Donald Trump hits out again at Sadiq Khan over London violence:

US President Donald Trump has once again criticised London mayor Sadiq Khan, calling him a "national disgrace" who is destroying the UK's capital.

His comments came after 5 attacks in London in less than 24 hours left 3 men dead and three others injured.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said it was "absolutely awful" Mr Trump was using the "tragedy of people being murdered to attack the mayor".

President Trump's tweets follow a long-running feud between the two men.

Retweeting a post by right-wing commentator Katie Hopkins about this weekend's violence in London, the president said Mr Khan was "a disaster" and the capital needed a new mayor.

Mr Trump later followed it up with another post saying: "He is a national disgrace who is destroying the city of London!"

In response, Mr Khan's spokesman said the mayor's thoughts were with the victims' families and he "is not going to waste his time responding to this sort of tweet".

The mayor was focused on supporting the city's communities and "over-stretched" emergency services, he added.

Mr Corbyn tweeted in defence of Mr Khan, saying he was "rightly supporting the police to do their job while Katie Hopkins spreads hateful and divisive rhetoric".

Police have made 14 arrests - including several boys and a girl - following the five separate attacks.

An 18-year-old man was stabbed to death on Friday afternoon in Wandsworth, south London, then minutes later a 19-year-old man was shot dead in Plumstead, south-east London.

A man in his 30s then died after he was stabbed in Tower Hamlets on Saturday afternoon.

In the early hours of Saturday two men were stabbed in Clapham and another was stabbed in Brixton.

The deaths take the total number of murders in London in 2019 to 56. This time last year there had been 77 homicides, 48 of which were stabbings.

President Trump and Mr Khan have clashed many times in the past.

The president called Mr Khan a "stone cold loser who should focus on crime in London" shortly before landing in Stansted ahead of his three-day state visit to the UK earlier this month.

It followed comments from the mayor of London that the UK should not be "rolling out the red carpet" for Mr Trump during his visit.

In the past Mr Trump has challenged Mr Khan to an IQ test and been critical of his response to the London Bridge attack in 2017.

Source: https://aderonkebamidele.com/donald-trump-hits-out-again-at-sadiq-khan-over-london-violence/

Babe Ruth jersey fetches record-breaking $5.64m at auction:

A jersey worn by legendary baseball player Babe Ruth has become the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia ever sold.

The garment was snapped up for $5.64m (£4.4m) at auction in new york on Saturday.

It broke the previous record of $4.4m which was set in 2012 - also for one of Ruth's New York Yankees jerseys.

The shirt dates from the 1928-1930 period of Ruth's long career, in which he became an early sporting superstar.

"The legacy and significance of Babe Ruth to the game of baseball and American popular culture are unmatched by any other figure in the history of this country," the president of Hunt Auctions, David Hunt, said in a statement.

He added: "While the record-setting prices attained today are certainly astonishing, I am not surprised at all given the incredible materials and the mythical status the Babe holds in the history of this country."

The record-breaking jersey was one of 400 pieces of Ruth memorabilia supplied by his family and private collectors and put up for sale at the Yankee Stadium.

The identity of the seller and the buyer have not been made public.

Ruth played for 22 seasons in Major League Baseball and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the sport's history.

He won seven World Series and broke numerous records during his career, before eventually retiring in 1935.

Source: https://aderonkebamidele.com/babe-ruth-jersey-fetches-record-breaking-5-64m-at-auction/

Hong Kong protest: Joshua Wong calls for HK leader Carrie Lam to resign.

Hong Kong's most prominent student activist Joshua Wong has called for the resignation of leader Carrie Lam, after walking free from jail.

Wong, 22, became the face of the 2014 pro-democracy protests which called for the city to pick its own leaders.

People in Hong Kong are again out on the streets, this time against a controversial bill which allows extradition to China.

Observers say Wong will further rally crowds and increase pressure on Ms Lam.

Organisers say more than two million people rallied against it on Sunday, despite the bill being suspended by Ms Lam on Saturday. The police put the figure at 338,000.

Critics have said the legislation would expose people in Hong Kong to China's deeply flawed justice system and lead to further erosion of the city's judicial independence.

Much of the public anger has been directed at Ms Lam, who is pro-Beijing, and on Sunday she apologised for the controversy over the bill.

After diminishing in numbers overnight, large groups of protesters were seen gathering on key roads near the government headquarters again on Monday. Organisers say protests will continue until the bill is scrapped altogether.

Source: https://aderonkebamidele.com/hong-kong-protest-joshua-wong-calls-for-hk-leader-carrie-lam-to-resign/

Gulf of Oman: US sends more troops amid tanker tension with Iran.

The US military will send an additional 1,000 troops to the Middle East as tensions build with Iran.

Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan said the deployment was in response to what he described as "hostile behaviour" by Iranian forces.

The US Navy also shared new images it says link Iran to recent oil tanker attacks in the Gulf of Oman.

