Forbes 2017 Ranking: See List of Top 10 Richest Billionaires in the World

Forbes has released list richest billionaires in the world which has seen Bill Gates retain the number one spot.

Members of the 2017 Forbes list of billionaires, from top left: Chobani founder Hamdi Ulukaya, VietJet 

 

It was a record year for the richest people on earth, as the number of billionaires jumped 13% to 2,043 from 1,810 last year, the first time ever that Forbes has pinned down more than 2,000 ten-figure-fortunes. Their total net worth rose by 18% to $7.67 trillion, also a record. The change in the number of billionaires -- up 233 since the 2016 list -- was the biggest in the 31 years that Forbes has been tracking billionaires globally. Gainers since last year’s list outnumbered losers by more than three to one.  

 

Bill Gates is the number one richest for the fourth year in a row, and the richest person in the world for 18 out of the past 23 years. He has a fortune of $86 billion, up from $75 billion last year. Amazon’s Jeff Bezos had the best year of any person on the planet, adding $27.6 billion to his fortune; now worth $72.8 billion, he moved into the top three in the world for the first time, up from number five a year ago.

 

Warren Buffett had the second-best year, and the biggest gain since Donald Trump was elected president in November 2016. His $14.8 billion jump in 12 months was enough for him to grab back the number two spot from Amancio Ortega, founder of Spanish clothing chain Zara. Ortega’s fortune was up $4.3 billion since last year, but he still fell to fourth in the world, unable to keep up with the outsize gains of others.

 

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg moved up to number five for the first time, after his fortune rose $11.4 billion in 12 months. Meanwhile Carlos Slim Helu of Mexico, once the world’s richest man, fell to number six, the first time he’s been out of the top five in a dozen years.

 

There were 195 newcomers. Mainland China had the most new ten-figure fortunes with 76. The U.S. was second with 25. Notable newbies include Patagonia sportswear founder Yvon Chouinard; Viking Cruises founder Torstein Hagen of Norway; U.S. hedge fund tycoon Cliff Asness and two of his partners; and John and Patrick Collison, Irish citizens who cofounded San Francisco-based Stripe, which enables online payments. John Collison, age 26, is now the world’s youngest self-made billionaire, just two months younger than Snapchat’s Evan Spiegel. The Collisons are two of just four self-made billionaires in their 20s (the other two are the Snapchat cofounders). There are 56 billionaires under age 40, down from 66 last year, after some aged out and others dropped below the $1 billion mark.

 

New Australian billionaire Manny Stul may not be a familiar name yet, but his popular Shopkins, grocery-inspired plastic collectibles with names like Kris P. Lettuce and Posh Pear, are a huge hit with American kids.

 

There are also 15 new self-made women, all but one of whom are from Asia Pacific. That includes 10 from China and the first ever from Vietnam, Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, who took her budget airline, VietJet Air, public in February 2017. The sole American self-made woman newcomer is Thai Lee, who was born in Thailand but moved to the U.S. as a child and now runs tech reseller SHI, reportedly the nation’s largest woman-owned business by sales. Altogether there are 227 women on list, including 10 who cofounded or own businesses with a spouse or a brother and thus share the fortune.

 

The U.S. continues to have more billionaires than any other nation, with a record 565, up from 540 a year ago. China is catching up with 319. (Hong Kong has another 67, and Macau 1.) Germany has the third most with 114 and India, with 101, the first time it has had more than 100, is fourth.

 

Seventy-eight people fell off the list, including 33 from China, 7 Americans and 9 who are still super wealthy but share their wealth among extended family members and therefore are not eligible for these ranks. Additionally, 20 billionaires died in the past year, including Enterprise car rental founder Jack Taylor and Michael Ilitch, who launched Little Caesar’s pizza with his wife, Marian.  

Top 10 Billionaires in the World

 

#1. Bill Gates

#2. Warren Buffett

#3. Jeff Bezos

#4. Amancio Ortega

#5. Mark Zuckerberg

#6. Carlos Slim Helu

#7. Larry Ellison

#8. Charles Koch

#8. David Koch

#10. Michael Bloomberg

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Lifeless Body of Bishop (Mgr Jean Marie Benoît Balla) Found in River Sanaga ( Warning Graphics Photos)

The lifeless body of the Bishop of Bafia has been found in River Sanaga after two days of serious search.  Mgr Jean Marie Benoît Balla did the unthinkable after he reportedly jumped into a river leaving behind a suicide note which reads" I am in water".

Archbishop of Bafia, Cameroon, Mgr Jean Marie Benoît Balla 

The Catholic church community in Cameroon are in mourning and praying after the bishop of Bafia, is suspeced to have jumped into the Sanaga River around the Ebebda Bridge.

 The Catholic community launched a search for the clergyman after his Land Cruiser SUV with registration plate number CE 9503V was found on the Ebebda bridge Wednesday afternoon- about 90km from Yaounde.

Reports say the lifeless body of the Bishop were immediately taken to Yaounde. Reports say villagers carried out sacrifices asking the gods of the water to bring out the body of the drowned Bishop. Expressionists have described the unthinkable suspected act of alleged suicide as a miracle as many continue to wonder what might have pushed the one is supposedly is more closer to God to throw himself in water.

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Trump Dashes Israel's Hope of Moving Capital to Jerusalem

The decision of Israel to move its capital to Jerusalem may have been dashed following his Trump's latest decision.

