Two sisters, one other drown in Jigawa

Two sisters have drowned in a pond in Idan Zakara village, Dabuwaran Ward, Kaugama Local Government Area of Jigawa State.

Spokesperson of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the state, CSC Adamu Shehu, who confirmed the incident in a statement on Saturday, September 17, also said that a 25-year-old man identified as Magaji Sani drowned while swimming in surface water in Taura Local Government Area.

“The sisters, Jamila Rabi’u (14) and Rabi Rabi’u (12) of Idan Zakara village, Dabuwaran Ward, Kaugama LGA drowned on Wednesday, 14th day of September, 2022 at about 1730hrs,” the spokesperson stated.

“The young girls were coming back from the farm and decided to wash their bodies in a local pond that was filled to the brim and unfortunately got drowned.

“The sisters were certified dead at the Kaugama General Hospital and handed over to their parents for burial.

“On Friday, 16th of September 2022, at about 13000hrs, one Magaji Sani, aged 25 of Sabon Garin Takanebu, Miga LGA drowned in a surface water in Gujungu Town, Taura LGA.

“The incident occurred when he was swimming, alongside other swimmers in the water that was caused by the heavy flood in the area. Effort to rescue him alive by his co-swimmers proved futile until local divers were invited to the scene by NSCDC personnel Gujungu Outpost to assist with the rescue.

“Sadly, after frantic effort his body was finally recovered from the water and certified dead. The body was thereafter released to his family members and buried in accordance with islamic rites.”

“NSCDC will still not relent in admonishing parents to cautioned their wards on patronizing flooded waters, ponds, rivers and streams. The casualty toll is on the increase.”

End Of Covid Pandemic In Sight – WHO

The World Health Organisation, on Wednesday, said the number of newly reported Covid-19 cases has dropped dramatically, urging the world to seize the opportunity to end the pandemic.

The disease which has killed millions since being identified in late 2019, last week fell to the lowest level since March 2020. According to AFP, the WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the world needs to seize the opportunity.

“We have never been in a better position to end the pandemic. We are not there yet, but the end is in sight,” he said.

Urging the world to seize the opportunity, Ghebreyesus said, “If we don’t take this opportunity now, we run the risk of more variants, more deaths, more disruption and more uncertainty.”

Queen Elizabeth’s coffin leaves Buckingham Palace

Queen Elizabeth II left Buckingham Palace on Wednesday for the final time as her coffin began its journey to Westminster Hall, where the late monarch will lie in state.

The queen’s coffin, draped in the royal standard and topped with the Imperial State Crown, was borne on a horse-drawn gun carriage out of the front gates of her London residence at 2.22 pm.

Irish PM says Queen’s death is chance to ‘reset’ relations between Britain and Ireland

Irish Prime Minister, Micheal Martin has said the Queen’s death is an opportunity to ‘reset’ relations between Britain and Ireland following bitter Brexit disputes.

The prime minister disclosed this in an interview with the BBC. The Taoiseach, who is due to attend a memorial service for the Queen at St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast, claimed Her Majesty’s passing should offer ‘time for reflection’ and ‘remind us of the need to proactively nurture the relationship’ between the two countries.

Queen’s death has come at a time of heightened political tensions at Stormont and between the UK and Irish governments over post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland.

But Mr. Martin, in an interview with the BBC, suggested it could now be a moment to repair relations that have been damaged by the Northern Ireland Protocol row.

‘I would like to think that the visit of Queen Elizabeth II first of all to Ireland, her passing would give us all time for reflection,’ Mr. Martin said.

‘And will remind us of the need to proactively nurture the relationship between Britain and Ireland to enhance it in the time ahead.

‘And that this moment gives us that opportunity for reflection and for resetting, in a good way, that relationship.’

The ‘bureaucratic’ implementation of the Protocol by the EU – including the imposition of physical customs checks – has been blamed by UK ministers for hampering trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The DUP have refused to re-enter a power-sharing administration in Northern Ireland until the Protocol, part of the UK’s Brexit deal with the EU, is reformed.

