Dozens of dolphins found dead on Mozambique beach

 

 

The bodies of about 100 dead dolphins have been found on an island off the coast of Mozambique.
Eighty-six more carcasses were found on Bazaruto Island, north of the capital Maputo, on Tuesday, after a first group was washed ashore on Sunday.
The cause of the deaths is still unknown, the country's environment ministry said, and more experts are heading to the site.
One possible experts are investigating is if a cyclone may have contributed.
Last week's Cyclone Guambe caused unrest in the waters off the island of Bazaruto, the head of inspection at the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park, Tomás Manasse, said.

Missing girl, 13, found in hotel room with 22-year-old man she met on Snapchat

 

 A missing girl has been found in a hotel room with a 22-year-old man who lured her after meeting her on Snapchat. Tyler Thompson, 22, was arrested by police in Volusia County, Florida, on February 18 after being caught on camera in a dark room, shirtless, with an underage girl.
The girl was reported missing by her grandmother at around 6.15pm on Thursday, Feb 18, after she failed to come home after school.
 Initial investigations determined that a friend of the missing girl said the victim was planning on going to a motel with someone she met online.

Neil Lennon quits as Celtic manager after defeat to Ross County left the club 18 points behind Stevie Gerrard's Ranger

 

Neil Lennon has resigned as manager of Celtic with the club 18 points behind Scottish Premiership leaders, Rangers. Lennon, who returned to manage Celtic for a second time after Brendan Rodgers moved to Leicester in February 2019, has been under pressure all season before he finally resigned.
 He apologised for "letting fans down again" after the 1-0 defeat by Ross County on Sunday, left them 18 points behind league's leaders' Ranger
 In a statement on Wednesday February 24, Lennon said: "We have experienced a difficult season due to so many factors and, of course, it is very frustrating and disappointing that we have not been able to hit the same heights as we did previously.

At least 67 dead in blood-soaked prison riots as gangs fight over power in Ecuador

 

At least 67 inmates have died in prison riots across Ecuador as inmates used blood and knives to attack each other. The violence was said to have broken out over a power dispute between criminal gangs, according to local media. In a tweet, Ecuadorian president Lenin Moreno said gangs had carried out "simultaneous acts of violence in several prisons in the country".
According to authorities, riots erupted in prisons in the cities of Guayaquil, Cuenca and Latacunga.
 Police General Commander Patricio Carrillo said on Twitter on Tuesday that additional security forces had been dispatched to the prisons to regain control of them following the riots.

Goldman Sachs: Bank boss rejects work from home as the 'new normal'

 

 
Goldman Sachs boss David Solomon has rejected remote working as a “new normal” and labelled it an “aberration” instead.
Mr Solomon said the investment bank had operated throughout 2020 with “less than 10% of our people” in the office.
His eagerness for workers to return to the office is at odds with many other firms, who have suggested that working from home could become permanent.
Mr Solomon suggested that it does not suit the work culture at Goldman Sachs.
“I do think for a business like ours, which is an innovative, collaborative apprenticeship culture, this is not ideal for us. And it’s not a new normal. It’s an aberration that we’re going to correct as soon as possible,” he told a conference on Wednesday.

Tiger Woods hospitalized after being involved in car accident

 

Golfer Tiger Woods was hospitalized on Tuesday after being involved in a single-vehicle accident in Los Angeles, police said.
The vehicle sustained major damage and Woods was extricated from the wreck with the “jaws of life” by firefighters and paramedics, then transported to a local hospital by ambulance, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.

Liverpool goalkeeper, Alisson Becker's father Jose Becker dies after drowning in Brazil

 

The father of Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker drowned in a lake near his holiday home in southern Brazil on Wednesday, February, 24. Jose Becker, 57, had been swimming at a dam on his property when the accident happened, Doroteo Machado Filho, a police inspector in the town of Lavras do Sul, told Reuters.
 He was first declared missing at 5pm local time on Wednesday, and later found on the property of his holiday home near the town of Rincao do Inferno at 11:59pm after a local fire department joined the search, according to ESPN Brazil.