President Donald Trump

 

President Donald Trump has signed the waiver keeping the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv and avoiding a controversial move to Jerusalem for now.

 The move, which the White House said was made in an effort to spur peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian officials, was expected but breaks with a promise Trump made during the 2016 campaign.

 “President Trump made this decision to maximise the chances of successfully negotiating a deal between Israel and the Palestinians, fulfilling his solemn obligation to defend America’s national security interests,” the White House statement said. “But, as he has repeatedly stated his intention to move the embassy, the question is not if that move happens, but only when.”

 One senior administration official told CNN: “As you have seen the President say, in the region and here in Washington, he thinks this is a hopeful moment for peace and he has committed his administration to try to facilitate progress towards peace and for that reason, he signed the waiver.”

 Trump promised throughout the 2016 campaign that he would move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, an action the Israeli government has long advocated.

“We will move the American embassy to the eternal capital of the Jewish people, Jerusalem,” he said in a March 2016 speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

 But after Trump entered the White House, he and his aides began to realise the fragile situation that surrounds any possible peace talks in the Middle East.

 Trump, after visiting both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the Middle East last month, he believes peace between the two could be at hand.

 A senior administration official told CNN Thursday that the embassy will move when conditions are right.

 “It is not a permanent thing,” the official added. “For him, it is a matter of when not if the U.S. embassy is moved to Jerusalem.”

 The official added that this decision was made to “keep the peace process going.”

 Signing the waiver this week forestalls any move for another six months. Every U.S. president has signed such a waiver twice a year after a law was passed in 1995 mandating the relocation of the embassy to Jerusalem.

 One official said that “all parties” — meaning both Israeli and Palestinian leaders — have been notified that the embassy would be staying in Tel Aviv.

 The official also defended the fact that Trump not moving the embassy was breaking a key campaign promise.

 “The campaign promise is that the United States is going to take this action and that it is a question of when and not if,” the official said.

 

-CNN

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EU to Spend Billions on Climate Issues

A European budget could put billions of dollars behind climate-related efforts. File Photo by symbiot/Shutterstock

June 1 (UPI) -- The European Union is planning to spend tens of billions on climate-related issues by 2020, EU sources said ahead of the U.S. announcement Thursday on the Paris agreement.

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to announce his intention Thursday to start the process of pulling out of the international climate accord.

Speaking from Berlin on Wednesday, European President Jean-Claude Juncker stressed that leaving the treaty isn't automatic.

"The climate agreement says: It takes three, four years after the treaty took effect in November 2016 to withdraw from the agreement," he said. "This means that the illusion that one could simply disappear into thin air, will not happen. The law is the law, and it must be complied with by everyone."

From the campaign trail last year, Trump pledged to pull the United States out of the agreement, but waffled on his stance early in 2017. Nevertheless, he suggested on social media that leaving the climate deal would be part of his broader national economic agenda that puts U.S. interests first.

From among his critics, U.S. Sens. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and Jack Reed, D-R.I., said the Paris treaty has implications that extend beyond the climate and the environment.

"Leaving the Paris agreement would damage relationships with our allies and weaken American leadership on the global stage," they wrote in a letter to Trump.

During his first visit overseas since taking office, the president took a more measured approach as his European counterparts pressed him on trade issues and the climate accord. He still drew criticism from his counterparts, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Germany accounts for nearly 23 percent of all emissions tied to fossil fuels in the EU, though it has one of the region's greener economies. Eurostat, the record-keeping arm of the EU, reported a preliminary bloc-wide estimate for carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels declined 0.4 percent compared with last year.

Speaking from Brussels, European officials said the effort to advance a low-carbon economy had considerable economic support. A framework through 2020 calls for about 20 percent of the EU budget to be used on climate-related issues.

Over the framework's six-year period, which started in 2014, about $224 billion could be allocated to climate action measures, an EU source told UPI.

Last week, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said the net impact from pro-climate policies for the Group of 20 industrialized economies, which includes the U.S. and the European economies, would be a gain of about 1 percent for gross domestic production by 2021.

The G20 countries account for 85 percent of global GDP and 80 percent of the emissions of carbon dioxide, a harmful greenhouse gas. If the efforts to avoid climate change result in a reduction of damage like coastal flooding, the OECD said the net gain would be about 5 percent for global GDP by 2050.

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Catholic Priest (Bishop) Commits Suicide

A Catholic Priest and hbishop of Bafia in the Centre region, His Lordship Jean Marie Benoit Balla has allegedly committed suicide by drowning self in river Sanaga. It is reported that his car was found parked at the Ebedda bridge and a note found in it. The note according to reports reads "don't be worried, am inside water". An atmosphere of doom now looms in Bafia as Christians in their numbers continue to pray for the Man of God.

 Tongues are still waging as to what pushed him into that act as investigations have been opened. The Senior Divisional Officer of Mbam and Inoubou, Tchoffo Maurice is quoted to have said that, a priest of that locality was the one who saw and recognised the Bishop's car by 1pm yesterday May 31, 2017 before calling his attention. At Press time, the search for the missing Bishop continues in river Sanaga..

Administration, church officials at Ebedda bridge

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North Korea Tests Another Powerful Ballistic Missile

In order to maintain air superiority, North Korea has tested a powerful ballistic missile early Monday.

North Korea tests a ballistic missile, reports Yonhap

 

North Korea has fired what appears to be a ballistic missile early Monday, South Korea’s military said, according to Yonhap.

