Grandma Receives First Pig Kidney Transplant Combined With Mechanical Heart

A 54-year-old grandmother has successfully received the first-ever combined pig kidney and mechanical heart pump transplant.

Lisa Pisano, a New Jersey native with end-stage kidney disease and heart failure, was not a candidate for heart and kidney transplant due to the shortage of human organ donations and chronic health conditions that minimized her likelihood of a good outcome.

She said: “All I want is the opportunity to have a better life.

“After I was ruled out for a human transplant, I learned I didn’t have a lot of time left.

“My doctors thought there may be a chance I could be approved to receive a gene-edited pig kidney, so I discussed it with my family and my husband. He has been by my side throughout this ordeal and wants me to be better.”

NYU Langone Health surgeons carried out an innovative two-stage procedure earlier this month in New York. On April 4, they surgically implanted a heart pump called a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) on Pisano.

Then on April 12, they performed a successful gene-edited pig kidney transplant on her. It included a pig’s thymus gland to help against her body rejecting the animal organ.

Nearly two weeks later, Pisano has not shows any signs of organ rejection.

“It is incredible to consider the scientific achievements that have led to our ability to save Lisa’s life, and what we are endeavoring to do as a society for everyone in need of a lifesaving organ,” stated lead surgeon Robert Montgomery on Wednesday, April 24, when the NYU Langone Health announced the feat.

Montgomery, who performed the world’s first gene-edited pig kidney transplant to a braindead person in 2021, said Pisano’s procedure will “bring closer the possibility that no one will have to die, waiting for someone else to die, so they can be saved”.

Pisano is the second living patient to receive a pig kidney transplant, after Richard Slayman, 62, who also had end-stage kidney disease and was operated in Boston in March.

While Slayman is the world’s first pig kidney transplant patient, Pisano is the first to receive a pig kidney transplant plus a heart pump.

Landmark Group CEO, Paul Onwuanibe Breaks Silence Over Demolition Notice On Landmark Resort

Lagos State Government recently gave the the Landmark Group CEO seven-day notice of the demolition of the section of the Beach Resort to make way for the coastal highway.

Boxing Champion Tyson Fury, 35, Hints Wife Paris, 34, Is Expecting Eighth Child

Heavyweight boxing champion, Tyson Fury has that hinted he and his wife, Paris Fury could be expecting their eighth child.

The undefeated boxer aged 35, and Paris, 34, who recently opened up about their lives with the Netflix series At Home With The Furys are parents to seven children from their 15-year marriage.

The couple most recently welcomed a child six months ago when Paris gave birth to a baby boy, Prince Rico.

They share Venezuela, 13, Prince John James, 11, Prince Tyson II, seven, Valencia, five, Prince Adonis Amaziah, four, Athena, two and Prince Rico, 1.

Despite their large brood, Tyson took to social media to suggest another one is on the way.

Tyson commented on a photo of his wife looking glamorous and hinted baby number eight could be on the way.

He wrote: ‘Looking  a bit pregnant  here

Kim Kardashian Splits From Odell Beckham Jr. After Six Months Of Dating

Reality TV star, Kim Kardashian and NFL star Odell Beckham Jr. have reportedly broken up after dating for six months.

The former couple were first romantically linked in September last year after being spotted in each other’s company.

It has now been reported that the pair have parted ways shortly after it was alleged that Kardashian was open to having kids with the football player.

According to a source who spoke to the Daily Mail, Kardashian, 43, and Beckham, 31, have gone their separate ways after a brief and low-key romance.

Although the pair never debuted their relationship on the red carpet, they were last photographed together at a Vanity Fair Oscars After Party.

The source told the news outlet, “They’re not seeing each other anymore right now.”

The SKIMS co-founder and the footballer’s break up comes as a shock to fans, as it was recently alleged that Kardashian was open to having baby number 5 with Beckham.

Kardashian is already the mother of four children: North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm, from her former marriage to rapper Kanye West. While Beckham shares a son, Zydn, with his ex-girlfriend, Lauryn Wood.