New Prime Minister Liz Truss is also threatening to push ahead with legislation at Westminster to scrap key elements of the Protocol if negotiations with the EU on revamping trade rules continue to stall.

R. Kelly trial juror excused by judge after suffering a panic attack in court

A trial juror in RnB star, R.Kelly’s case in Chicago suffered a panic attack during a break in proceedings, and was excused by the Judge.

TMZ reported that during the trial on Monday September 12, the white female juror started having a panic attack after the prosecution gave their closing argument.

The judge said he was told the juror “couldn’t last another minute” and he excused her, according to reporter Jon Seidel.

The judge says a white male alternate juror is now stepping in, and like the juror he’s replacing, this guy has also not seen the “Surviving R. Kelly” documentary.

As the trial comes to an end, the defense team is now giving their closing arguments, after the prosecution ripped Kelly to begin the day, labeling him a sexual predator who used his celebrity status to abuse minors.

Kelly, who was already sentenced to 30 years in federal prison following a June conviction in New York, is expected to learn his fate soon depending on how long it takes the jury to reach a verdict.

Protesters heard booing King Charles as they call for monarchy to be abolished

Anti-monarchists booed King Charles and one held up a sign saying “f*** imperialism, abolish the monarchy” in Edinburgh.

On Sunday, September 11, crowds had gathered in the capital city to hear the Lord Lyon King of Arms, who is responsible for overseeing state ceremonial in Scotland, formally announce King Charles as the Queen’s successor.

His Majesty’s State Trumpeters sounded a fanfare at the famous Edinburgh Castle and the Lord Lyon King of Arms read a proclamation for the King, prompting jeers and boos from other members of the crowd.

As the Lord Lyon King of Arms Joseph Morrow ended his proclamation by saying “God Save the King”, there were audible boos from people in the crowd while others called for a republic at King Charles’ proclamation in Edinburgh.

One protester was at Mercat Cross in the Scottish capital when police arrived and they took her away.

One man shouted: “Let her go! It’s free speech!” Other said: “Have some respect.” Police have confirmed that a 22-year-old woman was arrested “in connection with a breach of the peace”.

A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said: “A 22-year-old woman was arrested outside St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh, on Sunday 11 September, 2022 in connection with a breach of the peace.”

CNN’s Amanpour demands King Charles III move away from his mum’s shadow of ‘colonial legacy’ and address reparations and justice for countries colonized by UK

Days after Queen Elizabeth II’s death, CNN TV host, Christiane Amanpour has asked the new monarch, King Charles III, to step away from Britain’s ‘colonial legacy’ and possibly offer reparations to countries colonized by the UK.

Amanpour was in London over the weekend analyzing Charles III’s first public address as king and the conversation came around to how “different demographics” were listening to it for different reasons.

During his first televised address as king after he inherited the crown from the late Queen Elizabeth II, Charles III addressed the increasingly diverse state of the U.K.

“In the course of the last seventy years we have seen our society become one of many cultures and many faiths.

The institutions of the State have changed in turn,” he noted. “But, through all changes and challenges, our nation and the wider family of Realms – of whose talents, traditions and achievements I am so inexpressibly proud – have prospered and flourished.

Our values have remained, and must remain, constant.” Reacting to the king’s remarks, Amanpour spoke of British colonialism;

“I really do believe that we have to have this conversation right now, even at this moment,” “And look, what he said, ‘In the 70 years of her being on the throne, many cultures and faiths have flourished in these past seven decades,’” she paraphrased.

Amanpour appeared to suggest that this flourishing was overblown, “particularly in the wake of Black Lives Matter and particularly in the protests that erupted all over the world after what happened in Minnesota, in London, in France and other parts of these nations that had colonial servants, let’s face it.”

