₦airaland Forum

A school district in the US state of Utah has removed the Bible from elementary and middle schools for containing "vulgarity and violence".

The move follows a complaint from a parent that the King James Bible has material unsuitable for children.

Utah's Republican government passed a law in 2022 banning "pornographic or indecent" books from schools.

Most of the books that have been banned so far pertain to topics such as sexual orientation and identity.

The banning of the Bible comes amid a larger effort by US conservatives in states to ban teachings on controversial topics such as LGBT rights and racial identity. Bans on certain books deemed offensive are also in place in Texas, Florida, Missouri and South Carolina. Some liberal states have also banned books in some schools and libraries, citing perceived racially offensive content.

The Utah decision was made this week by the Davis School District north of Salt Lake City after a complaint filed in December 2022. Officials say they have already removed the seven or eight copies of the Bible they had on their shelves, noting that the text was never part of students' curriculum.

The committee did not elaborate on its reasoning or which passages contained "vulgarity or violence".

According to the Salt Lake Tribune newspaper, the parent who complained said the King James Bible "has 'no serious values for minors' because it's pornographic by our new definition", referring to the 2022 book-ban law.

The Utah state lawmaker who wrote the 2022 law had previously dismissed the Bible removal request as a "mockery", but changed course this week after calling it a "challenging read" for younger children.

"Traditionally, in America, the Bible is best taught, and best understood, in the home, and around the hearth, as a family," Ken Ivory wrote on Facebook.

The district's ruling determined that the Bible's content does not violate the 2022 law, but does include "vulgarity or violence not suitable for younger students". The book will remain in place in local high schools.

Bob Johnson, the father of a primary school student in the Davis School District, told CBS News that he opposes the Bible's removal.

"I can't think of what's in the Bible that you would have to take out of it. Its not like there's pictures in it," he said.

The district is not the first in the US to remove the Bible from its shelves.

A Texas school district last year pulled the Bible from library shelves after complaints from members of the public opposed to conservatives efforts to ban some books.

Last month, students in Kansas requested to have the Bible removed from their school library.

Real Madrid C. F. and Eden Hazard have reached an agreement by which the player is disassociated from the club as of June 30, 2023.

Eden Hazard has been part of our club for four seasons, in which he has won 8 titles: 1 UEFA Champions League, 1 Club World Cup, 1 European Super Cup, 2 League titles, 1 Copa del Rey and 2 Spanish Super Cups.

Real Madrid wants to express her affection for Eden Hazard and wishes him and all his family the best of luck in this new stage.

Rescuers waded through piles of debris and wreckage to pull out bodies and free people on Saturday after two passenger trains derailed in India, killing more than 280 people and injuring hundreds as rail cars were flipped over and mangled in one of the country’s deadliest train crashes in decades.

The accident, which happened about 220 kilometers (137 miles) southwest of Kolkata on Friday night, led to a chaotic scene as rescuers climbed atop the wrecked trains to break open doors and windows using cutting torches to free survivors.

About 900 people were injured in the accident in Balasore district in the eastern state of Odisha, said P.K. Jena, the state’s top administrative official. The cause was under investigation.

At least 280 bodies were recovered overnight and into Saturday morning, Sudhanshu Sarangi, director of Odisha’s fire and emergency department, told The Associated Press. He said more than 800 injured passengers were taken to various hospitals with many in critical condition.

Army soldiers and air force helicopters joined the relief effort along with local authorities.

About 200 severely injured people were transferred to specialty hospitals in other cities in the state, Jena said. Another 200 people were discharged after receiving medical care and the rest were being treated in local hospitals, he added.

“The challenge now is identifying the bodies. Wherever the relatives are able to provide evidence, the bodies are handed over after autopsies. If not identified, maybe we have to go for a DNA test and other protocols,” he said.

Rescuers were cutting through the destroyed rail cars to find people who may still be trapped. Sarangi said it was possible that people were stuck underneath but that it was unlikely they would still be alive. Late Friday, hundreds were trapped inside more than a dozen wrecked carriages as rescuers worked to pull them out.

“By 10 p.m. (on Friday) we were able to rescue the survivors. After that it was about picking up dead bodies,” he said. “This is very, very tragic. I have never seen anything like this in my career.”

Ten to 12 coaches of one train derailed, and debris from some of the mangled coaches fell onto a nearby track, said Amitabh Sharma, a railroad ministry spokesperson. The debris was hit by another passenger train coming from the opposite direction, causing up to three coaches of the second train to also derail, he added.

A third train carrying freight was also involved, the Press Trust of India reported, but there was no immediate confirmation of that from railroad authorities. PTI said some of the derailed passenger coaches hit cars from the freight train.

The death toll rose steadily throughout the night as footage showed shattered carriages that had overturned completely. Scores of dead bodies, covered by white sheets, lay on the ground near the train tracks as locals and rescuers raced to help survivors.

Teams of rescuers and police continued sifting through the ruins on Saturday morning as the search operation carried on, amid fears that the death toll is likely to rise further. Scores of people also showed up at a local hospital to donate blood.

The rescue operation was slowed because two train cars were pressed together by the impact of the accident, Jena said.

“We are cutting some portions of the (rail cars) and carefully searching for survivors,” he said, adding the search operation would likely conclude later Saturday.

