THE INTENSIFIED REPORT

A suicide bomber was on Tuesday blown to pieces when a suicide vest he was wearing exploded on his body. The incident happened in Afikpo town, Afikpo local government area of Ebonyi state, reports The Nation. A source in the area said the incident happened around 12noon. “He made an attempt at entering Amaizu/ Amangballa Primary School but was turned back by the school security since he couldn’t justify his reason for visiting. He immediately started running inside a nearby bush before a big bang was heard,” the source said. The source also said residents scampered for safety when the bomb exploded but reconvened at the scene of the incident few minutes after only to discover the suspected suicide bomber laying dead in the poll of his own blood. The resident who noted that the incident happened close to the Eke Market Afikpo which is said to be the biggest market in the area hinted that there is tension and panic in the community. It was gathered that the upper part of the

In an exclusive with the Hollywood Reporter, Pose star actor Billy porter reveals that he has had HIV for the last 14 years. The Emmy Award-winning actor stated his life was in pieces when he found out of his HIV status, also finding out he has Type II diabetes and files for bankruptcy. “The shame of that time compounded with the shame that had already (accumulated) in my life silenced me, and I have lived with that shame in silence for 14 years,” Porter said. “HIV-positive, where I come from, growing up in the Pentecostal church with a very religious family, is God’s punishment.” He highlighted that his role on Pose allowed for him to have a “surrogate” for his HIV status, however, the pandemic provided him with the time to assess what his life is actually like. “I survived so that I could tell the story. That’s what I’m here for,” he said. “I’m the vessel, and emotionally that was sufficient — until it wasn’t.” “It’s time to grow up and move on because shame is destructiv

A stampede broke out early Friday at a Jewish religious festival attended by tens of thousands of people in northern Israel, killing nearly 40 people and leaving some 150 hospitalized, medical officials said. The stampede, one of the deadliest civilian disasters in Israeli history, occurred during the celebrations of Lag BaOmer at Mount Meron. Tens of thousands of people, mostly ultra-Orthodox Jews, gather each year to honor Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, a 2nd century sage and mystic who is buried there. Large crowds traditionally light bonfires, pray and dance as part of the celebrations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a “great tragedy,” and said everyone was praying for the victims. Media estimated the crowd at about 100,000 people. Eli Beer, director of the Hatzalah rescue service, said he was horrified by how crowded the event was, saying the site was equipped to handle perhaps a quarter of the number who were there. “Close to 40 people died as a result of this

Super Eagles and Villarreal of Spain forward, Samuel Chukwueze, has been nominated for the La Liga Player of the Month award for April. The Nigeria international will compete with Barcelona captain Lionel Messi, Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois, and Atletico Madrid’s Angel Correa for the individual accolade. Other contestants are Sevilla’s Fernando, Real Betis’ Claudio Bravo and Fernando Pacheco of Deportivo Alaves. Chukwueze was terrific for the Yellow Submarine during the month in question, scoring three goals in five Spanish elite division matches, while the 33-year-old Argentine superstar found the net on four occasions from the same number of outings. He has scored four goals in 27 league appearances for the Yellow Submarine this term.

Manchester City are on course to clinch a spot in this season's UEFA Champions League final following a 2-1 triumph over PSG in Paris. A sterling second half performance from City, was perfect to set them on course for their first ever champions league final. Second half goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez were enough to ensure City has the advantage going into the second leg, after falling behind in the first half. City now has Ninety minutes to hold on for a place in the final.

The three men involved in the death of Ahmaud Arbery are now facing federal hate crime charges, separate from the murder charges they each face at the state level. On Wednesday afternoon, a federal grand jury indicted Gregory McMichael, 65; his son, Travis McMichael, 35; and William “Roddie” Bryan, 51, with a hate crime charge and a charge of attempted kidnapping. The McMichaels are also charged with using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The federal grand jury alleged that the McMichaels, “did willfully, by force and threat of force, injure, intimidate, and interfere with Ahmaud Arbery, an African American man, because of Arbery’s race and color.” The indictment also alleges that Bryan got into a truck and then chased Arbery, using the vehicle to block his path. Arbery, 25, was killed on Feb. 23, 2020, by three close-range shotgun blasts after the McMichaels chased him in a pickup truck as he was running through a suburban neighborhood of Br

