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Donald Trump blasts Joe Biden over Taliban’s current chaos

Former US President, Donald Trump has criticized President Joe Biden’s handling of the US troops withdrawal from Afghanistan, claiming the process would be ‘much more successful’ if he was still in charge.


On Thursday, August 12, the Taliban gained control of 11 provincial capital cities and military experts believe Kabul, the country’s capital which houses the government and also embassies and airports will fall to Taliban in the next one month.

The Taliban has now gained control of roughly two-thirds of the country.

Afghanistan withdrawal would have been more successful under me - Donald Trump blasts Joe Biden over Taliban debacle

The rise and onslaught of the Taliban comes after Biden went ahead with his promise to remove all American troops from Afghanistan after 20 years of war with the Taliban following the 9/11 attacks on the US Homeland.

Former U.S president, Trump slammed Biden saying the troop pull out of Afghanistan under his watch would have been a ‘conditions-based withdrawal’, according to the Washington Examiner. 

Trump struck a deal with the Taliban for full withdrawal by May 1.


According to the billionaire businessman he ‘personally had discussions with top Taliban leaders whereby they understood what they were doing now would not be acceptable’.

‘It would have been a much different and much more successful withdrawal, and the Taliban understood that better than anyone,’ Trump said.

‘It would have been a much different and much more successful withdrawal,’ former President Donald Trump said.


The Afghan government and military are unsure they can withstand the onslaught from the Taliban, with some saying defeat is imminent, according to the Washington Post. The government has even offered the Taliban a 50/50 stake in the government if they stop the attacks but the Taliban seem to be intent on militarily taking over the whole country.


Trump is not the only former president to criticize Biden’s moves. Former President George W Bush said he would not have made the decision to pull the troops, saying last month that the ‘consequences are going to be unbelievably bad’.


‘I’m afraid Afghan women and girls are going to suffer unspeakable harm’ after the troops complete their departure from Afghanistan on August 31, Bush said. 


‘It’s unbelievable how that society changed from the brutality of the Taliban.’

See Photos from Lionel Messi’s first training at PSG

Lionel Messi has had his first training with his new teammates at PSG after moving to the club from Barcelona.


On Thursday, August 12, the Argentine superstar trained with his teammates, and also met with Kylian Mbappe having been hotly anticipated by the media. He also met a long-time rival in Sergio Ramos.


The six-time Ballon d’Or winner joined  Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year contract with PSG on Tuesday, just days after Barcelona announced he was leaving the club he joined 21 years ago.


Messi’s deal is worth £25m per year after tax – plus bonuses – and includes a £25m signing-on fee, while it also follows the summer arrivals of Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi, Sergio Ramos and Georginio Wijnaldum at the Parc des Princes.

See full photos below. 

Photos from Lionel Messi
Photos from Lionel Messi
Photos from Lionel Messi
Photos from Lionel Messi
Photos from Lionel Messi

Man hacked into the Nigerian Bank’s server and moved N1.87B, arrested

A Nigerian man alleged to have hacked into the server of a Nigerian bank to steal N1.87 billion has been arrested.

Salau Abdulmalik Femi, 38, was arrested by detectives from the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

Salau, accused of being the kingpin of a syndicate that specialises in hacking into the servers of banks and corporate agencies, was arrested after he allegedly hacked the Flex-Cube Universal Banking System (FCUBS) of a first generation bank.

The spokesman of SFU, Ikoyi, Lagos, DSP Eyitayo Johnson, in a statement, said the suspect, using application software, created fictitious credits totalling N1.87bn on the accounts of three of the bank’s customers.

Man arrested for allegedly hacking into the server of a Nigerian bank and moving N1.87 billion

According to DSP Johnson, the suspect successfully consummated debits (outflows) amounting to N417.5m through internet banking transfers to other banks.

He said the unit, while acting swiftly on a petition from the bank, contacted the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the deposit money banks which customers were beneficiaries of the fraudulent funds and that in the process was able to salvage a substantial amount.

“Items recovered from the suspect include an Apple laptop and an iPhone. He and operators of some Bureau De Change (BDC) who used to launder the monies will be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded,” DSP Johnson said.

Virgil Van Dijk, Liverpool defender, signs contract extension until 2025

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has extended his contract with the club until the summer of 2025.

The Netherlands captain, 30, joined Liverpool from Southampton for £75m in January 2018 and was due to be out of contract in June 2023.

Van Dijk made his comeback to first-team action in pre-season after nine months out with a serious knee injury sustained in October’s Merseyside derby.

“All the hard work we’ve put in so far continues and I am looking forward to what the future brings together with Liverpool. I’m delighted, very happy and proud,” Van Dijk said.

Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk signs contract extension until 2025

“Since day one when I joined the club, I felt so much appreciation from the fans and from my teammates and the staff, that I could be a very important member of this football club,” said van Dijk, who has also won the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup with Liverpool.

“It has been going well; unfortunately last season for me personally has been a season to forget, to learn from and take with me, but I have enjoyed my time here and will keep enjoying it in the next couple of years altogether with all of you.”

Van Dijk’s signing comes after Alisson, Fabinho, and Trent Alexander-Arnold in committing to a new deal at Anfield ahead of the new season.

The centre-back has made 130 appearances in all competitions, scoring 13 goals, for the Reds since his arrival at the club. 

“Identification Number (VIN) of vehicles are not registered, Nigeria is the hub of stolen cars” – Ahmed Zainab Says

The Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, has said that majority of vehicles imported into Nigeria were stolen. 

The Minister said this while delivering a keynote address at the zonal sensitisation seminar on the National Vehicle Registry (VREG) policy in Abuja on Thursday, August 12.

Tribune quotes the Minister as saying

”The National Bureau of Statistics confirmed that between 2015 and 2019, Nigeria imported an average of 300,000 vehicles with an average of 48 per cent increase in import annually, while an additional 45 per cent of vehicles are smuggled into the country annually, thus evading duty payment of which 40 per cent of these vehicles are stolen. 

A case study also revealed that between October 2018 to September 2019 the country recorded over N1.8 trillion value of used vehicle importation. 

It was further revealed that Nigeria was the hub of stolen vehicles as Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of vehicles in the country were usually unregistered. Consequently, vehicles within the shores of Nigeria cannot be traced.” 

NEPA staff gets 6-month imprisonment for unlawful disconnection

A staffer of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), Mr James Olayemi has been handed a six months jail sentence for unlawful disconnection of electricity supply to the premises of the company’s customer, Dennis Osanwuta.

Chief Magistrate Tanko Muhammed delivered the judgement on Thursday August 12, and also ordered immediate reconnection of electricity supply to Osanwuta’s premises.

The Magistrate who held that Olayemi was convicted and sentenced accordingly for violating various sections of the extant laws on electricity services, however, absolved the AEDC Regional Manager, Lameed Obadaki, the second defendant, of any complicity on the two-count charge of criminal conspiracy and unlawful disconnection.

According to Muhammed, the disconnection offence was punishable under Section 94 and Section 5 of Electric Power Sector Reform (EPSR) Act, 2005 which provides that electricity consumers must be given maximum of 10 days for payment of electricity bills.

Obadaki was discharged and acquitted by the Judge who said evidence presented in the case showed there was no link between him and the criminal activities of the first defendant.

Olayemi was however given an option of a N50,000 fine. The Magistrate said; 

“The EPSR also provides for a three-month written notice disconnection to a customer before AEDC can effect an impending disconnection.

“In view of evidence before me, the complainant has not been given such opportunity; therefore, the first defendant is guilty as charged.

“I hereby sentence you to six months imprisonment, with an option of fine of N50,000.”

Toddler shots Mum dead whilst on Zoom call with her colleagues

A mum was on a Zoom call when she was shot dead by her child who had picked up a loaded gun.

Shamaya Lynn, 21, from Florida, was taking part in the conference call on Wednesday, August 11, when the other participants heard a huge bang and the mum fell backwards.

Those on the Zoom call then saw a toddler in the background who had picked a gun that had been left “unsecured” in the home, said Altamonte Springs Police.

When Lynn failed to get back onto the call, one of her colleagues taking part in the call called emergency services and the mum’s body was found with a shot to the head.

Mum shot dead by her toddler as colleagues watched on Zoom call

“Investigators determined that the injury was caused by a toddler who found a loaded handgun, which was left unsecured by an adult in the apartment,” a police statement reportedly said.

Florida TV channel WESH reported that Lynn was the mother of the child and the gun belonged to the dad.

Officer Roberto Ruiz, Jr warned in a TV clip: “To anyone and everyone tuning into this story if you own a firearm please keep it locked and secured.

“Incidents like this can be avoided.”

The couple also have another child and both are in the care of relatives, said WESH.

Police are continuing to investigate the case and are consulting with the Seminole County State Attorney’s Office over whether the father, the gun owner, should face charges.

Alarming! Taliban captures Kandahar, country’s second largest city as they advance

The Taliban has seized Kandahar, Afghanistan’s second-largest city,  as the militant group continues its rapid advancement toward the capital Kabul, following the withdrawal of American forces, which began in May and is scheduled to be completed by late August.

Kandahar, which lies in the south of the country, has been besieged by the Taliban for weeks, with many observers considering its fall as the beginning of the end for the country’s government.

In a statement Friday, August 13, the Taliban said they had taken control of the governor’s office, police headquarters, as well as other key operational centers throughout the city.


 “Hundreds of weapons, vehicles and ammunition were seized,” the Taliban statement said.

Afghan Member of Parliament Gul Ahmad Kamin said he and many others had made their way to a military base close to the city’s international airport and were awaiting a flight out.


“Many (government) soldiers surrendered and the rest fled,” Kamin said.

Kandahar lies on the junction of three major highways.

Afghanistan: Taliban captures Kandahar, country

It is of particular strategic importance and its seizure marks the most significant gain yet for the Taliban, which has now taken control of at least 14 of the country’s 34 provincial capitals.


With the capture of Ghazni, and now Kandahar, the Taliban is now in control of key locations both to the north and south of Kabul.

