Both new leaders have struck a supportive tone after signs of strain in the longtime allies’ bond. But they still have vast differences on policy.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett of Israel meets President Biden at the White House on Thursday, the two new leaders plan to seek a reset in relations between their countries and reinforce a bond that has showed signs of strain. Mr. Biden, who called Mr. Bennett to congratulate him less than two hours after his swearing-in two months ago, has tried to send a clear signal that the United States supports his new, diverse, coalition government. Mr. Bennett has said that he wants his administration to be known as the “good-will government,” and that he wants to take a softer tone toward the United States than did his longtime predecessor, Benjamin Netanyahu, who often clashed with Democratic leaders. But for all the conciliatory style, the challenge may be the substance. Mr. Biden and Mr. Bennett, who have never met before, have vastly different views of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and of efforts to restore the Iran nuclear deal.
Mr. Bennett has made clear that there will not be an independent Palestinian state while he is the head of his government. The Biden administration, in contrast, has expressed a deep commitment to a two-state solution that, by definition, includes an independent Palestinian state. Mr. Bennett also opposes the United States’ re-entry into the Iran agreement, which the Biden administration is exploring. “These are two very central issues in the U.S.-Israel relationship on which there are radically different points of view,” said Jeremy Ben-Ami, the president of J Street, a liberal pro-Israel advocacy group. “The tone and the atmosphere cannot substitute for the fact that there is a fundamental difference in view on the core issues at stake in the U.S.-Israel relationship.” In a recent interview with The New York Times, Mr. Bennett said he would expand West Bank settlements, a move Mr. Biden opposes. And he declined to back American plans to reopen a consulate for Palestinians in Jerusalem.
Still, he made clear that he wanted the meeting to show that the relationship with the United States was on more solid ground, even if some of his policies are similar to those of Mr. Netanyahu.
“There’s a new dimension here — coming up with new ways to address problems, being very realistic, very pragmatic, and being reasonable with friends,” Mr. Bennett said. His visit comes as Mr. Biden is navigating the biggest foreign policy crisis of his young presidency, trying to evacuate all Americans and Afghan allies from Afghanistan before his Aug. 31 deadline for a withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country after 20 years of war.
A model has been left with horrific injuries after being mauled by a leopard during a photoshoot that went horribly wrong. Jessica Leidolph, 36, reportedly entered the big cats’ enclosure at a retirement home for animals in the city of Nebra, Germany, on August 24. Troja, a 16-year-old leopard, suddenly lashed out and bit her cheek, ear, and head. According to Dailystar, Jessica lost consciousness and was airlifted to the hospital, where she underwent surgery and was left with permanent scarring.
After false reports that the predator escaped and was on the loose, Burgenland District spokesperson Steven Muller-Uhrig said: “The animal never broke out. There is currently no danger to the population.” The police are investigating who else was present at the photoshoot and what safety precautions were taken. A Burgenlandkreis district spokesperson revealed that keeping leopards does not require a permit in Saxony-Anhalt and said: “It is not legally limited by the state.
Owner of the big cats, Birgit Stache, 48, who has worked as an animal trainer for 20 years and holds a legal license to keep the animals, is currently being investigated for negligent bodily harm along with other people responsible for the animals on the farm. The authorities are considering taking away Stache’s license for the retirement home for show animals.
Acholonu has deleted all of Ekubo’s photos on her Instagram page.
There are reports that Nollywood actor Alexx Ekubo and his fiance Fancy Acholonu have called off their engagement. Ekubo proposed to Acholonu in May 2021.
There are reports that she called off the engagement and deleted their jointed Instagram page, FalexxForever.
Acholonu has unfollowed the movie star on Instagram even though he still follows her. However, Ekubo still has photos and videos from their proposal and engagement ceremony on his Instagram page. While Acholonu has deleted every photo she has with the movie star on her Instagram page.
The couple got engaged in Los Angeles, United States of America.
They were billed to walk down the aisle in November.
