Henry Eve Esencia

Beyoncé Sparks Pregnancy Rumors with Instagram Photo

2015-01-12T14:34:00.004+01:00

Is Queen Bey pregnant? The superstar has sparked baby rumors once again with a new photo.
Beyoncé took to Instagram to post a pic of herself at the beach buried in sand. Her stomach is
outlined to show a protruding belly sculpted in sand. Blue Ivy can be seen sitting alongside her mother.
While it’s unclear if she has a bun in the oven, her followers definitely took notice. Her Instagram comments were flooded with fans who questioned if the “Flawless” singer is pregnant with her second child.
“Pregnant?” wrote one, while another added, “Very creative announcement.”
Earlier this week, Blue Ivy celebrated her third birthday. Check out some of the party pics below.

Top-7 Reasons Why Some Nigerian Ladies Will End Their Life Single

2014-10-24T12:13:00.000+01:00

Being single probably is one of the top problems among Nigerian girls. But only some of them understand that the problem can be not only in men. They also can change something about their selves, if they don’t want to end up alone in a company of cuddly cats.

So here are some typical reasons you can easily give up, to reduce chances of being alone:

1. Celebrity gossips

For God’s sake, stop following fake celebrity gossips and watching reality shows as crazy. These things are fake in almost every case, and, as well as developing your stupidity, they may also form unnatural life priorities.

2. Doing charges

Even if you are a self-confident and independent Nigerian lady, don’t forget about learning to cook and doing home chores. Gender equality is a good thing, but it is not a reason to turn your house into a mess. And don’t forget that Nigerian men love good cooking!

3. Less makeup

Too much makeup is not doing good for you. The truth is that lots of men are indifferent to makeup. Many of them even don’t like it at all. So it is better to forget about high school and to look more natural.

4. Don’t give your number to any guy you can

Any man would disgrace if your phone rings often and you will be laughing and chatting with other guys. You may not be a playgirl, but a guy can think that you are.

5. Wrong presentation

Some Nigerian girls try to dress attractive, but it turns out that they are ridiculous. Your dressing style determines kinds of men who are attracted to you. Remember, not all clothes that look sexy are good for a seriously searching for a soul mate single lady.

6. Bad manners

When you want to look “attractive” or “hot” for a man, don’t think it can turn into something serious. Your wisdom, inner beauty and good manners are factors which make man stay with your, keep faithful and have long-term relations. If you rely only on your good appearance, don’t be surprised if a guy runs away after accomplishing his “evil” mission.

7. Too much advice from friends and relatives

Of course, family values a lot in Nigeria, but remember that it is you who are going to live with this person, NOT your friend or relative. Let them have their own life and you will enjoy yours!

I’m committed to my political ambition –Julius Agwu

2014-10-20T11:05:00.000+01:00

Once more, comedy King, Julius Agwu, has declared that his ambition to run for the governorship of Rivers State is not a joke. The rib cracker made the declaration during his annual comedy show,
Crack Ya Ribs: The Declaration, which was held at the Congress Hall of the Nicon Hilton Hotel, Abuja, during the Independence weekend.

As early as 5pm, the Red Carpet was lit like a Christmas tree with fun seekers mingling with celebrities as camera bulbs flashed. By 7pm, the show proper kicked off when Julius Agwu came on stage and led the audience in praise worship which lasted for over 30 minutes after which his co-anchor, Okey Bakassi, joined him on stage.

The show witnessed performances from comedians like Pencil, Romeo, Osama, Monkals, MC Longs, Tripple White and MC Jay while Patoranking and Seyi Shay entertained guests with music. Most of the jokes cantered around Ebola and the challenges of poor governance.

The high point was when the comedian reiterated his determination to gun for the governorship of Rivers State in 2015. Hear him: “My ambition to be a governor is born out of the need for the youths to have a say in governance. As you already know, today is The Declaration. I am officially telling the world that Julius Agwu is running for governorship in Rivers State in 2015.”

According to Agwu, the way Nigerians united to kick out the Ebola scourge was highly commendable and if Nigerians could unite in the same way in the fight against terrorism, Nigeria would make a head way.

“As we celebrate our 54th Independence anniversary, I want to engage my colleagues in entertainment that we should be part of that change that we desire,” Agwu opined.

Advancing reasons why he was competent for the office of governor, Agwu continued: “Whether we like it or not, we have been playing our own part as entertainers. Over the years I have built a sustainable brand and exported it. Whether we like it or not, I am an entrepreneur; I have the ability to manage recourses. That is why I have decided to serve my people.”

The event also witnessed the courting of a birthday cake in commemoration of Nigeria’s 54th Independence anniversary celebrations. The show was sponsored by Heritage Bank while Dana Air was the official career.