In response to the Taliban’s sweeping advance, the US and UK  announced on Thursday night they will be sending 3600 troops to the the country to assist with a “reduction of civilian personnel at the embassy in Kabul” and to “facilitate the processing of” Special Immigrant Visas for Afghan nationals who assisted Americans and the British during their time inside Afghanistan.

The war against the Taliban started in 2001 after Al Qaeda carried out the 9/11 bombings in New York.

Barcelona fans abandons football tickets after Lionel Messi’s move to PSG

After Lionel Messi’s sensational free transfer to PSG last week, Barcelona fans are so disinterested in the new campaign that only 15,820 fans applied for tickets for Sunday’s first home game of the LaLiga season against Real Sociedad, which is about half of the 30,000 seats made available.

The low ticket sales are shocking considering this will be fans’ first chance to return to the Nou Camp in 17 months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Barca’s last competitive game in front of fans was also against Real Sociedad, on March 7, 2020, when Messi scored a late penalty in a 1-0 win.


On Thursday August 12, striking images splashed on social media showing Messi’s picture being removed from the front of the Nou Camp.


With the low ticket sales it appears many fans are not yet ready for the new era without the club’s all-time top scorer and most decorated player.

According to Spanish newspaper AS, only 15.820 of the club’s 83,500 season ticket holders applied for a ticket for the game against Real Sociedad, meaning the club will not have to hold a ballot to determine who gets a ticket as they first thought.

Beyonce shares her struggles as a family person and superstar entertainer

Superstar singer, actor, performer and producer, Beyonce Knowles Carter, has confessed to feeling ‘pressure’ as she juggles her career with being a wife and mother.

She revealed she is struggling with insomnia after being on the road for so many years doing tours admitting it isn’t easy coping with the ‘pressure’ of being a globally famous superstar, businesswoman and mum-of-three.

Asked by Harper’s Bazaar how she looks after herself amid her incredibly hectic lifestyle, the 39-year-old said:

Beyonce reveals her struggles with insomnia as she balances being a mum and superstar entertainer

‘I think like many women, I have felt the pressure of being the backbone of my family and my company and didn’t realize how much that takes a toll on my mental and physical well-being.

‘I have not always made myself a priority. I’ve personally struggled with insomnia from touring for more than half of my life.’

Turning to her physical health she continued: ‘Years of wear and tear on my muscles from dancing in heels.

‘The stress on my hair and skin, from sprays and dyes to the heat of a curling iron and wearing heavy makeup while sweating on stage.

‘I’ve picked up many secrets and techniques over the years to look my best for every show. But I know that to give the best of me, I have to take care of myself and listen to my body.’

Beyonce who has been working on new music for over a year, says she’s be 40 years soon and plans to keep on doing whatever she wants as she has paid her dues.


‘I have paid my dues and followed every rule for decades, so now I can break the rules that need to be broken,’ Beyonce declared.


‘My wish for the future is to continue to do everything everyone thinks I can’t do.’

“Some Pastors entertain their Guest Ministers with Beautiful Ladies after Preaching” – Pastor Shola Adeoye says

A US-based Nigerian pastor has claimed that some pastors entertain guest ministers by giving them beautiful women after they’re done preaching.

Dr Shola Adeoye, the founder of Lighthouse Church,  wrote on Instagram: “Do you know Pastors entertain their guest ministers with beautiful ladies after preaching? 

“Don’t be shocked; I have experienced it many times. The Church is in deep trouble. We need a transformation.  May God help us.”

He added in the caption: “Not all Pastors ooo. Some ni oo.”

"Pastors entertain their guest ministers with beautiful ladies after preaching" - Houston-based Nigerian pastor, Shola Adeoye, alleges

Diego Costa, ex. Chelsea Player, ‘verbally agrees one-year deal with Atletico Mineiro’ after leaving Atletico Madrid

Diego Costa has verbally agreed to a one-year deal worth $3million (£2.16m) with Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro, according to reports. 


The deal would see the former Spain International return to football for the first time since he abruptly left Atletico Madrid last December. 


The £2.16m deal is significantly less than he originally wanted but could be boosted by bonuses linked to advancement in domestic and continental competitions, according to Goal. 

The striker is expected to sign the contract after undergoing a medical in Belo Horizonte in the coming days. 


Costa ordered Atletico Madrid bosses to tear up his contract in December, citing personal reasons for his sudden exit despite six months remaining at his contract. 


The 32-year-old had made it clear he had no intention of signing a contract extension with the Spanish side and had been excused from training. 


Costa rejoined Atletico Madrid in 2018 from Chelsea and managed 19 goals in 81 games in his latest spell. He left with an overall record of 83 goals in 215 appearances for the Spanish side, winning LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and Europa League.

Mario Balotelli cleared of 2017 Rape charges in France

Mario Balotelli has been cleared of a rape allegation after a  girl who was 16 at the time, accused the Italian footballer of the offence in France .

The incident allegedly occurred in July 2017, when the former Manchester City and Liverpool star was playing for French side Nice.

The 31-year-old said that the pair had met when she was on holiday and they had consensual sex, after which she contacted him asking for €100,000 (£84,930).

Balotelli reported the attempted extortion attempt to the police, three weeks before his accuser and her lawyer contacted authorities. 

However, Italian police in Balotelli’s hometown of Brescia have closed the case, deeming that any accusation levelled at the footballer was ‘unfounded’.  

‘Balotelli is satisfied, as this was an unacceptable and insulting accusation,’ the Italian’s lawyer said. 

‘It’s a pity for the girl, who proved herself to be an instrument in the hands of an adult without scruples.’ 

A judge ruled that witness evidence and telephone conversation recordings with Balotelli proved a ‘machination’ to extort money. 

The 31-year-old Italian striker recently signing for Turkish side Adana Demirspor, after leaving Monza in Italy this summer.      

Nigerian Govt. approves N200 for cars, N500 for trucks for tollgates on all Federal Roads

The Federal government has approved a new policy for tollgates on Federal roads across the country. 

The approval was granted during the weekly Federal Executive Council presided over by Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, today August 11.

A statement released by Tolu Ogunlesi, the Special Assistant to the President on Digital and New Media, quoted the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, as saying that the tollgate policy was developed after extensive consultations with various stakeholders within and outside the government, including transport unions like National Union of Road Transport Workers, Road Transport Employers’ Association Of Nigeria, amongst others.

He listed the recommended tolling fees in the approved policy and regulations to include “Cars: N200; SUVs: N300; Private Buses: N300; Commercial Buses: N150; Luxury Buses and Trucks: N500”.

According to the statement, fees at existing tolled roads (Lagos and Abuja Airport Toll Plazas, and the Lekki and Ikoyi Toll Plazas) were taken into consideration in reaching the new recommended pricing.

The statement listed 10 highlights of the new Federal Tolling Policy as follows:

“It will be an Open Tolling system (just like the one that used to be in existence in the country), instead of a Closed Tolling system. (A Closed Tolling system means that you pay per distance traveled (‘distance-dependent’), while Open Tolling means you pay a fixed/flat rate that is not dependent on distance traveled).

Only dual carriageways owned by the Federal Government will be eligible for tolling by the Federal Government. (Of the 35,000km of Federal Roads in existence in the country, only 5,050km are dual carriageway). Federal carriageways that are single, i.e. undivided highways will not be tolled. The only exceptions here will be some bridges, which are listed in the Policy.

Toll Revenues will be used to maintain the roads and also to repay investors who have invested in building or completing a road under the Highway Development Management Initiative.

Electronic Toll Collection and Management systems will be prioritized over Cash systems.

The following will be exempted from Tolling: Bicycles, Tricycles, Motorcycles, Diplomatic vehicles, Military and Paramilitary vehicles.

The Tolling Policy is a broad National framework that will serve as a guide for States and Local Governments who seek to implement their own Tolling Policies. (As noted earlier, only about 16% of the total road network in Nigeria belongs to the Federal Government. States own/control roughly the same amount as the FG, while the rest – amounting to two-thirds are last-mile roads belonging to and under the responsibility of Local Governments).

People who live around Toll Plaza Areas will benefit from what is called ‘Frequent User’ discounts, in line with global best practice.

Recommended Tolling Fees in the Approved Policy and Regulations are as follows:

Cars: N200; SUVs: N300; Private Buses: N300; Commercial Buses: N150; Luxury Buses and Trucks: N500

According to the Honorable Minister, the Federal Highways Act vests the power to toll (Federal Roads) in the Minister responsible for roads, but implementation of any tolling policy/regime involves many processes and multiple agencies, and therefore requires multi-stakeholder collaboration.

According to the Minister, it is important to stress that even with this policy now approved, tolling is not going to start immediately. He very clearly said that Tolling will not start “until the roads are motorable.” This policy is a necessary condition for the implementation of Tolling, and it is now for people to start getting familiar with it and for relevant stakeholders to start using it as a basis for their financial modeling and investment analysis, ahead of the eventual rollout of Toll Plazas.”

Lee Jae-Yong, Jailed Samsung Vice Chairman, released from Prison on Parole

Samsung Electronics’ Vice Chairman, Lee Jae-yong, was paroled on Friday, August 13, after serving 18 months of a 30-month prison term for corruption.

The 53-year-old executive, who is Samsung’s de facto leader, walked out of the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, a city just south of Seoul, on Friday morning.

Lee Jae-yong — the 202nd richest person in the world according to Forbes, with a net worth of $11.4 billion — was serving a two-and-a-half year prison sentence for bribery, embezzlement and other offences in connection with the corruption scandal that brought down ex-South Korean president Park Geun-hye.

But calls for his early release from both politicians and business leaders grew in recent months over what they claimed was a possible leadership vacuum at the South’s biggest conglomerate.

The justice ministry announced Monday, August 9, he had been paroled with over 800 others, citing concerns over the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on the economy.

As he walked out of the Detention Centre, Lee, wearing a mask, told reporters: “I am very sorry for making people worried. I know there are concerns, criticism, worries and big expectations for me. I will do my best.”

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He then got into a vehicle and departed.

Numerous people gathered outside the prison, some in support of his release and others opposing it. Those who opposed questioned why convicted business titans often receive leniency in South Korea.

