Tuesday, September 13, 2022

Donkey penises seized in smuggling operation between Nigeria & Hong Kong

Nigerian officials have seized thousands of donkey penises that were about to be exported to Hong Kong.
Although the seizure of donkey genitals is rare, donkey skins are known to be frequently exported or smuggled to countries like China where the skins are used in traditional medicines. 
This illegal trade is drastically diminishing the donkey population in Nigeria, where many rely on donkeys as work animals. 
A total of 16 sacks of genitals were seized last week at the international airport in Lagos, Nigeria's largest city. 
What's behind the illicit donkey-parts trade? 
British charity 
The Donkey Sanctuary estimates that some 4.8 million donkeys are trafficked and killed each year for their skins. 
Many are used to produce ejiao - a traditional Chinese remedy. 
In July, the Nigerian customs seized €114,000 worth of donkey skins being smuggled into the country from neighbouring Niger. 
Attempts to curb the practice have included a 2021 proposal by senators to ban the killing of donkeys. This is yet to be passed into law. 
"The major beneficiary in this trade is the donkey [skin] merchants in China," says Muhammad Datti, one of the federal lawmakers supporting the proposed ban. 
"This animal is facing extinction [in Nigeria] and it cannot breed in large numbers because of the very low rate of fertility." 
An investigation has been launched to find out more information about the seized items, according to the customs service.




Culled From Euro News.


Monday, September 12, 2022

VIDEO: Chelsea Clinton says she’s no longer friends with Ivanka Trump

Chelsea Clinton says she was friends with Ivanka Trump until ‘She went to the dark side'!
According to Complex

During Thursday’s episode of Watch What Happens Live, Chelsea was asked about Jared Kushner’s new book, Breaking History, in which he claimed Ivanka had reached out to Chelsea shortly after the 2016 presidential election. 
Kushner, who married Ivanka in 2009, said the former first daughter called Chelsea in an effort to arrange a dinner between the two families. 
Chelsea confirmed she spoke to Ivanka after Election Day, but didn’t recall any dinner invitation. 
Host Andy Cohen went on to press Chelsea about her and Ivanka’s relationship. 
“Were you guys, like, real good buddies?” he asked. 
“I would say we were friends,” Chelsea said. “I mean, she’s not the person I called when I was curious about something for my kids or if I was debating a life decision, um but we were definitely friends. And then she went to the dark side.” 
Chelsea appeared on the talk show alongside her mother, Hillary Clinton, who was defeated by Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential race. 
The two were promoting their new docu-series Gutsy, in which they interview trailblazing women from around the world. 
Gutsy includes conversations with figures like Kim Kardashian, Amy Schumer, Megan Thee Stallion, and Wanda Sykes. 
The eight-episode series premiered Friday on Apple TV+. 
You can check out the trailer below.



 


Photos: Dubai's Burj Khalifa & other UAE landmarks pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth

Yesterday, Sunday September 11, Dubai's Burj Khalifa paid tributes Queen Elizabeth II with a special lightshow.
PC: Ryan LIM
A video shared by the Burj Khalifa on Twitter showed the world’s tallest building displaying a picture the Queen followed by the UK flag. 
Queen Elizabeth II died on Thursday, September 8, after serving as Britain’s queen for 70 years. 
On Saturday, Abu Dhabi landmarks lit up in purple in respect of the Queen. Many international landmarks also paid homage to the Queen after her demise on Friday. Paris’s Eiffel Tower turned off its lights to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth on Saturday. In Australia, the famous Sydney Opera House had special illuminations on Saturday and Sunday.


Sunday, September 11, 2022

PHOTOS: Barack Obama & Michelle return to the White House to unveil their official portraits

POTUS44 , the former President Barack Obama and FLOTUS4, former first lady Michelle Obama’s official White House portraits were unveiled during an emotional ceremony at the White House on Wednesday — marking their first joint visit to the building since they left in 2017 and the return of a Washington tradition last celebrated 10 years ago. 
According to BET

“Barack and Michelle, welcome home,” said Biden at the ceremony, to greet the former First Couple. But his sharing the unveiling with the very president he served under was unusual. CBS News reports that it’s customary for presidents to host their predecessors to reveal their formal portraits. However, former President Donald Trump, during his presidency, declined to welcome the Obamas back to the White House during his single term in office. 

