Friday 30 March 2018

World Cup 2018: No British referee chosen for tournament

Howard Webb refereeing the 2010 World Cup final between the Netherlands and Spain

Howard Webb was the referee for the 2010 World Cup final between the Netherlands and Spain

There will be no British referee at the World Cup this summer for the first time since 1938.

Fifa has chosen 36 officials for the tournament in Russia but none from England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Mark Clattenburg was the only Briton on Fifa's long list of officials, collated in summer 2016, from which it would choose the final selection for Russia.

But he left his job with the Premier League and forfeited his place.

Clattenburg, who took charge of the Euro 2016 final when Portugal overcame hosts France, quit his job as a top-flight official in February 2017 to become Saudi Arabia's new head of referees.

The Football Association did ask world governing body Fifa to replace him with another official but it rejected the request.

There are also no British officials among the 63 assistant referees selected, while video assistant referees (VAR) will be chosen from the pool of officials at the tournament.

VAR is being used at the World Cup for the first time.

The World Cup did not take place for 12 years after 1938 because of World War Two, and since it resumed in 1950 there has been at least one English referee at each tournament.

England's Howard Webb was Britain's sole representative at the last two World Cups in 2010 and 2014.

He took charge of the 2010 final when Spain beat the Netherlands in South Africa.

In terms of Fifa's international list, the Football Association and referees' association PGMOL work together to put forward their choices.

The final decision is taken by the FA Referees' Committee and they nominated Martin Atkinson, Stuart Attwell, Robert Madley, Michael Oliver, Craig Pawson, Anthony Taylor and Paul Tierney for 2018.

Criticism of Premier League referees

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been a vociferous critic of Premier League referees this season and said they "don't work enough".

He also said some referees are living in the "dark ages" with the way they treat players and described disputed refereeing decisions against his side as "concerning coincidences".

The Frenchman was also given a three-game touchline ban and fined £40,000 for his behaviour in referee Mike Dean's changing room after a 1-1 draw at West Brom in which the Baggies were awarded a controversial late penalty.

Atkinson was accused of making a "fundamental error" by former Stoke manager Mark Hughes, while Manchester City recently asked to meet the body responsible for Premier League referees - the PGMOL - to discuss their concern at tackles being made against them.

Russia expels US diplomats and shuts consulate in tit-for-tat move

CNN Reports that Russia will expel 60 US diplomats and close the US Consulate in St. Petersburg, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday, in retaliation for a similar move by Washington.

The 60 diplomats -- 58 from the US mission in Moscow and two from Yekaterinburg -- were declared "persona non grata" for activities "incompatible with diplomatic status," the ministry said, ordering them to leave the country by April 5.

US Ambassador Jon Huntsman had been summoned to the Foreign Ministry to be told of the decision, Lavrov said.

In response, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said that Moscow "should not be acting like a victim."

She rejected the Russian government's suggestion that it is taking reciprocal action: "We don't see this as a diplomatic tit for tat," Nauert told reporters shortly after Moscow announced the move.

Russia has been on the defensive since the UK government openly blamed Moscow for the poisoning of a former Russian double agent, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter, Yulia Skripal, on British soil on March 4.

More than 20 nations, including long-term allies like the United States, have backed Britain by together expelling more than 100 Russian diplomats. The US expelled 60 on Monday as part of the coordinated global response.

Respond in kind

Russia will respond in kind to all countries that expelled Russian diplomats, Lavrov said, according to Russia's state-run news agency TASS, without giving further details.

Russia had already been engaged in a tit-for-tat with Britain, with both countries expelling 23 diplomats each, and Russia closing some British institutions in the country.

Russia has firmly denied responsibility for the poisoning and President Vladimir Putin has dismissed accusations his country was involved as "delirium."

Lavrov echoed those sentiments Thursday and slammed the global expulsions of Russian diplomats as "absolutely unacceptable," warning that Russia would retaliate. He said those countries had been put under "the greatest pressure of the United States and the Great Britain."

Among those that expelled Russian diplomats were major European Union economies, including Germany and France, as well as most NATO states.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement the decision marked "a further deterioration" in relations between the two countries.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May accused Russia of using a military-grade Novichok nerve agent for the poisoning, in the English cathedral city of Salisbury on March 4.

Sergei Skripal, 66, remains in critical condition, while the Salisbury District Hospital said Thursday that 33-year-old Yulia Skripal's condition was no longer critical and was now stable.