The Plateau State government has re-imposed a 24-hour curfew on Jos North Local Government Area (LGA). The Director of Press and Public Affairs to Governor Simon Lalong, Dr Makut Macham, announced this in a statement released today Wednesday, August 25.
The curfew comes hours after a fresh crisis broke out in Yelwa Zangam, a village in Zangam District of the state. Over 30 persons were allegedly killed in the renewed hostilities.
According to the statement, the 24-hour curfew will come into force from 4pm on August 25 until further notice. “The proactive decision became necessary following imminent threat to lives and properties within the local government area and the need to forestall the breakdown of law and order,” the statement said.
It will also enable security agencies deploy appropriately to maintain security as the search for the attackers of the villagers continues. The governor has appealed to the citizens of Jos North to cooperate with the government by abiding by the 24-hour curfew commencing 4pm, 25th August 2021, as security agencies have been mandated to ensure that those who violate the curfew are arrested.”the statement read
The statement added that the 6pm to 6am curfew in Jos South and Bassa LGAs still remains in place until further notice. It was further stated that those on essential duties such as health personnel, journalists, fire service and paramilitary and others, have been exempted from the curfew. Such persons were, however, asked to ensure they could provide their means of identification at all times.
“The Governor is calling for calm as he is seriously grieved by the attacks. He again sympathises with the victims but wants them to show restraint and allow the government to handle the matter to disallow hoodlums from taking advantage of the unfortunate situation to cause mayhem and destruction in the state.”the statement read.
Government has taken action to curtail the spread of the disease. So far, some poultry farms across seven local government areas of the state have been affected by the flu.
Authorities in Delta State have confirmed the outbreak of bird flu in the state, with 164,173 birds reported dead.
The Commissioner for Agriculture, Julius Egbedi, made this known while addressing newsmen on Wednesday in Asaba, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
”Government has taken action to curtail the spread of the disease. So far, some poultry farms across seven local government areas of the state have been affected by the flu.
“With reported figures put at 164,173, we know it may be more than this, but this is the official number from the reported cases.
“On June 22, we got a call from some poultry farms in Ughelli on birds dying in their numbers.
“We dispatched our team of veterinary experts to the farms and they collected samples which we sent to the Veterinary Institute in Gwon, Jos for analysis.
“However, when the result came out, it confirmed a case of the Avian Flu Influenza,” Egbedi said.
The commissioner said the affected farms are located in Sapele, Udu, Ughelli North, Ughelli South, Oshimili South and Okpe LGAs.
”Following the confirmation of the disease, the State Ministry of Agriculture sent experts to go disinfect the affected farms to help curtail the spread,” he said.
Egbedi advised residents of the state not to panic, saying that the government is working round the clock to ensure the disease is curtailed.
“We want to assure the general public and all poultry farmers that government is on top of the situation. There is no need for panic.
“We equally want to use this medium to reach out to poultry farmers across the state to report to the ministry of they notice any form of bird deaths.
“The state government is alive to its responsibility and will do everything necessary to protect the poultry business which is an integral part of our agriculture economy,” Egbedi said.
The billionaire rapper first hinted about plans to change his name in 2019. American rapper Kanye West has reportedly filed paperwork to change his name to ‘Ye.’ Kanye West reportedly files paperwork to change his name to ‘Ye’ According to TMZ, the billionaire rapper filed for the name change on Tuesday, August 24, 2021, at a Los Angeles court.
This move is coming ahead of his forthcoming album ‘Donda’ which is named after his late mother. Interestingly, Kanye’s estranged wife, Kim Kardashian still has his name attached to hers, months after filing for divorce.
It is not clear if she’ll change her name if the court approves the billionaire’s decision. The rapper first hinted about plans to change his name in 2019 , when he had a conversation with Yeezy’s head footwear designer Steven Smith.
A man has been punished for allegedly stealing money from his grandmother in Soshanguve community in Pretoria, South Africa. It was gathered that members of the community beat him up and afterwards tied him to the tree on Wednesday morning, August 25. It was also learnt that another alleged thief, pictured in the third slide , was caught stealing electrical cables by community members and also tied to the tree few days ago.
