Sean Kingston has posted bail and is no longer behind bars, after the rapper and his mother were found guilty in their $1 million federal fraud case late last month.
A lawyer for the 35-year-old “Beautiful Girls” singer, born Kisean Anderson, told TMZ on Tuesday that Kingston’s $100,000 bond “has been posted and he is in the process of being released.”
He was still in custody at the Federal Detention Center in Miami earlier in the daily, when he’d been unable to come up with the necessary cash. Some unnamed famous friends were trying to help with the funds, according to the outlet.
Kingston is now once again under house arrest, with electronic monitoring, and is required to surrender his passport. His mother is considered a flight risk and will remain in federal custody until the two are sentenced on July 11.
Last summer, Kingston and his 61-year-old mother, Janice Turner, were each indicted on five counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud as part of an organized scheme to defraud luxury companies out of high-end goods.
“The defendants unjustly enriched themselves by falsely representing that they had executed bank wire or other monetary payment transfers … [then] retained or attempted to retain the vehicles, jewelry and other goods despite non-payment,” federal prosecutors said when announcing the indictment. “Through the execution of this scheme, the defendants obtained in excess of $1 million in property.”
Late last month, after just three-and-a-half hours of jury deliberation, the pair were found guilty of all charges. Both Kingston and Turner are facing up to 20 years in prison on each count.
A separate lawyer for the singer previously told TMZ that Kingston went against counsel’s advice when he refused to take a plea deal.
Factional chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Robinson Ewor, has said the federal capital territory (FCT) minister, Nyesom Wike, is a mole working to destroy the opposition from within for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ewor said Wike should no longer be considered a member of the PDP, having openly pledged loyalty to the APC.
He spoke on Monday during an interview on Arise Television.
He said, “I have said it in different fora, and I will repeat it here: Nyesom Wike, FCT minister, is no longer a member of the PDP.”
“Nyesom Wike today exists in the PDP because he’s on a mission to destroy the PDP, to destroy the opposition in the country, not just Rivers State.”
Ewor accused Wike of interfering in PDP leadership decisions while serving in an APC-led federal government.
“That is why today he is insisting that Sam Anyanwu remain national secretary. What is his business? You are serving an APC government,” he said.
“You have pledged your loyalty to the APC. You have said it openly and publicly that you will support the APC in the 2027 general election.”
He said Wike has no business meddling in PDP matters, describing his continued presence in the party as a calculated ploy.
“In good conscience, let’s leave the law and everybody. In good conscience, can Nigerians still see Wike as a member of the PDP? The answer is no,” Ewor said.
“To us in Rivers, Wike is no longer a member of the PDP. He’s only here to destroy the PDP, to destroy the opposition.
“And the president is helping him. That is the irony of it. The president is funding Wike to destroy the opposition.”
On Friday, Wike said he wanted the outright removal of Siminalayi Fubara as governor of Rivers State.
“As a politician, I am not happy about the state of emergency in Rivers State,” Wike said.
“I wanted the outright removal of Governor Fubara. The president, by declaring a state of emergency, saved Fubara.”
Wike Is APC’s Mole Destroying Opposition, Rivers PDP Factional Chairman Alleges is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
A video of a Nigerian lady and her Caucasian man has made the rounds on social media.
The video showed the lady and her man dressed in attires as though they were about to have their civil wedding. The Caucasian man could be seen holding a bouquet of flowers. Social media users have reshared the video wondering what their love story is.
The Vatican has released the death certificate of Pope Francis, confirming that he passed away due to a stroke, which led to a coma and ultimately “irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse.”
The 88-year-old leader of the Catholic Church died on Monday morning, approximately one month after being discharged from a 38-day hospital stay for double pneumonia, according to reports and Vatican sources.
The official cause of Pope Francis’ death has been identified as a stroke, followed by a coma and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse. Dr. Andrea Arcangeli, Director of the Directorate of Health and Hygiene of the Vatican City State, issued the official medical certification, with the Holy See Press Office releasing the report on Monday evening.