Prior to their split, insiders had revealed that the couple had been dating secretly for months. Rumors about their romance had been going on since September last year.

The former couple reportedly kept their romance secret because of Odell’s two-year-old son Zydn and to avoid a negative reaction from Kardashian’s ex-husband, West.

A source told the news outlet at the time, “Kim has been romantically involved with Odell since last summer and thought she had managed to keep it under wraps. She is not seeing anyone else right now – at least not that her close friends know of.”

Ashley Cole inducted into the Premier League’s Hall of Fame

Former Chelsea and Arsenal defender, Ashley Cole has been inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame in recognition of his glittering career in the English top-flight.

The left-back won three league titles during 15 seasons and is widely considered to be the best player to play the position in Premier League history.

Cole was part of the historic Gunners team that went unbeaten during the 2003-04 campaign.  He also won another title in west London with the Blues in 2009-10.

He joins fellow Arsenal Invincibles Tony Adams, Dennis Bergkamp, Sol Campbell, Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry in the Hall of Fame, as well as ex-Chelsea stars Petr Cech, Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard.

‘I’m honoured to join the Premier League Hall of Fame.’ Cole said. ‘It’s humbling and fulfilling to be rewarded at the end of your career.

‘I went through my career just trying to give my best and be good enough. You take it day-by-day and game-by-game. As a young kid, you never dream of any of this and you just do it for the love of the game of football.

‘I played for some fantastic clubs with incredible fans. Winning trophies with my boyhood club Arsenal and with Chelsea are amazing memories that will always be with me.

‘It’s emotional to reflect because a lot of hard work has been put in. To join the Hall of Fame alongside the likes of Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Didier Drogba and Rio Ferdinand, I’m privileged to be in their company.’

Russia Is Ready For Nuclear War, Putin Warns The West (Video)

The Russian leader gave an interview to state television that aired Wednesday, ahead of an election this week that will see him extend his rule.

President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Russia was ready for nuclear war if it came to it, his latest warning to the West ahead of an election this week that will see him extend his rule.

“From a military-technical point of view, we are, of course, ready,” he said in an interview with Russian state television that was released early Wednesday, when asked if Russia was really ready for such a conflict.

Putin said that Russia boasts a “more modern” nuclear arsenal than anyone else and that the West is working on modernizing its own. But he said this doesn’t mean the world is heading for nuclear war, and suggested that President Joe Biden’s experience ensures that he understands the potential dangers of escalation.

His comments come just days ahead of the March 15-17 presidential election that will see him re-elected for the fifth time to begin another six-year term.

It’s the second occasion in less than two weeks in which Putin has used nuclear rhetoric, and his latest foray into America’s upcoming election.

During his annual state of the nation address last month, Putin warned Western countries that if they send their own troops into Ukraine, they risk a nuclear war. His comments came after French President Emmanuel Macron suggested that NATO allies could send troops to Ukraine in the future.

Putin said in the interview Wednesday that U.S. troops on the ground in either Russia or Ukraine would be seen as an intervention. But he said Biden is an old-school politician, and there are plenty of specialists in strategic deterrence in Washington to keep that from happening.

“So I don’t think that here everything is rushing so head-on” to a nuclear confrontation, he said, according to a transcript of the interview shared by the Kremlin. “But we are ready for this.”

In line with the country’s stated security doctrine, Moscow is ready to use nuclear weapons “if we are talking about the existence of the Russian state, about the threat to our sovereignty and independence,” Putin added.

He also said he never pondered deploying nuclear weapons in Ukraine, even when Kyiv reclaimed some of its land in successful counteroffensives in 2022. “There has never been such a need,” he said.

Putin has substantially ramped up his nuclear saber rattling since his invasion of Ukraine. Although Washington maintains that it does not see a change in Russia’s nuclear stance, Putin’s drastic rhetoric has raised fears about the risks of a clash between Russia and the West.