An Afghanistan militant group, the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF), has vowed to resist the new Taliban government if they refuse to embrace peace, saying it is ready to go to battle as they have enough men to take on the regime.
Speaking in an interview with the BBC on Monday, Head of Foreign Relations for NRF, Ali Nazary, said they were set for battle against the Taliban, stressing that no one would be allowed to conquer their land.
According to Nazary, they prefer peace through negotiation and if the Taliban fails to embrace peace, they would resort to using force.
“We prefer peace, we prioritise peace and negotiations. If this fails, if we see that the other side is not sincere, if we see that the other side is trying to force itself on the rest of the country, then we’re not going to accept any sort of aggression.
And we’ve proven ourselves, our track record in the past 40 years has shown that no one is able to conquer our region, especially the Panjshir Valley”, Nazary said.
The Taliban took over Kabul, the Afghanistan capital on August 15 after the United States withdrew its troops from the country and though they have been trying to form a new government, its fighters have been on the rampage, targeting citizens they believed had sympathy for US and the fallen regime, as well as making drastic decrees that many international political analysts say would push the country into a state of anarchy.
More reactions have poured in from Nigerians following the report of the bandits’ attack on the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna State.
Many argued that if bandits can successfully carry out their operations in a place like the NDA with the tight security provided, then the security of ordinary citizens cannot be guaranteed.
They further urged President Muhammadu Buhari led government to label bandits as terrorists and tackle the menace of insecurity so the security situation in the country does not disintegrate into what is obtainable in Afghanistan today.
Below are some of the comments:
Okechukwu Obasi commented: “The unthinkable is unfolding before our eyes, the military does not know who to turn to; the citizens do not know who to run to…things have fallen apart and the centre can no longer hold.”
Oluyemi Gideon said, “Now the battle is taken to the doorstep of the defenders. This is how Boko Haram started theirs too. Let see if our gallant military officers will be offensive for the first time in tackling security threats.”
Another user, Ige Oyebade blamed the federal government for its refusal to address the matter.
He wrote, “The government allowed this situation to continue unchecked because they believed that it would not affect their own family until the government sees them as terrorists instead of labelling them as bandits. The bandits are coming to the seat of power very soon.”
Jonathan Udemba said, “The evil we condoned yesterday on the basis of tribal, ethnic and religious sentiment has come to kill us today. Where are the praise singers? Where is body language? Imagine terrorists attacking a military university?”
Merlin Neearo said, “Life under this Buhari administration is like living in hell. Everything has become so expensive except the value we place on human lives. What a president!”
Ann Chiagolum said, “A real slap on the face of Nigeria Military, where is all their intelligence?”
Lungya Ige wrote, “The nerve of these people! How did they gain access to the barracks? The soldiers are sleeping during a war! Sad!”
Austin Wareyai said, “The president can no longer speak in the language they understand. The remaining is for the Bandits to capture the Aso villa. If it can happen in Afghanistan, it can also happen in a corrupt and compromise Nigeria.”
Austin Emy stated, “Till now, bandits are not declared by Buhari’s APC government as terrorists. There was once a country indeed! The same style as the Taliban’s. What a shame of a country. If NDA can be attacked by bandits, what else is left?”
Bandits had earlier attacked the Afaka barracks of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna State, and shot dead at least two officers and went away with another personnel in an onslaught on the country’s foremost military training institution.
SaharaReporters had learnt that the bandits invaded “in their large number” and shot dead two officers identified as Lieutenant Commodore Wulah and Flight Lieutenant CM Okoronkwo.
The bandits also abducted Major Datong while 2Lieutenant Onah sustained gunshot injuries and is currently receiving treatment, SaharaReporters was told.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that the bandits who attacked the barracks around 1am on Tuesday are still believed to be inside the academy.
Three bandits killed in foiled Imo police station attack. Bandits have reportedly attacked the premises of the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna and shot two soldiers dead.