 A Louisiana woman was arrested Wednesday, after she allegedly refused to give back more than $1.2 million accidentally deposited to her brokerage account by Charles Schwab & Co., NOLA.com reports. About a month after Kelyn Spadoni opened an account with Schwab in January, the company installed “enhancements” to the software used to transfer assets. Schwab intended on transferring $82.56 into her Fidelity Brokerage Services account, but Spadoni received $1,205,619 instead. The error was immediately noticed, and a reclaim request was submitted by Schwab the next day to the institution that handles the money mistakenly sent to her account. The company received a “CASH NOT AVAILABLE” notification, which meant that Spadoni had already taken the money out of her account.  Schwab contacted the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, which opened a criminal investigation, and discovered that at least $48,000 was used to buy a 2021 Hyundai Genesis sport utility vehicle. Detectives w

Alibaba Group, the world’s biggest e-commerce company, was fined 18.3 billion yuan ($2.8 billion) by Chinese regulators on Saturday for anti-competitive tactics, as the ruling Communist Party tightens control over fast-growing tech industries. Party leaders worry about the dominance of China’s biggest internet companies, which are expanding into finance, health services and other sensitive areas. The party says anti-monopoly enforcement, especially in tech, is a priority this year. Alibaba was fined for “abusing its dominant position” to limit competition by retailers that use its platforms and hindering “free circulation” of goods, the State Administration for Market Regulation announced. It said the fine was equal to 4% of its total 2019 sales of 455.712 billion yuan ($69.5 billion). “Alibaba accepts the penalty with sincerity and will ensure its compliance with determination,” the company said in a statement. It promised to “operate in accordance with the law with utmost

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), yesterday, said the 2021 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Direct Entry (DE) registration had been put on hold. In a statement by its Head of Media and Protocol, Fabian Benjamin, the body said it was putting finishing touches on pin vending before the commencement of the exercise. JAMB advised prospective candidates to check guidelines in coming advertorials. The statement read: “The board’s registration exercise was to begin today (yesterday), April 8,2021. To be sure all processes are completed before the commencement, the board didn’t place its advertorial as we are yet to complete the process of a smooth pin vending and candidate access to the registration app for the 2021 UTME/DE. “The advertisement is the surest indication of the beginning of the exercise as it has all the step by step process that candidates are required to follow. “The delay is caused by some unforeseen circumstances occasioned

  View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Intensified Report (@theintensifiedreport)

Samuel Davidson behind bar since the crash last year  A man has been sentenced to 28 years in jail over a car crash that killed four children at Oatlands, in Sydney's west, in which he was drunk and drugged. Samuel William Davidson reportedly lost control of Ute while excessively speeding, mounted a curb, and hit a group of seven children in February last year. Siblings Anthony, 13, Angelina, 12, Sienna Abdallah, 9, and their cousin Veronique Sakr, 11, died at the scene.  Angelina, 12, Sienna, 9, Anthony, 13, and Veronique, 11 were all kiled in the crash Three other children were injured in the crash, one of them has been left with a permanent brain injury. Davidson, 30, pleaded guilty to several charges, including four counts of manslaughter. On the day of the crash, he had spent more than 12 hours drinking, and he was three times over the legal limit when he hit the children. He also had cocaine and other drugs in his system. The court heard that immediate

Earl Simmons aka DMX has died. He is aged 50. His family released a statement; "Earl was a warrior who fought till the very end. He loved his family with all of his heart and we cherish the times we spent with him. Earl’s music inspired countless fans across the world and his iconic legacy will live on forever. We appreciate all of the love and support during this incredibly difficult time. Please respect our privacy as we grieve the loss of our brother, father, uncle and the man the world knew as DMX. We will share information about his memorial service once details are finalized.” DMX has been in the hospital since last week following a heart attack, and sources close to the situation say the rapper has yet to regain brain function. TMZ reports that DMX’s family is grappling with a hard decision regarding whether to take the 50-year-old legend off life support. He underwent a series of tests on Wednesday, which showed no improvement in brain activity since he was fir

Mavin Boss and music producer Don Jazzy, has revealed Simi was one artist he would have loved to be part of the Mavin family. Don Jazzy, in a black box interview with Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, spoke about how he lost Simi after the music cover contest he had staged to select new artists didn’t single her out as a winner. Don Jazzy further stated that he wished he signed Falz and Simi when the opportunity came regardless of what the situation was at that time. “I can’t say I turned them down. For Falz, the working situation wasn’t just right. I run a firm that could handle almost everything he needed. “But I think he had like a management company set up already. It was like Tiwa Savage’s but I had to grow into that kind of scenario where I had to handle someone that had a record label, some blueprint process. “I equally didn’t reject Simi. I did a Twitter contest for ‘Journey of A Thousand Miles.’ I also loved her cover because she was one of the people that participated but she didn’t win. “I

Disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein, is seeking an appeal in his rape conviction. Harvey, who was convicted of Rape and sexual assault, claims that his trial was rigged, stating that the judge made  numerous errors, Variety reported. His attorney, Barry Kamins, stated that the judge should have excluded Juror #11, saying she could not have been impartial because she had written a novel that involved sexual exploitation by predatory older men. Harvey was convicted last year of two counts: third-degree rape and first-degree sexual assault; he was acquitted on two of the more serious charges of “predatory sexual assault". He is currently serving a 23-year sentence in a state prison near Buffalo, N.Y., and is about to be extradited to California to face even more charges.

At least 36 people were killed and dozens more were injured when a train derailed in Taiwan on Friday after apparently hitting a truck. The train was carrying around 350 people, the country's fire department said. The official Central News Agency said a truck "not parked properly" was suspected of sliding into the path of the train. The fire department showed a picture of what appeared to be the truck's wreckage next to the derailed train. The express service traveling from the capital Taipei to Taitung on the southeast coast came off the rails north of Hualien in eastern Taiwan, the fire department said. More than 40 people have already been taken to hospital and others injured are in the process of being taken to hospital, with around 70 reported trapped in train carriages. Between 80 to 100 people were evacuated from the first four carriages of the train, while carriages five to eight have "deformed" and are hard to gain access to, it added. &

 Former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has reportedly been hospitalized few days after testing positive for COVID-19. "Thank you for your wishes and prayers. As a matter of abundant precaution under medical advice, I have been hospitalised. I hope to be back in a few days. Take care and stay safe everyone," the 47-year-old legend wrote on his official Twitter account. — Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) April 2, 2021  Sachin is widely regarded as the greatest as one of the greatest batsman in the history of cricket and served as the captain of the Indian national team. Get well soon Sachin

Nigerian singer Olatunji Oladotun Alade popularly know as Dotman has welcomed a new baby boy with girlfriend. The 27-year-old singer took to social media to share the good news. Congratulations Dotman

Michael Strahan has revealed that his claim earlier in the week that he'd fixed his signature gap between his teeth was an April Fool's Day prank. The Good Morning America host took to Twitter to share how surprised he was, citing the number of reaction to the video he posted on Tuesday, where he went to a dentist office and came out with his signature gap between his teeth fixed. "I know a lot if you were wondering, oh, its gotta be an April Fool's Day prank, he's gotta be joking with the teeth, he must not have fixed that gap, it's his signature," the 49-year-old said in a video posted to Twitter in which he's wearing a mask. #GoodbyeGap update! Momma knows best! pic.twitter.com/aH4malpbeH — Michael Strahan (@michaelstrahan) April 1, 2021 On April Fool’s Day, Strahan proved those cynics right by pulling back his mask and flashing the gap-toothed smile he’s had all along. “So I just wanted to say, April Fools — come on man!” he said. “The

Nigerian actor Alex Ekubo has vowed to bring home an Oscar Academy Award. Ekubo made this known while congratulating Wizkid and Burna Boy who recently won the Grammy Award for Best music video and world music album respectively.

Prince Philip, 99, has undergone heart surgery for a pre-existing condition. Buckingham Palace says the op was successful and he will remain in hospital while he recuperates. More to follow....

 A prominent Saudi Muslim cleric has said that divorce alerts made via WhastApp, or short text messages, comply with the Islamic Sharia. “Divorce made through WhatsApp, text messages or on phone is valid because divorce takes place in writing as well as verbally,” said Sheikh Abdullah Al Mutlaq, a member of the Committee of Senior Scholars, Saudi Arabia’s top Islamic body. “Accordingly, if the husband makes the divorce oath via WhatsApp, the divorce takes place,” Al Mutlaq told a fatwa programme on the Saudi state television Al Saudia. Muslim men traditionally use verbal divorce to end marriages by telling their wives: “I hereby divorce you”. There has been an increase in divorce rates in Saudi Arabia in recent years. Three out of every 10 marriages end in divorce in the kingdom, according to official statistics.

