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The British Ministry of Defence has denied Russian claims that warning shots and bombs were fired at Royal Navy destroyer HMS Defender near Crimea on Wednesday, June 23. Russia said an Su-24 dropped four bombs in the path of the British ship in the Black Sea after Russia accused it of entering its waters near Cape Fiolent. Russia's defence ministry said its patrol ship opened fire at 12.06pm and shot again two minutes later at the UK navy destroyer which is on naval exercises with US, Dutch and Ukrainian forces.   Russia also said ten minutes later, the Su-24 dropped four OFAB-250s in the path of the British vessel, forcing it to retreat after it ventured two miles inside Russian waters.  The Russian defence ministry alleges the destroyer refused to listen to radio warnings before the shots were fired.   The ministry's TV channel Zvezda reported: 'The Black Sea Fleet together with the FSB (security service) stopped a violation of the Russian border by a...

  The announcement comes weeks after Bill and Melinda Gates announced that they were divorcing after 27 years of marriage but would continue to jointly run the foundation.  The foundation is one of the largest charitable foundations in the world. Gates was formerly the world’s richest person and his fortune is estimated at well over $100 billion. “For years I have been a trustee – an inactive trustee at that – of only one recipient of my funds, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMG). I am now resigning from that post, just as I have done at all corporate boards other than Berkshire’s,” Buffett said in a prepared statement Wednesday.  “The CEO of BMG is Mark Suzman, an outstanding recent selection who has my full support. My goals are 100% in sync with those of the foundation, and my physical participation is in no way needed to achieve these goals.” Buffett, the chairman, and chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway, also said Wednesday that he is hal...

A UK police officer has been convicted of the manslaughter of the former footballer Dalian Atkinson, after firing an electric stun gun into him for 33 seconds and kicking him twice in the head.   PC Benjamin Monk, of the West Mercia force, was convicted of the killing by a jury at Birmingham crown court.     According to the Guardian, Monk was accused of lying in court about his account, and of kicking and stamping on Atkinson’s head while he was barely conscious on the ground.  Atkinson was kicked with such force his blood was found in the laces of Monk’s police-issue boots.     The jury reached its verdicts on Monk after 18 hours and 48 minutes of deliberation. They first acquitted him of murder, but then unanimously convicted him of manslaughter. They are continuing to consider their verdicts on his co-accused, PC Mary Ellen Bettley-Smith, who denies actual bodily harm for striking Atkinson with a baton while he was on the ground. Deta...

  The Family Court sitting in Calabar, Court in Cross River State has sentenced one Godswill Idongesit Brownson to 12 years imprisonment for raping two children aged 5 and 7. Idongesit was convicted on Wednesday, June 23, by the Chief Judge of Cross River State, Honourable Justice Akon Ikpeme. His conviction was secured courtesy of the Basic Rights Counsel Initiative (BRCI) team.  Head of BRCI, Barr. James Ibor, who confirmed the development thanked the Commissioner of Police, the Honourable Attorney General and the BRCI team for their effort in securing justice for the victims.  "The Honourable Chief Judge of Cross River State, Honourable Justice Akon Ikpeme has convicted Godswill Idongesit Brownson for the rape of two children aged 5 and 7. He has been sentenced to 12 years in a Custodial Correctional Facility. Thanks to the Commissioner of Police, the Honourable Attorney General, Blessing Egwu and the BRCI team." he wrote.       

Manchester City superstar, Riyad Mahrez has proposed to his stunning girlfriend Taylor Wardwith £400,000 ring after  The 30-year-old Algerian international took the bold step during their holiday on the Greek island Mykonos. Proud wife to be, Taylor took to Instagram to share the good news and photos with the caption:  “Here's to a lifetime of us. “There’s no one I’d rather do this life with, here’s to a lifetime of us. Can’t wait to grow old together, btw I said YES! I Love You.”     “So happy for everything you are the best, you’re the one I need in my life forever,” Mahrez wrote on Instagram.     The former Leicester City star was initially married for six years to former model Rita Johal, who is the mother of his two daughters.  Taylor is the daughter of Real Housewives Of Cheshire star Dawn and retired footballer Ashley Ward.

Spain's Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez has pardoned nine leaders serving prison sentences for their roles in Catalonia's failed secession attempt, the European nation has announced. Catalonia is the wealthy, restive northeastern region  of Spain whose capital is Barcelona. For decades many of its citizens have clamored for independence from Spain, causing rift in the region. The pardons, approved by the Spanish cabinet and announced at a news conference, made good on recent promises by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to reconcile with a separatist movement that in 2017 rocked Spain with an independence referendum. Spain’s courts declared the vote illegal and the government ordered a crackdown, confiscating ballots and even sending in riot squads to beat many who tried to vote. Officials also ordered wide-ranging arrests, including those of the nine politicians and independence activists, who were originally given sentences between nine and 13 years, on charges that i...

India has reported more than 30 million Covid-19 cases since the pandemic started last year. Government data showed there were 50,848 infections recorded over a 24-hour period on Wednesday, bringing the total reported cases to 30.02 million. The reported daily death toll was 1,358. The United States is the only country in the world that has reported more cases than India. The nation suffered a devastating second wave when reported coronavirus cases spiked between February and early May. It left hospitals overwhelmed and medical necessities like oxygen and medicines in short supply. A highly contagious variant of the coronavirus known as the delta variant was first reported in India and is reportedly partially responsible for the rapid rise in cases there. It has since spread rapidly around the world and is found in more than 80 countries. The World Health Organization said delta is becoming the dominant variant of the disease worldwide.

