Obaseki’s defection excites PDP Governors

Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could not hide their excitement over the defection of the Edo state Governor, Godwin Obaseki from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the main opposition party.

The PDP governors are particularly excited that Obaseki’s entry into the party has increased the number of states controlled by the PDP from 15 to 16.

Similarly, the governors, particularly those from the South-South, are also happy that with Obaseki’s defection, the PDP is now in control of the entire six states in that geopolitical zone.

In a statement on Friday by the Director-General of the PDP Governors Forum, Cyril Maduabum, the governor described Obaseki’s entry into PDP as a homecoming to a democratic platform.

The Forum added that the PDP accommodates all Nigerians desirous of good governance, accountability and deepening of democratic tenets.

The Nation

George Floyd: Second police officer arrested over death freed from prison on bail

 

A second fired police officer who was arrested over the killing of George Floyd has been released from prison.

J. Alexander Kueng was released from Hennepin County Jail on Friday night after posting bail of £607,344 ($750,000).

Kueng, 26, is one of three Minneapolis police officers charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in connection with Mr Floyd's death on May 25.

He was released at just before 7.30pm local time on Friday, Star Tribune reports.

source: Mirror.co.uk

Madagascar announces plans for COVID-Organics capsules

Madagascar is in the process of equipping its health facilities in order to produce most medicines it currently imports, president Rajoelina announced on Thursday.

The president was reacting to the receipt of state-of-the-art equipment to equip the new pharmaceutical plant “Pharmalagasy.” The consignment was delivered by the Pharma Wing section of Ethiopian Airlines.

“Thanks to the work of Malagasy researchers and foreign scientists, Pharmalagasy will launch CVO+, a curative and preventive capsule against Covid-19 made from artemisia,” Rajoelina added stressing that the move was part of Madagascar positioning “itself on the global pharmaceutical market.”

COVID-Organics has now transited from the usual liquid form, even as government backtracked on administering it via injectables. The capsules are the new form that the president is announcing.

Meanwhile, the WHO and Africa Centers for Disease Control, Africa CDC, have yet to release any findings or developments from their interactions with Malagasy authorities over the purported virus cure.

The country has also announced a partnership with a Bionexx, a company specialized in the culture of artemisia, a move that will make Madagascar the first African producer of medicines based on the medicinal plant, Rajoelina added.

COVID-Organics at a glance

• Rajoelina says it was developed by Malasy Institute of Applied Research.
• Says it is of two type, the curative and preventive
• It is made from Artemisia – an anti-malarial plant that grows on the island
• Another name for it is Tambavy CVO
• The WHO – global and Africa offices have cautioned against it and other unproven herbal drugs
• It is freely distributed in schools and in other public places
• A number of African countries officially requested for them, among others Tanzania, Congo, DRC, Chad, Comoros
• Madagascar made a donation to West African nations in the ECOWAS bloc. But the ECOWAS Commission clarified it hadn’t ordered for or endorsed the potion.
• Africa Centers for Disease Control is in talks with Madagascar over the potion
• According to Rajoelina, the country will sign a confidentiality clause with WHO on the formulation of the drug.
• A number of Africa countries are subjecting the donation to tests before administering if at all.

• Confirmed cases = 1,403
• Number of deaths = 13
• Recoveries = 463
• Active cases = 927

source; africanews.com

Bilbo Baggins Is Dead!

Stage and film actor Sir Ian Holm, who played Bilbo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings films, has died aged 88.

Sir Ian, Oscar-nominated as Olympic running coach Sam Mussabini in Chariots of Fire, also played the android Ash in 1979's Alien.

"It is with great sadness we can confirm that the actor Sir Ian Holm CBE passed away this morning at the age of 88," his agent said in a statement.

"He died peacefully in hospital with his family and carer," he added.

BBC news

Angelina Jolie Opens up About her Divorce from Brad Pitt

In an interview with Vogue India the Mr. & Mrs. Smith star gave a rare look into the couple's 1016 divorce, telling the outlet that the decision to separate after two years of marriage was done with the wellbeing of their six children—Maddox, 18, Pax, 16, Zahara, 15, Shiloh, 14, and 11-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox—in mind.