Wizkid, 2face thrill fans at first ever int’l concert

2014-10-20T10:03:00.000+01:00

2Face and Wizkid has definitely left a mark in Ghana with their first ever international performance of their collabo track, “Dance Go – Eau De Vie”

The Hennessy Artistry 2014 headliners gave fans and party lovers a run for their money as they performed the Hennessy Artistry 2014 theme song along with a number of their hit tracks.

2Face who performed monster tracks like African queen, Spiritual healing, True Love, Implication among other hit tracks called out StarBoy, Wizkid to the stage as they both performed “Dance Go” amidst loud screams from excited fans.

The concert which held at the Accra International Conference Centre last night, Saturday, October 18th later saw Wizkid close the show with label mate, L.A.X as they performed hits, Ginga, Caro, Show Me the Money among other hit songs. The duo moves to Lagos this week for another edition of the Hennessy Artistry club tour.

Boko Haram’ll keep promise to release Chibok girls, as negotiations continue – FG

2014-10-20T09:54:00.000+01:00

Sect sacks Adamawa Village, many killed, houses razed
By Kingsley Omonobi, Henry Umoru & Umar Yusuf
ABUJA—Negotiations between the Federal Government and representatives of the Boko Harm Islamic sect on the release of 219 abducted Chibok girls will continue today in Chad. This came as
government declared that it had no reason to doubt the sect’s promise to release the girls against the backdrop of alleged breach of ceasefire agreement by the sect.

Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, last Friday, announced that Boko Haram had agreed to a ceasefire and instructed all the field commanders of the troops to observe the ceasefire.

A top military source, who confided in Vanguard, said: “It is true that the sect demanded the release of some of their fighters and the Federal Government is ready to meet some of their conditions to secure the girls’ freedom.. There are high hopes that the girls will be released; the military is ready to move in and bring out the girls when this is done. Already, the Federal Government has put machinery in motion to receive the girls once they are released.”

On the ceasefire agreement reached by the terrorists and Military, the source said that so far, the military is maintaining its part of the agreement, adding that the attacks allegedly carried out by the group in Borno and Adamawa at the weekend were being investigated to ascertain those responsible.

Following the ceasefire agreement announced by the Chief of Defence Staff, the Defence headquarters has put Commanders of troops in the epicenter of the insurgency on standby as there were indications that the over 200 girls of the Government Girls Secondary School Chibok, Borno State, abducted in April 2014, by the terrorists group would be released tomorrow.

Coordinator of the National Information Centre, Mr. Mike Omeri, at the weekend, confirmed that negotiations were going on with Boko Haram “especially as it concerns release of the Chibok girls and the general insecurity in the North East and also the need to rescue all other captives of the terrorists. Already, the terrorists have announced a ceasefire in furtherance of their desire for peace. In this regard, the government of Nigeria has, in similar vein, declared ceasefire”.

No more comments — PDP

Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Adamu Muazu said, yesterday, that he has handed over critics of the Federal Government on the issue of the girls to God.

Muazu accused the opposition of politicising the matter, saying that the PDP will no longer answer critics on the issue.

On his twitter account, yesterday, Muazu said: “We will refrain from making further comments on this issue but let Allah judge all of us on this issue of #PoliticsOfChibok. The opposition had crossed the line on the Chibok abduction and many other issues, it is no longer necessary to join issues with them. It is true that in politics, all game is fair game, but there are certain lines that should never be crossed and one of such is the Chibok issue.

“We were told a certain political party has turned the plight of our abducted Chibok daughters to a political issue. How very sad. Dear Nigerians, our great party is tired of responding to pettiness, lies and propaganda. We have better things to do than that.”

Gunmen sack Adamawa village

In a related development, gunmen suspected to be insurgents have attacked Sina Village in Michika Local Government area of Adamawa State.

The attack, according to residents, occurred Saturday night as the insurgents in their hundreds emerged from the bush and started killing and burning houses, cars, domestic animals and other property.

A community leader in Michika, Dr. Caleb Filli said the insurgents burnt down all houses in the village, forcing residents to flee.

According to him, the gunmen in their hundreds descended on the village shooting indiscriminately and burning houses. He said he could not ascertain the number of those killed at press time.

Michika and Madagali areas had been under the control of Boko Haram insurgents since early September, even as efforts by the military to retake them, have proved abortive.

Dr. Filli called on the Federal Government to ensure that the ceasefire agreement includes the withdrawal of Boko Haram fighters from the areas they occupy, adding that the ceasefire will not be meaningful unless it paves way for residents to return to their homes.