Lee was put on a list of 810 prisoners to be released on the occasion of Liberation Day, which falls on Sunday and marks the end of Japanese colonial rule over the Korean Peninsula in 1945. The nine-member Parole Review Committee, chaired by Vice Justice Minister Kang Sung-kook, decided to release Lee in a meeting on Monday, hoping that his presence in the executive suite will provide a boost to South Korea’s economy.

“In particular, Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong was included on the list as we considered the national economy and global economic circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” a justice ministry statement says. “We also considered various factors, including public sentiment and his attitude in prison.”

The presidential Blue House asked people to understand Lee’s release as a choice made in the country’s interest. 

“Many people wanted parole as they have expectations for [his] role in the fields of semiconductors and vaccines amid the serious crisis,” said Park Su-hyun, spokesperson for President Moon Jae-in, in a briefing on Friday after Lee left detention. 

“Yahoo Yahoo Boy” who poses as Lady to Dupe Victims arrested in Pakistan

A Nigerian man accused of being a member of an international syndicate committing online fraud, has been arrested in Lahore, Pakistan.

According to the Additional Director FIA Cyber Crimes Wing, Shahid Hassan, the Nigerian national identified as Darlington Chimo Osuji, was arrested for allegedly defrauding people by posing as a female online. 

“The accused person is involved in financial fraud by impersonating himself as a lady who would send parcel of dollars to his targets” he said

According to Hassan, after luring the victims through various tricks, the accused would demand a handsome amount and would later escape with all the money collected from the victims.

“Following an enquiry No. 360/2020, we have arrested him and an FIR 76/2021 has been registered.” said Hassan. 

The senior FIA official further told Bol News that earlier he had arrested three Nigerian nationals for their involvement in online frauds in Islamabad.

“The gang had collected millions of rupees from the affected people in various cities of Pakistan in the name of online investments, etc,” he said, adding that the FIA would take strict actions against all the accused involved in such online fraud. 

The US and UK jointly agreed to send 3600 troops to Afghanistan as Taliban advances towards capital Kabul

The US and UK have announced plans to send 3600 troops as reinforcements to Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan to help evacuate their diplomats, soldiers and citizens as well as thousands of Afghans who have worked with them, as the Taliban advance towards the capital.

UK and US to send 3600 troops to Afghanistan as Taliban advances towards capital Kabul

On Thursday night, August 12, the Pentagon announced it would send three battalions, about 3,000 soldiers, to Kabul’s international airport within 24 to 48 hours of the announcement .

UK and US to send 3600 troops to Afghanistan as Taliban advances towards capital Kabul

 The defence department spokesman, John Kirby, said the reinforcements would help the “safe and orderly reduction” of numbers of US nationals and Afghans who worked with the Americans and consequently had been granted special immigrant visas.

“We have been watching very closely with concern the security situation on the ground – and far better to be prudent about it and be responsible and watching the trends to make the best decisions you can for safety and security of our people than to wait until it’s too late,” Kirby said.

UK and US to send 3600 troops to Afghanistan as Taliban advances towards capital Kabul

Also, the UK said it would send 600 troops, as defence secretary, Ben Wallace, said Britain was relocating its embassy from the outskirts of the secure Green Zone to a potentially safer location closer to the centre of the capital.

UK expects to evacuate up to 4,000 Afghans as well as over 200 UK diplomats. 

All these comes amid fears over the Taliban’s ravaging advance across the country.

Also, Germany put out a tweet on Thursday urging all its citizens to leave the country as fast as possible on commercial flights.

The frantic military moves comes as Taliban fighters captured Afghanistan’s second and third largest cities on Thursday. The seizure of Kandahar and Herat marked the biggest prizes yet for the Taliban, who have now taken 12 of the country’s 34 provincial capitals.

UK and US to send 3600 troops to Afghanistan as Taliban advances towards capital Kabul

The group has now established a bridgehead within 95 miles (150km) of Kabul and its rapid advances leave the capital isolated from the rest of the country.

At the same time as deploying three battalions to Kabul, the Pentagon is sending a thousand troops to Qatar to help the processing of interpreters and other former Afghan staff who have been granted special visas. Up to 4,000 additional US troops will be put on standby in Kuwait.

The state department spokesman, Ned Price, said that the US embassy would be reduced to a core staff. Some of the embassy’s functions will be relocated to the airport. But Price insisted: “What this is not – this is not abandonment. This is not an evacuation. This is not the wholesale withdrawal.”

The sudden, urgent deployments of troops to help evacuate their own people, is a stark message  to the Afghans that foreign governments believe Kabul’s fall to the Taliban is imminent.

The Taliban want to declare Afghanistan an Islamic emirate but the Afghan government have kicked against such plans. Following the Taliban advance, the Afghan Government has offered a power sharing formula to the Taliban in exchange for a ceasefire, but it’s very hard to see the Taliban accepting such offer when they see that Kabul is within their sights.

In the face of the Taliban advance the British government has urges the group to acknowledge that if they want international recognition they will need to win the support of the Afghan population, something they know a purely military assault by the Taliban will not achieve.

The US joined by the UK and other NATO Forces launched a war against Afghanistan in 2001 following the World Trade center bombing by Al Qaeda.

President M. Buhari visits Bola Tinubu in London (photos)

President Buhari paid a visit to APC national leader, Bola Tinubu, in London today August 12. See more photos and the video in the slide below…

President Buhari visits Bola Tinubu in London (photos/video)
President Buhari visits Bola Tinubu in London (photos/video)
President Buhari visits Bola Tinubu in London (photos/video)

Romelu Lukaku confirms signing for Chelsea (photos)

Belgian striker, Romelu Lukaku has returned to Stamford Bridge in a deal worth £98million, Chelsea FC has confirmed.


Lukaku struggled at Chelsea in his first spell and left permanently back in 2014 but his success at Inter Milan, where he helped them win the Italian Serie A, made Chelsea complete a £98million deal to bring Romelu Lukaku back to the Premier League.

Chelsea finally confirm Romelu Lukaku signing from Inter Milan for ?98m (photos)


Talks with Inter Milan reached a conclusion on Saturday after days of negotiations over the fee and structure of the transfer. 


The 28-year-old landed at Biggin Hill airport on Wednesday evening ahead of his move back to Stamford Bridge, having passed the main part of his medical in Milan on Monday.

Chelsea finally confirm Romelu Lukaku signing from Inter Milan for ?98m (photos)


He then flew to Nice for meetings with his agent Federico Pastorello in Monaco on Tuesday and has now put pen to paper on an emotional return to west London. 


Posting in their website and social media handles, Chelsea FC wrote; “Welcome home, @RomeluLukaku9.”


Chelsea manager, Thomas Tuchel had been desperate to bolster his attacking options on the eve of the new season as the German coach eyes a shot at the Premier League title in 2021-22. 


The deal to bring him back to Chelssa sees Manchester United – where Lukaku played for two years before heading to Serie A to join Inter – receive £3.8m as a sell-on clause. 


The Blues kick their season off with a clash against London rivals Crystal Palace on Saturday.


Lukau netted 87 goals in 166 matches for Everton, 42 goals in 96 games for Manchester United and 64 goals in 95 appearances for Inter. 


“I’m happy and blessed to be back at this wonderful club,” Lukaku told the club’s website. “It’s been a long journey for me: I came here as a kid who had a lot to learn, now I’m coming back with a lot of experience and more mature.

“The relationship I have with this club means so much to me, as you know. I have supported Chelsea as a kid and now to be back and try to help them win more titles is an amazing feeling.


“The way the club is going fits my ambitions perfectly at 28 and just coming off winning Serie A. I think this opportunity comes at the right time and hopefully we can have a lot of success together.

“Since I left Chelsea, it’s been a long journey with a lot of ups and downs, but these experiences made me strong and the challenge is to try to help the team win some more trophies. I can’t wait to get started and to help the club achieve more success.”

Abuja court orders Shell to pay N45.9B to Ogoni People within 21 days

Shell Petroleum Company has been ordered by an Abuja federal high court to pay the sum of N45.9 billion to the people of Ogoni in Rivers State.

Justice Ahmed Mohammed who awarded the sum against the company for oil spillage in Ogoniland, stated that the money must be paid within 21 days.

Mohammed also confirmed that  A.O Ejelamo, lawyer to Shell said the company has resolved to pay the monetary compensation awarded in 2010 following a lawsuit instituted by ten representatives of Ogoni people in 2001. 

Though Justice Ibrahim Buba of the then Port-Harcourt division of the federal high court awarded N17 billion as compensation to Ogoni people in June 2010 and equally granted the Ogoni chiefs a 25-percent interest charge on the principal sum of about N17 billion, SPDC appealed against the judgment up to the supreme court and lost. 

After the company approached the apex court seeking a review of the judgment debt in 2020, a five-member panel led by Justice Olabode Rhodes- Vivour, dismissed its application in November 2020 on grounds of lacking merit. 

While lead counsel to the Ogoni communities Lucius Nwosu noted that the judgement sum, with the accrued interests stood at about N182 billion, Ejelamo at the resumed court session on Wednesday August 11, sought the court’s permission to pay the debt through the chief registrar of the court in a bank account to be opened for the purpose.

It was eventually agreed that the amount is to be paid to the aggrieved people through their lawyer, as the communities waived the interest on the principal amount as concession agreed upon during reconciliation.

Alert! Bloody hackers steal $600M, the biggest cryptocurrency theft in history

Hackers have stolen some $600m (£433m) in what appears to be one the largest cryptocurrency heists ever.


Blockchain site Poly Network said hackers had exploited a vulnerability in its system and taken thousands of digital tokens such as Ether.

The Poly Network blockchain site allows users to move tokens linked to one of these ledgers to a different network, making them work together.


“The amount of money you have hacked is one of the biggest in defi [decentralised finance] history,” the company noted in a letter addressed to the hacker that was posted on Twitter.


“Law enforcement in any country will regard this as a major economic crime and you will be pursued. The money you stole are from tens of thousands of crypto community members, hence the people,” Poly Network said in the letter.

Changpeng Zhao, chief executive of Binance, tweeted that his firm was aware of the hack, and was “co-ordinating with all our security partners to proactively help”.


Hours after the hack, the attacker started returning the funds.  


