Kevin Abosi Updates

Sunday, 17 April 2022

A South Carolina death row inmate picks a firing squad over the electric chair

A South Carolina prisoner scheduled to be the first man executed in the state in more than a decade has decided to die by firing squad rather than in the electric chair later this month, according to court documents filed Friday.

Five arrested in cocaine bust off Spain's Canary Islands

Two inmates at New Jersey’s Edna Mahan Correctional Facility have become pregnant after having sex with a transgender inmate. According to NJ.com,

South Africa’s flood-ravaged east was hit by more rain after the deadliest storm to strike the country in living memory killed nearly 400 people and left tens of thousands homeless.

A yacht linked to a Russian aluminium tycoon arrived in a bay near the southwestern Turkish resort of Gocek on Saturday, as more Russian billionaires head for Turkey to flee Western sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has observed the test firing of a “new type of tactical guided weapon” aimed at boosting the country’s nuclear capabilities, according to state media.

A middle-aged man, Sakiru Famuyiwa, was arrested on Good Friday for allegedly stealing two children during church service in the Ijeja area of Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Man in India dies by self-immolation after his boss asks for s*x with his wife in exchange for transfer

man in India has died by self-immolation after his boss reportedly demanded to have sex with his wife in exchanger for a transfer.

12 military impersonators arrested in Lagos, Ogun

Nigerian Army operatives have arrested over 12 suspected impersonators clad in military uniforms in Lagos and Ogun states.

Twenty six persons have been confirmed dead while search and rescue operation has continued for others involved in a boat mishap that occurred on Shagari River in Shagari local government area of Sokoto State on Tuesday evening.

Manchester City produced a disciplined performance to secure a fractious 0-0 draw at Atletico Madrid on Wednesday and reach the Champions League semi-finals 1-0 on aggregate.

More than $2.6M lost to cryptocurrency frauds in less than four months: RCMP

RICHMOND, B.C. - RCMP in Richmond, B.C., say they have received 22 reports of alleged cryptocurrency fraud since January with losses topping $2.6 million.

A statement from the detachment says Richmond residents are mainly being snared in one of three common scams.

Ajax boss Erik ten Hag is on the brink of being confirmed as Manchester United's new manager.

United say no deal has been done but sources in the Netherlands suggest an agreement in principle is in place.

In California, an army of genetically engineered mosquitoes awaits release. Will it backfire?

In the mosquito breeding rooms of British biotech company Oxitec, scientists line up fresh eggs, each the size of a grain of salt. Using microscopic needles, the white-coated researchers inject each egg with a dab of a proprietary synthetic DNA.

For four days, Oxitec technicians care for the eggs, watching for those that hatch into wriggling brown larvae. Those “injection survivors,” as the company calls them, face a battery of tests to ensure their genetic modification is successful.

Soon, millions of these engineered mosquitoes could be set loose in California in an experiment recently approved by the federal government.

Oxitec, a private company, says its genetically modified bugs could help save half the world’s population from the invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito, which can spread diseases such as yellow fever, chikungunya and dengue to humans. Female offspring produced by these modified insects will die, according to Oxitec’s plan, causing the population to collapse.

“Precise. Environmentally sustainable. Non-toxic,” the company says on its website of its product trademarked as the “Friendly” mosquito.

Scientists independent from the company and critical of the proposal say not so fast. They say unleashing the experimental creatures into nature has risks that haven’t yet been fully studied, including possible harm to other species or unexpectedly making the local mosquito population harder to control.

Even scientists who see the potential of genetic engineering are uneasy about releasing the transgenic insects into neighborhoods because of how hard such trials are to control.

“There needs to be more transparency about why these experiments are being done,” said Natalie Kofler, a bioethicist at Harvard Medical School who has followed the company’s work. “How are we weighing the risks and benefits?”

She pointed out that the possible benefits of the technology in California are lower than they would be in more tropical regions of the world where mosquito-borne disease outbreaks often threaten humans. California has never had a case in which an Aedes aegypti was found to transmit disease.

A captured Aedes aegypti mosquito is shown in 2016 at the Florida Mosquito Control District Office in Marathon, Fla.
(Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press)

Nathan Rose, Oxitec’s head of regulatory affairs, said the company chose California because the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes have spread rapidly after being discovered in the state about a decade ago. The tiny, aggressive day-biters can lay eggs in a space as small as a water-filled bottle cap left in the backyard.

Rose noted that the company found its mosquito reduced the population in a Brazilian neighborhood by 95% in just 13 weeks.

So far, Oxitec has released little of its data from that experiment or from a more recent release in the Florida Keys. It hasn’t yet published any of those results in a peer-reviewed scientific journal — publications that scientists expect when evaluating a new drug or technology.

On March 7, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that it had granted Oxitec a permit to release its transgenic insects on 29,400 acres in the counties of San Bernardino, Fresno, Stanislaus and Tulare.

The company plans to start the release in northern Tulare County in the Central Valley, where it has partnered with the local mosquito control district based in the city of Visalia.

