N. Korea test-fires short-range missiles

 A South Korean military official said today that North Korea had test-fired a pair of short-range missiles into its eastern waters this week in a likely response to the ongoing routine US-South Korean military drills.

The official said that the North has launched what appeared to be KN-02 missiles during its own drills. He did not say when happened. He declined to be named citing intelligence rules.

North Korea routinely launches short-range missiles to improve its arsenal. The latest test comes at a time of rising tension.

Pyongyang has threatened nuclear strikes on Seoul and Washington because of the drills and the recent UN sanctions over its third nuclear test.

According to analysts, Pyongyang’s threats are partly an attempt to push Washington to agree to disarmament-for-aid talks.v

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24 dead, 8 critical in horror crash

De Doorns, Western Cape - The double-decker bus came careering down the Hex River valley outside De Doorns, the driver fighting desperately to keep control as bend after bend rushed up.

There were only two more bends to negotiate but the second-to-last bend was a hairpin and the Atlantic City Liners bus crashed into the mountainside on Friday morning.

By Friday night the death toll stood at 24 in one of the worst road accidents in South African history. Eight passengers were critically injured, 14 seriously injured and 44 others sustained minor to moderate injuries. Two of the dead were children. The bus driver was also among the dead.

Kenny Africa, provincial traffic chief, said: “Apparently the bus was coming from the Beaufort West side towards Cape Town. It is evident that halfway down the pass the driver had problems with the brakes because he went on to the arrester bed, which is used when vehicles have trouble stopping. But he went through the arrester bed down the pass.”

Dumisani Ximbi, provincial leader of the Twelve Apostles Church in Christ, said some of the women passengers had come from a national women’s prayer meeting in Secunda.

In the aftermath of the crash, church members who had followed in several smaller buses could be seen dressed in their distinctive blue skirts and white headscarves milling around the scene, comforting each other and handing out blankets to shocked survivors.

A church leader gathered some of the women and led them in prayer. Rescue workers and medical personnel battled to attend to the injured and those still trapped in the mangled wreckage. The dead were laid out on the road, the bodies covered in silver blankets. Ambulances formed a steady procession ferrying the injured in the direction of Worcester and Cape Town.

“This is the worst accident scene I have ever seen,” was the refrain from almost all those at the scene.

It took about three hours for the first of the relatives to arrive from Cape Town.

One man went to the bus and pulled from the wreckage clothes he recognised as his wife’s.

He couldn’t find her. The anguish was etched across his face as he turned to go to Worcester Hospital, hoping and praying that she was one of the injured.

Rescue and emergency vehicles snaked back along the road almost as far as the eye could see, while Air Force and Air Mercy Services helicopters buzzed overhead.

Amid the death and despair there were moments of hope and prayer as relatives waited for news of loved ones.

Two men whose wives had been travelling on the bus could only look on as medics pulled badly injured passengers out through shattered windows.

“We haven’t heard anything,” one man said. “We can only hope that they will be okay.”

A crane tried to lift the wreckage of the bus to free those still trapped underneath. Seats were protruding through some windows.

A major investigation had been launched into the cause of the bus accident by late yesterday, transport MEC Robin Carlisle said.

“Early reports from the surviving passengers indicated brake failure as the main reason for the crash,” he said.

“The Provincial Regulatory Entity will investigate the legal status of the bus, including the validity of the operating licence, and whether the certificate of fitness is still valid.”

Aneeqah Salie, Communications Officer for Atlantic Charters & Tours, said: “We at Atlantic Charters hereby extend our sincere condolences to all the families and loved ones who have been affected by today’s tragic accident. We are also deeply saddened by the loss of our dear employee, who was the driver of the vehicle involved.

“We pledge our full support to the relevant authorities in the ensuing processes which are currently under way to establish exactly what happened in today’s tragic event. Unfortunately, at this stage we cannot comment any further until the relevant processes have been completed. We will revert to you should we have further information.”

Weekend Argus

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Removal of Rupiah Banda’s Immunity is a Farce, says his Lawyer

Following the passage of a motion in Zambia’s National Assembly to remove the immunity of the former President Rupiah Banda, his international lawyer Robert Amsterdam describes the ruling party’s move as a “farce” that fails to pass the litmus test of legitimacy.

“We are disappointed but not surprised by today’s events,” said Amsterdam. “The ruling party’s witch hunt against the opposition began more than a year ago, including a defamation campaign against his son in which they failed to prove any wrongdoing.  Now they want to start again with an attack against the internationally distinguished former president, with accusations based on light bulbs and lollipops.”

Banda’s international lawyer also questioned the manner in which the motion to remove immunity was passed:

“The Speaker allowed the motion to move forward despite repeated objections by half of the house, and proceeded to rush through the debate and vote despite a walkout by opposition MPs,” said Amsterdam.  “Removal of presidential immunity is a serious measure, and one that should have broad multiparty support, or at least the dignity of a personal appearance by the head of state.  Instead, the PF had to beg, borrow, and bribe by appointing opposition members as deputy ministers in order to just barely exceed 50% of the total seats.”