Roughly $260 million worth of cryptocurrency has been returned to Poly Network in a range of coins, according to separate analyses by blockchain forensics company Chainalysis and crypto tracking firm Elliptic.


A person claiming to have perpetrated the hack said they did it “for fun” and wanted to “expose the vulnerability” before others could exploit it, according to digital messages shared by Elliptic and Chainalysis.


It was “always the plan” to return the tokens, the purported hacker wrote, adding: “I am not very interested in money.”

They started sending back small transfers totalling a few dollars to the online wallets controlled by Poly – but then began making much larger deposits, totalling hundreds of millions.


In scale, the hack is on par with huge recent breaches at exchanges such as Coincheck and Mt Gox.

North Korea warns the US and South Korea as they begin War Games Training

North Korea has denounced South Korea over its joint military exercises with the United States, which are due to begin this week, warning that such actions risked provoking “a serious security crisis.”

The warning comes as the US and South Korea began their preliminary war training games on Tuesday, August 10, with official computer-simulated drills taking place between August 16 and 26, according to local media.

It also comes after Pyongyang stopped responding to a hotline set up between the two Koreas, less than a month after communication was restored following an agreement with Seoul in late July.


Usually the two countries will check in with each other over the hotlines twice a day to ensure smooth relations between the two nations, but South Korea’s Unification and Defense ministries said Pyongyang did not pick up the phone on Tuesday, according to Reuters.


“They must be made to clearly understand how dearly they have to pay for answering our good faith with hostile acts after letting go the opportunity for improved inter-Korean relations,” Kim Yong Chol said in the statement, released on state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Wednesday, August 11.

Kim is North Korea’s former spymaster. He also served as former US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo’s counterpart during talks with Washington in 2019.


He said authorities in Seoul were “defying the opportunity” to improve relations on the Korean Peninsula by conducting “frantic military exercises regarding our state as the enemy.”

Reacting to the war games between the US and South Korea, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said he had no specific response to the North Korean statements but emphasized the drills were “purely defensive” in nature.


Price said the US “harbors no hostile intent” toward North Korea but remained committed to the security of South Korea.

Wednesday’s warning from North Korea comes after Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korea leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday warned that the US and South Korea would “face a more serious security threat” for ignoring repeated warnings against their joint military drills.

She said peace on the Korean Peninsula would never be achieved unless “war equipment deployed by the US in South Korea” is removed.

Romelu Lukaku arrives in London ahead of £98m move to Chelsea (Photo)

Romelu Lukaku has arrived in London as he gets set to complete his £98million move to Chelsea from Inter Milan.

The 28-year-old Belgian landed at Biggin Hill airport on Wednesday evening, August 11, ahead of his move back to Stamford Bridge, after leaving the club back in 2014.

Romelu Lukaku touches down in London ahead of ?98m return to Chelsea (Photo)

Lukaku passed the main part of his medical in Milan on Monday before flying to Nice for meetings with his agent Federico Pastorello in Monaco on Tuesday. 

As reported by Sky Sports, the paperwork is now with club lawyers and once everything is agreed, Lukaku is expected to sign a five-year contract worth £200,000 a week. 

After moving to Everton on a permanent deal, he later joined Manchester United and then Inter Milan in 2019.

Lukaku scored 64 goals in 95 appearances for the Serie A side and led them to the league title last season. 

UK Prince Andrew to face second sex abuse lawsuit as Jeffrey Epstein’s ex-PA is set to sue him for allegedly ‘groping her breasts’ 22 years ago

UK Royal, Prince Andrew could face another US lawsuit from one of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims who accused the royal of groping her breasts in a sickening attack involving an image puppet of himself gifted to him by Ghislaine Maxwell.


Johanna Sjoberg, a former PA to Epstein accused the Duke of York of sexually assaulting her when she was 21 years old and working for Epstein.

Prince Andrew to face second sex abuse lawsuit as Jeffrey Epstein


The incident allegedly took place in front of Virginia Roberts, now known as Virginia Giuffre, who on Tuesday August 10, launched a bombshell legal action accusing Andrew of raping her.


The lawsuit by Giuffre claims that she was ‘loaned’ to the British royal and forced to have sex with Andrew three times on the orders of Epstein, fearing she would be killed if she disobeyed.

Prince Andrew to face second sex abuse lawsuit as Jeffrey Epstein

Ms Sjoberg, now 43, had previously been unable to sue because of the amount of time since the alleged attack. But a pending US law change could now allow her to bring her ­allegations to court. 


On Wednesday, August 11, Prince Andrew arrived in Balmoral with his ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York, for a holiday with the Queen just 24 hours after the bombshell lawsuit .


Johanna is the second Epstein victim to claim that Andrew had attacked her while on his knee at the billionaire’s New York home.


Ms Sjoberg has accused the duke of groping her by taking a Spitting Image puppet of himself and placing its hand on her breast after she was flown to the US by Epstein to ‘entertain’ the prince around 2001. 


She also described Andrew touching her breasts while the puppet was used to grope Virginia Roberts.  


She said that she was recruited by Ghislaine Maxwell in 2001, when she was a student at Palm Beach Atlantic College.


Sjoberg was under the impression she was being hired as a personal assistant, but she soon realized her job was to provide ‘sexual massages’ to Epstein, who she has said told her that he needed to have ‘three orgasms a day.’


She alleges she was ‘punished’ when Epstein failed to orgasm as a result of one of her massages, which Maxwell allegedly told her were necessary because ‘she [Maxwell] would not be able to please him as much as he needed and that is why there were other girls around’. 

The Duke of York has always denied all charges made by Virginia Roberts saying he doesn’t know her and a viral photo of him holding her waist is fake.

Prince Andrew to face second sex abuse lawsuit as Jeffrey Epstein

Roberts alleged she was sexually abused by Andrew when she was 17 and that he knew she was the teenage victim of sex trafficking. 


Miss Roberts claims she was forced to have sex with him and was ‘lent out for sexual purposes’ by paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. 

Andrew, 61, is yet to make any public comment about the lawsuit since it came out

Greedy Husband kills wife and daughter months after she won $2M lottery

A woman who won more than $2 million in the California lottery less than a year ago was allegedly killed by her new husband, who also fatally shot her 1-year-old daughter before turning the gun on himself.

Tiffani Hill, her daughter, Leanne, and husband, John Donato, were all found suffering from gunshot wounds to the head in their home in Calera, Oklahoma, on July 30, local outlet KXII said.

The little girl was still alive when authorities arrived but she died after being airlifted to a Texas hospital. Hill and Donato were pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities said Hill, 31, was a victim of domestic violence. She was living in California in November 2020 when she won $2 million from a scratch off ticket.

A few months later, she married Donato, 42, and the family moved to Oklahoma in 2021. On July 31, 2021, a tragedy occurred.

Police said it was a double murder-suicide. Police say Donato, 42, fatally shot Hill and their daughter, 23-month-old daughter, Leanne Donato, before turning the gun on himself at their new home in Calera, Oklahoma.

Husband kills wife and baby daughter in double murder-suicide months after she won $2M lottery

Hill’s three older children, ages 7, 9 and 11, were in the home when the murder-suicide occurred but they were unharmed.

The family lawyer said the $2 million lottery win was a “source of conflict” in John Donato and Tiffani Hill’s brief marriage.

“Could that have sparked that argument? We’ll never have any way of knowing,” asked Theresa McGehee, an attorney who’s represented the Hill family in the past. “But I do know there were times it caused conflict between them.”

The FBI is leading the investigation into the double murder-suicide because it took place on tribal land. Hill was a registered member of the Choctaw Nation, according to SFgate.

Hill’s sister, Jamie Kern, created a GoFundMe page to help bring the three surviving children back home to California.

Hill’s lottery winnings will be placed in a trust for the surviving children.

Zimbabwe: Motivational speaker born without limbs shows off her man on Instagram (photos)

Physically disabled Zimbabwean motivational speaker, Sinikiwe Kademaunga has revealed the identity of her man for the first time.  

1 17

Kademaunga, 26, took to Instagram on Wednesday, August 11, to share lovely photos of them together. 

Kademaunga, had earlier announced she was pregnant and shared photos of her burgeoning baby bump. Read HERE

Zimbabwean motivational speaker born without limbs shows off her man on Instagram
Zimbabwean motivational speaker born without limbs shows off her man on Instagram
Zimbabwean motivational speaker born without limbs shows off her man on Instagram
Zimbabwean motivational speaker born without limbs shows off her man on Instagram
Zimbabwean motivational speaker born without limbs shows off her man on Instagram
Zimbabwean motivational speaker born without limbs shows off her man on Instagram
Zimbabwean motivational speaker born without limbs shows off her man on Instagram

Upcoming Nollywood Actor, Stanley Rabbi Okoro, passes away

Nollywood actor, Stanley Rabbi Okoro, has died.

The upcoming actor who was well-known for his comic acts died on Wednesday, August 11. The cause of his death has not been revealed. 

His friends and colleagues have taken to social media to mourn his passing.

May his soul rest in peace, Amen.

Stanley Rabbi Okoro
Nollywood actor, Stanley Rabbi Okoro, has died
Nollywood actor, Stanley Rabbi Okoro, has died
Nollywood actor, Stanley Rabbi Okoro, has died
Nollywood actor, Stanley Rabbi Okoro, has died

Donald Trump must give access to two years of tax records – federal judge rules

A federal judge has ruled that former US President Donald Trump’s accountants must turn over two years’ worth of his tax and financial records to a House committee investigating whether Trump and his businesses profited from his service in the White House.

The Democratic lawmakers investigating Trump will be able to see his personal financial records from 2017 and 2018, US District Court Judge Amit Mehta of Washington ruled on Wednesday, August 11.

House Democrats will also have access to documents relating to Trump’s lease of a building near the White House, according to the Washington Post. D

Democrats had claimed they needed Trump’s financial records from 2011 to 2018 in order to pen legislation fixing “glaring weaknesses in current ethics legislation” that came out during the 45th president’s tenure.

Judge Mehta approved a House Oversight and Reform Committee subpoena for Trump’s records covering 2017 and 2018, but turned down most of the panel’s request for similar information dating back to 2011.

