Deontay Wilder has been taken to hospital following his brutal knockout defeat to Tyson Fury in Las Vegas.
The American was knocked down on three occasions in a fight of the year contender. The bout was waved off immediately by referee Russell Mora after Wilder was heavily floored for a third and final time in the 11th round.
Wilder suffered his second straight defeat to the Brit, who retained his WBC strap with the victory, and the American will now undergo precautionary tests in hospital.
The 35-year-old will not be kept overnight, however, with his manager Shelly Finkel insisting Wilder is in good health.
Boxing journalist Dan Rafael tweeted: ‘Was texting with Wilder’s manager Shelly Finkel.
‘Said Deontay is OK and won’t be staying overnight at the hospital.’
Wilder himself did speak after the fight, insisting he wasn’t sure what went wrong.
‘I did my best, but it wasn’t good enough tonight,’ he said. ‘I’m not sure what happened. I know that in training he did certain things, and I also knew that he didn’t come in at 277 pounds to be a ballet dancer.
‘He came to lean on me, try to rough me up and he succeeded.’
A 28-year-old Nigerian national identified simply as George has been arrested for peddling drugs in Bangkok, Thailand.
Speaking during a press briefing at immigration HQ in Suan Phlu, Bangkok on Friday, October 8, the immigration chief said that Region 1 officers were told by an informant that a black man was dealing drugs in the downtown area.
According to the immigration, the suspect was using WhatsApp to communicate with his customers.
A sting was set up for the late evening of October 5th with the informant arranging to buy drugs by meeting in the toilets of a mall in the Bang Rak, Silom area of downtown Bangkok.
Immigration knew the suspect would arrive by BTS and had staked out the Saladaeng station when they saw a black man matching the description.
He was followed and then confronted at the toilets where he tried to flush several packets of drugs down the toilet.
Police retrieved three ziplock sachets of ice and ketamine.
He said he got the drugs from a Thai woman in Ramkhamhaeng and could make a profit by selling them on to foriegners who paid above the market price.
His passport had no stamps in it and there was no record of him on the immigration biometrics system.
He was charged with possession with intent to sell Class 1 and 2 narcotics and illegal entry and detained.
A pastor in Nyamira County, Kenya allegedly killed his wife before committing suicide in an incident that has left many locals shocked.
Pastor George Abisa in a suicidal letter obtained by local media alleged that his wife had infected him with HIV/AIDS following her affair with a local politician currently campaigning for Bogichora MCA seat.
It was gathered that on Tuesday evening, October 5, the couple indulged in a heated argument over the matter after rumours surfaced of the wife’s alleged secret affair with the politician.
He got angry and picked a knife which he used to stab her several times until she died.
“He questioned her over the rumours that were going around about the alleged affair with the politician before stabbing her with a kitchen knife,” Hellen Moraa a local stated.
Soon after killing his wife, he penned a sad suicide note claiming that his wife was cheating on him. He said that she had even infected him with HIV something which he could not withstand at all.
He thereafter took his own life by hanging himself in their house. In the morning, police officers were called by concerned neighbors to check on the couple .
They were shocked to find the couple already dead with the letter on their table. The bodies have been taken to Nyamira county hospital.
Currently, no burial arrangements are taking place as the two bodies lie at the Nyamira County mortuary.
Detectives in Bogichora have already launched investigations into the matter with plans underway to summon the said politician.
Austria’s Chancellor, Sebastian Kurz on Saturday October 9 announced he is stepping down from his position following pressure on him to resign after he was implicated in a corruption scandal.
Sebastian Kurz and nine of his associates have been accused of using public money to pay to manipulate polls and to secure friendly reports in the media.
Kurz who revealed that he would be nominating Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg as the new chancellor, while he stays on as the leader of his People’s Party (OeVP), said he took the decision to “make space to prevent chaos”.
The 35-year-old conservative said in a televised media statement “we need stability,” adding it would be “irresponsible” to allow Austria to “slide into months of chaos or gridlock” while the EU member fights the pandemic.
Greens leader and Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler indicated he was satisfied, meaning Mr Kurz had succeeded in pulling their coalition back from the brink.
A star among Europe’s conservatives and known for his hard line on immigration, Mr Kurz, 35, became one of the continent’s youngest leaders when he took over as chancellor in 2017 at the head of a coalition with the far-right Freedom Party.
Prosecutors said on Wednesday October 6, that they had placed Mr Kurz and nine others under investigation on suspicion of breach of trust, corruption and bribery with various levels of involvement.
Starting in 2016 when Mr Kurz was seeking to take over as party leader, prosecutors suspect the conservative-led Finance Ministry paid for advertisements in a newspaper in exchange for manipulated polling and coverage favourable to Mr Kurz.
Mr Kurz has pledged to defend himself against what he says are false allegations. He had said he was willing to keep governing with the Greens. But the left-wing party said the investigation made Mr Kurz unfit to serve as chancellor and called on his party to name a successor who was “beyond reproach”.
Lebanon has been plunged into darkness after the country’s two main power stations ran out of fuel.
The power outage is expected to last for ‘several days’ after al Zahrani and the Deir Ammar power stations stopped working after supplies of diesel were apparently exhausted, and energy production dropped to below 200 megawatts ( which is only enough to power approximately 5,000 homes).
A government official said the blackout could last all weekend, leaving the population of around six million people in total darkness.
The official said;
‘The Lebanese power network completely stopped working at noon today, and it is unlikely that it will work until next Monday, or for several days.’
Blackouts have been a problem in Lebanon since the end of its 15-year civil war in 1990, and the small country relies heavily on imported fuel. Many citizens rely on private generators that run on diesel, although that is also in short supply.
There were power outages throughout September due to the fuel shortage which in recent months has forced many businesses to close and left people relying on the black market.
This occurrence is part of a wider economic and political crises impacting all aspects of daily life in Lebanon.
WBC and Lineal Heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury beat Deontay Wilder for the third and final time on Saturday, October 9, in a very entertaining heavyweight clash in Las Vegas.
Fury delivered a full blow in the 11th round to end Wilder’s defiant display .
Fury, 33, was floored twice in the fourth round, having sent Wilder to the canvas in the third round.
But the Gypsy King, still undefeated in his career, rallied and then sent Wilder into a continuous barrage of onslaughts in the next rounds. .
After giving Wilder a knockdown in the 10th round, Fury sealed the victory in the 11th round with a devastating punch that sent his American rival crashing to the floor.
This is the third time both fighters faced each other. The first fight ended as a draw which many thought Fury won, the second was a win by Fury and now this is the third.
With the win, Fury has now confirmed his status as the best heavyweight boxer in the world and will now look to fight the winner of the rematch between Oleksandr USyk and Anthony Joshua for the Undisputed heavyweight championship of the world.
The Nigerian international passport has been ranked 103 (with 45 score) out of 116 in the world, behind African nations like Ghana (84), Liberia (99), Guinea, (94), Mail (94), among others. The ranking was based on the most travel-friendly passports across the globe.
This was confirmed in the latest report released by London-based global citizenship and residence advisory firm, Henley & Partners, which was seen by Nairametrics on Saturday. The firm’s Henley Passport Index is based on exclusive data provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
While Japan, Singapore, European Union nations and US dominated the top 10 slots with between 192 -182 scores, North Korea, Somalia, Pakistan and Syria among others led the scores from the bottom with less than 40 scores.
Best passports to hold
Leaders of the pack are Japan, Singapore with 192 scores each, followed by South Korea, which is tied with Germany in second place (with a score of 190). Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain are all together in third place (with a score of 189).
EU countries dominate the top of the list as usual, with Austria and Denmark in fourth place and France, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden in fifth place.
New Zealand, which announced this week that it was moving away from its Covid-19 elimination strategy in favour of a vaccine certificate system, is in sixth place alongside Belgium and Switzerland.
The United States and the United Kingdom, which held the top spot together back in 2014, are now more modestly placed in the rankings. They are ranked 7th, alongside the Czech Republic, Greece, Malta and Norway, with visa-free or visa-on-demand access to 185 destinations.
Australia and Canada are in eighth place, Hungary is ninth, and Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia have together broken into the No.10 spot, with a score of 182.
Worst passports to hold
The countries in this category have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to fewer than 40 countries. They are:
109 North Korea (39 destinations)
110. Nepal and Palestinian territories (37)
111. Somalia (34)
112. Yemen (33)
113. Pakistan (31)
114. Syria (29)
115. Iraq (28)
116. Afghanistan (26)
What you should know
Henley & Partner’s list is one of several indexes created by financial firms to rank global passports according to the access they provide to their citizens.
The Henley Passport Index covers 227 travel destinations. It is updated in real-time throughout the year, as and when visa policy changes come into effect.
One of the revered Nigerian Music legends, Eedris Abdulkareem has said the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government will soon start arresting Nigerians for speaking Igbo.
Eedris said this while condemning the arrest of Veteran Nollywood actor, Chiwetalu Agu.
