Idd

Nothing to see here

[Idd @iddme]

This Antonelli kid is a problem

[Khadija Bamalli @Khady_Bamalli]

Congratulations to those who are not shy or afraid of reposting the holy Qur’an through their TL.❤️❤️

[Anish Moonka @anishmoonka]

A parasite that has been eating people for 3,500 years is about to be wiped off the planet. It infected 3.5 million people in 1986. Last year, it infected 10. And I have not seen it make a single front page.

It is called Guinea worm. You drink contaminated water from a pond in a poor village. A year later, a worm up to three feet long starts coming out of your leg through a burning blister. There is no pill that stops it and no surgery that works. You wrap the worm around a stick and pull it out slowly, over days or weeks, inch by inch. If you rush, the worm breaks inside you and causes a fresh infection.

Guinea worm is ancient. Preserved worms have been pulled out of Egyptian mummies from around 1000 BCE. The Ebers Papyrus, an Egyptian medical scroll from 1550 BCE, describes pulling the worm out with a stick. For three and a half thousand years, that was the best humans could do.

Then in 1986, public health workers decided to kill the parasite off. They had no vaccine and no drug. What they had was cheap cloth water filters and a small army of volunteers willing to walk from village to village for decades.

The plan was simple. Give everyone who drinks from a pond a cloth filter to strain out the tiny water fleas that spread the parasite. Then send volunteers walking house to house, year after year, teaching people how to use the filters and keeping anyone with an emerging worm out of the water.

It worked. From 3.5 million cases a year to 10. Four were in Chad, four in Ethiopia, two in South Sudan. The other four countries where the worm used to be common, Angola, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, and Mali, had zero human cases for the second year in a row. The World Health Organization has already certified 200 countries as Guinea worm free. Six are left.

The last hurdle is dogs. Cameroon had 445 infected animals last year and Chad had 147, so a lot of the remaining work is on animals, not humans. Strays get leashed, and crews treat ponds to kill any remaining worms. The campaign keeps watching until the number hits zero.

When Guinea worm hits zero, it becomes the second human disease ever erased from the planet. The first was smallpox. It will also be the first parasite humans have ever wiped out, and the first disease ever ended without a single dose of medicine. Volunteers walked village to village with cloth filters for 40 years. Now a plague from the age of the pharaohs is about to be gone.

[Idd @iddme]

In the loving memory of Ambilikile Mwasapile

[Idd @iddme]

@Geoffrey87Lea

[Rilwan @Real1_balogun]

When Germany got eliminated from the group stage in Euro 2000, they pressed a hard reset button.

Bild called them “the worst team in the history of mankind”.

Oliver Kahn said “when it comes to outstanding players, we neither have the quality nor the quantity”. That was under Erich Ribbeck, a man not many Germans fancied, but respected.

Germany simply went to work after the Euros embarrassment.

It was a rude reawakening. They'd been warned for a long time that their talent generation had stalled. They were thrashed by Croatia in the last 8 at France 98.

What did they do after their new millennium woes?

The “Extended Talent Promotion Programme”. German professional clubs and the German FA spent €48m on this programme every year. They spend more on it now. It’s expensive but very promising.

They figured their search for talent was narrow. They were not finding enough gems. Their concentration was too focused on the centre. And talented Germans were in the lower cadres.

For example, Miroslav Klose who was their star at the 2002 World Cup was playing amateur football at 21. He didn't play academy football. He played local football before joining Kaiserslautern reserves. In 2001, he made his Germany debut and became the hallmark of the revival of German football — a system that now democratises access for every talent.

Many like Klose had gone without notice. When they switched policies and went deeper in their search, Jorg Daniel, the Director of the Extended Talent Programme said;

“If the talent of the century happens to be born in a tiny village behind the mountains, from now on we will find him."

They lived that quote.

They invested in coaching education. The Extended Talent Programme also made it compulsory for every professional German football club to have and maintain a centre of excellence.