Mehta, an appointee of Barack Obama, ruled that the congressional inquiry was too intrusive but could proceed in a more limited fashion, so he narrowed the House subpoena for Trump’s financial records to only 2017 and 2018.

Mehta wrote: “Such limited legislative need cannot justify the degree to which the Maloney Subpoena imposes on the separation of powers, even in the case of a former President.

“The more Congress can invade the personal sphere of a former President, the greater the leverage Congress would have on a sitting President.”

A Trump aide told Politico that the ex-president will fight to keep his tax records under wraps by appealing Mehta’s decision.

Democratic Rep Carolyn Maloney, who chairs the House Oversight Committee, said on Wednesday, August 11, that obtaining Trump’s financial documents will help lawmakers with oversight of the executive branch.

“While it is disappointing that the Court, despite finding that the entire subpoena served valid legislative purposes, narrowed the subpoena in some respects, the Committee is actively considering next steps,” Maloney added, according to The Hill.

Joel Kinnaman, US Actor, under investigation for Rape

Suicide Squad star Joel Kinnaman, 41, is currently being investigated for rape in Sweden 

The public prosecutor announced on Wednesday, August 11, they were investigating the allegation against Kinnaman, according to TMZ.

But the Swedish actor’s legal team told The Post the alleged victim, a Swedish model, only stepped forward with the accusation after Kinnaman had gone to the police himself to get a restraining order.

Kinnaman claimed in a recent social media thread that he was being extorted by model Gabriella Magnusson, who goes by the name Bella Davis. 

On Friday August 6, Kinnaman filed an extortion complaint against her in Sweden and got a restraining order against her in Los Angeles, his lawyer Patricia Glaser told The Post.

“It appears that after learning of the restraining order, she filed her complaint,” Ms Glaser said.

“The court papers that Mr. Kinnaman filed stated, among other things, that Ms. Davis threatened to publicise false information about Mr. Kinnaman – including that he had sex with her against her will – unless he capitulated to her monetary and other demands, which included Hollywood introductions, a work visa sponsorship, a blue verification checkmark on Instagram, and more.”

The actor will be co-operating with police “to clear his name,” Ms Glaser added.

A spokesman for the prosecutor’s office told E! News on Wednesday that the probe had just started.

“The prosecutor got the case today and has hardly been able to look at it,” the spokesman said.

After the temporary restraining order, Davis told E! News that she never threatened Kinnaman or asked him for money. The actor “should have an Oscar for how he’s writing and acting,” she said, according to the outlet.

The Swedish actor, had taken to Instagram last Friday saying the model became obsessive after a consensual sexual relationship and was trying to extort him for money and things like a Sports Illustrated photo shoot.

Swedish actor who first gained recognition for his roles in the Swedish film Easy Money and the Johan Falk crime series.

Taliban continue to capture Afghan more cities and may soon attack their capital Kabul (photos & graphic video)

The Taliban has captured the city of Ghazni, just 80 miles south of Kabul, meaning the Islamist insurgents now control the main Afghan highways north and south of the city as they close in  on the government following US troops withdrawal.


The capture which happened on Thursday morning, August 12, comes as Lashkar Gah, capital of Helmand, and Kandahar appear on the verge of falling to the jihadists .

US Troops Withdrawal: Taliban capture another Afghan city bringing total to ten and will soon attack capital Kabul (photos)

The Taliban detonated huge IEDs at Lashkar Gah police headquarters while Kandahar prison with hundreds of inmates was attacked- with Taliban fighters released to rejoin the ranks .


Taliban fighters could be seen filming themselves strolling through the city centre on Thursday morning. ‘Large numbers of soldiers were killed and dozens more surrendered,’ a Taliban spokesman said.

The Taliban is now believed to control two thirds of the country, with the government in retreat in almost every region except Kabul – which is one of the only cities not yet under direct attack. 

US Troops Withdrawal: Taliban capture another Afghan city bringing total to ten and will soon attack capital Kabul (photos)

                                An Afghan special forces commander in Kabul

Meanwhile Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani is trying to organize a counteroffensive relying on his country’s special forces, the militias of warlords and American airpower.

The U.S. and NATO will officially complete its total withdrawal of troops from the war torn country at the end of the month.

The latest U.S. military intelligence assessment is that Kabul (which holds the US Embassy and several diplomatic offices) could come under insurgent pressure within 30 days and that if current trends hold, the Taliban could gain full control of the country within a couple of months. 

A Boko Haram Commander surrenders – Nigerian Army

Boko Haram attack a community in Borno state, Nigeria

A notorious Boko Haram senior commander, Amir Adamu Rugu Rugu and his family have surrendered to troops of Operation Hadin Kai in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.

Rugu who is known for deadly activities against troops and commuters around Mandara hill and Sambisa forest in Gwoza area, surrendered alongside his three wives and children in Gwoza town.

A resident of Gwoza told Daily Trust that the surrendered terrorist is well known in the town. The resident said; 

“All Praise be to Almighty Allah, the famous Boko Haram, Amir Adamu Rugu Rugu surrendered in today in Gwoza town. Karshen BH yazo insha Allah.”

Twitter Ban by the Nigerian Govt. to be lifted soon – Lai Mohammed

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, says the ban on microblogging site, Twitter, will be lifted soon.

Mohammed disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the virtual Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the First Lady’s Conference room, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to Lai Mohammed, the engagements with the team from Twitter have been productive, and that they have agreed to open an office in Nigeria.

“The end for amicable resolution is very much in sight. We appreciate the patience of Nigerians. I want to assure you that we have made very tremendous progress. We have met with Twitter both physically and in writing. We are actually almost there.

The engagement has been extremely positive without any acrimony. We have made it clear what we want from Twitter.” he said

He said the Twitter team have also agreed to have a Country Representative that will serve as a liaison and must register with relevant regulatory agencies including the NCC.

“They (Twitter) have shown a lot of flexibility, the conversation has not been acrimonious,” Mohammed said.

The Federal government had on June 4 suspended Twitter operations in Nigeria after the management of the micro-blogging site deleted tweets made by President Buhari who had threatened to treat members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in the language they understand.

India Police arrest two peddlers with heroin worth N386m and a Nigerian supplier (video)

In a major breakthrough, Delhi Police have busted a drug racket and arrested two Punjab-based peddlers and one Nigerian supplier with 1.122 kg of heroin worth over Rs 7 crore (N386m) in the international black market. 

According to the police, a tip-off was received about the movement of drug peddlers in the area of Mohan Garden. Based on that, a trap was laid near Poswal Chowk on Tuesday, August 10. 

“A trap was laid near Poswal Chowk, Mohan Garden at around 10 AM. Two persons who were moving around suspiciously tried to flee when signalled to stop. But both the accused were overpowered by the raiding party,” said Rajesh Maurya, Station house officer (SHO), Mohan garden.

Both the accused are identified as 27 years old Gursewak Singh and Amritpal Singh and police recovered 350 grams and 650 grams of heroin from their possession. 

During the investigation, both the accused revealed that “they had come from Punjab to receive the consignment from a Nigerian.

The team worked relentlessly to trace and identify the source and finally laid hands on the 36-year-old Nigerian supplier Anyigide Frankline from whose possession 472 gms more heroin was recovered.

Thus a total haul of 1.122 Kg was affected from the three accused, which are worth more than Rs 7 crores in the international market.

“The Nigerian could not produce any passport or visa. Therefore section 14A Foreigner’s Act has also been invoked in this case,” SHO added.Further investigation into the matter is underway. 

Watch video below: 

Madagascar President dissolves Government, Citing ‘failures in governance’

Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina has sacked all his ministers, his office said, days after he criticized some of their performances as below par.

Rajoelina’s office gave no reason for the dismissals in a statement issued late on Wednesday, August 11.

On Sunday, Rajoelina said the performance of some ministers was unsatisfactory.

“Like in a football team, you have to change when there are failures in government,” he said in comments broadcast on national television.


“There will be a change and this concerns those who do not carry out the work entrusted to them.”

This also comes days after a senior prosecutor said Madagascar had arrested 21 more suspects, including 12 military personnel, in connection with a plot to kill Rajoelina and topple the government. 

Six people, one of them a French citizen, were arrested last month on suspicion of involvement in the plot, after what officials said was a months-long investigation in the Indian Ocean island.

Rajoelina first took power in a March 2009 coup, unseating Marc Ravalomanana. He remained in control at the head of a transitional government until 2014.


In the 2019 elections, Ravalomanana challenged Rajoelina, lost, and said the vote was fraudulent. 

Nigerian Youtuber who criticised Apostle Suleman’s ‘Money miracle’, arrested and detained by the Police

Days after Apostle Johnson Suleman told those criticizing and insulting him via online channels to pay him for that, a Youtuber identified as Israel Balogun has reportedly been detained by the Police Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department in Abuja over allegations of criminal defamation and cyber stalking of the General Overseer of the Omega Fire Ministries International. 

Punch reported that the 38-year-old who posted a video on his Youtube channel where he showed clips of Suleman declaring to his congregation that angels would deposit money into their bank accounts,  was interrogated for about four hours and later detained after being given stringent bail conditions.

It was gathered that the clips were from ministrations of the cleric in Atlanta, United States, and Auchi, Edo State, where worshippers showed their phones to testify to receiving credit alerts in their bank accounts.

Balogun received mixed reactions after he described the claims as false and slammed Suleiman.

He further told the publication that he later got a threat call from one Obi-West over the video and a letter from Suleman’s lawyer on Monday, August 2, 2021, demanding a public apology within seven days.

Balogun said; 

“He said he is the eyes of Apostle Suleman on social media and said I should expect to hear from them. He said I will be missing and he will make sure I get punished by officers from the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters.

“He said killing me is nothing to them. I recorded the whole conversation and used it in recording another video where I called people to rescue me because my life was in danger.

 “I was still consulting with my lawyer when somebody called to notify me that some guys from Abuja were in Lagos to pick me up to Abuja. My wife, daughter and I immediately abandoned our home and went into hiding.”

The YouTuber also claimed that he later received an invitation from the Special Enquiry Bureau, FCIID, Abuja, signed by one ACP Yahaya Abubakar, asking him to report at the FCIID on Wednesday, August 11, 2021.