Amsterdam continued:  “The removal of former President Banda’s immunity fails to pass the litmus test for legitimacy.  Keeping in mind that this is the same government that only days ago fired live rounds into crowds of voters, the same people that have repeatedly arrested opposition leaders on bogus grounds, and the very same Justice Minister, Wynter Kabimba, who himself defiantly refused to answer corruption questions before the authorities, there can be little doubt about where the PF stands on matters of justice.”

“Removal of Banda’s immunity is totally unrelated to justice. It is a crass political strategy aimed at removing potential competitors to the successor of an ailing, enfeebled president,” said Amsterdam.vv

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EFCC Arrests 5 Internet Fraudsters In Enugu

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested five suspected internet fraudsters in Enugu, Enugu State. They were picked up from their hide out at No. 26 and 42, Chimaobi Uba Street, GRA, Enugu following an intelligence report.

The suspects, Uche Nwakor, 27; Ejikeme Oluchukwu, 30; Ifeanyi Ejikeme, 28 ;Nnamani Ikechukwu,30 and Ibe Kodili are alleged to be serial scammers who have defrauded several victims.

Some of the items recovered from the suspects include Eight Thousand, Two Hundred and Twenty Seven United States Dollars ( $8,227); Seventy Three Thousand Naira (N73,000.00); eight (8) exotic cars; nine (9) laptops; twenty one (21) mobile phones; two (2) internet routers; one (1) currency counter and one (1) Sony camera.

Other incriminating items found with the suspects include four (4) drivers’ license bearing different names with same photograph, five (5) flash drives, two (2) external hard drives, various bank cheques, ATM and Master cards, 1 HP printer, a black traveling bag with 12 different identity cards, a company metal seal, two (2) international passports belonging to the same person, among other items.

The suspects will be arraigned in court as soon as investigation is concluded.

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Secrets Behind Porn Movies: A Porn Star Reveals What Truly Goes On In An Adult Movie

Think porn stars have all the fun in the sack? You may be right.

Not only do male porn stars have a higher enjoyment of sex, they also have higher levels of self-esteem. Researchers analyzed over 200 men—half were porn actors, half were not—to compare sexual activity, drug use, self-esteem, quality of life, and their attitudes toward sex.

But the life of a porn star may not be as bizarre and out of control as the rest of us assume it is. James Deen, porn star and male lead in the 2013 film The Canyons, gives us a better idea of what goes on behind the scenes when someone has sex for a living.

For starters, how does a guy get into porn? What brought you to the industry?

James Deen: I entered the industry when I was 18. But for as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to do porn. Not kidding, when I was in elementary school, we were going around the classroom talking about what we wanted to do when we grew up—and I said I wanted to do porn. Back then my teachers just thought I was being disruptive, not kidding, they sent me to the principal’s office! But that’s actually what I wanted to do. Once I discovered it, porn was always my aspiration.

So now that your dreams have come true, how often do you have sex?

Deen: At least once a day, usually more.

We’ll need a bit more detail than that. What’s your average day look like?

Deen: I wake up around 6:30 in the morning, and typically get straight to work on answering emails, writing blog posts, and responding to comments on my site. After a few hours of that, I usually run around the kitchen like a mad man because, thanks to sitting in front of my computer all morning, I forgot to eat food. After that, I jump in the shower and then go to the set.

Once I’m there, I do some paperwork, meet my partner—and usually the partners already know each other because it’s a small industry. I discuss the scene with the director, and then head to the studio. The girls get done up to shoot their promo photos, I get my wardrobe on, and once we’re done with all that, we start doing the scene.

It’s that simple?

Deen: Pretty much. Once the director tells you what type of scene you’re doing, they just film you doing your thing. After the scene we shower off, hang out for a bit, maybe grab some food. I usually get home between the hours of 6 and 9 p.m. Once I’m home, I’ll try to get some of my side projects done if I have the time. I pretty much go all day until I’m out of steam and literally have to lie down for the night.

So what’s one of the biggest misconceptions people have about porn?

Deen: People need to realize, porn is not real. Porn is entertainment. It’s a movie being made to arouse the viewer. Therefore, people should not be having sex the way people have sex in pornos. Well, I suppose if you want to have insane, porno-style sex that’s fine. But the length of time that we have sex, the amount of positions we go through, the way we pose for the camera—stuff like that—it all happens a specific way for film. So porn shouldn’t be the model that you mold your sex life after.

And why do you say that?

Deen: Honestly if you’re using it as a comparative to “real life” sex, it’s probably just going to make you sad. In fact, it’s probably going to make your partner sad, too. Clearly you can still have that rough, passionate, porno-style sex—but it’s going to be a different experience. Those whacky positions are hard to do, and not normal.

