World News For Nigerians Today 2nd February 2019
Latest World News for Nigerians Today: The US Arrests ‘Birth Tourism’ Operators and Apple Inc. Revokes Google’s Ability to Test Apps. Read full details on iDonsabi.com
1. Eight Die as Polar Vortex Hits US Midwestern States
Not less than eight people have died as polar vortex hits majorly some Midwestern states of the United States.
Polar Vortex is a life a weather condition that is even colder than Antarctica.
Americans face frostbite and lung damage as this life-threatening condition of extreme cold persist in the country.
It is being reported that the latest average temperature for the affected region was -29C (-20.2F).
The US National Weather Service (NWS) announced that the wind chill was about -46C (-51F).
2. Popular Hollywood Actor, Dick Miller Dies
Veteran Hollywood actor, Dick Miller has been reported to have died.
Miller, died of natural cause in Toluca Lake, a neighbourhood of Los Angeles, US. He died at the age of 90.
He was popular known and remembered for his roles as ‘Murray Futterman’ in the 1984 classic horror film Gremlin. He was also the pawn-shop owner in Terminator.
3. Apple Inc. Revokes Google’s Ability to Test Apps
Apple Inc have pulled some access granting app-development tools from Google.
This is coming after the iPhone maker, Apple Inc had alleged that the internet giant, Google broke some of its rules of engagement.
It is been reported by the American local media that Google employees were cut off from accessing a test versions of iPhone apps they’re making.
Also affected in the access cut off were some internal apps relating to transportation scheduling and food.
However, a spokeswoman at Alphabet Inc’s Google said in a statement that they are working with Apple Inc. to fix the problem.
4. The US Arrests ‘Birth Tourism’ Operators
Three people have been arrested in the United States for running a birth tourism agency.
The arrested three persons were arrested on Thursday in Southern California on the charges of running “birth tourism” companies, majorly aiding Chinese clients to come to the US with the soul purpose of giving birth in the US. that catered to Chinese clients in Southern California Thursday.
This is the first time that criminal charges have been filed in a US federal court over the practice, according to Thom Mrozek, spokesman for the US Attorney’s Office, Central District of California.
“Birth tourists” travel to foreign countries to give birth, so that their children acquire the citizenship of that country. In the US, the legal principle of jus soli automatically confers citizenship upon babies born on US soil. Other countries, including Switzerland and Japan, do not grant citizenship automatically unless one or more parents are also citizens.
5. Venezuela’s Opposition Leader Says His Family Was Threatened by State Security Forces
The Venezuelan opposition leader challenging Nicolas Maduro’s claim to the presidency warned officers from a feared state security unit Thursday to stay away from his family after he accused them of showing up with the very force he is trying to persuade to switch allegiance and back him.
“I hold you responsible for anything that might happen to my baby,” the 35-year-old lawmaker said as his wife stood beside him.
In a statement on Twitter, Venezuela’s police denied that special agents had gone to Guaido’s home, dismissing the claim as “totally FALSE.”
Guaido is at the center of Venezuela’s political upheaval as he presses forward with establishing a transitional government after swearing himself in as the nation’s rightful president.
6. Taiwan Unveils New Surveillance Drone as China Tensions Mount
Taiwan’s navy on Thursday (Jan 24), the navy showed off its new, long-range surveillance drone, the Rui Yuan (Sharp Hawk), which officials said can fly for 12 hours and was now helping to monitor movements in the disputed strait between Taiwan and China.
China still sees Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified, despite the two sides being ruled separately since they split in 1949 after a civil war.
Beijing has said it will not hesitate to use force if Taipei formally declares independence, or in the case of external intervention – including by the United States, the island’s most powerful unofficial ally.
Things took an even rockier start between the two countries in the New Year after Chinese President Xi Jinping gave a landmark speech describing the island’s unification with the mainland as “inevitable”.
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen hit back saying her people would never relinquish their democratic freedoms, an unusually robust response that saw her receive a bump in the polls after a grueling few months in which her party lost heavily in local elections.
The island’s military has hosted multiple drills since Mr Xi’s speech, emphasising what it says is a readiness to counter any invasion.
7. Beyonce, Jay-Z Offer Free Tickets for Life to Fans Who Can Agree to Become Vegetarians
Music’s first couple Beyonce and Jay-Z are encouraging fans to go vegan for a month with a contest to give one lucky winner a lifetime of free tickets to their shows.
Queen Bey announced the challenge to her 123 million Instagram followers late on Wednesday (Jan 30), saying it was in support of a Greenprint Project that promotes adopting even a partial vegan diet to limit environmental footprints.
Fans can sign up for the contest online and one will be chosen at random to win a pair of tickets annually for 30 years to concerts by Beyonce and/or Jay-Z, an estimated retail value of US$12,000 (S$16,000).
Environmental footprint is the effect that a person, company, activity, etc. has on the environment, for example the amount of natural resources that they use and the amount of harmful gases that they produce
8. Drug Trafficker Who Burns and Replaces His Fingertips Caught in Spain after 15 Years of Evading Arrests
A drug trafficker dodged the law and slithered through Europe for 15 years by using painful disguises, mostly by cutting and burning the skin of his fingertips and replacing the identifying mark with micro-implants of skin. He also had hair transplants, took on a fake identity and used fake international documents.
Spanish police arrested the man Tuesday in Getafe, a town south of the capital city Madrid. Police have not yet released the name of the suspect.
Policía Nacional said the man was from the Asturias region in northwest Spain, and that he evaded capture for over a decade before the national police force and anti-drug specialist officers caught up with him on Tuesday.
9. US and China Make Progress in Trade Talks
US President Donald Trump says he expects to meet with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and will try to reach a final resolution to the six-month trade standoff.
The United States and China said their trade war negotiations resulted in major progress as the clock ticks on a March deadline to avert a massive escalation of tariffs that could bruise the global economy.
Beijing’s official Xinhua news agency said on Friday that US and Chinese negotiators made “important progress” during two days of “candid, specific and fruitful” discussions in Washington.
US President Donald Trump hailed “tremendous progress” and welcomed a “beautiful” letter from his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, who said he hoped for further cooperation.
10. A Male Contraceptive Gel Being Tested in Manchester, Edinburgh
Couples are being recruited to take part in a groundbreaking trial of a male contraceptive gel that could allow men and women to take equal responsibility for birth control in future.
Eighty men in Manchester and Edinburgh will be asked to use a daily gel containing hormones that “send the testes to sleep”, meaning the sperm count drops to zero.
Couples will rely on the gel as their sole contraceptive for a year, as part of a clinical trial to assess how effective it is at preventing pregnancy and whether the side-effects are acceptable.
Richard Anderson, a professor of clinical reproductive science at the University of Edinburgh, who is leading the study, said the method was expected to be more effective than condoms, which in real-life conditions are about 82% effective.
11. Hollywood Star, Jussie Smollett Hospitalized after Homophobic Attack
Empire’ star, Jussie Smollett has been violently attacked in an apparent homophobic and racist hate crime that left him hospitalized.
One of Jussie’s close friend said the actor arrived in Chicago from New York late Monday, and at around 2 AM he was hungry and went to a Subway with plans to get food.
It was on his way that he was attacked by two whites who had allegedly called Jussie a faggot before they pounced on him.
He fought back, but they allegedly beat him badly and fractured a rib. They put a rope around his neck, poured bleach on him and as they left, they yelled, ‘This is MAGA country.’
It can be recalled that this isn’t the first time Jussie is being targeted by homophobes.