It will be recalled that Chiwetalu Agu was arrested on Thursday by the Nigerian Army for wearing Biafra regalia.
The Nigerian Army confirmed he was arrested for inciting members of the public and soliciting support for IPOB.
In a post on his Instagram page, Abdulkareem said Agu deserved to be honoured in the East for his brave act.
Describing Buhari’s government as a useless one, he wrote: “No matter the kind of film Chiwetalu Agu acts he’s more wise and brave than other actors in the East and must be honored.
“People will soon be arrested for speaking Igbo in Nigeria.”
The Department of State Services (DSS) has revealed that the Nigerian army handed over Chiwetalu Agu, the Nollywood actor, to the unit for further questioning.
Speaking on the development when contacted on Saturday, Peter Afunaya, DSS spokesman, said the ace actor is currently in the custody of the secret police.
Although Afunaya declined further comments on the matter, he said the DSS would ensure that justice take its course.
“The army handed him over to us for further questioning. As far as we’re concerned, justice will take its course,” he said.
The movie star was first arrested on Thursday by soldiers for wearing an outfit themed after the flag of Biafra during which he was also reportedly assaulted.
The army, however, denied assaulting the comic actor, adding that he was arrested after he publicly displayed his solidarity for the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a proscribed separatist group.
He was eventuallyreleased on Friday, after spending nearly 24 hours in detention — a development that sparked widespread outrage on social media.
The actor had dismissed claims by the army that he was supporting activities of IPOB in the southeast.
He also argued that he only wore a civil dress not Biafra outfit as claimed.
Several Nigerians have condemned the actor’s arrest by the army and the subsequent involvement of the DSS.
Inibehe Effiong, a human rights lawyer, had earlier argued that Chiwetalu did not commit any criminal offence known to law, adding that hisarrest was illegal.
The Ikeja Electric has deepened billing transparency and feedback channel for its customers by launching its SingleView App.
The SingleView is a one-stop-shop application where all details about customers’ profiles, vending and power usage, among others, are displayed in a single view at the front end of the application.
Speaking at the launch of the App in Lagos, Chief Executive Officer of Ikeja Electric, Mrs. Folake Soetan, stated that the App, Singleview, is a new solution that will improve transparency for the company’s customers on billing.
She said: “At Ikeja Electric, we are all here because of our customers. We listen to them and always try our best to meet their demands. One of the ways to show this is this App we launched today. The App, Singleview, is a new solution to improve transparency to our customers on billing, which has been an issue.”
The launching of SingleView, she said, “comes at the right time because of the recent increase in tariff. The idea came about a year ago. We have been working on the solution for the last one year.”
“A lot of customers have been saying that they do not know what they are paying for. This is the time that transparency about their billing will be made more real.”
The Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, Ikeja Electric, Ugochukwu Obi-Chukwu, said the App is to, among others, “improve our customer experience. It is to manage individual and multiple accounts, track energy consumption and make it easy for customers to follow up their billing in a transparent way.
Veteran Nigerian actor Kalu Ikeagwu allegedly ends few years old marriage to Ijeoma Eze Ikeagwu over infidelity and smoking addiction.
According to reports the one time lovely couple have since parted ways and the parting is so messy that both are reportedly no longer in talking terms.
However He habitually smokes weed and cigarettes in front of the kids indoors and the insiders say she was worried because of her daughter who is asthmatic”
Reportedly Ijeoma moved out of the Matrimonial home in July 2021 with all of her belongings and since then the actor has been asking his Father in law to return the N14k he paid as Bride price.
Kalu Ikeagwu and Ijeoma got married in November 2015 and had their church wedding in June 2016.
They have two kids, a son between them and Ijeoma’s daughter whom he had adopted.
The Nigerian Army on Saturday said its operatives killed three unknown Gunmen, Tori Me! reports.
A statement signed by Onyema Nwachukwu, Brig Gen Director Army Public Relations, said the troops of Sector 5 of Exercise GOLDEN DAWN deployed in Anambra neutralised three unknown gunmen who attacked a Nigerian Police checkpoint along Okija-Onitsha expressway on 7 October 2021.
According to the statement, “the gallant troops engaged and overwhelmed the gunmen with superior firepower, forcing them to flee the scene. Troops however gave them a hot pursuit, and engaged the gunmen in a gun duel.”
“The 3 gunmen, who drove in 2 Vehicles (a Hilux and Hummer bus), eventually succumbed to troops’ effective firepower, while others fled with gunshot wounds.”
“Troops also recovered one vehicle and 2 motorcycles, while conducting further exploitation of the general area for the fleeing terrorists.”
“Unfortunately, a policeman paid the supreme price, in the line of duty, for his country.”
“The Chief of Army Staff commends the troops for the feat and urges them to sustain the momentum against all criminal elements operating in the region. The COAS also sympathises with the family of the fallen hero and prays for the repose of his soul.”
A young performer, Gibril Mansaray, has related how he got back from the United States to Ghana and found their caretaker had purportedly hitched his dad and possessed their home.
Mansaray moved to the US in 2001 to study and seek after his music career and put a great deal of energy into his work in money and deals.
He uncovered that he encountered tempestuous occasions joining work, studying for his economics degree, and music career.
Mansaray let Ameyaw Debrah know that there wasn’t sufficient opportunity to completely adjust the degree, work, his music career, and figuring out how to get back to Ghana.
At that point, he confronted another test when the United States Department of Homeland Security got him while he was currently naturalizing to accomplish full resident status in the US.
With that reconnection, he came out from detainment more focused, ready, engaged and utilized that energy to push his music career forward.
Mansaray moved from Jersey City to Brooklyn, where he worked together with M1 (Dead Prez) on his debut single, Streets of Africa. He later delivered one more single with Ghanaian rapper, Reggie Rockstone.
While during the time spent being expelled from the US to Ghana, he got a consider one morning that his dad had died.
Mansaray showed up in Ghana to find that his dad’s home was available to be purchased after their caretaker assumed control over the property after his dad’s death.
He was subsequently educated with regards to the advancement after he was captured for endeavoring to access his dad’s home.
He was told by the caretaker that she had hitched his late dad and was qualified for part of the property.
In the wake of accessing the supposed marriage endorsement between his late dad and the caretaker, Mansaray tested its authenticity.
He then, at that point, made a trip to Sierra Leone for his dad’s legitimate will and got back to recover his dad’s property in court.
Our Nigerian star actor and movie producer Jim Iyke has stated that it will be hard on his part to forgive the late Prophet T.B Joshua for what he did to him some years ago.
The actor Jim Iyke became a topic of discussion on National Tv and social media when a video of Jim Iyke’s purported deliverance at the Synagogue Church went viral on the internet.
It would be recalled in the viral video that an evil spirit speaking through the actor was heard saying while being delivered that it was responsible for the inability of the actor to get married.
The actor in a new interview with Channels TV, has accused the late man of God and general overseer of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, Late T.B Joshua for what he did when he took his mother to his church for deliverance.
“And I said common men, this is childish, this is not what we came here for. Let’s move mom out of here and keep looking for medical help. Then we were about to go to South Africa, there was this young man that was recommended to us, a specialist as well.
“Then the gentleman in question looked at me and saw the amusement on my face and touched me. Now I can’t explain what happened within that space of time. Within that 5 minutes, whatever happened happened. “I’m not here to start proffering explanations to spiritual things that are way beyond me. I’m a man that understands how things work.
That I cannot explain and nobody can suggest anything otherwise because personally, I know what happened to me.
“Within that time lacks explanations, they said I said stuff, did stuff which I found to be extremely embarrassing.”
“At that point, even I’m told there’ll be a cure in hell I’ll go. You are talking about your mother.
So we went. “I can remember I went there with my security man, my sister, and PA. And when we got there, I was upstairs but there was the constant insistence that I come to church. And I said, ‘but that wasn’t the arrangement because I kept my mum in the hospital and was expecting that you’ll lay your hand on her and she’ll get better, but they said ‘no you must come to church.”
“Then my sister forced me and we went to church downstairs. I was there when the whole stuff of touching people started, I found it a little laughable seriously because this is national TV and people watch from all corners. I can remember my sister pinched me and said, ‘you’ve got to stop.”
Akon has defended himself after he received backlash for suggesting that poor people have much easier lives than the rich and famous.
After the death of his friend, Michael K Wiliams, Akon told TMZ that that actor’s death proves the rich and famous struggle more than the poor.
In a more recent interview with TMZ, he addressed the criticisms he received for his statement that “more money” equals “more problems”.
Akon said: “It’s not really more so a walk back, but what I do want to express is that sometimes when comments like that are made—I always speak according to what I’m personally going through myself.
“Nobody can sit there and tell me I didn’t go through poverty.
“I’m having more problems successfully dealing with all that comes with success than I had when I was poor. I was actually happier when I was poor.”
A former Miss UK has reportedly become the UK’s richest divorcee after splitting from her billionaire husband.