So you’re telling me having sex for a living is harder than it looks?

Deen: Definitely. It basically feels like I’m doing an hour of cardio every time I’m on set.

So do people often seek your tips when it comes to lasting longer in bed?

Deen: All of the time. But my first bit of advice for any guy is to not take medical advice from people who are not medical professionals. There’s a big difference between a self-proclaimed sex expert and someone with a Ph.D. And just because you’re horny and like sex, that doesn’t make you an expert. For me, I’m just someone who’s done a lot of porn—and I don’t pretend to be anything else.

Fair enough. You’re not an expert, but you’re still human. And sex is still sex, so is it hard to stave off the urge to climax during your scenes?

Deen: Honestly, not really. I’m always just able to do it when I need to do it. For me, I just like sex. And ejaculating for me really isn’t that interesting. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it feels good. But it’s a lot less interesting to me than the actual act of having sex.

And usually when I do get off, it’s because the girl I’m having sex is asking for it. But other than that, I’d rather just not come and have sex for hours and hours and hours. Then take a break, eat a bagel, and then have some more sex—you know?

So it appears it takes a certain breed to be a porn star.

Deen: At a certain point, natural ability comes into play. And you have to really like sex to be in this industry. It’s the same for women, too. If she’s not interested in having a lot of sex and having a lot of orgasms, she’s not going to get a huge kick out of porn. Think of it this way, if you hate fast food, you’re probably not going to get a job working at McDonalds.


Speaking of orgasms, are the women actually getting off?

Deen: Well I hope they’re getting off. Ha, I suppose they could be lying to me. But I don’t think they have any real reason to. It’s not like it’s going to change our “relationship.” If we’re not sexually compatible, at least the scene will still be cool.

And as a porn star, is it hard to maintain a relationship?

Deen: Not really. I definitely date. And usually when there’s an issue in the relationship, it’s not the porn. It often has more to do with personal issues with me, my character, my personal quirks—it’s rarely the whole business thing. But being a relationship is a whole different ball game. That desire for emotional intimacy and affection does not dissipate just because you’re getting regular physical intimacy. They’re very different and you cannot exchange one for the other.

And lastly, if you could offer one bit of sex advice to the readers, what would it be?

Deen: The one thing I always preach is this: You cannot have sex with everyone the same way. You have to change your sexual style to complement your partner’s, and you need to figure out what they’re into. Remember: You don’t have sex to somebody—you have sex with somebody. So if you’re not willing to communicate with her about sex, then you might as well just masturbate.

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Mother Loses Her Husband, Son And Daughter In Separate Tragedies Within 24 Hours

Three members of the same family died within hours of one another in three different tragedies.

Carl Dennis, 79, died a day after hearing that his daughter, Caryl, had passed away after being taken ill and his son Nigel's body was found in his house

Mr Dennis's wife, Hilary, also 79, has spoken of her devastation at losing three members of her family in such a short space of time.

'I will never get over it', she said. 'It is very hard to keep going and keep your spirits up when something like this happens to you.'

The fateful 24 hours started when Mrs Dennis was at home in Bridgend, South Wales, when her daughter Caryl visited, complaining she felt unwell.

She said: 'She had been suffering from gallstones and was complaining about her stomach so I called 999. They were here immediately. She was happy and chatting with the paramedics, looking up at them and smiling.

'But when I was told the next morning she had died I couldn't believe it because her illness didn't seem so serious.'

After losing her daughter, Mrs Dennis tried to contact her son, Nigel, but was unable to summon him. She knew that there was something wrong.

'When I had not heard from Nigel for several hours I knew something dreadful had happened. It was a mother's instinct that something was awfully wrong.

'I was devastated when I was told he had been found dead - just a few hours after his sister died. When he was found collapsed in the hallway of his home his phone was still in his hand.

'It was as if he was trying to ring for help before he collapsed with a brain haemorrhage. It was just dreadful to lose them both in the space of a few hours.'

The next day her husband of 60 years, who had been ill for some time, also passed away and she puts it down to the grief he was feeling.

'We had been married for 60 years and we were together nearly every day. It's hard to believe he's not here any more.

'After the operation he seemed to be coming along fine and it was a shock when he died. I am convinced he died of a broken heart rather than the effects of his operation.'

Mrs Dennis has one surviving daughter and she says that she is helping her through the triple tragedy.

She said: 'Christine and my friends have rallied round and I am trying to keep going but it's very difficult and I know I will never get over it. There are a lot of dark times to come and it's going to take a long time to recover.'

Caryl and Nigel had a joint funeral. Bridgend Coroner Louise Hunt returned a narrative verdict for Caryl and accidental death for Nigel.

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Saudi Arabia Authorities Behead 7 Men In Public For Stealing

Saudi Arabia on Wednesday March 13, beheaded seven men after being charged with looting, theft and armed robbery.