Officials said 1,200 rescuers worked with 115 ambulances, 50 buses and 45 mobile health units through the night at the accident site. Saturday was declared as a day of mourning in Odisha as the state’s chief minister, Naveen Patnaik, reached the district to meet injured passengers.

Villagers said they rushed to the site to evacuate people after hearing a loud sound created by the train coaches going off the tracks.

“The local people really went out on a limb to help us. They not only helped in pulling out people, but retrieved our luggage and got us water,” PTI cited Rupam Banerjee, a survivor, as saying.

Passenger Vandana Kaleda said that inside the train during the derailment people were “falling on each other” as her coach shook violently and veered off the tracks.

“As I stepped out of the washroom, suddenly the train tilted. I lost my balance. ... Everything went topsy turvy. People started falling on each other and I was shocked and could not understand what happened. My mind stopped working,” she said, adding she felt lucky to survive.

Another survivor who did not give his name said he was sleeping when the impact woke him up. He said he saw other passengers with broken limbs and disfigured faces.

The collision involved two trains, the Coromandel Express traveling from Howrah in West Bengal state to Chennai in Tamil Nadu state and the Howrah Superfast Express traveling from Bengaluru in Karnataka to Howrah, officials said. It was not immediately clear which derailed first.

Despite government efforts to improve rail safety, several hundred accidents occur every year on India’s railways, the largest train network under one management in the world.

In August 1995, two trains collided near New Delhi, killing 358 people in one of the worst train accidents in India.

In 2016, a passenger train slid off the tracks between the cities of Indore and Patna, killing 146 people.

Most train accidents are blamed on human error or outdated signaling equipment.

More than 12 million people ride 14,000 trains across India every day, traveling on 64,000 kilometers (40,000 miles) of track.

Distressed by the train accident in Odisha. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon. Spoke to Railway Minister @AshwiniVaishnaw and took stock of the situation. Rescue ops are underway at the site of the mishap and all possible assistance is being given to those affected.

Rushing to the site in Odisha. My prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured and condolences to the bereaved families.
Rescue teams mobilised from Bhubaneswar and Kolkata. NDRF, State govt. teams and Airforce also mobilised.
Will take all hands required for the rescue ops.

Ex-gratia compensation to the victims of this unfortunate train accident in Odisha;
₹10 Lakh in case of death,
₹2 Lakh towards grievous and ₹50,000 for minor injuries.

More than 230 people have died and 850 injured in a train crash in India's Odisha state. The collision, which happened on late Friday evening, involved two passenger trains and a goods train.#odisha #trainaccident pic.twitter.com/BTS5JQ5rQB

— BBC News India (@BBCIndia) June 3, 2023

Former U.S. President Donald Trump compared his supporters to people who go see the Mona Lisa “hundreds of times,” to explain how he still managed to draw huuuge crowds.

“You have people who want to see the Mona Lisa, they love the Mona Lisa, and they’ll see it hundreds and hundreds of times and it gets better every time,” Trump said in an interview with Welsh public broadcaster S4C, released by the U.K.’s Daily Mirror.

“It’s sort of an interesting thing and it’s basically the same 20 subjects that you’re talking about: you’re talking about the border, you’re talking about the military, you’re talking about low taxes,” the former president added. “They just want to hear it again and again.”

Trump, who in November announced his candidacy for the 2024 U.S. presidential election, is currently on the campaign trail, battling with his main Republican rival, Florida Governor Ron De Santis, to secure the party’s nomination.

Recent polls put Trump far ahead of DeSantis: He is the first choice of more than 50 percent of Republican voters in the primary, with a 30-point lead on the Florida governor.

The receptionist at the Hilton Hotel, Ile-Ife Osun state, Adedeji Adesola, who lodged late Timothy Adegoke into the hotel, has been sentenced to two years imprisonment.

Adesola, faced trial along with Dr Rahman Adedoyin, owner of the hotel along with five other workers. While Adedoyin, Manager and checker of the hotel, Adeniyi Aderogba and Oyetunde Kazeem were found guilty of murder among other charges, Adesola was convicted of manufacturing evidence.

The three convicts were sentenced to death by hanging for murder and unlawful killing of Adegoke, who was in Ile-Ife for his postgraduate examination in November 2021.

However, Chief Justice Oyebola Ojo adjourned sentencing on the conviction of Adesola till Wednesday on the ground of her counsel’s Okon Ita and prosecution counsel, Fatima Adesina’s allocution statement.

The duo pleaded with the court to tender justice with mercy considering the role of the convict in unearthing the hidden links in the crime committed.

During her judgement, Justice Ojo said, “Having carefully considered the allocution statement of the convict’s counsel and the submission of the prosecution on the need to temper justice with mercy in respect of the convict, coupled with her sober posture throughout the duration of the trial, and equally being mindful of the circumstances surrounding the case of the defendant in this matter and not being unmindful of section 411 (2b)(3) of the law on this case, I hereby sentence you, Adedeji Adesola to two years imprisonment starting from the first day of your arrest”.

Dr. Rahman Adedoyin and two of his workers were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment each for conspiracy to murder, and death by hanging for murder.

Delivering the judgment, the Osun State Chief Judge, Justice Oyebola Adepele Ojo said the 1st defendant, Dr. Rahman Adedoyin, who is the owner of Hilton hotel in Ile Ife was found culpable of Conspiracy to Murder, Murder, and culpable of charges 7, 8, 9,15, and 16.

The court also ruled that his son, Raheem Adedoyin is an accomplice and declared wanted.