The medical report detailed the Pope’s prior health conditions, including a history of acute respiratory failure resulting from microbial bilateral pneumonia and multiple bronchiectases, as well as high blood pressure and Type II diabetes.
Read also: Amidst persistent violence, Mutfwang’s stakeholders’ meeting offers little hope for Plateau
His death was officially confirmed through electrocardiographic thanatography. “I hereby declare,” wrote Dr. Arcangeli, “that the causes of death, to the best of my knowledge and judgment, are as stated above.”
Just four West African countries are the foundation of an industry worth more than $100 billion. In the tropical nations of Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon, and Nigeria, rows of cacao trees sprout pods bearing dozens of seeds. Once harvested, these humble beans are dried, roasted, and processed into something beloved worldwide.
Chocolate has been coveted for millennia and, particularly on Valentine’s Day, is an unmistakable token of love. But as increasingly erratic weather continues driving up the costs of confectionery, the sweet treat has become a symbol of something much less romantic: climate change, Grist reports.
Two reports published in February found that warming is pushing temperatures beyond the optimal range for cacao growth in the countries at the heart of the world’s supply, particularly during primary harvest seasons. The research reveals how burning oil, coal, and methane is roasting the planet’s cocoa belt and skyrocketing chocolate prices.
“One of the foods that the world most loves is at risk because of climate change,” said Kristina Dahl, vice president for science at the nonprofit Climate Central, which wrote one of the two reports. “I would hope that by hearing that human activity is making it harder to grow cocoa, it might cause people to stop and think about our priorities as a species, and whether we can and should be prioritizing actions to limit future climate change and future harms to this food that we love so much.”
About 70 percent of the world’s cacao is grown in West Africa, with Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon, and Nigeria the biggest producers. The bulk of the rest is grown in places with similar climates not far from the equator, such as Indonesia and Ecuador. The trees grow best in rainforest conditions with high humidity, abundant rain, nitrogen-rich soil, and natural wind buffers. Exposure to temperatures higher than 89.6 degrees Fahrenheit prompts water stress, hinders plant growth, and erodes the quality and quantity of seeds the trees yield.
Last year, warming added at least six weeks’ worth of days above that threshold in nearly two-thirds of cacao-producing areas across Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon, and Nigeria, likely contributing to a disastrous harvest, according to the Climate Central report.
The researchers examined temperature data for the region and estimates of what might have been experienced over the past decade in a world without human-induced warming. They found that between 2015 and 2024, climate change increased the number of days each country experiences temperature ranges above the ideal for cacao growth by an average of two to four weeks annually. Most of those hotter days came during the main crop cycle, when the plants bloom and produce beans. Warming is also altering rain patterns, accelerating droughts, facilitating the spread of devastating diseases like pod rot, and contributing to soil degradation. Another new study found low rates of pollination and higher-than-average temperatures in Ghana have combined to limit yields.
But teasing out just how much of an impact climate change has had on production and consumer prices remains largely unchartered by scientists and economists. Dahl also said it’s unknown which weather phenomenon is behind the largest impact on production, nor is it clear what influence El Niño had on last year’s harvests.
Emmanuel Essah-Mensah, a cocoa grower in Ghana, described climate change as one of the most serious problems affecting production throughout West Africa. “The drought means we are losing 60 percent of our cocoa plants. I have seen a drastic decline in income, as have all the farmers in my farming cooperative,” Essah-Mensah told Grist.
Droughts, floods, and plant diseases thrashing the region last year contributed to record cocoa prices, which in turn caused the cost of chocolate to jump, according to a report by the nonprofit Christian Aid, which works toward sustainable development and economic justice. Global cocoa production fell by about 14 percent in the 2023-24 season, and ahead of Valentine’s Day last year, the soaring price of cocoa on the futures market shattered a 47-year record.
Kat Kramer, co-author of the report and a climate policy consultant for the nonprofit, said the findings, and those of Climate Central, expose the industry’s vulnerability to climate change. “Chocolate lovers need to push companies and their governments to cut greenhouse gas emissions,” said Kramer, “otherwise chocolate supplies will tragically be at increasing climate risk.”
