Pope Francis sends over $100,000 to war-torn Aleppo in Syria

In a statement released on Friday, the Vatican confirms that Pope Francis made a generous donation to the needy in the war-ravaged Syrian city of Aleppo. "The Holy Father celebrated a Mass for Syria and has sent 100,000 euro ($106,000) to the poor of Aleppo," the statement read.
The Pope has been publicly raising attention and awareness to the plight of Syrians caught in the conflict since his election in 2013. Aleppo has endured brutal fighting during the six-year Syrian conflict, and the warfare has caused many deaths and injuries, widespread displacement and massive damage.

US Attorney General, Jeff Sessions asks 46 Obama-era U.S. attorneys to resign

The US Justice Department on Friday announced that Attorney General Jeff Sessions has asked for the resignations of 46 US attorneys. Justice Department spokesperson Sarah Isgur Flores said, "as was the case in prior transitions, many of the United States attorneys nominated by the previous administration already have left the Department of Justice. 
The attorney general has now asked the remaining 46 presidentially appointed US attorneys to tender their resignations in order to ensure a uniform transition,".

"Until the new US attorneys are confirmed, the dedicated career prosecutors in our US attorney's offices will continue the great work of the department in investigating, prosecuting, and deterring the most violent offenders," Flores said.

Ghanaian Police crime officer describes a violent fight Tonto Dikeh had with her hubby, says she pulled out a gun

Tonto Dikeh's marital crisis has just entered a whole new level. Following her tell-all interview a few days ago where she opened up on how her hubby, Oladuni Churchill maltreats, beats and cheats on her, a new video (rather confusing though) has just hit the internet with shocking details about her.

In the new video published online by Asempa News in Ghana, a man identified as Supt. Joseph Oppong, Crime Officer at the Madina Divisional Police is seen reading a statement allegedly written by Churchill during one of their fights in Ghana.

Reading from the statement with, Oppong said they received a call to Churchill’s Trasaaco estate in Ghana where they went in to find Tonto Dikeh in a rage, destroying items in the house because she claimed her husband was cheating on her.
Oppong said before they arrived, she had destroyed $15,000 worth of items and they had to restrain her adding that she had even waved a gun at one of Churchill’s bodyguards who tried to stop her from breaking the properties. Watch the video below.....

Russian reality show to allow rape and murder as contestants compete for cash prize

A questionable new reality TV show set to be launched in Russia has sparked controversy after its rules promised to allow “fighting, murder and rape”. The Hunger Games-style contest, called “Game2: Winter”, which is the brainchild of 35 year old millionaire, Yevgeny Pyatkovsky, has been accused by critics of promoting “savage and bestial behaviour”. A glamorous swimming coach, a Russian actress, and a 'professional blonde' from the Arctic are among the contestants taking part in the controversial real-life Hunger Games-style TV show.
The organisers of the reality programme, filmed on a remote Siberian island, say they will not intervene to stop rape and murder, as the series got the go ahead to start in July. Contestants armed with only knives will have to fight bears, wolves and endure vicious gnats during a nine month hell on the Ob River, it was announced Friday, March 10

Game2: Winter will see 30 participants, evenly split between men and women, armed with knives and dropped into the Siberian wilderness for a nine-month survival test. Starting in July 2017, they will be competing for a £1.3 million prize, and are expected to hunt and fish for food in the bleak taiga forest in order to stay alive.
The daring contestants – who must be over 18 and declared “mentally sane” – will be allowed 100kg of equipment to last them until April 1 2018, and are not permitted to take in guns.

They will have to pay £132,000 just to enter, and their trials and tribulations will be filmed by 2,000 fixed cameras and broadcast live online 24/7.
The extreme survival show will be translated into English, French, German, Spanish, Chinese and Arabic, and there has reportedly been interests from mainstream broadcasters in five countries to air it on television. Shockingly, the rules for the contest originally stated:

“Everything is allowed. Fighting, alcohol, murder, rape, smoking, anything.” However, after an outcry, the team behind the show removed the controversial “rule”.