Jay-Z sells stake in champagne brand to luxury giant LVMH

 

For American music mogul Jay-Z, who has boasted of having a "million ways to make money" it looks like it may now be "on to the next one".
French luxury giant LVMH has purchased a 50% stake in his Armand de Brignac champagne brand, known to fans of his music by its "Ace of Spades" nickname.
Branded with an ace of spades and sleek metallic bottles, the drink can cost hundreds of pounds a bottle or more.

Late NFL star, Vincent Jackson's brain to be donated for CTE research

 

Late NFL star, Vincent Jackson's brain will be donated to scientists researching CTE (Chronic traumatic encephalopathy), a spokesperson for his family confirmed to CBS Tampa affiliate WTSP-TV. The 12-year veteran of the NFL and 3-time Pro Bowl wide receiver was found dead on Monday, Feb 15, by a housekeeper in a hotel room at the Homewood Suites hotel in Brandon, Florida, located in the Tampa area.
 Authorities are now suggesting that he may have suffered from alcoholism and the concussion-linked brain disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which is better known as CTE.

WhatsApp to switch off messages for all who reject new terms

 

 WhatsApp users who do not accept its updated terms and conditions by the 15 May deadline will be unable to receive or send messages until they do so.
Their account will be listed as "inactive". And inactive accounts can be deleted after 120 days.
Calls and notifications will still function for "a short while" but, TechCrunch reported, probably only a "few weeks".
WhatsApp announced the update in January.
There was a backlash among many users who thought it meant the company was planning to change the amount of data it shared with its parent company, Facebook.
It later clarified this was not the case - the update is actually aimed at enabling payments to be made to businesses.

Gender-reveal device explosion kills father-to-be

 

 A father-to-be from New York state has died after a device he was building for his child's gender-reveal party exploded, according to police. Christopher Pekny, 28, was assembling the device in the town of Liberty when it exploded just before noon on Sunday. Police said the blast killed Mr Pekny and injured his brother Michael Pekny, 27, who was taken to hospital.
Gender-reveal parties are celebrations announcing whether expecting parents are going to have a girl or a boy.

El Chapo’s wife, Emma Coronel busted for drug trafficking

 

Emma Coronel Aispuro, the beauty-queen wife of jailed drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman has been arrested at Dulles International Airport on trafficking charges.
According to U.S federal prosecutors, the 31 year-old Aispuro was busted in Virginia on charges of participating in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana for importation into the US.
She’s also accused of scheming to help with her husband’s 11 July 2015 escape from Altiplano prison in Mexico.
After Guzman was re-arrested in Mexico in January 2016, Coronel Aispuro is alleged to have engaged in planning yet another prison escape with others prior to Guzman’s extradition to the U.S. in January 2017.

Grammy-winning duo Daft Punk break up after 28 years

 

 Grammy-winning electronic music pioneers Daft Punk have announced that they are breaking up after 28 years. The helmet-wearing French duo shared the news Monday in an 8-minute video called “Epilogue.” Kathryn Frazier, the band’s longtime publicist, confirmed the break up for The Associated Press.
Daft Punk, comprised of Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, have had major success over the years, winning six Grammy Awards and launching international hits with “One More Time,” “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” and “Get Lucky.”

US rejoins Paris climate accord as Biden continues to reverse Trump's legacy

 

The United States has rejoined the Paris climate accord, just 107 days after it left as President Joe Biden continues to reverse Donald Trump's legacy. The return became official on Friday February 19, almost a month after President Joe Biden told the United Nations that America wants back in.
'A cry for survival comes from the planet itself,' Biden said in his inaugural address. 'A cry that can´t be any more desperate or any more clear now.'
Donald Trump announced its withdrawal from the Paris accord in 2019 but it didn't become effective until November 4, 2020, making the United States the first nation to formally withdraw from the Paris climate agreement.