A Paris court found French former President Nicolas Sarkozy guilty of corruption and influence peddling on Monday and sentenced him to a year in prison. He can ask to serve that time at home and also plans to appeal. The 66-year-old, who was president from 2007 to 2012, was convicted of trying to bribe a magistrate in exchange for information about a legal case in which he was implicated. He will remain free while he appeals, but it was a blow to the retired politician who still plays an influential role in French conservative politics. It’s not the end of his legal troubles either: He faces another trial later this month and is also under investigation in a third case. The ruling marks the first time in France’s modern history that a former president has been convicted of corruption — and given a prison term. His predecessor, Jacques Chirac, was found guilty in 2011 of misuse of public money during his time as Paris mayor — not considered a corruption offense — and was giv

 Anambra State led the chart with 85 new cases of coronavirus as the NCDC reported 240 new cases of the virus. Nigeria has now recorded a total of 155,657 cases of the virus, 133,768 recoveries and 1907 fatalities. State by State breakdown of the new cases are as follows. 240 new cases of #COVID19Nigeria; Anambra-85 Lagos-82 Osun-17 Ogun-10 Kwara-9 FCT-8 Kano-7 Abia-6 Borno-4 Edo-2 Bayelsa-2 Kaduna-2 Rivers-1 155,657 confirmed 133,768 discharged 1,907 deaths 

 Golfing champion Tiger Woods, thanked fans for helping him get "through this tough time" in his first personal message since the car accident. In a tweet, Woods said," It is hard to explain how touching today was when i turned on the tv and saw all the red shirts. To every golfer and every fan, you are truly helping me get through this tough time." Several PGA tour golfers wore Wood's trademark red t-shirt during the WGC-Workday Championship on Sunday. The 45-year-old fractured his leg and had to be cut out of the wreckage after his car collided with a kerb and tree before rolling several times, and has been moved to Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre for follow-up procedures to his right leg.

Nigerian singer Omah Lay took to Twitter to mock theives who stole his Laptop, microphone and audio interface from his box at the airport. The singer who was suprised at the incident, rhetorically asked; " y'all looking for a hit record or what?

 World War II veteran Capt. Sir Thomas Moore, who captured hearts around the world when he raised millions of dollars for healthcare workers at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, has died. He was 100. The announcement was made on his official Twitter account Tuesday, featuring a photo of Moore with the text, "1920-2021." Moore's death comes after he was hospitalized with pneumonia at Bedford Hospital on Sunday. He had texted positive for COVID-19 the week before, according to his daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said, "The Queen is sending a private message of condolence to the family of Captain Sir Tom Moore. Her Majesty very much enjoyed meeting Cpt Sir Tom and his family at Windsor last year. Her thoughts, and those of the Royal Family, are with them, recognising the inspiration he provided for the whole nation and others across the world." Moore was once called "a beacon of light through the fog of coronavir

 21-year-old rapper Lil Nas X, revealed the origin of his birth name and the inspiration behind his stage name. According to the 'Panini' crooner, the story behind his real name is slightly embarrassing, but not embarrassing'. Lil Nas X while speaking to Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show, revealed that he was actually named after a car. First asked by Fallon, 46, what he should call him, Lil Nas X told the late-night host, "You can call me Nas or Montero," which prompted Fallon to ask why he didn't use Montero, his real first name, as a stage name. Lil Nas X explained that Nas came from his "internet alias," before adding that he took inspiration from other new musicians when he came up with the rest of his stage name. "When I started doing music, I was like, 'I want to have fun with this," he said. "And every new rapper's name is Lil, Lil, Lil. 'What if I was Lil Nas? That'd be funny.' So I was like, 

Manchester United will go head-to-head with Liverpool in a mouthwatering English FA cup fourth-round fixture. The Red devils got past a resilient Watford side in the third-round , thanks to a Scott McTominay's header in the early stages of the encounter. Liverpool on the other hand, defeated Premier League side Aston Villa 4-1 in the third round. United take on Liverpool in a crucial Premier League fixture on Sunday at Anfield, after the game against Burnley on Wednesday. The full draw

 After six years of marriage and more than eight years together, the love story of  Kanye West and Kim Kardashian is facing a major shakeup as they are set to go separate ways. Kim wants to make sure she's making the right decision for the kids, which tells why she has not yet filed for divorce. The pair share four children together, North West, 7, Saint West, 5, Chicago West, 2, and Psalm West, 20 months. Their relationship is said to have deteriorated to the point where they haven't spent time together as a married couple in months.