She recounted further that Britain, specifically, has a controversial imperial history, saying, “People were in service to this empire. The wealth of this empire was derived on the back of the people of their empire.”

“What we’re saying is that there is the generation of multicultural and diverse Britons who want this answered, who want to see their monarch finally talk about what it means and, you know, potentially the idea of reparations, definitely justice, right? Justice,” she said, warning that the citizenry of Britain has diversified and is looking to the King to address modern cultural issues with new policies.

She added that “Prince William who’s the heir and the next king, has talked about it, having been criticized for a trip he made in the Caribbean – again, colonial legacy – that we must have this discussion, and it must be up to those countries. But it also has to be had in this country [England] as well.”

Prince Charles III Proclaimed Britain’s New King

Charles III has officially been proclaimed king in a historic ceremony in St James’s Palace on Saturday.

The ceremony comes days after Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday aged 96 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

He pledged to emulate his late mother Queen Elizabeth II and serve for the rest of his life.

He said, “I am deeply aware of this great inheritance and of the duties and heavy responsibilities of sovereignty, which have now passed to me,” in a speech before swearing the oath.

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss and senior members of her government have also taken oaths of loyalty to King Charles III in the House of Commons.

Charles is king and head of state not only of the United Kingdom but of 14 other realms including Australia, Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

Meghan Markle was disinvited from seeing Queen Elizabeth in final hours

Prince Harry never had his wife, Meghan Markle by his side while visiting his grandmother as she was dying because she (Meghan) was disinvited in the final hours.

Royal expert Katie Nicholl told ET that the Duchess of Sussex was not included in the reach-out to Harry when news came down that Queen Elizabeth was on her death bed, which explains why he made the voyage on his own.

It is also speculated that Meghan might have opted out as a courtesy or out of respect for Harry, but the report points to it being a decision made by higher powers within the Royal Family.

Nicholl revealed that Meghan had said she’ll go to Balmoral Castle where Queen Elizabeth II had died, at another time.

She and Harry could have easily visited the Queen since they were already in the UK for work-related matters, and even canceled an event in London when they got the news.

In the end, Harry arrived at Balmoral after the Queen’s death was announced.

King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla did make it in time, as they were already in Scotland for prior engagements.

It’s unclear which other family members made it to Elizabeth’s side before she actually passed.

Kate Middleton did not join Prince William in Scotland either, but she and William made it clear she was staying back with their 3 children at Windsor Castle. The Queen died at 96 and was the longest-serving monarch in British history. By

Russia confirms President Putin will not attend the Queen’s state funeral

The Russian government has confirmed that President Vladimir Putin will not attend the Queen’s state funeral amid the estranged relationship between Russia and the West.

A Kremlin spokesman said a decision will be made on who will represent Russia at the service which is expected to take place on September 19 at Westminster Abbey.

Yesterday, Putin paid tribute to the monarch despite the his aggression in Ukraine which has caused relations between Russia and Britain to plummet to their lowest levels since the Cold War.

The leader said: ‘The most important events in the recent history of the United Kingdom are inextricably linked with the name of Her Majesty.

‘For many decades, Elizabeth II rightfully enjoyed the love and respect of her subjects, as well as authority on the world stage.

‘I wish you courage and perseverance in the face of this heavy, irreparable loss. I ask you to convey the words of sincere sympathy and support to the members of the royal family and all the people of Great Britain.’

Meanwhile, a top Putin media chief has acted to block coverage of the Queen’s death on her Kremlin broadcasting network. Margarita Simonyan, head of sanctioned RT, posted on her Telegram channel: ‘Enough Queen news already, team.

‘So she died. Well, RIP. We all die. This is not our pain.’

UAE declares three-day mourning period over death of Queen Elizabeth II

The United Arab Emirates has declared three day period of mourning over the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

In a statement, the Presidential Court said that the flags will fly at half-mast for three days, starting Friday, September 9, to Sunday, September 11.