"I separated for the wellbeing of my family," she said. "It was the right decision. I continue to focus on their healing."

She also addressed her silence following their separation, explaining how the speculation surrounding her and Pitt's relationship affected their children. 

"Some have taken advantage of my silence, and the children see lies about themselves in the media, but I remind them that they know their own truth and their own minds," she added. "In fact, they are six very brave, very strong young people."

Still on the topic of her kids, Jolie shared how she raised her adopted children, Maddox, Pax and Zahara, and embraced their different backgrounds.Each is a beautiful way of becoming family. What is important is to speak with openness about all of it and to share," she began. "‘Adoption' and ‘orphanage' are positive words in our home. With my adopted children, I can't speak of pregnancy, but I speak with much detail and love about the journey to find them and what it was like to look in their eyes for the first time."

"All adopted children come with a beautiful mystery of a world that is meeting yours," the Changeling star continued. "When they are from another race and foreign land, that mystery, that gift, is so full. For them, they must never lose touch with where they came from. They have roots that you do not. Honor them. Learn from them."She added, "It's the most amazing journey to share. They are not entering your world, you are entering each other's worlds."

Noting that her children Maddox and Pax were adopted from Cambodia and Vietnam, respectively, and that the countries were once at war with each other, Jolie said that she's "grateful" to have both boys in her life. 
 
"I did originally think not to adopt from Vietnam because Mad was Cambodian and the two countries have a complex history," she recalled. "Then I was reading a book on human rights and found myself staring at an image of a Vietnamese fighter held captive by Americans. I thought of my own country and our involvement in south-east Asia."

Jolie continued, "I thought of focusing on a future where we were all family. I am very blessed to have been allowed to be their mom. I am grateful every day."

Queen honours Ghana veteran for Covid-19 fundraiser

Ghanaian World War Two veteran Private Joseph Hammond says he is "overwhelmed and filled with joy" by the news that the Queen has honoured his fundraising efforts in the fight against Covid-19.

He has been given the Commonwealth Points of Light award which recognises inspirational volunteers throughout the Commonwealth.

Now 95 years old, the veteran joined the Royal West African Frontier Force aged just 16.

Last month, he set himself a challenge of walking 3.2km (two miles) every day to raise $600,000 (£500,000) to buy protective gear for health workers and vulnerable veterans.

Private Hammond has so far raised $35,000.

He was inspired by British veteran, Captain Sir Tom Moore, who raised more than $35m for the UK's National Health Service.

The Queen's grandson, Prince Harry, wrote Private Hammond a letter of encouragement and support earlier this month.

BBC news

Nobel laureate dismisses fake news about Covid-19 role

A post has been circulating falsely claiming that 2018 Nobel laureate Dr Dénis Mukwege resigned from Covid-19 response teams in DR Congo because he had been ordered to declare illnesses and deaths to be coronavirus-related even when they were not.

He has resigned but not for the reasons being claimed.

The false post was published on Facebook on 16 June and was widely shared, with a screenshot being shared on WhatsApp too.

"I cannot in any case dirty my Nobel Peace Prize for money, we had been ordered to declare any illness to be coronavirus and any death,” the post claims he said.

Dr Mukwege has been serving in two teams set up to coordinate the response to the Covid-19 pandemic in the South Kivu province in eastern DR Congo for the past two months.

He announced his resignation on 10 June saying lack of laboratories for testing for the virus had frustrated his work.

He also cited a lax attitude to social distancing or other measures among the population, porous borders, and the return of thousands of DR Congo citizens from neighbouring countries without having been quarantined. He said that decreased the effectiveness of the team’s’ strategy.

Dr Mukwege said he was resigning to devote himself to treating an influx of patients at the Panzi Hospital which is run by his foundation.

A spokesperson for Dr Mukwege told the BBC any statement not appearing on his official social media pages and websites is fake.

Nowhere in his resignation statement does Dr Mukwege mention having been forced to declare negative coronavirus cases to be positive.

bbc news