In 2012, the Obamas hosted former President George W. Bush and his wife Laura for the unveiling of their White House portraits. Artist Robert McCurdy painted the former president, and Sharon Sprung painted the former first lady. McCurdy is known for his photorealistic style. Sprung’s own photography provided the inspiration with which she painted her portrait. The image of the country’s first Black president depicts Obama in a black suit with a gray tie. 

Mrs. Obama wears a blue dress in her portrait. She is seated on a red sofa in the Red Room. 
In his usual jocular self-deprecating tone, Obama earned laughs when telling the audience how much he enjoyed the portraits. 
“I want to thank Sharon Sprung for capturing everything I love about Michelle: Her grace, her intelligence, and the fact that she’s fine!” He continued, “And I want to thank Robert McCurdy for taking on a much more difficult subject, and doing a fantastic job with mine.” 

Laughter from the crowd followed the former president’s remarks. The Obama Foundation released a video in advance of the official unveiling. McCurdy called his process an 18 month “marathon.” Sprung said she focused exclusively on Michelle Obama’s portrait for about nine months. 

These official White House portraits are commissioned by the White House Historical Association. 
The portraits that hang in the National Portrait Gallery, commissioned by the Smithsonian, were unveiled in 2018 to great fanfare. Americans have been able to view those paintings, as they have toured the nation since 2020. 

Kehinde Wiley, the artist famed for his paintings of Black people that reference the work of Old Master paintings, painted President Obama. 
Painter Amy Sherald, whose realistic style often challenges notions of race and identity, painted Mrs. Obama. 

Official White House portraits tend to conform to traditional and realistic style. The unveiling marked Michelle Obama’s first visit to the White House since the Obama family left the White House in 2017. 

The former president returned to the White House in April to commemorate the anniversary of the passage of the Affordable Care Act.
































Friday, September 9, 2022

PHOTOS: Queen Elizabeth dies & Jeff Bezos & Nigerian professor, Uju Anya fight dirty online

Her son Charles, the former Prince of Wales, is now King Charles III, as the world grieves his mother, Britain's longest-reigning monarch.
All Her Majesty's children had rushed to Balmoral yesterday after doctors became 'concerned' for her health. 
Hours later she died, surrounded by her family. 
At 6.30pm her death was confirmed. 
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said:
'The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow'. 
The Queen's death will see Britain and her Commonwealth realms enter into a ten-day period of mourning as millions of her subjects in the UK and abroad come to terms with her passing. Her coffin will be moved to London on the royal train via Edinburgh before she lies in state in Westminster Hall in the Houses of Parliament for four days. Hundreds of thousands of people will be able to pay their respects. 
The state funeral is expected take place at Westminster Abbey in central London on Monday, September 19, which will be attended by her bereft family as well as 2,000 heads of state, prime ministers and presidents, European royals and key figures from public life around the globe. 
And as her son accedes to the throne, there will also be a celebration of her historic 70-year reign that saw her reach her Platinum Jubilee this year - a landmark unlikely to be reached again by a British monarch. Charles, who will reign as King Charles III, said today: '

The death of my beloved mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family. 
'We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world. 'During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held.' Tributes are already pouring in for Her Majesty, to many the greatest Briton in history and undoubtedly the most famous woman on earth. To billions around the world she was the very face of Britishness. 

Liz Truss hailed the Queen, who appointed her as the 15th Prime Minister of her reign on Tuesday, said: 'Queen Elizabeth II was the rock on which modern Britain was built. Our country has grown and flourished under her reign. Britain is the great country it is today because of her.' 

US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden said the Queen was 'more than a monarch' and that she 'defined an era'. 

A White House statement said: 
'In a world of constant change, she was a steadying presence and a source of comfort and pride for generations of Britons, including many who have never known their country without her. She, in turn, dedicated her whole life to their service'.

