Doctor Loses Us Citizenship 61 Years After Living In America

Siavash Sobhani, arespected medical doctor and long-time resident of North Virginia, has been stripped of his citizenship at the age of 61.
 

Sobhani, who was born in the US, told The Washington Post that he received a letter from the US State Department in February, following his application for a new passport, stating that his father was a diplomat at the Iranian Embassy and he should not have been awarded citizenship at the time of his birth.
 

The letter states that children born in the United States to parents enjoying diplomatic immunity do not automatically become citizens of the United States. It said Sobhani enjoyed diplomatic immunity from the jurisdiction of the US at the time of his birth and so he did not acquire citizenship.
 

But this is Sobhani’s first experience with this problem in his more than thirty years of practicing medicine. Every time his passport was reissued during his life, the US State Department again verified that he was an American citizen.
 

Siavash Sobhani, who turned 62 recently, had begun to consider retiring. He and his spouse intended to travel the world for a year in search of a neighbourhood where they could purchase a house.
 

He must now apply for lawful permanent residence and fulfil the State Department’s guidelines.
 

He disclosed to The Washington Post that he has already incurred over USD 40,000 in legal expenses and is uncertain about the potential resolution date of his case.
 

“I’m waiting for an interview, but does that mean I wait another year for an interview? Then another three years for the next step? Then another 10 years before I can travel outside of the country?” he told the Post.
 

Additionally, he has written to the senator from Virginia and his congressional representative, asking for their assistance.
 

Gerald Edward Connolly, the congressman representing Virginia’s 11th congressional district, corresponded with US Citizenship and Immigration Services on the physician’s behalf subsequent to Sobhani’s letter.
 

Siavash Sobhani’s future is uncertain because he has spoken out against the Iranian regime and is therefore unable to live there safely. In addition, he’s not sure if he’ll get a passport in time to travel to Portugal for his son’s wedding the following year.
 

The physician is unable to even see his gravely ill father-in-law, who resides in Lebanon.

Former Liverpool Star, Roberto Firmino’s Dad Dies After Heart Attack On Family Trip

José Roberto Cordeiro de Oliveira, father of the former Liverpool and Brazil striker Roberto Firmino, has died at the age of 62 after suffering a heart attack.

Jose had been on a family trip to Dubai when he fell ill. Earlier in the week, photos from the trip had been shared by family members on social media, including one which showed Jose and other family members at an amusement park.

Family members are reportedly in contact with Brazil’s embassy in the UAE in an effort to bring the 62-year-old’s body home to South America.

Brazil international forward Firmino left Liverpool last summer. He had spent eight years at the club after joining from Hoffenheim in 2015 as one of the club’s last signings before Jurgen Klopp took over as manager.

The 32-year-old scored 111 goals for the Premier League team in 362 appearances. He was part of their 2019 Champions League winning side, and scored nine league goals the following season as Klopp’s team won the Premier League for the first time.

“Not all heroes wear capes; some are called father,” Firmino wrote in his book ‘Si Senor – My Liverpool Years’. “My father, José, was my childhood hero, an inspiration and an example. A generous, serious, honest man and dedicated to his family.”

Firmino’s boyhood club, CRB, also shared a message paying tribute to the star’s father. “The Clube de Regatas Brasil deeply regrets the death of José Roberto Cordeiro de Oliveira, father of Roberto Firmino, who left us this weekend,” it began.

“He’s always been a big Galo de Campina fan and was very proud of his son being unveiled in football with the whirlpool shirt. Rest in peace, José Roberto.”

Firmino, who has 55 senior caps for Brazil, left Liverpool for Al-Ahli over the summer. He scored a hat-trick on his Saudi Pro League debut, and the team is currently in third place. Their next fixture is due to take place on Saturday.

Old Naira Notes To Remain Legal Tender Indefinitely – CBN

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has stated that the old naira N200, N500, and N1,000 notes are to remain legal tenders indefinitely.

The new currency notes were introduced last year with the old ones set to cease as legal tenders this December but the apex bank on Tuesday, November 14, said “the legal tender status deadline of the old design of N200, N500 and N1,000 denominations, ad infinitum.”

It explained that the move is in line with international best practices and “to forestall a repeat of earlier experiences.”