According to reports, the bandits invaded the institution on Tuesday at about 1.00am. They were dressed in military camouflage, beat the guards, killed two officers and abducted one other. As of the time filing this report, the NDA is yet to confirm the attack.
A statement issued by NDA’s Public Relations Officer, Major Bashir Muhd Jajira on Tuesday said “the security architecture of the Nigerian Defence Academy was compromised early this morning by unknown gunmen who gained access into the residential area within the Academy in Afaka. During the unfortunate incident, we lost two personnel and one was abducted.
“The Academy in collaboration with the 1Division Nigerian Army and Air Training Command as well as other security agencies in Kaduna state has since commenced pursuit of the unknown gunmen within the general area with a view to tracking them and rescue the abducted personnel.
“The NDA community and Cadets are safe in the Academy. We assure the general public that this unknown gunmen would soon be apprehended and the abducted personnel rescued.”
Big Brother Naija Shine Ya Eye housemate, Boma, has revealed that he changed his personality to be on the show.
He said this in a discussion with Jackie B at the Head of House lounge on Monday, day 30 of the show.
According to him, he isn’t naturally playful as he is in the house; he only changed so that he would be able to mingle with the rest of the housemates.
Boma said, “If you see the way I’m playing now, I don’t play like this outside. I only play like this with someone who has been my girlfriend for a while – like two years- because my relationships are like five years or thereabout. It takes a ‘heavy’ relationship for you to see me like this, in my form here.
“My mum doesn’t even see me play like this. But I had to break myself and say, ‘Let me just be flexible so that I’ll be able to be here’.”
The 34-year-old ex-footballer and model further revealed that if he had come into the show with the mindset that he has achieved a lot, he would have been ‘stiff’.
“I came in here with the mindset that we are all competing, we are all one, we are all on the same level, and I don’t really care where anyone is from or what anyone has. We are just here for one prize and we are all equal. That’s what really helped my mind,” Boma said.
Gunmen suspected to be bandits have shot dead a UK-based Nigerian woman, who returned to the country for her mother’s burial, along the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway. She was said to have been killed in the presence of her children.
The victim, Bolanle Aworetan Omojuwa was said to have hosted loved ones at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, to celebrate her late mother’s life.
She, however, decided to visit Oyo State after the funeral reception.
Unfortunately, while travelling with her two children on Thursday, she was shot dead in her car by bandits at the Guru Maharaji village, on the Lagos/Ibadan expressway.
Friends and former schoolmates have taken to various platforms to mourn her.
Alumni members of the University of Ado-Ekiti, now Ekiti State University have also taken to their WhatsApp platform to mourn the deceased, who was one of them.
One of them wrote, “They say we never die, we just change form and continue our existence in another realm. If this is true, I’m sadly mourning you with my tears. It would have been joy to our world if we weren’t cut down. Bola Aworetan (CO99, Pol Sci) came home from the UK to bury her mom last week or so, and same last week, little did we know she won’t return to the UK again to continue her life.
“This most adorable pretty woman was shot dead in her car in front of her children at Guru Maharaji this past Thursday; unwilling forcing her to escort her mum to the great unknown. Your death is too gripping for me. I’m bewildered and I don’t know how to mourn you…”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has said Big Brother Naija Lockdown housemate, Dorathy Bachor, lied that she was at home when the anti-graft operatives broke into her residence in the Lekki area of Lagos State.
EFCC in a statement on Monday also said “nine alleged internet fraud suspects were apprehended in the block of flats housing Ms. Bachor’s apartment”.
The former housemate in the 2020 edition of BBNaija television reality show had taken to her Instastory on Monday, alleging that EFCC operatives broke into her house around 5am.
According to the star, the anti-graft officials allegedly broke into her house, saying they were after a suspected internet fraudster.
EFCC Head of Media, and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, had told our correspondent that he needed to make some findings before making any comment on the matter.
“I’ll find out. I can’t react to what I have not seen,” he told The PUNCH on Monday morning.