He lamented the suffering of thousands of displaced residents living as refugees in other places, leaving behind their farms and businesses.”

Beyoncé and Jay Z Attend Frieze Art Fair

2014-10-17T08:37:00.000+01:00

After their visit to the Louvre last week, Beyoncé and Jay Z were back on the art scene. The superstar couple was spotted at the Frieze Art Fair in London on Wednesday evening. Bey, rocking her new
short bangs and a leather jacket over her shoulders, shared some photos from the art excursion on her blog.

She snapped a selfie on her gold iPhone 6 and posed with Jay in front of one giant piece of art. But unlike last time, Blue Ivy was nowhere in sight.

Check out more candid pics of the Carters below.

Meek Mill Calls August Alsina From Jail

2014-10-17T08:15:00.000+01:00

While he serves out the remainder of his jail sentence, Meek Mill’s peers have been holding him down. Rick Ross, Drake, and Stalley have all shown their support for the incarcerated rapper.

Rozay recently shared photos of Meek behind bars and today August Alsina received a phone call
from his friend.

“Squad kalled from that shit hole… Good to hear & feel a smile on em thru it all,” said August. “I tol em God sat us down differently but at the end of it all he SAT US DOWN! He said Exactly! We jus gotta know/recognize when da Man giving you a chance to get your shit in order then Come back stronger then ever.”

Meek seemed to be in good spirits and thanked his supporters. August can be heard saying “Free Meek Mill!” before the video cuts off.

The “No Love” singer has returned to work following his health scare last month. He was in a three-day coma, but after getting some rest, he is back on his feet and will play Bowie State University’s Homecoming concert tonight.

“Andddddd.. Jus like that, I’m bck to work. Gone!” he tweeted.

On November 1, August will join Usher on his “UR Experience” tour, which kicks off in Montreal.

Soldier shoots colleague to death in Bayelsa Government House

2014-10-15T14:03:00.004+01:00

A soldier, Lance Corporal Haruna Muazu, posted to the Bayelsa State Government House, on Monday night shot and killed a colleague, Staff Sergeant Ishiaku Shuaibu.

Both soldiers are attached to the 423 Battalion of the Elele Barrack in Rivers State.

Lieutenant Colonel Mustapha Anka, the spokesman of the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta, who confirmed the incident on Tuesday, described it as most unfortunate.

Anka said ongoing investigations would unravel the circumstances that led to the shooting.

The incident was said to have occurred at about 10pm on October 13, during a dinner held to mark the 2014 Legal Year with the Governor Seriake Dickson in attendance.

The soldier was said to have snatched the service rifle of his colleague and shot him dead at his duty post.

The soldier who killed his colleague had arrived from the Elele Military Barrack in Rivers State after collecting his duty allowances.

Sources at the Government House said two other soldiers on duty left the post briefly and the killer soldier capitalised on the opportunity to shoot his colleague.

A source said: “He immediately ran away with the rifle and boarded a commercial tricycle, popularly known as Keke NAPEP, and headed towards Hospital Road.

“The sound of the gunshots attracted the policemen on duty at the Banquet Hall.

“The policemen, however, intercepted and stopped the tricycle and apprehended the fleeing soldier.

“The policemen also found the body of the soldier in a pool of his blood at his duty post.”

A security source, however, said the arrested soldier, who was taken initially to the Yenagoa Police Area Command, had been handed over to the Joint Task Force for further investigation (NAN).

Brandy, Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, & Yo-Yo Reunite at BET Hip-Hop Awards

2014-10-15T13:59:00.001+01:00

Brandy celebrated the 20th anniversary of her debut single with a white-hot performance at the BET Hip-Hop Awards 2014, which aired on Tuesday night.

Against an all-white set, the R&B diva reunited with Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, and Yo-Yo to perform
the hip-hop remix of “I Wanna Be Down.”

With her brother Ray J looking on, Brandy kicked things off followed by Lyte, Yo-Yo, and Latifah, who earned the largest applause.

Mr President very busy can’t come out to meet BBOG protesters

2014-10-15T09:15:00.001+01:00

ABUJA – The march to the Presidential Villa by #BringBackOurGirls, BBOG, Abuja family, was yesterday, disrupted by heavily armed anti riot police men, all the roads leading to Presidential villa in Abuja, were blocked.

The protesters that were stopped by armed anti-riot policemen were prevented from entering the villa from Yakubu Gowon crescent, Asokoro, Abuja.

The anti riot Police didn’t allow most of the protesters to join the ongoing protesters, they blocked the road right from the three arms zones to Police Headquarters junctions, they didn’t allow both vehicular and people walking to enter the Yakubu Gowon crescent, which was the take off point.

