A judge has angrily threatened to lock up Harvey Weinstein for using his phone in a New York City court where a jury is being picked for his r3pe trial.
"Is this really the way you want to end up in jail for the rest of your life, by texting and violating a court order?" asked Judge James Burke.
The Manhattan judge instructed the former Hollywood producer, who is out on bail, not to answer the question.
Mr Weinstein faces five charges and possibly life in jail if convicted.
The allegations include rape and predatory sexual assault relating to two unnamed accusers. He is charged with r3ping one woman in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013, and performing a forcible s.e.x act on the second woman in 2006.
On Monday, Mr Weinstein was charged with an additional two counts in Los Angeles: r.a.p.e and s.e.xual assault.
The 67-year-old has denied all charges and insists any s.e.xual encounters were consensual.
The father of Reynhard Sinaga, the worst rapist in British legal history, has said his son's punishment "fits his crimes" after he was jailed for life.
Sinaga, a 36-year-old PhD student from Indonesia, was found guilty of 159 sexual offences against 48 men.
He picked up his victims outside clubs in Manchester and lured them to his flat, where he drugged and assaulted them while filming the attacks.
On Monday, a judge jailed Sinaga for life, with a minimum term of 30 years.
As Sinaga's family and friends come to terms with his fate, they have painted a picture of his life in Indonesia before he became a serial sexual predator.
Speaking for the first time since his son was jailed, his father Saibun Sinaga told BBC Indonesian over the phone: "We accept the verdict. His punishment fits his crimes. I don't want to discuss the case any further."
Sinaga's friends at the University of Indonesia say he was a flamboyant and popular student.
"He was very social, friendly, easy to get along with and fun to work on projects with," one friend, who wished not to be named, said.
She lost contact with him when he went abroad to continue his studies in the UK in 2007.
A mob has set ablaze a suspected robber at Kornya town in Benue State.
A youth activist, Jiji Jack, who spoke to The Nation, said the police arrested the suspect, who had been a thorn in the flesh of the residents of Kornya town because of his criminal activities and detained him in a cell.
He said when youths became aware of his detention, they mobilised, stormed the police station, forcefully took him away and set him ablaze, using petrol and tyres.
Those who spoke to The Nation over the incident said the victim was a notorious criminal “and the only way to end his reign of terror was to give him jungle justice.”
Over 2,500 people have been forced to relocate from their homes for fear of attacks by bandits and gunmen in Niger State.
The relocation followed attacks on some communities in Munya Local Government that has left four soldiers and some civilians killed. Several others were injured.
The communities affected by the attacks include Kabuka, Ingu Kasa, Anguwan Bussa, Galuwi, Almujere, Toko, Anguwan Zarumai and Anguwan Kwata.
Some communities in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, namely Katarma and Kuduru, which shared borders with Niger State, were also affected.
The victims claimed that the bandits had taken over the communities, converting them to their base.
The displaced people, mostly women and children, are taking refuge in a primary school in Sarkin Power, the headquarters of the local government, which was opened for them by the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA).
The Director-General of the agency, Mallam Ibrahim Inga, said relief materials including food items, sanitary and sleeping materials have been given to the people.
A magistrates’ court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State, has sentenced a 30-year-old woman, Sadiat Jimoh, to six months imprisonment for stealing goat.
Sadiat was arraigned yesterday and she pleaded guilty to the two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and stealing.
Saidat told the court that she wanted to use the proceeds from the sale of the goat to treat her son.
Prosecutor Abiodun Fagboyinbo told the court that “Sadiat Jimoh and one other at large on January 5, at Agunbelewo in Osogbo did conspire to commit felony to wit stealing.
Fagboyinbo said: “The offence committed is contrary to and punishable under sections 516 and 390(9) of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol. Laws of Osun State Nigeria 2002.”
The defence counsel, Abimbola Ige, prayed the court to temper justice with mercy.
The magistrate sentenced Saidat to six months imprisonment.
Suspected bandits Monday night attacked several communities in Malumfashi council area of Katsina State.
A man identified as Umar Isah was killed during the attack.
Isah was, until his death, a lecturer at the School of Basic and Remedial Studies (SBRS), in Funtua.
Residents, who spoke with newsmen, said they heard several gunshots during the night on Monday, and that the shots were intermittent and lasted for hours.
It is, however, not clear how many communities were attacked or if there were casualties apart from the lecturer that was killed.
The Akwa Ibom State Government has acquired two new aircraft for Ibom Airlines to make a total of five aircraft owned by the state. Chairman of Ibom Air, Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (rtd), said during a press conference with newsmen in Uyo that the new aircraft would be unveiled this January.
He said Ibom Air had made about 3,000 flights since it began operations in June, and is now flying more routes.
Nkanga explained that before 2023, the state would float 10 aircraft, adding that the government had invested a lot in the aviation business to boost the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state.
The family of the late Favour Daley-Oladele said that an order from the Lagos State Ministry of Health stopped it from burying her remains at the Atan Cemetery in the Yaba Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday.
Speaking at the cemetery, Favour’s uncle, Solomon Toyeme, said the family members had mobilised to the ministry to retrieve her corpse for burial, but were instructed to suspend the arrangement for the sake of the investigation.
Toyeme said, “We were told that some procedures needed to be met and that we needed to stop the burial so that we won’t lose the case. The family had made an arrangement and we were at the Lagos State Ministry of Health to retrieve Favour’s corpse for burial when we got a call that we should not go ahead with the burial today (Tuesday).
“We were told that some procedures needed to be observed and that we needed to stop the burial so that we wouldn’t lose the case. I plead with everybody to hold on until the investigation is completed.”
When contacted, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Olusegun Ogboye, who spoke through the Director, Public Affairs, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, said, “Presently, there is a forensic investigation going on and the police investigation is also ongoing. The moment we get the report, the family will be able to go ahead with the burial. So, the investigation is still ongoing.”
Reacting to the development, the Speaker, LASU Students’ Union Government, Olayinka Kuku, who led some undergraduates of the institution to pay their last respect to the deceased, said he believed that the postponement of the burial was for justice to prevail.
“Getting here and finding out that Favour would not be buried was not something we feel happy about, but we are very confident that the reason for it is important and has to do with getting justice for our late school mate. We are not demoralised and we are motivated that justice will prevail,” Kuku stated.
It was reported that Favour, the daughter of a pastor, David Daley-Oladele, was allegedly murdered by her lover, Owolabi Adeeko; his mother, Mrs Bola Adeeko; and the pastor of a white garment church, Segun Philips, in the Ikoyi-Ile area of Osun State, for money rituals.
When efforts to locate her whereabouts proved abortive, a case of a missing person was reported to the Ogun State Police Command by Favour’s parents.
During the investigation, a tracker traced the deceased’s phone to Ikoyi-Ile in Osun State, where the suspects were arrested.
Owolabi and Philips had confessed during interrogation that after she was killed, they dismembered her corpse and used some vital parts of her body for money rituals.
A Ukrainian Boeing-737 with 180 people onboard has crashed in Iran, according to local media.
Iran's Red Crescent said there is no chance of finding survivors. The aircraft belonging to Ukraine International Airlines crashed just after take-off from Iran's Imam Khomeini airport in Tehran, said the Fars state news agency.
Preliminary reports suggest that the plane was en route to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.
It is unclear whether the incident is linked to the Iran-US confrontation.
Rescue teams have been sent to the area, near the airport, where the aircraft crashed.
The head of Iran's Red Crescent told state media that it was "impossible" for anyone to have survived the crash.
The number of people killed by a measles epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo has passed 6,000, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.
The WHO says the epidemic is the world's largest and fastest moving.
Around 310,000 suspected measles cases have been reported since the start of 2019, the WHO says.
The Congolese government and the WHO launched an emergency vaccination programme last September.
More than 18 million children under five were vaccinated across the country in 2019, the WHO says.
But poor infrastructure, attacks on health centres and a lack of access to routine healthcare have all hindered efforts to stop the spread of the disease.
Every one of the country's 26 provinces has reported cases of measles since the outbreak was declared in June last year.
The measles outbreak in DR Congo has killed twice more people than Ebola in the Central African country.
"We are doing our utmost to bring this epidemic under control," said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
"Yet to be truly successful we must ensure that no child faces the unnecessary risk of death from a disease that is easily preventable by a vaccine. We urge our donor partners to urgently step up their assistance."
Two airbases housing US troops in Iraq have been hit by more than a dozen ballistic missiles, according to the US Department of Defence.
Iranian state TV says the attack is a retaliation after the country's top commander Qasem Soleimani was killed in a drone strike in Baghdad, on the orders of US President Donald Trump.
The Pentagon says two sites were attacked, in Irbil and Al Asad.
It is unclear if there have been any casualties.
"The president has been briefed and is monitoring the situation closely and consulting with his national security team," White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said in a statement.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard said the attack was in retaliation for the death of Soleimani on Friday.
"We are warning all American allies, who gave their bases to its terrorist army, that any territory that is the starting point of aggressive acts against Iran will be targeted," it said via a statement carried by Iran's state-run IRNA news agency.
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif later issued a statement on Twitter, claiming the attack was self-defence and denied seeking to escalate the situation into war.
Spanish side Malaga have suspended head coach Victor Sanchez after an explicit video of the 43-year-old was posted on social media.
The second-tier side said an investigation had been launched.
Writing on Twitter, Sanchez said he had been blackmailed over the video prior to it being published.
"I am being subjected to a crime against my privacy with harassment and extortion," he said.
"The matter is in the hands of the police and I entrust myself to follow their instructions.
"Sharing or disseminating an intimate content of any person without consent is also a crime either through social networks or messages or in any other way. Thank you for your understanding and support."