 The unidentified missile was fired from near the North Korean coastal city of Wonsan, Seoul’s Joint Chief of Staff (JCS) said. The missile flew in a easterly direction, sources said. South Korean President Moon Jae-in ordered officials to hold a meeting of national security council at 7:30 a.m.

 The North Korean leader recently inspected the test-fire of a new type of anti-aircraft guided weapon system, ordering its mass-production and deployment to bolster its air supremacy, Pyongyang’s state media said Sunday.

 The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Kim Jong-un watched “the successful test” organized by the Academy of National Defence Science, without revealing the date and location.

Kim told the Korean People’s Army (KPA) officials and those at the academy that the weapon system’s capability has been upgraded compared with last year in terms of efficiency to detect and track targets, as well as strike accuracy, according to the KCNA.

Kim previously guided the test of an anti-air guided weapon system in April 2016, and the latest test appears to be focusing on improving its surface-to-air guided missiles deployed last year.

“Some defects in the weapon system, discovered last year, were perfectly overcome to stand the test,” Kim was quoted as saying in English by the KCNA. “This weapon system, whose operation capability has been thoroughly verified, should be mass-produced to deploy in all over the country like forests so as to completely spoil the enemy’s wild dream to command the air, boasting of air supremacy and weapon almighty.”

Kim also emphasized that the communist nation should also pursue the development of a “next generation” anti-aircraft guided weapon system, according to the KCNA.

The KCNA said Kim was accompanied by Hwang Pyong-so, director of the general political bureau of the KPA, and Ri Yong-gil, vice chief of the KPA general staff.

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Former First Lady Turns Preacher, Opens Own Church

A former first lady and popular businesswoman who had maintained a low profile after her dramatic divorce, is now a preacher at a South Africa-based church.

Locadia

 

According to multiple online reports, Locadia Tembo Karimatsenga, who is a former first lady of Zimbabwe, is now a preacher at a South Africa-based church, Nation of Glory Ministries.

 The pretty lady who was married to Morgan Tsvangirai for just 12 days, was seen in a flyer advertising a church crusade in Johannesburg in which Karimatsenga is the convener.

 The flyer of the crusade “promises signs and wonders, miracles and lots of worship and sharing of the word.”

 

The church flyer

 

The church’s press secretary, Brilliant Pongo confirmed to a reporter that Karimatsenga was the founder of the ministry whose primary goal was empowering the community and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.

“Apostle has such a big passion for the gospel and her mission is to do good in the community, so this is why she has set up the Glory Night crusades.

“However, she is not restricted to one geographic place. Her passion for God’s work means she will go to any part of the world that God wants her to go. She loves Zimbabwe and that is a place that she hopes to hold Glory Night crusades.

“Through her selflessness, she has always been dedicated to serving others. She has found it to be a joy to serve God.

“The South African public have taken kindly to her and the ministry. The public has been very supportive of her calling and the ministry is growing profoundly.”

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Paul Pogba Goes to Mecca for Hajj

Manchester United star, Paul Labile Pogba has showed off pictures as he performs lesser Hajj in Mecca.

Paul Labile Pogba in Mecca performing lesser hajj

 

World’s most expensive player Paul Labile Pogba has ignited the internet with posts that revealed his religion as Islam.

 The Manchester United midfielder in a post on Twitter on Sunday wished muslims a happy Ramadan. He wrote: Ramadan Kareem…Bon Ramadan.

 In an  Instagram, Pogba shows himself in Mecca performing the lesser Hajj, known as Umra and with the Kabbah as backdrop, the Frenchman says: ‘most beautiful thing I have seen in my life’.

 He did not indicate when he performed the Umra. The post has however drawn over 1.5 million likes.

 Pogba was  born 15 March 1993 in a place in Paris called Lagny-sur-Marne. As a professional footballer,  he also plays for France  as a central midfielder and is comfortable playing both in attack and defence.

 

Pogba and his mom who introduced him to Islam

 

Unknown to many of his fans, Pogba is not just a practising muslim, but a devout one.

He was said to have been introduced to the faith by his mother, Yeo Moriba, who he described as his inspiration.

 Yoriba, according to a report by Quora raised Pogba and his twin brothers all  alone by  in an estate near Paris. Drugs were rife near their home in Roissy-en-Brie, but she kept them clean. Pogba is not the only famous footballer, who is a muslim.

 Karim Benzema, Marouane Fellaini, Eden Hazard,  Xherdan Shaqiri, Adnan Januzaj, Mesut Ozil are also muslims.

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Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg Gets Harvard Degree

Facebook founder and billionaire, Mark Zuckerberg has been honoured with an honorary doctor of Law Degree from Harvard after dropping out of school 12 years ago.

Zuckerberg, seated beside actor James Earl Jones, received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree

 

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has returned to Harvard University under rainy skies to give a graduation speech and receive an honorary degree.

 

The world's fifth-richest person, worth $62.3bn (£48.1bn), famously dropped out of Harvard after launching the global social-networking website.

 

Mr Zuckerberg called for students to "not only create new jobs, but create a new sense of purpose". Political experts think he may be positioning himself to run for office. During his remarks on Thursday, Mr Zuckerberg told graduates that "we live in an unstable time".

"There's pressure to turn inwards," he said about those that feel left behind by increased globalisation.

 

"This is the struggle of our time. The forces of freedom, openness and global community against the forces of authoritarianism, isolationism and nationalism."