 Dr. Dre has been admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after suffering a brain aneurysm. According to TMZ, Dr. Dre suffered the aneurysm on Monday and was rushed by ambulance to Cedars , where he was taken directly to the ICU. The 55-years-old music mogul is said to be stable and lucid, but doctors has said that they did not know what caused the bleeding and they are doing a battery test. Dre is in the middle of a contentious divorce with his estranged wife Nicole.  There is a hearing on Wednesday in downtown L.A. on issues regarding his divorce with Nicole and the settlement therein. Obviously, Dre will not be attending due to his health condition.

The 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards has been rescheduled from January 31 to March 14, as communicated by the Recording Academy in a statement. The rescheduling is due to the recent COVID-19 surge. Read the full statement below 👇👇👇 "After thoughtful conversations with health experts, our host and artists scheduled to appear, we are rescheduling the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards® to be broadcast Sunday, March 14, 2021. The deteriorating COVID situation in Los Angeles, with hospital services being overwhelmed, ICUs having reached capacity, and new guidance from state and local governments have all led us to conclude that postponing our show was the right thing to do. Nothing is more important than the health and safety of those in our music community and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly on producing the show. We want to thank all of the talented artists, the staff, our vendors and especially this year's nominees for their understanding, patience and willingness to

Vice president Mike Pence is said to have told Donald Trump he does not have the power to overturn the election result - just hours before he is scheduled to preside over Congress’s ratification of Joe Biden’s victory. Trump tweeted earlier that Vice President Pence has the power to reject fraudulently chosen electors. On Wednesday, Mr Pence is scheduled in his constitutional role to oversee a joint session of Congress, in which the House and Senate will vote to formally confirm Mr Biden’s victory. It marks the final step in the process before his inauguration. - Independent

Moyo Thomas, the lady in the sex scandal story involving the Managing Director of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Nuhu Adams, has spoken on the incident that was alleged to have led to the death of her husband, Tunde Thomas. Moyo’s response, authored by her family, however, did not state the involvement of her former boss in FCMB in the saga. She, however, said in the statement made available to Igbere TV that her two kids belong to Tunde and that they were not legally divorced before her husband’s death despite the fact that she had relocated to the United States of America. The response, signed by Adetunji Iromini, on behalf of the family, said in part: “This is quite unfortunate in many ways. It does not augur well for the memory of the departed soul especially as we are all grieving the loss of Tunde, who was buried on Wednesday 30th December, 2020. The pictures of the children are being posted in the social media, without care. “There would not have been any need to r

A Milan-based appeals court on Tuesday ordered Facebook to pay 3.83 million euros ($4.70 million) in damages to an Italian software development company for copying an app, a court document seen by Reuters showed. The judges said the U.S. group copied their 'Nearby' feature from Italy's Business Competence's app 'Faround', which allows users to identify shops, clubs, restaurants in their surrounding area through geolocalisation. The court's decision upheld a 2019 ruling but increased the amount of damages that Facebook will have to pay, initially set at 350,000 euros. "We have received the court's decision and are examining it carefully," a Facebook spokesman told Reuters. - Reuters

President Donald Trump has stated that Vice-president Mike Pence has the power to reject fraudulently chosen electors. This is coming 24 hours to the Formal validation of the electoral college votes which will be presided by Vice-president Mike Pence, and will declare who has been elected president and vice president of the United States. Trump is yet to concede defeat and is confident that the Vice President might reject the electors, in a final push to overturn the President-elect Joe Biden's victory. Contrary to President Trump's baseless claims of a "rigged election," the Justice Department has concluded that it has found no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election.

Son of late billionaire transporter, Ekene Dili Chukwu, dies of Covid-19 Son of late billionaire transporter and owner of Ekene Dili Chukwu Motors, Augustine Ilodibe Jnr, is dead.  A statement from the family, stated that the 42 year-old Ilodibe Jnr, died in Lagos from COVID-19 complications. The statement was signed by the deceased’s brother, Obinna. “With great sadness we announce the passing unto glory our dear son, husband, father, brother and uncle, Ekendilichukwu Augustine Chukwunonso ILODIBE (Junior) who died this morning from complications of COVID-19 in Lagos,” the statement read in part.