The men were arrested in 2006 jewelry-stealing ring. One man, Nasser al-Qahtani, told the Associated Press attested to inhumane treatment following his arrest. He claimed that he was tortured for a confession, not appointed a lawyer, and only appeared before a judge three times during the lengthy trial. He also claimed that his torture marks were ignored in court.
According to reports, he was 15 years old at the time of his arrest. Qahtani and the other six men were originally sentenced to death by firing squad and crucifixion in 2009.
Human rights activist group Human Rights Watch appealed to the country’s King Abdullah on March 4 to not execute the men, stating that there was “strong evidence” of an unfair trial.

 

The kingdom however, follows strict Islamic laws which state that people convicted of murder, defiled or armed robbery can be executed. Saudi Arabia has already executed 23 people this year.
These seven men were killed by three men with swords in the southern city Abha; the region is notoriously targeted with discrimination.
Saudi media reports that the government is considering doing away with public beheadings and seeking firing squads as an alternative. Lethal injections have also been reported as an option.
Eric Goldstein, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, demands a ceasing of child executions altogether.
“It is high time for the Saudis to stop executing child offenders and start observing their obligations under international human rights law,” he said.

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In Mississippi, the Mysterious Murder of a Gay, Black Politician

Marco McMillian returned home in a quest to become mayor. He never got the chance. (Photo Illustration / Brian Resnick)

CLARKSDALE, Miss.—"The devil is running rampantly,” pastor Jimmy Glasper thunders. “Seeking who he may devour.”

Glasper is telling the New Jerusalem Baptist church that we live in devastating times. The congregants shout affirmations. They have recent proof.

Marco McMillian had belonged to the church, and this was the first Sunday service after police found his body in late February. The 33-year-old political consultant, who was both black and gay, had spent most of his adult life building a promising career in Washington, D.C., and Memphis, Tenn. Recently, he did what few people who leave here ever do by choice: He came back. And he decided to run for mayor.

“He moved away and had practically lived all over the world,” Glasper told me before the service. “He said God spoke to his spirit and said he should come back and be a help to his people. To go back home and help his own people climb out of poverty.”
McMillian never got the chance. On Feb. 27, sheriff’s deputies discovered his body next to a levee outside of town, where it had been dumped days earlier.

McMillian had been beaten, dragged, and set on fire, according to his family. They want his killing investigated as a hate crime. The coroner and the sheriff dispute the family’s account and say they have no reason to approach it as anything other than a typical murder.

Lawrence Reed, a 22-year-old man originally from the nearby town of Shelby, has been arrested and charged with the killing. According to investigators, Reed wrecked McMillian’s car in a head-on collision before anyone knew of the mayoral candidate’s whereabouts. Under questioning, Reed pointed police to the levee.

The rest of the story is a fog of rumor and paranoia. One take has McMillian and Reed as lovers. Another claims they were just friends, and Reed panicked after McMillian made a sexual advance. And a few people in town even think the sexual intrigue is a smokescreen for a political assassination.

None of this matters at church, where Glasper is drawing a very different lesson. Inside the chapel, the pastor is choosing which parts of McMillian’s life to hold up for public consumption (his vision to save the town), and which parts to brush aside (his sexuality).

Glasper is only doing what everyone in Clarksdale and beyond has done since McMillian’s untimely death—appropriating the parts of his life that line up with the story they want to tell. The lack of detail surrounding the crime has granted them that license. For Glasper, it is the life of a spiritual man, cut devastatingly short by a wicked crime. For the downtrodden in Clarksdale, McMillian offers the promise of a sunnier future. For civil- and gay-rights activists, it is a tale of martyrdom—of a conservative South stubbornly resistant to progress.

The problem, however, is that as the details trickle out, none of those narratives entirely hold up. In this sense, McMillian’s death was inconvenient, devoid of clarity—something that has already allowed his life to take on a quality of tabula rasa. The idea that he was about to become mayor and save the city is complicated by his relative anonymity and poor electoral chances; his status as a gay activist is muddled by the fact that few people knew about his orientation; and the discussion of a possible hate crime is made difficult by his possible sexual relationship with the black man charged in the slaying.

But because this is Clarksdale, a haunted town with an unclean past, and because McMillian was black, gay, running for office, and cut down in his prime, the speculation has run wild and fierce. The story people tell often says more about the teller than the subject.

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Over 25% of schoolgirls in South Africa are HIV positive

Over 25% of schoolgirls in South Africa are HIV positive because 'sugar daddies are taking advantage of them', says health minister Aaron Motsoaledi

At least 28% of schoolgirls in South Africa are HIV positive because 'sugar daddies' are taking advantage of them, the country's health minister warned today.

In contrast,  Aaron Motsoaledi highlighted the fact that only 4% of schoolboys were HIV positive, The Sowetan newspaper reported.