The hotel Manager, Adeniyi Aderogba who is the 3rd defendant and the 5th defendant, Kazeem Oyetunde were also culpable of Conspiracy to murder, murder, and guilty of charges 3, 5, 7, 8,12, and 14.

The court held that evidence presented before the court placed Oyetunde Kazeem “squarely among those who perpetrated the acts” and he found guilty of the counts.

The 1st, 3rd and 5th defendants were found culpable of the offence of conspiracy to improperly, indecently dump the deceased body and were guilty as charged.

Justice Ojo discharged the 2nd defendant, Kunle Adebayo; 4th defendant, Lawrence Oluwole and 6th defendant, Magdalene Chiefuna (hotel receptionist); on the counts of conspiracy to murder and murder.

However, the Judge found them culpable on other counts in the charge.

The Osun state Chief judge also ruled that the Hilux van used to convey the body of late Timothy Adegoke to the dumping ground should be forfeited to the state. The hotel where the murder act occurred should also be forfeited to the state.

On the Children and wife left behind by the late Adegoke, Justice Ojo's judgement stated that the children should be placed on scholarship Education from the proceeds of Adedoyin's Estate, up to the University level and until completion of their National Youth Services Corp (NYSC).

The Court held that the second autopsy report signed by two pathologists from Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital was thwarted as the court held that “it’s a report by persons with vested interest.”

The Court established that the deceased lodged at the Hilton hotel and paid into the account of the 7th defendant (Adedeji Adesola) who was “carefully choreographed into the act." The circumstance around her were not strong to find her culpable of the "counts 1, 2, and 3."

Judgement on the 7th defendant was suspended until Wednesday.

Chelsea Football Club is pleased to confirm Mauricio Pochettino will become head coach of the men’s team from the beginning of the 2023/24 season.

The Argentine will begin his new role on 1 July 2023 on a two-year contract, with a club option of a further year.

Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, Chelsea’s co-sporting directors, said:

'Mauricio’s experience, standards of excellence, leadership qualities and character will serve Chelsea Football Club well as we move forward. He is a winning coach, who has worked at the highest levels, in multiple leagues and languages. His ethos, tactical approach and commitment to development all made him the exceptional candidate.'

Owners Todd Boehly, Behdad Eghbali, José E. Feliciano, Mark Walter and Hansjörg Wyss added:

'The sporting team conducted a diligent and thoughtful process that the Board is proud of. We are delighted that Mauricio will be joining Chelsea. Mauricio is a world-class coach with an outstanding track record. We are all looking forward to having him on board.'

Pochettino is a coach renowned for his sides’ high-energy and eye-catching style and he has built a reputation for helping young players realise their full potential within a strong squad ethos.

The 51-year-old has several seasons of Premier League experience in addition to coaching in Spain and France. He was most recently in charge at Paris Saint-Germain and guided the club to a Ligue 1 title and the Coupe de France.

Mauricio’s staff will include Jesus Perez, Miguel d’Agostino, Toni Jimenez and Sebastiano Pochettino.

Welcome to Chelsea, Mauricio!

Today, I feel so blessed and grateful as I announce that I have been awarded the prestigious Member of the order of the Federal Republic (MFR) award by the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Today also marked my 100th game for Napoli and I was fortunate to score 2 goals for my club, it is an amazing moment and feeling for me to be able to achieve this feat for this great club.

This MFR recognition also means a lot to me, as it symbolizes the appreciation and support of the great Nigerian people for the dedication and hard work they have always put into their individual career to make Nigeria Proud.

My deepest gratitude goes to the Federal Republic of Nigeria for recognising me at such a national level, and I am so humbled and grateful. I am proud to be a Nigerian and represent Her.
I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development for their continuous efforts in promoting and developing sports in our country. Their support has contributed to the growth of myself and every other athletes in the country.

To my amazing family, who have been my rock and source of inspiration throughout my journey, I am forever indebted to your love and support. I love you all and this award is as much yours as it is mine.

And to my fans and supporters, both in Nigeria and around the world, you all are super amazing and I am so grateful for all you do for me. Your constant support, well wishes and cheers have uplifted me in moments of triumph and provided solace during challenging times.

I am immensely honored to achieve this feat for Napoli and I’m also honored to receive this MFR award, and I consider it a responsibility to continue striving for excellence, more records and making meaningful contributions to people’s live with the sport I love.
Thank you everyone.

GOD IS THE GREATEST 🙏🏽🇳🇬❤️

With a sense of tremendous disappointment, Celine Dion’s Courage World Tour today announced the cancellation of all remaining dates currently on sale for 2023 and 2024. As the world has emerged from the pandemic, Celine has continued to be treated for a diagnosed medical condition that prevents her from performing. Celine is working hard on her recovery, but at this time is unable to successfully prepare for and perform the remainder of the tour, which was scheduled to run from August 26, 2023 in Amsterdam through October 4, 2023 in Helsinki; then continuing from March 6, 2024 in Prague through April 22, 2024 in London. We do have every hope that someday soon, Celine will be able to come to all of these cities in Europe to perform for her amazing fans, but that time simply is not now.

“I’m so sorry to disappoint all of you once again. I’m working really hard to build back my strength, but touring can be very difficult even when you’re 100%. It’s not fair to you to keep postponing the shows, and even though it breaks my heart, it’s best that we cancel everything now until I’m really ready to be back on stage again. I want you all to know, I’m not giving up… and I can’t wait to see you again!” said Celine.