It comes as Iran said that in 10 days it would exceed some limits set by the 2015 nuclear deal.

Under the deal, in order to curb its nuclear capabilities Iran was permitted to produce up to 300kg of low-enriched uranium. However it recently stepped up production in response to the US tightening sanctions and on Monday said its stockpile would go beyond the agreed level next week.

China has urged restraint and joined other parties to the nuclear deal in urging Iran not to abandon it.

The US troop deployment to the Middle East was announced by Mr Shanahan late on Monday.

In his statement, he said the "United States does not seek conflict with Iran" but the action was taken to "ensure the safety and welfare of our military personnel working throughout the region to protect our national interests".

Monday's troop increase announcement comes on top of 1,500 extra announced by President Donald Trump last month.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday that the US did not want war with Iran, but was nevertheless "considering a full range of options".

He is due to meet the US military commander responsible for the Middle East at Central Command in Florida on Tuesday.

Shortly before the announcement, the Pentagon released new images including some purporting to show the remnants of an unexploded mine on a Japanese-owned oil tanker.

The photos appear to show it being removed by members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Pentagon has already released grainy video said to show the same episode.

Also seen in the latest images is apparent damage - a hole - above the waterline on the hull of the Kokuka Courageous vessel.

Another image claims to show the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps vessel shortly after it was involved in removing the limpet mine.

A Norwegian-owned tanker, the Front Altair, also reported being hit by the blasts on Thursday.

The US has implicated Iran in the latest attacks and four others outside the Strait of Hormuz in May.

Iran has denied any involvement and called the latest US accusations "unfounded".

Source: https://aderonkebamidele.com/gulf-of-oman-us-sends-more-troops-amid-tanker-tension-with-iran/

Egypt's Mohammed Morsi: Ex-leader buried after court death.

Former Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has been buried hours after he collapsed in court and died on Monday.

His lawyer told the AFP news agency the former leader had been buried in eastern Cairo early on Tuesday morning with his family present.

Morsi, who was 67, had been in custody since his removal from office in 2013.

Human rights groups, who had criticised the conditions in which he was kept, have called for an impartial investigation into his death.

His family and activists had repeatedly raised concerns about his health and the amount of time he was kept in solitary confinement, away from visits by lawyers and family.

His son, Abdullah Mohamed Morsi, told Reuters on Monday that Egyptian authorities had denied a family request for a public funeral in his hometown.

A top figure in the now-banned Islamist movement, the Muslim Brotherhood, Morsi became the country's first democratically elected leader in 2012.

He was ousted and detained in a military coup a year later following mass protests against his rule.

Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, a former army chief, has been in power since 2014.

After Morsi's removal, the authorities launched a crackdown on his supporters and other dissent, leading to tens of thousands of arrests.

The Muslim Brotherhood and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a close ally of Morsi, are among those who have blamed the Egyptian leadership for Morsi's death.

Morsi was appearing in Cairo on Monday on charges of espionage related to suspected contacts with the Palestinian militant Islamist group Hamas.

Officials say he had asked to address the jury, and spoke for about five minutes from a soundproof glass cage where he was being held with other defendants.

Minutes later, he apparently fainted during a break in proceedings.

"He was transferred to a hospital where he was pronounced dead," a statement by Egypt's public prosecutor said.

Officials said a forensic report had been ordered into his death, and insisted no new, visible injuries were found on his body.

State television had earlier described the cause of death as a heart attack.

Morsi was already facing decades in jail after being sentenced in three other trials. He had previously been given a death sentence, which was later overturned.

Source: https://aderonkebamidele.com/egypts-mohammed-morsi-ex-leader-buried-after-court-death/

Heathrow reveals expansion 'masterplan':

Heathrow airport will construct a 3rd runway by 2026 and complete its expansion by 2050, according to its "masterplan" revealed on Tuesday.

The plan includes diverting rivers, moving roads and rerouting the M25 through a tunnel under the new runway.

Heathrow's expansion has faced fierce opposition, but the airport says it has engaged with local communities and other stakeholders.

The proposals are now open to public consultation until 13 September.

The masterplan is illustrated in a visualisation from the architects, showing the M25 running in a tunnel underneath the new runway.

It proposes a staggered approach with the new runway to be built in the first phase by 2026, with the rest of the airport infrastructure - including new terminals and access - to be complete by around 2050.

Local and environmental groups have argued that expanding Heathrow and building a third runway would mean unacceptable levels of noise and pollution, as well as adding to the UK's carbon emissions from the increased number of flights.

In response to those criticisms, the plan also outlines a new low-emission zone for the airport, meaning additional charges for those who drive a more polluting vehicle to the airport.

Heathrow says it is pursuing better public transport links and is proposing a longer respite at night providing local communities with six and a half undisturbed hours without a flight.

"We have been working with partners at the airport, in local communities and in government to ensure our plans show how we can grow sustainably and responsibly - with environmental considerations at the heart of expansion," said Emma Gilthorpe, Heathrow's executive director for expansion.