The implications of this go beyond what it means for this delectable delicacy. Cocoa also is used in other goods like cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, which account for a significant piece of the global market. Yet chocolate remains king, with the U.S. importing around $2.8 billion worth of it every year — over 10 percent of the world’s supply.
Federal Reserve data suggests that global cocoa prices rose 144 percent in December, more than doubling from the year before, said Alla Semenova, an economist at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. This is known as the producer price, or what global chocolate manufacturers pay those who process the raw beans. Still, that cost is often absorbed by confectionary customers. “When producer prices rise, when the costs of production rise, consumer prices rise,” said Semenova.
Yet even as prices go up, the farmers raising cacao don’t always see any of that profit. Josephine George Francis, who produces the crop alongside coffee on her farm in Liberia, said farmers throughout West Africa actually lose money due to the rising cost of growing crops in a warming world. “We need a different approach that puts sustainability and farmers at its heart,” said George Francis. “We do not benefit from increased prices on world markets.”
Of course, cocoa isn’t the only ingredient in confectioneries threatened by warming. Early last year, sugar, another essential ingredient, sold at some of the highest prices in over a decade after extreme weather constrained global sugarcane production.
“It is not just the quantity of cocoa production that is affected by the acceleration of climate change,” said Semenova. “The type and the quality of the ingredients that go into the production of chocolate will change.”
All of this has led many chocolatiers to adapt. Some, like Mars and Hershey, have been quietly reducing the amount of cocoa or even introducing new treats that eliminate it entirely. As prices continue to rise, analysts expect to see demand wane, a trend even Valentine’s Day can’t stop.
Trump: ‘We’re Going to Honor Jesus Christ Very Powerfully Throughout Our Lives’
Monday’s White House Easter Egg Roll
BREITRART
“We’re honoring Jesus Christ,” and we will “honor Jesus Christ very powerfully throughout our lives,” President Donald Trump said during remarks ahead of Monday’s White House Easter Egg Roll.
Trump said roughly 40,000 – 42,000 people are expected to participate in the White House event throughout the day, thanking everyone at the beginning of his remarks.
“But again, our country is doing very well. Our we had the highest number of recruits, enlistments that we’ve had in, I think, 28 or 29 years, and I’m sure we’re going to actually beat that number. It’s all happened since November 5,” he said, adding, “We love our country, and it’s been something very, very special.”
U.S. President Donald Trump “high-fives” a child during the White House Egg Roll on the South Lawn on April 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. The White House is expecting thousands of children and adults to participate in the annual tradition started by President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1878. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“And speaking of special, Easter is special, and it’s one of our favorite days,” Trump continued. “It’s one of our favorite periods of time.”
“We’re honoring Jesus Christ, and we’re going to honor Jesus Christ very powerfully throughout our lives, all throughout our lives — not just now. All throughout our lives,” he said as the crowd applauded.
“We’re bringing religion back in America. We’re bringing a lot of things back, but religion is coming back to America. That’s why you see the kind of numbers that you see, the spirit and the kind of numbers that you see. So we’re going to come down and join you right now, but I just want to wish everybody, once again, happy Easter and enjoy your lives. We’re going to have our great four years. Thank you very much, everybody,” Trump added.
***
WATCH Trump’s full remarks below:
READ COMPLETE SOURFE ARTICLE…
Header featured image (edited) credit: Org. post content. Emphasis added by (TLB)
••••
••••
Stay tuned to …
••••
The Liberty Beacon Project is now expanding at a near exponential rate, and for this we are grateful and excited! But we must also be practical. For 7 years we have not asked for any donations, and have built this project with our own funds as we grew. We are now experiencing ever increasing growing pains due to the large number of websites and projects we represent. So we have just installed donation buttons on our websites and ask that you consider this when you visit them. Nothing is too small. We thank you for all your support and your considerations … (TLB)
••••
Comment Policy: As a privately owned web site, we reserve the right to remove comments that contain spam, advertising, vulgarity, threats of violence, racism, or personal/abusive attacks on other users. This also applies to trolling, the use of more than one alias, or just intentional mischief. Enforcement of this policy is at the discretion of this websites administrators. Repeat offenders may be blocked or permanently banned without prior warning.