 

With his wife, Priscilla, in the audience, he pointed to the dormitory where he launched Facebook, and remarked that meeting her there was the best thing to happen to him at the university.

 

Before giving remarks, he received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree during Harvard's 366th graduation ceremony. On Wednesday, he did a Facebook Live broadcast from his old dorm room.

 

"This is literally where I sat," he says, pointing to a small wooden desk and chair inside Kirkland House, which is due to be renovated over the summer.

 

"I had my little laptop here. And this is where I programmed Facebook," he tells the camera.

 

During his commencement address, Mr Zuckerberg told students: "There is something wrong with our system when I can leave here and make billions of dollars in ten years when millions of students can't afford to pay off their loans, let alone start a business.

 

"When you don't have the freedom to take your idea and turn it into a historic enterprise we all lose," he continued.

 

He told stories of meeting "children in juvenile detention and opioid addicts, who told me their lives could have turned out differently if they just had something to do".

 

The 33-year-old appeared to get choked up at one point during a story about an high school student who feared he would not be able to enrol in university because he was an undocumented immigrant.

 

More than 1.9 billion people log onto Facebook every day. Since its launch in 2004, Facebook has inspired many other social media competitors, including Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram. In 2007 another Harvard dropout returned for an honorary degree.

 

Bill Gates addressed students shortly after stepping down from the world's largest software company, Microsoft, to launch to focus on his charity.

 

-BBC

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Congo's Ebola Outbreak Threatens CAR - WHO

There is the high possibility of the Ebola virus spreading into the neigbouring CAR from Congo due to the boundary being shared.

 

File Photo

 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday warned that an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo could spread to the neighbouring Central African Republic (CAR).

 Militia violence has forced thousands of people to flee across the border to CAR.

 Two cases of the virus have been confirmed by the WHO in Congo’s remote northeastern Bas-Uele province since early May. Four people have died so far among the 43 suspected and confirmed cases. Experts said that the affected area’s isolation, it is about 1,400 km from the capital Kinshasa, has helped contain the spread of the highly contagious hemorrhagic fever.

 The WHO said, yet recent attacks by Christian militias in CAR’s border town of Bangassou have driven about 2,750 people into Bas-Uele, raising the risk that the Ebola outbreak could spread across the border. “There is a big concern about Ebola spreading to Central African Republic after this displacement,” said Michel Yao, the WHO’s representative in the CAR.

 “We are worried as the refugees are close to the epicenter of the outbreak,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation, adding they could become infected and carry the virus back home. Yao said, while this latest Ebola outbreak is Congo’s eighth, the most of any country, CAR lacks experience in dealing with such an epidemic, and its health system is weak after four years of conflict.

According to aid agencies, more than two thirds of its health facilities have been damaged or destroyed by the violence since 2013, when mainly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power, triggering reprisals by Christian “anti-balaka” militias.

 WHO added that CAR set up an Ebola treatment center and rapid response team following the West Africa epidemic, which killed more than 11,300 people between 2014 and 2016, mostly in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

 Yao said: “there is very limited capacity outside of Bangui (the capital) and it is difficult to travel around the country due to the insecurity. “We are concerned about how easily Ebola may spread if it arrives in the CAR.”

 The UN agency said health authorities in Congo are monitoring about 365 people who came into contact with sufferers and have dispatched mobile laboratories to the area to speed up testing of people who display symptoms.

 Asked about the potential for using an experimental vaccine, the WHO on May 19 said the logistics were “complex” but that it was working with Congo’s government and regulatory authorities.

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Pigeon 'Arrested' After Being Caught Smuggling 200 Ecstasy Pills Into Kuwait

A pigeon was caught trying to smuggle drugs into Kuwait after local authorities tracked the bird's flight through neighbouring Iraq, then nabbed it on the border.

 Security operatives in Kuwait have caught a bird (Pigeon) dubbed 'rats of the sky', with a backpack full of ecstasy tablets strapped to its back, in what is believed to be the newest drug smuggling technique used by traffickers.

 According to a report by Dailymail, pictures of the pigeon after its 'arrest' show the the grey bird and the bag on its back, and once the backpack was opened up, close to 200 small, white pills were seen spilling out.

 The bird which was sent by traffickers, had reportedly began its smuggling route in Iraq and was tracked by authorities on its way to Kuwait.

 

 

The bird was caught by authorities after being spotted flying around an inner-city office block.

 The plight of the pigeon has captured the attention of the internet, with users calling it a 'flight risk' and urging authorities not to grant it bail.

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Messi Likely to Go to Prison after Convicted of Tax Fraud

The leadership of Spanish club, Barca has thrown its full weight of support behind superstar forward, Messi as he is convicted of tax fraud.

 

Lionel Messi

 

Barcelona have expressed their support for Argentine striker Lionel Messi and his father after the Spanish Supreme Court upheld their prison sentences over tax fraud charges.

 Five-time World Player of the Year winner Messi, who has been at Barcelona since the age of 13, was handed a 21-month prison sentence and fined 2 million euros ($2.25 million) for three counts of tax fraud between 2007 and 2009.

 “The club reiterates, once again, its full support for Leo Messi, his father Jorge Messi, and his family,” a statement on the club’s official website read.

“FC Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu contacted the player’s family to communicate this support.

 “The family was very grateful, not only for today’s gesture, but also for the support the player and his family have received from the club throughout this process. The club will continue to stand with Leo Messi, his father, and his family.”