“Thus, all banknotes issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in accordance with Section 20(5) of the CBN Act 2007, will continue to remain legal tender, ad infinitum, even beyond the initial December 31, 2023, deadline. The Central Bank of Nigeria is working with the relevant authorities to vacate the subsisting court ruling on the same subject.”

In a statement, the bank’s Director, Corporate Communications Isa AbdulMumin said the CBN branches will continue to issue and accept all denominations of the bank notes, old and redesigned, to and from deposit money banks (DMBs).

“The general public is enjoined to continue to accept all Naira banknotes (old or
redesigned) for day-to-day transactions and handle these banknotes with utmost
care, to safeguard and protect the lifecycle of the banknotes,” it added.

“Also, the general public is encouraged to embrace alternative modes of payment, e-channels, for day-to-day transactions.”

US Pastor, Bubba Copeland Commits Suicide After His Cross-Dressing Photos Leaked

According to Yahoo News, the mayor, who served as the pastor at the First Baptist Church of Phenix City, spoke on the issue on Wednesday.

He told his church members that the photographs were a private matter, adding the incident would not change “my devotion to my family, to serving my city, serving my church.”

Copeland said, “Yes, I have taken pictures with my wife in the privacy of our home in an attempt of humour because I know I’m not a handsome man nor a beautiful woman, either.

“I apologize for any embarrassment caused by my private, personal life.”

Authorities in Lee County, on Friday, were asked to perform a welfare check on the mayor, according to a local television station WTVM reported.

Copeland was found in Beulah, an unincorporated community in the northeast corner of Lee County, authorities said.

Deputies began slowly pursuing Copeland, who at one point, pulled over, exited the vehicle and produced a handgun, which he used to take his own life.

The church, on Saturday, posted a message on Facebook thanking people for their “prayers and expressions of sympathy and support.

“First and foremost, we ask that you keep Pastor Bubba Copeland’s family in your prayers today, and in the days ahead.

“We greatly appreciate your messages, comments, and encouragement. Please continue to pray for us as we move forward in sharing God’s love to all people”

Kourtney Kardashian Gives Birth To First Baby With Travis Barker

Kourtney Kardashian has given birth to her fourth child, and her first with husband Travis Barker.

The pair are now reportedly proud parents of a son, according to People.

It comes just weeks after Kourtney opened up on the emergency surgery she had to undergo.

Her husband Travis cancelled his Blink-182 UK tour in September and rushed home after discovering Kourtney was in hospital.

Rwanda Announces Visa-Free Travel For Nigerians, Others

Rwanda announced Thursday that it will allow Africans to travel visa-free to the country, becoming the latest nation on the continent to announce such a measure aimed at boosting free movement of people and trade to rival Europe’s Schengen zone.

President Paul Kagame made the announcement in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, where he pitched the potential of Africa as “a unified tourism destination” for a continent that still relies on 60% of its tourists from outside Africa, according to data from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

“Any African, can get on a plane to Rwanda whenever they wish and they will not pay a thing to enter our country” said Kagame during the 23rd Global Summit of the World Travel and Tourism Council.

“We should not lose sight of our own continental market,” he said. “Africans are the future of global tourism as our middle class continues to grow at a fast pace in the decades to come.”

Once implemented, Rwanda will become the fourth African country to remove travel restrictions for Africans. Other countries that have waived visas to African nationals are Gambia, Benin and Seychelles.

Kenya’s President William Ruto announced Monday plans to allow all Africans to travel to the East African nation visa-free by December 31.

“Visa restrictions amongst ourselves is working against us. When people cannot travel, business people cannot travel, entrepreneurs cannot travel we all become net losers” said Ruto at an international summit in Congo Brazzaville.

The African Union in 2016 launched an African passport with much fanfare, saying it would rival the European Union model in “unleashing the potential of the continent.” However, only diplomats and AU officials have been issued the travel document so far.

A mother has shocked welfare workers after marrying her adopted son who is 31 years younger than her.

Musician Aisylu Chizhevskaya Mingalim, 53, married her 22-year-old adopted son Daniel Chizhevsky on 20th October in a ceremony that was held at a restaurant in Kazan, Tatarstan Republic, Russia.

She adopted Daniel after meeting him at an orphanage where she gave singing lessons when he was aged just 13, according to local media.

After marrying Daniel, who she began raising since he was 14, Mingalim and her new groom began making plans to flee their country.

Now child welfare officials have seized five other adopted children from Mingalim’s care, four girls and one boy.

But Mingalim is fighting the move, complaining that some of her adopted kids have been put back into care homes while others have returned to family members.

Mingalim also has a biological son from an earlier marriage.

She told local media her romance with Daniel started after she took him home from the orphanage.

Mingalim said: “Our relationship is perfect. We can’t live without each other. We are on the same wavelength.”

Local media reported that she began adopting children after encountering orphans during a film project with a Tatarstan TV station.

Now she plans to flee Tartarstan and wants to take her new husband and get back her adopted children to take them to Moscow “where they can live freely”.

Israel To Evacuate Residents Near Gaza Within 24 Hours

Israel’s army said Sunday it aims to evacuate all Israelis living close to the Gaza Strip within 24 hours as it deployed tens of thousands of soldiers to fight Palestinian militants who had infiltrated into Israel.

“Our mission for the upcoming 24 hours is to evacuate all residents living around Gaza,” military spokesman Daniel Hagari told reporters, adding that fighting was still on to “rescue hostages” held by militants in Israel.

He said the evacuation had to be done after a proper “scan of the territory” to ensure that no militants were present.

“There are tens of thousands of combat soldiers in the area. We’ll reach each and every community till we kill every terrorist in Israel,” Hagari said.

Troops also battled militants through the night in Kfar Aza, two kilometres (1.2 miles) east of the border with Gaza Strip, he said.

On Saturday the army said there were two locations within a radius of 20 kilometres from the Gaza border where hostages were held.

Israeli media reported that hostages were released in Beeri and Ofakim, but when asked by AFP the army refused to offer details.

The army had so far hit 500 Hamas targets, including the group’s “military infrastructure, homes of commanders and symbols of the Hamas regime”, Hagari said.

He said Israeli forces had taken control of points from where militants had breached into Israel from the Gaza Strip.

“The forces have killed hundreds of terrorists on the ground,” he said, adding that dozens had been taken as prisoners.

Hamas had committed a “despicable war crime”, Hagari said.

“Whoever took part in it, we’ll get our revenge”.

AFP

US President Joe Biden Appoints Two Nigerian-Americans As Advisers

U.S. President, Joe Biden has appointed two Nigerian-Americans as advisers.

The appointees, Osagie Imasogie and Chiney Ogwumike are part of the 12 members of the President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement in the United States, the White House announced on the official White House website.

Chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said their appointment into the 12-member advisory council is a motivation for other Nigerians.

“The nomination of the two great Nigerians into the advisory council is a welcome development,” she said on Wednesday in a statement by the commission’s spokesman, Abdur-Rahman Balogun.

Chinenye Ogwumike is a two-time WNBA All-Star for the Los Angeles Sparks and a full-time, multi-platform ESPN commentator and NBA analyst.

Ogwumike was the 2014 WNBA Rookie of the Year and is a two-time WNBA All-Star (2014, 2018). She is proudly Nigerian-American and graduated from Stanford University with an International Relations degree under the mentorship of Dr. Condoleezza Rice.

In August 2020, she became the first Black woman to host a national daily sports-talk radio show.

The 2021 Forbes 30 under 30 honoree also holds the title of Executive Producer, producing an ESPN Films documentary “144” on the 2020 WNBA season.

While Osagie Imasogie, is the Chairman of the Investment Bank and SEC/FINRA registered Broker-Dealer, Quoin Capital and Quoin Advisors.

Imasogie is a co-founder of PIPV Capital, a private equity firm that is focused on the life sciences vertical and has invested over $1 billion into that industry.

Imasogie holds LLM degrees from the London School of Economics and the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.

Court To Rule On Late Gospel Singer, Osinachi’s Husband’s No Case Submission October 17

Justice Njideka K. Nwosu-Iheme of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Wuse Zone 2, Abuja has fixed Tuesday October 17 to rule on the no case submission application filed by Peter Nwachukwu, husband of the late gospel singer, Osinachi, in view of the homicide and domestic violence-related suit instituted against him by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation on June 3, 2022.

Late Osinachi died on April 8, 2022. Many of her colleagues in music had alleged that her husband maltreated her while she was alive and this led to her death. The Nigeria Police thereafter, arrested Nwachukwu and eventually handed his case file to the OAGF for prosecution.