They developed two systems known as “Stützpunkte” for the regional talent centres, and the ones run by the German clubs in Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga. These are known as “Leistungszentren”.

They built 366 Stützpunkte and hired 1,000 coaches paid by the DFB.

The best local footballers are found and sent to the Stützpunkt and if they do well, they'll be sent to the Leistungszentren which is run by the elite sides.

Germany scouts hundreds of thousands of talents as a result, and have an endless stream of football players. Today, it's hard to see a good football talent in Germany who's not on their radar.

The system spelled out a rule on the number of German talents they must have, the number of physios, coaches, and how those clubs should relate with local schools to get talent. They also bore the risk of losing their license if they didn't follow these rules.

What this did for German football is the access we see today. It's now become a very cosmopolitan football team. A team that has players of varying roots, yet one love for the country that's made them.

The man who shone in 2002, Klose had Polish roots. They also had their first African-born player. They've had players of Turkish, Nigerian, Polish, Sierra-Leonean, Togolese, Ivorian, Tunisian, etc roots play and perform well for them ever since. Fantastic talents whose parents came from different parts of the world have since represented Germany and they look good for it.

Young coaches also became more accepting of the norm. They want to succeed.

England’s hard reset after its stark failure between 2008 and 2012 led to the EPPP. It has worked for them so far.

You may have talents in a country but you must find a way to bring them together. You must find a way to find them.

My name is Rilwan, I love and write about football systems, memories and the depths behind the game. Follow me and repost if you want more of this.

[Idd @iddme]

So who are the religious fanatics in the war being fought in the Middle East?

[Michael Tracey @mtracey]

Pete Hegseth, at today's Christian Prayer & Worship Service at the Pentagon, prays for Almighty God to "pour out your wrath" and "break the teeth of the ungodly." He begs the Almighty to sanction "overwhelming violence" against "those who deserve no mercy"

[Dimitri Lascaris @dimitrilascaris]

While in Tehran, I interviewed the Red Crescent's Under-Secretary General for International Affairs.

She reports that U.S.-Israel airstrikes in Iran have:

- killed 208 children
- killed 206 students and educational staff
- killed 21 medical staff
- injured more than 18,000 civilians
- damaged or destroyed more than 81,365 building units
- damaged or destroyed 275 health, medical and emergency units and 498 schools and education centres.

She also identified governments that have provided humanitarian assistance to Iran. They included Russia, China and various other governments from the Global South.

No Western government has given humanitarian assistance to Iran.

#Iran

https://t.co/N3c7rGplYa

[Unfiltered @quotesdaily100]

50 Places You Must See Before You Leave This Earth:

1. Santorini, Greece
2. Kyoto in cherry blossom season, Japan
3. The Amalfi Coast, Italy
4. Patagonia, Argentina and Chile
5. The Sahara Desert at night, Morocco
6. Machu Picchu, Peru
7. The Northern Lights, Iceland
8. Bali, Indonesia
9. The Maldives
10. Cappadocia, Turkey
11. The Amazon Rainforest, Brazil
12. Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
13. The Great Barrier Reef, Australia
14. Banff National Park, Canada
15. The Scottish Highlands
16. Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
17. The Faroe Islands
18. Zhangjiajie, China
19. Plitvice Lakes, Croatia
20. Lofoten Islands, Norway
21. Torres Del Paine, Chile
22. The Dolomites, Italy
23. Lake Bled, Slovenia
24. Meteora, Greece
25. Petra, Jordan
26. Wadi Rum, Jordan
27. The Dead Sea, Jordan
28. Socotra Island, Yemen
29. Guilin, China
30. Raja Ampat, Indonesia
31. The Azores, Portugal
32. Madagascar
33. Bhutan
34. The Silk Road, Central Asia
35. Tbilisi, Georgia
36. Kotor, Montenegro
37. Dubrovnik, Croatia
38. Cinque Terre, Italy
39. The Swiss Alps
40. Black Forest, Germany
41. Transylvania, Romania
42. Hallstatt, Austria
43. Porto, Portugal
44. Seville, Spain
45. Marrakech, Morocco
46. Zanzibar, Tanzania
47. The Serengeti, Tanzania
48. Skeleton Coast, Namibia
49. Antarctic Peninsula
50. Easter Island, Chile

More to add???

