Welcome to Olamama's blog!!!: August 2018

Friday, 31 August 2018

18 people killed in military helicopter crash in Ethiopia

Eighteen people have died in Ethiopia when a military helicopter crashed in the country's Oromiya region, state-affiliated news agency Fana reported. Fifteen members of the country's defence force and three civilians were killed, according to Fana.

Uber 'to focus on bikes over cars'

Uber says it plans to focus more on its electric scooter and bike business, and less on cars, despite the fact it could hurt profits. Boss Dara Khosrowshahi said that individual modes of transport were better suited to inner city travel. He also forecast users would make more frequent shorter journeys in future.
"During rush hour, it is very inefficient for a one-tonne hulk of metal to take one person 10 blocks," he told the Financial Times.

Serena Williams, 36, will face her elder sister Venus Williams, 38, for the 30th time on Friday night at the Arthur Ashe Stadium after they booked their spots in the third round of the US Open.
Serena eased into the third round encounter with a 6-2, 6-2 win over German world number 101 Carina Witthoeft on Tuesday, while her sister Venus made it into the third round with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Camila Giorgi of Italy.

The German city of Wiesbaden today removed a temporary statue of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan set up in a town square by artists, after it sparked confrontations between his supporters and opponents.
"In agreement with state police, Mayor Sven Gerich decided to have the statue removed as security could no longer be guaranteed," the city's government said on Twitter.

4-year-old girl catches deadly sepsis from trying on new shoes at a store

A four-year-old girl has caught a life-threatening sepsis from trying on new shoes in a shop, doctors say. Sienna Rasul fell seriously ill the day after putting different sizes on her bare feet while she was out with her mum Jodie Thomas. Doctors diagnosed sepsis from bacteria in the shoes on display racks at the shops they visited and have been draining the poison from her leg.

Man has half his nose cut off and his ears removed because he wants to look like a living skull

A man with a love of skeletons has cut off his nose so he can look like a skull. Tattoo artist Kalaca Skull, whose real name is Eric Yeiner Hincapié Ramírez, has spent two years undergoing extreme body modifications in his quest to change his face. He has put up with a host of gruesome and painful procedures including one to remove the lower half of his nose and another to take his ears off. But it doesn't stop there.

Kenya’s director of public prosecution has arrested and promptly charged deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu with abuse of office and tax evasion. She was arrested earlier today in the premises of the Supreme Court but after the preliminary hearing, Chief magistrate Lawrence Mugambi released her on Sh5 million bond and ordered her to appear tomorrow at 9 a.m together with her co-accused Stanley Muluvi.

21-year old Italian midfielder, Rolando Mandragora has been banned for one Serie A game after making “blasphemous remarks” during his team's 1-0 win over Sampdoria at the weekend.

Air pollution could be more damaging to our health than previously thought, according to a new study, which found that prolonged exposure to dirty air has a significant impact on our cognitive abilities, especially in older men. According to the study published Tuesday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, breathing polluted air causes a "steep reduction in verbal and math tests scores."

Two Tanzanians have been trampled to death by elephants in the north of the country, police said Monday. A 24-year-old man and a 70-year-old woman were killed on Sunday in the district of Korogwe by "elephants who had left the national Mkomazi park", said regional police spokesman Edward Bukombe.
The little-known Mkomazi park runs on from Kenya's Tsavo National Park on the other side of the border, and is situated a short distance from Mount Kilimanjaro. Clashes between humans and wild animals are a growing problem in parts of east Africa, as burgeoning populations seek to carve out a space for themselves.

Clint Dempsey announces retirement from professional soccer

Seattle Sounders FC forward Clint Dempsey today announced his retirement from professional soccer. The 35-year-old concludes a historic 15-year career that saw him play for the New England Revolution, Fulham FC, Tottenham Hotspur and Sounders FC, in addition to the U.S. Men’s National Team. The former United States captain was named the U.S. Soccer Male Athlete of the Year three times and is tied for the most goals scored by an American in international play. Dempsey departs Seattle a champion, helping the club to the 2014 Supporters’ Shield and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, 2016 MLS Cup and 2017 Western Conference title.

England footballers Jamie Vardy and Gary Cahill retire from international football

England footballers Jamie Vardy and Gary Cahill have announced their retirement from international football in other to allow manager, Gareth Southgate to bring younger players in.
In a statement to the Guardian, Vardy said: 'This has been on my mind for a while. I'm not getting any younger and you can see, to be fair to the gaffer, he wants to make it more youthful, which obviously had its benefits during the World Cup.

