• Cardi B's announcement that she wants to seek Nigerian citizenship has set off a Twitter feud between her West African fans in friendly rivals Nigeria and Ghana. The Grammy-winning rapper visited both countries last month on her African tour. Her announcement was made in a tweet she sent a week ago that criticized the U.S. airstrike in Iraq that killed Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani and sent Middle East tensions soaring. "Its sad this man is putting Americans live in danger. Dumbest move (President Donald) Trump did till date ... I'm filing for my Nigerian citizenship," she tweeted. Many in West Africa saw her tweet as proof that she preferred Nigeria. Ghanaians were quick to point out the pitfalls of living in Africa's most populous nation, where traffic jams and power failures are more visible than opulent nightclubs and luxury hotels. "Hope you have a generator to power your house (because) they don't have light but we do," one user tweeted, adding an emoticon of a Ghana flag. But some of her fans in Ghana expressed concern for Cardi B's safety, warning about the Nigeria-based Islamic extremist group Boko Haram. But most Nigerian fans were quick to offer up a passport exchange, underscoring the mix of pride and confusion that the 27-year-old star would prefer Nigeria to the United States. This week she asked fans to weigh in on whether her Nigerian name should be CHIOMA B or Cadijat. Cardi B, who was born Belcalis Almanzar, is of Afro-Caribbean descent, tracing her roots to Trinidad and the Dominican Republic.
• Justin Bieber announced on social media that he has been battling Lyme disease. In an Instagram post Wednesday, the pop star wrote that "it's been a rough couple years but (I'm) getting the right treatment that will help treat this so far incurable disease and I will be back and better than ever." Lyme disease is transmitted by Ixodes ticks, also known as deer ticks. Lyme can cause flu-like conditions, neurological problems, joint paint and other symptoms. Though Bieber, 25, called it incurable, in the vast majority of cases, Lyme disease is successfully treated with antibiotics. "While a lot of people kept saying Justin Bieber looks like s***, on meth, etc., they failed to realize I've been recently diagnosed with Lyme disease, not only that but had a serious case of chronic mono [mononucleosis] which affected my skin, brain function, energy, and overall health," Bieber wrote. The Grammy-winning singer said he will discuss battling the tick-borne infection on his forthcoming YouTube docu-series, Justin Bieber: Seasons, which debuts Jan. 27.
A Section on 01/10/2020