Her Majesty passed away on September 8, 2022, surrounded by her closest family members at her Scottish estate. She was 96 years old and had served as the Queen of England for 70 years.

The UAE President and Vice-President were among the first to pay tributes as the country mourns the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE President, called Queen Elizabeth a “close friend of the UAE” and added she was a “beloved and respected leader whose long reign was characterised by dignity, compassion and a tireless commitment to serving her country”.

HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, wrote, “We join the world in mourning the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, a global icon who represented the finest qualities of her nation and people.

Her incredible lifetime of service and duty to the United Kingdom is unparalleled in our modern world.” HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, also shared a message, calling the royal a “Queen of love, wisdom, and humanity. The world will miss you”.

Sultan of Brunei becomes world’s longest-serving living monarch following Queen’s death

The Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah has become the world’s longest-serving living monarch following the passing of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II.

Bolkiah, who took the throne in 1967, has reigned for 54 years and 339 days (as of Friday) – more than four years longer than Margrethe II of Denmark, now the second-longest reigning monarch.

Before her death, Her Majesty who came to the throne aged just 25 in 1952 in the aftermath of World War II, was far and away the longest serving monarch in the world, marking the 70th anniversary of her coronation earlier this year.

In addition to being the country’s Sultan and monarch, 76-year-old Hassanal Bolkiah ibni Omar Ali Saifuddien III has also been the Prime Minister of Brunei since the country gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1984.

Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, and the nation’s figurehead for seven decades, died at her home in Scotland aged 96, on Thursday, September 8.

Her eldest son, Charles, 73, is now king of the United Kingdom and the head of state of 14 other realms including Australia, Canada, and New Zealand

Queen Elizabeth II died with Charles and Anne at her bedside at Balmoral in Scotland

As Britain is mourning the death of its beloved Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II after a remarkable 70 years on the throne, it has been revealed that his eldest children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne were at her bedside before she died on Thursday, September 8.

Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, his wife Sophie, and Prince William all flew in from Berkshire via private jet to Aberdeen yesterday as they dashed to Balmoral to see her. But it is understood that they did not reach the estate before she passed.

According to Mail Online, Prince Harry also attempted to reach Balmoral in time. But he arrived at 8pm, nearly an hour-and-a-half after the public were informed of the Queen’s death.

The country’s longest-reigning royal died yesterday September 8th at the age of 96 at Balmoral in Scotland.

Her death sparked a huge outpouring of emotions with thousands of heartbroken mourners gathering outside the gates of Buckingham Palace and other royal buildings yesterday evening.

The Queen’s son Charles, the former Prince of Wales, is now King Charles III, while Prince William has inherited his father’s title and is now, along with his wife, styled The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge. William is also now the ‘heir apparent’ to the British throne.

Britain’s new king formally known as Charles III

Britain’s new king will be formally known as Charles III after suggestions that Queen Elizabeth II’s heir might have taken a different regnal name.

Prime Minister Liz Truss on Thursday September 9, hailed Britain’s new monarch King Charles III, and said Britons “must come together as a people to support him”, shortly after the queen’s death was announced.

“Today the crown passes as it has done for more than 1,000 years to our new monarch, our new head of state, His Majesty King Charles III,” she said, adding:

“We must come together as a people to support him, to help him bear the awesome responsibility that he now carries for us all.”

Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, and the nation’s figurehead for seven decades, died at her home in Scotland aged 96, on Thursday.

Her eldest son, Charles, 73, automatically becomes king of the United Kingdom and the head of state of 14 other realms including Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. His wife Camilla becomes Queen Consort.

The queen had been suffering from what Buckingham Palace has called “episodic mobility problems” since the end of last year, forcing her to withdraw from nearly all her public engagements.

Her last public engagement came only on Tuesday September 7, when she appointed Liz Truss prime minister – her 15th premier.Queen Elizabeth II, who was also the world’s oldest and longest-serving head of state, came to the throne following the death of her father King George VI on February 6, 1952, when she was just 25.