The experiment must still be approved by the state Department of Pesticide Regulation.
Inserting synthetic DNA into mosquitoes

To create its mosquito, known as the OX5034, Oxitec started with Aedes aegypti captured in Mexico’s Chiapas state. Its scientists then inserted into the insects a synthetic DNA sequence they call the “self-limiting” gene.

When the engineered male mosquitoes are released into neighborhoods and mate with the wild bugs, the gene works to kill the female offspring, Oxitec said. The male progeny fly away to mate with more of the local mosquito population, further spreading the company’s gene, which it says is lethal only to the Aedes aegypti and not other species.

The company said that because it is releasing only males there is no danger of the public being bitten by an engineered insect. Only female mosquitoes bite and carry disease.

Oxitec scientists also inserted a fluorescent marker gene into the modified bugs. That gene produces a protein to make its mosquitoes glow when exposed to a specific color of light so that the company can track them.

Genetically modified aedes aegypti mosquitoes are held in a container before being released in Panama City in 2016.
(Arnulfo Franco / Associated Press)

The company plans to use the data from the California experiment to try to gain full commercial approval of its engineered mosquitoes from the EPA — a goal that would substantially increase the private company’s value. It uses the same technology in myriad other invasive pests, including the fall armyworm and the soybean looper, which it hopes to sell in the U.S. and around the world.

Oxitech is owned by Third Security, a private company in Virginia founded by billionaire Randal J. Kirk. The former lawyer became wealthy through founding and investing in pharmaceutical companies. He received more than $1 billion in 2007 when his company New River Pharmaceuticals and its attention deficit disorder drug called Vyvanse were purchased by Shire.

More recently, Kirk has focused on experimental products created through genetic engineering. Another of his investments is the genetically modified salmon created by the company AquaBounty to grow faster with less food. AquaBounty is now farm-raising the modified fish for commercial sale at facilities in Indiana and on Prince Edward Island.

Experiment in the Central Valley

When it comes to the environment, growing modified fish inside a factory raises different issues than releasing winged experimental creatures into the wild, which the company hopes to do soon in Tulare County if state regulators agree.

Oxitec has proposed releasing its mosquitoes at 48 different locations in the county. Under the plan, the company said it would release a maximum of 3.5 million mosquitoes a week.

“This is alarming,” said Angel Garcia, who lives near Visalia, where the first engineered bugs may be released. “Residents have not been consulted and they have not consented to being part of this.”

Garcia, who does outreach to local residents as part of his job for the nonprofit group Californians for Pesticide Reform, pointed to a hiring event that Oxitec hosted in Visalia on March 17. A company flyer said it was hiring field and lab technicians.

“It’s as if this is already a done deal,” he said.

Rose told The Times that the company was still waiting for state approval while also continuing with plans to build a research facility in Visalia to aid in the work...

Dozens dead in Philippines landslides, flooding: Authorities

MANILA: At least 24 people have been killed in landslides and flooding across central and southern Philippines, authorities said on Monday (Apr 11), after a storm dumped heavy rain and disrupted travel ahead of the Easter holidays.

Merseyside Police are investigating an alleged assault after Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo appeared to break a fan's phone.

Footage was shared on social media alongside comments claiming he smashed the device as he left the pitch after his side's 1-0 loss at Everton.

Ronaldo, 37, later apologised on social media.

Merseyside Police said they were investigating "reports of an alleged assault" at Goodison Park on Saturday.

A spokesperson said they were liaising with both Manchester United and Everton.

"As players were leaving the pitch at 2.30pm, it was reported that a boy was assaulted by one of the away team as they left the pitch," they added.

"Inquiries are under way and officers are currently working with Everton to review CCTV footage and are carrying out extensive witness enquiries to establish if an offence has taken place.

"Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact Merseyside Police social media desk via Twitter MerPolCC or Facebook Merseyside Police contact centre quoting reference number 228 of 9 April 2022."

Manchester United said they were aware of "an alleged incident" and would "co-operate with any police inquiries".

The result damaged United's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League and came against an Everton side who had been one point above the relegation zone before kick-off.

"It's never easy to deal with emotions in difficult moments such as the one we are facing," said Portugal international Ronaldo.

"Nevertheless, we always have to be respectful, patient and set the example for all the youngsters who love the beautiful game.

"I would like to apologise for my outburst and, if possible, I would like to invite this supporter to watch a game at Old Trafford as a sign of fair play and sportsmanship."

Monday, 11 April 2022

Australian election campaign begins, polls show opposition ahead

SYDNEY: Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison extended his lead as the country's preferred leader but his government could still lose the federal election to be held next month, a poll showed on Monday (Apr 11), the first day of the official campaign.

Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo on Sunday denied that his administration was attempting to delay the 2024 presidential elections after senior politicians including his close ally supported the idea of extending his stay in office beyond the two-term legal mandate.

Liverpool v Man City showdown was like watching heavyweight boxers, says Klopp

MANCHESTER, England : Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said watching his side going toe-to-toe with Premier League leaders Manchester City in their exhilarating 2-2 draw on Sunday was like watching two heavyweight boxers going at it.