The Skripals were found slumped on a bench in an outdoor shopping complex in Salisbury. They had no visible injuries, according to police.

The update on Yulia's condition comes a day after police said they believed the Skripals first came into contact with the nerve agent at Sergei Skripal's home in Salisbury.

Police have identified the highest concentration of the nerve agent to date as being on the property's front door, London's Metropolitan Police said.

CNN's Zahra Ullah contributed to this report in London. Angela Dewan and Sebastian Shukla reported from London. Mary Ilyushina reported from Moscow.

Wednesday 28 March 2018

REVEALED: Abacha lost his life to Filipino Doctors not Indian Prostitutes – Gen. Ovadje

Few months to his 20th anniversary, what appears to be the real cause of the sudden death of late Nigerian Head of State and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, General Sani Abacha has been unearthed.
Brigadier General Dr. Oviemo Ovadje (OFR) an inventor and veteran military health specialist told Asabe Afrika TV in an exclusive interview inside his Lagos home how the former Nigeria leader lost his life 20 years ago.

General Ovadje who is one of the very eminent Nigerians who won a CENTENARY MEDAL during Nigeria’s 100 years anniversary celebration in Abuja on February 28, 2014 is famous for inventing the Emergency Auto Transfusion Set (EAT-SET), an innovative and affordable blood auto transfusion mechanism that saves accident victims and patients across the world.
He gave us the vivid description of how the former Nigerian military ruler died in the early hours of Monday, June 8, 1998. Enjoy the clip!

Tired of waiting for ‘right man,’ woman sells virginity to Hollywood actor for millions

Student escort who has allegedly sold body to actor

A 26-year-old British lady who was ‘tired of waiting for the right man’ has sold her virginity for a whopping €1.2m ($1,482,528).

Jasmin, a resident of London, received the final offer of $1,482,528 from a Hollywood actor earlier this week.

She made headlines a year ago after she listed herself on Cinderella Escorts seeking to sell her virginity to raise millions to start her own business instead of giving it away for free.

The offer from the actor was the highest after he outbid two other ‘contenders,’ including a footballer.

Jasmin, who did not reveal her last name, claimed to have gone for dinner with all three bidders beforehand and called the experience ‘amazing.’

She said, “My parents supported me from the beginning. They know everything and agree.

“I am 26 and they know that I am adult enough for deciding alone what I do with my body. As I met the actor already and I was always a big fan of (his), I am more nervous as a fan than about losing my virginity. But who knows. Maybe I will get more nervous when we meet in the hotel.

“I would never have dreamed to get that high price for my auction (sic.) But as more, I am amazed by who [bought] my auction. It is so amazing!

“I really respect ladies who are traditional and want to wait for sex after marriage. I was one of them. I really wanted to wait for the right one. But I don’t want to wait any longer. So, I chose another way which will make me happy. I am sure about my decision.

“Traditional views regarding virginity are so outdated. I believe that it’s my choice what I do with my body and I am sick and tired of waiting for the right person to come along.

“After 26 years, I still haven’t found him; so, I decided a positive alternative would be selling my virginity.”

BREAKING NEWS: IG removes Kogi CP over escape of six suspects

Following the escape of six suspects from custody early this morning, the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has ordered the immediate removal of Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Ali Janga.

He also redeployed the Commander, Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad in the state, the Divisional Police Officer ‘A’ Division, Lokoja and other police officers implicated in the escape for negligence, dereliction of duty and gross misconduct.

The IG in a statement by the police spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, explained that the policemen are all facing serious disciplinary action.

More details later.

BREAKING NEWS: Police declare Dino Melaye wanted

The Kogi State Police Command has declared the lawmaker representing the Kogi West Senatorial District, Dino Melaye, wanted.

Also, the Police on Wednesday confirmed the escape from custody of two suspects arrested and paraded last week for allegedly working for the senator and the son of a former governor of Kogi State, Mohammed Audu.

Addressing newsmen on Wednesday in Lokoja, the state capital, the Commissioner of Police, Ali Janga said the duo have been placed on Interpol watchlist.

Details later.

Trump gives many Liberians a year to quit US

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/03/trump-gives-many-liberians-year-quit-us/

Monday 26 March 2018

Chinese space lab to fall to Earth within days in 'fiery demise'

By Katie Hunt, CNN

An out-of-control Chinese space lab is expected to fall to Earth within days, according to the latest estimate from the European Space Agency (ESA), which is monitoring its descent.