China appears poised to scrap the limit on the number of children couples can have, with a state-run newspaper citing a draft civil code that would end decades of controversial family planning policies.
The wide-ranging code would get rid of a policy that has been enforced through fines but was also notorious for cases of forced abortions and sterilization in the world's most populous country.

A chef who stands at just 3ft 10in tall has been banned from a college cooking course because he is a "health and safety risk".
Louis Makepeace, 18, has been refused a place at Heart of Worcestershire College after being originally offered a conditional spot. He claims college bosses branded him a "safety risk" to the other 14 pupils and would cause a "disruption" if he got under their feet.

A 14-year-old Oklahoma schoolboy stabbed a female classmate more than 11 times because she refused to date him and said she "only likes him as a friend".
The unnamed girl, who is also 14, was stabbed in a school assembly on the first day of the term at Luther High School. She was airlifted to hospital with life-threatening injuries following the gruesome attack on August 16, but has since been discharged from hospital. She has not yet returned to school.

Cristiano Ronaldo's son has participated in his first training session for Juventus' under-9s. Ronaldo made a €100 million move from Real Madrid in July and his family is settling into its new home in Turin, with Cristiano Jr. also joining the club.

Picture for illustration

Many people who are worried with their weight are committed to shifting the pounds, and are always keen to try the latest popular diet. But others are not bothered by their shape or size, and are happy with the way they are - and rightly so. So one woman, who describes herself as "fat" but has no plans to lose weight, was shocked by the meal she was served by her mother-in-law when they went around for Sunday lunch.

Facebook has banned 20 organizations and individuals in Myanmar, including a senior military commander, from using its service and acknowledged that it was "too slow" to prevent the spread of "hate and misinformation" in the country. The social network said in a statement Monday that it had imposed the bans after the United Nations "found evidence that many of these individuals and organizations committed or enabled serious human rights abuses in the country."

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday accused Google’s search engine of promoting negative news articles and hiding “fair media” coverage of him. Trump’s attack against Google follows a string of grievances against technology companies, including social media Twitter Inc and Facebook Inc, which he has accused of silencing conservative voices, and Amazon.com Inc, which he has said is hurting small businesses and benefiting from a favourable deal with the U.S. Postal Services.

Catherine Waruguru, a female member of parliament in Kenya has stunned women after telling them to consider getting married as second wives to avoid being single mothers. Speaking on KTN’s Morning Express, Waruguru said they can only consider a man to be their husband when he is in their house.

Cristiano Ronaldo's stunning overhead kick for Real Madrid against his current club Juventus has been announced as UEFA Goal of the Season. The Portuguesse striker scored the incredible goal during the Champions League quarter-final first-leg tie against Juventus with his remarkable bicycle kick to help Real Madrid progress to the semi-finals.

Bad news for those who enjoy what they think is a healthy glass of wine a day. A large new global study published in the Lancet has confirmed previous research which has shown that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption. The researchers admit moderate drinking may protect against heart disease but found that the risk of cancer and other diseases outweighs these protections.
A study author said its findings were the most significant to date because of the range of factors considered.

Ryanair pilot faints mid-air as plane is diverted during violent thunderstorm

A RyanAir pilot fainted in mid-air as plane was being diverted during a violent thunderstorm
The SUN reports that the pilot fainted in the cockpit while the plane was being diverted because of thunderstorms in Italy. The pilot had to be rushed to hospital upon landing.
The plane was flying from London Stansted to Palermo in Italy on Thursday evening, but had to land 67 miles away in Trapani due to thunderstorms in the area.

Simon died early on Sunday (local time) of complications from pneumonia at New York Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan, said Bill Evans, a longtime friend and spokesman for Shubert Organisation theatres.
Simon was admitted to hospital a few days ago and the pneumonia was in his lungs, Mr Evans said, adding that he gave Simon a kidney in 2004.
"It was wonderful to be in his life and for him to be in my life," he said, calling Simon a major figure in American culture.

Monday, 27 August 2018

Uber to pay $1.9m for sexual harassment claims

Uber is close to reaching a final settlement relating to several sexual harassment and discrimination claims. The firm will pay $1.9m (£1.5m) to 56 current and former workers who claim they were victims of sexual harassment, or about $34,000 each. They will also get nearly $11,000 each as part of a class action involving 485 people who claimed discrimination.