KUALA LUMPUR: Sixteen Malaysians who were allegedly duped by lucrative job offers as customer service officers in Cambodia have been rescued, authorities said in a statement on Saturday (Apr 9).

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan has been ousted from power after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership.

The vote was held past midnight after opposition parties brought a motion against him, following days of drama.

The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, on Friday unveiled a new uniform for the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), adding to the agency’s array of uniforms.

French voters go to the polls on Sunday in the opening round of a presidential race that could become a cliffhanger.

Emmanuel Macron has a fight on his hands from far-right challenger Marine Le Pen, who has been galvanised by a slick election campaign.

An altercation inside a Miami high-rise between an Instagram influencer and her boyfriend turned deadly over the weekend.

Zimbabwe - Chaos as female teachers abandon their houses after being r*ped by se_x starved ‘snakes and goblins’

Randy goblins have unleashed a reign of terror in Nkayi’s Hojeni Village, with their insatiable se_xual attacks forcing teachers at Hojeni Primary School to flee their dwellings amid claims by villagers that the creatures belonged to villagers that sought wealth through black magic.

Dasha Zhukova, the daughter of a Russian oligarch and ex-wife of billionaire Roman Abramovich, has secretly moved to Sardinia with her new husband Stavros Niarchos, a Greek shipping heir, sources say.

Shane McMahon’s Son Commits to Play College Football

Photo credit: @ODmcmahon

The oldest grandchild to WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon announced this week that he is set to become a Hoosier. Declan, born on February 13, 2004, noted on Twitter that he visited with several schools in recent months, including Rutgers and Duke, but finally decided on Indiana this week.

China warned on Thursday it would take strong measures if U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan and said such a visit would severely impact Chinese-U.S. relations, following media reports she would go next week.

Roman Abramovich has bought a new club, with announcement expected on Friday

Chelsea chief Roman Abramovich has reportedly bought himself a new club, as a likely departure from Stamford Bridge edges closer.

Ex-Bournemouth striker Arnaut Danjuma was on target for the home side to stun the German champions.

Villarreal were superb from the outset and led inside 10 minutes when Danjuma stabbed in from close range.

Toddler fatally shoots 4-year-old sister at Pennsylvania gas station

A 2-year-old boy fatally shot his 4-year-old sister at a Pennsylvania gas station Tuesday, authorities said.

The children were in a car parked at a gas pump in Chester, south of Philadelphia, Chester police said in a statement.

Pakistan court adjourns hearing on PM's bid to stay in power

Pakistan's Supreme Court adjourned until Wednesday a hearing to decide the legality of Prime Minister Imran Khan's blocking of an opposition bid to oust him, a dispute that has led to political turmoil in the nuclear-armed country.

Vladimir stands on the edge of a mass grave in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv. He holds his hands to his head, then raises them up to the sky in anguish.

Nothing wrong taking care of Davido’s son — Ubi Franklin

In the wake of the slap given to American comedian, Chris Rock, by another American comedian and actor, Will Smith, during the recently concluded Academy Awards over a joke the former made about Smith’s wife,.

An early morning shooting left six people dead, according to Sacramento, Calif., police who reported there were “at least 15″ victims.

Sacramento Police reported that a four-block stretch was closed just after 3:30 a.m. local time “as officers investigate a shooting with multiple victims.”

Actor Will Smith has resigned from Hollywood's Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, saying on Friday that his slapping of presenter Chris Rock on stage at this year's Oscars ceremony was "shocking, painful and inexcusable."

US lawmaker resigns after conviction of lying about campaign donation from Nigerian billionaire

Jeff Fortenberry, US congressman from Nebraska, has resigned from office after being found guilty by a California jury of lying about an illegal campaign donation from a foreign national.

It is illegal in the US for foreign nationals to make contributions to campaigns.

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, said he dedicated a white garment church last September based on divine instruction.

Jerusalem Marathon 2022: Ukrainian refugee wins full marathon

The 11th annual Jerusalem Marathon began early Friday morning, kicked off by Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion firing the opening shot for the half marathon at 6:45 a.m. and the full marathon at 7:00 a.m.

Suspected N.Korea missile 'explodes in mid-air' after launch near Pyongyang

North Korea has begun testing its largest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system yet, U.S. and South Korean officials say, and may soon conduct a full ICBM launch for the first time since 2017.

Umahi withdraws stay of execution motion over Sack

Sacked Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi, on Wednesday, approached a Federal High Court (FHC). Abuja, to withdraw a stay of execution motion he filed due to a mistake in the application.

- U.S. President Joe Biden will make his first visit to Europe since the invasion of Ukraine to discuss the crisis with NATO allies next week, the White House said on Tuesday as the refugee tally hit 3 million amid more Russian air strikes.

A US astronaut will now be returning to earth - after fears his Russian lift home might not materialise.
It was originally thought Mark Vande Hei - who has been in space for 355 days - might be left behind due to heightened tensions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.