“Overall, the tone of the interview, not only the ‘nuclear’ part, was positive and reassuring — Russia was in a good position, the situation was stable, and there was no need to worry,” said Andrey Baklitskiy, a senior researcher at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research.

“The seemingly muted reaction to possibility of West sending troops to Ukraine would be interesting to follow,” he added.

The declaration of Russia’s readiness for a nuclear war came as Putin said that Russia was ready for peace talks in Ukraine based on “realities” on the ground, and not what he called “some wants after the use of psychotropic drugs.” This was an apparent reference to the Kremlin’s long-standing and baseless claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a drug user.

“For us to negotiate now just because they are running out of ammunition is somewhat ridiculous on our part,” Putin said, referring to severe ammunition shortages that Ukraine has experienced as new U.S. military aid remains stalled in Congress and Kyiv’s European counterparts have struggled to supply the ammunition that has been promised.

“We are, however, ready for a serious conversation,” he said, adding that Moscow would not just negotiate a pause in fighting that would allow Ukraine to re-arm, but one that would secure serious security guarantees for Russia.

The White House announced Tuesday that it would provide $300 million in additional weapons to Ukraine amid the congressional holdup.

Putin was also asked about his stated preference for the “more experienced” Biden rather than the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, to win this year’s U.S. election.

Putin said that Trump, who had often praised the Russian leader, reproached him during his final year in office for wanting Biden to win the 2020 election.

“He told me so in one of the conversations. Sorry, I’ll say it like he did, it’s just direct speech: ‘You want Sleepy Joe to win,’” Putin recalled, using a label Trump often uses for Biden.

“And then, to my surprise, they began to persecute him because we allegedly supported him as a candidate,” Putin said of Trump. “Well, it’s some kind of complete nonsense.”

RCCG Pastor Arraigned For Allegedly Raping and Impregnating Daughter

A Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Emmanuel Orekoya, was on Tuesday, Feb. 27, arraigned before the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court for allegedly raping and impregnating his 17- year-old daughter.

The defendant is facing two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse and sexual assault preferred against him by the Lagos State Government.

Back in Nov. 2022, a video that went viral purportedly showed the daughter of pastor Orekoya Emanuel of RCCG Wisdom Tabernacle Parish Lawason Lagos, alleging that her biological father slept with her for over 2 years, with the knowledge of her mother.

It was also gathered that the defendant, while having sexual intercourse with his daughter, allegedly impregnated her.

On Tuesday, Feb. 27, the state’s prosecution counsel, Mrs Abimbola Abolade, told the court that the defendant committed the offences sometime in 2017 at Jacob Adeleye Street, Odoeran, Itire area of the state.

The prosecutor also told the court that Orekoya sexually assaulted the victim, by inserting his finger inside her vagina and inserting his penis inside her mouth.

According to the prosecutor, the offences Orekoya committed contravened Section 137 of the criminal law of Lagos State 2015.

However, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.

Justice Soladoye adjourned the case till April 17, 2024, for the commencement of trial.

IMF Predicts Naira Depreciating By 35% To N2,081/$1 This Year

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that the exchange rate of the Naira will further depreciate by about 35 percent this year, adding that this could lead to inflation rate peaking at 44 per cent before the monetary policy tightening could bring the situation under control.

IMF revealed this in its February 2024 Post–Financing Assessment and Staff Report, noting that Nigeria’s monetary policy is currently insufficiently tightened to bring inflation below 20 per cent while pressures on the Naira persist.

The IMF report noted that amid the absence of local production and the recent liberalisation of commodity imports, the exchange rate would likely depreciate further.

IMF said the uncertainty over Nigeria’s net international reserves level poses additional risks, as would exogenous further shocks that impact external stability, poverty, and food insecurity.

The publication further stated that the fiscal deficit could increase above six percent of GDP in 2024 and 2025, driven in part by increased transfers to quell social unrest (one per cent of GDP) and a rise in the implicit fuel subsidy.