But when asked if he will step in if there is “physical violence, rape, or murder”, millionaire organiser Yevgeny Pyatkovsky, told The Siberian Times:

“No, we won’t. “I am pretty sure there will be fights, and more. We are not scared of negative reaction if that happens either.”

He reiterated:

“We will refuse any claim of participants even if they were to be killed or raped. “We will have nothing to do with this. This will be spelt out in a document to be signed by the participant before the start of the show.”

However, Russian criminal laws will still apply for anyone who commits a crime there, with contestants told “the police will come and take you away” if there is proof of criminality.

Game2’s contestants will have to face temperatures ranging from a roasting 35C in the summer to minus 40C or lower in the depths of the Siberian winter. Finding food will provide a huge challenge for the foolhardy few who take part.

The boreal forest, or taiga, where they will be struggling to survive supports little wildlife, particularly in winter.

Asisat Oshoala Joins Dalian Quanjian - Sports

Asisat Oshoala Joins Chinese Club Dalian Quanjian
Super Falcons forward, Asisat Oshoala, has become the latest Nigerian footballer to move to the Far East, after she completed her transfer from Arsenal Ladies to Dalian Quanjian in China.
The 22-year-old failed to report for pre-season training with the English club, prompting speculations she was set to move.
Oshoala, who signed for Arsenal Ladies in January 2016, will reportedly earn four times in China.
Just last month, Oshoala denied she was set to quit the English Women’s Super League.
The reigning CAF African Women Footballer of the Year claimed the transfer only existed in the imagination of the reporter.
“I’m 100% at my club, Arsenal Ladies, I do not know the source of the report that I’m moving to China,” she told SuperSport.
“I’m 100% Arsenal Ladies nothing more than that I’m on a break in Nigeria, a longer break after a major championship, Africa Women Cup of Nations in Cameroon.”
Oshoala won the Women’s FA Cup with Arsenal Ladies during her first year with the club.

Police Arrest ‘Uncle’ For Rape Of 16-Year-Old Housemaid In Lagos

Ten days after Saturday PUNCH’s report about the alleged rape of a 16-year-old orphan housemaid by her ‘uncle’ and torture by his wife, the police from the Iyana-Iba division, Lagos have apprehended the suspect.
The suspect, Afrobest Chinedu Eze, a trader at the Alaba International Market, Ojo, Lagos, was arrested on Wednesday after several efforts by the police to track him down.
Saturday PUNCH had reported on January 28 how the victim, 16-year-old Blessing, was brought to the home of the Ezes to work as a housemaid about three months ago.
She was said to have lost her two parents and had been living without care in the village before a relation brought her to Lagos.
Janet (not real name) accused the man she refers to as ‘uncle’ of forcing himself on her at three separate times when his wife was not around.
According to the girl, when Mrs. Eze came back from her travels, she summoned her.
Janet told Saturday PUNCH that the woman accused her of seducing her husband while she was away and she tortured her as a result.
But Eze had told our correspondent that the girl was simply lying about everything.
The Divisional Police Officer of Iba, Mr. Michael Falade, explained that the suspect had not been transferred to the Department of Criminal Investigation he had not personally heard the verbal allegations of the girl.
On Friday, our correspondent confirmed that Eze had finally been transferred to the DCI for further investigation.
Executive Director of the Esther Child Rights Foundation, Mrs. Esther Ogwu, who is handling Janet’s case, called on the Lagos State Government to find her a proper home.
“We are concerned that while the case lasts, the girl’s life may become stagnant even though she is already traumatised. That is why we submitted a letter to the Domestic and Sexual Violence Team of the Lagos State Government and the National Human Rights Commission to seek a concerted effort to help the girl,” she said