Campaign groups opposed to the development reacted angrily.

"Heathrow's plans are laughable," said Robert Barnstone, campaign co-ordinator of Stop Heathrow Expansion.

"Not only does it want to disrupt people's lives for up to 30 years whilst building this new runway, but now proposes jumbo-size car parks whilst pledging to reduce the number of people using cars at the airport."

Another group, Hacan, echoed those sentiments. "What hits you is the scale of these proposals," said John Stewart, who chairs the group.

"The impact on local people could be severe for many years to come. Disruption from construction; the demolition of homes; the reality of more than 700 extra planes a day."

In the past year, Heathrow's third runway has won the backing of Parliament and survived multiple challenges in the High Court.

This blueprint for expansion is the fruit of that success and represents an important step towards the day when the bulldozers will start their work.

And importantly, the frontrunner to become the next prime minister has indicated he won't lie down in front of them. Boris Johnson said exactly that just four years ago. He seems to have changed his mind.

A three-month public consultation on these plans is the final step before the airport submits a planning application.

Assuming all goes to plan, work will begin on the runway in early 2022.

But Heathrow's blueprint on expansion stretches to 2050, well beyond the runway's planned opening in 2026.

The airport also plans extensive work to terminals 2 and 5, as well as consolidating all existing car parks into one single site to the south of the airport and then building a new one to the north at a later date.

Total private investment in the airport over the next two decades is forecast to be in the region of £30bn.

The government agreed last year to back the scheme for expanding Heathrow.

Last month, campaigners, backed by London Mayor Sadiq Khan, lost a High Court challenge against that decision.

This week, environmental protest group, Extinction Rebellion, called off plans to disrupt operations at Heathrow to coincide with the announcement of its expansion plans.

The public will be able to have their say on the plans via a website and at 43 "consultation events" during the 12-week period.

The first phase of the privately-funded expansion - to deliver the new runway - is expected to cost £14bn. The total cost is expected to be in the region of £30bn.

Ms Gilthorpe said she hoped to "have spades in the ground" by early 2022.

Source: https://aderonkebamidele.com/heathrow-reveals-expansion-masterplan/

New Zealand man jailed for 21 months for sharing Christchurch shooting video:

A New Zealand man who shared a livestream video of the Christchurch mosque attacks has been jailed for 21 months.

Philip Arps sent the video to 30 people and to a friend, asking for it to be modified to include a "kill count".

Christchurch District judge Stephen O'Driscoll said Arps held "unrepentant views" towards the Muslim community.

A gunman killed 51 people in the attack on Muslims at a mosque and Islamic centre during Friday prayers in March.

At the Christchurch District Court on Tuesday, Arps pleaded guilty to two charges of distributing objectionable material for sharing footage that was livestreamed to social media during the attack.

The court heard that Arps had also intended to share a modified video - which included crosshairs and a kill count. He had described the modified footage as "awesome", the New Zealand Herald reports.

Judge O'Driscoll condemned Arps' actions, calling them a "hate crime". He added that it was "particularly cruel" of Arps to share the video in the days after the attacks.

The judge added that a pre-sentence report raised other issues about Arps that were concerning, but said he did not want to mention them publicly as this could be seen by Arps as a "badge of honour".

The 44-year-old businessman had pleaded guilty in April.

He was also convicted in 2016 of offensive behaviour for leaving a pig's head at the Al Noor mosque - one of those targeted during the Christchurch mass shooting.

Australian Brenton Tarrant faces 92 charges in relation to the shootings at the Al Noor mosque and the Linwood Islamic Centre in Christchurch. Earlier this week, he pleaded not guilty to all charges and is expected to face trial next year.

The 15 March attack was New Zealand's deadliest mass shooting in modern times.

Source: https://aderonkebamidele.com/new-zealand-man-jailed-for-21-months-for-sharing-christchurch-shooting-video/

Harvard rescinds admission for Parkland student 'over racist slurs':

A teenager who survived a gun massacre at his Florida high school has said he lost his spot at Harvard University over past racist remarks.

Kyle Kashuv, 18, said the online comments were made when he was 16, and were done "in an effort to be as extreme and shocking as possible".

He had since apologised and on Monday shared what appeared to be a rescission letter from the university.

Seventeen students and faculty were killed in Parkland, Florida in 2018.

"Harvard deciding that someone can't grow, especially after a life-altering event like the shooting, is deeply concerning," he posted in a thread to his 300,000 Twitter followers.

A teenager who survived a gun massacre at his Florida high school has said he lost his spot at Harvard University over past racist remarks.

Kyle Kashuv, 18, said the online comments were made when he was 16, and were done "in an effort to be as extreme and shocking as possible".

He had since apologised and on Monday shared what appeared to be a rescission letter from the university.

Seventeen students and faculty were killed in Parkland, Florida in 2018.

"Harvard deciding that someone can't grow, especially after a life-altering event like the shooting, is deeply concerning," he posted in a thread to his 300,000 Twitter followers.