Kirsty Bertarelli, 50, is believed to have taken £350million after splitting with Ernesto Bertarelli after 21 years of marriage.
The couple have three kids together and are understood to have separated this year.
Their spokesman told DailyMail “It is with sadness that Ernesto and Kirsty Bertarelli confirm that they have divorced.”
Kirsty and Ernesto were jointly ranked 14th place in this year’s Sunday Times Rich List, worth an estimated £9.2billion.
The couple have not disclosed the size of Mrs Bertarelli’s payout, but the Daily Mail reports she has agreed to accept a £350million settlement.
The sum would make her Britain’s richest divorcee in legal history – winning just short of the Queen’s estimated fortune of roughly £365million.
The couple’s spokesman told the Daily Mail: “The decision was a shared one and the separation amicable.”
In addition to her settlement, Mrs Bertarelli has reportedly been given a modern house by Lake Geneva in Switzerland, bought this year for £52million. She also owns an £8million chalet in the Swiss ski resort of Gstaad.
Mrs Bertarelli is now richer than pop superstars Sir Mick Jagger, said to be worth £310million, Ed Sheeran (£220million) and Adele (£140million).
She was represented by Baroness Fiona Shackleton, the lawyer who represented Prince Charles and Sir Paul McCartney in their divorces.
She is believed to have signed a prenuptial agreement before marrying Italian-born Bertarelli in 2000.
One of her friends told the Mail: “The settlement was more generous than it had to be. They didn’t want a long, drawn-out court case in Switzerland and he wanted to recognise the length of their marriage.”
The couple’s spokesman said: “All issues arising from the divorce have been settled and they would respectfully ask for privacy for their whole family at this time.
“As this is a private matter, there will be no further comment.”
After being crowned Miss UK in 1988, Kirsty was second runner-up in that year’s Miss World pageant.
She later went on to become a successful pop singer and songwriter, co-writing All Saints’ No 1 single Black Coffee, a worldwide hit in 2000.
A final list of candidates for the Anambra Governorship election has been released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye who made the announcement on Thursday October 7, said 18 registered political parties will be participating in the election.
Okoye also revealed that INEC will be holding an emergency consultative meeting on Friday, October 8, with the leadership of all registered political parties in Abuja.
The INEC commissioner further assured the people of the state of the commission’s resolve to secure a safe environment that will enable them to vote.
He said;
“In line with the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the election released on 19th January 2021, the Commission has today, 7th October 2021 implemented two additional activities.
“The Final Register of Voters for the Anambra Governorship election was presented to the 18 Registered Political Parties participating in the election at the headquarters of the Commission in Awka, Anambra State.
“Furthermore, the Commission released the Final List of Candidates for the election and has pasted same in the State office of the Commission in Awka, Anambra State. The List has also been uploaded to the Commission’s website and social media platforms.
“In its unwavering determination to conduct a credible election, the Commission will tomorrow, 8th October 2021 hold an emergency consultative meeting with the leadership of all the registered political parties in Nigeria at the Commission’s Headquarters in Abuja.
“The Commission further assures the people of Anambra State of its resolve to secure the preparation processes for the conduct of the Governorship election and ensure that their right to vote in a safe and secure environment is guaranteed”
Nigeria’s COVID-19 vaccine certificate will reportedly be accorded recognition by UK authorities from October 11.
The UK government which added Nigeria to the list of countries with approved vaccines on Thursday October 7, said fully vaccinated travellers from Nigeria will be able to enter England from Monday, October 11, 2021, without providing pre-departure test or undertake a day 8 test or self-isolate for ten days.
However those fully vaccinated with AstraZeneca (Including Covidshield), Pfizer, Moderna and Janssen (Johnson and Johnson will still need to pay for a day 2 test.
The statement shared on its website read;
“From Monday, October 11, 2021, fully vaccinated travellers from Nigeria will be able to enter England without the need to provide a pre-departure test or undertake a day 8 test or self-isolate for 10 days, although we still need to book and pay for a day 2 test. This policy applies to those fully vaccinated with AstraZeneca (including Covidshield), Pfizer, Moderna and Janssen (Johnson and Johnson).
“If you arrive in England before that date, you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
“Fully vaccinated means that you have had a complete course of an approved vaccine at least 14 days before you arrive in England. The day you had your final dose does not count as one of the 14 days.
“You must be able to prove that you have been fully vaccinated under a vaccination programme and have a valid proof of vaccination recognised by the British Government (for Nigeria, the certificates with valid QR codes as issued by Nigeria’s National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) are recognised).”
Reacting to this, acting British high commissioner, Ben Llewellyn-Jones said;
“The exemption of fully-vaccinated Nigerians travelling to the UK from providing a pre-departure test and self-isolating for 10 days, is a very welcome development. To make this happen, we have been working closely with NPHCDA on recognising Nigeria’s vaccine certification, which we have now done.
“The UK remains committed to opening up international travel and enabling those who wish to enter the UK to do so safely.
“Vaccines work and — as the pandemic has shown — no one is safe until we are all safe. I would encourage all eligible people to get vaccinated.”
Travellers who are not fully vaccinated have been asked to comply with COVID-19 directives by taking a pre-departure COVID-19 test, 3 days before travel. People in this category are also expected to book and pay for day 2 and day 8 COVID-19 tests (to be taken after arriving in England) and complete a passenger locator form any time in the 48 hours before arrival.
Upon arriving the country, the traveller would need to quarantine for 10 days and take a pre-booked COVID-19 test on or before day 2 and on or after day 8.
A Nigerian Youth Corper has decided to call it quits with her boyfriend name ‘James’. It seems that James ‘knacks’ the hell of her that she wonders why she has not refused his advances in the first place.
Please find her hilarious “break up” letter below:
A man survived after falling from a New Jersey high-rise on Wednesday morning, October 6.
The 31-year-old man plunged nine stories down before landing in the chassis of a BMW.
The building he fell from
The car cushioned his landing, the New York Post reports, and helped him survive.
When bystanders approached following the fall, they noticed he was still alive.
He then stood up in the wreckage of the car, raised his right arm, and asked the bystanders, “What happened?”
Christina Smith, who witnessed the fall, called 911 for assistance for the man, who did not work in the building and has since refused to give his identity to police.
He remains in critical condition at a nearby hospital.
Smith said, “I heard a big boom and I didn’t think it was a person at first. The back window of the car just busted out—exploded. Then the guy jumped up and started screaming. His arm was all twisted.”
Mark Bordeaux, who also saw the fall, told the Post: “He kept saying, ‘Leave me alone, I want to die.’ You saw one of his arms was clearly broken, but he was conscious, he was moving.”
California has become the first state in the U.S. to outlaw ‘stealthing,’ a slang term for the nonconsensual removal of a condom during sex.
The law, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday, makes it a civil sexual battery offense under state law for someone to remove a condom without their romantic partner’s consent.
“For a majority of the people, it’s like, yeah, it makes sense that this is immoral and it should be illegal,” State Assembly member Cristina Garcia, who sponsored the legislation, told NPR.
“A lot of people told me, ‘I can’t believe it’s not already illegal,'” she added.
“I have been working on the issue of ‘stealthing’ since 2017 and I am elated that there is now some accountability for those who perpetrate the act. Sexual assaults, especially those on women of color, are perpetually swept under the rug,” Garcia said in a statement when the bill passed.
Garcia cited a study by Yale University that called stealthing “a grave violation of dignity and autonomy” and said cases affecting women and gay men were on the rise.
People found guilty of removing a condom without consent could be liable for general, special, and punitive damages, the law states.
A 2018 survey of patients at a sexual health clinic in Melbourne, Australia, found that 32% of women and 19% of men who have sex with men had experienced stealthing.
A missing woman has been found buried inside a wall that was smoothed over with concrete.
Joice Maria da Gloria Rodrigue, 25, a student who lived with her husband and two daughters in Sao Vicente, Brazil was reported missing on 27 September after visiting her grandfather.
Her body was found on Tuesday, October 5, at a construction site after a builder noticed the smell of her decomposing body.
Police found the naked body of Joice with a t-shirt around her neck after knocking a hole in the wall at the site.
Police arrested two suspects, a bricklayer, 56, and a 35-year-old contractor, working on the building site.
Police said the contractor denied any wrongdoing, but the bricklayer confessed to killing the young woman and concealing her corpse, implicating his colleague in the crimes.
According to local media, he also told the police he had maintained consensual sexual relations with the woman before her death.
However, detectives have not ruled out the possibility of sexual abuse.
They are awaiting the findings of the post-mortem to determine if any crime of a sexual nature was committed.
Police chief Thiago Nemi Bonametti, heading the investigation, believes there was an argument at the site between the young woman and the contractor.
According to Bonametti, the contractor first started to strangle the woman before he asked for help from his colleague, who then assisted him.
After allegedly killing the woman, he said both suspects concreted her up in the wall.
He added the two men are believed to have continued working on the site for several days as if nothing had happened.
