Mcthomas updates

A failed asylum seeker remains in the UK after the pilot of a plane on which he was to be deported to Afghanistan via Istanbul refused to fly him. Samim Bigzad, 22, had been living in Ramsgate, Kent, after entering the UK illegally two years ago in order to join his father who was granted asylum. The Turkish Airlines pilot refused to fly Mr Bigzad when he became hysterical as he was put on the plane at Heathrow. He was taken to an immigration removal centre. The airline has not commented. Craig Mackinlay MP, who represents South Thanet, said he was sympathetic to Mr Bigzad's situation but said he should still be deported. 'Life at risk' Mr Bigzad sought asylum in Kent after spending time in the Calais migrant camp. He said he fears he would be beheaded by the Taliban because of his work for a US contractor when he lived in Afghanistan. His father, for whom he has been the main carer, has lived in Margate for 10 years and suffers from Post Traumatic Stres

     Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has signed for Liverpool for an undisclosed fee. Alex spent six years with us, making 199 appearances and scoring 20 goals. He helped us to three Emirates FA Cup victories, putting in a man-of-the-match performance in our semi-final win against Manchester City last season. A year after his arrival from Southampton, 'The Ox' featured for England at Euro 2012 aged just 18. He currently has 27 senior caps for the Three Lions. We'd like to thank Alex for his contribution to the club and wish him well for the future.  The transfer is subject to the completion of regulatory processes. Copyright 2017 The Arsenal Football Club plc. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source

    Just seven months after joining West Ham from Hull for over £10m, Robert Snodgrass departed the club earlier this week on a season-long loan to Aston Villa. Snodgrass made 15 appearances for the club last season, starting eight games as he appeared to be Slaven Bilic's replacement for Dimitri Payet. Alarm bells sounded early for the Scot at the club during his debut against Man City. Coming off the bench in place of Pedro Obiang, Snodgrass was asked by his manager where he'd like to play. Speaking to  The Herald , Snodgrass said he found Bilic's question curious.

Freetown — The death toll following devastating mudslides and floods in Sierra Leone has doubled to over 1 000. The tragedy occurred slightly a fortnight ago, coming shortly after the Ebola virus hit the West African country alongside Guinea and Liberia. The disease claimed some 14 000 lives by January last year. Initially, Sierra Leone's government reported over 450 people had died from mudslides and floods, with victims largely those living in informal settlements. Henry Neondo, a spokesperson for the aid group, HelpAge International, said with hundreds of people still uncounted for, the death toll was expected to rise substantially. He said research indicated older persons and those with disabilities were at greater risk of injury and harm due to mobility challenges. "They are less likely to flee due to hardships associated with travel and a reluctance to leave home, land and possessions," Neondo said. The spread of diseases such as cholera, typhoid and

      People walk down a flooded street as they evacuate their homes after the area was inundated with flooding from Hurricane Harvey on Aug. 28, 2017, in Houston. Beyonce, Drake, The Chainsmokers, Chris Young, DJ Khaled, Nicki Minaj and many others have also pledged their support. As Hurricane Harvey continues to devastate southeast Texas in its aftermath, a number of celebrities are stepping up to provide support for the families affected by the storm's extensive flooding and damage. Along with sending messages via social media, music stars are pooling together hundreds of thousands of dollars for the cause.  Many have taken action through Kevin Hart's Hurricane Harvey Relief Challenge, which the comedian advertised on Instagram Sunday. (Aug. 27). Hart initially donated $25,000 before  upping his contribution to $50,000  and called out fellow comedians and artists to do the same. As of press time,  Hart's fund  has collected almost $800,000, with all money goi

Beyonce has vowed to help the city of Houston following the devastating hurricane which has hit large parts of the state of Texas. ‘My heart goes out to my hometown, Houston, and I remain in constant prayer for those affected and for the rescuers who have been so brave and determined to do so much to help,’ the Lemonade singer said.   She added that discussions are continuing with her BeyGOOD team – which was established four years ago to help those in need around the world – to ensure aid can reach ‘as many as’ possible. In a statement to The Houston Chronicle newspaper, she continued: ‘I am working closely with my team at BeyGOOD as well as my pastor [Rudy Rasmus at St. John’s in downtown Houston] to implement a plan to help as many as we can.’ Houston has seen 11 trillion gallons of rainwater hit the area due to Hurricane Harvey which struck the city with 130mph winds; it is expected to continue throughout the week. Around ten people have died and thousands have been