While this was ongoing, a Pennsylvania-based Nigerian professor, Uju Anya, on Thursday, traded words with Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos over Queen Elizabeth II. 
Uju made some scathing and unbecoming remarks about the British monarch after news broke of her demise. 
In a now deleted tweet, she wrote; ”I heard the chief monarch of a thieving raping genocidal empire is finally dying. May her pain be excruciating.” 

Bezos, who came across her tweet and thought it was distasteful, made reference to her being a lecturer that is supposed to make the world a better place. 
He quoted her tweet and wrote; ‘This is someone supposedly working to make the world better? I don’t think so. Wow.” 
But in response, Uju rained insults on the Forbes billionaire, both in Igbo and English language. 
”Otoro gba gbue gi. May everyone you and your merciless greed have harmed in this world remember you as fondly as I remember my colonizers,” she tweeted.
Ex-England Footballer Trevor Sinclair and Nigerian Afro Beat artist and saxophonist, Seun Anikulapo-Kuti also sparked outrage over comments after the Queens death. 
“Racism was outlawed in England in the 60's & it's been allowed to thrive so why should black and brown mourn!!” 
The former footballer has since deactivated his Twitter account. 

Seun Anikulapo-Kuti wrote:




May Queen Elizabeth's soul rest in perfect peace- AMEN.

Thursday, September 8, 2022

Prayers up for Queen Elizabeth! All her children are now by her side amid health concern

All of Queen Elizabeth's four children including daughter Princess Anne and youngest son Prince Edward are now at Balmoral Castle in Scotland with the British monarch, ITV reported on Thursday.
Doctors are concerned about the health of Britain's Queen Elizabeth and have recommended the 96-year-old remains under medical supervision, Buckingham Palace said on Thursday, with immediate family travelling to be by her side. Britain's Prince Charles and Prince William have also travelled to Queen Elizabeth's residence at Balmoral Castle in Scotland following the news. 
"Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have travelled to Balmoral," a Clarence House spokesperson said. The queen, Britain's longest reigning sovereign and the world's oldest monarch, has been suffering from what Buckingham Palace has called "episodic mobility problems" since the end of last year. 
She has been forced to cut back on her public engagements since then and on Wednesday cancelled a planned virtual meeting with senior ministers after being advised to rest by her doctors. "Following further evaluation this morning, The Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision," the palace said in a statement. "The queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral." 
A palace source said immediate members had been informed and played down speculation that the monarch had suffered a fall. 
The previous day she had been pictured appointing Liz Truss as the country's new prime minister at her Scottish home, Balmoral Castle. Truss said “the whole country will be deeply concerned by the news from Buckingham Palace this lunchtime.” “My thoughts — and the thoughts of people across our United Kingdom — are with Her Majesty The Queen and her family at this time,” she said on Twitter.








Wednesday, September 7, 2022

Photos: What's up with the one-word tweets by BIG global brands? Even the Dubai Crown Prince joins the trend!

A bizarre new trend seems to have taken over Twitter, leaving the internet in splits.
Taking the word limit a bit too seriously perhaps, corporate brands across the globe have been posting single-word tweets on the microblogging platform since Thursday, September 1st, 2022. 
It seems to have begun with Amtrak posting a tweet saying "trains". 
The tweet quickly picked up pace and went viral shortly after. With more than 19,000 retweets, it didn't take too long for other brands and celebrities to jump on the bandwagon. Big brands like NBC Entertainment and Hyundai tweeted words crucial to their brands: shows, cars etc. 
The world's biggest coffee chain, Starbucks, tweeted the word "coffee". 
It also went a step further by interacting with most replies with single words. 
One user tweeted "venti iced chai latte", the brand replied with the word "best".


The Dubai Crown Prince today posted a one-word tweet. 
"Dubai," tweeted Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on Wednesday. 
And within minutes, the tweet has amassed hundreds of likes, with several retweeting it.
The Dubai Police et al added an extra word and a character to the trend: