George HW Bush, former US president, dies aged 94

George HW Bush, who as the 41st president shepherded the US through a turbulent period in global relations that included the breakup of the Soviet Union and the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, has died. He was 94.

A statement from his office said: “George Herbert Walker Bush, World War II naval aviator, Texas oil pioneer, and 41st President of the United States of America, died on November 30, 2018. He was 94 and is survived by his five children and their spouses, 17 grandchildren, eight great grandchildren, and two siblings. He was preceded in death by his wife of 73 years, Barbara; his second child Pauline Robinson ‘Robin’ Bush; and his brothers Prescott and William or ‘Bucky’ Bush. Funeral arrangements will be announced as soon as is practical.”

George W Bush issued a statement on behalf of his family: “Jeb, Neil, Marvin, Doro, and I are saddened to announce that after 94 remarkable years, our dear Dad has died. George HW Bush was a man of the highest character and the best dad a son or daughter could ask for. The entire Bush family is deeply grateful for 41’s life and love, for the compassion of those who have cared and prayed for Dad, and for the condolences of our friends and fellow citizens.”

A statement from Donald Trump praised Bush for his “sound judgment, common sense and unflappable leadership”.

A moderate conservative who served a single term in office between 1989 and 1993, Bush lacked thecharisma or polarising ideology of his predecessor, Ronald Reagan, under whom he had served as vice-president.

But he was widely respected for showing a steady hand during an uncertain moment in history during which the Berlin Wall came down, Soviet-sponsored communism in eastern Europe collapsed and the US emerged as the single global superpower.

Bush will inevitably be remembered, too, as the patriarch of the Bush political tribe, one of the most successful political dynasties in America. The 41st president was father to George W Bush, the 43rd, and Jeb Bush, who ran unsuccessfully against Donald Trump for the Republican nomination for president in 2016.

The two brothers, former governors of Texas and Florida respectively, were among six children the 41st president had with his wife, Barbara, who died in April, aged 92. A close-knit family, they had watched George Bush Sr’s health slowly deteriorate in recent years. Bush suffered from lower-body Parkinson’s disease, which causes a loss of balance, and had used a wheelchair since at least 2012.

An admission to a hospital in Houston, Texas, in November 2012, following a problem with a bronchitis-related cough, resulted in a two-month stay under the supervision of doctors, including a brief period in intensive care. Bush spent another week in hospital two years later after complaining of shortness of breath.

He was admitted to hospital again in July2015 after fracturing a bone in his neck during a fall at the family’s summer residence in Kennebunkport, Maine. He was in hospital again after his wife’s funeral and was admitted on Sunday after feeling fatigued.

Despite his increasing fragility, Bush remained active well into his old age. He celebrated at least three of his birthdays since his retirement from the White House by parachute jumps – including, in June 2014, Bush was forced to apologize in 2017 after being accused of sexual assault. Bush’s spokesman, Jim McGrath, admitted the former president had “patted women’s rears” in the past as a joke to help “put people at ease” during photo calls. “To anyone he has offended, President Bush apologizes most sincerely,” McGrath said.

Over a two-decade period Bush served as ambassador to the United Nations, envoy to China, chairman of the Republican National Committee at the height of the Watergate scandal, director of the CIA and, for two terms, Ronald Reagan’s vice-president.

It was a professional grounding that has led some to argue he was the best-prepared president in US history. Still, Bush was put to the test, as diplomat and statesman, by the collapse of the Soviet Union.

It was a challenge to which he was perhaps uniquely suited; his close relationship with Mikhail Gorbachev helped maintain global stability during the dissolution of the USSR.

In January 1991, Bush launched a US-led military offensive in the Persian Gulf to counter Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait that began the previous year. The swift military offensive, which quickly defeated Saddam’s forces, stands in contrast to his son’s protracted war in Iraq more than a decade later, an eight-year engagement widely considered to be a major foreign policy blunder.

While Bush Sr earned credit for his approach to foreign policy, he was less successful on the domestic front and lost the 1992 presidential race to Democrat Bill Clinton. His defeat was in part due to the argument that he had performed badly as steward of the American economy during a period in which unemployment grew.

Indeed, Bush’s best-remembered line is likely to be a pledge he delivered as vice-president at the 1998 Republican National Convention: “Read my lips,” he told delegates. “No new taxes.”

Bush’s tax pledge roused conservatives but it turned out to be notoriously misjudged. Once in office, facing a federal deficit that had quietly ballooned under his predecessor, and a Congress controlled by Democrats, the 41st president was forced to renege on his

President Bush did leave two significant legislative marks: the Clean Air Act Amendments, signed into law in 1990, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, which Bush made law in the same year.He is survived by his five children, 14 grand-children and four great-grand-children.

The former president Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, issued a statement saying: “America has lost a patriot and humble servant in George Herbert Walker Bush. While our hearts are heavy today, they are also filled with gratitude. Not merely for the years he spent as our 41st President, but for the more than 70 years he spent in devoted service to the country he loved – from a decorated naval aviator who nearly gave his life in World War II, to commander-in-chief of our armed forces, with plenty of posts along the way.”

Obasanjo Reveals What Atiku Did When He Was Vice-president

Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has said his former deputy, Atiku Abubakar and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), deserves to be celebrated.Obasanjo said this on Sunday, at the turbaning of Atiku as the seventh Wazirin Adamawa by the Lamido of Adamawa, Mustapha Barkindo.
He also hailed his former deputy, for jointly dealing with national and international affairs with him, while they were at the helms of affairs.“Even when we were in Abuja and we were dealing with national and international affairs, you did not take it lightly the cultural affairs at home.“So, you more than deserve this celebration and I will plead that the way you had carried the office you held in the past, you will carry the one that you have now.
No matter what responsibility you may have at the national or the international level, east or west, home is the best.“If the occasion we are having today is an acknowledgement that home has given to you and you must do everything to show the home that you appreciate the honour that has been done to you,” Obasanjo said.Other dignitaries who were at turbaning of Atiku include former President, Goodluck Jonathan; Senate President, Bukola Saraki; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and some serving PDP governors.

Police Arrest Senator Dino Melaye at Abuja Airport

Police Arrest Senator Dino Melaye at Abuja Airport

The lawmaker representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Senator Dino Melaye, has been reportedly arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja on his way to Morocco. It was learnt that the senator and other passengers had boarded the plane and the aircraft was about to taxi when policemen were said to have stopped the take-off, asking the passengers to disembark from the plane.

Enjoy Ready by Marelli featuring KACH

After delivering a strong feature on KACH’s 2017 anthem Odana, emerging act, Marelli returns with the Dino star on his own single titled Ready.

On the Afro RnB  groovy track, the Kogi origin provides an impressive display of his immense potential as he teams up with KACH to make the ladies move. 

With this mellow number, Marelli is certainly one to watch out for.

Enjoy Ready kach

kach/http://tooxclusive.com/download-mp3/song-marelli-ready-ft-kach/https://www.bellanaija.com/2018/03/new-music-marelli-feat-kach-ready/

Islamic rules are incompatible with British laws, claims Archbishop of Canterbury

ISLAMIC rules are incompatible with British laws which have developed over 500 years and sharia law should never become part of the British legal system, the Archbishop of Canterbury has declared.Justin Welby also claimed that British law has “underlying values and assumptions” that come from a clearly Christian tradition.

Archbishop Welby set out his reasons why sharia should not win official status in Britain in his book, called ’Reimagining Britain’.

He said: “Sharia law is not just about punishments.

“It is something of immense sophistication, but it comes from a very different background of jurisprudence to the one from which British law has developed over the past 500 years.”

His comments have come after the release of a Home Office report earlier this month that said all couples marrying in mosques should also have to go through a legally-binding civil marriage ceremony to protect wiveIn his book, the Archbishop claimed the right of people to choose their own husband or wife, and the need for monogamous relationships was challenged by some of the British muslim population.

The Archbishop said: “There has been and remains a demand for the introduction of those aspects of sharia law that affect family and inheritance.

“The problem is reimagining Britain through values applied in action can only work where the narrative of the country is coherent and embracing.

“Sharia, which has a powerful and ancient cultural narrative of its own, deeply embedded in a system of faith and understanding of God, and thus especially powerful in forming identity, cannot become part of another narrative.

“Accepting it in part implies accepting its values around the nature of the human person, attitudes to outsiders, the revelation of God, and a basis for life in law, rather than grace, the formative word of Christian culture.

“They face enormous pressures and need one legal basis of oversight and one philosophical foundation of understanding.

“For these reasons, I am especially sympathetic towards those Islamic groups that do not seek the application of sharia law into the family and inheritance law of this country.”

There are believed to be approximately 85 sharia tribunals in the UK which settle disputes over matters concerning issues such as divorce and business among those who are willing to accept their jurisdiction.

However, concerns have been raised over how women are treated when appearing before sharia tribunals.

The Home Office sharia review, carried out by academic Mona Siddiqui, found that some of the tribunals operate discriminatory rules.

The review found that men can divorce simply by demanding one, whilst women are often obliged to pay large sums to do so.

Duchess of Cambridge launches new campaign to raise self-esteem of kids

The Duchess of Cambridge is launching a new mental health campaign to encourage children “to be comfortable in their own skin”.

In a specially-recorded video message, the duchess will also call upon parents and teachers to “give children the emotional strength” they need to “fulfil their true potential”.

Her intervention comes amid a push to identify mental illness early in schools and offset problems in adulthood. It is feared children are suffering from low self-esteem exacerbated by pressures placed upon them on social media.
The duchess’s comments were recorded to promote the children’s charity Place2Be, of which she is patron, and coincide with Children’s Mental Health Week 2018.

The charity runs effective counselling services in schools.

In the recorded message, the duchess, who is pregnant with her third child, said: “Childhood is an incredibly important moment in our lives.

“It is the time when we explore our personalities, discover the potential that lies within us and learn how to be ourselves.

“Our experience of the world at this early stage helps to shape who we become as adults, how we begin to feel comfortable in our own skin.”

The duchess has - along with Prince William and Prince Harry - thrust mental health to the forefront of their charitable work. The trio have been heavily involved in the Heads Together campaign - highlighted by the Telegraph - while last month the duchess said in a landmark speech that her “own commitment is to the youngest and most vulnerable in their early years - babies, toddlers and school-children”.

The new, recorded message ties in with a new campaign by Place2Be - called Being Ourselves - which helps youngsters tackle low self-esteem and create a positive images of themselves.

Some children compare themselves negatively to others, especially online, according to Place2Be.

The duchess, who has been a Place2Be patron since 2013, filmed the video message during last month’s visit to Reach Academy Feltham, west London. She spoke to pupils, parents and teachers about the impact of the scheme which tries to spot potential problems early and give support in familiar surroundings.

Low self-esteem affects more than eight in 10 of the pupils who get Place2Be’s one-to-one help. According to the charity, the back-up it gives can help boost confidence and enable children to cope better in and out of school.

The duchess said: “Some children will be facing tougher challenges than others, but I firmly believe that while we cannot change their circumstances, we can ensure that every child is given the best possible support to ensure they fulfil their true potential.

“This is best achieved when we, the adults in their lives, work together to give children the emotional strength they need to face their futures and thrive

“Whether we are school leaders, teachers, support staff or parents, we each have a role to play.

“When we are open and honest with each other about the challenges we face, we can work together to ensure the children in our care have the chance to become the best version of themselves.”


Catherine Roche, Place2Be chief executive, said: “We know from our work in schools that some children find it difficult to think of themselves positively, as it’s all too easy nowadays to compare ourselves negatively to others, especially online.

“This Children’s Mental Health Week we are encouraging everyone, and especially children and young people, to focus on what makes them who they are, and to celebrate their unique qualities and strengths.

“We’ll all face difficult times in our lives, but helping children to have a positive view of themselves can help them find the inner strength and resilience to cope with those challenges.”

Imo State: Lassa fever kills two in Owerri

Dr. Angela Uwakwem, the Imo State Health Commissioner, has confirmed the death of two residents in Owerri owing to the rebirth of the deadly lassa fever in the state.

Speaking to a Punch correspondent on Wednesday in Owerri she said; “Lassa fever is in Owerri. It is confirmed.”

Dr. Angela said the virus had claimed the lives of two persons after they were “referred out of” the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri.

“We have seven suspected cases of Lassa fever. Two are confirmed.”

“The Imo State Government is working hard to establish the point of first contact. The media should also help us to enlighten our people.”

“People should stop unnecessary shaking of hands. People should also stop eating exposed foods. The virus is caused by rats, so people should be encouraged to make use of rat poison in their homes.”

The Anambra State Government has prohibited the drinking of garri in the state as a measure to prevent the contraction of Lassa fever.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joe Akabuike, announced the ban while educating residents of the state on measures to prevent the disease, which is spreading in parts of the country.

He said, “The garri you see spread along the highway while you’re travelling is very risky to consume, especially when you drink it. It is better and surer consuming the ones you prepared yourself. We are by this enlightenment prohibiting the drinking of garri in the state.

“Like any other form of disease, good hygiene practices and taking precautions over all forms of symptoms among family members and friends will go a long way to curb the spread of diseases.

“Hand washing remains an effective way of preventing diseases. Families as well as corporate organisations should re-adopt the use of tip taps and hand sanitisers placed in public places.”

Meanwhile, medical doctors across Kogi State on Tuesday gathered in Lokoja to pay their last respects to their colleague, who died of Lassa fever on Sunday.

Ahmed died in Irrua, Edo State at the age of 30 after attending to a seven-month-old baby, who died a day after it was admitted.

At a procession held at the Federal Medical Centre Lokoja on Tuesday, doctors expressed their grief in songs.

They ended their procession at the administrative block of the FMC where the Chief Medical Director, Dr Olatunde Alabi, addressed them.

Alabi said, “Actually, the late Dr Idowu Ahmed is one of our new doctors that we have here and he has been very hardworking and dedicated to his duties. We are aware that there is an epidemic in the country and we are trying to put our own measures in place so that we don’t have further spread of the disease.”

The Kogi State Chairman of Nigerian Medical Association, Dr. Godwin Tijani, told one of our correspondents that persons, who had contact with the deceased, had been quarantined.

“We feel saddened by the death of one of our colleagues.  He is a young chap and after two months, he is no more. We will forever miss him.

“As I speak to you, some of his colleagues who had contact with him have been quarantined and some of them had started taking drugs to ensure the effect is not felt,” he said.