Lecturer, Dare Arowolo Blasts 2face Over Protest: You Benefited From Kleptocracy

I have personal admiration for Tuface Idibia as one of the accomplished celebrities in Nigeria, who promotes social cohesion through his music. His mobilization plan is gaining so much accelerated acceptance among the youth, majority of whom, as a result of bad governance, lack requisite intelligence to appraise and appreciate the root cause of the suffering they are going through. Tuface's intentions are noble, at least to the extent of offering himself to stand for the youth population. However, the motive for his mobilization call is a subject of partisan interpretations. Friends have argued here in support of this much celebrated mobilization plan, comparing Tuface with Fela and Marley. But I have found their comparative perspective objectionable. I do not think it is apt to compare Fela or Bob Marley with Tuface. This is because the duo of Fela and Marley never supported, either overtly or covertly, nor were silent over, the inhuman lootocracy and executive recklessness of the past, especially during their time, but Tuface did not only tacitly support but also directly benefited tremendously from the kleptocracy of the past from which he feasted voraciously and over which he cavalierly maintained unforgivable muted passivity. He therefore lacks moral justification to condemn and mobilize against a government, which is being pitiably crippled by the conspiratorial pilfering of our common patrimony of the immediate past. Heroism is earned through relentless and untiring display of sacrificial mien and selfless personality/leadership traits, not a blend of capitalist posture and socialist tendency to attain a tainted political interest for the disgruntled political elite.
As the date for the proposed protest draws nearer, more pressure is being mounted on music legend, Tuface as another lecturer blasts him over the nationwide protest. Dare Arowolo took to his Facebook account and wrote the following below

Miyonse, Soma And Efe Up For Eviction This Week On Big Brother

After a week of excitement and a mock eviction which shook the housemates and brought some of them to tears, Big Brother Naija will witness it's first real eviction come Sunday, February 5.
The housemate with the least number of votes will be evicted from the house. Last night, the first live nomination happened on the show.
See their faces below

Lagos Beggar Pretends He Is Dying After He Was Caught Lying

As shared by the founder of Kokun Foundation:
"Met this man just now at Ikeja begging me for 4,000 naira for his daughter who's dying at Lasuth, so I got down from the car and told him let's go and I will pay for all the outstanding bills he refused that he want to go himself which was a lie.. We decided to force him inside the car and he pretend that he's dying... #Lagos beggars will want to take advantage of u."

Man follows bride and groom as they walk down the aisle during Brazilian wedding…then pulls out a gun & starts shooting at guests

A couple's wedding day is expected to be the happiest day of their lives, but that was not so for a couple in Brazil whose wedding was disrupted by a gun-toting, trigger-happy intruder.
Hardly had the bride and groom walked down the aisle to stand in front of the altar when the man, who marched in behind the couple, lifted his t-shirt, brought out a gun and began shooting
Guests and the couple scattered in different directions while some guests were brought down by the bullet.
Umberto Ferreira dos Santos, known by his nickname Betinho, opened fire at guests at the ceremony inside a church in Limoeiro de Anadia.
He was plotting to take out a father and son in a revenge attack over the death of his own boy, it was claimed.
62-year-old man Cícero Barbosa da Silva, and his 37-year-old son, Edmilson Bezerra da Silva, who were supposed to stand in as witnesses at the wedding were both shot. They were rushed to the hospital and have reportedly been stabilised. The gunman fled after carrying out the callous act.

Photo: Nigerian man arraigned in Cambodia court for fraud

Nigerian national and a Cambodian were arraigned before the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Friday, January 27, for their involvement in a scheme to steal $300 from a Cambodian woman through a fake promotional contest.
37-year-old Uchechukwu Vincent and 27-year-old Sarim Kunthea had been charged with fraud after being sued by Keo Sotheary, 28, and arrested on September 8, 2016.
“They were arrested by the police while coming to get $300 from the victim at a Wing transfer shop in Chom Chao commune," Judge Ros Piseth said, adding that police had seized the money during the arrest.
According to court documents, the pair called the woman and told her she won first prize in a promotional contest in September 2016. But Ms. Sotheary was told to send them $300 through Wing for “information and preparation for receiving the prize.”
Ms. Sotheary became suspicious when she received several follow-up calls asking her to send the money.
She filed a complaint with police, who subsequently set up a sting operation to arrest Mr. Vincent and Ms. Kunthea at a local Wing shop.
The two alleged scam artists, who had been living in an apartment in Sansom Kosal 5 village in Phnom Penh’s Chamkarmon district, denied the charges and said they had never called or spoken to the victim.
They claimed a Nigerian friend named Ichinobi told them to pick up the $300 from the Wing shop before they were arrested.
"I did not know the victim. I have never called her or contacted her. I did not do anything as the court has accused and I would like them to release me," Mr. Vincent said.
The court’s verdict is due on the morning of February 7th.
Source: Khmer Times