Mr Motsoaledi released the figures at a public meeting at Carolina in South Africa's Mpumalanga province.

He said: "It is clear that it is not young boys who are sleeping with these girls. It is old men. We must take a stand against sugar daddies because they are destroying our children."

He said 94,000 schoolgirls fell pregnant in South Africa in 2011, with around 77 000 having abortions at public facilities.

"We can no longer live like that. We want to put an end to it, " he declared.

Some of the girls who became pregnant and tested positive for HIV were reportedly between the ages of 10 and 14.

Mr Motsoaledi has been widely praised for his efforts to help stop the spread of HIV, with the country backing the world's largest anti-retroviral programme since Jacob Zuma made him health minister in 2009.

Around 10% of South Africa's population is now living with HIV, official figures show.

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Child healthcare gets Japan’s N443m boost

Japanese Government yesterday boosted child survival interventions in Nigeria with $2.8 million (about N443 million) grant.

The grant was handed over to the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, to prosecute health programmes aimed at enhancing well-being of Nigerian child, especially routine immunisation and disease prevention.

Speaking at the signing of the agreement in Abuja, the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Ruichi Shoji, said his country had joined in the efforts to reduce child killer diseases in Nigeria since 2000.

He said: “Japan’s accumulated financial contribution to the fight against polio, malaria and other infectious diseases in Nigeria is so far more than eight billion yen, approximately N13 billion at the current exchange rate.

“Today, I am absolutely honoured to be here once again to reaffirm Japan’s commitment to stand by the Federal Government of Nigeria in its fight against polio to the end, by signing the Exchange of Notes of 259 million Yen, which is equivalent to N443 million.

“In relation to infectious diseases in Nigeria, Japan also contributes to the malaria prevention programme in Nigeria by providing $2.5 million through UNICEF this year.

“In addition, earlier this week, Japan signed a grant with the National Planning Commission to provide N440 million to donate wheelchairs and walking support wheels for the welfare of those who require mobility aid.”

Responding, UNICEF Deputy Representative and Officer in Charge, UNICEF Nigeria, Mr. Jacques Boyer, said the support from Japan remained the most valuable contribution to joint efforts to give every Nigerian child a chance to survive.

Urging Nigeria to tackle existing challenges in its child healthcare programmes headlong, the agency noted the grant would help in fighting child killer diseases in the country.

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One Million People Living With HIV/Aids in Benue - BENSACA Boss

Makurdi — Executive Secretary of the Benue State Action Conmmittee Against Aids, BENSACA, Mrs. Ashi Wende, has said that more than 1,027,328 people in the state were currently living with the dreaded HIV/AIDS.

She said the figure comprises 706,640 adults and 318,888 children, hence the need for anti retroviral therapy for the children.

Mrs. Wende said this yesterday, at a training programme for media practioners on HIV/AIDS in Makurdi, the state capital.

She explained that out of the number of infected adults, 21,259 were new cases out of which 17,139 were women

She said: "The HIV epidemic has lasted for several years with Benue State contributing significantly to the prevalence of the virus in Nigeria.

She further explained that the state government was taking proactive steps to check the spread of the virus with the establishment of 40 treatment centres across the state.

"We have the highest number of treatment centres that are providing free anti-retroviral drugs to infected persons in the country; and we have drugs that could last up to 2015; that is why we are urging everyone to undertake free testing and counseling in order to know our status and check the spread of the virus," Wende added.

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Withdraw State Pardon now, NLC tells Jonathan

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has asked the federal government to withdraw the state pardon granted to former Bayelsa State governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.

The Congress said if the anti corruption battle must be won, the Presidency must lead by its actions, stressing that it wonders what message the National Council of state is sending to Nigerians if at the height of unprecedented corruption in the country those who have been prosecuted and jailed for stealing public money are granted state pardon.

In a statement signed by NLC national president, Abdulwahed Omar, the union body said it is alarmed by the decision of the National Council of States to pardon Mr.Diepreye Alamieyeseigha“who was impeached as Governor of Bayelsa State and eventually convicted by a properly constituted court for stealing public funds; and Mr. Shetima Bulama a former Managing Director of the Bank of the North who was also convicted for misappropriating the bank’s funds.”

The statement said further, “While we appreciate that the Council of States does have a constitutional responsibility to pardon citizens who have obviously been convicted or punished in the past for offences, it is totally unacceptable that those who committed economic crimes in such magnitude that affected public interest be granted state pardon.

 “It is our view that state pardon remains an act of mercy or reprieve dispassionately exercised or granted by the highest authority in the land for and on behalf of the government and people, and it should be a last act of mercy sparingly exercised for the good of the nation.

“State pardon is recognized across the world not for its own sake but for its potential and capacity for redressing judicial guilt, rewarding penitence, or for initiating reconciliation, and in some instances, for ensuring restoration, but never losing sight of national interest” he said.

