersecurity tycoon, John McAfee died by suicide in a Spanish jail cell, a court has ruled.
McAfee, 75, was found hanging in his prison cell at Centre Penitenciari Brians 2 in Barcelona on June 23, just hours after his extradition to the US was approved.
Last week’s court ruling confirmed the findings of the original autopsy that McAfee’s death was a suicide, MarketWatch reported.
Authorities in Spain had previously said everything at the scene in his cell indicated that the tech mogul did kill himself, but his ex-wife Janice disputes that and has already mounted an appeal, insisting the death was murder.
An official source familiar with the investigation also told The Associated Press that a suicide note had been found in McAfee’s pocket.
The tech entrepreneur, who founded the eponymous anti-virus software, but was just worth $4m at the time of his death wrote: ‘I am a phantom parasite. I want to control my future, which does not exist.’ But Janice says she doesn’t believe the note was in her late ex’s handwriting.
For seven months, McAfee’s body has been held in the prison morgue’s freezer since his death. Last year, McAfee’s ex-wife, Janice McAfee, demanded a ‘thorough investigation’ of his death, saying her husband did not appear suicidal when they last spoke.
‘His last words to me were ‘I love you and I will call you in the evening,’ she told reporters outside the prison in Barcelona after collecting her husband’s belongings back in June.
McAfee’s body remained at the prison morgue for seven months during the ongoing cause-of-death investigation as his ex-wife and his daughter, named only as ‘Jen’ for her privacy, have been in a legal battle over his remains.
Following the ruling of McAfee’s cause of death last week, it is unclear when his body might be moved from the prison morgue where it has been since his death.
Jen’s lawyer, Joy Athanasiou, told MarketWatch that she hopes to meet with Javier Villalba, Janice’s McAfee’s lawyer, on Monday to discuss the case.
‘At this point, we don’t really know much aside from the ruling,’ Athanasiou told MarketWatch. ‘It’s been a long, strange process.’
McAfee was arrested at the Barcelona airport in October 2020 on a warrant issued by prosecutors in Tennessee who were seeking up to three decades of imprisonment for allegedly evading more than $4 million in taxes.
Julia Fox has confirmed her breakup from Kanye West while claiming to be a ‘hustler‘ who was never in love with the rapper.
This is coming after Kanye spent the weekend bashing Pete Davidson online for dating his estranged wife Kim Kardashian.
After deleting all of their photos together, Julia has been speaking out on social media further confirming her and Kanye’s breakup and already teasing an upcoming book.
In one post, Julia confirmed their break-up after two months of dating while insisting that she’s a hustler and was never in love with the rapper.
She wrote:
Y’all would love if I was soooo upset! The media would love to paint a picture of me a sad lonely woman crying on a plane by myself but it’s NOT TRUE!! Why not see me for what I am which is a #1 hustler. I came up yall lol and not only that but Kanye and I are on good terms! I have love for him but I wasn’t in love w the man Jesus Christ what do u guys think I am 12 years old?!” s
The NDLEA has released a video evidence after declaring suspended police officer Abba Kyari wanted for drug trafficking.
Tori Media reported earlier that Kyari is accused of taking out 15kg from 25kg of cocaine which him and his team intercepted after arresting some traffickers that came into the country from Ethiopia. He is also being accused of offering to give an NDLEA officer a cut from sale of the cocaine.
In the video shared, Kyari who was wearing a face mask was seen having a discussion with an NDLEA officer in Hausa. At some point in the video, he handed over dollar notes to the anti-drug trafficking agency official.
Narrating what allegedly transpired, the NDLEA said in a statement;
The saga started on Friday, January 21, 2022, when DCP Kyari initiated a call to one of the NDLEA officers in Abuja at 2:12 pm. When the officer returned the call two minutes later, Kyari informed him he was coming to see him, to discuss an operational matter after the Jumaat service.
“He appeared at the agreed venue of the meeting with the officer and went straight to the crux of the matter.