Naomi Osaka beats Jennifer Brady in women's final to win Australian Open

 

 Japan's Naomi Osaka beat America's Jennifer Brady in the Australian Open final on Saturday morning, February 20, to win her fourth Grand Slam title.  Osaka, 23, won 6-4 6-3 and has the enviable record of being unbeaten in major finals. Osaka won the first set when Brady, made bad errors in the game.
Osaka then seized control from that point, going 4-0 ahead in the second set before sealing a deserved victory with the last set.
Osaka has now won two Australian Open titles after also triumphing at Melbourne Park in 2019, with her other Grand Slam successes coming at the US Open in 2018 and 2020.

Foreigners without face masks punished with push-ups in Indonesia [video]

 

Foreigners caught not wearing face masks on the Indonesian resort island of Bali are being subject to an unusual punishment: push-ups. Video footage circulating on social media this week shows tourists in T-shirts and shorts being made to do the exercise in sweltering tropical heat as masked security officials stood over them.
Bali authorities made wearing a face mask in public mandatory last year as Indonesia battled a raging Covid-19 outbreak.
In recent days, however, scores of foreigners have been caught without face coverings, said security official Gusti Agung Ketut Suryanegara. 

Watch the video after the cut

Police hunt for female assassin who gunned down former Mexican governor; offer $50,000 reward for her arrest

 

Police are hunting for a female assassin who gunned down a former Mexican governor inside a restaurant's bathroom. Authorities in Mexico have released surveillance camera images of the woman wanted for executing former governor of Jalisco and ex Institutional Revolutionary Party member Aristoteles Sandoval, 46, in a restaurant on December 18 in the resort city of Puerto Vallarta.
The CCTV footage shows a blonde woman wearing a grey hoodie and blue jeans and her male accomplice with dark hair fleeing the eatery after the assassination. Local newspaper Mural reports that the woman shot the ex-governor three times; one in the back of the head, a second shot struck him near the heart and the third shot hit his intestines.

Heineken is cutting 8,000 jobs as it moves 'beyond beer'

 

 
Heineken is cutting 8,000 jobs and trying to "move beyond beer" after the pandemic hammered sales. The brewer of Moretti and Amstel said in an earnings statement on Wednesday that it will slash almost 10% of its global workforce and seek savings of €2 billion ($2.4 billion) over two years as part of an overhaul designed to improve efficiency.
The restructuring will cost about €420 million ($509 million) and reduce head office staff costs by 20%. Regional offices and local operations will also be impacted.
Heineken (HEINY) reported a net loss of €204 million ($247.6 million) in 2020, compared with a profit of €2.2 billion ($2.7 billion) the previous year. Revenue tumbled 16.7% to €23.8 billion ($28.9 billion) amid closures of restaurants and bars in key markets, as well as other restrictions on social gatherings and alcohol sales.

Air pollution raises risk of infertility by 20% — Study

 

 A new study by reproductive health experts has found that air pollution is associated with increased infertility risk for couples by up to 20 per cent.
The researchers say the association might explain the increased infertility rates in polluted areas.
The study, conducted in China, according to the researchers, tracked more than 10,000 couples.
It found that those who experienced higher levels of particulate pollution were one-fifth more likely to fail to become pregnant within a year of beginning to try.
The study, led by Qin Li of the Centre for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China, was published in the Environment International journal.

Twitter CFO says Trump's ban is permanent, even if he runs for office again

 

Former President Donald Trump will not be permitted back on Twitter even if he runs again for office and wins, according to the company's chief financial officer.
Asked during an interview on CNBC Wednesday whether Trump's tweeting privileges could be restored if he wins the presidency again, CFO Ned Segal clarified that Trump's ban is permanent.
"The way our policies work, when you're removed from the platform, you're removed from the platform," he said, "whether you're a commentator, you're a CFO, or you are a former or current public official. Remember, our policies are designed to make sure that people are not inciting violence, and if anybody does that, we have to remove them from the service and our policies don't allow people to come back."