Police also seized plastic containers used to store cocaine and a bag containing knickers from the crime scene.
The two men remain in preventive custody as the investigation continues.
An apparent bomb attack at a Shiite mosque in the Afghan city of Kunduz killed at least 50 people on Friday, October 8, in the bloodiest assault since US forces left the country.
A medical source at the Kunduz Provincial Hospital said that 35 dead and more than 50 injured had been taken there, while a worker at a Doctors Without Borders hospital reported 15 dead and scores more wounded.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid had earlier said an unknown number of people had been killed and injured when “an explosion took place in a mosque of our Shiite compatriots” in Kunduz.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
The bomb attack was carried out at the Gozar-e-Sayed Abad Mosque during Friday prayer service when the mosque is typically crowded.
Dost Mohammad Obaida, the deputy police chief for Kunduz province, said that the “majority of them have been killed”. He said the attack may have been carried out by a suicide bomber who mingled among the worshipers.
“I assure our Shiite brothers that the Taliban are prepared to ensure their safety,” Obaida said, adding that an investigation was underway.
Chiwetalu Agu Released From Army Custody Day After Arrest Nollywood actor, Chiwetalu Agu, has been released from Army custody a day after he was arrested for putting on an outfit with semblance to the Biafran flag.
This was made known via a video posted by Nollywood actor, Emeka Ike, on his Instagram page on Friday, where Agu was filmed with two representatives from the Actors Guild of Nigeria.According to the video, Agu was released via the intervention of the AGN and according to one of the representatives, the actor is hale and hearty.
When asked for a comment, Agu said, “Keep supporting Nollywood. It’s the only hope we have to sustain both our public and private lives.”
Pastor Funke Felix-Adejumo has berated married men who do not appreciate their wives after an intimate moment together.
The marriage counselor in a recent sermon in her church, speaking about gratitude, noted that married men should thank their wives for marrying them and after having sex with them.
According to her, it takes a lot for a woman to offer a body to her man, therefore, she should be appreciated.
Ingratitude is a killer and it is so disturbing that some people, not only do they show it to God but also to men. As a man, when last did you thank your wife for marrying you?
When last did you thank your wife after having sex with her? She gave you her body. Don’t tell me we enjoyed it together. When a woman gives her body to you, it is a lot. To a woman, sex is more than ‘oh let’s just have pleasure’.” She said.
This is rising sun, not Biafra, not Eastern Security Network- Chiwetalu Agu Veteran actor, Chiwetalu Agu, who was arrested and detained by soldiers in Onitsha, Anambra over his outfit in this new video has said he was merely wearing an image of a rising sun, not an IPOB outfit or that of its paramilitary, the ESN.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has advised Nigerians against consuming frozen poultry products and other food items preserved with formalin.
Formalin is a poisonous chemical popularly used to preserve the human body in mortuaries.
NAFDAC’s spokesman, Dr. Abubakar Jimoh, who gave the word of advice in an interview with NAN, said unscrupulous business owners had been using formalin to preserve poultry products, chicken and turkey, in particular. Formalin is capable of preserving such products for weeks before they get to consumers, he warned.
“NAFDAC is alerting Nigerians to this practice. There are enough poultry products in the country than to resort to frozen chicken smuggled in, despite Federal Government’s ban,” Jimoh said
The NAFDAC spokesman also called the attention of consumers to the economic import of patronizing business owners who smuggle poultry products into the country. He noted that if such patronage continued, indigenous poultry farmers and marketers would not grow as desired, as the money spent on smuggled products would only go to producers of the products.
A man who was left partly paralysed due to his “record-breaking” kidneys has had life-saving surgery to get them removed.
Warren Higgs, 52, from Windsor in England, had polycystic kidney disease (PKD), which meant his kidneys continued to grow to the point where they weighed 45 kilos, Berkshire Live reports.
The condition left him largely immobile and in constant pain, while he was also paralysed down one side after suffering three strokes.
His kidneys grew so large they were beginning to crush his heart, lungs and stomach, so he had to undergo surgery.
It is uncertain when he will get his new kidney but it is thought it will be in the new year.
Though he’s currently on dialysis, he is back in the gym to get fit enough to return to his hobby – triathlons.
He told BerkshireLive, the kidneys removed weighed 45 kilos and that the huge, swollen belly he had before has now virtually disappeared.
The next stage is another operation to put a new kidney back in, which Warren hopes will happen in the new year.
Warren said previously his left kidney was 42cm by 27cm and the right one was 49cm by 28cm.
Warren said his surgeons told him that “in every single way you measure it” he had set a new record with the size of his heaviest kidney.
Now, he’s on the road to recovery, but is finding one aspect particularly gruelling.
He said: “The operation went well and I’m slowly recovering.
“I was told there was a 50/50 chance I could die as a result of the operation, but it was successful and I’m now recovering.
“I’m going back to the gym now too, which is great.
“What I am struggling with is having to do dialysis. I find it totally exhausting – it leaves me wiped out.
“I’d warn anyone facing the same situation to think hard about it and to not take the fact you’re going to be doing dialysis most days lightly – it is hard.
“I’m feeling much better, I’m still trying to lose weight after the operation.
“I go to the gym when I can, sometimes before I do the dialysis. It’s hard because I don’t know when a kidney will be available.
“There was one, but the doctors said it was too soon after the operation for me to be ready for it.
“Now, it’s looking like the new year. My ultimate aim is to do a triathlon.
“I used to do them when I was younger and I’d love to get back to it.
“Being paralysed down one side is going to make it difficult, but I’m really keen to get back to normal as much as I can.”
Matt Wright, an Australian wildlife expert has faced a backlash after being accused of jeopardizing his son’s safety by allowing him handle a massive snake.
Wright who is famous for risking his life to relocate crocodiles and other dangerous critters on his National Geographic show “Outback Wrangler”, had shared the video on Instagram with the caption “Learning the ropes.”
The nerve-wracking footage shows Wright’s 2-year-old son Banjo on a lawn tugging the tail of what looks to be a massive Olive python, Australia’s second-largest snake with a maximum length of over 10 feet long.
At one point, the colossal constrictor, which is several times the boy’s size, tries to wrap itself around a wooden pillar, prompting Dad to urge Banjo to “pull him out.”
After yanking at the snake for several seconds, the bewildered tot runs towards Wright, who is standing by the snake’s head. The “award-winning tourism operator” instructs Banjo to return to the reptile’s tail while avoiding the serpent’s teeth.
“Quick, grab him, he’s going to bite Dad,” Wright shouts after his son scrambles to the back end.
The video was trailed with mixed reaction as many pointed out that snakes are not toys and the child is not old enough to make an accurate assessments on what snakes are safe. Some social media users however applauded Wright for exposing his son to nature early.
This isn’t the first time the celebrity beast master has gotten in hot water over his animal handling. In 2017, Wright was accused of animal cruelty after allegedly duct-taping the jaws of a 16-foot crocodile that he captured from an Australian swamp.
However, like in the case of his son’s snake handling, fans were quick to flock to the croc catcher’s defense.
Novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah has won the Nobel prize in literature.
He was given the award for his “uncompromising and compassionate penetration of the effects of colonialism and the fate of the refugee in the gulf between cultures and continents”.
Gurnah, who grew up on one of the islands of Zanzibar and arrived in England as a refugee in the 1960s, has published 10 novels as well as a number of short stories.
Anders Olsson, chair of the Nobel committee, said that the Tanzanian writer’s novels, from his debut Memory of Departure, about a failed uprising, to his most recent, the “magnificent”, Afterlives, “recoil from stereotypical descriptions and open our gaze to a culturally diversified East Africa unfamiliar to many in other parts of the world”.
No black African writer has won the prize since Wole Soyinka in 1986. Gurnah is the first Tanzanian writer to win.
Gurnah’s fourth novel, Paradise, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1994.
Anders Olsson said Gurnah was in the kitchen when he was informed of his win and the committee had “a long and very positive” conversation with him.
His long-time editor, Alexandra Pringle at Bloomsbury, said that Gurnah’s win was “most deserved” for a writer who has not previously received due recognition for his work.
“He is one of the greatest living African writers, and no one has ever taken any notice of him. And it’s killed me. It just killed me. I did a podcast last week and in it I said that he was one of the people that, you know, has been just ignored. He’s been ignored. And now this has happened,” she said.
The Saudi takeover of Newcastle United is set to go through after the Gulf state settled its piracy dispute with Premier League broadcast partner beIN Sports and gave assurances over who will control the club.
Sources said that the lifting of a four-year ban on Qatar-based beIN Sports being shown in Saudi, as well as the removal of all forms of piracy in the country, will pave the way for the £300million deal to be signed off, ending Mike Ashley’s 14-year ownership.
The deal is expected to be officially announced today and will end Mike Ashley’s 14-year reign and set up spending spree. The new owners are said to be ready to get straight to work once the paperwork is complete.