 Argentine international Messi has scored 506 goals in 582 senior appearances for Barcelona, winning eight league titles and four Champions League trophies.

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Egypt Bans Al Jazeera Website, 20 Others...See Details

The website of the Qatari-owned Al-Jazeera television network and several others, were reportedly blocked on Wednesday in Egypt.

File photo

 

Egypt has banned 21 websites, including the main website of Qatar-based al Jazeera television, for “supporting terrorism”, state news agency MENA and security sources said on Wednesday.

Reuters tried to access five websites named by local Egyptian newspapers and broadcasters, including the Al Jazeera website, and found them all inaccessible.

There was no immediate official comment available. An official from the National Telecom Regulatory Authority could not confirm or deny the news, but said: “So what if it is true? It should not be a problem.”

MENA cited a senior security source as saying the websites, which also included some Egypt-focused websites hosted abroad such as Masr Al Arabiya that the government says are financed by Qatar, were blocked because they supported terrorism.

 “A senior security source said 21 websites have been blocked inside Egypt for having content that supports terrorism and extremism as well (as) publishing lies,” MENA said.

 The security source said legal action would be taken against the websites, MENA reported.

 Two security sources told Reuters the websites were blocked for being affiliated with the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood or for being funded by Qatar.

 Cairo accuses Qatar of supporting the Brotherhood, which was ousted from power in Egypt in 2013 when the military removed elected Islamist President Mohamed Mursi following mass protests against his rule.

 However, Mada Masr, an Egyptian news website based inside the country which describes itself as progressive and has no Islamist or Qatari affiliations, was also inaccessible on Wednesday.

 The Huffington Post’s Arabic website also was inaccessible, although the international version was accessible.

 Mada and the Huffington Post were not named by security sources – who said there were 21 websites but named only five – as part of the list of blocked websites.

 The block follows similar actions taken earlier on Wednesday by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates who got into a war of words with Qatar and blocked Al Jazeera and other websites.

 Qatar said hackers had posted fake remarks by its emir against U.S. foreign policy but the Saudi and UAE state-run media reported the comments anyway.

 

-NAN

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Gambian Government Confiscates 86 Bank Accounts, 131 Properties Owned By Yahaya Jammeh

The former Gambian dictator, Yahya Jammeh, has landed in more trouble as the nation confiscates his bank accounts and properties.

Yahya Jammeh

 

The Gambian government has confiscated assets 86 bank accounts and 131 properties owned by the country's former dictator, Mr. Yahya Jammeh, as investigations into his illegally acquired wealth intensifies, SaharaReporters reports.

 This was disclosed by the country's Justice Minister, Mr. Aboubaccar Tambedou, on Monday.

 The new Gambian government, headed by Mr. Adama Barrow, has accused Mr. Jammeh of large-scale fraud, including theft of public funds during his 22-year rule, which was terminated via an electoral defeat in December and subsequent exile in January.

 Since being forced into exile, Mr. Jammeh has fallen off the radar and has continually avoided answering journalists' queries about the accusations against him.

 "The government has obtained a court order to freeze and place temporary hold on all of Jammeh's known assets and companies directly linked to him," Mr. Tambedou said.                            

 A total of 14 companies registered in the former dictator's name were confiscated along with livestock and cars. The Solicitor-General of The Gambia, Mr. Cherno Marenah, disclosed that a commission of inquiry would be set up in June to decide what will become of the seized assets.                                           

Mr. Jammeh, disclosed the Solicitor-General, withdrew an estimated $50 million from the country's Central Bank between 2006 and 2016. This sum funded his lush lifestyle complete with a private jet, a mansion in the United States and a fleet of luxury cars.                                                           

An investigation by Reuters in 2012 and 2013 discovered $8 million in a bank account opened in the name of the Jammeh Foundation for Peace, an alleged charity he founded. It was also discovered that the money flowed into Mr. Jammeh's private accounts, not to any project undertaken by the foundation.

 The country's Justice Ministry has also opened investigations into the purported charity.

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Christ Embassy Pastor in Toruble over Pregnancy Scandal

A 16-years old girl is lying critically ill with heavy bleeding coming from her private part after she was induced with a fourth abortion by a minister at Christ Embassy Church in Lagos.

File photo

 

Rev. Sunday Olisa who is a pastor of the Believers Love World Ministry popularly known as Christ Embassy Church, is currently trouble after being accused of alleged s*xual molestation of his 16-year-old housemaid which resulted in four pregnancies and abortions.

 According to a report by P.M Express, the 16-years old orphan victim is lying critically ill with heavy bleeding coming from her private after she was induced with uncompleted abortion by his benefactor who is a minister at Christ Embassy Church Egbe branch in Lagos.

 It was gathered that the incident happened at No. 6 Dolamo Street in Agodo Egbe in Ikotun area of Lagos where the pastor reside with the victim and family.

 The operatives of the Nigerian Police at Area M Idimu Command, have already started manhunt for the cleric after he reportedly escaped mob action from the residents over the incident.

 While speaking with a correspondent, the teenage victim who is in a hospital bed, narrated her ordeal and how he started living with Olisa through her uncle, George Aguba.

 She said her mother was from Mali and married her father who was from Kwale in Delta State, adding that they were three sibling and their parents died when she was 10 and their uncle decided to take them back to Kwale before Olisa offered to assist and took her to his house.

 She said ”when i was 10, Olisa will call me inside his bedroom where nobody was around and drugged me and r*ped me severally”.