[Idd @iddme]

Death has finally succumbed to Chuck Norris

[Idd @iddme]

Why now, on day 16 of the war?

[Joe Kent @joekent16jan19]

After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today.

I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.

It has been an honor serving under @POTUS and @DNIGabbard and leading the professionals at NCTC.

May God bless America.

[Typical African @Joe__Bassey]

Beautiful Tanzanian music 🎶 🇹🇿

[Idd @iddme]

Tell it like it is, it's just about one 'state' in tye Middle East

[South Asia Index @SouthAsiaIndex]

🚨 US is dismantling its THAAD and Patriot Systems from South Korea to send it to the Middle East.

▪️ In 2017, South Korea sacrificed its diplomatic and economic relations with China to host US THAAD.

▪️ Chinese tourism to South Korea, worth billions of dollars, was abruptly stopped due to diplomatic standoff.

▪️K-Pop was banned in China.

▪️ Hyundai and Kia had to close their factories in China, ultimately losing their market shares in China.

▪️ South Korea lost billions of dollars of exports to China in order to host US THAAD and Patriot Systems.

📍Now, US has dismantled its THAAD and Patriot Missile Systems in South Korea and is sending to Middle East.

[MO @Abu_Salah9]

A clip that left the world in disbelief and horror.
Israel did this.

[Kolapo Imãm▫️ @PiousGeek]

اللهم إليك أشكو ضعف قوتي، وقلة حيلتي، وهواني على الناس، يا أرحم الراحمين، إلى من تكلني، إلى عدو يتجهمني، أو إلى قريب ملكته أمري، إن لم يكن بك علي غضب فلا أبالي، غير أن عافيتك أوسع لي، أعوذ بنور وجهك الذي أشرقت له الظلمات، وصلح عليه أمر الدنيا والآخرة، أن تنزل بي غضبك، أو يحل علي سخطك، لك العتبى حتى ترضى، ولا حول ولا قوة إلا بك

[𝓛𝓸𝓻𝓭 𝓓𝓻𝓮𝔂 👑 @lorddrey]

This is a misappropriation of history. Because someone is wearing a suit and tie on the internet doesn't mean they know what they are saying.

1. That the Rashidun Caliphate was a theocracy does not dismiss the fact that it was a government. And as was the fashion of the time, most strong governments expanded their territories. The motive was mostly political though wth religious undertones as expected of a theocracy.

The Misapropriation: 👇

Before the 7th century, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Jerusalem were not Christian countries, they were provinces of the Christian Byzantine Empire ruled from Constantinople.

They were not independent Christian countries.
They were imperial provinces which means that politically they were part of a large empire, not separate Christian nations.

The Rashidun Caliphate conquered the Byzantines in the Battle of Yarmouk, followed by the conquest of Jerusalem and then Egypt in the span of 30 years which earned them those regions by right of conquest, again as was the fashion of the time.

2. “They forced people to convert to Islam”

This claim is outright false.

In the early Islamic empires, Christians and Jews were classified as “People of the Book.”
They were allowed to keep their religion.

They paid a special tax called "jizya" instead of military service.

Conversion to Islam happened gradually over hundreds of years, mainly because:

Muslims did not pay the jizya tax. It was economically comfortable to be a muslim in such a political terrain.

In fact, when Muslims conquered Jerusalem in 637, the caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab issued the Pact of Umar, which guaranteed protection for Christian churches and property.

Another factor was Social mobility in Muslim administration, and Cultural and linguistic change.