A buy-out was abandoned in the summer of 2020 when the consortium, led by Saudi’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and including Amanda Staveley and the Reuben brothers — were unable to prove separation between themselves and the Saudi state, headed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The Premier League have now received assurances that the state will not be directly involved in the running of the club and sources say this will see the deal given the green light.
Ashley opened arbitration proceedings against the Premier League last year in a bid to revive the takeover and that case was set to be heard in January. It is now unlikely to happen.
The Premier League had delayed their decision on approving the deal via their owners and directors test, given concerns over the involvement of the Saudi state, who they believe have been behind the piracy of their product over several years.
But with piracy issues having now been resolved with Newcastle fans set to welcome a new era that will make them among the richest clubs in the world.
‘If all of this had been done 18 months ago, the takeover would have been signed off already,’ a source told Sportsmail. ‘The Premier League could not approve a takeover whereby one of its member clubs would be owned by a state it believed to be guilty of piracy against the League and one of its broadcast partners. The League has tried to sue the Saudi state nine times in relation to piracy.
‘That was why the buyers had to prove separation from the Saudi state. That was almost impossible, especially given the revelations about Mohammed bin Salman texting Boris Johnson and pressurising him to influence the deal.
‘But those issues, including piracy, have now been resolved. Crucially, the Premier League do not want to be seen to be connected directly to the Saudi state.’
Trans-Atlantic security alliance, NATO has halved the size of its Russian contingent at its Brussels headquarters from 20 to 10 accusing the Russian diplomats have been working secretly as intelligence officers.
The expulsions came in response to suspected malign Russian activities, including killings and espionage carried out by the Russian state in foreign countries.
“This decision is not linked to any particular event, but we have seen… an increase in Russian malign activity, and therefore we need to be vigilant,” Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.
A Nato official earlier said the men were “undeclared Russian intelligence officers”.
It is the first time Nato has taken such action against Moscow since it expelled 7 Russian diplomats from the mission in the wake of the 2018 Salisbury spy poisonings.
Responding to the move, Russia has accused the West of using Moscow as a “bogeyman”.
“The collective West is continuing its policy of diplomatic confrontation with Russia,” said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko.
“After the dramatic end of the Afghan era, how can they can get by without the bogeyman of the ‘Russian threat’? – They can’t.”
Relations between Nato and Russia have been strained since Moscow annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula in 2014.
The Commissioner of Information in Anambra State, Don Adinuba, has condemned threats by the Federal government to declare a state of emergency on the state.
Adinuba opined that it is outrageous for the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to say a State of Emergency might be declared in Anambra to ensure that the November 6 governorship election in the state takes place.
According to the commissioner, “Anambra has not experienced the level of killings recorded in Kaduna, Borno, Zamfara and the other Northern states where rampaging bandits have murdered hundreds of innocent citizens in the last few months.”
Recall that after the Federal Executive Council meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday, Malami said the insecurity in Anambra state is worrisome and that emergency rule might not be ruled out in the Southeast state.
“No possibility is ruled out by government in terms of ensuring the sanctity of our democratic order, in terms of ensuring that our elections in Anambra hold.
And you cannot rule out the possibility of declaration of state of emergency where it is established, in essence, that there is a failure on the part of the state government to ensure the sanctity of security of lives, properties and democratic order,” he said
Reacting to Malami’s comment, Adinuba who spoke on Channels TV last night, said Malami’s statement was politically motivated.
“Since the renewed violence in Anambra State which we believe is politically motivated, not more than 15 persons have been killed. How many persons have died in Borno, Niger, Kaduna, Yobe, Zamfara, even Imo, which is APC-controlled, (and) Ebonyi, which is APC-controlled? Has anybody threatened emergency rule in any of these states?
For the past seven years, Anambra has remained the safest state, most stable in Nigeria.
We remain the only state in the whole country that for the past seven years, has not experienced one single bank robbery; what is going on is politically motivated and the declaration by the honourable Attorney-General of the Federation is a confirmation.”Adinuba said
Almost a year after 26-year-old popular Instagram influencer, Alexis Sharkey was found dead on the side of a west Houston road just after Thanksgiving, her fugitive husband suspected of murdering her has reportedly shot and killed himself as US Marshals moved in to arrest him.
On Wednesday October 6, Houston police confirmed that 50-year-old Tom Sharkey who was wanted for his wife’s murder, died of an apparent gunshot wound to the head as authorities in Florida attempted to take him into custody.
24 hours after Alexis disappeared, her naked body was found on the side of the road, miles from her home. Officials believed her body had been “carefully placed” at the side of the road.
Tom, a bodybuilder, had denied claims that he had a fallout with his wife and that they hsd argued before her death, but an arrest warrant was issued last month When more evidence of his involvement in her death was found.
Marshals had traced him to his daughter’s home and were preparing to arrest him when he died in an apparent suicide. A relative claimed he ran upstairs and shot himself at about 1am on Wednesday October 6th, local media reported.
His body was found after marshals knocked on the door and began searching the home in Fort Myers, Florida. Police said Tom was the only person with the “means, motive and opportunity” to have carried out the murder of Alexis.
It was also revealed that an autopsy report released on January 19, 2021, about seven weeks after Alexis was found dead, revealed she was strangled and her death was ruled a homicide.
Days before her death, Tom called his wife his “world” and called for the public’s help in finding her when she disappeared. “My world! My everything! I’m so lost right now! My one and only!” he wrote. Following her death he called her “the most amazing woman.”
But a different picture of the couple’s marriage soon emerged from friends of Alexis who said she had been in an abusive relationship with Tom. The Daily Beast reported that Alexis had allegedly told friends during a trip in early November that Tom was abusing her.
She apparently also claimed she was divorcing him. A friend told the publication;
“Throughout the trip, he was sending really awful, nasty messages to her.
“But one night when she and I were talking alone she said, ‘He strangles me and chokes me out and I blackout and wake up on the bathroom floor every single time.’”
Another told ABC13 Alexis has been “petrified” in the weeks before her death. They did not elaborate on why but added: “This girl is scared for her life.”
Two other friends claimed that on the day his wife disappeared, Tom had been arguing with her before she “hopped over their patio fence and into a car.” Local reports suggested that Alexis did not leave in her vehicle.
Tom however denied having any marital problems, saying he was cooperating with detectives and felt confident police are “going to find everyone that was involved.” He also denied having an argument with Alexis before she disappeared and claimed he was receiving death threats as her Instagram clout grew.
He told ABC13 on December 2, 2020;
“There are always other sides to everything.
“I don’t need to set the record straight. I’ll let it play out the way it is. I know what my life was with my wife.
“She wasn’t happy. She was stressed. I would cuddle her to try to make her strong.”
It is unclear when Tom became wanted for the murder and when he moved away from Houston. He had not been charged.
Alexis’ Instagram account, which has now been memorialized, included pictures of her and Tom alongside her influencer pictures.
The Chief Justice of the Federation, Ibrahim Tanko, earns N279,497 as monthly salary, Luke Onofiok, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Judiciary has disclosed.
Onofiok stated this on Wednesday, October 6, while moving a motion on the floor of the House on the need to increase the earnings of the judicial officers.
Onofiok, a former Speaker of Akwa-Ibom House of Assembly disclosed that low salaries paid to judicial officers can make them vulnerable to corruption.
He added that the President of the Court of Appeals is paid N206,425 monthly.
He said: “Code of Conduct Tribunal Act restrains Judicial Officers from generally receiving gifts and operating private businesses except farming.”
He explained that the “poor remuneration of judicial officers is a serious threat to the judiciary.”
Consequently, the House resolved to urge the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to immediately review the remuneration of judicial officers in line with present economic realitie
Tennis star, Andy Murray is appealing for the return of his wedding ring and smelly tennis shoes which were stolen following his own ‘terrible idea’ to leave them under his car overnight.
The three-time Grand Slam winner, 34, is in California for the Indian Wells tournament, where he was granted a wildcard to compete
Since Murray cannot wear his wedding ring on court, he always ties it to his shoelaces for safe-keeping but it has been stolen alongside with the shoes. The former world No 1 has appealed for the safe return of his ring.
Speaking in an Instagram video, Murray said: ‘Last night after dinner in Indian Wells, I got back in the car to go back to the hotel and the car didn’t smell great.
‘I left my tennis shoes in there and it’s been 38C here so my shoes were very sweaty, damp and smelly.
‘I decided when I got back to the hotel, the shoes needed some air to dry them out a bit. I don’t have a balcony in my room and I didn’t want to leave them in my room as it would stink the room out.
‘So I thought I’ll leave the shoes underneath the car to get some air to them and dry them out overnight. When I got back to the car in the morning, the shoes were gone.
‘My tennis shoes for the tournament had been stolen so I had to go to a local pro shop to buy different shoes. Not the end of the world but not ideal.
‘As I was preparing for my practice, my physio said to me, “where is your wedding ring?” And I was like “oh no”.