Since the shooting, Mr Kashuv has stood apart from his peers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School by calling for private gun rights to be protected under the US constitution's second amendment. Many of the Parkland shooting survivors have focused their efforts on gun control in the wake of the shooting.

Classmates David Hogg and Jaclyn Corin - who called for more restrictions on gun sales after surviving the massacre - are due to begin their study at Harvard, one of the most prestigious schools in the US, in 2020.

In May the high school senior apologised for the comments, which were made in text and Skype messages as well as in a shared Google document for a class study guide two years ago.

Screenshots of those remarks were shared online by at least one of Mr Kashuv's classmates, Ariana Ali, who told the New Yorker: "The more prominent he got, the more I was bothered by his hypocrisy."

On Monday Mr Kashuv took to Twitter to say "we were 16-year-olds making idiotic comments, using callous and inflammatory language in an effort to be as extreme and shocking as possible", and added that he "immediately apologised" for the two-year old exchanges.

"I'm embarrassed by it, but I want to be clear that the comments I made are not indicative of who I am or who I've become in the years since."

The alleged comments included threats against Jews and racial slurs in reference to African Americans.

In one message he apparently wrote he would "make a CSOG map of Douglas [high school] and practise". Some students claimed the reference was to the shooting-themed video game "Counter-Strike: Global Offensive".

Mr Kashuv said he turned down scholarships from other universities and the deadline to accept other offers has passed.

Harvard University - like many other US colleges - reserves the right to rescind admission offers under certain instances, including if students' grades drop at the end of high school or if they engage in questionable behaviour.

The Ivy League college revoked offers for 10 prospective students in 2017 over explicit and racist messages shared in a private Facebook group, according to the Harvard Crimson school newspaper.

Source: https://aderonkebamidele.com/harvard-rescinds-admission-for-parkland-student-over-racist-slurs/

Indian magician Chanchal Lahiri drowns attempting Houdini trick.

An Indian magician who was lowered into a watercourse while shackled in a bid to recreate Harry Houdini's world-famous trick has drowned, police confirmed.

Chanchal Lahiri was meant to escape and swim to safety but did not emerge from the Hooghly river in West Bengal state.

Crowds who watched him take the plunge on Sunday alerted the police, who then launched a search operation.

His body, which washed up some 1km (0.6 miles) from the site of the incident, was identified late on Monday.

Mr Lahiri, also known as Mandrake, was lowered into the river from a boat for his trick.

He was shackled with six locks and a chain as spectators on two boats watched him.

Several people had also gathered by the shore and some stood on the landmark Howrah Bridge in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta).

According to the Press Trust of India, the crowd started to panic after Mr Lahiri did not appear after more than 10 minutes.

Jayanta Shaw, a photographer with a local newspaper, witnessed Mr Lahiri attempting the trick. He told the BBC that he spoke to him before the magician started his act.

"I asked him why he risked his life for magic," Mr Shaw said. "He [Mr Lahiri] smiled and said, 'If I do it right, it's magic. If I make a mistake, it becomes tragic.'"

The magician told him that he wanted to do this trick in order "to revive interest in magic".

This is not the first time that Mr Lahiri had attempted a risky underwater trick.

He was lowered into the same river inside a glass box more than 20 years ago but had managed to escape to safety.

Mr Shaw had also witnessed Mr Lahiri's previous underwater trick.

"I never thought he would not come out of the water this time," he said.

According to Press Trust of India, Mr Lahiri had sought permission from the Kolkata Police and Kolkata Port Trust before performing his trick.

However, he did not mention that the trick would have a "connection with water", said police.

"He had mentioned the act was to happen in a boat or vessel... hence we allowed him permission. He vaguely mentioned an 'extra act' which we did not clarify," said a police officer who was not identified. "We are investigating."

Source: https://aderonkebamidele.com/indian-magician-chanchal-lahiri-drowns-attempting-houdini-trick/

Atlantic Ocean 'running out of breath'.

A huge international research programme has been launched to assess the health of the Atlantic Ocean.

The iAtlantic project is the biggest ever mounted in the planet's second largest ocean.

It involves more than 30 partners, funded by the EU, and is being co-ordinated by Edinburgh University.

The scientists will use an array of hi-tech devices, including robot submarines, to scan the deep ocean from the Arctic to South America.

They want to assess the effects of climate change on plants and animals.

They will use genomics, physics, machine learning and other specialisms, and spend four years creating a digital map of the ocean's ecosystems.

The results will help governments decide which developments of the Atlantic are sustainable and responsible.

They will also highlight "refuges" where threatened species may have a chance to survive.

The Atlantic is suffering from a three-pronged attack, according to iAtlantic programme co-ordinator, Prof Murray Roberts of Edinburgh University.

By way of illustration, he opens a sample bucket and pulls out a deep-sea red crab about a foot across.

He's a beauty. He's also quite dead, sampled in 2012 and submerged in preservative ever since.