A Kenyan man who was arrested for possession of bhang/marijuana created a scene when he appeared for court hearing recently.
According to Citizens Daily Updates, there was drama at the Highway Court in Embu, as the man pictured in dreadlocks demanded that the charges be read in Rastafarian language.
The accused reportedly told the court that Rastafarian is the only language he understands.

China to kill 1,332 pigs following fresh outbreak of swine fever

Authorities in China’s Zhejiang province said it will kill 1,332 hogs after an African swine fever outbreak was reported in the city of Yueqing, the city government said in a post on its official Weibo account on Thursday.

Breastfeeding could protect mothers from strokes, study reveals

Breastfeeding could help mothers lower their risk of a stroke, a new study has found. While breastfeeding has many proven benefits for babies, fewer were associated with the mother's health. This new study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, says stroke is the fourth leading cause of death among women aged 65 and older.

Liberian President and former football star, George Weah awarded ex-Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger with the country’s highest honor in a ceremony today for services to African football that included launching Weah’s own successful career.

Yesterday, Tennis champ, Serena Williams was banned from wearing her "Blank Panther" inspired catsuit at the French Open in future. The president of the French Tennis Association's president Bernard Giudicelli told Tennis Magazine in an interview that the tournament will now have a dress code because he believes "sometimes we've gone too far." He singled out Williams' bodysuit, explaining that it "will no longer be accepted," according to the Associated Press.

This morning, a huge fire tore through a hot springs hotel in China, killing 19 people and causing 23 others to be taken to hospital. Authorities are investigating the cause of the blaze at the four-story Bailong Hot Springs Leisure Hotel, an inexpensive spa resort visited mainly by domestic tourists, which broke out just after 4:30 a.m. (2030 GMT Friday).

Multiple media reports confirm that Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich has put the club up for sale with a price tag of more than £2billion following his dispute with the Government in recent months over his visa status. The figure demanded for Chelsea would smash the world record fee for the sale of a football club If a buyer summons up the cash it would nearly triple the most expensive takeover in history which is currently the Glazer family’s £790million purchase of Manchester United in 2006.

Tennis champ, Serena Williams has been banned from wearing her "Blank Panther" inspired catsuit at the French Open in future. The 23-time Grand Slam champion turned heads when she made her return to Grand Slam tennis this year wearing the eye-catching outfit at Roland Garros, following the birth of her first child in 2017.

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned the President of the Palestinian Football Association (PFA), Jibril Rajoub, with a 12-month match suspension. He was also slammed with a fine of CHF 20,000 for breaching article 53 (Inciting hatred and violence) of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, following media statements he gave calling on football fans to target the Argentinian Football Association and burn jerseys and pictures of Lionel Messi.

Senator John McCain dies at 81

US Senator and former presidential candidate, John McCain, has died at age 81 after a year long battle with brain cancer, just a few days after it was announced that he had decided to stop medical treatment. McCain, a former Vietnam prisoner of war, 6-term U.S. Senator from Arizona and 2008 GOP Presidential nominee, battled an aggressive form of brain cancer called glioblastoma was diagnosed in July 2013.

Simon Cowell has received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Wednesday in a star-studded ceremony. The 58-year-old was joined by his partner Lauren Silverman and their son four-year-old Eric as well as Lauren's son Adam, who she welcomed with former spouse Andrew Silverman, as the milestone event got underway in downtown Hollywood.

Zimbabwe's Constitutional Court has unanimously dismissed a bid by the largest opposition coalition to annul the results of last month's presidential election, which gave a victory to incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa. Chief Justice Luke Malaba said on Friday that the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) alliance, led by 40-year-old Nelson Chamisa, had failed to prove fraud accusations during the vote.

Former Comoros president Ahmed Abdallah Sambi was on Tuesday taken into custody amid an investigation into an economic citizenship program introduced by his government, his family says. Sambi has been under house arrest since May, a period in which he has been denied access to phones and computers.
An investigating judge however ordered that he be formerly detained. The former head of state has denied the accusations levelled against him linked to money that has allegedly gone missing from a scheme to sell passports to fund development.
Observers say his arrest came amid a crackdown on opponents of constitutional reforms on the Indian Ocean archipelago.

