News
Bill, Melinda Gates file for divorce after 27 years of marriage
Bill and Melinda Gates have announced they are ending their marriage of 27 years.
The pair announced in a statement on their verified Twitter accounts on Monday.
“After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage,” the statement read.
Melinda Gates filed a petition for divorce in King County, Washington, on Monday, asking a judge to dissolve the marriage based on the couple’s separation contract.
No financial details were included in the publicly available documents.
Multiple news sources including the CNN, Fox News and BBC reported the news Monday night and expressed fears that philanthropic venture could be dealt a death blow with the Gates divorce decision.
The couple were said to have founded their philanthropic organisation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, together in 2000. Since then, the foundation has spent $53.8 billion on a wide range of initiatives related to global health, poverty alleviation and more, according to its website.
“We have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives,” the statement says.
It adds, “We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue our work together at the foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives.”
Bill Gates is one of the richest people in the world. His net worth was $137 billion as of February, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index ranking.
Bill, 65, and Melinda Gates, 56, met at Microsoft — which Bill Gates founded and was, at the time, running as CEO. She started as a product manager as the only woman in the first class of MBA graduates to join the company, and eventually rose through the ranks to become general manager of information products.
They met shortly after she joined the company in 1987, at a business dinner in New York.
She described the encounter in her book, “The Moment of Lift:” “I showed up late, and all the tables were filled except one, which still had two empty chairs side by side. I sat in one of them. A few minutes later, Bill arrived and sat in the other.”
The CNN reports that the couple married in Hawaii in 1994 and over the past year, the Gates, through their foundation, have been involved in the fight against COVID-19 and the effort to develop treatments and vaccines, and equitably distribute them around the world.
As of December, the group had committed a total of $1.75 billion to the global pandemic response.
In March 2020, Bill Gates stepped down from the boards of Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway to “dedicate more time to his philanthropic priorities,” including work to tackle climate change.
Melinda Gates is also the founder of investment firm Pivotal Ventures, which confirmed the couple’s separation.
“We ask for space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life,” the pair said in their statement Monday.
CNN Business reports that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation did not immediately return a request for comment it sent to the group.
News
Philip Shaibu reacts to Edo gov poll results (Video)
Philip Shaibu reacts to Edo gov poll results (Video)
According to Daily Post, in a widely circulated video, Philip Shaibu, the reinstated Deputy Governor of Edo State, was seen celebrating the governorship election results, confidently stating, “Na God get power.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed that over 90 percent of the results from polling stations had been uploaded to its Result Viewing Portal, showcasing the progression of the election process.
Early trends show the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Monday Okpebholo, performing well, having secured victories in several polling units.
These early successes have triggered celebrations among APC supporters, with Shaibu seen taking a dig at the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a video posted on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter).
The Edo governorship election has so far presented a competitive field, with the APC enjoying significant momentum, particularly in key polling stations.
Monday Okpebholo’s lead in various locations has given his supporters cause for celebration, with many taking to social media to voice their excitement.
Shaibu’s appearance in the viral video, mocking the PDP, has further heightened the political tension, as parties await final results.
The electoral contest is not limited to just the APC and PDP, as the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Olumide Akpata, is also in the race.
However, Akpata faced disappointment as he lost in his own polling unit. This unexpected loss has added to the already dynamic nature of the election, with voters paying close attention to the unfolding results across the state.
Na God get power! pic.twitter.com/V0IURRQYK9
— Ayekooto (@DeeOneAyekooto) September 21, 2024
Philip Shaibu reacts to Edo gov poll results (Video)
News
17 terrorists drown while fleeing Nigeria-Niger border
17 terrorists drown while fleeing Nigeria-Niger border
No fewer than 17 members of the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) have reportedly drowned while trying to cross a river between Kafetoa and Bulabulin Gaidam on the Nigeria-Niger Republic border.
Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad region, shared the news in a post on X.
He stated that the insurgents were attempting to reach Tam village in Niger Republic, near Kannamma in Yobe State, when they were caught by strong river currents.
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“The militants were swept away by strong currents as they attempted the crossing,” Makama said.
The fighters were fleeing from their bases in Bulabulin Geidam, Chettimari, and Diffan along the Nigeria-Niger border.
“At least 17 militants belonging to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) drowned while attempting to cross a river between the villages of Kafetoa and Bulabulin Gaidam, which lie along the border between Nigeria and Niger Republic,” he added.
17 terrorists drown while fleeing Nigeria-Niger border
News
Obaseki loses LGA to APC
Obaseki loses LGA to APC
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has been declared winner of the governorship election in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State, where Governor Godwin Obaseki hails from.
According to the result declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Senator Monday Okpebholo, candidate of the APC polled a total of 30,780 votes in the LGA, while Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secured 24,938 votes.
Olumide Akpata of Labour Party garnered 5,389 votes.
READ ALSO:
- Edo election: INEC warns against distruption of results collation process
- Breaking: APC leads in Edo gov poll, winning 10 LGs, PDP takes 6, two more to go.
- PDP govs allege disruption in Edo election results collation
Below are the results announced at the State Collation Centre in Benin.
Registered Voters -356242
Accredited voters -64802
Total Votes cast – 64042
APC – 30780
LP – 5389
PDP – 24938
Obaseki loses LGA to APC
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