Photos: Thai woman 'tricked' into carrying cocaine by Nigerian boyfriend sentenced to life imprisonment

A Cambodia court has sentenced a 22-year-old Thai woman to life imprisonment for trafficking 2.5 kilogrammes of cocaine from the United Arab Emirates.
Amphawan Kaewkanlaya claimed she was tricked into carrying the drugs by her Nigerian boyfriend's older brother. She was also fined 60 million riel (about 535,000 baht).
Police found packages of cocaine, totaling 2.5kg, hidden in boxes of Lindt chocolates in her luggage.
"The court has decided to give her a life sentence and a fine of 60 million riel to be put in the national budget," Phnom Penh Municipal Court presiding judge Heng Kessaror said in passing judgement on Thursday, January 5th.
"The court orders the confiscation of the drugs seized and other drug-related material to be destroyed," he added.
Amphawan said she would appeal the judgement and maintained she was innocent. During her trial last month she said she was unaware the package she accepted from her boyfriend’s brother, the boxes of Swiss chocolates, during her visit to the UAE contained drugs.
"It is so unjust for me. I will consider my appeal of the judgment to the Appeal Court,"she said.
During her trial last month, Amphawan said she traveled from Thailand to Dubai in March to visit her Nigerian boyfriend, Uche, and his family there .
Her boyfriend had paid for her airline tickets, visa, food and accommodation, she said. Before returning home last month, she was given the boxes of Lindt chocolates by Uche’s older brother, whose name she could not recall. He had asked her to take the chocolates to a friend of his in Cambodia.
She said she became aware the hidden drugs only when she was detained at Phnom Penh International Airport and police inspected the boxes.
Police seized 2,594 grammes of cocaine and charged her with transporting an illicit drug, possession and trafficking.
Source: Khmer Times

Donald Trump nominates Judge Neil Gorsuch as SCOTUS, the youngest Supreme Court nominee in 25 years

US President Donald Trump has nominated Neil Gorsuch as the next Judge of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), the highest court in the United States. Gorsuch was named as a replacement for late Antonin Scalia who was one of the nine judges of the SCOTUS, until his death in 2016.
49 year old Gorsuch is the youngest Supreme Court nominee in 25 years.
He's known on the Denver-based 10th Circuit Court of Appeals for clear, colloquial writing, advocacy for court review of government regulations, defense of religious freedom and skepticism toward law enforcement.
He believes firmly in freedom of religion and sided with Christian employers and religious organizations in the cases of Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. and the case of Little Sisters of the Poor Home for the Aged v. Burwell, later consolidated into Zubik v. Burwell.
In the Hobby Lobby case, Gorsuch believed that the requirement in the Affordable Care Act (OBAMACARE) that employers provide insurance coverage for contraceptives without a co-pay violated the rights of those employers that object to use of contraceptives on religious grounds.
He wrote:
"The ACA's mandate requires them to violate their religious faith by forcing them to lend an impermissible degree of assistance to conduct what their religion teaches to be gravely wrong.
When US president Donald Trump introduced him, he said:
"Judge Gorsuch has outstanding legal skills, a brilliant mind, tremendous discipline and has earned bipartisan support." Announcing the nomination in his first televised prime-time address from the White House.
Gorsuch's nomination was cheered by conservatives but scoffed by democrats.
Scalia's wife, Maureen Scalia was present when the announcement was made and Trump made sure he praised the late justice.
Gorsuch accepted the nomination and thanked the president for entrusting him with "a most solemn assignment" and the opportunity to serve the nation. Then he also praised late Judge Scalia calling
Scalia a "lion of the law."
Gorsuch said:
"Standing here in a house of history, I'm acutely aware of my own imperfections and pledge that if I am confirmed, I will do all my powers permit to be a faithful servant of the Constitution of laws of this great country."
If confirmed by the senate, Gorsuch will restore the court to the conservative tilt it held with Scalia on the bench.

