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News_Naija
Police Arrest Two Women Trying To Sell Kidnapped Minor In Imo
~1.5 mins read
The Imo State Police command has arrested two women while attempting to sell a kidnapped four-year-old boy in Owerri for ₦2.7 million. The boy was kidnapped in Abuja while hawking vegetables and then brought to Owerri to be sold before luck ran out for them. The suspects are Joy Ugwu from Idah, Kogi State, and Rosella Michael of Zamba in Abuja, while the third suspect, a nurse, is currently on the run. This was disclosed by the state Police spokesperson, DSP Henry Okoye, in a statement released on Thursday. Okoye said the suspects were arrested in Owerri, the state capital on April 14, following a discreet operation by operatives while they were trying to sell the boy, for ₦2.7million. He said the arrests were made following joint efforts between the Imo State Police Command and Zone 7 Police Headquarters, Abuja, though the suspects have been transferred to the Zonal Criminal Investigation Department, Abuja, for further investigation and prosecution. Okoye said, “The Imo State Police Command has uncovered a suspected case of child trafficking, leading to the arrest of two female suspects and the rescue of a four-year-old boy. Acting on credible intelligence, operatives of the Scorpion Unit intercepted the suspects—Joy Ugwu from Idah, Kogi State, and Rosella Michael of Zamba, FCT Abuja—in Owerri on 14th April 2025 at about 6:00 p.m., following a discreet operation. “Investigations revealed that the boy, Jaffa Umar, who speaks Hausa fluently, was abducted in Abuja while hawking vegetables. The suspects brought him to Owerri and were negotiating to sell him for ₦2.7 million before their arrest. A third accomplice, believed to be a nurse, is currently at large. “The child has been safely reunited with his family through coordinated efforts between the Imo State Police Command and Zone 7 Police Headquarters, Abuja while the suspects have been transferred to the Zonal Criminal Investigation Department, Abuja for further investigation and prosecution”. “The Commissioner of Police, CP Aboki Danjuma, reassures the public of the Command’s commitment to protecting vulnerable persons and dismantling trafficking networks. He encourages residents to report suspicious activity to the nearest police station or via the emergency line 0803 477 3600,” Okoye said.
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News_Naija
Police Rescue Kidnapped Victim In Anambra
~0.8 mins read
The Anambra State Police Command on Wednesday rescued a kidnapped victim at Umuege Village, Amawbia, in Awka South Local Government Area of the state. A statement released by the spokesperson of the Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the rescue followed a hot chase and strategic positioning of police operatives attached to the Central Police Station, Awka. Ikenga said the operatives engaged the assailants after receiving information about the abduction of the victim at about 10:45 p.m. on Tuesday. He said, “The Anambra State Police Command today, April 23, confirmed the rescue and safe return of a kidnapped victim at Umuege Village, Amawbia, Awka, and has debriefed the victim for necessary action. “This followed a hot chase and strategic positioning by police operatives attached to the Central Police Station, Awka, after receiving information about the abduction of the victim at 10:45 p.m. on Tuesday. “This forced the criminals, who were operating in an unmarked Sienna vehicle, to abandon the victim at Umunya along the Enugu–Onitsha Expressway and flee the scene.” He added that the Commissioner of Police has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident and that further updates would be provided as necessary.
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Worldnews
Have Scientists Solved The Mystery Of Golds Origin In The Universe?