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NIGERIA: As Abuja votes tomorrow

THIRTEEN Political Parties are fielding 46 chairmanship candidates for the Local Government Elections in the six area councils of the Federal Capital territory, FCT tomorrow.

Tomorrow’s election is the nearest opportunity that the residents of the federal capital have to determine who governs them as the Minister who acts as governor of the territory is appointed by the president.

Elections are to be held in 639 polling units in the 62 electoral wards in the six Local Government Areas that make up the FCT. The area council elections in the FCT are by law conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Head of Public Affairs/Political Parties Monitoring of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, FCT, Mr. Okezie Nwankwo while confirming the agency’s readiness for the elections said it has created 3,054 voting points for professional efficiency, adding that a maximum of only 300 people will vote in each voting point.
“We have 639 Polling units and we have created what we call Voting Points which total about 3,054 and the idea is that where you have concentration of people, so we map out a system where only 300 people will vote in a voting point,” he explained.

Ahead of the election, Nwankwo disclosed that the commission held many interactive sessions with various stakeholders including leaders of the political parties and their candidates, security agencies, the media and civil society organizations so as to have free, fair and credible elections throughout the territory.

He also revealed that the voters’ register had been reviewed and non sensitive materials made available and delivered to the six council areas stressing that the sensitive materials would be delivered to the various units before the election date.

He said, “We have reviewed and cleaned up the voters’ register, so as at now, we have a clean copy of the voters register and they have been distributed to the 13 Political Parties. It is now in the public dormain.

“The materials were available three weeks to the election and as we are talking now the non sensitive materials are sitting in our various area councils, we will soon take delivery of the sensitive materials. And of course, there have been training and retraining of staff including the ad-hoc staff, they are all ready for the elections,” he stated.

The FCT Head of Public Affairs of INEC said that out of the 46 Chairmanship Candidates, only six will emerge as winners and out of 223 Councillorship candidates from the 13 Political Parties that have been cleared by the commission to contest in the elections, only 62 are expected to be elected.

Nwankwo said that there will be restriction of movement on Election Day.

The Political Parties that are participating in the elections are Accord, Action Alliance, All Nigeria Peoples Party, Action Congress of Nigeria, Labour Party, Peoples Democratic Party, Congress for Progressive Change, Social Democratic Mega Party, All Progressive Grand Alliance, United Peoples Party, Progressive Peoples Alliance, National Conscience Party and the Citizens Popular Party

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Oil marketer challenges court’s jurisdiction to hear suit

THE jurisdiction of a Lagos high court sitting in Ikeja, has been challenged by an oil marketer, Oluwaseun Ogunbambo.

The marketer, on Thursday,  filed an application before the court, challenging its jurisdiction to hear the alleged N430 million bank fraud charge proferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

In an application filed before justice Olabisi Akinlade, through his counsel, Mr Adebayo Adenipekun,  he is contending that the court has no jurisdiction over the matter.

Adenipekun, in the application dated February 13, stated that the issue submitted to the court as a criminal charge, was just a civil matter.

“The dispute between the defendant (Ogunbambo) and the bank is also pending before the Lagos High Court as a civil matter. The defendant has paid a part of the loan and has entered into agreement to pay the balance.

“The bank has withdrawn its complaint against the defendant,” he informed the court.

Adenipekun said the charge was, therefore, oppressive and an abuse of court process.

The EFCC counsel, Mr Francis Usani, informed the court that the prosecution was served with the application a few days ago and needed time to respond.

The judge granted his request and adjourned the matter to March 27 for hearing of all pending applications.

Ogunbambo was charged to court for allegedly obtaining N430 million loan from the Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, using forged documents.

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Jackson's children.

The late singer's 82-year-old mother - who acts as a guardian to his children Paris, 15, Blanket, 11, and Prince Michael, 16, alongside their cousin TJ Jackson - has filed legal documents in Los Angeles asking the court to sign off on her request to have the Michael Jackson Estate pay TJ more than $9,000 a month.

According to the documents, Katherine claims the 34-year-old former 3T singer, who is married and has three children of his own, initially rejected the figure she suggested saying it was too much, however he eventually agreed to the amount as it is roughly the same salary earned by the children's full-time nanny.

Katherine says the salary is justified because TJ spends an average of 300 hours per month caring for the kids - taking them to various appointments and activities including karate, athletics, guitar lessons and on social outings.

She also claims he helps the children with their homework and attends their school functions.

A judge has yet to rule on the case.

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Chris Brown to face trial in Ghana over 'promoting illegality'?

People in Ghana are allegedly calling for Chris Brown to be deported to the country in order to face prosecution.

Some Ghanaians are stating that the 'Don't Wake Me Up' singer flouted the country's no public smoking laws after he appeared to smoke marijuana on stage during a gig last week.