Britain’s new king mourned his mother Queen Elizabeth II and said that she was a “cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother” who would be missed around the world.

Buckingham Palace released an official statement after Charles, 73, ascended the throne following his mother’s 70-year reign:

“The death of my beloved mother, her majesty the queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.”

“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the realms, and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.”

“During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the queen was so widely held.”

Queen Elizabeth II is dead, Buckingham Palace has announced

Queen Elizabeth II has died at the age of 96. Buckingham Palace in a statement said :

“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”

The news comes after The Queen made history when she became the first monarch to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee in June this year, marking the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne.

The Queen is survived by four children: Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, as well as eight grandchildren and twelve great-grand children.

On Tuesday September 6, Her Majesty met with the new Prime Minister Liz Truss and asked her to form a government, following the resignation of Boris Johnson.

Truss travelled to The Queen’s Aberdeenshire estate Balmoral Castle in Scotland for her audience with Her Royal Highness – a historical first, due to The Queen’s “mobility issue”.

Following the passing of the sovereign, the heir to the throne Prince Charles will now become King.

Queen Elizabeth II first took on public duties during the Second World War, appearing on the radio and being appointed one of her father’s effective deputies as counsellor of state.

She married Philip Mountbatten in 1947, a marriage which lasted until his death in 2021 and produced four children: Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward.

She became queen in 1952 after the premature death of her father George VI, and went on to become both the country’s longest-lived and longest-serving monarch.

A state funeral will take place at Westminster Abbey in ten days’ time, which will see the nation observe a two minutes’ silence, before the queen is buried at Windsor Castle.

Royal Family website crashes as Queen’s health fears spark internet meltdown

The Royal Family’s website has crashed following the news of the Queen’s health concerns.

Buckingham Palace released a rare statement on the Queen’s health today, September 8, and it was disclosed that Prince Charles, Camilla and Prince William have all travelled to Balmoral Castle, Aberdeenshire, to be with the Queen, 96.

A Palace spokesperson said: “Following further evaluation this morning, the Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision. The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral.”

Following news of Queen Elizabeth’s health, the royal family’s website crashed. An error message appeared on the screen, reading: “Gateway time-out”.

It is understood the crash came as people flocked to the official site to get more information about the unfolding situation.

Even the BBC pulled Bargain Hunt off air and replaced it with the news about the Queen as concern grows for her health.

Jesus Christ was first person to play cricket and baseball – Historians claim

Some historians are claiming that Jesus Christ was the first person to play cricket and baseball.

Both baseball and cricket are bat-and-ball sports played between two teams who take turns batting and fielding.

The claim was made after Historians Tom Holland, Dominic Sandbrook and John Hotten got together to speak on the ‘Rest Is History’ podcast, where they discussed who was the first recorded player of the game.

During the podcast, Holland said;

“Do you know who it was? It’s a big name. It’s Jesus.”Shall I tell you what Armenian professor Dr Abraham Terian thinks it came from?”

He found in the manuscript library of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem an eighth century copy of a much earlier gospel which described the infancy of Jesus.”

He also spoke about how the game we know as cricket today more or less derived from the game Jesus played.

Holland added; “And in this gospel Jesus is described as playing something faintly similar to cricket, i.e people throwing balls and he’s hitting it – and the catch is Jesus, when he chases the ball, can run onto the sea.”

The Gospel itself in which this claim originated from apparently translates as;

“He (Jesus) would take the boys to the seashore and, carrying the playing ball and the club, he would go over the waves of the sea as though he was playing on a frozen surface, hitting the playing ball.

“And watching him, the boys would scream and say: ‘Watch the child Jesus, what he does over the waves of the sea!'”Many would gather there and, watching him, would be amazed.”

Woman sentenced to hanging suffers heart attack after watching 16 others get executed before her

A woman who was sentenced to hanging has reportedly died after suffering a heart attack while watching 16 men get executed before her.