Celine had completed the first 52 dates of the Courage World Tour in North America before the pandemic emerged and paused the tour in March 2020. In early 2021, when the entertainment industry was still working under tight COVID restrictions, Celine filmed her first motion picture, Love Again, co- starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Sam Heughan. Since then, Celine has revealed that she has been diagnosed with a rare condition called Stiff Person’s Syndrome, which causes severe and persistent muscle spasms, and which has prevented her from performing. Celine’s medical team continues to evaluate and treat the condition.

Tickets purchased for the forty-two cancelled dates will be refunded via the original point of sale. For further ticket inquiries or options, ticketholders should reach out to their original point of purchase.

The Arkansas man who was photographed on Jan. 6, 2021, with his feet on a desk in then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office was sentenced Wednesday to four and a half years in prison.

Federal prosecutors had asked the judge to sentence Richard "Bigo" Barnett to more than seven years for his actions before, during and after the riot at the U.S. Capitol.

They noted in a court filing that a picture of a smiling Barnett lounging in Pelosi's office became "one of the best-known images of that day, symbolizing the rioters having wrested control of both the hallowed space and the political process from the nation’s elected leaders."

Barnett's lawyers had argued he shouldn't get more than six months behind bars. "Mr. Barnett is 63-year-old retired firefighter and bull rider from rural Arkansas who came to DC for his very first time to peacefully protest and was unfortunately caught up in the events that turned an ordinary Wednesday into what will forever be known as 'January 6,'" his lawyers contended.

U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper disagreed, sentencing him to 54 months in prison.

Barnett was convicted in January on eight charges stemming from the Capitol attack, including theft of government property and entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; in addition to the stun device, Barnett armed himself with a ten-pound steel pole, prosecutors said.

Barnett became a widely known symbol of the riot when he was photographed reclining in a chair in Pelosi’s office, with his feet propped up, and what the government referred to as a “stun device” tucked in his pants. Before he left Pelosi’s office, Barnett took an envelope that he later displayed for cameras outside the Capitol.

He also acknowledged leaving what he later called a “nasty note” for Pelosi. It read, “Nancy, Bigo was here,” and ended with a sexist expletive to refer to Pelosi.

Barnett expressed remorse for his actions when he took the witness stand in his own defense. “I shouldn’t have put my feet on the desk,” Barnett told jurors. “At the time I thought it was funny,” he said, but after reflection, it seems “crass.”

After he was convicted, however, he maintained he was the victim of "political persecution" and said the jury that convicted him was "not a jury of my peers.”

Prosecutors pushed back on Barnett's claims that he'd been unintentionally swept up by the crowd during the Capitol riot and said in court filings that the evidence was clear that Barnett had come to Washington, D.C., that day looking for a fight.

"Barnett was aware of the significance of January 6, 2021. He believed that the United States would be taken over by communists if President-Elect Biden became president and was prepared to do 'whatever it takes,' (as he said on social media), including occupying the Capitol, to prevent that from happening," their filing said.

"He prepared for that violence by arming himself with a stun device and a ten-pound steel pole, both capable of inflicting serious bodily injury. And then he traveled to Washington, D.C. with those weapons," the filing continued, noting that he only left the Capitol after he was hit by chemical spray - and then bragged about his actions to reporters.

After his arrest, "Barnett sought to profit from his notoriety and criminal conduct," including by selling autographed pictures of himself in Pelosi's office, prosecutors said. They added that he's continued tweeting "disinformation" and conspiracy theories about the Jan. 6 attack since his conviction.

They said those statements show "he is without remorse and would readily engage in similar conduct in the future."

Net migration to the UK hit a record 606,000 in 2022, official figures showed Thursday, heaping pressure on the government which has pledged to cut dependency on foreign labour.

Immigration has long been a key political issue in the UK, and was one the main battlegrounds of the Brexit referendum in 2016 which saw the country leave the bloc.

"A series of unprecedented world events throughout 2022 and the lifting of restrictions following the coronavirus pandemic led to record levels of international immigration to the UK," said Jay Lindop, director of the centre for international migration at the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The main drivers were people coming to the UK from non-EU countries for "work, study and for humanitarian purposes", he said.

The figures included those arriving from Ukraine after Russia's invasion and Hong Kong, where the UK relaxed entry rules for holders of British overseas passports after China's squeeze on civil rights.

The Conservative government has repeatedly promised that by leaving the EU, and ending the free movement of people from member states, the UK could "take back control" of its borders.

Since 2018, the country has also seen thousands of people successfully cross the Channel in small boats to claim asylum.

More than 45,000 arrived last year, prompting the introduction of tougher new measures to try to stem the flow of migrants deemed to have entered the country illegally.

One of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's predecessors, Boris Johnson, agreed a deal with Rwanda last year to relocate failed asylum-seekers to the central African country.

But the scheme has been mired in legal battles and is yet to get underway.

Al Hamdullilah 🤲🏾❤️ a new Pogba member has arrived 😍 .. so proud of my Queen 👸🏼 @zulaypogba I’m so so so happy 😍😍 #Daddyofthree💙💙💙

Vinicius Junior will not be suspended after receiving a red card in Sunday's LaLiga match at Valencia and the club will have to close the stand where the Real Madrid forward was racially abused for five games after a ruling by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) on Tuesday.