‘I tie my wedding ring to my shoes when I’m playing because I can’t play with it on my hand. So my wedding ring has been stolen as well so, needless to say, I am in the bad books at home so I want to try and find it.
‘So if anyone can share this or have any clue where they may be, it would be very helpful if I could get it back or get to the bottom of it.’
In the post caption, Murray said: ‘Yes I know I’m an idiot and in hindsight it seems like a terrible idea but i need some help. What should the reward be for getting it back?’ He followed that with the hashtags #ring #shoes #idiot #help #clown.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has explained that the exclusion of persons below the age of 18 years in the revised SIM registration regulation is to protect them from legal liabilities.
A section of the newly revised sim regulation proposed 18 years old as one of the requirements for registering and owning a sim card in Nigeria.
Ikechukwu Adinde, NCC spokesperson, in a statement said the age of 18 years for SIM acquisition proposed in the draft regulation is contingent on the constitutional provision, which makes 18 years the age of consent in Nigeria.
He said that SIM acquisition is a contract between service providers and their subscribers and requires the subscriber to have proper legal status.
“We would like to draw the attention of the public to a publication in a section of the media, purporting that the Commission is developing a regulation to disqualify Nigerians below 18 years of age from getting Subscriber Identity Module (SIM),” the statement reads.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Commission wishes to categorically state that the said report is not only misleading and inaccurate; but a misinformation and mischaracterization of the proceedings of the Public Inquiry on the Reviewed/Draft Registration of Telephone Subscribers Regulations, which took place on Tuesday, October 6, 2021.
“The Commission considers it necessary to set the record straight for the purpose of serving existing and potential telecom subscribers, investors and other stakeholders in the industry accurate information for making informed decisions.
“In accordance with sections 70 and 71 of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA), 2003 and the Commission’s consultative engagement process, which define its rule-making process, the public inquiry was held for all relevant stakeholders to provide input on the draft regulatory instrument.
“The age of 18 years for SIM acquisition proposed in the draft regulation is contingent on the constitutional provision, which makes 18 years the age of consent in Nigeria. Also, SIM acquisition is a contract between service providers and their subscribers, which requires the subscriber to have proper legal status, be of matured mind and rational enough to bear certain responsibilities, obligations and liabilities imposed by a contract.
“The proposal is, therefore, to protect minors. Parents and guardians can acquire SIMs in their names on behalf of their children and wards in which case they assume whatever responsibilities or liabilities arise from the usage of such SIMs, a measure expected to also strengthen national security.”
“The consultative engagement process is still ongoing, as the Commission is reviewing all input from relevant stakeholders in this regard and will consider and deliberate on all comments before issuing a final regulatory instrument” the statement adds.
“We appeal to our media stakeholders to always fact-check their stories pertaining to telecoms regulatory issues and seek necessary clarifications for informed and accurate reporting as the Commission runs an open-house system.”
At least 17 bodies believed to be those of Europe-bound migrants have washed ashore in western Libya.
The victims are believed to have drowned after their boat overturned, an official of Libyan Red Crescent said.
The bodies were found on Tuesday, October 5, near the western Libyan town of Zawiya and have been handed over to authorities for burial.
The Red Crescent posted images on Facebook that show its workers carrying white body bags with the Mediterranean Sea in the background.
The UN migration agency IOM says more than 1,100 migrants were reported dead or presumed dead in numerous boat mishaps and shipwrecks off Libya so far this year.
Taiwanese defence ministry has warned that China could be capable of mounting a “full-scale” invasion of the Island by 2025.
The warning by the Taiwanese defence ministry comes days after 77 Chinese warplanes flew into Taiwan’s air defense zone.
Taiwan and mainland China have been governed separately since the end of a civil war more than seven decades ago, in which the defeated Nationalists fled to Taipei. However, Beijing views Taiwan as an inseparable part of its territory even though the Chinese Communist Party has never governed the democratic island of about 24 million people.
Beijing has refused to rule out military force to capture Taiwan if necessary, and blames what it calls “collusion” between Taiwan and the United States for rising tensions.
“With regards to staging an attack on Taiwan, they currently have the ability. But [China] has to pay the price,” Chiu Kuo-cheng, the defense minister, told Taiwanese journalists on Wednesday, October 6.
But he said that by 2025, that price will be lower — and China will be able to mount a “full-scale” invasion.
At a parliament meeting Wednesday, Chiu described cross-strait military tensions as “the most serious” in more than 40 years since he joined the military, Taiwan’s official Central News Agency (CNA) reported.
At the meeting, the Taiwan military submitted a report to lawmakers saying China’s anti-intervention and blockade capabilities around the Taiwan Strait will become mature by 2025, according to CNA.
Lawmakers also reviewed an $8.6 billion special defense budget for homemade weapons, including missiles and warships.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Chiu said that Taiwan has not made any moves to provoke an attack in response to the Chinese air incursions.
“We will make preparations militarily,” he said. “I think our military is like this — if we need to fight, we will be on the front lines.”
A Romanian billionaire was killed along with his wife, son, and five other people when the plane he was piloting crashed into a building in Italy on Sunday, October 3.
Dan Petrescu, 68, one of the richest men in his home country, was operating a single-engine Pilatus PC-12 before it slammed into an office building undergoing renovations in San Donato Milanese, a town southeast of Milan, authorities said.
The fatal wreck took place minutes after the plane took off from Milan’s Linate airport at about 1 p.m., according to aviation agency ANSV, which has opened an investigation.
The plane’s black box has been recovered, the Corriere della Sera newspaper reported, citing Deputy prosecutor Tiziana Siciliano.
The billionaire’s 65-year-old wife, their son Dan Stefano, 30, and a child were also among the eight people aboard the plane that died in the wreck.
Petrescu headed a major construction firm and owned a string of hypermarkets and malls.
According to the Romanian newspaper Adevarul, Petrescu was a worth 3 billion euros.
Witnesses recalled the moment the plane plummeted out of the sky and smashed into the building, which was thankfully empty .
One named as Andrea, 19, told tgcom.24.: “I saw the plane lose control. I saw it just as it crashed. I saw it dive. The plane was low. And then there was a lot of smoke, flames in the sky. Pieces were flying. I was very scared.”
Emergency workers said several cars in a nearby parking lot were set ablaze, but the vehicles were unoccupied at the time.
The Pilatus PC-12 single engine plane took off from the main runway at Linate airport at 1.04pm local time but crashed 11 minutes later. Their plane was on its way to the island of Sardinia to visit Mr Petrescu’s 98-year-old mother at the family villa.
“The plane hit the building on the facade, with an extremely violent impact,” said Carlo Cardinali from Milan fire brigade.
“The pilot made a turn, so he noticed some anomaly.”
A thick column of dark smoke rose from the crash site and was visible for miles around the site
Firefighters were extinguishing the flames of the now-charred building, which reportedly was under renovation.
The plane’s black box has been recovered and prosecutors have opened an investigation.
Speaking at the scene, Milan prosecutor Tiziana Siciliano, said “there does not appear to have been an alarm launched from board”.
Hippo Valley Medical Centre in Zimbabwe have gotten a lawsuit threat from a former employee at Tongaat Hullet, who alleged that medical doctors at the hospital left a surgical blade in his abdomen after conducting a surgery on him in 2019.
David Mlilo lived with the blade for three years before a doctor from Parirenyatwa discovered that it was lodged in his abdomen.
He is alleging that he lost his job as village supervisor early this year due to health complications caused by the surgical blade allegedly left in his abdomen by surgeons. Mlilo told The Mirror that he will be suing the hospital for compensation since their doctors’ malpractice cost him his job.
Recounting his ordeal, Mlilo revealed that on the 18th of December 2019, he was operated on to correct a hernia problem. He said after the operation, he started experiencing worse pain and his health situation got worse since then.
Due to his ill health, the management of Tongaat Hullet recommended early retirement for him in March this year. As his health continued to deteriorate, Mlilo was referred to Parirenyatwa Hospital where another operation was conducted by Dr. John Dandadzi on August 19.
It was gathered that Dr. Dandadzi who operated on him for the second time discovered the surgical blade in his abdomen. He removed a cystostomy and the surgical blade from his abdomen during the operation.
A source close to Ms Patel reportedly told The Sun: ‘At the heart of Priti’s new Afghan resettlement scheme is the protection of women and girls.’
The source added the team ‘will be able to make the UK their home, free from fear and persecution’.
Meanwhile, the Australian government evacuated the Afghan national female football team and the girls team were recently given asylum in Portugal.
Kashif Siddiqi, co-founder of charity Football for Peace, which led the campaign to bring the squad to the UK, thanked Ms Patel and Prime Minister Boris Johnson for ‘giving these players a future’.
He said in a statement: ‘We’re still waiting to hear through official channels but if confirmed it means that 111 Afghan girls, family and coaches have just had their lives changed forever by Britain.
‘Every single visa approved is a life enhanced, the right to education protected and the freedom to play football preserved.