"It's just to give you an idea of how big and beautiful the life of the deep sea is out there," the professor says.

From other buckets he pulls specimens of black coral and a deep sea skate's egg case, a large version of what we landlubbers sometimes refer to as a mermaid's purse.

So far, so diverse. So what's the problem?

"What will happen to these animals in the future as the Atlantic changes?" Prof Roberts says.

"As it gets warmer, as it gets more acidic and also - in some areas - as it runs out of breath.

"Because the Atlantic, like many ocean basins in the world, is being deoxygenated - it's losing the oxygen that is vital to life."

The cause is climate change, 90% of the world's global warming has been absorbed by the oceans.

The team will be focusing on the ecosystems of 12 areas, including the Mid-Atlantic Ridge off Iceland, the Sargasso Sea, the cold deep from Angola to the Congo Lobe and the Vitória-Trindade Seamount Chain off Brazil.

Plus, much closer to home, a coral reef just off the Western Isles.

In the lab in Edinburgh, Dr Laurence De Clippele shows us underwater camera footage of the coral mounds of the Mingulay reef.

The images are remarkable but technology allows her to do more.

The mounds have been mapped in unprecedented detail by a remote-controlled submersible equipped with sonar.

Dr De Clippele has transformed the data into strikingly-coloured 3D maps.

It is one of the technologies the iAtlantic team hopes to apply to the whole ocean.

"You can see all these little lumps here. They are live coral," she says.

"The mounds consist of both dead skeletons - calcium carbonate - and live."

Typically, we onshore encounter calcium carbonate as chalk. But it also makes up the shells of marine organisms.

If the acidity of the ocean reaches a high enough level, it will be extremely bad news as the shells may soften or dissolve completely.

What's more, if a coral does not respond well to rising sea temperatures it is not in a position to up sticks and move somewhere else.

"These reefs are very important because they provide a home for many animals," Dr De Clippele says.

"They can shelter there, feed there, reproduce there."

"And some of them are economically important because they might end up on our plate."

Another of the partners is the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), based at Dunstaffnage near Oban.

There, on the shore, physicist Prof Stuart Cunningham shows me an autonomous glider.

Looking for all the world like a torpedo with wings, it can vary its buoyancy to glide a kilometre below the surface of the ocean to take measurements, then "fly" back to the surface to send the data home via satellite.

It does it unassisted for up to six months at a time.

"We can measure properties like temperature, salinity, currents and oxygen," Prof Cunningham says.

"As well as other parameters like how much of the sunlight is penetrating into the ocean."

The project will last four years, with the European Union's Horizon 2020 programme putting in more than €10m.

Another €30m will be coming from partners in the form of research cruises and other technologies.

Prof Roberts says they will examine all aspects of life in the ocean column.

"We'll be looking at humpbacks, we'll be looking at plankton, we'll be looking at corals," he says.

"And then we'll be working in terms of how the physics of the ocean is changing.

"We can then understand where the ecosystems are tipping from one state into another, where we're going to have a real problem in the future.

"If we can identify those areas then we can then work with governments to back off the pressure."

Source: https://aderonkebamidele.com/atlantic-ocean-running-out-of-breath/

BBN: Ifu Ennada on her Rapist: I will expose the popular man who raped me.

Big Brother Naija season three housemate, Ifu Ennada says she will soon expose the popular man in the entertainment industry who raped her.

She said the man will be exposed at the right time.

The reality star revealed last year that she was s*xually abused by a popular name in the entertainment industry and was also infected with a s*xually Transmitted Infection (STI).

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, she explained that she stopped talking about the rape because she did not want to be seen more as a victim than the businesswoman and entertainer that she is.

According to her, the rape inspired her film, ‘Tears of a Broken Virgin’ and she would talk further when she is ready.

She said,

“I stopped talking about it because I didn’t want people to see me as just a victim. There is so much to it. I am above that but at the right time, I will expose my abuser. He is even in Abuja.”


Source: https://aderonkebamidele.com/bbn-ifu-ennada-on-her-rapist-i-will-expose-the-popular-man-who-raped-me/

Low trust in vaccines 'a global crisis':

Public mistrust of vaccines means the world is taking a step backwards in the fight against deadly yet preventable infectious diseases, warn experts.

The biggest global study into attitudes on immunisation suggests confidence is low in some regions.

The Wellcome Trust analysis includes responses from over 140,000 individuals in over 140 countries.

The World Health Organization lists vaccine hesitancy as one of the top 10 threats to global health.

The global survey reveals the number of people who say they have little confidence or trust in vaccination.

When asked if vaccines were safe:

79% "somewhat" or "strongly" agreed
7% somewhat or strongly disagreed
14% neither agreed nor disagreed
When asked if they believed vaccines worked:

84% agree either strongly or somewhat
5% either strongly or somewhat disagree
12% neither agreed nor disagreed         
There is overwhelming scientific evidence that vaccination is the best defence against deadly and debilitating infections, such as measles.