Djokovic blows away Medvedev for record 9th Australian Open title

 

World number one Novak Djokovic blew away Russian challenger Daniil Medvedev in three straight sets 7-5 6-2 6-2 on Sunday to win a record 9th Australian Open title.
The victory also gave the Serbian his 18th Grand Slam title, two shy from record holders, Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal.
For Medvedev, it was another hope dashed for a first Grand Slam victory.

Ronaldinho’s mother dies aged 71 after contracting Covid-19

 

 
Dona Miguelina, the mother of Brazilian football star Ronaldinho is dead.
Miguelina, 71, was hospitalised after testing positive for Covid-19 last year while in their home city of Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil.
In December, the Ballon d’Or winner asked fans to pray for his mother, revealing she was fighting for her life at Mae de Deus Hospital.
“Dear friends. My mum has Covid and we’re fighting for her to recover. She is in intensive care and is receiving all the care she needs. I’m thankful for your prayers, your positive energy and the affection you’ve always shown. Stay strong, mum,” Ronaldinho said on Twitter.

Stevie Wonder to relocate permanently to Ghana

 

American icon and undisputable music genius, Stevie Wonder has opened up on his plan to relocate permanently to Ghana over racial injustice in the United States.
Stevie Wonder made this revelation on Oprah Winfrey’s show, ‘The Oprah Conversation’.
He said he is tired of racial injustice in America and doesn’t want his descendants to beg for respect and value.
In his words, “I want to see the nation smile again, and I want to see it before I move to Ghana.”
“I’m going to do that. I’m going to move permanently to Ghana.”

Bird flu: Russia detects first case of H5N8 bird flu in humans

 

Russia has reported the first case of a bird flu strain, H5N8, being passed from poultry to humans.
Officials said seven workers at a poultry plant in the south of the country had been infected following an outbreak there in December.
"All seven people... are now feeling well," said the head of Russia's consumer health watchdog, Anna Popova.
She said that adequate measures had been quickly taken to stop the spread of infection.
There was no sign of transmission between humans, Ms Popova said, adding that the case had been reported to the World Health Organization.

eSwatini will not use AstraZeneca vaccine after S.Africa trial data

 

 eSwatini will no longer use AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, its health minister said on Tuesday, after a trial showed it gave minimal protection against mild-to-moderate COVID-19 caused by the dominant variant in South Africa.
eSwatini, a tiny kingdom formerly known as Swaziland that borders South Africa, was due to receive AstraZeneca doses from the COVAX Facility, the global vaccine distribution scheme co-led by the World Health Organization (WHO).
South Africa on Sunday put on hold the rollout of AstraZeneca's shots, after researchers published preliminary data showing the vaccine had significantly reduced efficacy against the more contagious 501Y.V2 variant first identified late last year.

South Africa's military ends hijab ban for Muslims

 

South Africa's military has changed its dress policy to allow Muslim women to wear hijabs with their uniforms. It is a victory for Maj Fatima Isaacs, who led a three-year legal battle for her religious right to wear a headscarf beneath her military beret.
The change of heart comes after the military dropped charges against Maj Isaacs for wearing one.
She had faced dismissal for "wilful defiance and disobeying a lawful command" for refusing to remove it.

An Indiana university retires its mascot that shares a name with the Ku Klux Klan newspaper

 

Students who attend Valparaiso University are Crusaders no more. The Lutheran university, aligning with schools and professional sports teams that have recently nixed racist mascots, has announced it will replace its mascot, the Crusader, because of its usage by hate groups.
The Crusades represent a period in Medieval history when Christians enacted violent expeditions against Muslims and Jews in the Holy Land.
They are also the namesake of an official Ku Klux Klan newspaper.
"The negative connotation and violence associated with the Crusader imagery are not reflective of Valpo's mission and values, which promote a welcoming and inclusive community," the university's interim president, Colette Irwin-Knott said in a news release.
The decision has ended a debate among students, faculty and alumni which had intensified in recent years, according to the release.