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Neymar talks about football, fatherhood, religion… and Harvey Weinstein

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Weinstein

NEYMAR has opened up on what it’s like to live as the most expensive footballer on the planet – and even waded in to the Harvey Weinstein scandal.

In an exclusive interview with Man About Town Magazine for their tenth anniversary edition, the Brazilian striker offered an amazing insight into his life, on and off the pitch.

His £198million move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain made headlines worldwide, but even that has been trumped by the sex allegations against Weinstein in the US.

Weinstein is accused of sexual assault and harassment spanning decades, with over 60 women coming forward to tell their tales of the producer’s sordid abuse.

And the Samba star had his own thoughts on the celeb scandal.

He said: “I’m against any kind of abuse.

 With photos taken by esteemed photographer Mario Testino, Neymar showed off his colourful side

MARIO TESTINO / MAN ABOUT TOWN 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION: With photos taken by esteemed photographer Mario Testino, Neymar showed off his colourful side
 Neymar made a world-record transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer

MARIO TESTINO / MAN ABOUT TOWN 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION: Neymar made a world-record transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer

“If it’s from a celebrity, an authority or any other kind of person, it’s wrong.

“As for this case, I hope justice is done.”

Much of the interview, with photos shot by Mario Testino, discussed how Neymar deals with the pressures of being a global megastar.

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Yet despite his untold wealth, he is very much a family man.

The 25-year-old’s father, Neymar Santos Sr, helped negotiate his mega-money move to PSG, and his influence is not lost on his son.

Neymar added: “I always look for my father’s advice because he’s a wise person and someone who loves me 100 per cent.

“I actually look for advice in my whole family. [But] it’s just advice. I make my own decisions.

“It’s easier to be a son; being a father means giving love, teaching and protecting your son in any way possible.

“I’m grateful for everything my father did for me and I try to do everything in double to my son.”

 The exclusive interview revealed just how close the Brazilian footballer is to his family

MARIO TESTINO / MAN ABOUT TOWN 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION: The exclusive interview revealed just how close the Brazilian footballer is to his family
 Neymar even gave his thoughts on the Harvey Weinstein sex scandal that has rocked the showbiz world

AP:ASSOCIATED PRESS: Neymar even gave his thoughts on the Harvey Weinstein sex scandal that has rocked the showbiz world

What are the allegations against Harvey Weinstein?

A shocking pattern of sexual allegations against producer Weinstein, 65, emerged through a series of bombshell investigations published by The New York Times and The New Yorker,

More than 60 women have come forward to accuse Weinstein of sex crimes – but the final total could be much higher.

Following the allegations, his British wife Georgina Chapman announced she was leaving him saying: “My heart breaks for all the women who have suffered tremendous pain.”

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His membership of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts was suspended as details of the allegations emerged.

Weinstein fled to an addiction clinic amid fears he might skip the country and evade justice.

Neymar became a to Davi Lucca da Silva Santos back in 2011 with former partner Carolina Nogueira Dantas.

And although football has become the Brazilian’s obsession over the years, he is in no doubt as to what is the most important thing in his life.

He added: “Davi Lucca is the greatest gift that God could ever send me.

“He is my only son, so he taught me everything about being a father.”

 Neymar described his son Davi Lucca as 'the greatest gift from God'

INSTAGRAM: Neymar described his son Davi Lucca as ‘the greatest gift from God’
 The Brazilian superstar was keen to show his son just what it meant to play alongside the world's best players

INSTAGRAM: The Brazilian superstar was keen to show his son just what it meant to play alongside the world’s best players

Neymar’s £198m move from Barcelona to PSG was seen by many as a sign that the Beautiful Game had taken a turn for the worst.

And even he admitted the shock value that has now creeped into the game – led by his mammoth transfer fee.

He said: “I do understand. Especially in the world we live in, because it’s an impressive number.

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“But nowadays that’s how football is and I keep playing my football.”

And he had some special advice to ensure potential stars maintain a love for the game ahead of a love for the luxury it brings.

He added: “Train as hard as you can. Fall in love with the ball, sport and with what you do on the pitch.

“Play to be happy!”

Neymar is very public about his belief that there is a God, and it is clear he sees the greater being is guiding along the right path not just in his career, but also in life.

And although he may be expected to have many more years to live being just 25, Neymar acknowledges he has lots still to achieve.

“I don’t think or worry with death too much,” he added. “I live to do the right thing.

“Being a good person to my son, my family, friends and my fans. I like to celebrate life.”

Neymar’s exclusive interview is in the latest edition of Man About Town magazine, with photo’s shot by world-respected photographer Mario Testino.