Bobrisky shares 'Before and After' photos

As he shared on his page.

"Most Presidents are only front men to distract us from the people who really run the country" - Charlyboy

As the activist/former singer shared on Social Media. True or not?

Lionel Messi sets wedding date to marry his partner, Antonella Rocuzzo

Barcelona football star Lionel Messi,29, has fixed the date of his wedding to his childhood sweetheart and mother of his two kids, Antonella Rocuzzo, 28. According to various reports in Spanish and Argentine media, the football ace has fixed June 24, 2017 as the date he'll wed Antonella in his hometown, Rosario.
However, the question on the lips of everyone in Argentina is if his rival, and World Footballer of the year, Cristiano Ronaldo will be invited, even though Ronaldo will be participating with Portugal in the Confederations Cup in Russia around Messi's wedding time frame.
Messi is set to invite 600 guests to the wedding which has been tagged 'Argentina's biggest wedding' . This summer Messi'll be free from national and club duties.
Leo Messi & Antonella Rocuzzo have two sons together: Thiago 4 years and Mateo Messi, 16 months.
Congrats to him!

Uti Nwachukwu reacts to BBNaija housemate, Bisola, saying his name stands for "Urinary Tract Infection"

Apparently Bisola who is one of the contestants in the Big Brother Naija house, said the former BBA stars name, UTI means Unirary Tract Infection. He took to his IG page to react. He wrote:
U know as a child I always Thot Uti was short for Chukwuti or Utichukwu or something 😂😁😁 I even thot my dad and mum were playing when I asked them and they said : "the full name is Uti" . It was when Grandma confirmed it and told me the meaning that I said ooooooookaaayyy. Hehehehe 😂😂😂 so I just heard that winch Bisola used Urinary Tract Infection as clue for my name on @bigbrothernaija2017 #BigBrotherNaija 😂😂😂
Isokay. If any of them come to me after the show to "show them the way na" ....I go direct them go Hospital Lab

Breaking News! Federal judge blocks Trump's immigration order from deporting people detained at airports

A federal judge in New York has issued an emergency stay temporarily stopping the removal of individuals detained at the airports after President Trump's order banned immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S.
The move marks  the first successful legal challenge against the Trump administration and affects those who have arrived in the U.S. already or were in transit with valid visas.
The court ruled on a habeas corpus petition filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on behalf of two Iraqi men who were detained at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Friday after Trump's ban. Since then both men, Hameed Khalid Darweesh and Sameer Abdulkhaleq Alshaw, have been granted entry into the U.S.
Cecillia Wang, deputy legal director at the ACLU, tweeted:
The ruling deals with a part of Trump's order which bars Syrian refugees indefinitely and halts the resettlement of all refugees for four months as the administration reviews the vetting process.
Judge Ann Donnelly of the U.S. District Court in Brooklyn granted the request from ACLU to stay the deportations after determining that the risk of injury to those detained by being returned to their home countries necessitated the decision.
And only minutes after the judge’s ruling in New York, another came in Virginia when U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema issued a temporary restraining order to block the removal of any green-card holders being detained at Dulles International Airport for seven days.
Brinkema’s action also ordered that lawyers have access to those held there because of the president’s ban.
There have been several protests at various airports since the ban was announced.
Source: CNN/The Hill

Prince Harry recreates photo of mum, Princess Diana, in homeless charity over two decades ago

Late Princess Diana was a great humanitarian and philanthropist during her time and her younger son, Prince Harry seems to be taking after her in more ways than one. Prince Harry recreated a photo his mother had taken in 1995. Recently, Prince Harry went on a tour of the Depaul Trust Hostel in Willesden, north London, as part of his project on exploring how sports can be used to help communities.
During this visit, Prince Harry met with Martin Houghton-Brown, the CEO of charity partner Depaul UK who went on to show Harry an old photo of his mother at the same hostel in 1995
After seeing the photo, the Prince met with people at the hostel who are engaged with the Running Charity and they recreated the photo of his mother.
Did he nail it?