The Brazilian winger was sent off in stoppage time by referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea for striking an opponent following a scuffle with Valencia players in which Vinicius appeared to be grabbed around the neck.

The RFEF's Competition Committee found that while De Burgos saw VAR images of Vinicius hitting Valencia forward Hugo Duro, he was not shown earlier footage of Duro restraining the Brazilian. De Burgos was not able to take decision based on all the facts, and therefore Vinicius' suspension should not stand.

Vinicius had earlier been racially abused by fans at the Mestalla Stadium, which led to the game being halted for 10 minutes as the player pointed out people who were abusing him in the stands.

"The RFEF Competition Committee considers that the referee's assessment was determined by the omission of the entirety of the play that took place, which affected the refereeing decision."

"The fact that he [the referee] was deprived of a decisive part of the facts led him to adopt an arbitrary decision. And this is because it was impossible for him to properly assess what happened."

Vinicius is now free to play in Real Madrid's next LaLiga game at home to Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday, however sources told ESPN that he will miss the match after missing training on Tuesday due to pain in his left knee.

He was left off Madrid's squad list for the game, announced before his suspension was rescinded.

Earlier, Video Assistant Referee Ignacio Iglesias Villanueva was dropped from Wednesday's LaLiga game between Real Betis and Getafe, the Spanish Football Association (RFEF) said in a statement on Tuesday, with sources telling ESPN the decision is punishment for his role in the sending off of Vinicius during Madrid's 1-0 defeat at Valencia.

The RFEF also announced that Valencia's south stand will be partially closed for five matches and the club fined €45,000 ($49,536) after the racist abuse suffered by Vinicius.

"It is considered proven that there were racist shouts at Vinicius during the aforementioned match. A financial penalty of 45,000 euros is imposed on Valencia," the Competition Committee of the RFEF said in a statement.

Valencia said that they would appeal the verdict to the RFEF's Appeals Committee on Wednesday, calling the decision to close the stand "unjust and disproportionate."

"Valencia CF would like to publicly state that the RFEF Competition Committee's decision includes evidence which contradicts what the police and LaLiga have said," the club said in a statement. "Furthermore, this punishment is based on evidence which the club has not been able to see.

"Valencia has condemned, condemns and will condemn any racist or violent act... Valencia has worked from the very beginning with the police and the relevant authorities to clear up the events of last Sunday. In addition, we have applied the maximum punishment possible, banning the fans identified by the police for life from our stadium.

"For that reason, we believe that punishing all the fans who were not involved in these disgraceful incidents and depriving them of the ability to watch their team is a totally disproportionate, unfair, unprecedented measure."

Seven people have been arrested in connection with two separate racist incidents involving Vinicius Junior, Spanish police said Tuesday.

Three of the arrests were related to the racist abuse aimed at Vinicius during the match with Valencia, while four arrests in Madrid involve the hanging of a mannequin wearing a Vinicius shirt from a bridge near Real Madrid's training ground in January.

We are proud to announce that former German international, World Cup Winner and FIFA World Player of the Year, Lothar Matthäus has joined Accra Lions Football Club as board member and shareholder.

Matthäus, a distinguished figure in world football as the ex-captain of Germany and 1990 World Cup winner, expressed his excitement about this new venture. "Ghana has always had a huge potential of talent and I’m thrilled by the idea of supporting the sportive development of young footballers with my knowledge and experience."

Accra Lions Football Club, now under the ownership of Matthäus, the Ghanaian professional footballer Frank Opoku Acheampong (Shenzhen FC - China) and the club’s chairman Oliver König, aspire to tap into Ghana's football potential and become a driving force in player development. The investment will particularly emphasise bolstering the training infrastructure to ensure the players receive excellent preparation.

#yennyinaadea #accralions #BetPawaPremierLeague

Lawmakers approved an amendment to Iran's Parliamentary Elections Law during a session of the parliament on Sunday.

The new measure will be added as the 12th provision of Article 30 in the Law.

Based on the new provision, Iranian nationals holding permanent residency in another country, as well those who possess or have acquired citizenship of another country, will not be eligible for parliamentary seats.

Lawmakers said the amendment is aimed at addressing concerns about dual loyalties and making sure that elected representatives have exclusive allegiance to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

In 2016, the Iranian parliament formed a special committee to investigate reports that a number of Iranian officials, including some MPs, were dual nationals or had permanent residency of other countries.

The parliament passed a bill in 2020, banning dual citizens from running for president in Iran.

Meta has been fined $1.3 billion by EU regulators over a data breach - and has been asked to stop the transfer of Facebook's European user data to US servers within five months.

BREAKING: Facebook owner Meta fined record $1.3 billion after EU regulators said it failed to protect personal information from the prying eyes of American security services

At least 10 people were killed and nine were wounded when an apparent team of gunmen ambushed a car rally in Baja, Mexico, about 73 miles from the U.S. border, authorities said.

The horrific attack unfolded just after 2 p.m. on Saturday in San Vicente, near Ensenada, on the Pacific coast of the Baja Peninsula, the Reuters news agency reported.

The violence erupted during the last day of a two-day all-terrain car rally, local officials said. Video purportedly of the shooting was posted on social media, showing off-road vehicles lined up along a road and capturing the sounds of screams and numerous rounds of gunfire.

Several people who appeared to have been shot were seen in the online footage lying on the ground.