The ESA's Space Debris Office said that the re-entry window for the Tiangong-1 space station was between March 30 and April 2 although it warned the estimate was "highly variable."

The China Manned Space Engineering Office said it expects the lab to reenter the atmosphere between March 31 and April 4, burning up in the process.

While posing minimal risk to humans, the uncontrolled re-entry of the space lab is a blot on China's ambitious space program. The 8.5 ton Tiangong-1 "ceased functioning" on March 16, 2016, China told the United Nations in May 2017, without specifying why.

Space station prototype

The 40-foot long Tiangong-1, or "Heavenly Palace," was launched in September 2011. Along with its successor -- the Tiangong-2, which launched in 2016 -- it was a prototype for China's ultimate space goal: a permanent, 20-ton space station that is expected to launch around 2022.

In its UN submission anticipating the craft's fall to Earth, China said the probability "of endangering and causing damage to aviation and ground activities is very low."

In January, Zhu Zongpeng, the chief designer of the space lab, told the state-run China Youth Daily newspaper that China had been monitoring the Tiangong-1. He predicted that most of it would burn up when it entered the atmosphere while the rest would fall into the sea.

Since March 14, China has been giving daily updates on the altitude of the vessel. On Sunday, the Tiangong-1 was at an average altitude of 216.2 kilometers (134 miles), down from 286.5 kilometers on December 24, 2017.

Fiery demise

Markus Dolensky, the technical director at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research in Australia, said if skies were clear witnesses may potentially see a "series of fireballs streaking across the sky."

"It is now nearing its fiery demise as it gradually gets slowed down by the fringes of the Earth's upper atmosphere," he said.

It's not uncommon for space debris, such as spent satellites and rocket stages, to fall to Earth although vessels that are capable of supporting human life are much rarer.

The last human space outpost to fall to Earth was the 135-ton Russian space station Mir in 2001. That was a controlled landing, with most parts burning up upon return and the rest landing in the ocean.

The first US space station, the 74-ton Skylab, fell to Earth in an uncontrolled reentry in 1979. Some debris fell in sparsely populated Western Australia, incurring no damage except for a $400 fine for littering.

Experts said it's difficult to establish exactly where the space lab will fall, but it's expected to descend within a latitude of 43 degrees north and south of the equator.

"Some parts of the upper atmosphere are thicker than others meaning the craft slows unpredictably and since it travels around the Earth in just 90 minutes even an uncertainty of a two minutes means the craft could fall anywhere along a 1,000 kilometer track," Duffy said.

CNN's Serenitie Wang contributed to this report from Beijing

Trump expelling 60 Russian diplomats in wake of UK nerve agent attack

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/26/politics/us-expel-russian-diplomats/index.html

Unbelievable: Residence Flee as Monkeys Invades Lagos Community

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/03/residents-flee-monkeys-invade-lagos-community/

Thursday 22 March 2018

Sacramento police shot man holding cell phone in his grandmother's yard

CNN Reports that Sacramento police officers shot and killed a black man in his grandmother's backyard because they believed he was pointing a gun at them, police said.

But investigators say they did not find a weapon at the scene, only a cell phone near the man's body.

The fatal shooting of Stephon Clark on Sunday night was recorded by two officers' body cameras and from a police helicopter; that footage was released Wednesday.

The videos show a brief encounter between police and Clark, lasting less than a minute, from the moment one of the officers spotted him in the driveway and yelled, "Hey, show me your hands. Stop. Stop."

In the dark, the two police officers chased Clark into the backyard of his grandmother's home.

"Show me your hands!" one of the officers yelled. "Gun, gun, gun."

Then police opened fire. Clark crumpled to the ground, momentarily tried to crawl before falling motionless as more shots erupted around him.

His death has caused outrage among residents who say that the officers should be held accountable for his death. Police have said the officers fired only because they thought their lives were at stake.

As more police arrived at the scene, someone is heard asking "What did he have on him?"

An officer responded, "Like this, something in his hands. It looked like a gun from our perspective."

Minutes after the shooting, as more officers arrive on the scene, a voice is heard saying, "Hey, mute," and the audio on the body camera cuts off.

Sequita Thompson recounts the horror of seeing her grandson Stephon Clark dead in her backyard after he was shot by police in Sacramento.

