American sportswear company, Nike has sued an organization, MSCHF Product Studio Inc for allegedly infringing on and diluting their trademark with the black-and-red, devil-themed shoes, which went on sale online on Monday, March 29. The rapper, Lil Nas X real name Montero Lamar Hill was not mentioned as a in the suit.
The controversial footwear is a customized Nike Air Max 97 sneakers that contains red ink and “one drop of human blood” in the sole, according to a website describing the 666 pairs of limited edition shoes.
The back of one shoe says “MSCHF” and the other says “Lil Nas X.”
Several media outlets reported that the shoes sold out in less than one minute at a cost of $1,018 per pair on Monday, March 29.
The lawsuit argues that Nike must maintain control over its brand “by setting the record straight” about what products bear its distinctive “swoosh” logo.
“In fact, there is already evidence of significant confusion and dilution occurring in the marketplace, including calls to boycott Nike in response to the launch of MSCHF’s Satan Shoes based on the mistaken belief that Nike has authorized or approved this product,” the lawsuit says.
We don’t have any further details to share on pending legal matters,” Nike said. “However, we can tell you we do not have a relationship with Lil Nas X or MSCHF.”
Lil Nas X tweeted about the news with a short clip from the cartoon “SpongeBob SquarePants,” in which a character says:
“I was just kidding. … You guys know I was just kidding, right?”
me at a funeral after saying we should cut the person open to see if they’re cake pic.twitter.com/m0R2Fa3dRU
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has advised those calling for Nigeria to break up to have a rethink, adding that if Nigeria does break, they may need visas to travel to places like Kano.
Osinbajo said this while delivering his speech virtually at the 12th Bola Tinubu Colloquium in commemoration of Tinubu’s 69th birthday in Kano.
The Vice-President, who was the special guest of honour, said the initial plan was to hold a completely virtual event but Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State offered to host a physical event that would run alongside the virtual one on Zoom.
“For the purveyors of breaking up into small components, into small countries, perhaps they should be reminded that we would not have been able to accept Governor Ganduje’s offer to come to Kano at short notice since we would all have needed visas to come to Kano,” Osinbajo said.
Yemi Osinbajo
Osinbajo added that Kano was a strategic location because it was the home of radical and progressive ideals.
Beyoncé was the victim of a heist, and the thieves reportedly made away with more than $1 million worth of valuables.
Three L.A.-area storage units filled with Beyoncé’s belongings were hit twice by thieves earlier this month. According to TMZ, the burglars made off with goods including her expensive handbags and dresses.
They returned within a week, and robbed three more storage units in the same facility, leaving with handbags, kids toys, and photos belonging to one of Beyoncé’s stylists. The storage units are being rented out by Beyoncé’s production company, Parkwood Entertainment, but the missing items from the first heist reportedly all belong to the 28-time Grammy winner.
Beyonce
Beyoncé is the latest celebrity to have her storage units burglarized. Thieves recently stole clothes, family photos, and mementos from Miley Cyrus’ storage space in Los Angeles, while other units were also targeted.
The LAPD is still investigating the Beyoncé robbery. No arrests have been made yet.
Nearly two dozen people were wounded during a Palm Sunday service after two suicide bombers detonated an explosive device outside a church in Indonesia’s Sulawesi island.
The Associated Press reported the blast injured 20 people. Local officials said the suspected suicide bombers were the only casualties from the blast.
“I call on people to remain calm while worshipping because the state guarantees you can worship without fear,” Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo said in a televised address to the nation following the attack, according to the AP.
The country’s top security official reportedly added that any terrorist groups or other individuals linked to the bombing would “continue to be pursued,” according to the news service.
Indonesia has a history of battling Islamist extremist groups. In December, police arrested the head of Jemaah Islamiyah, an Al Qaeda-aligned terror group most famously known for a 2002 bombing that killed more than 200 people.
The country has been expecting attempted retaliation in the months since the arrest of Zulkarnaen, Jemaah Islamiyah’s leader, according to the AP, with the risk growing as the Christian holiday of Easter approaches.
Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church, offered prayers for victims of violence on Sunday including “those of the attack that took place this morning in Indonesia, in front of the Cathedral of Makassar,” the AP reported.
A suspected suicide bomb attack outside a Catholic church in the Indonesian city of Makassar has left at least 14 people wounded, police say.
Police said an explosion erupted as two attackers tried to enter the church on Palm Sunday, the first day of Easter.
A destroyed motorbike and body parts were found at the scene and police said the two attackers had died.
Militant Islamists have attacked churches in the past but no group has yet said it was behind the bombing.
Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo condemned the attack as “act of terror” and said he had ordered the chief of police to investigate those responsible.
“I call on everyone to fight against terror and radicalism, which go against religious values,” the president said.
Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas urged police to increase security measures at places of worship.
During a Palm Sunday mass at the Vatican, Pope Francis offered a prayer for the victims of the attack.
The explosion happened at about 10:30 local time (03:30 GMT) at the end of a service for Palm Sunday.
“There were two people riding on a motorbike when the explosion happened at the main gate of the church – the perpetrators were trying to enter the compound,” National Police spokesman Argo Yuwono said.
Later, the country’s chief security minister, Mahfud MD, described the attack as “a suicide bombing” committed by two people, both of whom had died.
image captionBody parts were found at the scene of the bomb attack
A priest at the church, Father Wilhemus Tulak, told Metro TV that security guards had tackled one suspected bomber.
The attacker, he said, arrived by motorbike and tried to get into the church.
Police said at least 14 people were injured, including the church officials who stopped the attackers from entering the cathedral.
The blast happened by the church’s side entrance. Footage from security cameras showed fire, smoke and debris being blown into the middle of the road.
Makassar Mayor Danny Pomanto said that if the explosion had happened at the main entrance, it could have led to far more casualties.
“There were several injured people on the street. I helped one woman who was wounded and covered in blood,” one witness named only as Yosi told the AFP news agency.
“Her grandchild was also injured. There were body parts everywhere.”
Gomar Gultom, head of the Indonesian Council of Churches, said the attack on people celebrating Palm Sunday was “cruel”.
He urged people to stay calm and trust the authorities.
image captionThe attack happened on Palm Sunday, the first day of the Easter holy week
Churches have been targeted in the past by extremists in Indonesia, the world’s biggest Muslim-majority nation.
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency, an agency of the Federal Government, has confirmed that only one person in Kebbi and Taraba states each had received the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine after about two weeks.The agency did not say if the only person was the state governor.
But it added that over 300,000 people had received their first doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 in Nigeria.
The NPHCDA said on its official Twitter on Friday, noting that those vaccinated so far in the country were 9.5 per cent as of March 26, 2021.
It said over 374 585 people had been vaccinated across 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The Nigeria Immunisation Agency data showed that all states except Kogi had commenced vaccination against the infection in the country.
It said Kogi State was not supplied with the vaccines because their cold store was still under repair following vandalisation during the EndSARS protest.
It stated that Lagos State, the epicentre of coronavirus in the country, had vaccinated almost 92,000 people, making it the highest in the country; followed by Ogun with 36,953, Bauchi-31,321, Kaduna-29,426, Jigawa-22, 420 and Kwara- 20,060.
The agency noted that “states with the lowest number of vaccinated people were Kebbi, Taraba, with one each, while Abia had four.”
The NPHCDA said Nigerians could register for their COVID-19 vaccination by visiting its website nphcda.gov.ng and clicking on COVID-19 Vaccination e-registration.
Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho has been shortlisted for the Premier League’s Player of the Month and the Goal of the month following his excellent form in recent weeks.
Iheanacho has been in great form in recent weeks, with five goals in three Premier League games in March.
The 24-year-old striker scored in all the Premier League games he played in March, including the hattrick against Sheffield United on Sunday, March 14, 2021.
The Nigeria international has been crucial for Leicester City amidst a slew of injuries in the team.He prevented Leicester City’s loss with his goal away to Burnley, which ended 1-1. Three days later, he scored an equaliser away at Brighton before the hattrick at home against Sheffield United.
For these fine performances, the forward is in the running for Player of the Month with the likes of Harry Kane, Jesse Lingard, Andreas Christensen, Riyad Mahrez, Illan Meslier, Luke Shaw and Leandro Trossard.
His goal against Burnley which was assisted by his teammate and compatriot Wilfred Ndidi has been shortlisted for the Goal of the Month award.
A former governorship candidate and prominent stalwart in the All Progressive Party (APC) in Oyo state; Sen. Olufemi Lanlehin has declared his disinterest in contesting any elective position in the 2023 general election.
The former Senator, in a statement signed by him, stated that his decision not to seek any elective position in the state was influenced the past and present political activities in the country especially in his home state; Oyo.
Sen. Lanlehin who recently joined the APC from ADC had been speculated to be interested in running for either a governorship or a senatorial contest in Oyo South.
However, the lawyer-cum-politician said he had to be firm in taking a decision regarding his political future, having also consulted widely with his people across the state.