However, in a follow-up statement, titled, ‘EFCC Explains Presence of Operatives at Dorothy Bachor’s House’, the anti-graft agency said its operatives broke into the BBN star’s house because they were refused entry.
The EFCC statement posted on its official Facebook page read, “The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has been drawn to a post on Instagram by one Dorothy Bachor, alleging that operatives of the Commission broke into her home in the early hours of today, 23rd August, 2021
“The Commission can confirm that operatives from the Lagos Command of the Commission, acting on verified intelligence, executed a Search Warrant at a block of flats located in the Lekki area of Lagos on Monday, 23rd August, 2021 during which nine internet fraud suspects were arrested.
“Ms. Bachor’s apartment happened to be one of the flats in the building.
“EFCC operatives had knocked on her entrance door, identified themselves as being from the Commission on a mission to execute a Search Warrant. But they were refused entry, for several minutes by Bachor’s sister.
“The operatives were left with no choice than to force their way in, lest suspects escape or destroy vital evidence.
“It is important to state that law-abiding citizens have no reason to refuse the execution of a validly obtained Search Warrant. And, contrary to the information making the rounds in the social media, Ms. Bachor was not present during the operation and the anti-EFCC stories about her coming out half-naked among other fantastical details appear to have been invented to fit the pattern she and other internet-fueled stars so desperately want to push about the EFCC.
“It is important to reiterate that nine alleged internet fraud suspects were apprehended in the block of flats housing Ms. Bachor’s apartment.”
A former BBNaija contestant, Dorathy Bachor on Monday, bemoaned the intrusive activities of operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after a raid on her apartment.
Dorathy made this known via a series of slides on her Instagram story as she lamented the sad incident.
According to her, the EFCC operatives forcibly broke into her apartment around 4:35 am on the claim of searching for a suspect, traumatising her family in the process.
She said: “I feel like my head is about to explode.
“What is the need of being a citizen of this country when I can’t feel safe in my own house? It’s 5 am and I am literally shaking and so upset right now.
“At 4:35 I heard a loud sound and voices followed after, I rushed out almost naked to see five fully armed EFCC men in my living room and one of them saying ‘Oh na that Big brother babe be this’.
In my confused state I was trying to understand what in the hell was going on, why did they break down my door.
“Then one of them said they were looking for someone who ran into the estate and I should lock my door and stay indoors and not say a word.
“I’m shaking at this point and so confused because how exactly is this even okay.
“Still shaking, I’m trying to close my already broken door when my sister screamed my name and I ran back upstairs to see my mum almost having a panic attack. @officialEFCC, on God, you had no right.
“I have never felt so helpless in my whole life. @officialEFCC, you now break into people’s houses and jump estate fences all in the name of doing your job. Shame on you all, shame. You put a gun at people’s heads and threaten their lives in the name of doing your job.”
Anthony Oluwafemi Olaseni Joshua was born on 15 October 1989 in Watford, Hertfordshire, the son of Yeta and Robert Joshua. His mother is Nigerian, while his father is of Nigerian and Irish ancestry. Joshua’s Nigerian background can be specifically traced back to the Yoruba people, amongst whom he is of aristocratic rank. His cousin, Ben Ileyemi, is also a professional boxer. The pair made their professional debuts together in 2013. Joshua spent some of his early years in Nigeria as a boarding school student at Mayflower School in Ikenne. Following his parents’ divorce when he was 12, he returned to the UK halfway through Year Seven to join Kings Langley Secondary School. Growing up on the Meriden Estate in Garston, Hertfordshire, he was called “Femi” by his friends and former teachers, due to his middle name, Oluwafemi. He excelled at football and athletics and broke his school’s Year Nine 100 m record with a time of 11.6 seconds.