Multiple shooters wielding rifles emerged from at least two gray vans at a gas station and opened fire on participants of the car rally gathered there, according to Reuters, citing 911 calls.

Following the volley of gunshots, the perpetrators got back in the vans and fled the scene, which is about 86 miles from San Diego, California, according to Reuters.

There were no reports of any arrests being made.

Ensenada Mayor Armando Ayala Robles said state Attorney General Ricardo Ivan Carpio Sanchez commissioned a special group to investigate the massacre.

The car rally was organized by the group calling itself Cachanillazo, which posted a message to Instagram expressing sympathy to those affected by the tragedy, adding that "unfortunately, what happened during the tour was not in our hands."

⚠️imágenes sensibles ⚠️

11 muertos y por lo menos 9 heridos dejo un ataque armado durante el Rally denominado "Cachanillazo", dice participan vehículos tipo "Razer", en Ensenada, Baja California.
El ataque de dio en una gasolinera pic.twitter.com/9P1CBDJHoL

— opciÓN.mx (@opcion_mx) May 21, 2023

At 9:45 Friday morning, May 19, 2023, Layton PD dispatch received a call from a man who stated he had just killed his wife, mother-in-law, and father-in-law.

Officers immediately responded to the home at 1832 E. Gentile St.

The man remained on the phone with dispatchers, and was instructed to exit the home where he was taken into custody. Officers then entered the home and located three deceased victims.

Those victims are identified as:

Anastasia Stevens – 36 years old – Wife of suspect
Becky Stevens 61 Step-mother of victim Anastasia
Donald Stevens – 73 Father of victim Anastasia

The suspect is identified as 34 year-old Jeremy Bailey. Jeremy Bailey and Anastasia lived at the residence where the incident occurred.

Becky Stevens and Donald Stevens were Nevada residents who were visiting this address.

In addition to the three victims, three of the family’s dogs had also been killed.

A motive for these crimes has not been determined yet, and the cause of death is still being investigated.

Russia’s foreign ministry has said former President Barack Obama is among 500 US citizens who will be banned in response to the latest round of sanctions announced by Washington.

The ministry also said on Friday that Russia had refused the latest US request for consular access to the detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested in March on suspicion of spying.

This move was triggered by the US refusal last month to give visas to media traveling with the foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, to the United Nations, it said in a statement.

“Washington should have learned a long time ago that not a single hostile attack on Russia will go unpunished,” it added.

Earlier on Friday the United States announced punitive measures against more than 300 targets, aiming to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and intensifying one of the harshest sanctions efforts ever implemented.

“Today’s actions will further tighten the vise on [Vladimir] Putin’s ability to wage his barbaric invasion and will advance our global efforts to cut off Russian attempts to evade sanctions,” the US treasury secretary, Janet Yellen, said in a statement.

The treasury department said it imposed sanctions on 22 people and 104 entities with touchpoints in over 20 countries or jurisdictions, including companies that import, ship or manufacture electronics components, semiconductors and microelectronics to Russia.

The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said Friday’s action targeted an international network that procures components for the Russia-based entity responsible for the manufacture of the Orlan drone, which Russian forces and their proxies are using in Ukraine.

Among the targets on Friday were Russian intelligence services procurement networks and agents, including in Liechtenstein and the Netherlands. The Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation was also hit with sanctions.

The treasury department said it was also imposing sanctions on Russia’s energy educational and research institutions in a bid to “limit Russia’s future extractive capabilities”.

Russian authorities have put International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan on a "wanted" list after the Hague-based court issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin in March.

Khan's picture could be seen in the Russian interior ministry's database on Friday.

The notice described him as a man born on March 30, 1970 in Edinburgh, Scotland but did not specify his offence.

In March, Russia opened a criminal probe into Khan after the ICC announced an arrest warrant for Putin on the war crime accusation of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children.

The court also issued an arrest warrant against Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's presidential commissioner for children's rights.

Russia's Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, said in March that Khan was being probed for the "criminal prosecution of a person known to be innocent."

He was also being invstigated for allegedly preparing "an attack on a representative of a foreign state enjoying international protection," investigators said.

Kyiv says more than 16,000 Ukrainian children have been deported to Russia since the beginning of Moscow's offensive in February 2022, with many allegedly placed in institutions and foster homes.

Russia, which is not a member of the ICC, has said the warrant is "void".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has hailed the court's move as a "historic decision from which historic responsibility will begin."

US President Joe Biden said the arrest warrant for Putin was "justified".

Latest Update:
The FCDO now advise against all but essential to Anambra state following an attack on a US convoy.

The FCDO advise against all travel to the riverine areas (ie the river and swamp locations accessible by boat, but not by road) of Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River States.

The FCDO advise against all but essential travel to Abia State and non-riverine areas of Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers States and now also to Anambra State in the Ogbaru area, close to Delta state. This follows an attack on a US diplomatic convoy on 16 May 2023. The incident is under investigation.

The US Supreme Court left in place a broad liability shield for social media companies for content posted by users, insulating Twitter Inc., Facebook Inc. and Google LLC from claims that they provided assistance to Islamic State terrorists.

Acting in a case involving Google, the court said it wouldn’t rule on efforts to limit the immunity internet companies have enjoyed under a decades-old law known as Section 230. In a related case, the court tossed out a lawsuit that said social media companies bore responsibility under an anti-terrorism law for a 2017 shooting in an Istanbul nightclub.