 She said it had continued and when she attempted to report to the leaders of the church, they shut her up and told her to endure and not complain because Olisa was sponsoring her education.

 The victim revealed further that Olisa had taken her to different hospitals whenever he impregnated her for abortions and it has been like for the past six years, adding that she was frustrated and her movement regimented and was not allowed to meet her relations including her uncle, George.

 On why she was in the hospital, the helpless victim, said Olisa impregnated her and wanted to cover it up and took her to a doctor where they carried out an abortion and brought her home.

She said after the abortion which was the 4th, she started having heavy bleed and she became afraid and came out from and street and raised alarm before she collapsed and taken to a hospital where the doctors have been battling to save her life.

 She said the doctor said the abortion was not completed which caused the heavy bleeding coming from her private, adding that she does not know her fate if she will survive and discharged from the hospital because he has no contact again with his uncle who did not know what she was passing through.

 When a reporter went to the resident where Olisa lives, the residents confirmed the incident and rained curses on Olisa.

 As at the time of filing this report, there is no officials response from the Church, but some of the members expressed shock over the matter and was helping the police in their investigations.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Detained Consortium Leaders Maybe Granted Judicial Supervision

The Consortium leaders and about 25 appeared in court in Yaounde last. Prospects were high that they could be granted bail but from CRTV reports the Ben Muna led counsel’s request for bail yet agreed the court should set Barrister Felix Agbor ‘Balla’ Kongho, President of the Consortium and his Secretary General Dr Fontem Neba free on “judicial supervision”.

Legal experts say though the case was adjourned to June 7, 2017, the non-objection by the state prosecutors would, as in most cases, swerve the judge towards the prosecutors’ stance. This, they say, would mean Barrister Agbor and Dr Fontem would be freed from jail but their movements will be limited to specific areas and they will be expected to appear in court whenever summoned by the judge.

Liberated on “judicial supervision”, we learned, also means, the suspects may have to provide a certain sum of money to be decided by the judge or provide a certain number of sureties which number is left at the discretion of the judge.

The other suspects including radio animator, Mancho Bibixy were denied both bail and freedom on judicial supervision. We gathered the President and Secretary General of the Consortium were considered for the temporal liberation because of their professional and social backgrounds.

Col Abega Eko Eko Mbazoa will rule on today’s request on June 7. It should be noted that both protests leaders have been in pre-trial detention since January 17.

 Courtesy:  Journal du Cameroon

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

James Bond Actor Roger Moore Dead at 89-UPI

Roger Moore signs copies of the book "Bond on Bond" in New York on November 9, 2012. The actor died Tuesday after a short battle with cancer. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI| License Photo

 

May 23 (UPI) -- James Bond actor Roger Moore died Tuesday at age 89.

The British star, who played 007 in seven films, died in Switzerland after a short battle with cancer, Moore's children said on his social media accounts.

"It is with a heavy heart that we must announce our loving father, Sir Roger Moore, has passed away today in Switzerland after a short but brave battle with cancer," Deborah, Geoffrey and Christian Moore wrote.

"The love with which he was surrounded in his final days was so great it cannot be quantified in words alone," the trio added. "Thank you Pops for being you, and for being so very special to so many people."

Moore shared Deborah, Geoffrey and Christian with his third wife, Italian actress Luisa Mattoli. He is also survived by wife Kristina Tholstrup, whom he married in 2002.

"Our thoughts must now turn to supporting Kristina at this difficult time, and in accordance with our father's wishes there will be a private funeral in Monaco," the actor's children said. Moore first played James Bond in Live and Let Die (1973), and last portrayed the character in A View to Kill (1985). He later appeared in The Man Who Wouldn't Die, Spice World and Boat Trip, and was also known for his humanitarian work with UNICEF.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Nigerian Authorities Demolish Radio Station Office-CPJ

Uyo, Nigeria, May 23, 2017--Nigerian authorities' demolition of the office of radio Breeze 99.9 FM is a shocking affront to press freedom, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. State authorities in Nassarawa, roughly 200 kilometers (124 miles) east of the capital Abuja, on May 20 demolished the radio station's office and transmitter while police shot in the air to disperse a crowd that had gathered to try to save the station, according to media reports.

Adamu Sule, managing director of the Nassarawa State Urban Development Board, said Breeze FM was demolished for not having approval to operate in a residential area, and that the station was notified prior to the demolition, according to media reports. Correspondence between the station and the board reviewed by CPJ shows that days before the demolition, the board had told the station to apply for a permit to continue operating. Breeze FM's management told CPJ that they believe the state demolished their office in retaliation for the station's broadcasts.

"Demolishing a radio station's office and equipment in retaliation for its coverage would be censorship in its bluntest and most violent form," said CPJ West Africa Representative Peter Nkanga. "We call on authorities in Nigeria's Nassarawa state to take all possible measures to return Breeze FM to the air."

In a May 17 letter to Breeze FM, Sunday A. Abason, the board's assistant general manager, wrote, "You are hereby directed to submit forthwith an application for Planning Permit from the Board, if you wish to continue using the property for whatever purpose."

Breeze FM Director Nawani Aboki told CPJ he received the board's letter on May 18, and that he went to the board's office the following day to submit the application and building plans for approval. Officials at the board refused to receive the application on the grounds that board employees were on strike. "Yet the board's officials, who are striking, went and marked the station for demolition that same May 19, and carried out the demolition on May 20 by 8 a.m.," Aboki said.