The protest which started around 3pm was later addressed by the Minister of women Affairs, Hajia Zanaib Maina, said the federal Government is doing everything possible to ensure the safe release of the remaining 219 Government Secondary school, Chibok, Borno State from Boko Haram.

The Minister who was accompanied by Minister of Water Resources, Mrs Sarah Ochekpe, Minister of Environment, Mrs Lawrencia Laraba-Mallam, Minister of Land and Housing, Mrs Akon Eyakenyi, represented President Goodluck Jonathan, said, “We are here to meet you because Mr.

He cannot come out, he has meetings and since already you are out that’s why we are asked to come here and meet with you and to apologise for his inability to be here personally. But you can see we are all members of the Federal Executive Council” Maina said to the protesters.

“Even though you wrote a letter to the President, he can ask us to come and address you. That’s why we are here to address all of you here. You want to meet with Mr. President and find out why up till now the girls have not been rescued back to be reunited with their family. We are here to reassure you as a responsible government, there’s no government in the world that will sit back and be comfortable while the citizens of the country are abducted and we don’t know their condition.

“The government is doing all it can to make sure that these girls are rescued and back to their families alive. It is not as if the government is sitting back and watching”.

Maina continued, “Government is trying all it could to make sure that these girls are brought back. They are our daughters. We are all mothers; as much as it hurts you, it hurts us even the fathers. You know as well as we do some of you are very much aware of the efforts that the government has been making to make sure that these girls our daughters are brought back alive.

“There are some technicality issues that border on security, we are all know that our military personnel are out there in the bush doing what they can. It is not that they cannot force themselves in there but they have some technical ways of doing their things which we civilian do not know. ”

Earlier the Coordinator of the group Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, while addressing the ministers, she said “You have joined the Police who have prevented us from meeting our President and Commander- in- Chief, the Commissioner of Police did indicate we should wait and then we will be able to proceed to have the meeting.

“We had written the President as part of our global call to action concerning the rescue of the Chibok girls that we would be visiting him exactly on the day that marks six months of the Chibok girls abduction.

“We have come to join up and have that meeting so that we can listen to Mr. President and convey to him the incredible urgency that we we desire concerning the rescue of the Chibok girls and to hear from Mr. President what exactly is going on concerning the rescue of the Chibok girls. We are not sure why we are not being allowed to proceed to see Mr. President and so we need to get answers to that.”

The group who also gave the Minister of women affairs 5 questions to be answered by Mr. President, asking for the whereabout of the 219 chibok girls that were abducted on the 14th of April 2014.

A father of two missing girls from Government Secondary school, Chibok, Borno State, Mr. Enoch Mark, said since Cameroon can negotiatiate with Boko Haram and secured released of the 27 people that were kidnapped by Boko haram, why is Nigeria not negotiating the release of the remaining 219 girls that are still in captivity.

No hospital 'protocols' for Ebola treatment

2014-10-15T08:50:00.002+01:00

NURSES at the Texas hospital where a Liberian Ebola patient died last week complain they were given few rules and little guidance on how to treat the severely ill man, contrary to assertions by US health authorities.

The head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Thomas Frieden, said earlier this week that a "breach in protocol" by health workers led to a nurse becoming infected with the potentially fatal virus.

But a national union speaking late Tuesday on behalf of the Texas nurses rejected the assertion that protocols were breached.

They told reporters at a telephone news conference that clear treatment guidelines for Ebola were all but non-existent at the Texas hospital.

"The CDC is saying that protocols were breached, but the nurses are saying there were no protocols," said Roseann DeMoro, head of the group National Nurses United, in a phone conference from California.

The nurses' union shared the revelations from workers at Presbyterian Hospital Dallas without disclosing their names, because many were afraid that their candor could cost them their jobs.

The first time that the patient came to the hospital he was sent back home, despite having told nurses that he had been in Ebola-stricken Liberia -- information that authorities now say should have been a clear tip-off that he could be infected with the illness.

- Duncan exposed 'for hours' -

When the patient, Thomas Eric Duncan, returned a few days later, feverish and visibly ill, he was made to sit for hours in an emergency room waiting area, exposed to other patients.

The nurses said that after he was admitted, there were no guidelines on how to discard the Liberian patient's soiled towels and linens.

During much of his hospital stay Duncan was overcome with bouts of vomiting and diarrhea, and the nurses said they had received no clear-cut guidelines about how the toxic mess would be cleaned off the floor, or who would do it.

After Duncan's death, authorities confirmed that Nina Pham, a nurse at the hospital who took care of him after he was admitted to the hospital, has been infected with Ebola.