“As a democrat and progressive politician, whose guiding principle is truth, fidelity and probity, I wish to state that having taken a deep, thorough, comprehensive and dispassionate look at the past and present political terrain and activities in Nigeria in general, and Oyo State in particular, there is the need for me to take a firm stand as regards my political future.
“Pursuant to the above, and in response to calls and enquiries from far and near, I hereby announce publicly, having resolved privately after wide consultation, that I will not be contesting any elective position come 2023.
“However, I will continue to remain in partisan politics as a stakeholder as I retain my membership of the All Progressive Congress (APC) while participating fully in its ongoing reorganisation and repositioning.
“I pledge to numerous allies, supporters and admirers in the APC that I shall continue to support their efforts and aspirations whether at party congresses and conventions, or elective government positions.
“My contribution towards the welfare and development of the people of Oyo State and Yorubaland in particular and Nigeria, in general, is assured,” he said.
Lanlehin campaigned for the restructuring of the country and a return to federalism just as he tasked the leadership to take certain “fundamental and constitutional steps” to ensure “credible, free and fair elections in 2023.”
“These steps include but not limited to, guaranteeing a safe and secure country, revamping the economy in order to provide employment for our teeming unemployed youths as well as restructuring the Nigerian state. These steps, if well handled, will entrench the unity, prosperity and progress of Nigeria.
“Likewise, it is imperative that Nigeria retraces its steps back to true federalism, justice and fairness, as a way of deepening democracy, progress and good governance.
“What is, therefore, paramount in my mind, is the progress of Nigeria generally, and that of Oyo State and the entire Yorubaland in particular, and I will, God willing, in collaboration with like-minds, commit to these goals,” he said.
Renowned Islamic Scholar, Sheik Ahmad Gumi, has said the shoot-on-sight order of President Muhammdu Buhari is hindering the efforts to negotiate the release of the kidnapped students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Kaduna.
Earlier in the month, Buhari had asked security operatives to gun down those carrying arms illegally in the forests.
Speaking with Daily Trust on Thursday, the cleric said some of the bandits he met in the forest during his peace meetings have assisted in identifying the leader of the gang responsible for the abduction of the students.
Gumi said despite identifying the leader of the gang, he has been unable to reach out to him because of the shoot-on-sight order of the president.
The cleric added that during his previous tours to the bandits’ dens, he met with more than 80 percent of their leaders, saying if not for lack of encouragement from some government officials, he would have met all the leaders to persuade them to lay their arms for peace to reign.
“If we had encouragement, we would have met all the leaders. All those we met usually offered to support us to negotiate on our behalf, just like what happened in Niger State.
“Presently, our ability has reached the extent that we can identify who is involved in any criminal act. We have identified the leader of those who took the students but he has never attended any peace meeting with us.
“Those groups we met identified him but we could not reach out to him because of the security implication since the government gave shoot-on-sight order and then the government said no negotiation. So, I don’t want us to go into the bush and the government will think we are encouraging them.”
Asked what needs to be done to get the victims released, Gumi said, “What I think is for the government to just relax and allow us to follow these people to teach them how to behave, admonish them and then negotiate so that they stop this thing. We are doing this for ourselves not for the government or any political party.
“We don’t want politicians to mess up our land because they will come and go while we remain here, God willing. So we are not doing it for political reasons, we are doing it for ourselves so that we stop killing each other.”
On the stand of Governor Nasir El-Rufai against negotiating with bandits, Gumi said, “I cannot change the state government stand on negotiation and ransom payment. All I want from them is to allow us to continue discussion with the bandits.”
Effort to get Kaduna State Government reaction through the Commissioner Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, proved abortive as calls to his phone were unanswered.
“NSCDC arrests 9 cows for alleged destruction of farms in Ekiti.”
The State Commandant, Mr Solomon Iyamu, disclosed this in a statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr Tolu Afolabi, in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday.
Iyamu, according to the statement, said the command got a distress call from farmers around Datunchi, in Ikere-Ekiti, calling for assistance as herders were destroying their farms.
The commandant said that men of the Agro Rangers were deployed immediately to arrest and forestall breakdown of laws and order in the area.
NSCDC arrests 9 cows for alleged destruction of farms in Ekiti.
The State Commandant, Mr Solomon Iyamu, disclosed this in a statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr Tolu Afolabi, in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday.
Iyamu, according to the statement, said the command got a distress call from farmers around Datunchi, in Ikere-Ekiti, calling for assistance as herders were destroying their farms.
The commandant said that men of the Agro Rangers were deployed immediately to arrest and forestall breakdown of laws and order in the area.