Aboki told CPJ that Breeze FM began broadcasting only in February 2017, and that he believed the demolition was politically motivated because he does not belong to the ruling All Progressives Congress party and because the station aired a live discussion to mark the May 1 Nigerian national holiday of Workers' Day, in which invited guests and callers criticized the government for not paying state workers' salaries, according to media reports. The board first ordered Breeze FM to stop ongoing construction work at the station in a letter dated May 12. A board official who spoke to CPJ on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press privately agreed the demolition was wrongfully carried out, but directed all inquiries to Adamu Sule, the board's managing director.

Sule did not respond to text messages CPJ sent to his mobile phone number.

The Nassarawa state branch of the Nigeria Union of Journalists condemned the demolition as "an assault on the media and threat to freedom of the press in the state," news reports said.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Messi Wins Golden Boot with Barca

Sensational Argentine forward, Lionel Messi has earned himself a personal award despite the abysmal season at his Spanish club side, Barca.

 

Lionel Messi

 

The  Spanish La Liga season ended in disappointment for Barcelona but there was still some individual recognition for Lionel Messi.

 Real Madrid saw off Malaga 2-0 on the final day to end Barca’s hopes of a final day miracle.

 Luis Enrique’s men appeared to be set for a shock defeat against Eibar too, but fought back to win 4-2. Messi scored twice late on, making it 37 La Liga goals for the season to take the Pichichi Trophy.

 He finishes eight ahead of teammate Luis Suarez and 12 clear of Cristiano Ronaldo. It is the first time Messi has won the Spanish golden boot in four seasons.

 His tally will also be enough to claim the European Golden Shoe ahead of Bas Dost and Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, who both finished the season with 31 in the Bundesliga.

 Tottenham’s Harry Kane took the Premier League prize with 29 after a stunning final week of the campaign. Messi could have had four on the final day but missed a penalty and a gilt-edged chance at the Nou Camp after Eibar went 2-0 up.

 He finally found the net from the spot to complete the turnaround before wrapping it up in added time. The Argentine now has a staggering 53 goals in 51 games this term and will hope to add to his tally in the Copa del Rey final against Alaves.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Yahya Jammeh Lands in Trouble

Mr. Yahya Jammeh, former President of Gambia has landed in trouble following the new decision made by the Government of his country.

Former President of Gambia, Yahya Jammeh

 

The exiled former President of the Gambia, Mr. Yahya Jammeh, is in trouble following the seizure of his assets.

 The personal assets of Jammeh been frozen included bank accounts and local companies in his name.

 Justice Minister Abubakar Tambedou said in Banjul on Monday at a press conference.

 Tambedou said the assets frozen were without exception; all his known properties including his lands, companies and livestock.

 He said the current government had secured a court order freezing properties inside The Gambia. including those directly or indirectly linked to the former leader who was being investigated for economic crimes against the state.

 According to Tambedou, the order allows the state to impound 131 of Jammeh’s landed properties, 88 local bank accounts in his name and those of his associates, 14 firms and a cattle ranch located in his home village of Kanilai.

 52-year-old Jammeh fled into exile in Equatorial Guinea in January after losing last December’s presidential election to current President Adama Barrow.

 Since he left the current government had promised to investigate Mr Jammeh’s extensive business network both in and out of The Gambia.

 

-APA/NAN

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Donald Trump Becomes the First Sitting US President to Visit Jerusalem's Fiercely-Contested Western Wall

Highly controversial American president, Donald Trump, has become the frst ever sitting US president to visit Jerusalem's Western Wall.

Donald Trump at Jerusalem's Western Wall

 

US President, Donald Trump has today made history as the first sitting US President to visit Jerusalem’s Western Wall – a fiercely-contested piece of religious land.

 According to The Sun UK, Trump was photographed placing his hand on the wall, which is considered one of the most sacred sites in Judaism.

 

Trump made history with the visit to Jerusalem’s Western Wall

 

The Western Wall is the holiest site where Jews can pray.

Trump, wearing a black skullcap, paused in front of it, then placed what appeared to be a written prayer or note between its stones, as is custom. He was not accompanied by any Israeli leaders.

 

 

The Western Wall visit drew controversy before Trump even left Washington, when US officials declined to say whether it belonged to Israel.

 “Jerusalem was and will always be the capital of Israel,” Netanyahu said late Sunday, adding that the Western Wall “will always remain under Israeli sovereignty”.

 

Melania wore a respectful white outfit during her visit to the sacred site

 

The status of Jerusalem is ultra-sensitive and has been among the most difficult issues in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

 Israel occupied east Jerusalem and the West Bank in 1967 in moves never recognised by the international community.

 

Ivanka closed her eyes as she touched the famous wall

 

It later annexed east Jerusalem and claims the entire city as its capital.

 The Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Donald Trump's Evidence of Secret Contact with Russia Exposed

It has been revealed that Donald Trump's campaign were in contact with Russian officials and others with Kremlin ties in at least 18 calls and emails.

US President Donald Trump

 

Michael Flynn and other advisers to Donald Trump’s campaign were in contact with Russian officials and others with Kremlin ties in at least 18 calls and emails, current and former U.S. officials familiar with the exchanges told Reuters.

 The sources said the 18 calls and emails, took place in the last seven months of the 2016 presidential race.

 The previously undisclosed interactions form part of the record now being reviewed by FBI and congressional investigators probing Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election and contacts between Trump’s campaign and Russia.