••••
Disclaimer: TLB websites contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of “fair use” in an effort to advance a better understanding of political, health, economic and social issues. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than “fair use” you must request permission from the copyright owner.
••••
Disclaimer: The information and opinions shared are for informational purposes only including, but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material are not intended as medical advice or instruction. Nothing mentioned is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Vice President J.D. Vance warned on Tuesday that it is “not good” for Europe to be “the permanent security vassal of the United States.”
During a Tuesday interview with UnHerd, Vance said, “Europe’s entire security infrastructure, for my entire life, has been subsidized by the United States of America.”
Vance told UnHerd that besides the possible exceptions of France, Britain, and Poland, the majority of European nations “don’t have militaries that can provide for their reasonable defense.”
“It’s not good for Europe to be the permanent security vassal of the United States,” Vance said. The vice president added, “European leaders have radically underinvested in security, and that has to change.”
According to Politico, the vice president’s comments regarding Europe’s security comes as the Trump administration has repeatedly warned that European countries are currently too dependent on the United States for military protection. The outlet noted that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth previously warned that America’s military presence in Europe will not remain “forever.”
Politico reported that President Donald Trump has called for NATO member countries to increase their defense spending from 2% to 5% of their gross domestic product. According to the outlet, the spending increase could be addressed at the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague.
“I don’t think that Europe being more independent is bad for the United States — it’s good for the United States,” Vance told UnHerd.
READ MORE: Viral Videos/Pic: VP Vance shoots machine guns with US Marines
Discussing the issue of trade with European countries, Vance told UnHerd that the Trump administration will continue to take steps to ensure “fairness.”
“I think it will lead to a lot of positive trade relationships with Europe,” the vice president said. “And again, we very much see Europe as our ally. We just want it to be an alliance where Europeans are a little more independent, and our security and trade relationships are gonna reflect that.”
During Tuesday’s interview with UnHerd, Vance also emphasized the Trump administration’s current frustration with the immigration policies impacting European countries.
Vance told UnHerd, “We’re very frustrated — ‘we’ meaning me, the President, certainly the entire Trump administration — that European populations keep on crying out for more sensible economic and migration policies, and the leaders of Europe keep on going through these elections, and keep on offering the European peoples the opposite of what they seem to have voted for.”
On the other hand, the vice president also emphasized his “love” for the European people.
“I love European people,” Vance said. “I’ve said repeatedly that you can’t separate American culture from European culture. We’re very much a product of philosophies, theologies, and of course the migration patterns that came out of Europe that launched the United States of America.”
Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Lere Olayinka, has cautioned the human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), against misleading his clients.
Falana, during an interview on national television, argued that the Supreme Court judgment on the Rivers crisis had nothing to do with who was the authentic Speaker of the Rivers Assembly.
Falana made the comments while analysing the issues surrounding the defection of the 27 members of the House of Assembly, as determined by the Supreme Court
Responding, Olayinka, who is an aide to Nyesom Wike, in a statement in Abuja on Monday, said:” it was based on the Supreme Court judgment that Justice Emmanuel Obile of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt dismissed the suit filed by the Labour Party against the alleged detection.
He pointed out that Justice Obike dismissed the suit on the ground that the Supreme Court’s ruling had finalised the issue of defection.
“But Falana went on television to misrepresent what happened to his client that the Supreme Court didn’t rule on the defection.
“The same Falana said three members of the Rivers House of Assembly can carry out legislative functions despite the provision of Section 96 (1) of the 1999 Constitution, which provides that the quorum of a House of Assembly shall be one-third of all the members of the House.’
The spokesman also faulted Falana’s argument that “only those who have handled cases in the trial court or the appellate court are lawyers”.