Upon arraignment, Justice Njideka K. Nwosu-Iheme, remanded the defendant at the Kuje Correctional Facility pending the hearing and determination of the case after he had pleaded not guilty to 23-count charge bordering on domestic violence and homicide, among others.

Trial had commenced on June 20, 2022 with the prosecution calling 17 witnesses to give evidence while eventually closing its case on March 10, 2023.

The report saw no mark of violence on the deceased and listed the causes of her death to include “generalized organ pallor, bilateral leg swelling, fluid in the sac containing the heart. Tumor deposits in and on the heart, lungs, kidneys. Massively enlarged heart” and “fluid around the lungs which restrict breathing.”

Nwachukwu’s lawyer, A. Aliyu, then filed a no case submission, implying his client has no case to answer. The lawyer told the court that the evidence of medical practitioners presented by the prosecution completely exonerated his client from the charge of culpable homicide.

He noted that the medical practitioners testified that the deceased did not suffer any form of violence resulting to her death, adding that the reported confirmed his client’s wife died “solely as a result of outgrowth tumors, which resulted in cardiac tamponade, the primary cause of death and abnormal growth of tissue (cancer) which is secondary cause of death.”

The lawyer accused Nwachukwu’s in-laws of trying to frame him up, insisting the autopsy “shows there was no mark of violence on the deceased at the time the autopsy was conducted.” On the children’s testimony (14 years and below) against their father, the lawyer contended that they were “tutored” on what to say.

At the resumption of hearing on Tuesday, Aliyu urged the court to upload his no case submission and discharge the defendant.

On the part of the prosecution, its legal team asked the court to discountenance the defendant’s submission while ordering him to enter defence in the case.

The presiding judge then adjourned the case for ruling.

Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania named joint hosts of 2027 AFCON

Nigeria has lost the joint bid with the Benin Republic to host the African Cup of Nations in 2027, as Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania are named joint hosts of the 2027 tournament, AFP reports.

This comes after the Minister of Sports Development Senator John Owan Enoh arrived in Egypt on Tuesday with representatives of the Nigeria Football Federation to bid to host AFCON in 2027.

PUNCH Online reports that Nigeria’s only hosting of the AFCON was in 1980 when Christian Chukwu led the team to victory in front of enthusiastic home fans, including former President Shehu Shagari.

The joint hosting with Ghana ended in disappointment as Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions claimed the trophy at the National Stadium in Lagos.

Chibok Girl, Leah Sharibu Divorces Her First Husband, Marries Another Terrorist Commander

Leah Sharibu, the Christian schoolgirl who was kidnapped by members of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has “remarried” another terrorist commander, after purportedly securing a divorce from the first husband she was forcefully given to.

Leah was abducted alongside her over 100 schoolmates from Government Girls Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State on February 19, 2018.

A few years ago, it was reported that the Dapchi girl was married off and is now a mother.

Local security sources at the Daily Trust disclosed that, following an alleged divorce from one Abdulrahman, Leah had been married to a different ISWAP Commander in Lake Chad named Ali Abdallah on Tuesday September 26, 2023.

“Leah was first married to Abdulrahman after she allegedly converted to Islam and they have two children, all boys that were named after two Boko Haram commanders that were killed,” the source said.

“We don’t know what transpired but Leah secured the divorce and married another commander, Ali Abdallah.”

The source said after her abduction, Leah was “trained” on how to administer some medical services to injured Boko Haram fighters and women.

The publication reports that one of the antics of terrorists in the North East is forcing their captives with expertise in some areas like medicine, nursing, engineering, and computer, among others to train their members in such areas.

“She’s been trained as a doctor and now leads the ISWAP medical team in the northern part of the Lake Chad region,” the source said.

According to another source, Leah, her supposed husband and other fighters were seen at Dogon Chukwun kangarwa ten days ago.

“Her husband is a commander under ISWAP but they are facing persecution from a Boko Haram commander loyal to Shekau, Malam Bakura

“As of today, we got a report that a large contingent of the ISWAP fighters has started migrating from the area through the Guzamala forest.

“They were sighted on the route of Cross – Mosquito camp- Garin-giwa (where the Zulum’s convoy was attacked) – Munguno – Gajiram with cache of dangerous arms,” he said.