Malaga are currently 16th in the Spanish Segunda Division.
Former minister of aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has lost his father-in-law, Hilary Chikwendu.
He died on Tuesday morning in Abuja.
Taking to his twitter to announce his demise, FFK wrote;
“Lost my father-in-law, Mr Hilary Chikwendu of Nanka, Anambra State at 10.00 a.m. this morning in Abuja. It is very painful. We are in mourning. May his precious soul rest in peace,” he tweeted.
Nicki Minaj is one of the most recognisable performers in the world but, unfortunately, the same can’t be said for her new waxwork at Madame Tussauds.
The Super Bass rapper had the, ahem, privilege of her new wax figure being unveiled today at Madame Tussauds museum in Berlin, Germany and fans are all kinds of confused.
And we have to admit, we kinda see where they’re coming from.
Nicki, or should we say her waxwork, is positioned on a table on all fours in front of a leafy backdrop.
She’s wearing a bra made up of gold chains and a pair of black underpants and gold sandals, similar to the memorable outfit worn in the music video for her 2015 single Anaconda.
However, that seems to be all that’s similar as a closer look at the waxworks bears little resemblance to the real Nicki.
The face shape, nose and eyes don’t look too much like Nicki’s and her skin complexion is several shades lighter on her face to her body.
Needless to say, the wax figure has garnered a strong reaction from Nicki fans who are crying with both laughter and disappointment.
‘They got you f****d up with this wax!’ one fan tweeted, while another weighed in hysterically: ‘YALL SEEN NICKI MINAJ ‘S WAX FIGURE B**CHHHH WTFFF IM CRYING.’
Demanding the person responsible to please stand up, one said: ‘Y’all see that Nicki Minaj wax figure????? whoever did that needs a kick and more.’
‘That Nicki Minaj wax figure is disrespectful,’ another stated.
Rob Kardashian is rumoured to be joining a weight loss camp in order to get healthier for his three-year-old daughter Dream.
The 32-year-old reality tv star has struggled to maintain a healthy weight for the past number of years, and has admitted to binge eating which has led to severe body confident issues for the father-of-one.
And now, according to People , Rob is contemplating taking drastic measures by joining a residential intensive weight loss programme in order to get healthier for his little girl.
Speaking to the publication, an inside source revealed that Rob is tired of his unhealthy lifestyle and is willing to do anything he can to be around to watch Dream grow up.
"He thinks a live-in fitness and health program might be the best option for him" the source revealed.
"If he starts losing more weight by exercising and changing his diet during a camp, he believes he will be able to stick with it at home as well."
The insider concluded: "Everyone else in the family is working out and thinking about what they eat. He wants this year to be the year when he takes care of himself. He wants to be healthier for Dream."
The police in Bayelsa State have rescued a kidnapped victim, Master Antonio, the six-year-old son of the State Commissioner for Water Resources Nengi Talbot.
The little boy was abducted on December 22 by four gunmen, who stormed the commissioner’s residence at the New Commissioners’ Quarters in Yenagoa.
The gunmen broke into the house of Talbot at the quarters located in Opolo and demanded money from the commissioner.
The assailants seized the boy and whisked him away to an unknown place when the commissioner insisted he had no money.
It was, however, gathered that following investigation by the special police crack team, Operation Puff Adder, the boy was freed from the kidnappers’ den.
The Commissioner of Police, Uche Anozia, received the abducted victim at the command’s headquarters in Yenagoa.
He said the boy regained his freedom following sustained efforts of the police, who were on the trail of the kidnappers.
Anozia said the kidnappers were moving the victim from one creek to another adding that the police adopted high level of intelligence and professionalism to free the boy unhurt.
A man has been left with thousands of tumours on his body after developing a rare skin condition 15 years ago.
Diwakar Bisoye, from Odisha State, east India, was plagued by benign tumours including a four stone tumour on his leg.
It is thought to be caused by a rare genetic disorder.
The 65-year-old claims he is treated worse than 'a dirty stray animal' and is forced to wear a balaclava over his face due to cruel taunts from neighbours.
He began to develop a few small lumps on his body 15 years ago, but it quickly spread over his body within a matter of months.
Diwakar is desperate for a cure for his condition - which is not thought to be life threatening - but claims there is no treatment available near his isolated village home.
He said: "People mock and ridicule me directly. They stare at me and avoid me.
"Most people act very strange around me. No one likes looking at me or being near me.
"People think I will infect everything. Landlords don't want me living in their property or ask me to leave when people complain about my condition.
"It's left me without a job for 15 years."
Doctors believe the tumours were caused by a genetic disorder brought on by abnormalities in Diwakar's nervous system.
Dr Subramania Lyer, professor and head of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kerala, said: "This is a case of multiple neurofibromatosis which means that these nodules arise from nerves traversing the body.
"The only solution is the surgical removal of most troublesome swellings.
"Considering his extensive numbers this may have to be done in stages".