The unanimous decisions together amount to a triumph for social media platforms, assuaging fears that the tech industry might face a new deluge of lawsuits and remove speech across their platforms. At least for the time being, the outcome means it would take an act of Congress to broadly open social media companies to lawsuits over third-party content.

The ruling in the Istanbul case put new limits on lawsuits under the US Anti-Terrorism Act. The court rejected allegations by the family of victim Nawras Alassaf that three social media companies didn’t do enough to remove Islamic State videos.

Writing for the court, Justice Clarence Thomas said any connection between the companies and the nightclub attack was “far removed.”

“The allegations plaintiffs make here are not the type of pervasive, systemic, and culpable assistance to a series of terrorist activities that could be described as aiding and abetting each terrorist act by ISIS,” Thomas wrote.

The high court’s Section 230 case involved Nohemi Gonzalez, a 23-year-old US citizen who was one of 130 people killed in attacks by the Islamic State group in Paris in November 2015. Her family said Alphabet Inc.’s Google, through its algorithm-driven YouTube recommendations, aided the Islamic State in violation of the Antiterrorism Act.

In an unsigned opinion, the court said that lawsuit “appears to state little, if any plausible claim for relief.” The justices set aside a federal appeals court decision that had let the suit go forward.

Tech companies and their allies said weakening Section 230 would have had disastrous effects, forcing social media platforms, search engines and online marketplaces to radically reconfigure their businesses to protect themselves. Critics of the industry called those worries overblown, saying internet companies need to bear more responsibility for the proliferation of dangerous hate speech and disinformation.

Enacted as part of a broader 1996 law, Section 230 is widely credited with helping the internet flourish, giving platforms assurance that they wouldn’t be at risk of lawsuits for things their users post.

But the provision has drawn criticism from both sides of the political aisle. Conservatives including former President Donald Trump complain Section 230 shields tech companies that censor right-wing voices, while many liberals say it lets platforms ignore hate speech and extremism.

The cases are Gonzalez v. Google, 21-1333, and Twitter v. Taamneh, 21-1496.

Montana became the first state in the U.S. to completely ban TikTok on Wednesday when the state’s Republican governor signed a measure that’s more sweeping than any other state’s attempts to curtail the social media app.

The measure is expected to be challenged legally and will serve as a testing ground for the TikTok-free America that many national lawmakers have envisioned.

Some lawmakers, the FBI and officials at other agencies are concerned the video-sharing app, owned by the Chinese tech company ByteDance, could be used to allow the Chinese government to access information on American citizens or push pro-Beijing misinformation that could influence the public. TikTok says none of this has ever happened.

When Montana banned the app on government-owned devices in late December, Gov. Greg Gianforte said TikTok posed a “significant risk” to sensitive state data. More than half of U.S. states and the federal government have a similar ban.

Gianforte signed the legislation after it easily passed through Montana’s GOP-controlled Legislature.

Montana’s new law prohibits downloads of TikTok in the state and would fine any “entity” — an app store or TikTok — $10,000 per day for each time someone “is offered the ability” to access the social media platform or download the app. The penalties would not apply to users.

Opponents argue this is government overreach and say Montana residents could easily circumvent the ban by using a virtual private network, a service that shields internet users by encrypting their data traffic, preventing others from observing their web browsing and other activities. Montana state officials say geofencing technology is used with online sports gambling apps, which are deactivated in states where online gambling is illegal.

TikTok, which has said it has a plan to protect U.S. users, has vowed to fight back against the ban, along with small business owners who said they use the app for advertising to help grow their businesses and reach more customers. The ACLU of Montana opposed the bill, arguing it was an unconstitutional restriction of free speech.

The app’s fun, goofy videos and ease of use has made it immensely popular, and U.S. tech giants like Snapchat and Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, see it as a competitive threat.

Ivan Toney has been suspended from all football and football-related activity with immediate effect for eight months, which runs up to and including 16 January 2024, fined £50,000 and warned as to his future conduct for breaches of The FA’s Betting Rules.

The Brentford FC forward was charged with 262 breaches of FA Rule E8 in total between 25 February 2017 and 23 January 2021. The FA subsequently withdrew 30 of these breaches and he admitted to the remaining 232.

His sanctions were subsequently imposed by an independent Regulatory Commission following a personal hearing. He is permitted to return to training only with his club for the final four months of his suspension starting from 17 September 2023.

The independent Regulatory Commission’s written reasons for these sanctions will be published in due course, and The FA will wait to review them before commenting further.

Elon Musk on Tuesday said a new Twitter chief executive will let him devote more time to Tesla, but that he will continue to tweet his unfiltered thoughts even if it hurts his businesses.

"I don't care," the billionaire said during a CNBC interview when asked what he thought of his controversial tweets potentially hurting Tesla shares or making it harder to sell ads on Twitter.

"I'll say what I want to say and if the consequence of that is losing money, so be it."

UPDATE @ 1:54pm:
At this time we don't believe there is a second suspect. All lockdowns have been lifted.

Original post:
Farmington Police Department, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, and the New Mexico State Police are on scene investigating an incident involving an active shooter in Farmington. At this time, the details we have are that multiple officers from the Farmington Police Department were involved in an officer involved shooting. One suspect was confronted and killed on scene. The suspect’s identity is unknown and there are no other known threats at this time. Two officers were shot, one from the Farmington Police Department and one from New Mexico State Police, both currently at San Juan Regional Medical Center being treated for their injuries and in stable condition. There are multiple civilian victims with at least 3 deceased. We will provide more details as they become available. If anyone has any immediate information on this incident, please call dispatch at 505-334-6622.