Naomi Elaine Campbell was born on 22 May 1970, in Streatham, South London to Jamaican-born dancer, Valerie Morris . She is an English model, actress and businesswoman. Discovered at the age of 15, she established herself amongst the most recognisable and in-demand models of the late 1980s, 1990s and earlier 2000s, including modern day.
Naomi Campbell was one of six models of her generation, declared supermodels by the fashion industry and the international press. However, Naomi Campbell spent her early years in Rome, Italy, where her mother worked as a modern dancer.From age three, she attended the Barbara Speake Stage School and at 10, she was accepted into the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, where she studied ballet. Naomi also attended Dunraven School.
Campbell was 7 in 1978, when she made her first public appearance in the music video for Bob Marley’s “Is This Love”. At the age of 12, she tap-danced in the music video for Culture Club’s “I’ll Tumble 4 Ya”. She had studied dance from age 3 to 16, and originally intended by to be a dancer. In 1986, while still a student of the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, Campbell was scouted by Beth Boldt, head of the Synchro Model Agency, while window-shopping in Covent Garden. Her career quickly took off—in April, just before her 16th birthday, when she appeared on the cover of British Elle.
Over the next few years, Campbell’s career progressed steadily: she walked the catwalk for such designers as Gianni Versace, Azzedine Alaïa, and Isaac Mizrahi and posed for such photographers as Peter Lindbergh, Herb Ritts, and Bruce Weber. By the late 1980s, Campbell with Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista, formed a trio known as the “Trinity”, who became the most recognisable and in-demand models of their generation.
In addition to her modelling career, Campbell has embarked on other ventures, including an R&B studio album and several acting appearances in film and television, such as the modelling-competition reality show “The Face” and its international offshoots. Campbell is also involved in charity work for various causes.
In 1998, Time declared the end of the supermodel era.Campbell continued modelling, both on the runway and, more frequently, on print. In 1999, she signed her first cosmetics contract with Cosmopolitan Cosmetics, a division of Wella, through which she launched several signature fragrances. In November of that year, she posed with 12 other top models for the “Modern Muses” cover of the Millennium Issue of American Vogue, shot by Annie Leibovitz.The following month, she appeared in a white string bikini and furs on the cover of Playboy. In October 2001, she appeared with rapper Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs on the cover of British Vogue, with the headline “Naomi and Puff: The Ultimate Power Duo”. In 2007, she walked the catwalk for Dior’s 60th-anniversary fashion show at Versailles. In July 2008, she appeared with fellow black models Liya Kebede, Sessilee Lopez and Jourdan Dunn on the gatefold cover of a landmark all-black issue of Italian Vogue, shot by Steven Meisel. In September of that year, Campbell reunited with Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer and Stephanie Seymour for “A League of Their Own”, a Vanity Fair feature on the supermodel legacy.
In 2011, Campbell appeared with Liya Kebede and Iman on the cover of the 40th-anniversary issue of Essence. She also starred as Duran Duranfrontman Simon Le Bon in the band’s music video for “Girl Panic!”, with Cindy Crawford, Helena Christensen, Eva Herzigova and Yasmin Le Bonportraying the other band members; they appeared in the November edition of British Harper’s Bazaar in an editorial titled “The Supers vs. Duran Duran”. Campbell performed with Kate Moss and other supermodels in the closing ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games, where they modelled haute couture to represent British fashion. Campbell wore a design by Alexander McQueen—a staggered hem gown with a train speckled with flecks of gold.
In March 2013, Campbell graced the inaugural cover of Numéro Russia. Campbell also became involved in reality television through the modelling competition The Face and its international offshoots. In the U.S., she served as a coach and judge, along with Karolina Kurkova and Coco Rocha, on Oxygen’s The Face, hosted by photographer Nigel Barker. She also hosted the British version of the show, which aired on Sky Living later that same year, and The Face Australia, which ran on Fox8 in 2014.
In 2014, Campbell covered the May issue of VogueAustralia, the September issue of Vogue Japan, and the November issue of Vogue Turkey; the latter two were special editions celebrating Campbell and fellow supermodels. Naomi Campbell also covered the Vietnamese, Singaporean and the 35th anniversary Latin American edition of Harper’s Bazaar. In 2014, Campbell was named TV Personality of the year by Glamour Magazine. The award was presented at the annual Glamour Women of The Year Awards in London.
The following year, she closed the Fall/Winter Zac Posen show at New York Fashion Week and featured in Spring/Summer 2015 campaigns for Burberry and lingerie retailer Agent Provocateur.
