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Biden declares end to ‘forever wars’ in Afghan exit

President Joe Biden made a forceful defense Tuesday of his “wise” decision to leave Afghanistan, telling Americans he refuses to send another generation to fight in a “forever war.”

 

The traumatic departure from Afghanistan, completed Monday after 20 years of war against the Taliban, was “a wise decision and the best decision for America,” Biden said in an address to the nation.

After coming under fire from Republican opponents over the chaotic nature of the rush to the exits in Afghanistan, Biden said he did what should have been done years ago.

“I was not going to extend this forever war and I was not extending a forever exit,” he said.

Speaking in the ornate State Dining Room of the White House, Biden thumped the lectern as he detailed the extraordinary costs of a war more than 2,400 US military deaths and up to $2.3 trillion spent that ended with the Taliban guerrillas back in power.

“I take responsibility for the decision,” he said.

“I made a commitment to the American people that I would end this war. Today, I honored that commitment. It was time to be honest,” he said.

“After 20 years in Afghanistan I refused to send another generation of America’s sons and daughters to fight a war.”

Biden takes heat

Following two weeks of evacuation flights a titanic effort marred by a suicide bombing that killed 13 US service members and scores of Afghans Biden faces a chorus of criticism that could yet hurt him domestically.

Getting out of the last big post-9/11 war was one of Biden’s campaign promises coming into office. The idea was overwhelmingly popular.

But the US departure, culminating with a solitary airplane lifting at midnight from Kabul with the last troops and diplomats, brought home for many that the so-called “drawdown” or “retrograde” really amounted to jarring defeat.

Republicans, led by Biden’s bitter predecessor Donald Trump, paint the exit as a humiliating failure, a defeat that outdoes even the 1975 evacuation from Saigon, and a signal to the world that …

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Wizkid’s ‘Essence’ to crack top 20 of Billboard Hot 100

On Sunday, August 22, 2021, Grammy-winning Nigerian superstar, Wizkid’s smash hit single, ‘Essence’ was predicted to hit a new peak of 16 on the Billboard Hot 100.

This was made known by a Twitter account, Wizkid Radio. On the aforementioned date, the account wrote that, “Due to the remix with Justin Bieber, Essence received 23.2 million radio audience in the US, with 87.3 thousand unit sales this week. Rises to 58% chart points and emerging as the highest gainer amongst 100 songs.

“Predicted to reach a new peak of #16 on Billboard Hot 100.”

This comes after the song hit #44 on the chart last week Monday, three days after the remix with Bieber was released. The Canadian superstar also shot his own video for the song.

 

 

 

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Anita Okoye asks court to dissolve marriage with singer Paul Okoye

Anita Okoye, the wife of Nigerian singer, Paul Okoye of the defunct music group, Psquare has filed for divorce.

In a court document exclusively obtained by Pulse, Anita has requested the dissolution of their marriage.

She also advised her now estranged husband in the legal document to challenge the petition he feels disgruntled.

Anita first sparked divorce rumours in April when it was reported that she relocated with their three children to the United States of America.

In 2019, she was accused by a popular aphrodisiac vendor of buying items to keep her marriage together. The vendor later took down the story from Instagram. Anita and Paul who were university sweethearts got married in 2014 in a very flamboyant wedding ceremony held in Port Harcourt. They welcomed their first son, Andre, the previous year. In 2017, they welcomed a set of twins, Nadia and Nathan.

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Umahi performs ground breaking ceremony for N2.6b twin bridges

Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State on Tuesday performed the ground breaking ceremony for the construction of N2.6 billion twin flyover bridges at the Hausa Quarters’ Junction on the Afikpo-Abakaliki Expressway.

Umahi said the bridges, which would take nine months to complete, would be named after Bishop Michael Okoro.

Okoro is the retiring Catholic Bishop of Abakaliki Diocese.

According to Umahi, the essence is to immortalize him in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the development of the state. The governor described the bishop as “a symbol of love, peace, unity and what Christianity should be”.

He expressed gladness that the cleric had given birth to his likes.

He said: “My lord, I have never seen anybody complaining against you secretly or openly.

“It is a major feat to attain and so we want to thank you for the service you have given to our state.

“A lot of people have consulted you over a lot of issues and you have quietly resolved them through Fr. Abraham Nwali, the Special Adviser on Religious Matters.

“We are thankful to you.

“We will name two flyovers after you: this one here and the one we are going to build around the timber shed.

“There is a spot taking lives there.

“We need to save lives and we are going to do it.

“Don’t ask how the money will come.

“It will come the moment it bears Bishop Nnachi Okoro.”

Umahi said the bridges became necessary to help decongest the traffic around the area and put an end to incessant road crashes and loss of lives at the spot.

He said each bridge would cover 500 meters and would cost N1.2 billion and N1.4.billion respectively.

He said: “I have always maintained that the cost of building projects in Nigeria is the highest all over the world.

“And for a country that behaves like that, it is difficult to develop, in terms of infrastructure.

“We have to look inwards at the cost of our projects.

“Flyover is all about cement, chippings, sand and labor.…

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Richard Torrez is the USA’s super-heavyweight at Tokyo 2020

At the 2016 Olympics, the United States did not name a single boxer in the light-heavyweight, heavyweight or super-heavyweight divisions. A lineage that included Muhammad Ali was not just downtrodden, it was worse than that. It was totally forgotten. To resurrect an Olympic powerhouse in a marquee event is the task posed for Richard Torrez. No pressure, then. He is an impossibly cool, purpose-built athlete who would not look out of place in a US teen drama – “it’s just another day in the ring for me,” he smiles.

The sobering crash of the US heavyweight scene at Rio 2016 had been foreseen but not prevented.

Gone were the days of Ali (then Cassius Clay), Joe Frazier, George Foreman and Leon Spinks winning gold; Evander Holyfield, Riddick Bowe and Antonio Tarver adding medals in the biggest weight divisions.

Andre Ward won gold in 2004 as a light-heavyweight but the best big men that the US could muster were Devin Vargas and Jason Estrada. That number shrunk to just one in 2008 – Deontay Wilder, who won bronze. By 2012, Dominic Breazeale, Michael Hunter and Marcus Browne all crashed out in the first round leading to the complete absence of any American heavyweights four years later for the first time in nine Games.

Enter Richard Torrez.

Perhaps it was always going to require a super-heavyweight who has boxing coursing through his blood to provoke an upturn in fortunes. He is not a believer in fate but says: “If there is destiny, then this is mine.”

Torrez acknowledges that potential boxers instead chose to become NFL or NBA players but he tells Sky Sports from Tokyo: “I feel like boxing is its own niche. If a guy wants to go into football? That’s great. But you will always have that one guy who wants to fight.

“You will always have that one guy who wants to bite down on his mouthpiece and punch.

“So it’s not a major issue. Yes, it might take some of the guys out. But the great ones …