While the incident is being investigated, Dustin Avenue is shut down between Ute Street and Apache Street. Please avoid the area and use alternate routes of travel.

New Zealand authorities said Tuesday that multiple people have died after a fire broke out overnight at a four-story hostel in the capital, Wellington.

Emergency services were called to the Loafers Lodge hostel about 12:30 a.m.

Wellington Fire and Emergency District Manager Nick Pyatt said 52 people have been accounted for, but that a number still remained unaccounted for.

“I can sadly report that this will be a multi-fatality incident. Our thoughts at this time are with the families of those who have perished and with our crews who valiantly rescued those (they could) and attempted to rescue those that they couldn’t,” Pyatt told reporters.

“This is our worst nightmare,” Pyatt said. “It doesn’t get worse than this.”

Police can confirm a number of fatalities following the fire in central Wellington this morning.

Officers remain at the scene at Loafers Lodge on Adelaide Road where fire broke out around 12:30am.

Our initial assessment is that the number of deceased is fewer than 10, however, we are not in a position to be any more specific until we can access the building. It is currently unsafe and until we can access the building - and reconcile numbers of people who are safe - we are not in a position to determine how many people are deceased or unaccounted for. Our focus is on identifying those people as soon as we can.

We are asking people to please come forward if they, or someone they know, has been staying at the property, so we can eliminate them from our inquiries.

At the stage the cause of the fire is unexplained, and Police will be working alongside FENZ to determine cause.

Adelaide Road between John Street and the Basin Reserve is expected to remain closed for much of the day while Fire and Emergency NZ work at the scene alongside Police.

Chelsea have reportedly agreed terms with Mauricio Pochettino for him to become their next manager.

The former Tottenham boss was identified as a candidate by Blues chiefs following Graham Potter's exit last month, having previously held talks with him earlier in the season. And according to Sky Sports, a deal is now in place for him to take the reins from next season.

Pochettino has been out of work since leaving PSG last July. He'd been linked with the vacant Manchester United role which Erik ten Hag eventually filled.

And a return to his former club Spurs, who are also hunting for a new manager, had been mentioned. But their rivals at Stamford Bridge look to have secured his services.

Given Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly has sacked both Thomas Tuchel and Potter in his first season at the helm, rival fans teased "Pochettino to be sacked by Christmas", "sacked within six months" and "odds on him to be sacked by Xmas?".

Having started his managerial career with La Liga side Espanyol, the former Argentina defender enjoyed a successful 18-month spell with Southampton in his first role in England.

He attracted the attention of Tottenham, who appointed him on a five-year contract in May 2014. During his time in north London, he guided them to their highest league finish since 1990 and a Champions League final.

But he was axed in November 2019, five months after the 2-0 defeat to Liverpool, with Spurs sitting 14th in the Premier League table.

"Selfish, egotistical" young Italians should have more children and fewer pets, the Pope has told a conference of pro-family organisations in Rome.

He was speaking with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in an effort to urge political leaders to reverse a "demographic winter" in the country, which last year saw a population dip of more than 300,000.

After blasting couples who were choosing to have pets instead of children, the Pope said dedicated resources should be diverted to help them grow families, adding it was necessary to "plant the future" with hope.

"Let us not resign ourselves to sterile dullness and pessimism," Francis told an annual gathering of pro-family organisations in Rome.

"Let us not believe that history is already marked, that nothing can be done to reverse the trend."

Italy had a record low of live births in 2022, at 392,598, which when combined with a high number of registered deaths, at 713,499, has meant the country has accelerated a demographic trend that could impact its social security system.

Ms Meloni, who is considered to be a right wing leader in Italy, and her government, is backing a campaign to encourage at least 500,000 births every year by 2033, which is the rate demographers say is needed to protect the economy from collapse so that more people can work as the rate of pensioners increases.

The premier ran on a pro-family campaign of "God, family, fatherland", with her government proposing several measures to encourage families to have more children.

Italy's fertility rate is among the lowest in the world, at 1.24 children per woman.

A lack of affordable childcare, low pay, and unstable work are among the reasons why many women put off having children.

Warning that pets were replacing children in some households, the Pope recounted how a woman had opened her bag and asked him to "bless her baby".

Except it was not a baby, but a small dog.

"I lost my patience and told her off: there are many children who are hungry, and you bring me a dog?" he added, triggering a round of applause from the crowd.

Ms Meloni, who does have a child with her partner, told the conference she wants to reverse the declining trend of births, but warned surrogacy should be avoided, touching on broader political points around migrants and same-sex couples.

"We want a nation where it is no longer scandalous to say that - whatever the legitimate, free choices, inclinations of each person - we are all born of a man or a woman," Ms Meloni said, to applause.

"Where it is not taboo to say that motherhood is not for sale, that wombs are not for rent and children are not over-the-counter products that you can choose on the shelf as if you were in the supermarket and maybe return if then the product does not match what you expect."

She also spoke in a religious sense, saying her government wants to begin by "respecting the dignity, the uniqueness, the sacredness of every single human being, because each of us has a unique and unrepeatable genetic code. And this, like it or not, has something of the sacred".