‘Thank you to Boris Johnson and Priti Patel for listening to us and for giving these players a future in the home of football. Without Britain they faced a return to the nightmare that is Afghanistan; this decision gives them futures potentially playing for Leeds United and other clubs.’
It comes after the Taliban announced it would effectively ban Afghan women from playing sport because ‘their face and body will not be covered.’
The country’s new deputy culture minister, Ahmadullah Wasiq, confirmed the militant group’s Sharia law interpretation when asked if they would allow women to play cricket.
‘I don’t think women will be allowed to play cricket because it is not necessary that women should play cricket,’ Wasiq told Australian broadcaster SBS.
‘In cricket, they might face a situation where their face and body will not be covered. Islam does not allow women to be seen like this.
‘It is the media era, and there will be photos and videos, and then people watch it.
‘Islam and the Islamic Emirate [Afghanistan] do not allow women to play cricket or play the kind of sports where they get exposed.’
Two men have died mysteriously in the same hospital in Edo state after which coffins and other fetish items were discovered in their homes.
The incident happened in Ogbe community in Igarra and was relayed on Facebook by the founder of BraveHearts Initiative, Priscilla Usiobaifo.
She explained that a popular mechanic was chatting with his aunt when he suddenly started screaming something about “money” and a man named Alex who he called a “bad friend”.
He started vomiting and was rushed to the hospital where he continued to utter incoherent words.
Shortly after, another man named Alex – the same name the mechanic had called – was rushed to the same hospital by his wife after he started screaming and vomiting.
Both men – one a 25-year-old mechanic named Ebafor Abiye and the other a 36-year-old bike rider named Alex Benjamin – were showing the same symptoms while admitted to the same hospital and they later died minutes apart on Monday, October 4.
The wife of the bike rider returned home while her husband was in the hospital and found a small coffin hidden somewhere in their home. Other fetish items were also found and she raised alarm.
This led to the mechanic’s house being searched and fetish items were also reportedly found, causing members of the community to believe the men were into “ritualistic Yahoo” that backfired, leading to their death.
A rare collection of drawings, sketches and paintings by legendary boxer, Muhammad Ali has sold at auction for nearly $1m (£733,760).
About 26 art works were auctioned at Bonhams auction house in New York with the auction company stating that the most anticipated works, Sting Like a Bee, sold for $425,000 (£311,853), more than 10 times its pre-sale estimate.
Ali is one of the greatest ever athletes, activist and poet, but his artistic talents are less known.
During his lifetime he drew and painted as he was encouraged by his father who was a professional artist.
“Muhammad Ali was a cultural icon who defined a generation. His artwork depicts those subjects close to his heart: Boxing, Civil Rights, Religion and World Peace and Humanitarianism,” said Helen Hall, Bonhams Director of Popular Culture, before the sale.
The works were put up for auction by art collector and friend Rodney Hilton Brown, who said Ali drew his first three pictures for him after a fight in Boston in 1977. The total sale price of $945,524 (£693,788) was three times more than had been expected.
Sting Like a Bee was painted during the filming of Freedom Road in Mississippi in 1978 and is the only work to include a complete Muhammad Ali poem, Bonhams said.
It says: “Ref! he did float like a butterfly and sting like a bee! Yes, if you were smart you run like me!” Ali often described his boxing style as floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee.
Meanwhile, a 1979 red, white and blue painting on canvas, with the words “I Love You America,” sold for $150,000, and a 1967 sketch in felt pen comparing Islam to Christianity fetched $24,000.
The World Health Organization has recommended the widespread rollout of the first-ever malaria vaccine, in a move experts hope could save tens of thousands of children’s lives each year across Africa.
Tedros Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO, announced the development at a media briefing on Wednesday, October 6.
The recommendation followed a two-year vaccine programme which involved children in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi.
“I started my career as a malaria researcher, and I longed for the day that we would have an effective vaccine against this ancient and terrible disease. And today is that day, a historic day. Today the WHO is recommending the broad use of the world’s first malaria vaccine,” said Dr Tedros at a press conference in Geneva.
Speaking on the recommendation, Ghebreyesus expressed optimism that the vaccine will improve efforts on malaria prevention in Africa.
He continued: “This is a historic moment. The long-awaited malaria vaccine for children is a breakthrough for science, child health and malaria control.
“Using this vaccine on top of existing tools to prevent malaria could save tens of thousands of young lives each year.
“It is safe. It significantly reduces life-threatening, severe malaria, and we estimate it to be highly cost effective.”
He added: “Malaria has been with us for millennia, and the dream of a malaria vaccine has been a long held, but unattainable dream. Today, the RTS,S malaria vaccine, more than 30 years in the making, changes the course of public health history. We still have a very long road to travel. But this is a long stride down that road.”
The RTS,S vaccine, also known as Mosquirix, was developed by the British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), and has been administered to more than 800,000 children in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi since the pilot programme began in 2019.
The vaccine, which went through lengthy clinical trials, has limited efficacy, preventing 39% of malaria cases and 29% of severe malaria cases among small children in Africa over four years of trials.
However, in August a study led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) found that when young children were given both the RTS,S and antimalarial drugs there was a 70% reduction in hospitalisation or death.
The Federal Government has threatened to declare a state-of-emergency in Anambra State over the insecurity situation in the state
Abubakar Malami, the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, disclosed this after the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, October 6.
The minister said that the government was determined to ensure a hitch-free election in Anambra, despite the wave of attacks and killings in the state.
He said: “When our national security is attacked, and the sanctity of our constitutionally guaranteed democracy is threatened, no possibility is ruled out.
“As a government, we have a responsibility to ensure the sustenance of our democratic order. As a government, we have a responsibility to provide security to life and properties.
“So, what I’m saying in essence, no possibility is out ruled by government in terms of ensuring the sanctity of our democratic order, in terms of ensuring that our elections in Anambra hold.
“And you cannot rule out the possibility of declaration of state of emergency where it is established, in essence, that there is a failure on the part of the state government to ensure the sanctity of security of lives, properties and democratic order.”
The minister said that the Federal Government had resolved that the election will take place, adding that it will ensure the provision of security for the exercise.
Media personality, Noble Igwe has revealed why organizers of BBNaija allegedly blacklisted Efe after he won the reality show.
Recall that Efe secured57.61 per cent of votes to emerge winner of the 2017 Big Brother Naija ‘See Goobe’ reality TV show. The Warri-born rap artist beat Bisola, who became the 1st runner up with 18.54 per cent of the vote at the grand finale.
Igwe served a response after a Twitter user asked why Multichoice has allegedly shut Efe out even though he has “apologized and tried to make amends.”
According to the media personality, Efe sat in his car and asked for the head of Multichoice to meet him before he comes out.
18 people including women and children have been killed and several injured by bandits in fresh attack on Kurya Madaro community in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
It was gathered that the armed bandits in their large number with sophisticated weapons stormed the the town around 11:30pm on Tuesday, October 5 and started shooting sporadically.
Vehicles, houses, food banks and shops were set ablaze and large quantity of food stuff were carted away by the bandits.
According to a resident of the area who narrowly escaped the attack, Malam Mohammed Lawali Kurya, the bandits set ablaze police operational vehicle, one trailer, four other vehicles belonging to the community and many shops during the attack.
“Immediately they started the attack, even our district head informed the military and other security personnel but we didn’t see them until the following early morning of today Wednesday,” he said.
Malam Kurya further added that him and his wife was narrowly escaped to Gusau during the invasion.
“I suspected that these people were not Nigerians but from Niger Republic because their mode of dressing and language intonation indicated that they are not Nigerians,” he said.
He called on Zamfara State and federal government to come to their rescue from the bandits by deploying more troops to the area for their safety.
Malam Kurya said all the deceased have been laid to rest in Kurya Madaro town on Wednesday.
One Mustapha Lauwali Mai Leda, whose grandson was killed in the attack,shared photos from the funeral.
Horrific footage of inmates in Russian prisons being tortured and raped has been released in what’s been dubbed a “mega-leak”.
Anti-torture website Gulagu.Net, which has been banned in Russia, published 40GB of video materials which implicate the FSB security service – once headed by Vladimir Putin – and the country’s FSIN prison authorities.
The images are described as a “torture conveyor belt” where it is alleged rapists are used in order to help “break” male inmates.
In one video a man is screaming in pain as he is tied to a bed and raped with a mop handle at a tuberculosis hospital in a Saratov jail in February 2020, it is alleged.
Guards tortured prisoners who were then forced to torture other inmates such as urinating on them, it is alleged.
The horrific video materials reportedly comes from jails in six Russian regions and will now be passed to the United Nations and Council of Europe for investigation.
The material was leaked by a Belarussian programmer jailed in Saratov who was used by the authorities to collate their sickening collection of torture videos filmed on prison issue camcorders, says Gulagu.Net.
The programmer – now released and seeking political asylum in the West – copied the material and carried it out of Russia, it is claimed.