A newly-minted nurse with just a couple of years' experience under her belt, Pham cared for Duncan for more than a day but is not aware of any problem with her protective gear, DeMoro said.

Still, she somehow became infected and now is being treated for the illness at the same hospital where she contracted the disease.

DeMoro expressed outrage that anyone caring for a patient with Ebola would be made suspectible to contracting the illness, and said the young nurse was failed by the medical establishment.

"That is not protecting our nurses," an outraged DeMoro said.

"It should not have happened to anyone. And there are a lot of culpable people in this paradigm.

Deborah Burger, the NNU's co-president, said Duncan's lab samples were sent in the hospital tube system "without being specifically sealed and hand delivered," Burger added.

"The entire tube system was potentially contaminated," she said.

"There was a lot of confusion about (gear) protocol, and frequent changing of instructions."

The nursing staff said that they were directed to wear standard or generic hospital gowns that are flimsy and could be permeated or ripped.

They also complained that they were advised to use surgical masks, not the plastic welder-type shield mask considered a best option.

And while they wore protective gloves, parts of their heads and necks remaine exposed, she explained

DeMoro pointed the finger not just to the Texas hospital where Pham worked, but at the US health care overall.

It "is a chaotic system," she said.

"The federal government should mandate optimal standards so that nurses are protected," she argued.

She also blamed corporate interests and lobbies for opposing national medical spending that could address pandemics smoothly.

Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick show off their new wheels

2014-10-14T14:11:00.002+01:00

Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick will
shortly be expecting their third bundle of joy. So you would have thought that
the celebrity couple would have gone for something a little more practical when
choosing a new set of wheels.

It turns out the reality TV stars had other
plans as Scott and his beautiful girl left dinner at Sugarfish in LA and got
into their new Bugatti. These reportedly cost a sweet 2.5 million dollars!

Of course it’s unlikely that Mr. Disick is
too concerned about such a lavish purchase as the filming for the next season
of the family’s hit reality TV show is currently underway.

Scientists Develop New Battery That Can Be Recharged to 70% in 2 Minutes and Lasts 20 Years

2014-10-14T13:41:00.001+01:00

Scientists have developed a new battery that can be recharged up to 70% in 2 minutes and has a lifespan of over 20 years, reports Science Daily.

The battery was developed by scientists from Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore) and is expected to impact many industries, especially electric vehicles which suffer from long recharge times of over 4 hours and limited lifespan.

The battery will let electric vehicles charge 20 times faster than currently possible. Also, the battery can endure more than 10,000 charging cycles. That's 20 times more than the 500 cycles typical of today's batteries.

NTU Singapore's scientists replaced the traditional graphite used for the anode (negative pole) in lithium-ion batteries with a new gel material made from titanium dioxide, an abundant, cheap and safe material found in soil. It is commonly used as a food additive or in sunscreen lotions to absorb harmful ultraviolet rays. Naturally found in a spherical shape, NTU Singapore developed a simple method to turn titanium dioxide particles into tiny nanotubes that are a thousand times thinner than the diameter of a human hair. This nanostructure is what helps to speeds up the chemical reactions taking place in the new battery, allowing for superfast charging.

The battery was invented by Associate Professor Chen Xiaodong from the School of Materials Science and Engineering at NTU Singapore.

NTU professor Rachid Yazami, the co-inventor of the lithium-graphite anode that is used in most lithium-ion batteries today, said Chen's invention is the next big leap in battery technology.

"While the cost of lithium-ion batteries has been significantly reduced and its performance improved since Sony commercialised it in 1991, the market is fast expanding towards new applications in electric mobility and energy storage," said Prof Yazami. "There is still room for improvement and one such key area is the power density -- how much power can be stored in a certain amount of space -- which directly relates to the fast charge ability. Ideally, the charge time for batteries in electric vehicles should be less than 15 minutes, which Prof Chen's nanostructured anode has proven to do."

Dropbox's Mailbox for Mac App is Now in Open Beta

2014-10-14T13:34:00.001+01:00

Dropbox has announced that its Mailbox for Mac app is now in open beta and available to download.

Wait no more! Enjoy the Mailbox desktop experience today, now in open beta :) http://www.mailboxapp.com/download/mac

As with the mobile app, Mailbox only works with iCloud or Google email accounts for the time being. You can download the public beta from the link below. If you don't already have a Dropbox account

Beyoncé, Jay Z, & Blue Ivy Visit the Louvre

2014-10-13T10:16:00.000+01:00

After wrapping their “On the Run Tour” with two sold-out shows last month, the Carters returned to Paris this week. During their trip, Beyoncé, Jay Z, and Blue Ivy shut down the Louvre for a private visit. Bey has shared some candid photos from their trip to the famed art museum on her website.