Olayinka also described Falana’s position that a lawyer must have handled cases in trial or appellate court to be qualified for appointment as a Life Bencher as “funny and ridiculous”.
He explained that Wike got his membership of the Body of Benchers on merit, having contributed immensely to the advancement of legal education.
“As Governor of Rivers, Wike was instrumental to the establishment and infrastructural development of the campus of the Nigerian Law School in Port Harcourt, adjudged the best centre for legal education in Nigeria.
“Wike also played major roles in the development of facilities at the Yenagoa campus of the Nigerian Law School by constructing a state-of-the-art 1,500 capacity hall and 200-bed male and female hostels, among other interventions.
“Now, as FCT minister, Wike is constructing 10-unit housing quarters for the Nigerian Law School, Bwari, Abuja.
“He has also provided operational vehicles to the school to improve its operation,” he said.
Rivers: Don’t Mislead Your Clients, Wike’s Aide Cautions Falana is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
Human rights activist and Senior Special Assistant on Civil Society and Youth Mobilisation to the Delta State Governor, Harrison Gwamnishu, has advised people to walk out of abusive marriages.
He stated this while reacting to allegations that the husband of Shimite Bello Love, the Special Adviser to Delta State Governor, on Trade and Export, was allegedly behind her d3ath.
Shimite passed away in the early hours of Easter Monday, April 21, 2025 at St. Luke’s Hospital, Asaba, where she was rushed to, for medical treatment.
It was gathered that Shimite’s body was found after her maid called her elder brother, expressing concern that the husband had locked her in the house all day.
Her brother rushed over and found her inside the house with foam already coming out of her mouth.
He took her to the hospital but she was declared dead on arrival.
“Information coming in is alleging that Pastor Favour Love is behind her wife’s death and now in police custody. Families are saying she’s been enduring her marriage. #LeaveAndLiveKeep resting Shimite,” Gwamnishu wrote.
A joyous Easter procession in Billiri Local Government Area of Gombe State turned into a scene of tragedy when a truck accident claimed the lives of five individuals and left eight others injured, triggering widespread public anger and subsequent violent protests.
The Gombe State Police Command confirmed the devastating incident in a statement released on Monday, stating that a trailer truck, transporting grains from Adamawa State towards Gombe, experienced brake failure. The uncontrolled vehicle then careened into a crowd of Christian worshippers celebrating Easter in Billiri town, also injuring some Muslim bystanders.
DSP Buhari Abdullahi, the police spokesperson, issued the statement on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Gombe State Command, CP Bello Yahaya, confirming the fatalities: “the accident resulted in the deaths of two men and three women.” He further stated that “eight other victims were rushed to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe, and the General Hospital in Billiri, where they are currently receiving treatment and reported to be in stable condition.”
The aftermath of the tragic accident saw tensions escalate rapidly within the town. “Aggrieved youths reportedly set the trailer ablaze, looted shops, and stormed the Billiri Divisional Police Headquarters.” The statement detailed the violence directed at law enforcement: “The protesters threw stones and other objects at officers, resulting in injuries to the Divisional Police Officer and several personnel.”
Read also: Tragedy deepens in Lagos as building collapse death toll climbs to seven
The Police Command reported that “Police operatives from Billiri Division responded swiftly to the emergency and helped restore order,” and that “Security presence has since been reinforced to prevent any further breakdown of law and order.”
The official police statement included a condemnation of the violent reaction: “The Command condemns the act of lawlessness and urges residents to remain calm and allow the law to take its course. Investigations are currently ongoing to ascertain the full circumstances surrounding the incident.”
Commissioner Bello Yahaya conveyed his sympathy to the families who lost loved ones and offered prayers for the speedy recovery of those injured. He also made a direct appeal to the community: “He also appealed to members of the public to remain peaceful, law-abiding, and to report any suspicious activities to the nearest police station.”
Authorities have indicated that they are continuing to monitor the volatile situation closely as the investigation into the root cause of the accident proceeds.