Vladimir Osechkin, who runs Gulagu.Net, said It was “the first time that human rights defenders have obtained such a colossal amount of information proving the systemic nature of torture in Russia”.
Osechkin alleges they have evidence that 200 inmates have been tortured and raped by FSB and FSIN agents in Russian penitentiaries with 40 depicted on videos.
The prison service leadership had launched an investigation into the videos.
Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “If the authenticity of these materials is confirmed, then, of course, this is a reason for a serious probe.
“But first it’s necessary to quickly but calmly sort this out and establish (their) authenticity.”
Colonel Alexei Fedotov, 55, head of the FSIN’s Saratov service, resigned on Tuesday amidst the scandal.
Russia’s prosecutor general’s office launched a probe.
But Osechkin, based in France, said: “The Russian authorities are being hypocritical and are doing everything they can to distance themselves from this torture conveyor belt (which) was created by FSIN and FSB generals – and was used to suppress the will of convicts.”
The videos “prove” that FSB and FSIN operatives use rape and other torture to force the cooperation and compliance of inmates, he said.
They “themselves become part of the torture machine” by snitching on other inmates or by signing false testimonies prepared by investigators, said RFE/RL’s Russian Service.
“This is an unprecedented leak that will send shockwaves across the country. In total we have over 40 gigabytes of files showing widespread torture,” Osechkin told The Moscow Times.
“We are planning to release batches of the videos step by step in the coming weeks now that the source is out of the reach of the Russian authorities.”
The IT programmer who leaked the material was “beaten and tortured himself” before he was deployed as a “professional” to file the collection of abusive videos from several regions, it was claimed.
He exacted his revenge by copying the collection and taking it out of Russia
A mother who burned her eight-year-old son to death because he told his stepfather she had cheated on him, has been jailed in Russia.
Anastasia Baulina, 32, from the Kursk region near the border with Ukraine, admitted to dousing son Andrey with petrol before setting fire to him. Baulina had tried to convince a court that she only meant to punish Andrey and not kill him, saying she had quickly put out the flames with snow.
But judges dismissed her claims after 12-year-old daughter Natalya recounted how it was actually stepfather Pavel, 35, who extinguished the fire.
Natalya said that Baulina had made her watch as she doused Andrey with fuel, before telling her ‘let’s go watch how the scarecrow burns’.
In a reenactment that was filmed by police, Baulina demonstrated on a plastic dummy how she poured petrol over Andrey’s head. She then struck three matches which all blew out, before successfully lighting a fourth which she threw at his jumper.
She recounted how Andrey had run screaming into the garden and fallen down on his hands and knees before claiming she covered him with snow.
Despite Andrey’s hands being on fire, Baulina said she helped him douse the flames. But Natalya gave a very different account, saying it was actually Pavel who put the fire out after he heard the boy’s screams and came running from inside the house.
Meanwhile Baulina screamed at the boy: ‘I will teach you to keep your mouth shut.’
Natalya added that Andrey had begged his mother ‘please, don’t’ before she lit the match, but she had ignored his pleas.
Andrey was rushed to hospital but died in agony the following day as he was being taken by ambulance to a specialist burns unit.
The court also heard how Baulina had earlier held the boy’s hand over a gas cooker flame when he took food from the fridge.
Baulina was convicted of murder and sentenced to 15 years in jail. She also denied adultery, though evidence collected from her phone showed that she was in another relationship.
One message said: ‘I live with one person, have feelings for another.’
After being sentenced, the killer smiled from behind a mask as she told a local newspaper: ‘I’m not guilty of pre-mediated murder, for sure.
‘Yes, I wanted to scare my child, but I did not wish him dead. So it was destined by God for him and me.’
Her husband used his constitutional right not to testify at her hearing, while her daughter is now being raised by a foster family.
A 35 year old police sergeant raped a woman 14 years his junior and got her pregnant when she was drunk, a court sitting today, October 6, has heard.
Ben Lister was a serving officer with West Yorkshire Police when it is alleged he sexually assaulted the woman after a night out.
Bradford court heard Lister had given the woman a ‘peck on the lips’ in the Acapulco nightclub, Halifax, West Yorkshire, earlier in the evening of August 29, 2016.
But the woman told a friend who was out with them: ‘He’s not my type. He is too old for me.’
The woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, said: ‘She told me he had a girlfriend. I was scared because he was old. I was just in shock.’
The group of friends got drunk before returning to one of their homes where Lister and the complainant slept on separate sofas in the living room.
She said: ‘I was paralytic. I was literally going all over the place. I was 10 out of 10 drunk.’
The woman said she couldn’t remember Lister having sex with her after he dragged her onto the floor.
Tearfully, she recalled: ‘I have always known what happened to me. I have flashbacks in my head. I have nightmares about it – his head above me and his hand on my chest.’
A month later the woman realised she was pregnant, but told friends the baby was her ex boyfriend’s.
However, a work colleague who saw photos of Lister on Facebook commented: ‘How much does [your baby] look like him [Lister].’
The court heard that the complainant did not report the alleged rape to police until January 7, 2020.
Before that she had saw Lister on Facebook and saw pictures of him, his wife and child. She told the jury how much her baby looked like his and his wife’s baby.
DNA tests carried out, identified Lister as the complainant’s child’s father, the trial has been told.
Lister has denied charges of rape and sexual assault.
NBA superstar Kyrie Irving is reportedly set to lose $380,000 per home game he misses due to his continued reluctance to get vaccinated with his future with the Brooklyn Nets now in doubt.
The All-Star guard is one of the high profile basketball player who is still refusing to get jabbed. He’s been unable to train or play in New York due to the city’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate.
While Irving remains unvaccinated, he will also be unable to play in any home games or practices for the foreseeable future and will forfeit a large chunk of his salary.
The Nets play six home games in a row in the second week of the new season, meaning Irving would not be able to see his teammates for 11 days.
Irving’s aunt, Tyki Irving, previously told Rolling Stone that he could feature ‘every third game’ and effectively become a part-time player, but ESPN report that the Nets are unlikely to be so accommodating.
The Nets’ hierarchy ‘may have to make hard decisions’ on the future of Irving if he does not get vaccinated.
Irving has remained quiet on his decision not to get vaccinated, though has liked anti-vaxx conspiracy posts on social media.
Speaking at the end of last month, he said: ‘There’s just a lot of questions about what’s going on in the world of Kyrie and I think I’d love to just keep that private and handle it the right way with my team and go forward together with a plan.
‘So obviously I’m not able to be present there today, but that doesn’t mean that I’m putting any limits on the future of me being able to join the team.’
YouTube has removed two channels of disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly, who was found guilty of some sex crimes last week.
YouTube said in statement that two of the singer’s channels, RKellyTV and RKellyVevo, have been removed and he will no longer be able to create or own any other YouTube channel.
Catalog of his music will however be available on YouTube Music, YouTube’s audio-streaming service, and the videos uploaded by other YouTube users will continue to be available. A YouTube spokesperson told Reuters in a statement;
“We can confirm that we have terminated two channels linked to R. Kelly in accordance with our creator responsibility guidelines.”
YouTube VP of legal, Nicole Alston also wrote in a memo;
“Egregious actions committed by R. Kelly warrant penalties beyond standard enforcement measures due to a potential to cause widespread harm.
“Ultimately we are taking this action to protect our users similar to other platforms.”
On September 27, Kelly was found guilty in New York federal court of leading a scheme to recruit women and girls for sex, following decades of women coming forward to accuse him of sex crimes.
Kelly’s music has largely disappeared from radio but is still available on streaming platforms. His hit record “I Believe I Can Fly” was for years a popular choice at graduation ceremonies. He faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years behind bars, and could face up to life in prison at his May 4, 2022, sentencing.
Kelly’s longtime label, Sony Music’s RCA Records, parted ways with the singer in January 2019 after months of criticism. However, nearly his entire catalog remains with the label and is still available on major music-streaming services.
In a survey conducted by Morning Consult after Kelly’s conviction, 44% of audio-streaming service users said platforms like Spotify and Apple Music should remove his music from their catalogs, while 36% said his songs should stay up and 20% had no opinion or said they didn’t know.
The Lagos state government has threatened to shut down night clubs, bars and lounges in the Lekki axis of Lagos State who fail to desist from noise pollution.
A statement by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tunji Bello, said enforcement raids were recently carried out on some nightclubs in Lekki following repeated complaints by residents.
According to Bello, Prest Jazz Club on Admiralty Way, Lekki, was shut after enforcement officers of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) raided the club and found giant speakers and musical instruments blaring loudly.
He added that many residents of highbrow Lekki, especially elderly citizens, have inundated his office with petitions about the adverse effect of noise pollution on their health every night till the early hours of the day.
Bello who stated that the exercise will be continuous, advised clubs notorious for noise pollution to retrace their steps before it is too late. He said such facilities would be shut down and the owners prosecuted.