Vaccines protect billions of people around the world. They have completely got rid of one disease - smallpox - and are bringing the world close to eliminating others, such as polio.

But some other diseases, such as measles, are making a resurgence and experts say people avoiding vaccines, fuelled by fear and misinformation, is one of the main causes.

Dr Ann Lindstrand, an expert in immunisation at the WHO, said the current situation was extremely serious.

"Vaccine hesitancy has the potential, at least in some places, to really hinder the very real progress the world has made in controlling vaccine-preventable diseases," she said.

"Any resurgence we see in these diseases are an unacceptable step backwards."

Source: https://aderonkebamidele.com/low-trust-in-vaccines-a-global-crisis/

Donald Trump formally launches 2020 re-election bid:

US President Donald Trump has formally launched his re-election campaign, urging supporters to "keep this team in place" for four more years.

The Republican president made his case before thousands of supporters at a rally in Florida, calling the state "my second home".

Mr Trump used the announcement to lash out at Democrats, accusing them of trying to "rip your country apart".

Early polls place Mr Trump behind some potential Democratic challengers.

He entered the stage with his wife Melania, who said she was "excited" to be first lady for six more years.

Senior figures from the White House, including Vice President Mike Pence and outgoing press secretary Sarah Sanders, also spoke at the rally.

"Tonight I stand before you to officially launch my campaign for a second term as president of the United States," Mr Trump told supporters. "I promise you I will never ever let you down."

Florida is a key battleground state and one that Mr Trump narrowly won in 2016.

"We are going to keep America great again," the president told the Orlando event on Tuesday night, in a reworking of his familiar slogan.

Some supporters had been waiting since the early hours of Monday morning to see the president.

A counter-demonstration against his appearance was also held nearby.

During his roughly 80-minute speech, Mr Trump reiterated key themes of his winning 2016 campaign.

He pledged to continue a crackdown against illegal immigration, one day after tweeting that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would soon begin removing "millions of illegal aliens" from the country.

"We believe our country should be a sanctuary for law-abiding citizens, not for criminal aliens," Mr Trump told Florida supporters.

He also accused Democrats of seeking to legalise illegal immigration in order to boost their voting base, and said they "want to destroy our country as we know it".

During his roughly 80-minute speech, Mr Trump reiterated key themes of his winning 2016 campaign.

He pledged to continue a crackdown against illegal immigration, one day after tweeting that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would soon begin removing "millions of illegal aliens" from the country.

"We believe our country should be a sanctuary for law-abiding citizens, not for criminal aliens," Mr Trump told Florida supporters.

He also accused Democrats of seeking to legalise illegal immigration in order to boost their voting base, and said they "want to destroy our country as we know it".

Mr Trump described his opponents as a "radical left-wing mob" who he said would bring socialism to the US.

"A vote for any Democrat in 2020 is a vote for the rise of radical socialism and the destruction of the American dream," he told the crowd.

He also praised the economy, criticised the Mueller investigation into alleged collusion between the 2016 Trump campaign and Russia, and referred to media covering the event as "fake news back there".

The president also elicited "lock her up" chants from supporters when he brought up Hillary Clinton, despite her not being in the 2020 race.

Source: https://aderonkebamidele.com/donald-trump-formally-launches-2020-re-election-bid/

MH17 plane crash: Investigators 'expected to name four suspects'.

Investigators probing the downing of a Malaysia Airlines jet in eastern Ukraine in 2014 will present new evidence later on Wednesday.

The Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) is expected to name suspects and announce charges for the first time.

Flight MH17 was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot down, killing all 298 on board.

Investigators have blamed pro-Russian separatists who they say targeted the plane with a Russian-made missile.

The Boeing 777 crashed in rebel-held eastern Ukraine on 17 July 2014, at the height of the conflict between government troops and Russian-backed separatists.

Russia has denied any involvement and has maintained the missile was fired from Ukrainian-held territory.

Dutch investigators will hold a press conference at 13:00 local time (11:00 GMT) on Wednesday after briefing relatives of victims.

The JIT, which seeks to try the suspects under Dutch law, has previously said it had a "long list" of persons of interest and appealed for witness help.

On Friday, prosecutors announced the release of new findings, prompting widespread reports in Dutch media that suspects will be named.

The JIT, which seeks to try the suspects under Dutch law, has previously said it had a "long list" of persons of interest and appealed for witness help.

On Friday, prosecutors announced the release of new findings, prompting widespread reports in Dutch media that suspects will be named.

Kateryna Zelenko, a spokeswoman for Ukraine's foreign ministry, told the Unian news agency on Tuesday that "as early as tomorrow the world will hear the names of the first four people suspected of involvement".

Ms Zelenko said Dutch prosecutors would then file the case in a Netherlands court.

"The guilt of the four suspects must be proved first and foremost in court," the spokeswoman added.

Internet open source investigators Bellingcat are also due to release a new report into the crash.