In footage posted on YouTube, Brown is seen asking the crowd: "How many of you all smoke weed?", to which the crowd cheer. He then adds: "S**t, I got my blunt right here."
According to Radio.com, Ghanaian youth activist Jonathan Osei-Owusu claims that Brown "promoted an illegality". He continued: "You can see from the video and yet he was let go free."

After Brown's March 6 appearance, Osei-Owusu started a campaign and petition to see the US artist and boyfriend of Rihanna face trial for promoting smoking marijuana while in a stadium full of young fans.

The statement reads: "He is on video to have encouraged the audience to take up arms against people who stand in their way to smoking weed. In our prisons, many are incarcerated for [the] same."
Osei-Owusu also claims to have been present at the gig. He added: "When you live in the city or the village, you understand the smell of marijuana. I was there. We smelled weed. That is what he promoted."

He continued: "The last two days, I have been with the police and an investigation has commenced. The police have moved swiftly and they are not leaving anything unturned."

The event's organisers have allegedly denied that Brown was smoking weed on stage, branding the incident a stunt

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Moderate coffee intake promotes life expectancy’

MORE findings by local researchers have shown that there is a link between moderate consumption of coffee beverages and increase in healthy life expectancy.

An average of two to five cups of coffee (about 200 to 300mg of caffeine) per day will reduce the risk of cancer, stroke, heart diseases, Type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, liver cancer, liver cirrhosis, gall bladder disease, among other diseases that shortens healthy lifespan.

The local researchers under the aegis of Ignite, a science based programme on coffee and health, recently shared their findings with stakeholders in the health sector, stressing that abuse or misuse of the widely consumed substance account for health problems often attributed to the substance.

Consultant Cardiologist at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos, Dr Akinsanya Olusegun, noted that coffee, the most pleasurable hot beverage in the world, is also one of the most controversial beverage with long history of being blamed for many ills.

He, however, noted that recent studies indicate that coffee may not be so bad after all and may impact positively on healthy life expectancy, “as the antioxidant effect of coffee is becoming increasingly known.”

Akinsanya observed that a May 2012 study by the New England Journal of Medicine found that coffee drinkers “who drank at least two or three cups a day were about 10 or 15 percent less likely to die for any reason during the 13 years of the study.”

The result, according to him, further corroborated earlier studies that had shown that coffee moderately reduces the incidence of dying from cardiovascular disease, based on a large prospective cohort study published in 2008.

Also, a 2009 prospective study in Japan following nearly 77,000 individuals aged 40 to 79 found that coffee consumption was associated with a reduced risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.

Moderate consumption of this beverage had also been shown to reduce the risk of developing heart failure.

Continuing, Akinsanya said, “Besides, scientific studies have found that regular coffee consumption lowers the risk of Type 2 diabetes by up to 67 per cent. This appears to result from reduced levels of blood glucose, increased insulin sensitivity, and decreased storage of both fat and carbohydrate.

“Scientific studies show that coffee’s compounds lower blood pressure over the long term, decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. This is believed to be a result of the beneficial action of chlorogenic acids on the arteries.

“A meta-analysis of the available prospective studies from 1966 to 2011 shows that moderate coffee consumption is associated with lower risk of stroke. In the pooled analysis, habitual moderate coffee consumption was associated with decreased risk of stroke,” he said.

Nutritionists with the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Dr Bartholomew Brai, though noted that coffee was still poorly understood in this clime, but scientific evidences are suggesting that coffee has several bioactive properties that account for the health benefits.

He observed that the potential bioactive are caffeine, polyphenols, which are antioxidants, diterpenes, cafestrol and kahweol found in the oil. Coffee also contains fiber and micronutrients.

“Antioxidants (that protects from free radicals that damages DNA and cells and triggers cancer and other chronic diseases) are natural in coffee and it is the highest source of antioxidants among diets of fruits, tea, wine and so on. Also, for every cup of coffee (240ml), there is chlorogenic acid of 70 to 350mg; magnesium of 7 to 24mg; Potassium of 34 to 116mg.”

Public Health Physician, Dr Kemi Odukoya, however, stressed that it is not advisable to consume coffee in gallons, but in moderate form because excessive intake, like any other substance, would be deleterious.

She said complaints of restlessness, agitation, awareness of heartbeat are attendant effects in very high consumers of >5 cups of coffee/day.

“But, these are almost negligible in low consumers <2 cups of coffee/day, and moderate consumers 2–5 cups of coffee/day. Coffee drinking is not intended to replace other healthy life style behaviours like exercise, smoking cessation, reduced salt and fatty meals,” she said.

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Lil Wayne, Birdman's Daughters Writing 'Paparazzi Princesses' Novel

Lil Wayne and Birdman have one of hip-hop's most storied partnerships, and now their teenage daughters have teamed up for a new book. Reginae Carter and Bria Williams, both 14, have helped pen Paparazzi Princesses, which tells the story of two young girls dealing with unintentional fame as they grow up as the kids of famous parents. But the book also looks to handle the struggles of normal high schoolers, like schoolwork and hallway crushes.