“With limited external financing options and higher expenditures, there is increasing use of CBN and domestic financing. The authorities implement expenditure measures in 2026, for example, phasing out the implicit fuel subsidy but the debt to GDP ratio still rises by six percentage points above the baseline by 2028.

“The spike in inflation and rise in uncertainty trigger portfolio outflows, and Nigeria is unable to access Eurobond financing. Reserves decline to $17 billion in 2025. Obligations due under the RFI peak at over eight per cent of officially reported reserves.

“Nigeria would be able to repay the fund, even in the downside scenario. This assumes that the authorities continue to prioritise external debt service. However, debt service would compete directly with urgent humanitarian needs to tackle rising poverty and food insecurity that would need to be prioritised.
“Therefore, even assuming the authorities reserve the remaining SDR allocation for RFI repayments, trade-offs could be severe.
“The uncertainty over Nigeria’s net international reserves level poses additional risks, as would exogenous further shocks that impact external stability, poverty, and food insecurity.”

Beyonce Makes History As First Black Woman To Top Country Chart

Beyoncé has made history by becoming the first Black woman to top the Hot Country Songs chart with her hit track, Texas Hold ‘Em.

Texas Hold ‘Em, which was released on February 11, pushed back Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves’ duet, I Remember Everything, from the top spot, where it has sat for 20 weeks.

The 32-time Grammy winner’s other country track, 16 Carriages, which dropped on the same day as Texas Hold ‘Em, debuted at number 9.

Beyonce’s two songs were announced in a Verizon commercial that aired during CBS’ broadcast of Super Bowl LVIII.

The wife of rapper Jay-Z is set to release an entire country album, titled Act II, on March 29 as a follow-up to her 2022 Renaissance LP.

According to Billboard, Texas Hold ‘Em received ‘19.2 million official streams and 4.8 million in all-format airplay audience and sold 39,000 in the U.S. through February 15.’

Meanwhile, the outlet added that 16 Carriages drew ‘10.3 million streams, 90,000 in radio reach and 14,000 sold.’

She is currently the first and only woman to have topped both Hot Country Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

The performer’s latest accomplishment comes after her fans forced a country music radio station to play Texas Hold ‘Em after they initially refused.

Last week, a Twitter user under the handle @jussatto said that the Ada, Oklahoma-based country music station KYKC had declined their request to play her new single Texas Hold ‘Em.

‘I requested Texas Hold ‘Em at my local country radio station (KYKC) and after requesting, I received an email from the radio station stating “We do not play Beyoncé on KYKC as we are a country music station,”‘ the social media user said, along with a screenshot of the reply they received from the radio station.

The user added: ‘This station needs to be held accountable for their blatant racism and discrimination against Beyoncé.’

Ghanian Man Set To Bath For 25 Days To Set Guinness World Record (Video)

A Ghanaian socialite, Godson Kofi Boakye Cokeman embarks on a 25-day Bath-A-Thon aimed at breaking the Guinness World Record for the longest bath.

A video making the rounds on social media captured a record-breaking attempt by a young man who hope to have a bath for 600 hours nonstop.

In the video, he could be seen bathing religiously while being cheered by his colleagues and supporters who gathered to support him.

Cokeman won’t be the first to attempt a record; several people have made several attempts after the Nigerian chef, Hilda Baci broke the record for the longest cooking hours.

Reactions trailing Bath-A-Thon man attempting break record

paulina_ekua_appiah said: “Oh God why my Ghana people dey disgrace me like this  I don tire to dey defend 24/7 .”

yesimprettyoma penned: “Try consult your doctor before jumping into some challenge. Werey don wash all the natural oils from his skin commot.”

chigirl__onyin said: “The word A-thon have suffered in Ghanaians hand .”

codxjojo declared: “Ghana wey no get water , you wan finish the small one wey everybody dey manage  does the government know about this?”

motunrayosarah9 said: “From kiss-a-ton ,to chewing-a-ton ,to bath-a-ton to mad-a-ton.”

Watch the video below …

 

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