His lawyer, Inibehe Effiong reportedly confirmed on Wednesday August 11 that he had been detained.

Effiong said;

“The formal interrogation was for about four hours, including the time they used in taking his statements. Part of his bail conditions was to provide two sureties with landed property and certificate of ownership in Abuja, and a Level 14 civil servant with either a letter of last employment or letter of introduction.

“We have somebody with CofO, and presented a Level 13 civil servant, which they accepted. But they insisted that the person should bring a letter of introduction, whereas the person has a letter of last promotion. Even though we said we will bring the originals tomorrow, they rejected it and put Balogun in the cell.

“The conditions are difficult and unnecessary given the nature of the offence. There is no reason why the police should get involved as he (Suleman) should have gone to court to file legal action if he felt he had been defamed.”

A spokesperson for the FCIID, Abuja, Funmi Eguaoje however insisted that the bail conditions were normal. She said;

“If you bring a surety that is a civil servant, there should be verification from the office of the civil servant. There should be a letter of introduction from his boss to show that he is a staff member. They should bring it tomorrow (Thursday) and they will release him.”

Suleman’s counsel, Samuel Amune on his own part maintained that he only wrote Balogun to recant his statements and apologize for using derogatory remarks. He also stated that he doesn’t know anything about the petition against Balogun. 

Human-eating teacher who murdered and ate ‘boyfriend’ for sexual satisfaction goes on trial in Germany

A 41-year-old teacher accused of killing another man and eating the victim’s body to satisfy cannibalistic sexual desires, has gone on trial in Germany’s capital.


Prosecutors say the man on trial met his victim, a 43-year-old mechanic, on an online dating website a few hours before the September killing in 2020, the German news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur reported. They said there was no indication the victim had agreed to be killed.


The accused, named Stefan R, sat in silence as the charges were read out. R is accused of killing 43-year-old Stefan T in the hope of consuming parts of the alleged victim’s body and deriving sexual satisfaction from the act.


His lawyers told the court that R did not wish to testify and sought to suspend the trial on the basis that the public prosecutor’s office had not made all the evidence in the case available to the court.


The sitting judge said the court would examine the matter and cancelled Thursday’s planned hearing. The trial will now continue next Tuesday.


The case was first uncovered last November after human bones were found in a park in the north-eastern Pankow district of Berlin.


On closer examination, police investigators identified the remains as belonging to the body of missing Berliner Stefan T.


After searching the victim’s phone, investigators were led to the house of the accused, where they found traces of blood, more remains and a set of suspicious work tools.


According to a reconstruction by investigators, the two men made contact via a dating website last September and met later the same day.


The accused was arrested immediately after the search of his property and has been held in custody since.


Other body parts are said to have been dispersed by the accused across Pankow, some of which were found in the days after his arrest.
The trial at a Berlin state court, which is expected to last until mid-October, is not the first of its kind in Germany.


In 2006, a German court convicted Armin Meiwes of murder and disturbing the peace for killing and eating a man he had met online. Meiwes is serving a life sentence.

Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis, threaten to withhold salaries of schools that force their pupils to wear masks

Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis has threatened to withhold salaries from school leaders who enact or enforce mask mandates on their pupils.

DeSanctis, a Republican, close friend to Donald Trump and heavy critic of Covid-19 restrictions, earlier issued an order against such policies in schools, but some districts in Florida have pushed back, saying their pupils must still mask up.

The ensuing drama comes as schools begin their new academic year with school authorities scared that the Delta variant will affect younger groups.

Scientifically though, there is no evidence the Delta variant is more severe in children. Just 1% of US children infected with coronavirus end up in hospital and 0.01% die, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Covid-19: Florida governor threatens to withhold salaries of schools that mandate their pupils to wear masks

In a statement on Tuesday, August 10, DeSanctis said the state board of education “could move to withhold the salary of the district superintendent or school board members” if they issue rules requiring children to wear face masks. Teachers or other school staff would not be affected.


In Mr DeSantis’ previous order in July, he said forcing masks on students would encroach on parents’ rights.


The same day, one of Florida’s largest government-run school districts announced that students must wear masks for the beginning of the school year, unless they have a excuse from a doctor or psychologist.


“Heaven forbid we lost a child to this virus, I can’t just simply blame the governor of the state of Florida – I just can’t,” said Leon County Superintendent Rocky Hanna during a live-streamed news conference .

Public health experts say masks are needed to prevent the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant – especially as the vaccines are not yet approved for children under the age of 12.

WHO confirms ‘highly infectious’ Marburg Virus Disease in West Africa

A first case of Marburg virus disease have been confirmed by Health authorities in Guinea, in the southern Gueckedou prefecture.

This is the first time Marburg, a highly infectious disease that causes haemorrhagic fever and in the same family as the virus that causes Ebola has been identified in the country and in West Africa.

This is coming less than two months after Guinea declared an end to an Ebola outbreak that erupted earlier this year. 

It was gathered that the patient had sought treatment at a local clinic in Koundou area of Gueckedou, where a medical investigation team had been dispatched to probe his worsening symptoms. 

Samples taken from a now-deceased patient and tested by a field laboratory in Gueckedou as well as Guinea’s national haemorrhagic fever laboratory, turned out positive for the Marburg virus. Further analysis by the Institut Pasteur in Senegal confirmed the result.

Dr Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa said; 

“We applaud the alertness and the quick investigative action by Guinea’s health workers. The potential for the Marburg virus to spread far and wide means we need to stop it in its tracks.

“We are working with the health authorities to implement a swift response that builds on Guinea’s past experience and expertise in managing Ebola, which is transmitted in a similar way.”

Efforts are underway to find the people who may have been in contact with the patient. As the disease is appearing for the first time in the country, health authorities are launching public education and community mobilization to raise awareness and galvanize support to help curb widespread infection.

According to WHO, Marburg virus is transmitted to people from fruit bats, and it spreads among humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people, surfaces and materials. Illness begins with high fever, severe headache and general discomfort.

Infected patients also develop severe haemorrhagic signs within seven days. Case fatality rates have varied from 24 percent to 88 percent in past outbreaks, depending on virus strain and case management.

Hey! No NIN, No Registration for 2022 WASSCE – WAEC Warns Candidates

Prospective candidates of the 2022 West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination have been told by the management of West African Examinations Council, that the National Identification Number will be a major requirement for registration. 

Head of Nigeria Office, Mr Patrick Areghan said this on Tuesday August 10 at a press briefing to announce preparations for the 2021 WASSCE. He noted that the development was in line with the Federal Government’s policy as directed by the Federal Ministry of Education.

Areghan said; 

“Let me also use this medium to announce that as we continue to make progress in the conduct of the Council’s business in Nigeria, NIN will become a major requirement for registration for the WASSCE examination with effect from the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2022 and subsequent diets (No NIN, no entry!)

“This means that all prospective candidates must register with the National Identity Management Commission and get their NIN. This is in line with the Federal Government’s Policy, as directed by the Federal Ministry of Education.

”In accordance with the final international timetable, our WASSCE 2021, will take place through out the sub-region from Monday, Aug.16.

”However, the examination will end in Nigeria on Sept. 30, spanning a period of seven weeks.

”Statistics for the examination shows that a total of 19,425 recognised secondary schools, comprising 8.052 public and 11,373 private schools, spread across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, will be presenting a total of 1,573,789 candidates.

”This comprises of 792,620 males (50.36%) and 781,169 females (49.64%), for the examination.

”Candidates would be examined in 76 subjects, made up of 197 papers. About 25,000 senior teachers would be participating in the examination as supervisors.”

42 People Confirmed Dead as Wildfire Ravages through Algeria (photos)

42 people including 25 members of the military mobilised to help put out raging blaze, were killed in forest fires in  Algeria on Tuesday, August 10.


Dozens of separate fires have raged through forest areas across northern Algeria since Monday night and the country’s Interior Minister Kamel Beldjoud accused arsonists of igniting the flames, without providing more details on the allegations.

Residents of the Tizi Ouzou region in Kabylie used tree branches to try to smother burning patches of forest or hurled water from plastic containers in a desperate effort to douse the fire.

42 people killed as wildfire rips through Algeria (photos)

Soldiers were killed in different areas, some while trying to extinguish the flames and others after they were cut off by the spreading fire, Kabylie residents said. The Defense Ministry said more soldiers had been badly injured with burns.


Several houses were burnt as families were escaping to hotels, youth hostels and university residences, witnesses said, adding that a dense smoke hampered the visibility of fire crews.


“Only criminal hands can be behind the simultaneous outbreak of about 50 fires across several localities,” he said.


“We had a horror night. My house is completely burnt,” said Mohamed Kaci, who had fled with his family from the village of Azazga to a hotel.

Speaking on state television on Tuesday night, Prime Minister Ayman Benabderrahmane said the death toll had risen to 42, including 25 members of the military. The government was in “advanced talks with (foreign) partners to hire planes and help speed up the process of extinguishing fires,” he added.


Firefighters and the army were still trying to contain the blazes, and Beldjoud said the priority was to avoid more victims. He vowed to compensate those affected.


According to reports, smaller fires have ravaged forests in at least 16 provinces of the North African country since Monday night.

Young Man kills Older Girlfriend after Seeing her Sex Video of Her and Another Man

A 24-year-old man has reportedly killed his 35-year-old girlfriend in Obuasi community, Ashanti Region of Ghana. 

The man carried out the act after finding a sex video of her and another man on her phone. Local news channels reported that the young man who was sleeping with his girlfriend,  went through her phone and found the video when she excused herself to visit the restroom. 

When he confronted her, she demanded for her phone and a fight ensued between them which led to her death. 

The young man after killing the lady called a taxi driver to help him carry her body to the morgue. Suspecting foul play in her death, the taxi driver reported the case to the police leading to his arrest and confession.

Watch the video below……………..*

John Stones signs fresh 5-year Deal at Manchester City

John Stones has signed a five-year deal at Manchester City until 2026.


The 27-year-old joined City from Everton five years ago and has gone on to win three Premier Leagues, two League Cups, and one FA Cup.


The England Centre-back was an integral part of the City squad as they reclaimed the league title last season, while his form earned him a recall to the England set-up.