 The sources said six of the previously undisclosed contacts described to Reuters were phone calls between Kislyak and Trump advisers, including Flynn, Trump’s first national security adviser, three current and former.

 

Conversations between Flynn and Kislyak accelerated after the Nov. 8 vote.

 The two discussed establishing a back channel for communication between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that could bypass the U.S. national security bureaucracy, which both sides considered hostile to improved relations, four current U.S. officials said.

 In January, the Trump White House initially denied any contacts with Russian officials during the 2016 campaign. The White House and advisers to the campaign have since confirmed four meetings between Kislyak and Trump advisers during that time.

 The people who described the contacts to Reuters said they had seen no evidence of wrongdoing or collusion between the campaign and Russia in the communications reviewed so far.

 The disclosure could increase the pressure on Trump and his aides to provide the FBI and Congress with a full account of interactions with Russian officials and others with links to the Kremlin during and immediately after the 2016 election.

 The White House did not respond to requests for comment.

 Flynn’s lawyer declined to comment.

 In Moscow, a Russian foreign ministry official declined to comment on the contacts and referred Reuters to the Trump administration.

 Separately, a spokesman for the Russian embassy in Washington said: “We do not comment on our daily contacts with the local interlocutors.”

 Sources said the 18 calls and electronic messages took place between April and November 2016 as hackers engaged in what U.S. intelligence concluded in January was part of a Kremlin campaign to discredit the vote and influence the outcome of the election in favour of Trump over his Democratic challenger, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton.

 Those discussions focused on mending U.S.-Russian economic relations strained by sanctions imposed on Moscow, cooperating in fighting Islamic State in Syria and containing a more assertive China, the sources said.

 Sources said members of the Senate and House intelligence committees have gone to the CIA and the National Security Agency to review transcripts and other documents related to contacts between Trump campaign advisers, associates, Russian officials and others with links to Putin.

 The U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesday it had appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel to investigate alleged Russian meddling in the U.S. presidential campaign and possible collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia.

 Mueller will now take charge of the FBI investigation that began last July.

 Trump and his aides have repeatedly denied any collusion with Russia.

 In addition to the six phone calls involving Kislyak, the communications described to Reuters involved another 12 calls, emails or text messages between Russian officials or people considered to be close to Putin and Trump campaign advisers.

 According to one person with detailed knowledge of the exchange and two others familiar with the issue, one of those contacts was by Viktor Medvedchuk, a Ukrainian oligarch and politician.

 Sources said it was not clear with whom Medvedchuk was in contact within the Trump campaign but the themes included U.S.-Russia cooperation.

 Putin is godfather to Medvedchuk’s daughter.

 Medvedchuk denied having any contact with anyone in the Trump campaign.

“I am not acquainted with any of Donald Trump’s close associates, therefore no such conversation could have taken place,” he said in an email to Reuters.

 The sources said in the conversations during the campaign, Russian officials emphasised a pragmatic, business-style approach and stressed to Trump associates that they could make deals by focusing on common economic and other interests and leaving contentious issues aside.

 Beyond Medvedchuk and Kislyak, the identities of the other Putin-linked participants in the contacts remain classified and the names of Trump advisers other than Flynn have been “masked” in intelligence reports on the contacts because of legal protections on their privacy as American citizens.

 However, officials can request that they be revealed for intelligence purposes.

 U.S. and allied intelligence and law enforcement agencies routinely monitor communications and movements of Russian officials.

 After Vice President Mike Pence and others had denied in January that Trump campaign representatives had any contact with Russian officials, the White House later confirmed that Kislyak had met twice with then-Senator Jeff Sessions.

 Sessions later became attorney-general.

 

Courtesy -Reuters/NAN

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Nollywood's Pretty Actress, Moji Olaiya is No More

Nollywood industry is in a state of mourning as one of its pretty star actress, Moji Olaiya passes away.

 

Nollywood star actress, Moji Olaiya, who was also known for her roles in films such as "Sade Blade ", "Nkan adun" and "Omo iya meta leyi ", has been reported dead. She was 42-years-old.

Multiple online sources said she died of a heart attack in Canada where she gave birth to a baby girl in March. The baby was her second child. Her first daughter is 18-years-old. The beautiful actress, who had featured in many Yoruba and English movies, married her second husband last year after the first one crashed in 2008.

The details of her death is still sketchy as at the time of filing this report.She was the daughter of highlife music legend, Victor Olaiya. She was born in February 1975.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Stinking Bees Storm GCE Centre in Buea, Create Commotion

An atmosphere of stale familiarity now reigns at Government Bilingual High School Bonakdikombo-Buea in the South West Region where stinking bees stormed the GCE Centre causing commotion. Reports say the presence of these unwanted guests caused panic and commotion as students and teachers took to their heels. It is alleged that about 8-10 students were admitted in hospital after the hullabaloo. However, the situation we gathered is under control though there is apprehension among students.  

Details soon  

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Special Competitive Exams into NSAM (ENAM) Launched (Candidates of English Express Only)

Government has announced a special competitive Exams for Cameroonians of English-speaking expression into the National Advanced School of Magistracy-NSAM. According to the Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reform Michel Ange Angouing, who issued a press release,  the two special competitive examinations targets the recruitment of 50 pupil magistrates  and 30 student registrars  of English expression for the 2017-2018 academic year . It specifies that potential candidates must be at least 17 years of age and not more than 32 years old on 1 January 2018. 

 Here below is the press release :

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)