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Catholic Bishop mute over meeting, photographs with Obasanjo, Atiku

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The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Most Rev. Hassan Matthew Kukah, yesterday, refused to offer reasons why he was seen in photographs with former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his former deputy, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, shortly after the duo’s reconciliatory meeting, after which Obasanjo endorsed Atiku for next year’s presidential election.

In an interaction with The Guardian during the Interfaith Conference in Abuja, Kukah, when asked if he was endorsing Atiku for the election, having been present and appearing in photos during Obasanjo’s meeting with Atiku and other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains, where the former endorsed the latter, retorted: “Have you ever heard of a priest endorsing any candidate? Every Nigerian has the right to contest election.”

Reminded that it was trending on the social media, he said: “I am not the editor of the social media.”

On why he accompanied Atiku to Otta for the meeting, he asked: “Did you see me accompany Atiku?”

He explained: “…No, I was in Otta, you are here now, is it the same as saying you followed me? Did you come here with me? The fact that we are in the same location doesn’t mean we came together.”

When asked how he got to take photographs with them, Kukah retorted: “Did you see me with a photographer? Ask the photographer, not me.”

Reminded that Nigerians, judging by the trending group photograph, in which he appeared with the duo after the meeting, believe he might have gone there to reconcile Atiku with his former boss, Kukah said: “You are now doing hypothesis.

I am not doing hypothesis, ask me a critical question, maybe be I will answer. Ask them, you can confirm from Atiku’s office. You know they are politicians, they can tell you.

“Why not go to his office and cross-check. They were the actors, not me. Am I a politician?”

Still further prodded on what he was doing at Obasanjo’s residence at the time Atiku and his team visited and he took photographs with them, Kukah stated: “Don’t I have freedom of movement again or must I give an account of what I have gone to do? Did I borrow money from anybody for transport?

Was it a coincidence? The Guardian queried and he replied: “Was what a coincidence? …Are we not in the same town now? Is it a coincidence? I say go to their office and ask them.”

When told that The Guardian would prefer to hear from him, the cleric asked: “Why?  Do I live in Otta? Go and ask the man in Otta. Go and ask them who came to their place. Was I the only person you saw there?

He also gave curt answers to further questions:

But being a religious figure (cuts in): “There is a church inside the compound.”

Did you go there to conduct a church service?

“I am just telling you, you said I am religious, there is a church inside the Presidential Library.”

So, what was the purpose of your visit to Otta and Obasanjo’s residence?

“So, there is no freedom of movement again? As I said, go and ask them, they are the ones you should ask and you will have a good story?”

Source: Guardian

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The Peruvian Government Has Officially Classified Transgender, Nonbinary And Intersex People As “Mentally ill”

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According to the country’s ministry of health, the controversial decision was made to ensure the country’s public health services could “guarantee full coverage of medical attention for mental health” for the trans community.

It also categorises “dual-role transvestitism,” “fetishistic transvestism,” and “other gender identity disorders” under the same bracket of mental illness.

The new law will change language in the Essential Health Insurance Plan (PEAS) to reflect the view of trans and intersex people as a mental health disorder.

Trans groups across Peru have loudly condemned the decision as a step backwards for the country’s already complex relationship with LGBTQ+ rights.

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Math Teacher Accused Of Having Sex With 2 Students And Getting Pregnant For One Tearfully Reveals The Baby Was Taken Away From Her

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The UK teacher who had a baby with an underage student while on trial for having sex with another teenage boy broke down in court after revealing her newborn baby girl had been “taken away” from her.

Manchester math teacher Rebecca Joynes, 30, sobbed to jurors over how her baby was taken “24 hours after being born” this past January — and now she only sees her for nine hours a week, Joynes told jurors on Monday, May 13, according to the Manchester Evening News.

“At the moment I have contact with her three times a week for three hours and that’s it,” she said through tears.

Joynes was arrested and released on bail on orders not to have unsupervised contact with anyone under 18 after allegedly grooming her pupil, known as Boy A in court, by buying him a $430 Gucci belt before bringing him to her apartment for unprotected sex.

She was suspended from school and eventually fired, but soon after, she began having a relationship with a 15-year-old boy, known in court as Boy B, whom she had a baby with in January.

Joynes, who has denied having sex with either boy when they were underage, told the court that when she learned of the allegations against her she had gone to the second boy in a “panic” and he deleted all of her phone’s content.

The former teacher denied having a sexual relationship with the second boy until after he turned 16 and she was already suspended from teaching.

According to her narration,

She said he had added her on Snapchat twice, which she only accepted the second time because she thought he “wanted to tell her something.”

Joynes said a friendship developed and he quickly became her “best friend” even though the boy would make flirtatious and sexualized comments toward her when he was drunk.

She told jurors that it wasn’t until after his 16th birthday that he messaged her saying “I’ve left school now” with a winky face.

After she received notice that she had been dismissed from her job, he went to her apartment, where following an emotional conversation, they had sex.

The two then entered a relationship that Joynes described as “quite toxic” telling the court how the teenager was “very controlling.”

After discovering she was pregnant, Joynes hid love notes for the boy to find around her apartment.

The notes eventually led to a piece of baby clothing that had the words “I love my daddy to the moon and back” written on it.

The court was told that she gave birth to their baby girl in January, but following an emergency court hearing, the newborn was taken away from Joynes.

Joynes has denied two counts of sexual activity with Boy A; two counts of sexual activity with Boy B; and two counts of sexual activity with Boy B while being a person in a position of trust.

Her trial is ongoing.

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First Man To Receive Pig Kidney Transplant Has Died

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The first Man to receive a genetically modified pig kidney transplant has died two months after the operation.

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), which carried out the procedure in March, announced Sunday, May 12, that Richard “Rick” Slayman, 62, has died.

They said there was no indication his death was a result of the transplant.

Transplants of other organs from genetically modified pigs have failed in the past, but the operation on Mr Slayman, who was suffering with end-stage kidney disease, was hailed as a historic milestone.

In addition to kidney disease, Mr Slayman also suffered from Type 2 diabetes and hypertension.

In 2018, he had a human kidney transplant, but it began to fail after five years.

Following his pig kidney transplant on March 16, his doctors confirmed he no longer needed dialysis after the new organ was said to be functioning well.

“Mr Slayman will forever be seen as a beacon of hope to countless transplant patients worldwide and we are deeply grateful for his trust and willingness to advance the field of xenotransplantation,” MGH said in a statement.

Xenotransplantation is the transplanting of living cells, tissues or organs from one species to another.

MGH said it was “deeply saddened” at his sudden death and offered condolences to his family.

Mr Slayman’s relatives said his story was an inspiration.

“Rick said that one of the reasons he underwent this procedure was to provide hope for the thousands of people who need a transplant to survive,” they said.

“Rick accomplished that goal and his hope and optimism will endure forever.

“To us, Rick was a kind-hearted man with a quick-witted sense of humour who was fiercely dedicated to his family, friends, and co-workers,” they added.

While Mr Slayman received the first pig kidney to be transplanted into a human, it is not the first pig organ to be used in a transplant procedure.

Two other patients have received pig heart transplants, but those procedures were unsuccessful as the recipients died a few weeks later.

In one case, there were signs the patient’s immune system had rejected the organ, which is a common risk in transplants.

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