If conversion had been forced, these regions would have become Muslim immediately, which did not happen.

3. “Islam is the greatest colonial force in history”

This is false!

Islamic empires did indeed expand widely at their peak, but many empires did expand similarly. The Roman Empire, the Mongol Empire, the British Empire to mention a few.

The British Empire, for example, ruled more territory and people than any empire in history and both the Roman and British Empires can be said to be Christian empires and murdered a lot of people in their wake.

4. “Islam has killed more people than any institution”

False!

There is no evidence for this claim. No historian or dataset supports it.

Large death tolls in history include:

- World War II approximately 70–85 million deaths
- Mongol Conquests approximately 30–40 million deaths
- World War I 20 million deaths

These were not Islamic conflicts. Many wars in Islamic history were political and imperial, not purely religious.

The same is true for wars involving Christian empires, such as the Crusades and European colonial wars.

Why did the Middle East Became Muslims?

It's simple, political rule by Muslim empires, Arabic language spreading, economic incentives, intermarriage and culture, gradual conversion over centuries
It was not a single wave of forced conversions.

I won't let anyone revise history for religious vendetta. Thank you!

[Idd @iddme]

Nigerians have to run generators overnight to get a glimpse of light?

[Dr. Omolola Anthonia Eddo @dranthoniaeddo]

My neighbor’s generator went off at 2:17am.

In this part of Lagos, that sound never goes off unless something is wrong.

At first, I ignored it.

Then I heard a soft knock on my gate.

It was his 10 year old daughter.

“Please, can you help us? Daddy is outside.”

I rushed out.

Their generator didn’t spoil.

He turned it off himself.

Because he had calculated the fuel left and realized it was either light for the night or fuel to drive to a job interview in the morning.

He chose the interview.

In the dark.

His wife was fanning their baby with cardboard.

Sweat everywhere. Mosquitoes humming like backup singers.

I asked him, “Why didn’t you just let it run small?”

He said something I haven’t stopped thinking about:

[SAMWISE @JSamwise]

When Peter Dinklage spoke about the bumblebee; the creature that flies despite the laws of physics, he wasn’t just giving a speech; he was describing himself.

​To me, this is the ultimate "Tyrion" moment. 🔥 🙌

In a world that told him he was too small to lead, he became a giant. He ignored the gravity of Hollywood’s expectations and cast the largest shadow in Westeros.

By securing a record-breaking $1.2 million per episode for Game of Thrones in latter seasons, he became one of the highest-paid actors in television history, regardless of height.

It’s the perfect meta-lesson: Wisdom is realizing that your wingspan doesn’t matter if you’re brave enough to ignore the ground.

[Idd @iddme]

Soko huwa halifundishwi, soko hufanya maamuzi yake lenyewe...na siku zote lipo sahihi

[Thom Mnkondya @Thommunkondya]

Ni bahati mbaya kwamba bado kuna uelewa mdogo kuhusu huduma ya Airbnb, kwa wamiliki na kwa watumiaji wake.
Kwa upande wa watumiaji, wengi wanaitumia Airbnb kwa matumizi tofauti na dhana yake ya awali, hasa kutokana na suala la faragha.
Hali hii imechangia Airbnb nyingi nchini Tanzania kupangishwa kwa bei ya juu kuliko hotel, ilhali kimsingi Airbnb ilipaswa kuwa mbadala wenye gharama nafuu zaidi.
Bila uelewa sahihi wa soko na matumizi yake, dhana nzima ya Airbnb inapoteza maana yake halisi kama chaguo la makazi nafuu.

[Idd @iddme]

This is oversimplifying the situation and actually borders on misinformation.

[Xevi @xeviuniverse]

How Morocco became the most hated team in soccer:

[Idd @iddme]

@BonitoFlakes_T @Africansoccerup Ligi Kuu Tanzania (Tanzanian Premier League)