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Crime & Court

Osun police arrest three night guards over alleged murder of 40-year-old man

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A night guard at Ibuowo Estate, Okinni, Egbedore Local Government Area of Osun State, on Saturday, allegedly shot dead a 40-year-old man, Badmus Mohammed.

The guard, Rasaq Moshood, DAILY POST gathered, shot Mohammed, a tenant, who is popularly called Lasgidi dead with his dane gun.

His Landlord, Kazeem Jimoh told DAILY POST that he was at a bar with the deceased till midnight on Friday, before he was called on phone about his death.

According to Kazeem, his tenant was killed at the front of the house, while his door was left open.

“I and Kazeem were at a bar till past 12 when I left him.

“I didn’t sleep at home but I got a call around 1 a.m. that Lasgidi was killed by a guard. When i got home, I saw his door open, while his corpse was outside,” he said.

The Police spokesperson, SP Yemisi Opalola confirmed the incident.

She noted that three night guards have been arrested with their dane guns.

According to her, “one Babatunde Olumide, the Chairman of Ibuowo Estate Okinni reported at dada Estate Divisional Police Hqts., that their night guard, one Moshood Rasaq used his dane gun to shoot one Mohammed Badmus, aged 40 years and he died instantly.

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“Suspect has been arrested, gun used has been recovered, while the corpse has been taken to UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital morgue for autopsy.”

Opalola added that the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation.

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Chinese astronauts return to earth after six months in space

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Officials stand near the capsule of the Shenzhou-13 spacecraft after it returned to earth carrying three Chinese astronauts in China’s Inner Mongolia on April 16, 2022. STR / AFP

Three Chinese astronauts returned to Earth on Saturday after 183 days in space, ending China’s longest crewed mission as it continues its quest to become a major space power.

The Shenzhou-13 spacecraft was the latest mission in Beijing’s drive to rival the United States, after landing a rover on Mars and sending probes to the Moon.

Live footage from state broadcaster CCTV showed the capsule landing in a cloud of dust, with the ground crew who had kept clear of the landing site rushing in helicopters to reach the capsule.

The two men and one woman — Zhai Zhigang, Ye Guangfu and Wang Yaping — returned to Earth shortly before 10 am Beijing time (0200 GMT), after six months aboard the Tianhe core module of China’s Tiangong space station.

Ground crew applauded as the astronauts each took turns to report that they were in good physical condition.

Zhai was the first to emerge from the capsule roughly 45 minutes after the landing, waving and grinning at cameras as he was lifted by the ground crew into a specially designed chair before being bundled into a blanket.

“I’m proud of our heroic country,” Zhai said in an interview with CCTV shortly after leaving the capsule. “I feel extremely good.”

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The trio originally launched in the Shenzhou-13 from China’s northwestern Gobi Desert last October, as the second of four crewed missions during 2021-2022 sent to assemble the country’s first permanent space station — Tiangong, which means “heavenly palace.”

Wang became the first Chinese woman to spacewalk last November, as she and her colleague Zhai installed space station equipment during a six-hour stint.

Mission commander Zhai, 55, is a former fighter pilot who performed China’s first spacewalk in 2008, while Ye is a People’s Liberation Army pilot.

The trio have completed two spacewalks, carried out numerous scientific experiments, set up equipment and tested technologies for future construction during their time in orbit.

The astronauts spent the past few weeks tidying up and preparing the cabin facilities and equipment for the crew of the incoming Shenzhou-14, expected to be launched in the coming months.

China’s previous record spaceflight mission length was set by last year’s Shenzhou-12 deployment, which lasted 92 days.

Six months will become the normal astronaut residence period aboard the Chinese space station, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Space race

The world’s second-largest economy has poured billions into its military-run space programme, with hopes of having a permanently crewed space station by 2022 and eventually sending humans to the Moon.

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The country has come a long way in catching up with the United States and Russia, whose astronauts and cosmonauts have decades of experience in space exploration.

But under Chinese President Xi Jinping, the country’s plans for its heavily-promoted “space dream” have been put into overdrive.

Besides a space station, Beijing is also planning to build a base on the Moon, and the country’s National Space Administration said it aims to launch a crewed lunar mission by 2029.

China has been excluded from the International Space Station since 2011 when the US banned NASA from engaging with the country.

While China does not plan to use its space station for global cooperation on the scale of the ISS, Beijing has said it is open to foreign collaboration although the scope of that cooperation is not yet clear.

The ISS is due for retirement after 2024, although NASA has said it could remain functional until 2030.

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Putin’s Russia finally invades Ukraine

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Black smoke rises from a military airport in Chuguyev near Kharkiv on February 24, 2022.(Photo by Aris Messinis / AFP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine on Thursday with explosions heard soon after across the country and its foreign minister warning a “full-scale invasion” was underway.