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"There's no better feeling than watching Bria and Reginae make this dream come true," said Birdman in a statement reported by AllHipHop.com. "They took an idea, worked extremely hard, and brought it to life. It's the kind of story that everybody can feel, and it's only the start of much bigger things for these two wonderful young ladies."

Lil Wayne added, "Proud doesn't even begin to describe how me and the Birdman feel. I can't wait for everybody else to experience their story." Paparazzi Princesses, which was co-authored by Karyn Langhorne Folan, will be out June 4th.

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FG loses bid to stop N37.6bn Odi compensation

A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Wednesday dismissed the Federal Government’s bid to stop the execution of a judgment ordering it to pay N37.6bn as compensation to Odi community in Bayelsa State.

The Federal High Court on February 19, 2013 had ordered the Federal Government to pay the money as damages for the invasion of the community.

Not satisfied with the ruling, the Federal Government applied for stay of execution on the judgment, pending the determination of its appeal at the appellate court.

But Justice Lambo Akanbi of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt on Wednesday struck out the Federal Government’s suit, insisting that government must pay the sum.

Akanbi, in his ruling, also described the Federal Government’s application as frivolous and lacking merit.

Counsel for the government, Mr. Michael Nomeh, had urged the court to grant his client’s request for a stay of execution on the payment pending the outcome of his client’s appeal.

Nomeh, who represented Ade Okeaya-Inneh (SAN), had argued that it would be difficult to recover the money from the community if the appeal sailed through.

But Lawal Rabana (SAN), Lucius Nwosu (SAN) and Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), who are counsel for Odi community, asked the court to ignore the Federal Government application.

According to them, Odi people are entitled to the special damage of N17, 6bn and general damage of N20bn awarded in their favour.

They pointed out that since the Federal Government could not bring back to life those who lost their lives during the invasion of the community, the appropriate step was for government to pay the damages.

“You cannot say that because of N37.6bn that your citizens in whose land you explore crude oil should be subjected to suffering. The Federal Government cannot go bankrupt or collapse if the money is released to the Odi community.

“If in the event that the appeal succeeds, the Federal Government can get the money back as these people are not foreigners that will abscond. Odi will continue to remain an integral part of Nigeria forever,” Rabana, one of the counsels for Odi community, argued.

Ruling on the matter, Justice Akanbi declared that the Federal Government’s application was not in good faith.

Akanbi explained that the Federal Government had resources and assets, which far exceeded the money the court awarded as compensation to the people of Odi.

He noted that granting the FG’s application would amount to denying the people of Odi justice, which they had sought for over a decade.

“The whole world is watching Nigeria and they expect that the government should pay the compensation and not subject the community to the rigour of judicial processes,” Akanbi added.

He described as baseless the fear expressed by the Federal Government that it would be difficult to recover the money from the people should its appeal succeed.

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Mba appeals to NFF

Nigerian international, Sunday Mba has made a passionate appeal to Nigeria Professional Football (NPFL) clubs, Enugu Rangers and Warri Wolves to ‘amicably settle’ their long-running dispute over his ownership.

The two clubs have been enmeshed in a bitter dispute over the ownership of the player which prompted head coach of the Nigeria national team, Stephen Keshi to declare that he may consider dropping the star from the squad for the 2014 Fifa World Cup qualifier against Kenya on March 23.

The attacking midfielder has now voiced his sentiments about the issue.

“The coach (Keshi) has the best interest of the country at heart and I completely respect his judgment in this matter. He wants the best for the national team and it is only logical that he builds his team around players who are playing regularly for their clubs every week,” Mba exclusively told supersport.com.

Mba took the football world by storm with a superlative display at the 2013 Afcon in South Africa where he netted the winner for Nigeria in the showpiece game against Burkina Faso.

The 24-year-old wants to perform at the peak of his powers on a consistent basis and acknowledges that he can only do that if he plays regularly.

“I am pleading with the clubs (Wolves and Rangers) to amicable settle this because for me, I am a professional and I just want to resume playing,” he said.

Mba also took the time to allay fears over his physical condition ahead of the game against Kenya.

“I am in great shape physically. As a matter of fact, I think I am in the best condition I have ever been in since I turned pro.

“I also want the fans to recall that before the 2013 Afcon, the Nigerian league was on break but I still did well at the tournament because I never joked with my training (sessions).

“I have intensified my regimen after the Afcon because I understand that the stakes are even higher now and there are so many people who now look up to me as a role model.

“The coaches (at the training camp in Abuja) have been fantastic and every day, after the usual training exercise with the team, I still work out on my own. I want to keep performing at a high level because I cannot afford to let my nation down,” he explained.

Mba has scored five goals in 10 appearances, for Nigeria.

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