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A f ormer economy minister, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine has been named as Niger Republic's new prime minister days after a military junta took over the affairs of the country.  The appointment of Zeine who served in the cabinet of former President Mamadou Tandja who was toppled by the country’s military in 2010, was announced on Monday evening, nearly two weeks after the military took over power.  The new Prime Minister worked as an economist for the African Development Bank in Chad, and he will be replacing Mahamadou Ouhoumoudou who was in Europe during the coup. The junta also appointed Amadou Didilli as the head of the country’s High Authority for Peace Consolidation (HACP) and Abou Tague Mahamadou as the inspector-general of the army and the national gendarmerie.  Ibro Amadou Bachirou was appointed as the private chief of staff of the junta leader while Habibou Assoumane was named the commander of the presidential guard.

A 33-year-old New York City gastroenterologist appeared in court in Queens on Monday, August 7,  charged with 50 counts of drugging and raping women around the world including in the hospital where he worked. Zhi Alan Cheng is accused of filming the attacks on his phone, and was stopped in December when a former girlfriend accused him of rape and reported finding video of herself being attacked as well as that of other women, on his phone. The ex-girlfriend accused Cheng of using a K-N95 mask filled with cotton balls soaked in liquid to knock her out.   Police began investigating her allegation, and Cheng was arrested and fired from the hospital where he worked, NewYork-Presbyterian Queens.   On Monday, prosecutors alleging that he attacked multiple women aged between 19 and 47 at his home in Astoria; at the hospital where he worked; and across New York, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Thailand. Six women appear on the videos, but prosecutors believe there may be m...

  American singer, Ne-Yo has taken back his apology issued on his behalf for remarks he made about gender identity and how transgender kids are raised.   In the interview with VladTV, the RnB singer spoke on transgender children and the parents that raise them. He also questioned minors’ rights to receive gender-affirming care. "I have no issue with LBG — I have no problem with nobody. You love who you love, you do what you do," he prefaced. "I just personally come from an era where a man was a man and a woman was a woman." He then went on to say, "There was two genders, and that’s just how I rocked. You could identify as a goldfish if you feel like, I don’t care. That ain’t my business. It becomes my business when you try to make me play the game with you. I’m not gonna call you a goldfish. But if you wanna be a goldfish, you go be a goldfish. We live in a weird time, man. We do." The father of seven later expanded on that point, saying: ...

  Canadian rapper, Tory Lanez is scheduled to be sentenced in Los Angeles today, Tuesday 8,  for shooting his former close friend and fellow rapper,  Megan Thee Stallion. Prosecutors are asking for LA Superior Court Judge David Herriford to jail the 31-year-old singer for at least 13 years while his attorneys argued Monday that instead of jail, he should be given probation and sent to rehab for alcohol addiction and therapy for ‘childhood trauma’. During the first day of his sentencing hearing, Lanez’ defense team trotted out several character witnesses who spoke of his philanthropic efforts working for and funding various charities and leading a prayer group in jail. But conspicuously missing from the courtroom was his victim, Megan Thee Stallion, 28, who said in a letter read to the court that she ‘simply can’t be in the same room as Tory.’ Writing that she hasn’t been ‘at peace’ since Lanez shot her in the feet during a drunken argument in July 2020, Megan ...

  Israeli-American actress, Natalie Portman and her husband, Benjamin Millepied have reportedly gone their separate ways after 11 years of marriage following reports he had an affair with a younger woman.   Us Weekly claimed Monday August 7, that the couple have separated after they attempted to repair their relationship following claims Millepied had been unfaithful.  However, a source close to the actress told DailyMail that the reports of separation are just 'rumours' and 'speculation' and there has been no firm decision made.   'After news of his affair came out, they've been trying to work on their marriage but are currently on the outs,' a source told Us Weekly.   Millepied, 46, who has been married to Portman, 42, for 11 years, is said to have had an affair with a 25-year-old woman.   In June, Portman and Millepied's marriage was the subject of an article in the French publication, Voici, which claimed the French dancer and choreographe...

  Cha Cha Slide creator DJ Casper has died at the age of 58 eight years after kidney and liver cancer diagnosis.    In 2016, the songwriter revealed he had been diagnosed with kidney and liver cancer, and his wife Kim confirmed to ABC 7 on Tuesday that he had passed away after battling the disease. The Chicago-born star - real name Willie Perry Jr -was best known for writing the popular 2000 song Cha Cha Slide and creating its accompanying dance.   Perry revealed he had been diagnosed with cancer in 2016 and shared regular updates with his fans.    He had been in remission for several years when the cancer returned, according to Chicago's ABC 7.   'They diagnosed me in 2016 with two kinds of cancer, which is renal and Neuroendocrine, which is kidney and liver,' Perry told the network in what was his last televised interview in May 2023.    'They went in to try to do surgery, and they found out the kidney was connected to the main a...

The Department of State Services (DSS) has countered claim of illegally detaining suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.    The DSS, whose application to legally detain Emefiele for 14 days was struck out on July 27 by Justice Edward Okpe of a federal high court in Abuja, has said that it immediately got a detention order from a magistrate court after the July 27 court case. Peter Afunanya, DSS spokesperson who claimed that they've always obeyed court orders, said the findings from the preliminary investigation are “quite shocking”.   Afunanya said;    “Emefiele was arraigned before Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the federal high court, Ikoyi, Lagos, on 25th July 2023 for illegal possession of arms and ammunition. “The service had long issued a press statement over the incident that happened at the court between its staff and those of Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) and pledged to investigate it.  “Though the invest...

China will uphold an “independent and impartial” stance on the Ukraine war, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in a phone call, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Monday, August 7. Earlier this year, China had promised to mediate in the Ukraine crisis and vowed to adhere to an “objective and impartial stance,” and play a constructive role in the political settlement of the war. Since the war started on February 24, 2022, China has refused to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine. China has released a peace plan which was baulked at by Ukraine and Russia to which the US said was not convincing enough given that the Ukranian invasion had not been condemned by China.   “The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukrainian crisis and other international and regional issues of common concern. Wang Yi emphasized that on the Ukrainian crisis, China will uphold an independent and impartial stance, make an objective and rational voice, a...

Rapper Megan Thee Stallion has said that she can't be in the same with singer and ex-boyfriend, Tory Lanez, who was convicted months ago, of shooting her in the leg.    Stallion who was not in court on Monday, August 7, for Lanez's sentencing, provided a statement that was read in court.    She said s he struggled with showing up to court because she couldn't bring herself to be anywhere near Tory Lanez after he was convicted of shooting her .   Asides from disclosing that she hasn't had a moment of peace since the July 2020 shooting, she also accused the Canadian singer of making a mockery of her emotional trauma, treating it like a joke and refusing to take accountability .   Megan Thee Stallion stated that Lanez blames everyone but himself. She noted that he first tried to blame the system and is now blaming his childhood trauma. She said if he had ever shown contrition, she may have been able to heal her emotional wounds sooner.   Tory was ...