Weeks of intense diplomacy and the imposition of Western sanctions on Russia failed to deter Putin, who had massed between 150,000 and 200,000 troops along the borders of Ukraine.

“I have made the decision of a military operation,” Putin said in a surprise television announcement that triggered immediate condemnation from US President Joe Biden and sent global financial markets into turmoil.

Shortly after the announcement, explosions were heard in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and several other cities, according to AFP correspondents.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his address to the nation at the Kremlin in Moscow on February 21, 2022. Alexey NIKOLSKY / Sputnik / AFP

 

Putin called on Ukrainian soldiers to lay down their arms and justified the operation by claiming the government was overseeing a “genocide” in the east of the country.

The Kremlin had earlier said rebel leaders in eastern Ukraine had asked Moscow for military help against Kyiv.

The extent of Thursday’s attacks was not immediately clear, but Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the worst-case scenario was playing out.

“Putin has just launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Peaceful Ukrainian cities are under strikes,” Kuleba tweeted.

“This is a war of aggression. Ukraine will defend itself and will win. The world can and must stop Putin. The time to act is now.”

Biden immediately warned of “consequences” for Russia and that there would be a “catastrophic loss of life and human suffering”.

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NATO’s chief condemned Russia’s “reckless and unprovoked attack” on Ukraine.

Putin’s move came after Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky made an emotional appeal late on Wednesday night to Russians not to support a “major war in Europe”.

Speaking Russian, Zelensky said that the people of Russia were being lied to about Ukraine.

Zelensky said he had tried to call Putin but there was “no answer, only silence”, adding that Moscow now had around 200,000 soldiers near Ukraine’s borders.

Earlier on Wednesday the separatist leaders of Donetsk and Lugansk sent separate letters to Putin, asking him to “help them repel Ukraine’s aggression”, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

The two letters were published by Russian state media and were both dated February 22.

Their appeals came after Putin recognised their independence and signed friendship treaties with them that include defence deals.

– ‘Moment of peril’ –

Putin had for weeks defied a barrage of international criticism over the crisis, with some Western leaders saying he was no longer rational.

His announcement of the military operation came ahead of a last-ditch summit involving European Union leaders in Brussels planned for Thursday.

The 27-nation bloc had also imposed sanctions on Russia’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu and high-ranking figures including the commanders of Russia’s army, navy and air force, another part of the wave of Western punishment after Putin sought to rewrite Ukraine’s borders.

The United Nations Security Council met late Wednesday for its second emergency session in three days over the crisis, with a personal plea there by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to Putin going unheeded.

“President Putin, stop your troops from attacking Ukraine, give peace a chance, too many people have already died,” Guterres said.

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The US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, warned that an all-out Russian invasion could displace five million people, triggering a new European refugee crisis.

Before Putin’s announcement, Ukraine had urged its approximately three million citizens living in Russia to leave.

“We are united in believing that the future of European security is being decided right now, here in our home, in Ukraine,” President Zelensky said during a joint media appearance with the visiting leaders of Poland and Lithuania.

Western capitals said Russia had amassed 150,000 troops in combat formations on Ukraine’s borders with Russia, Belarus and Russian-occupied Crimea and on warships in the Black Sea.

Ukraine has around 200,000 military personnel, and could call up to 250,000 reservists.

Moscow’s total forces are much larger — around a million active-duty personnel — and have been modernised and re-armed in recent years.

 

– High cost of war –

But Ukraine has received advanced anti-tank weapons and some drones from NATO members. More have been promised as the allies try to deter a Russian attack or at least make it costly.

Shelling had intensified in recent days between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists — a Ukrainian soldier was killed on Wednesday, the sixth in four days — and civilians living near the front were fearful.

Dmitry Maksimenko, a 27-year-old coal miner from government-held Krasnogorivka, told AFP that he was shocked when his wife came to tell him that Putin had recognised the two Russian-backed separatist enclaves.

“She said: ‘Have you heard the news?’. How could I have known? There’s no electricity, never mind internet. I don’t know what is going to happen next, but to be honest, I’m afraid,” he said.

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In a Russian village around 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the border, AFP reporters saw military equipment including rocket launchers, howitzers and fuel tanks mounted on trains stretching for hundreds of metres.

Russia has long demanded that Ukraine be forbidden from ever joining the NATO alliance and that US troops pull out from Eastern Europe.

Speaking to journalists, Putin on Tuesday set out a number of stringent conditions if the West wanted to de-escalate the crisis, saying Ukraine should drop its NATO ambition and become neutral.

Washington Wednesday announced sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which Germany had earlier effectively suspended by halting certification.

Australia, Britain, Japan and the European Union have all also announced sanctions.

 

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