The famous family posed in front of the world’s most famous masterpiece, the Mona Lisa, which Jay Z name checked on “Picasso Baby.” Bey took a selfie with the Greek statues, while her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter snapped photos of her own on her camera. Jay carried Blue in his arms as they strolled the halls and in one adorable photo, Blue stood on the floor vent while the air blew up her dress.

The couple has reportedly been shopping for a house in Paris, where they got engaged and where Blue Ivy was conceived.

The New York Post corroborates DJ Skee’s report that the Carters are working on a “top secret” joint album. They have been recording together and plan to release the project later this year or in early 2015. The album will reportedly be accompanied by simultaneous videos and a movie.

Check out more photos from the Carters’ picture-perfect day at the museum.

Obasanjo to PDP: drug baron can’t be my leader

2014-10-13T07:56:00.001+01:00

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo rejected yesterday the peace moves by his party’s leadership, saying he cannot be in the same group with “a drug baron” wanted in the United States.

He urged President Goodluck Jonathan and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders to do the “needful” instead of begging him for forgiveness.

Said Obasanjo “Today, Nigeria needs all hands on deck to deal with our pressing problems of security, including the issue of Chibok girls, widening inequality, infrastructure, impunity, corruption, poverty and youth education, skill acquisition, empowerment and employment.

“These are issues of concern to most Nigerians. We all need to join hands to move Nigeria forward. I don’t need to be begged for that.

“Rather, I beg and appeal to those who are begging me to realise that we must put Nigeria’s interest above politics – party or personal – otherwise, we will all be judged at the bar of history if not the bar of current affairs.

“In addition, we must preserve, sustain and deepen democracy and democratic practices.”

The former leader insisted that he had never left the party and would remain a card-carrying member, having ruled the country for two terms on its ticket.

Obasanjo, who returned from a trip to South Africa at the weekend, made his position known in a statement in Abeokuta yesterday.

He was reacting to last week’s statement by PDP National Chairman Adamu Mua’zu and other leaders when they were welcoming back into the fold former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel.

Mu’azu had said: “I want to join Governor Daniel to appeal to our Baba, President Olusegun Obasanjo, to forgive us. We are your children and we have been making mistakes; we have made mistakes and so we apologise.

“Please, Baba, we apologise; come and lead us. Even the President (Jonathan) is waiting for you to come and lead us; you are our leader, we appreciate you, we thank you for your leadership and your courage.”

The former Chairman, Board of Trustees of the PDP, who was in South Africa over South Sudan’s increasing insecurity and violence, said he almost cut short his stay there following “the avalanche of news, cacophony of appeals and pleadings from some quarters of PDP”, which he described as evidential manifestation of “misunderstanding and misrepresentation” of facts.

Obasanjo, who added that he had occasion to make his stand on vital matters affecting the party known to Jonathan, Senate President David Mark, who recently visited him on behalf of the party.

Obasanjo said issues of principle, morality, honour, integrity, commitment and character are to him paramount. He said he could not “accept that the zonal leader of my political party and, worse still in my zone, will be an indicted drug baron wanted in America.”

He went on: “During last week when I was in South Africa as the Chairman of African Union (AU) Commission of Inquiry on South Sudan and while with my fellow Commissioners, we were deliberating on how to help that new country (South Sudan) out of its problem of security and violence, I received an avalanche of news and cacophony of appeals and pleadings from some quarters of PDP leadership.

“Talking of inviting me back to PDP is wrong and it is a great misrepresentation as I have never left the PDP and I will never leave the PDP.

“I have said it before and I will say it again, I rose to become the President of Nigeria on the platform of PDP and for that reason alone, I will remain a card-carrying and ward-active member of PDP for as long as I have to be a political party member.

“Secondly, nobody has personally offended me as a result of my membership of PDP. If, however, anybody or group feels offended by my continued membership, I will offer an unreserved apology but continue to remain in the Party.

“I have had occasions to say to the President, the Senate President and the Party Chairman separately that I have no quarrel with any individual or group in the Party. There are, for me, issues of principle, morality, honour, integrity, commitment and character, which are paramount.

“For instance, as a former President of Nigeria, the Chairman of West Africa Commission on Drug and a member of Global Commission on Drug, I cannot accept that the Zonal leader of my political Party and, worse still in my zone, will be an indicted drug baron wanted in America.

“How do I explain that to friends outside Nigeria? This is only one of the many issues that I have pointed and still pointing out.

“I have national and international standard to maintain and reputation to keep and sustain. For these reasons, I opted to remain active only at the ward level of the Party till the leadership does the needful.