Joe Igbokwe, former spokesperson of Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Special Adviser for Drainage & Water Resources to Governor Babajide Sanwo- Olu has attacked Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe for wearing a ‘dot nation’ t-shirt.   ‘Dot nation’ phrase became popular following President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent interview with Arise TV, where he described those from South-East agitating for secession as “a dot in a circle” who would not have anywhere to run to should they secede from Nigeria. Igbokwe who reacted to viral photos of Abaribe wearing the t-shirt, accused him of being a "bigot and an elder for nothing". He stated that the blood of those policemen and uninformed youths killed in the South-East will be accounted for in the fullness of time.  The Governor's aide wrote on Facebook;    “A Senator and an ethnic bigot, an elder for nothing. The blood of those policemen and...

Chinese swimmer star Sun Yang has bee banned for more than 4 years on for breaking anti-doping rules. The ban was confirmed on Tuesday June 22, following a retrial at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The court's verdict ends his hopes of defending his Olympic title in the 200 meters freestyle in Tokyo next month.  According to Mail Online, the ban is backdated to February 2020, meaning Sun could return for the 2024 Paris Olympics when he would be 32. The judges found Sun 'to have acted recklessly' when he refused to let anti-doping officials leave his home with a sample of his blood, the court said. Sun denied wrongdoing and his original eight-year ban imposed last year was overturned on appeal to Switzerland's supreme court which ordered a fresh prosecution. Federal judges ruled the first guilty verdict unsafe because the chairman of the three-judge panel at CAS showed anti-Chinese bias in social media comments. The retrial was reportedly heard by three ...

Nigerian singer, YQ has been hospitalized in the United States.  The singer shared photos of himself on a hospital bed, asking for flowers on the Instagram post. He also thanked God that an ambulance and the police showed up in less than 5 minutes.    YQ wrote;    Thank God the ambulance  and cop  showed up in less than 5 minutes. Can i get one flower now that am still here? Thank you  I’ll be back soon. #thankful #grateful #survivor #OnGod  

             

  Following the security challenges facing the country, authorities of the University of Jos have engaged the services of local hunters to protect students on campus and their hostels. The outgoing Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Sebastian Maimako, who disclosed this on Tuesday during the valedictory session to mark the end of his five-year tenure said, “It is no longer news that the security situation in the country is quite tenuous. “This is why under my administration, we made frantic efforts to ensure that all lives and property within the university are adequately protected. “When we got a security report that we were the soft target, we close our hostels for almost two weeks and suspended lectures eventually. Before we could reopen, we were given a condition that we must employ the services of local hunters to help us secure our hostels, particularly at night. “Today, this is where we are, but thank God, the Director of Peace and Conflict Studies, loo...

Two persons, including a Nigerian national have been arrested in connection with two cases of drug trafficking in Bengaluru, India.  The accused, Stanley Chima and Mohammed Rameez of Uppala in Kasaragod district of Kerala were arrested on Monday, June 21. They were produced before a court in Mangaluru which remanded the two to judicial custody on Tuesday. The two were the main accused in a case of illegal distribution of MDMA and other narcotic drugs in Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka and Kasaragod district of Kerala. The police had earlier arrested five persons and recovered 235 grams of MDMA, two cars and nine mobile phones in connection with the two cases.  Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Police Commissioner N. Shashi Kumar said that the police have recovered audio clips of a conversation between Rameez and Chima where the former makes a claim that he has a network of associates in all the 14 districts of Kerala for distribution of drugs. T...

Former Nigerian President, His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan has been appointed as Chancellor of Cavendish University Uganda (CUU), in Uganda. The University made the announcement on social media, through its Twitter handle.  “Welcome aboard @GEJonathan as you take over as the Chancellor of CUU. We look forward to this new era and achieving great things under your leadership. Success begins at Cavendish!”   Jonathan’s appointment makes him the third chancellor of the university, after Benjamin Mkapa, the late President of the United Republic of Tanzania, the second Chancellor, and the late Dr. Kenneth Kaunda former President of the Republic of Zambia, who was the pioneer Chancellor.  Mr. Jonathan is expected to be installed on August 26, 2021, in time to preside over the conferment of degrees and award of diplomas and certificates at the University’s 10th Graduation Ceremony which will take place at Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort on the same...

Hakan Calhanoglu has completed a shock move from AC Milan to Inter Milan.  The Turkish international midfielder signed a three-year deal with the Serie A champions having failed to agree on new terms with Stefano Pioli's side. Calhanoglu, known for his expert free-kick-taking ability, scored nine goals and added 12 assists to the Milan cause last season.  Goal claim AC Milan's offer for the player to renew was £3.4million annual salary plus a signing bonus of around £428,000 but he rejected the offer. Now, he will reportedly earn £4.3m plus £860,000 bonus at Inter.  The Turkish midfielder is now the 39th player to have represented both Inter and AC Milan, following in the footsteps of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Andrea Pirlo, Ronaldo, Clarence Seedorf and Roberto Baggio.