Naomi Campbell
Campbell has walked the runways for Marc Jacobs, Yves Saint Laurent, Chloé, Diane Von Furstenberg, Prada, Chanel, Givenchy, Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry, Zac Posen, Blumarine, Karl Lagerfeld, Gianfranco Ferré, Versace, Helmut Lang, Christian Dior, John Galliano, Ralph Lauren, Jean Paul Gaultier, Tommy Hilfiger, Oscar de la Renta, Michael Kors, Anna Sui, Louis Vuitton, Hermés, Marchesa, Roberto Cavalli and Valentino.
She has appeared in advertising campaigns for Fendi, Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, Escada, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Ralph Lauren, Chloé, Versace, Givenchy, Blumarine, Yves Saint Laurent, Isaac Mizrahi, Tommy Hilfiger, Valentino, La Perla, Dennis Basso, Philipp Plein, Mango, Thierry Mugler, Balmain, Nars, Roberto Cavalli, David Yurman, Alessandro Dell’Acqua, DSquared2, Express, H&M, Bloomingdale’s, Dillard’s, Macy’s, Barneys New York, Neiman Marcus, Gap, Avon, Revlon and Victoria’s Secret.
In 2015, Campbell signed on as a recurring character in the Fox drama Empire as Camilla Marks, a fashion designer and love interest to Hakeem Lyon, portrayed by Bryshere Y. Gray. In October 2015, Campbell was featured in a two-episode arc in American Horror Story: Hotel, as a Vogue fashion editor named Claudia Bankson.
In 2016, Campbell appeared in the music video for Anohni’s single “Drone Bomb Me”. In September 2017, Campbell appeared in Versace’s Spring/Summer 2018 show celebrating the late Gianni Versace, alongside Schiffer, Crawford, Christensen and Carla Bruni and also featured in the campaign for the collection. In February 2018, Campbell and Moss returned to the runway and closed Kim Jones’ final menswear show for Louis Vuitton. In April, she featured on the cover of British GQ alongside rapper Skepta.
In June 2018, Campbell received the Fashion Icon award by the Council of Fashion Designers of America. In 2019, Campbell received the first beauty contract of her career, with NARS Cosmetics.
In the spring of 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Campbell began her own web series on YouTube, No Filter with Naomi, in which she conducts conversations with various guests. Her inaugural guest was Cindy Crawford, while subsequent guests ranged from Marc Jacobs, Adut Akech, and Christy Turlington to Ashley Graham and Nicole Richie.
In October 2020, Campbell and Apple TV+ announced a documentary about Campbell and fellow supermodels Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington, directed by Barbara Kopple. The documentary, named “The Supermodels”, comes from Brian Grazer’s and Ron Howard’s Imagine Documentaries.
In January 12, 2021, She was appointed Magical Kenya International Tourism Ambassador by Kenya’s Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife. In March 2021, Campbell was named as the face of the relaunch advertising campaign for streetwearbrand Hood by Air.
New York lawmakers have reportedly reached an agreement to legalize recreational marijuana in the state.
According to Bloomberg, the state is prepared to legalize recreational marijuana use for people aged 21 and older.
The deal would reportedly include a 13 percent tax on sales and would provide licenses to dispensaries.
Nine percent of the 13 percent pot tax would go to the state, Bloomberg notes, while the remaining 4 percent would go to local governments. The New York governor’s office estimates that a legal cannabis program in the state could bring in around $350 million annually, it added. “It is my understanding that the three-way agreement has been reached and that bill drafting is in the process of finishing a bill that we all have said we support,” state Senate Finance Committee Chairwoman Liz Krueger (D) told the news outlet.
Krueger added that she expects lawmakers to vote on the measure as early as next week.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said early Wednesday that a deal on marijuana legalization was close to being made, Bloomberg notes, adding that it is one of his budget priorities.
In February, Virginia lawmakers passed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana, though the legalization would not go into effect until 2024. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) has yet to sign the bill, with state lawmakers hoping he will send it back with amendments that would speed up the bill’s implementation.
The Zulu royal family in South Africa has appointed the third wife of the late King Goodwill Zwelithini as regent until a new monarch takes the throne.
Queen Mantfombi MaDlamini Zulu held the status of “Great Wife” since her marriage to the king in 1977.
Her appointment has fuelled speculation that one of her sons will become king of the 11 million-strong Zulu nation.
Zwelithini, 72, had diabetes and died in hospital of Covid-related complications on 12 March.
He was the longest-reigning Zulu monarch, having served on the throne for almost 50 years.