“But under no condition will my commitment to Nigeria be diminished. And, for me, it is commitment to Nigeria first and any other commitment can only follow in second or third place. Where any other commitment is in tandem with what I see and understand as commitment to Nigeria, such other commitment will share a pride of place with Nigeria.

“I must hasten to thank the President, the Senate President and the Chairman of PDP with whom, at their instances, these issues have been discussed and laid to rest. My interest and commitment to Nigeria go beyond partisan politics.”

15 die in Ibadan tanker fire

2014-10-13T07:52:00.000+01:00

Man loses wife, three kids

20 vehicles, 23 motorcycles, others destroyed

It was all tears yesterday, as 15 people, including a family of three children and their mother, were burnt to death in a petrol tanker fire on Saturday night at Molete, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The tanker was said to be coming from Challenge-Molete end of the road when the driver lost control.

The vehicle then somersaulted and caught fire, spilling its fuel content, spread into a mechanic workshop, shopping mall and otherareas.

A middle-aged man, who parked his vehicle to buy bread, lost the three children and his wife when the fire enveloped the family’s car.

Over 20 vehicles, 23 motorcycles, many shops and goods worth several millions of naira were also destroyed.

It took the intervention of the state fire-fighters to stem the spread of the fire into other thickly populated residential areas.

Eyewitness said government and private ambulances conveyed some of the burnt victims to the University College Hospital (UCH) in the state capital, where they are receiving treatment at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) .

“It is God’s protection that is most important. Many, who died, never dreamt of this. Imagine a man that travelled from Ijebu-Ode to this place and only to stop to buy what he would eat, it was then the fire came, claiming his three children and his wife.

“It is a terrible incident. I was discussing with my friends, when we suddenly heard a deafening sound and people ran out of fear. But before five minutes, we saw fire covering everywhere. May God protect us from unforeseen occurrence,” an eyewitness, who gave his name as Ade, said yesterday.

Governor Abiola Ajimobi visited the scene twice between Saturday night and yesterday morning to sympathise with those affected by the fire.

Some policemen prevented people from entering the area. A rope was tied to fence away intruders as policemen keep watch.

But the governor commiserated with the families of those who were burnt to death.

Ajimobi, who arrived at 8am, was visibly shaken by the gory sight. Accompanied by the Commissioner of Police Kola Sodipo, he was conducted round the scene of the inferno.

He ordered that a crane be brought to take the carcass of the tanker, which had crossed the road from obstructing traffic.

Ajimobi, who spoke with reporters, enjoined them “to take solace in the fact that death will come when it will.”

He said that many who sought to take political advantage of his administration’s genuine love for the people, especially traders on the streets, must have seen the danger of politicising genuine government policies.

“As I came here this morning, gentlemen of the press, you yourselves could hear statements from the crowd that gathered here. They keep shouting ‘And Ajimobi had warned us against street trading o!’ The problem we have is that politicians seek to profit from the lives of the people. Our administration has genuine love at heart for our people. This is manifesting itself gradually and our people themselves can see that love,” he said.

The governor was told that the bulk of those who lost their lives were traders who refused to move to the nearby Scout Camp market, which had over a thousand stalls with modern conveniences built by the government and given to the traders free.

“I sympathise with the dead and their families of the dead. This will show our love for the people in our desire to stop street trading. I learnt that a few days ago, another trailer veered off the road at Mobil area and hit the MTN building. If it had been before now when street traders gathered at the Mobil area, I imagine the number of casualties we would have been talking about,” he said.

Government, he said, had seen through the hazards posed by street trading, stating that it was why his administration made it a kernel of its urban renewal exercise.

“Apart from vehicles that skid off the road, killing our people, high tension wires also get cut and kill our people selling their wares by the road side. Our people should not listen to evil politicians who mislead them.

“They should support us to fight the menace of street trading, by asking them to leave the road and we will not allow evil politicians to profit from this genuine love by misleading our people,” he said.

Amosun’s convoy in auto crash

2014-10-13T07:43:00.001+01:00

Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, yesterday escaped unhurt when his convoy was involved in an accident.

However, it was gathered that two of his aides and some occupants of another vehicle sustained injuries.

An eyewitness told Daily Sun that the accident occurred along Saapade-Ogeere Road on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway at about 9:30 a.m, adding that a commercial bus driver reportedly rammed into the governor’s convoy, damaging one of the Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs).

Some occupants of a blue Mitsubishi bus, laden with foodstuffs, also sustained injuries.

It was gathered that the governor’s convoy was heading towards Ibadan while the bus was coming from the opposite direction.

The accident occurred at a spot where construction work was ongoing and this forced motorists to use two of the four-lane road.