~2.8 mins read
A study gives clues to cosmic origin of gold and heavy elements, and they were created earlier than we thought. The origins of heavy elements such as gold have been one of the biggest mysteries of astrophysics. A study has now provided a clue about the precious metal’s cosmic origins. Scientists have found that explosions in highly magnetised neutron stars, called magnetars, could have created gold in the universe. Here is more about the study: Analysis of archival data from space missions shows that a large amount of heavy metals, including gold, come from giant flares from magnetars, according to a study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters on April 29. Anirudh Patel, a doctoral student at the Department of Physics at Columbia University in New York, led the study, which used 20-year-old archival telescope data from NASA and European Space Agency telescopes to investigate how heavy elements such as iron and gold were created and distributed throughout the universe. “It’s a pretty fundamental question in terms of the origin of complex matter in the universe,” Patel was quoted as saying in an article on the NASA website. “It’s a fun puzzle that hasn’t actually been solved.” The authors estimated that magnetar giant flares could contribute up to 10 percent of the overall abundance of elements in the galaxy that are heavier than iron. Co-authors of the study are affiliated with Columbia University, Charles University in the Czech Republic, Louisiana State University, the Flatiron Institute in New York and Ohio State University. A magnetar is a type of neutron star that is highly magnetised, which means its magnetic field is extremely powerful. When a massive star explodes, it leaves a very dense, collapsed core behind, which is called a neutron star. Astronomers theorise that the first magnetars were formed after the first stars about 13.6 billion years ago, according to study coauthor Eric Burns, assistant professor and astrophysicist at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. The Big Bang created the universe 13.8 billion years ago. On rare occasions, magnetars can release high-energy radiation by undergoing a “starquake”. Like an earthquake, a starquake can fracture the magnetar’s crust. Sometimes, magnetar starquakes bring with them a magnetar giant flare, a rare explosive event that releases gamma rays. The researchers found that magnetars release material during giant flares. However, they do not yet have a physical explanation for this. The researchers speculated about whether magnetar giant flares formed gold through the rapid process of neutrons forging lighter atomic nuclei into heavier ones. An element’s identity is defined by the number of protons it has. However, if an atom acquires an extra neutron, it can undergo nuclear decay, which can turn a neutron into a proton. A changed number of protons can change the element’s identity. Neutron stars have an extremely high density of neutrons. If a neutron star is disrupted, singular atoms can quickly capture a number of neutrons and undergo multiple decays. This leads to the formation of much heavier elements like uranium. Before this study, the creation of gold was attributed only to neutron star collisions, or kilonovas. When astronomers observed a neutron star collision in 2017 through telescopes, they found the collision could create heavy elements such as gold, platinum and lead. However, these collisions are believed to have happened relatively later in the history of the universe, in the past several billion years. However, the archival telescopic data, which was previously indecipherable, showed that magnetar giant flares formed much earlier. Hence, the study indicates that the first gold could have been made from magnetar giant flares. NASA has an upcoming mission that can follow up on these results. The Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) is a gamma-ray telescope that is expected to launch in 2027. COSI will study energetic phenomena in the Milky Way and beyond, such as magnetar giant flares. According to the NASA website, COSI could identify individual elements created in the giant flares, helping to form a better understanding of the origin of the elements. Follow Al Jazeera English:...
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Futbol
Ups, Downs And The Race For Europe
~5.6 mins read
BBC Sport outlines the promotion and relegation issues - and the race for European qualification - in England and Scotland for 2024-25. 13 April - Liverpool secure Champions League place 12 April - BIrmingham clinch League One title 12 April - Arbroath promoted to Scottish Championship 8 April - BIrmingham promoted to Championship 6 April - Southampton relegated to Championship 22 March - Ebbsfleet relegated to National League South 22 March - Dumbarton relegated to Scottish League Two The top five teams are guaranteed qualification for the league phase of the Champions League - with Arsenal's win over Real Madrid on 8 April making certain that England will be one of the two associations with the highest Uefa coefficients for 2024-25, and clinching a fifth place in addition to the usual four. Leaders Liverpool have now made certain of their Champions League place, and require a maximum of six points from their last six games to clinch the title. There are also places in the league phase