He had six wives and at least 26 children.
Queen MaDlamini Zulu’s appointment was announced following a meeting between Zwelithini’s lawyers and some 200 members of the royal family to discuss his will.
image captionThree of the king’s wives are seen in this photo at his memorial last week
The late king’s traditional prime minister, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, said her appointment was in line with Zwelithini’s wishes.
The royal family would observe a three-month mourning period and further decisions about the king’s successor would be taken thereafter, chief Buthelezi said.
“The loss of His Majesty, the king, has been a tremendous blow and the family must be allowed to grieve,” he added.
image captionChief Buthelezi (R) was the uncle of King Zwelithini (L).
Zwelithini was buried – or planted, as Zulus say – on Thursday at a private ceremony attended by a select few men from the royal family.
Zara and Mike Tindall have announced the birth of a son, who they have named Lucas Philip Tindall.
A spokeswoman for the Queen’s granddaughter and the former England rugby player said their third child was born on Sunday, weighing 8lbs 4oz.
The baby was born on their bathroom floor after they were unable to make it to hospital in time, Mr Tindall said.
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are “delighted” at the news, Buckingham Palace said.
They “look forward to meeting their 10th great-grandchild when circumstances allow”, a spokesman added.
The child is 22nd in line to the throne.
His middle name is in honour of both Mr Tindall’s father as well as Mrs Tindall’s grandfather.
Mrs Tindall, 39, and her husband already have two children – seven-year-old Mia and two-year-old Lena.
Describing the birth on his podcast, The Good, The Bad & The Rugby, Mr Tindall, 42, said: “Arrived very quickly. Didn’t make it to hospital. On the bathroom floor.”
“So yeah, it was running to the gym, get a mat, get into the bathroom, get the mat on the floor, towels down, brace, brace, brace,” he added.
Mr Tindall said his wife’s friend Dolly, who was also at the birth of their two daughters, “recognised that we wouldn’t have got to hospital in time”.
“Fortunately the midwife who was going to meet us at the hospital wasn’t that far away so she drove up just as we had assumed the posit [position] and the second midwife arrived just after the head had arrived,” he added.
Their other two children were elsewhere for the day because Mrs Tindall had been having contractions through the night.
Mr Tindall said Mia was “over the moon” and Lena had declared Lucas was “her baby”.
Priests and other clerics will see their salaries cut by between 3% and 8% and planned salary increases will be suspended until March 2023.
“An economically sustainable future today requires, among other decisions, the adoption of measures concerning staff salaries,” the letter read.
It said action was being taken “following the health emergency caused by the spread of Covid-19 which negatively affected all sources of income of the Holy See and the Vatican City State”.
The Holy See is the governing body of the Roman Catholic Church.
image captionPope Francis has sought to make the Vatican’s finances more transparent
The letter added that cuts were being made “with the aim of safeguarding current jobs”.
Correspondents say it is the jobs of lay workers that the Pope is trying to protect.
Many cardinals based at the Vatican either live there or in large apartments in Rome at below market rents. Many priests and nuns working at the Vatican live in religious communities that give them greater protection from economic slumps.
image captionMany cardinals at the Vatican live in subsidised accommodation
On the other hand, the Vatican’s lay employees such as police, cleaners and maintenance personnel, live in Rome and face higher living expenses.
A Vatican spokesman quoted by Reuters said most lay employees would not be affected by the cuts.
The popular tourist destinations of St Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums were closed or only partially open for much of last year because of the pandemic.
The Vatican had hoped to reopen the museums this month but a new lockdown across Italy means they must stay closed.
Earlier this month, the Vatican’s top economic official warned that the Holy See might have to use €40m in reserves for the second year running as a result of the pandemic. Revenues for this year are expected to be down 30% from 2020.
Last year, the Pope issued a new law designed to boost transparency in the Vatican’s financial deals. It followed a string of scandals at the Vatican bank and claims of mismanagement.
Who is Laila Johnson Salami? Laila Johnson Salami is a journalist,feminist, media personality , public figure and a career woman.
As a young girl, Laila Johnson Salami had a keen interest in politics and this dream made her study Politics and International Relations in the University of Westminster,United Kingdom . The passion also gave birth to an empowerment initiative for young women called the We-Rise Initiative. She currently works at Arise TV. Being a feminist and advocate for women/girl child , Laila spoke with the global citizen recently, on the collective power and constant drive of Nigerian women.