The Iranian woman, Zahra Esmaili and her two children were reportedly subjected to cruelty at the hands of her abusive husband and eventually snapped, shooting the rumoured senior Ministry of Intelligence official dead on July 16, 2017.

Her kids who claimed to have been asleep in their rooms at the time, were arrested as her co-conspirators, with her daughter sentenced to five years and her son cleared and released.

Zahra’s death was confirmed by Iranian rights organisations in February last year. Days later, her lawyer Omid Moradi claimed Zahra had suffered a heart attack in the moments leading up to her hanging, a human rights group told The Mirror.

Moradi said she died “after witnessing 16 men being executed before her”. As if her death wasn’t enough, the cruel guards hung her corpse, with her husband’s mother kicking the stool from beneath her.

However in a bid to cover up the sequence of events, officials published an account denying she’d died as a result of a heart attack, which Moradi claimed had been scribbled on her death certificate.

However in a bid to cover up the sequence of events, officials published an account denying she’d died as a result of a heart attack, which Moradi claimed had been scribbled on her death certificate.

The officials added a horrifying detail, claiming that her son had assisted the mother-in-law in helping the hangman. Speaking with The Mirror, Iran HR Director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam explained how the regime uses the idea of execution to instill fear into the general population. Moghaddam said;

“And this is the effect they’re looking for. And it’s the same in each case: ‘Obey our rules. This can happen to you’.”That’s the message.” The officials’ decision to publicise Esmaili’s case, and to share the fact that her son was complicit in their barbarity, was rare as most killings happen behind closed doors, Mahmood added.

He also questioned why the Iranian leaders ban most civil liberties, while allowing everyday citizens to decide between life and death. He said:

“So how is it possible that they give the responsibility of taking life to a common citizen? They make ordinary citizens complicit in what they actually are doing.”

In the last few years, people have called on Western powers to address Iran’s death penalty record and other human rights violations as part of their negotiations over the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal.

Olympic sprinter, Shavez Hart shot dead after trying to break up an argument outside a nightclub just four days before his 30th birthday

Bahamian Olympic sprinter, Shavez Hart has reportedly been shot dead after trying to break up an argument outside a nightclub at 2am.

According to Mail Online, Hart, 29, was killed as he tried to stop a group of men from fighting in the carpark of a nightclub in Mount Hope on the Abaco Islands of the Bahamas in the early hours of Saturday morning, September 4.

It was gathered that one of the men involved in the altercation reportedly left the parking lot and got a gun out of his car before shooting Hart in the chest. Hart, who competed in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and has a wife and son, was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

He would have turned 30 on Tuesday. A suspect was later arrested and taken into police custody, according to local media. Hart’s mother, Shammaine Hart, told the Nassau Guardian:

‘He was such a good son – very quiet and always helpful. He did a lot of work in the community and was always trying to give back. I will certainly miss him.’

The country’s prime minister, Philip Brave Davis, paid tribute to Hart and said the Bahamas is ‘blessed to have a great athlete to carry our flag around the world’. Davis said on Twitter:

‘On behalf of my family and the people of the Bahamas, I offer my heartfelt condolences to the family of Shavez Hart. ‘As a country we are blessed to have a great athlete to carry our flag around the world.

Ann and I will keep the Shavez family in our thoughts and prayers.’ The Bahamian sports minister Mario Bowleg said;

‘It is with great sadness that I express my heartfelt condolences to the family of the late Olympian Shavez Hart!’ Hart was an eight-time Bahamian champion in 100 metre and 200 metre sprints.

He qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games with a time of 10.10 seconds in the 100m sprint, a personal best that meant he became the third fastest Bahamanian of all time.

Hart had earlier attended the Texas A&M University where he competed in track events. He also competed in the 2013 CAC Championships and won the gold medal in the 4x100m relay in Morelia, Mexico.