reserved for the winners of this season's Champions League and Europa League, regardless of their domestic league positions. The sixth-placed Premier League team will qualify for the league phase of the Europa League, along with the FA Cup winners. If the FA Cup winners have already qualified for the Champions League, that Europa place reverts to the league. Newcastle United's victory in the Carabao Cup final means that at worst they will qualify for the Conference League play-off round. But if they qualify for Europe by their league position, that Conference League spot will revert to the league. If Chelsea win the Conference League but fail to reach the Champions League, they will qualify for the league phase of the Europa League. The bottom three teams will be relegated to the Championship. Southampton became the earliest team to be relegated (in terms of games) in Premier League history when they lost 3-1 at Tottenham on 6 April. The WSL champions will enter the league phase of the Champions League, with the runners-up entering at the second round and the third-placed side in the first round. Leaders Chelsea are already assured of their Champions League place, with Arsenal and Manchester United close to joining them. The bottom side will be relegated to the Women's Championship. The top two teams will be automatically promoted to the Premier League. This will be two from Leeds, Burnley, Sheffield United and Sunderland. The two teams from those four who are not automatically promoted will contest the play-offs with two other sides. The bottom three teams will be relegated to League One. The top two teams will be automatically promoted to the Championship, with the next four entering a play-off. Birmingham City became the first team in England's top five divisions to be promoted when they won 2-1 at Peterborough on 8 April, and clinched the title without kicking a ball four days later as Wrexham drew 0-0 at Wigan. Wrexham and Wycombe are assured of at least a play-off place. The bottom four teams will be relegated to League Two. Shrewsbury are not quite mathematically down, but are 12 points from safety with four games left. The top three teams will be automatically promoted to League One, with the next four entering a play-off. The bottom two teams will be relegated to the National League. The title, and the sole automatic promotion place, is between Barnet and York - with the Bees needing a maximum of seven points from their last four games to clinch it. Whoever does not win the title will contest the play-offs with Forest Green Rovers and four other teams. The bottom four teams will be relegated to National League North or South, and will be replaced with the champions and play-off winners of those two divisions. Ebbsfleet United became the first team in England's top five tiers to be relegated after drawing 3-3 with Aldershot on 22 March. Celtic will win the Premiership title unless they lose their last five games and Rangers win all of theirs while making up a 42-goal swing in goal difference. The champions will enter the Champions League play-off round, with the runners-up entering in the second qualifying round. The Premiership now splits in half after 33 games - with each club playing the others in their 'half' for a fourth and final time. Celtic, Rangers, Hibernian, Dundee United, Aberdeen and St Mirren will all be in the top half, with St Johnstone, Dundee, Ross County, Kilmarnock, Motherwell and Hearts in the bottom half. The Scottish Cup winners will enter the Europa League at the play-off round. If the cup winners finish in the top two, that Europa place reverts to the league. The third-placed Premiership team will enter the Europa League at the second qualifying round, with the fourth-placed team entering the Conference League at the second qualifying round. The Premiership's bottom club will be relegated to the Scottish Championship, while the 11th-placed team will enter a play-off with three Championship sides. The champions - Falkirk or Livingston - will be promoted to the Scottish Premiership. Falkirk need a maximum of four points from their last three games to clinch the title. Whoever does not win the division will enter a play-off with Ayr United, one other Championship side and the 11th-placed Premiership team. The bottom club will be relegated to Scottish League One, while the ninth-placed team will enter a play-off with three League One sides. Arbroath were promoted to the Scottish Championship after beating Stranraer 4-0 on 12 April to clinch the title. The next three teams will enter a play-off with the ninth-placed Championship side. Bottom club Dumbarton are relegated to Scottish League Two. They became the first SPFL team to be relegated after drawing 0-0 with Queen of the South on 22 March. The ninth-placed team will enter a play-off with three League Two teams. The champions will be automatically promoted to Scottish League One, with the next three teams entering a play-off with the ninth-placed League One side. Peterhead and East Fife are assured of at least a play-off place. The bottom side will enter a play-off against the winners of a play-off between Highland League champions Brora Rangers and Lowland League winners East Kilbride. The overall winners will take the final place in League Two for 2025-26.
All thanks to BBC Sport
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