Laila Johnson Salami
Speaking about her skin tone, Laila Johnson Salami said; “Society entrenches benefits to those who simply do not have an overabundance of melanin in their skin pigmentation. I was born with extremely fair skin, and although my ethnicity is Black, I have always been made conscious about the vulnerability of my skin tone as well as the privileges that come with it. I grew up in Ibadan, one of Africa’s largest cities in its most populous black nation, Nigeria. I went to an American school and developed friendships with my peers from several different backgrounds. This exposure allowed me the opportunity to gain an understanding of diversity within my school setting. I was also fortunate to have parents who educated their children through travel, so I increased my knowledge of different cultures during my teen years. Still, my mother always reminded me that I am vulnerable in Nigeria because of my skin tone, and the older I became,the more I experienced this for myself. Recently, I received a phone call from a friend who cautioned me about ritual killings for which my skin tone would make me a target. I laughed – not because what he said was absurd, but because it wasn’t the first time I’d heard that people with “yellow skin” are often targets for rituals; your body parts are basically worth more if you are ‘white’. Albinos are often the main targets for rituals as it is believed that they are ‘special’ people who are ‘marked’ by God. It all sounds grimy, right? But unfortunately that is the reality right now in certain parts of Nigeria. More striking is the common knowledge that there is a hierarchy in society, and that white people are considered as more worthy in most societies, especially in the West. We rather subconsciously support this remnant of colonialism and allow the subjugation of Africa to endure. This is a general and pervasive mindset that only succeeds in denouncing the already downtrodden. I have witnessed moments that have instilled immense pride in my fellow countrymen. Having queued for passport control, I watched four European men trying to barge past Nigerians in the security queue. A Nigerian immigration officer set them right, unreservedly embarrassing them by sending them to the end of the line. Everyone definitely felt a sense of pride and belonging thanks to the officer’s no-nonsense approach, but more importantly in the motivation to take their rightful stance as first class citizens.”
Vladimir Putin has been vaccinated against Covid-19, partly to encourage other Russians who remain deeply reluctant to get the jab.
Although he has previously been filmed on horseback, ice skating and flying with Siberian cranes, he chose to be vaccinated behind closed doors.
The Kremlin has not specified which vaccine Mr Putin received.
The aim was to underline “all three Russian vaccines are absolutely reliable, very good and effective,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Speaking to the BBC, he brushed off the suggestion that showing President Putin getting a shot in the arm would help persuade the sceptical majority of Russians to follow suit.
As for believing the president actually had the jab, he said people would just have to “take our word for it”.
There’s likely to be a limited increase in the slow pace of vaccination as a result.
The president’s own daughter took part in the Sputnik V safety trials, but he’s seemed oddly cautious given how highly he recommends the jab for others. Mr Putin, who is 68 years old, initially claimed he was waiting until it had been deemed safe for the over-65s. Later he said he’d wait for autumn when his doctors could fit the Covid shot in his “vaccine schedule”.
Mr Putin also told a gathering of Russian news editors that he wouldn’t be a “performing monkey” and get vaccinated before the TV cameras, surprising many with his sudden camera-shyness.
Mr Putin revealed on Monday that 6.3 million Russians had so far received one dose of a Covid vaccine since he became the world’s first leader to announce a “large-scale” vaccination back in December. That’s only around 5% of the adult population.
image captionMr Putin, 68, was back at the Kremlin ahead of his jab on Tuesday
His target is to protect 60% of adults by July – sufficient for “collective immunity” to stop the virus spreading. But that would require boosting the current vaccination-rate from just a few thousand to more than 700,000 every day – and that’s just a single dose of the vaccine.
Despite Russia touting its most widely available jab, Sputnik V, as the world’s first and best, interest at home is low and falling.
A Levada-Center poll suggests the number of Russian opposed to getting it rose to 62% in February, with most citing concerns over possible side effects despite the fact Sputnik proved safe and almost 92% effective in trials.
Many also see no urgent need for protection. There’s been no lockdown here since spring 2020, the number of new infections is currently falling and the death toll from Covid is barely mentioned.
The daily count has reached 95,818, though the number of excess deaths recorded so far is some four times higher.
Speaking with SaharaReporters on Monday, Emmanuel said he had come out with the #Rep.ealSSMPA campaign due to the state-supported homophobia and consequent violence on queer people in the country.
An advocate for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer persons in Nigeria, Victor Emmanuel, has ended his hunger strike aimed at driving home his message two days after he started.
Emmanuel is at the forefront of a campaign to repeal the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act.
In a video shared on his Twitter handle on Saturday, he had said he would be at the National Assembly in his one-man protest on an empty stomach till his request is granted.