Stones started every match as England reached the Euro 2020 final, while at City he made 35 appearances in all competitions in 2020-21.


“I couldn’t be happier,” Stones said. “I love being part of this squad. There are so many quality players here and I know we can continue winning trophies, which is my main focus.


“Working with the manager [Pep Guardiola] is a dream – he has taught me so much about the game and I feel like I learn something new every single day

“The success we’ve had in the last four years has been incredible. To be a part of it has been a dream come true and I just want to continue winning.


“This is the best place for me to play my football and fulfil my ambitions.”


Stones joined City from Everton in 2016 for £47.5m.

Actress Sunni Welles, One of the Accusers of Bill Cosby, dies at 72

Sunni Welles, an American actress, and singer who was one of the many women to accuse Bill Cosby of sexual assault, has died. She was 72.

Welles’ son, Shaun O’Banion, shared the news on Twitter on Monday, writing, “It is with profound sadness that I announce that my mother, Sunni Kay Welles, passed away today at the age of 72.”

“If you have a moment, give a listen and think of her. She was an extraordinary woman,” O’Banion continued, sharing a link to a recording of Welles singing “Rio de Janeiro Blues” with her jazz band, Shiver.

Welles died on Monday August 9, at a hospice care center in Downey, California, after a battle with lung cancer, O’Banion confirmed in a statement to ET.

“My mother was a fighter, literally from the day she was born. My grandmother would tell me my mom ‘fit in the palm of her hand,’ and ‘looked like a baby bird.’ Throughout her life and career, she was also like lightning in a bottle and always championed the work and efforts of others… But what I think she would be most proud of, and certainly what I am most proud of is what I think will be her legacy: Her voice. Not her singing voice, although that was stellar, too…,” O’Banion added in a separate statement. “But her voice in speaking out publicly against the man who violated her and the fact that she and her sister survivors helped to change laws and, I hope, permanently alter the response to survivors of sexual assault. She was extraordinary in every way and I will miss her every day of my life.” he said

Welles’ acting career began when she was 10, with roles in popular TV shows including Leave It to Beaver and My Three Sons. 

She later became an aspiring singer and moved to Las Vegas in 1979 to perform with the Folies Bergère musical variety show. She continued acting sporadically before turning her focus on being a jazz soloist with her band, which toured California in the 1990s.

In 2015, Welles was one of over 50 women to come forward with accusations of sexual assault against Cosby.

According to a statement released by Gloria Allred, who was representing Welles at the time, Welles claimed she was 17 years old when she went out to dinner with the comedian, after being introduced to him by her mom, who was a story editor at Paramount studios. 

Welles claimed she went out with Cosby twice, and both times felt like she’d been drugged after drinking a Coke during their dinners. She alleged that on both occasions she blacked out remembered “waking up naked in a bed alone in a sparsely furnished apartment” all alone, and “felt as if I had had sex.”

Cosby was released from prison in June, after serving three years behind bars after being convicted of drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in 2004. His was overturned by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, after the court found that an agreement Cosby had with a previous prosecutor prevented him from being charged in the case in the first place, according to documents obtained by ET at the time.

Welles is survived by her son, O’Banion, his partner Petra Hejduková and their son Indiana, as well as her brother Larry Rihl and step-siblings Vivian Harris, Cindy Kashdin, Gene Rihl, Frank Rihl, and Alan Rihl. 

Kim Scott, Rapper Eminem’s ex-wife, ‘Hospitalised Following a Suicide Attempt’

Rapper Eminem’s ex-wife, Kim Scott has been hospitalized following a suicide attempt. 

TMZ reported that the police and emergency responders were called to Kim’s home in Michigan on July 30th after receiving a call of a suicidal person.

Kim had to be restrained by deputies due to her violent behaviour, which made it difficult for paramedics to check her vitals. It was alleged that she cut herself and had several small lacerations on the back of her leg, with a large amount of blood found on the floor at the scene.

The rapper’s ex-wife was rushed to a hospital for both medical and psychological evaluation, but is now back home and is recovering. 

Eminem

Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, was married to Kim before their divorce in 2001. The 48-year-old rapper married Kim again in 2006, but the second marriage only lasted a few months before they called time on their relationship for good before divorcing again. 

They have one daughter together, Hailie Jade. Kim reportedly attempted to take her life in 2015 and she said that Eminem was very supportive after that incident.

She said at that time; 

“He has been real supportive. We are really close friends. We are just trying to raise our kids together and make it as normal for them as possible.”

‘PSG can win the Champions League after Lionel Messi signing’ Ronaldinho says

Brazilian football legend, Ronaldinho believes Paris Saint-Germain will finally clinch the Champions League following the signing of Lionel Messi on a two-year deal.


The Argentina international was officially announced as a PSG player on Tuesday August 10, after joining from Barcelona following a 21-year stay at the Spanish club.

Messi’s former Barca team-mate Ronaldinho – who also played for PSG – has backed the French side to lift the Champions League, a prize they have long wanted to secure.


‘It’s a great joy to have played in these two clubs and now see my friend wearing this shirt, may there be many moments of joy Leo!!!’ he wrote on Twitter.

‘I’m also very happy with my partner @SergioRamos on the team and a super cast, I’m smelling Champions huh hahaha’.

Messi will play with some of the best players including Sergio Ramos, Neymar, Mbappe, Di Maria, and many others. 

Chinese Govt. Punishes Over 40 Officials for Failing to Control the Covid-19 Delta Strain Outbreak

China has punished more than 40 local officials for failing to control the spiraling Delta variant outbreak, as Chinese authorities struggle to stop the worst resurgence of Covid-19 the country has seen in over a year.


The current outbreak of the virus,  first emerged in the eastern city of Nanjing.


It has now spread to over half of China’s 31 provinces and caused more than 1,000 symptomatic infections in three weeks.

Covid-19: China punishes more than 40 officials for failing to control the Delta strain outbreak


Authorities have rushed to impose stringent lockdowns, mass testing, extensive quarantine and travel restrictions .

Reports from China say the new covid-19 measures are at a scale and intensity unseen in China since the initial outbreak in early 2020. 

Across the country, at least 47 officials, ranging from the heads of local governments, health commissions, hospitals and airports, have been punished for failing to control the virus spread, according to state media reports.

In Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province,15 officials were held accountable for allowing infections to spread at the Nanjing Lukou International Airport, according to a statement from the Communist Party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI).


Three officials at the airport are under investigation by the provincial disciplinary authorities, and two of them have been detained. 


Nanjing’s vice mayor, has also received penalties ranging from suspension to severe warnings, according to the statement.

In Zhangjiajie, a tourist hotspot , 18 officials were punished for their slack response in dealing with the virus, according to another statement from the CCDI.

Lionel Messi’s PSG Shirt Sold out in 30 minutes after Officially signing for French club

Lionel Messi’s Paris Saint-Germain shirts was sold out in 30 minutes on the French football club’s online store after his signing was officially announced.

The six-time Ballon d’Or winner arrived in Paris on Tuesday August 10 for his medical, ahead of completing his sensational free transfer to the Ligue 1 side. Messi who was welcomed like royalty when he arrived the French capital, greeting a delighted multitude who gathered for him as if he was a king.will be paid €35m net per season including add-ons.

PSG released the official unveiling video at around 21:15 GMT. Messi will be wearing the number 30, the number he wore first at Barcelona, which will allow Neymar keep his number 10 – Messi’s number at former club, Barcelona. 

Norwegian/Moroccan journalist, Jonas Adnan Giaever tweeted that Messi’s new shirt was sold out on PSG’s official online store by 21:45, remarkably just a half-hour after his signature was made official.

Lionel Messi

Messi appeared at an emotional farewell Barcelona conference on Sunday August 8, before he received a formal contract offer from PSG. He is now PSG’s highest-paid player, ahead of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.

6 Suspected IPOB Members died in Anambra Gunfire – Nigerian Navy

The Naval Outpost in Onitsha, Anambra State says six suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB were killed during a gunbattle at Awkuzu on Monday, August 9.

In a statement released, the Commander Officer, Adekunle Okeniyi, said the suspected IPOB members attacked the troops and carried out an attack.

The statement reads;

“The attention of the Naval Outpost, Onitsha has been drawn to some false publications that on the 9th August 2001, two naval personnel were killed at Awkuzu during a gun duel with suspected Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Anambra state.

The Naval Outpost Onitsha clearly refutes this fake news and wishes to state categorically that none of own personnel suffered any casualty during the gun duel.

Rather, the troops fought gallantly and were able to repel the attack which resulted in the loss of six suspected IPOB members while others suffered serious injury.

For the avoidance of doubt the Naval Outpost Onitsha calls for an immediate halt to the circulation of this fake news and wishes to advise the general public to disregard this fake news.”

Lionel Messi finally moves to PSG on a two-year deal worth “£1million a week”

Lionel Messi has been announced as a Paris Saint-Germain player after signing a two-year deal worth a staggering £35million a season.

Lionel Messi has completed a sensational move to Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year deal after leaving Barcelona following 21 incredible years. 

The Argentina captain became a free agent this summer after his contract with Barcelona expired. The club was expected to re-sign him after positive initial talks between all parties but  LaLiga’s financial regulations made it impossible. 

On Tuesday, August 10, Messi flew from Spain to France to sign a two-year contract which includes an option to extend by a year and gives the forward a net salary of about €35m (£29.6m) with bonuses factored in.

According to Mail Online, the deal will see Messi earn £1million a week, and he will wear the number 30 shirt, his first Barcelona number.

A statement on PSG’s official Twitter account said: “Paris Saint-Germain is delighted to announce the signing of Leo Messi on a two-year contract with an option of a third year. The six-time Ballon d’Or winner is justifiably considered a legend of the game and a true inspiration for those of all ages inside and outside football.


The 34-year-old Argentina international landed at Le Bourget airport on Tuesday afternoon, August 10, and was greeted by thousands of PSG fans. Waving to his new supporters and wearing a Paris T-shirt, the superstar looked excited just two days after  leaving Barcelona following 21 incredible years. 