A late starter in the sport, Joshua began boxing in 2007, aged 18, when his cousin suggested he take it up. His club, Finchley ABC in Barnet, North London, is also home to professional heavyweight Derek Chisora. Joshua won the 2009 and 2010 Haringey Box Cup. Joshua won the senior ABA Championships in 2010, in only his 18th bout, and later turned down £50,000 to turn professional. “Turning down that £50,000 was easy. I didn’t take up the sport for money, I want to win medals.” He also went on to win the same tournament the following year. In 2010 his domestic success earned him a place on the GB Boxing team and later the same year he became British amateur champion at the GB Championships after defeating Amin Isa. At the 2011 European Championships in June he beat the German Eric Brechlin 23:16 and the Irishman Cathal McMonagle 22:10 but was stopped by the Romanian southpaw Mihai Nistor after receiving several standing counts. In October 2011 he was named Amateur Boxer of the Year by the Boxing Writers Club of Great Britain. Joshua had an amateur record of 40–3.
Anthony Joshua
During the 2011 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, Joshua marked his sudden arrival on the world scene when he beat Italian reigning world and Olympic champion Roberto Cammarelle, and went on to stop Erik Pfeifer of Germany in the semis before losing by a single point to local boxer, Magomedrasul Majidov winning a silver medal. En route to the final, Joshua secured his place at the 2012 Olympic Games in the super-heavyweight division as a relative newcomer to the elite level of the sport.
Joshua at the 2012 Summer Olympics Joshua went into the 2012 London Olympics as a novice on the international scene, despite being a world silver medalist. He received a tough draw in the last 16 of the super-heavyweight event in Cuban Erislandy Savón, ranked No. 4 in the world by AIBA and nephew of the three time Olympic champion Félix Savón. The home boxer battled through three tough rounds in his opening contest before being given the result 17:16. This decision caused some controversy with most observers believing Savon had clearly won the bout whilst a few others taking the view that he had won on merit. In his next bout he fought 2008 Beijing Olympics silver medalist Zhang Zhilei, dropping his taller opponent in the middle round; Joshua won by 15:11 guaranteeing at least a bronze medal. In the semi-final Joshua met Kazakh boxer Ivan Dychko, and despite Joshua’s height disadvantage he won by 13:11 to gain a place in the Olympic final. Joshua met 32-year-old reigning Olympic champion and former two-time world champion, Roberto Cammarelle of Italy in the closing bout. After conceding the first two rounds (6:5 and 13:10) to Cammarelle, an adversary he had already beaten the previous year, Joshua grew into the fight and fought back to level the scores after the third round (18:18). Joshua was announced winner via count-back and the new Olympic champion. The final decision was criticised by some boxing experts, being defined as a “home decision”.
He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to boxing.
Joshua has expressed an interest in chess as well as reading as a way to reinforce his boxing and tactical abilities. He was a bricklayer before taking up boxing full-time.
In 2009, Joshua was put on remand in Reading Prison for what he describes as “fighting and other crazy stuff.” He was made to wear an electronic tag on his ankle when released.
In March 2011, Joshua was pulled over by the police for speeding in Colindale, North London. He was found with eight ounces (226.8 grams) of herbal cannabis hidden in a sports bag in his Mercedes-Benz. He was charged with possession with intent to supply a class B drug, an offence that carries a maximum 14-year sentence. Joshua was suspended from the GB Boxing squad and was sentenced to a 12-month community order and 100 hours’ unpaid work after pleading guilty at crown court.
Joshua previously stated in 2012 that he does not support a football team, but when asked in an interview in 2017, he said that although he supports his local team Watford F.C., his “overall favourite” team was Real Madrid C.F. because of Cristiano Ronaldo, as Ronaldo was a Real Madrid player at the time. In the same interview, he also described English footballer Troy Deeney, who he met by chance at a local barbershop in his hometown Watford, as his “good friend”.
In an interview with iFL TV in July 2014, Joshua named Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Larry Holmes, Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield as his top five greatest heavyweight boxers of all-time.
Joshua fathered a son named Joseph “JJ” Joshua, with dance teacher Nicole Osbourne, in 2015.
In 2020, Joshua spoke about his positive relationship with his longtime promoter Eddie Hearn, who has promoted him since his professional debut in 2013, saying that he “and Eddie will always have a great friendship.”