Speaking with SaharaReporters on Monday, Emmanuel said he had come out with the #RepealSSMPA campaign due to the state-supported homophobia and consequent violence on queer people in the country.
He condemned the law which prescribed 14 years imprisonment for LGBTQ+ people while the same jail term is what some rapists are sentenced to, for hurting someone.
Emmanuel said, “What informed this protest is: first, the arrest of about 70 men at a birthday party in Anambra state. This is well reported. Indiscriminate arrests like this have been happening and it’s a great injustice. When these arrests take place, charges are not given; rather, the police extort and blackmail these victims.
I am at The National Assembly and I’m here to demand LGBTQ+ freedom and liberation!
“Also, I felt that the law had done enough damage. Socio-economically, LGBTQ+ people are affected. We can’t get jobs, especially those of us that it is visible we’re queer (masculine-presenting women and feminine-presenting men) and in cases where we do get employment, we could lose it if our sexual orientation is made public.
“There have been reports in the media where LGBTQ+ people have been expelled from school too. Families kick out their kids because they don’t understand queerness, and they won’t because the law forbids any form of education on the topic. I saw all these happening around me and I thought it was time that law was repealed.”
Emmanuel said his protest so far has earned him some mainstream and social media attention.
He said many Nigerians who didn’t know about the act before now understand its composition.
He said: “They thought it was just about getting married. But any human being with their humanity still intact will see that that law is wicked. LGBTQ+ persons can’t get access to health resources and materials because of that law. What I did, I believe opened the eyes of Nigerians and the international community to the barbaric nature of that law.”
According to him, some members of the LGBTQ+ community suggested he goes through legislative means rather than subject himself to hunger strike, sacrificing himself to a government that hardly listens.
Speaking on his experience identifying as gay in Nigeria, Emmanuel said he came out openly to his family in 2020 and had to leave due to this.
He said his father, had, however, kept mute about this.
He added: “We’ve spoken once this year and it didn’t come up so I don’t know what he thinks but I’m living my life regardless.”
He said it has been hard for him as a gay man living in Nigeria, especially as a student. Emmanuel said he has been harassed several times on the streets and some homophobic people had promised to kill his dog.
He continued: “I’m still in school. I’ve been harassed several times on the streets. I’m a very expressive person with my fashion. Sometimes I wear gender-nonconforming clothes (not cross-dressing), sometimes I wear light makeup, sometimes I fix my nails. These make people call me names and even though I don’t care, it’s still insulting to me as a human being.
“Recently, I heard from someone that some boys in my area are planning to kill my little dog. I don’t talk to anybody, never look for trouble. So yeah, I face homophobia too. Also, in school, I’ve lost friends and have been removed from some groups that were sort of important in my study. But it is what it is.”
When asked if he thinks the pro-LGBTQ+ policies the United States President, Joe Biden is introducing, will prevail on the Nigerian government, Emmanuel said though international support is good, the Nigerian government needs to realise that people of the LGBTQ+ community are citizens whose rights should be protected.
He added: “America can have their policies, but if they pressure the Nigerian government too much, then it begins to look like they’re trying to force LGBTQ+ on Nigerians, meanwhile we’ve always existed here. Most Nigerians think it’s foreign but what is foreign is homophobia, because it was when the white man brought us a religion that we began to hate some certain things, including queerness.”
Emmanuel also stated that considering that previous governments did not recognise the rights of LGBTQ+ persons in Nigeria, there was no hope that the Muhammadu Buhari-led government would change the narrative.
He added: “I keep getting this question and even some people suggested I wait till this administration leaves office. I tell them that what assurance do we have that the next government won’t be the same or worse? My point is, I will not wait till a ‘favourable’ administration before I ask for my right! We voted this government in and they have to listen to the demands of the people that voted them in.”
On January 7, 2014, former President Jonathan Goodluck assented to the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act, 2013 (SSMPA).
The law criminalises consensual same-sex sexual activity and stipulates a maximum penalty of 14 years imprisonment for offenders.
The act also noted that only marriages contracted between a man and a woman is recognised as valid in Nigeria.
The popular comedian and Hollywood actor, Kevin Hart, surprised his eldest daughter with a gift to remember on her 16th birthday.
The 41-year-old dad gave Heavens, his teen daughter, a black Mercedes SUV worth $85,000 during her birthday bash.
Heavens’ mum, who is now Kevin’s ex-wife, was also present at the party. Although the couple got divorced in 2011, the woman was graced her daughter’s wonderful bash. The birthday girl was very thrilled as she posed with her parents in the SUV.
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