MH17 left Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport at 10:15 GMT on 17 July 2014 and was due to arrive at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia the following day.

About four hours after take-off, the plane lost contact with air traffic control about 50km (30 miles) from the Russia-Ukraine border.

Source: https://aderonkebamidele.com/mh17-plane-crash-investigators-expected-to-name-four-suspects/

Oxford University accepts £150m from US private equity boss

The largest single donation to a United Kingdom university has been given to Oxford for a new institute that will study the ethics of artificial intelligence.

Stephen Schwarzman, a United States of America private equity billionaire who has advised Republican presidents including Donald Trump, has given the university £150m.

A new building for the study of humanities will house the institute.

The UK government said it was a "globally significant" investment in Britain.

At a time when universities face uncertainty over research funding because of Brexit, this is a major financial coup for the University of Oxford.

Mr Schwarzman, the chief executive of the private equity firm Blackstone, is one of America's best known billionaires.

In the past, his lavish lifestyle as a Wall Street financier has attracted criticism, but more recently he has also become a major donor to education.

Mr Schwarzman told the BBC he was giving the money to Oxford because artificial intelligence was the major issue of our age.

"At the moment, most governments are utterly unprepared to deal with this, and why would they be, it's a different type of technology," he said.

"They're going to have to rely on great universities like Oxford, and others around the world who specialise in helping them think this through."

Mr Schwarzman said universities needed to help construct an ethical framework for changes that were happening rapidly.

Some economists have warned the expansion of artificial intelligence could have a significant impact on society - including the loss of jobs due to automation - in what is sometimes called the "fourth industrial revolution".

Academics have also raised concerns about the potential for malicious use in cyber warfare and the subverting of democracy.

The donation by Mr Schwarzman to Oxford follows a $350m (£279m) gift he made to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to establish a centre for computing and artificial intelligence.

The study of the ethics of AI at Oxford will be in a new humanities centre, bringing together subjects from languages to philosophy.

Mr Schwarzman said it was "important for people to remember what being human is".

"Why are we here? What are you values? How does technology deal and interact with that.

"We should want it to be positive and productive for society, and technology can't be allowed to just do whatever it wants because it can. "

Accepting large donations is not without risk for institutions if controversy emerges later.

Prof Louise Richardson, the vice-chancellor of the University of Oxford, said all philanthropic gifts were reviewed to make sure they fitted with its values.

"The margin of excellence requires more than we can expect from public funding, so philanthropy is going to become more important for Oxford and other universities," she said.

The new building will also create a concert hall and other public spaces.

Source: https://aderonkebamidele.com/oxford-university-accepts-150m-from-us-private-equity-boss/

Trans Mountain: Canada approves $5.5bn oil pipeline project.

Canada has approved the Trans Mountain expansion project after a federal court sent it back for review last summer.

The decision could create a challenge for PM Justin Trudeau as he heads into an election season likely to be fought in part over climate issues.

His federal Liberals took the rare step last year of buying the pipeline for C$4.5bn ($3.4bn; £2.6bn) to help ensure the project's survival.

Environmentalists and some First Nations fiercely oppose Trans Mountain.

Mr Trudeau on Tuesday announced the new approval and said that all revenues the federal government earns from the project will fund a "transition to a green economy".

"It is in Canada's national interest to protect our environment and invest in tomorrow, while making sure people can feed their families today," he said.

Reaction to the announcement was swift, with environmental campaigners vowing the project will not go ahead without a fight.

Meanwhile, British Columbia First Nations who have fought the project said they were considering continued legal action, and the provincial premier, John Horgan, tweeted the project "poses a great risk to our coast, our environment and our economy".

The C$7.4 bn pipeline expansion project has divided opponents, who are concerned about oil spills and climate change, and supporters, who see it as a boost for Canada's struggling energy sector - one that will help fuel the economy for years to come.

Canada ranks as the world's fifth largest producer of oil and natural gas.

The project twins the existing 1,150 km (715 mile) Trans Mountain pipeline and would triple its capacity from 300,000 barrels per day to 890,000 per day.

It would carry crude oil from Edmonton, Alberta to Burnaby, British Columbia (BC) and increase oil tanker traffic on the Pacific coast from five to up to 34 tankers a month.

Mr Trudeau says the pipeline expansion would ease Canada's reliance on the US market and help get a better price for its resource.

Business groups, oil industry workers and the Alberta government all back the project. At least two indigenous groups are actively seeking an ownership stake in the project.

The Liberal government bought the pipeline to help ensure the project's survival after energy infrastructure giant Kinder Morgan walked away over concerns about delays.

Source: https://aderonkebamidele.com/trans-mountain-canada-approves-5-5bn-oil-pipeline-project/

Sperm donor is child's legal father, Australian court rules:

An Australian sperm donor is the legal father of an 11-year-old girl when being actively involved in her life, Australia's top court has found.

The man had fought to stop the girl's biological mother and her wife from moving to New Zealand with the child.

It overturns a lower court's ruling that the man did not have such rights.