Arinola Olowoporuku was one of the recent housemates to be evicted from the Big Brother Naija reality TV show, and in an interview she has said that she knew she was never going to win, as people may judge her for her piercings. In an interview with Punchng.com, she said; “I definitely did not expect to win. I feel like I know Nigerians enough and I knew they were going to judge me. However, I did not know they were going to ‘villain-ise’ me as much as they did but I definitely knew they were going to judge me. But, I envisaged that I would spend about five or seven weeks in the competition. I left earlier than I expected to leave though but many of the things did not surprise me at all.”
Asked why she expected to be judged, she said, “Of course, (because of) my face and how I look. I am a woman, skinny and dark-skinned. Also, I am very vocal, opinionated, and fierce. I have piercings on my face and I’m very expressive. People don’t usually expect that from women, so I knew I was going to be judged. Until people have personal interactions with me, I am a conundrum to them. They don’t understand me but when they come closer, their views of me change.”
Speaking on what inspired her love for piercings, Arin said, “I was young and I really loved to express myself. I wanted to wear jewelry and accessories in unfamiliar and unorthodox places. I just wanted to have piercings and I did. I started when I was 15 and I have not stopped. “I used to have 23 piercings but I took some out and I now have 17. But, they are not all going to be permanent. It would change from time to time.”
Mohammed had travelled to meet with top executives of popular microblogging site, Twitter following the suspension of the app in Nigeria by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government in June.
Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed is on his way back to Nigeria after embarking on a futile trip to the US.
Lai Mohammed had travelled to meet with top executives of popular microblogging site, Twitter following the suspension of the app in Nigeria by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government in June.
However, a top source disclosed to SaharaReporters that the trip was a futile one for the minister as he could not meet with Twitter executives and was also shunned by American media.
SaharaReporters last Tuesday exclusively obtained a video showing the minister and Olusegun Adeyemi, Special Assistant to the President (Media), Office of the Minister of Information and Culture, in a Delta Airline heading to the US.
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed sadness and grief over the death of a veteran diplomat, Ambassador Muhammad Dahiru Abubakar.
President Buhari’s condolence message was contained in a statement issued Sunday by his media aide, Garba Shehu, on the passing of the Kano-born diplomat. The President said “the death of Dahiru comes as a shock to me because we lost him at a critical point when his vast and valuable experience, knowledge, and wisdom were acutely needed by the country.”
Buhari said the former Ambassador to Argentina and China was a man of solid integrity, a reputation he kept unsoiled throughout his extensive public service career.
“I am proud of his untainted record of integrity and selfless service. He had never used public office for personal profits–a rare quality in a society where people are obsessed with the desire to amass wealth by any means,’’ President Buhari further extolled the virtues of the veteran diplomat,” Buhari said.
President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Ahmed Lawan and some governors among other prominent Nigerians attended a luncheon to honour Yusuf and Zahra Buhari in conclusion of their wedding ceremony in Abuja.
As of press time, there was no official statement but pictures from the State House media department showed the dignitaries that attended the luncheon.
The occasion witnessed by popular Islamic cleric, Mufti Ismail Menk was attended by the bride’s father and Emir of Bichi, Nasiru Ado Bayero; groom’s mother and wife of the President, Hajiya Aisha; wife of Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo; Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha; and Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari.
Also in attendance were Mamman Daura; Ministers of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mohammed Musa Bello; Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen; Governors Atiku Bagudu, Kebbi; Simon Lalong, Plateau; Yahaya Bello, Kogi; Dave Umahi, Ebonyi; Hope Uzodimma, Imo; and Nuhu Ribadu.
The event, which was held at the Old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, also had the Group Managing-Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari, former First Ladies; Dame Patience Jonathan; Hajiya Turai Yar’Adua; Hajiya Maryam Abacha; First Lady of Niger Republic, Hadiza Ben Mabrouk; First Lady of Guinea Bissau, Dinisia Reis Embalo; wives of state governors; and many more dignitaries in attendance.
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