This was it: His team had intercepted and arrested some traffickers that came into the country from Ethiopia with, according to him, 25kg of cocaine. He proposed a drug deal whereby he and his team are to take 15kg of the cocaine and leave 10kg for the prosecution of the suspects arrested with the illicit drug in Enugu. In the meantime, the purloined cocaine will be replaced with a dummy worth 15kg. He asked the NDLEA officer to persuade men of the FCT Command, to play along as well.
“By 11: 05 am on Monday, January 24, after the Agency gave the officer the green light to play along, he and Kyari began a WhatsApp call for the rest of the day. The officer conveyed their willingness to play the game.
“At this point, Kyari disclosed that the 15kg (already taken out) was shared between the informants that provided information for the seizure and himself and his men of the IRT of the Nigerian Police. According to him, the informants were given 7kg while his team took 8kg which was already sold. He then offered to pay the NDLEA team (that is the officer and the FCT commander) by selling, on their behalf, half of the remaining 10kg, thereby further reducing the original cocaine for the prosecution to just 5kg. At N7m per kilogram, the proceed from the 5kg would amount to N35m, at the exchange rate of N570 per dollar being the black market rate for the day, January 24, 2022. In effect, he would be delivering $61, 400 to the NDLEA team. He put pressure on our officer to wrap up the arrangement with the commander of the FCT Command to take custody of the drug and suspects from his men who were on ground in Abuja. At the time, he was speaking from Lagos, where he allegedly travelled for private business.
“The next day January 25, Kyari offered to send his younger brother to deliver the payment while his men deliver the suspects, but our officer turned down the suggestion, insisting he would rather deal with him in person and was therefore prepared to wait for him to return from Lagos.
“And by 5: 23 pm, Kyari was in Abuja and met with the officer at the same rendezvous where they had the first meeting. In their discussion, he disclosed how his team received the information from a double-crosser who betrayed the traffickers to him, showing a sordid connection between law enforcement agents and the drug underworld; he narrated how acting on the tip-off, his team departed Abuja to Enugu and arrested the traffickers, removed part of the consignment on his instruction and replaced same with dummies. He also indicated how to identify the remnant of the original cocaine that would be delivered to NDLEA, five original packages marked with red dots. The reason for this was to avoid the dummies being subjected to test. He forwarded a picture of the marked original cocaine package. According to the plan, once the 5kg cocaine has been tested in the presence of the suspects and confirmed positive, there would be no need to test the remaining ones, being dummies.
“He also brought with him the money from the sale of the 5kg share of the NDLEA team, a total of $61, 400. Our officer, however, preferred to take the money inside his car. Well, the car was wired with sound and video recorders.”
While explaining that relevant channels of communication were duly followed in the demand for Kyari without any result, the Agency said it cannot continue to keep other suspects in the case indefinitely while the principal suspect fails to honour official invitation.
NDLEA has the mandate to take custody of suspects and consignments of drugs seized by other arms of law enforcement. And there is a standard protocol for such transfer. This we duly followed. The suspects and drugs were delivered to us on February 8 but the last part of the process, yet to be completed, is the debriefing of Kyari.
“DCP Abba Kyari was invited by NDLEA for debriefing on Thursday February 10 through two main channels because there is a whole lot of questions begging for answers. The invitation was legitimate and formal according to our protocol. But up till the close of office hours on Friday, February 11, he refused to respond. Up till this moment, he hasnt responded. We are a law-abiding agency of government. We follow due process. In that vein, we will not detain suspects beyond the stipulated period according to the law before we charge them to court. And Kyari must be debriefed before the suspects are arraigned in court.
Having failed to honour the official invitation, NDLEA has no option but to declare DCP Abba Kyari of the Nigerian Police WANTED, right from this very moment.
The Agency warned that its not unaware of threats to the lives of its officers involved in the case, assuring that it would do everything to protect its officers.
“We are not unaware of threats to the lives of NDLEA officers involved in this investigation, even as we continue to do our best to protect our officers and men in the line of duty.
We are making this strong statement to those contemplating harmful action against NDLEA officers. They would only succeed in compounding their problems in the event of the murder of or harm to officers and men of NDLEA.