Experts say the case has significant implications because it widens the legal scope for who can be considered a parent in Australia.

The man's lawyer, Tahlia Bleier, said her client was elated after a five-year battle for recognition.

The ruling was also meaningful for "every father out there that has decided to raise a child with a friend as opposed to a romantic partner", she told the BBC.

The 49-year-old man and the child's mother, who was single at the time, had been friends when he agreed to donate his semen in 2006.

They arranged to raise the child together but the pair later had a falling out, his lawyers said. The woman's lawyers argued he was not the father.

However, the man was identified as a parent on the girl's birth certificate and she called him "Daddy".

On Wednesday, the the High Court of Australia ruled that he had the legal status of a parent, effectively preventing the family from moving to New Zealand.

The judgement said: "To characterise the biological father of a child as a 'sperm donor' suggests that the man in question has relevantly done no more than provide his semen to facilitate an artificial conception procedure on the basis of an express or implied understanding that he is thereafter to have nothing to do with any child born as a result of the procedure.

"Those are not the facts of this case."

The parties were not identified in court for legal reasons.

It makes clear legally that a man who has donated sperm to a single woman and has a role in the child's life may be a parent, said family law professor Fiona Kelly of La Trobe University.

But Prof Kelly said the decision did not address the level of involvement required, and as such it "opens the door for other scenarios".

"A lot of known donors are involved in children's lives to varying degrees, but they would not say they were the legal parents of the child - so this raises some alarm bells for donors," Prof Kelly told the BBC.

"The ruling resolves it for this particular family - but they are the exception rather than the rule. It is rare that a donor has his name on the birth certificate."

The case would prompt further questions in an area of intense legal uncertainty, agreed Prof Belinda Fehlberg of the University of Melbourne.

"There will be many families who will be looking very carefully at the reasoning of the High Court," she said.

Source: https://aderonkebamidele.com/sperm-donor-is-childs-legal-father-australian-court-rules/

Somadina Adinma now dating beauty Queen, Muna.

Somadina Adinma who allegedly lost Regina Daniels to billionaire lawmaker, Ned Nwoko, is now reportedly dating beauty queen Muna.

Somadina who is now reportedly dating beauty queen, Muna, has been seen making public appearances with the model on several occasions. Recall that he was present at the wedding of Regina Daniels to her husband,, Ned Nwoko. 

Photos below:




Source: https://aderonkebamidele.com/somadina-adinma-now-dating-beauty-queen-muna/

Comic Actor, Ijebuu meets with Hushpuppi in Dubai (Photo):

Yoruba comic  actor, Ijebuu wine and dine with the billionaire Gucci master, Hushpuppi In Dubai.




Source: https://aderonkebamidele.com/comic-actor-ijebuu-meets-with-hushpuppi-in-dubai-photo/

Xi Jinping visits N Korea to boost China's ties with Kim.

China's President Xi Jinping is heading to North Korea for a meeting with Kim Jong-un, in the first Chinese state visit to the North since 2005.

The two, who have met in China four times, are expected to discuss the stalled talks over the North's nuclear programme as well as economic problems.

China is hugely important to North Korea, as its main trading partner.

Mr Xi's visit comes a week before the G20 summit in Japan, where he is set to meet US President Donald Trump.

It will also be his first meeting with Mr Kim since the Trump-Kim meeting in Hanoi in February ended without any agreement on North Korean denuclearisation.

Mr Xi's two-day visit will be the first by any Chinese leader to North Korea in 14 years and Mr Xi's first since taking power in 2012.

It is being seen as a boost for Mr Kim, who has been struggling to maintain momentum after a flurry of diplomatic activity over the past year.

The two leaders will inevitably discuss the stalled nuclear negotiations and the collapse of the Hanoi summit.

Analysts say Mr Xi will want to know what happened and whether any way can be found to move things forward, information he could then share if he meets Mr Trump in Japan.

Although the visit was confirmed only earlier this week, Jenny Town, managing editor of US-based analysis site 38 North, says it is not a huge surprise that it is happening now, with the 70th anniversary of the two countries establishing diplomatic ties approaching.

She says there might be some "symbolic value" in the visiting taking place just before the G20 summit, but that it's "more of a bonus than a deciding factor".

China's main goal is stability in North Korea and economic co-operation, and ensuring that it remains a significant party in the negotiations over North Korea's nuclear programme.

The two communist-led states are old allies. But ties have been strained over the past decade, with Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions viewed critically by Beijing.

The official China Daily newspaper said on Wednesday that the visit would allow the two leaders to "agree on some concrete co-operation projects".

And in a rare front page editorial in North Korea's Rodong Sinmun newspaper on Wednesday, Mr Xi reiterated his support for nuclear talks, saying: "China supports North Korea for maintaining the right direction in resolving the issue of the Korean peninsula politically."

Source: https://aderonkebamidele.com/xi-jinping-visits-n-korea-to-boost-chinas-ties-with-kim/