"You self-centered and stingy" - Dj Real calls out Small Doctor

Apparently there's been a silent war between popular street Disc Jockey, DJ Real and famous street pop star, Small Doctor. Dj Real took his time to pen a lengthy open letter to address the issue calling Small Doctor 'Self centered and Stingy' and warning him to take off his record label name from all his social media pages. Read the open letter after the cut...
"Am writing this Open Letter to all street DJs and my fans to learn from my mistake. Been keeping silence for the past few months now based on what happened between me and Small Doctor who thinks he's bigger than the person who stoodby him, believed In his talent and did all his possible best to help him get to where he Is today with GOD's blessing.
1. I Got to know him through a friend and artist called O'black some years back as his bike boy who drops him off at shows. O'black Introduced him to me. That he can be of help to me anytime I want to visit Alaba Market to drop jobs done for the marketers.. That's how he became my personal Bike Boy which I do pay him. Not until a day one of his Agege brother called "Mayor" brought him to me that he want me to help his career and I told Mayor that Small Doctor never told me that he sings but with love I accepted him as a brother without collecting a dime or ask him to sign any agreement with my outfit #RealBeatPlanet.
Why I took over his job personally with love was when I heard that one of his written #Gbagaun was stolen by O'black and featured Konga. That was when I personally took him to Dresan to Rrecord the song which Is his very first single and I gave him massive promotion. I also remembered vividly that I took him to some street Djs back then but they all turned him down that they can't promote a tout song and I shouldered all his promotion and responsibilities.
2. The purpose for this letter Is because I get different calls and false accusation by some DJs which he now see as saviours ever since I dropped him off my Label. That I was the one blocking their way from Small Doctor for not giving them money for promotion they are doing for him. They never knew what I was going through within myself, because the so called artist Is a self-centered and stingy that he finds It hard to settle me on any show he gets which I never ask him again after series of meetings and no result.
3. When I released the Best Of Small Doctor which took over everywhere, I was first challenged and sanctioned at Alaba Market by the marketers, so I had to pressurize him before he dropped 30k to settle all marketers but I rather took him down to alaba market to host all the marketers because the money he dropped can't sort anything than to just buy drinks for the marketers and they all accepted him as their son because they know I never for once been bad to them.
My witnesses at Alaba Market that very day are #PersonEntertainment #UnclePromise #RudeBoyEntertainment #V12Graphics #UprightEntertainment #ObikwuEntertainment. I was also challenge In the year 2015 At D'tunes house when we were hosted by Dtunes base on his new artists signed then.
On our way out all the street Djs hosted that day were accusing me of not giving them money Small Doctor gave me to sort them and I replied them that If he gave me any money to sort them that I shouldn't see the end of 2015.
But all thanks to almighty Allah I'm alive today. The likes of Dj Mellowshe, Dj Money, Dj Murbeat, Dj Samba, Dj B5 And Churchill And Stud were also my witness. Now that he sees none of his song on my Track List anymore, he now finds his way to go spend lot of money to persuade those Djs he never for once had respect for which I was doing for him free of charge before.
Lesson learnt. My advice to all street Djs Is don't help any artiste all In the name of pity or he has talent, without signing a deal or contract. Learn from my mistake.
And for Small Doctor please kindly remove my label name from your social media handle. Am not GOD who blessed you and I will never pray for your career to end soon, but your pride and ego I pray It won't ruin you.
God Bless You All Thanks ( Dj Real)"