More photos from Lionel Messi

On Tuesday night, Messi put pen to paper on his Paris Saint-Germain contract after completing his medicals. 


According to Mail Online, the deal will see Messi earn £1million a week and he will wear the number 30 shirt, his first Barcelona number.

More photos from Lionel Messi

A statement on PSG’s official Twitter account said: “Paris Saint-Germain is delighted to announce the signing of Leo Messi on a two-year contract with an option of a third year. The six-time Ballon d’Or winner is justifiably considered a legend of the game and a true inspiration for those of all ages inside and outside football.

More photos from Lionel Messi

“The signing of Leo reinforces Paris Saint-Germain’s aspirations as well as providing the club’s loyal fans with not only an exceptionally talented squad, but also moments of incredible football in the coming years.”

More photos from Lionel Messi

Upon competing his move, Messi said: ‘I am excited to begin a new chapter of my career at Paris Saint-Germain. Everything about the club matches my football ambitions. I know how talented the squad and the coaching staff are here. I am determined to help build something special for the club and the fans.’

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Indian Man Survives after 20ft Pole Pierces through his Head in Construction Site

A man survived after a 20ft metal pole pierced his brain when he fell from a building site.

The 24-year-old was working on the site in Ghaziabad, New Delhi, India, on July 31 when he stopped and looked up. Then a metal rod came hurtling down from the 20th floor towards him, plunging through his brain and out the back of his skull.

The unnamed man was rushed to Flores Hospital where half his skull had to be opened so the doctor could free the rod from his brain during four hours of surgery by senior neurosurgeon, Dr Abhinav Gupta.

Man survives after 20ft pole plunges through his head in construction accident

Thankfully, there has been no additional damage to his brain but the left side of his body has been left paralysed.

Dr Gupta removed parts of the 24-year-old’s skull and placed them under the sub-cutaneous pouch of his abdomen – a practice used to keep the skull fragment viable while allowing the brain to swell and easing blood flow to the organ.

The neurosurgeon said the construction worker, from Jharkhand, would need further surgery in two months’ time to put the skull fragment back in place.

“We are monitoring the patient closely and the outcome looks positive”, Dr Gupta told the Times of India.

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They said the 24-year-old was now breathing unaided and was able to open his eyes – but added they were not sure how much he understood.

“He has a long way to go before he recovers from the injury fully”, Dr Gupta said, adding the patient would need physiotherapy and rehab in the future.

TikTok Becomes the most downloaded App of 2020

TikTok sues U.S government over ban

TikTok was the world’s most downloaded app in 2020 as it took the top spot from Facebook Messenger, according to a new report by digital analytics company App Annie.

The Chinese owned video-sharing platform is the only app not owned by Facebook to make the global top five of downloads of 2020

In China, TikTok’s owner ByteDance also holds the top spot with the Chinese language video app Douyin.

Facebook-owned apps have held the top spot in downloads since the survey started in 2018.

Apps owned by Mark Zuckerberg make up the top five – WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and Facebook Messenger .


Last year, former President Donald Trump issued an executive order to ban new downloads of TikTok app in the US claiming that TikTok posed a national security risk as the Chinese government had access to its user data, allegations the company has denied.

Andrew Cuomo, New York Governor, Resigns as Sexual Assault Allegations Increases

New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday afternoon, August 10 announced he will resign from office following multiple allegations of sexual harassment.

Cuomo’s decision to step down comes a week after the New York attorney general’s office released the findings of an independent investigation into sexual harassment allegations. The report found that Cuomo allegedly sexually harassed 11 women.

Cuomo had denied all allegations against him claiming he is innocent but in recent weeks he has faced pressure from the Democratic party leadership and president Joe Biden to resign.

The New York  House of Reps were planning to begin impeachment proceedings against him this week.

 Cuomo making the announcement on Tuesday, says the resignation will be effective in 14 days. He announced that New York Lt Governor Kathy Hochul will replace him.

‘The best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to governing,’ Cuomo said in his address around noon. ‘And therefore that’s what I will do, because I work for you and doing the right thing is doing the right thing for you. Because as we say, its not about me, it’s about we.’

Cuomo said that New York Lt Governor Kathy Hochul is ‘smart and confident’.

‘This transition must be seamless,’ Cuomo said. ‘We have a lot going on. I’m very worried about the Delta variant, so should you be, but she can come up to speed quickly.’

In a press briefing earlier on Tuesday, Cuomo’s lawyer Rita Glavin said that the New York attorney general’s report ‘contains errors’.


Glavin criticized the attorney general office’s investigators and said, “This was not about an independent review of the allegations and the circumstances surrounding them’. 

Lionel Messi’s Mural WallPaper Removed from Barcelona Stadium as He Prepares to join PSG (photos)

The end of an era has been marked at Barcelona’s Camp Nou as an image of Lionel Messi was removed from a mural at the stadium after he agreed to join Paris Saint-Germain in a two-year deal.

Lionel Messi

The Argentinian superstar bid an emotional farewell to the club he joined at age 13 in a tearful press conference on August 8 after Barcelona announced they could no longer extend his deal due to financial constraints, and the club’s inability to keep the player and stay within La Liga’s FFP regulations.

Lionel Messi

On Tuesday, August 10, the club’s workers were removing Messi from a mural depicting him alongside Gerard Pique and Antoine Griezmann after he agreed to join Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year deal.

Lionel Messi

Young Nigerian Lady, Other National arrested with 1.2kg of Heroin in India

The Khanna Police has arrested two persons, including a Nigerian woman and recovered a kilogram of heroin worth Rs 6 crore from them.

The Nigerian national identified as Princess Chinonye, residing at Uttam Nagar, New Delhi, and Palwinder Singh of Pandaw Nagar, New Delhi, were nabbed in Doraha, on Sunday, August 8.

“At a checkpost in front of FCI godown on GT Road in Doraha, a taxi (DL-01-ZD-1068) coming from Khanna side was stopped. The driver was identified as Palwinder and the passenger as Princess Chinonye.” Khanna SP (detective) Manpreet Singh said on Monday.

During checking, 1.200kg heroin, worth Rs 6 crore in international market, was found in a polyethene bag at the rear seat. Following the recovery, the two were arrested under the NDPS Act.

Police said Princess Chinonye revealed that she had got the consignment from Delhi and was going to supply it to a person of Amritsar. Earlier, they had delivered a consignment in Tarn Taran.

Cops said their record was being scanned to check whether the accused have a criminal record.

Nigerian woman, one other arrested with 1.2kg of heroin in India

More Boko Haram fighters Surrender to Nigerian Army in Borno State

19 Boko Haram fighters have surrendered to Nigerian army in Bama, Borno state.

This is coming barely 3 days after 28 insurgents surrendered in the area. Army spokesperson, Onyema Nwachukwu said the Boko Haram fighters who surrendered were those who hitherto hibernated around the fringes of Sambisa forest, their stronghold.

He attributed it to ongoing offensives carried out by troops in the area. The statement read; 

“In continuation of the ongoing intensive clearance operations across the theatre of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), more Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs) and elements of Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) and their families, who have hitherto hibernated around the fringes of Sambisa forest have yielded to troops’ heavy artillery and air bombardments and surrendered to troops at Forward Operational Base (FOB) Banki Junction/BOCOBS in Bama, Borno State on 2 August 2021. 

“The terrorists who also surrendered several assorted weapons and incendiaries, comprised 19 male fighters, 19 adult females and 49 children from Njimia village and environs.

“The terrorists lamented that the ground and condition in the forest have become untenable, hence their surrendering.

“The fire arms and incendiaries recovered from the terrorists include, 8 AK 47 rifles, 1 General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), 2 Fabrique Nationale (FN) Rifles, 1 Dane Gun, 1 Makarov Pistol, 89 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition, 89 rounds of 12.7mm ammunition, 66 rounds of 7.62mm (NATO) ammunition, 5 x 9mm rounds of ammunition, 2 Hand Grenades, 27 AK 47 Rifle magazines and 2 FN Rifle magazines.

“Others are 1 pistol magazine, 1 x 60mm Mortar Bomb, 10 x14.5mm empty cases, 2 primed suicide vests, 72 trigger switches, 10 primed Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), 5 Electric Detonating Chords, 6 packs of Water Gel Explosives, 6 Mobile Phones, 1 Camel Pack, 1 Camouflage bag, 2 Hard drives, 1 Plier, 2 Unserviceable Hand-held Radios, 2 Scissors and Needles, 2 Match Boxes and the sum of Fifty-Five Thousand Naira (N55,000:00) only.

“The terrorists and their families are currently undergoing comprehensive security profiling and preliminary investigations, while the children have been administered with oral polio vaccines.”

Heavy Divorce! Bill Gates transferred another $2 Billion Worth of stock to ex-wife Melinda, totaling $6billion

Despite their divorce, Bill Gates seems to be keeping to the promise he made on Wednesday, August 4, when he told CNN that he and Melinda French Gates would try to keep working together on their foundation after their divorce.

Bill Gates transferred more than $2 billion in stock to Melinda French Gates on Thursday, August 5, according to Bloomberg.

This takes total transfers from Bill Gates to Melinda French Gates since they announced their divorce in May to about $6 billion.

Cascade Investment, Gates’ investment vehicle, transferred 3.3 million shares, collectively worth $387 million, of the automotive retailer AutoNation to French Gates, an SEC filing showed, according to Bloomberg.

Bill Gates also transferred 2.8 million shares worth a total of $1 billion of the manufacturer Deere & Co. to Melinda French Gates through Cascade Investment, per an SEC filing cited by Bloomberg.

The same day, Cascade Investment transferred 9.5 million shares, valued at more than $1 billion total, of Canadian National Railway to Melinda French Gates.

Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates officially divorced last week.

In May, four days after they announced their intention to divorce, Bill Gates transferred $3 billion worth of stock from Cascade Investment to French Gates, including 2.9 million shares of AutoNation, 14.1 million shares of Canadian National Railway, and 293.5 million shares of the media company Grupo Televisa.

Two weeks later, Gates conveyed $850 million worth of Deere & Co. shares to Melinda French Gates, according to an SEC filing – this was 7% of Gates’ stake in the company.

Bill and Melinda Gates’ collective net worth is about $152 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

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