By Charles M. Mpagi Authorities in Kampala say that all unregistered Sim cards will be switched off on August 30, ending months' long feuds between mobile phone subscribers, telecom companies and the government. Prime Minister Dr Ruhakana Rugunda told a press conference on Friday that no further deadline extensions would be granted. "That is the decision the meeting took; all unverified/unregistered Sim cards will be switched off at midnight of August 30, when the three months extension granted by President Yoweri Museveni expires," he said. Information and Communications Technology Minister Frank Tumwebaze said reprieve will be granted only to subscribers with money on their mobile money accounts -- but only for withdrawal. "Those with mobile money on their phones will be allowed to withdraw, but they will not be able to load," he said. Tracking criminals Brig Henry Tumukunde, Minister for Security, said the registration and verification

 Credit: Tahiru Azaaviele Liedong, University of Bath Photo: Allafrica.com Top-left: Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. Top-right: Former president of Zamiba Levy Mwanawasa. Bottom-left: Former Ethiopian prime minister Meles Zenawi. Bottom-right: Former Guinea-Bissau president Malam Bacai Sanhá                                                                                             ANALYSIS By Tahiru Azaaviele Liedong, University of Bath There is an African idiom that if a man does not eat at home, he may never give his wife enough money to cook a good pot of soup. This might just be true when applied to politicians on the continent seeking medical help anywhere but home. Africa's public health systems are in a depressing condition. Preventable diseases  still kill a large number of women and children , people  travel long distances  to receive health care, and across the continent, patients sleep on hospital floors . On top of this, Africa's health profession

   France’s Immigration and Integration Bureau (OFII) is offering migrants €2,500 each if they voluntarily return to their home country before the end of this year. In an interview with Sputnik, Francois Guennoc, Vice President of Migrants’ Shelter Association, said the allowance would hardly help solve the problem of illegal migration to Europe. ”The OFII is now considering around 80,000 asylum requests [there were 85,726 such applications in 2016, which is 13.3 percent more than in 2015], and only 5 percent or so return home,” Francois Guennocs told Sputnik France. ”The French authorities are not doing enough to accommodate and protect incoming migrants, both adults and children. This measure will not solve the problem of accommodating migrants in France,” he added. Earlier, Interior Minister Gerard Collomb announced that the government allowance to refugees exiting the country would be raised from €1,000 to €2,500 before December 31, 2017.                 Grande-Synthe C

     Spain's King Felipe VI will join the procession in Barcelona | Josep Lago/AFP via Getty Images March will commemorate victims of the terror attacks on Las Ramblas and in Cambrils last week. By FIONA MAXWELL 8/26/17, 1:34 PM CET King Felipe VI will join tens of thousands in a march against terrorism following the deadly attack in Barcelona last week. A van drove into Barcelona’s crowded Las Ramblas on August 17, killing 15 and injuring scores more.  According to Agence France-Presse , Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said the king would attend the march, at 6 pm local time, to demonstrate “his love for the people of Barcelona, of Cambrils, of Catalonia.” “There, with all of Catalan society and all of Spain … we will once again give a clear message of unity and condemnation of terrorism, and of love for the city of Barcelona,” he added. The terrorists were planning much larger attacks in Spain, according to one of the alleged members. Police on Monda

Social media content painting a positive picture of risky Mediterranean sea crossings is removed after Guardian highlights nature of material        Syrian refugees jump from an overcrowded dinghy on the shores of the Greek island of Kos, after crossing from            Turkey. Photograph: Yannis Behrakis/Reuters Facebook  has removed several posts made by people smugglers openly advertising to attract migrants seeking passage to Europe. Written in Arabic, many of the posts were accompanied by videos and testimonials of what the smugglers claim are successful trips across the Mediterranean from Turkey to Greece, and from Egypt to Italy. All were written in recent months, a time of year when many people attempt the journey. People smugglers make about  $35bn (£27bn) a year worldwide  and the industry is the main driver of migrant deaths at sea, according to the head of the  International Organisation for Migration . The number of  migrants who have died crossing the Mediterran