Tottenham captain, Hugo Lloris charged with drunk-driving in UK

Metropolitan Police has confirmed that Tottenham captain, Hugo Lloris has been charged with drunk-driving and will appear before magistrates next month. The 31-year-old, who was France's skipper when they won the World Cup in Russia last month, was charged today. Police confirmed that Lloris has been bailed but will return to court on September 11, two days after France face Netherlands in a UEFA Nations League match.
A statement from Metropolitan Police read: "A man has been charged following a routine patrol stop in Gloucester Place, W1. Hugo Lloris, 31, of East Finchley was charged with drink-driving on Friday, August 24. He has been bailed to return to Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, September 11."
Lloris played in each of Spurs' opening Premier League games of the season, against Newcastle United and Fulham. Mauricio Pochettino's side take on Manchester United at Old Trafford on Monday.

Thursday, 23 August 2018

Fire breaks out at UK’s second largest oil refinery

A fire has broken out in a manufacturing building at Stanlow oil refinery. Firefighters were at the scene of the incident, sending huge plumes of smoke over Ellesmere Port.
“There was a report of a large plume of black smoke. We have several pumps at the scene,” a spokeswoman for the Cheshire fire service said. It's UK's 2nd largest oil refinery.

Serena Williams tops Forbes list for highest-earning female athletes

Eight of the top 10 highest earning female athletes are tennis players, with 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams topping the Forbes list. Williams earned just $62,000 (£48,050) from prize money during the past year - owing largely to her 14-month break to have a baby - but made $18m (£13.95m) through endorsements. Badminton's PV Sindhu and race car driver Danica Patrick are the only non-tennis players in the top 10.

A South African man has been sacked from his family business after making a racist slur in a video widely shared on social media.
Adam Catzavelos filmed himself on a beach, saying it was "heaven on earth" as there were no black people there. He said a derogatory term used historically by white people to denigrate black South Africans. Racism remains a major issue in the country, where white-minority rule ended in 1994. A woman was recently jailed in South Africa for using the offensive word.

Dutch and Ajax midfielder, Abdelhak Nouri who fell into a coma after collapsing during a friendly match against Werder Bremen on July 8, 2017, has finanly woken up. The 21-year-old who had been in a coma after losing consciousness during the friendly match in Austriareportedly woke up on August 5, after more than a year.

Social media was abuzz after a NASA intern named Naomi H won and lost an internship at NASA in less than a day because she insulted someone on Twitter and it turned out that he was a member of the NASA council. Naomi didn't insult just any member of the National Space Council but it was the great Homer Hickam, a NASA engineering legend.

Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has threatened to send a boatload of migrants back to Libya unless EU countries take them in. Writing on Twitter, Mr Salvini told Europe to start getting serious about defending its external borders and accepting migrants, otherwise Italy would take them back where they came from. He said Italy had already played its part, and enough was enough.

Africa’s newest national carrier is to begin flights later this year on 12 aircraft to destinations in Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. By 2018 is it expected to carry 1.9 million passengers. The Zambian government’s main development agency will hold a 55% stake, while Ethiopian Airlines will maintain a 45% stake.It is hoped the investment will help make the country a Southern African hub, to rival Johannesburg in South Africa.
Zambia hopes the deal will accelerate the country’s industrialisation and boost tourism. The Ethiopian carrier has several similar deals in the pipeline and has also put in a bid to run Nigeria Air when it is revived.

Measles cases hit record high in Europe

Cases of measles in Europe have hit a record high, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). More than 41,000 people have been infected in the first six months of 2018, leading to 37 deaths. Last year there were 23,927 cases and the year before 5,273. Experts blame this surge in infections on a drop in the number of people being vaccinated.
In England, there have been 807 cases so far this year. The WHO has now called on European countries to take action. Public Health England say the outbreaks in England are largely due to people who have travelled to areas of mainland Europe that have had outbreaks.
Measles is highly infectious and spreads by droplets in coughs and sneezes. It also leads to death.

Kenya: Women blame idle men for increase in malnutrition in Pokot

The cultural practice where men while away the time sitting under trees, leaving the burden of providing for the family to women, has led to increased malnutrition in West Pokot. The practice leaves women burdened with domestic and other chores, so they have little time to look for food.

The 2018 MTV Video Music Awards took over New York's Radio City Music Hall. Camila Cabello took home two big prizes, video of the year for "Havana" and artist of the year. While Childish Gambino nabbed three prizes for "This Is America," including best video with a message, accepted by the video's choreographer Sherrie Silver. See the complete list below...

Friday, 31 August 2018

Thursday, 30 August 2018

Wednesday, 29 August 2018

Tuesday, 28 August 2018

Monday, 27 August 2018

Sunday, 26 August 2018

Saturday, 25 August 2018

Thursday, 23 August 2018