Clark's grandmother said she was inside the house when the shots were fired and saw him with an iPhone.

"He was right there dead. I told the officers, you guys are murderers, murderers, murderers," she told the Sacramento Bee.

What police say happened

The incident began on Sunday after 9 p.m., when Sacramento officers responded to a report that a man had broken car windows and was hiding in a backyard. The man was described as 6-foot-1, thin and wearing a black hoodie and pants, police said in a statement.

Stevante Clark (left) with his brother, Stephon Clark, who died Sunday.

Officers arrived and were aided by a team in a Sacramento Sheriff's Department helicopter. Police said the helicopter personnel observed that the suspect had picked up a "toolbar" and broken a window to a residence. The helicopter team observed the man running and looking into another car, police said. The helicopter then guided officers to the man's location in the backyard of a home.

The camera from the helicopter showed a man running through a backyard and hopping a fence into another yard. The aerial footage captured the moment when two officers began heading towards him.

Officers arrived at the front yard and gave the man commands to stop and show his hands, according to police. The man immediately fled to the backyard, police said, and they pursued him.

At that point, the man "turned and advanced toward the officers while holding an object" extended in front of him, according to police.

"The officers believed the suspect was pointing a firearm at them. Fearing for their safety, the officers fired their duty weapons, striking the suspect multiple times," the police news release states.

The body camera footage is dark and shaky. The helicopter pivots, blocking the aerial view of Clark and the two police officers in the brief seconds leading up to gunfire.

The officers fired 20 times at Clark and he was hit multiple times, police told CNN affiliate KOVR.Officers then handcuffed Clark and began life-saving efforts, according to police. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The two officers involved in the shooting have two and four years' experience with the Sacramento police, and both have four years' prior experience with other agencies. The officers have been placed on paid administrative leave amid a use of force investigation.

Police said detectives canvassing the neighborhood found at least three vehicles with damage they say they believe Clark caused, as well as an adjacent residence with a shattered sliding glass door. Deputies in the helicopter had witnessed him shatter the door, police said.

Stevante Clark, the victim's brother, told HLN that his brother "wasn't a thief."

"He was arrested before, but he's been different lately, he really changed his life. He was a people-person who everybody wanted to be around. We came from underprivileged, broken homes, but he didn't care about nothing else but his kids."

Family skeptical of police version

Stevante Clark said on HLN that his priority right now wasn't a possible lawsuit or body camera footage, but focusing on Clark's two young children.

"I just want to make sure his kids go to school, my mom is good, and he gets buried in a way where we don't have to worry -- the nicest funeral," he said.

He said he and his mother did not plan to watch body camera video of his brother's shooting, but he expressed skepticism about the police version of what happened.

"They said he had a gun. Then they said he had a crowbar. Then they said he had a toolbar. Now I'm asking you, you've got a nice job, you sound pretty smart. What is a toolbar?" he said.

"If you lie to me once, I know you'll lie to me again."

Rev. Al Sharpton has pledged his support for Clark's family and said he would be in California to help them fight for justice, according to a statement from his organization.

By Eric Levenson, Madison Park and Darran Simon, CNN

Bomb Shell: PDP Accusses APC of Stage Managing the Abduction and Release of Dapchi Girls

Wednesday 21 March 2018

Just In: Nigerian government confirms release of Dapchi girls.

Nigerian presidency has confirmed the release of the over 100 schoolgirls abducted in Dapchi, Yobe State by Boko Haram insurgent group last month.

Garba Shehu, senior special assistant to president Muhammadu Buahri said, “Kidnapped students of Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe, have been found and on their way home.”

Sahara Reporters had earlier reported that the insurgents early Wednesday returned 105 of the 110 girls kidnapped girls The website quoted residents as telling it that the militant group came with the girls in 9 vehicles same way they took them away.

There arrival of the militant was said to have resulted in a confusion in the area as members of the community scampered into the bush as the terror group appeared in the area, first dropping off one the girls in a nearby village and then driving into the center of Dapchi town to drop off the rest of the girls.

Five of the girls are dead according to our source. It is not clear if the Nigerian government paid any ransom to get the girls released.

Also, The Cable quoted one Amharic M-grah, a Dapchi resident whose daughters were among the 110 abducted students as confirming that his children were brought back on Wednesday morning.

“The report is true. I have seen my two daughters who were kidnapped last month,” he said.

Details later

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