The commercial bus driver, it was gathered, lost control when he faced the governor’s convoy on the narrow road and rammed into the governor’s convoy.

Edo Assembly crisis: Police arrest 12 suspects

2014-10-13T07:25:00.002+01:00

BENIN—TWELVE persons have been arrested by the Police in Edo State over the invasion of the state House of Assembly quarters in Benin City by armed thugs, Saturday morning.

One of the buses used by the thugs was also recovered.

This came as Governor Adams Oshiomhole, after inspecting the scene, expressed shock over the level of mayhem.

Calling on the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Folunso Adebanjo, to bring the perpetrators and their sponsors to book, the governor said he would petition President Goodluck Jonathan on the issue and await his response.

However, Adebanjo, who disclosed that 12 suspects had been arrested, warned politicians in the state against sponsoring violence, noting that the command was doing its best to ensure that those involved in the mayhem were brought to book.

He said: “Throughout last night (Saturday) we were going round and today (Sunday) we will continue. The state police command has observed with concern an upsurge in politically motivated violence in the state, particularly in Benin City. This does not augur well for peace and tranquility in the state as we march towards the 2015 general elections.

“The state command is hereby making it categorically clear that activities of hoodlums and miscreants geared towards disturbing the peace of the state will not be tolerated. Political gladiators are warned to stop sponsoring thuggery in the state. The police will not fold their arms and allow a break down of law and order. Henceforth, anybody caught sponsoring or taking part in any act of thuggery will be dealt with decisively according to the laws of the land. Political actors are advised not to take laws into their hands but to seek redress through the court system on matters of disagreement between them.

“Edo people are advised to go about their lawful business without fear of molestation. They are hereby encouraged to report activities of political thugs and their sponsors that are likely to disturb the relative peace that is being enjoyed in the state right now.”

Heavily armed thugs stormed the Assembly quarters at about 6:30am Saturday shooting sporadically.

Oshiomhole alleged that PDP masterminded the attack.

He said: “It is very clear that the Police granted permission for this attack. The Commissioner of Police was informed at about 10:00pm last night of the PDP plan to attack the Legislators’ quarters and the APC office. We made this intelligence available to the Commissioner of Police and you can see that even the minimal police presence here was evacuated so that these thugs could come and unleash a free reign of terror. This morning, when they assembled at a point where they were meant to assemble, the fact was conveyed to the Commissioner of Police.

“They actually assembled at George Idah Primary School this morning before they proceeded and the Police provided supervision for this very serious criminal act.”

Reacting to the allegation that PDP masterminded the attack, the state chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih, said: ”There is no truth whatsoever in the governor’s allegations that we organized thugs to disrupt the President’s visit and even the House of Assembly quarters. After welcoming Mr. President to Edo State on Friday, many of us went to our homes, had a light dinner and went to bed. It is common knowledge that what happened at the Assembly quarters may have been borne out of the attack on Mr. Rasaq Momoh, a PDP lawmaker and the fact that those accused are still free. What happened was not the work of our party. We believe in the law enforcement agencies to deal with the situation. The APC has perfected plans to eliminate PDP leaders in Edo State over the attack in the Assembly quarters.”

He added it was regrettable that days after the attack on Momoh, “the governor has not deemed it fit to condemn the attack on an elected member of Edo State House of Assembly.”

Waka Flocka Flame Arrested for Gun Possession

2014-10-10T22:37:00.002+01:00

Waka Flocka Flame was arrested in Atlanta on Friday morning for carrying a weapon.

According to TMZ, the “No Hands” rapper was at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
when a loaded handgun was found in his bag during a security check.

Waka didn’t have a permit, so he was arrested and charged with Carrying a Weapon in a Prohibited Place. He was taken to Clayton County jail.

He didn’t address the incident on Twitter, but did tease a remix to Rich Gang’s “Lifestyle.”

Iggy Azalea Laughs Off Marriage Reports

2014-10-10T21:57:00.002+01:00

Iggy Azalea won’t be needing a divorce because she was never married. The “Fancy” rapper is shutting down reports that she tied the knot with producer Hefe Wine.

Earlier today, TMZ reported that Iggy’s former boyfriend Wine (aka Maurice Williams) claimed he and Iggy are married by common law and has filed divorce documents.

In the docs, Wine says that he and Iggy “agreed to be married, holding themselves out as man and wife and began residing together in the State of Texas on or about September, 2008.” He says they began living separately last year.

In Texas, a man and a woman who live together for any length of time are considered legally married if they agree to be married and hold themselves out to others as husband and wife.

Hefe is asking the judge to prevent Iggy from selling various assets they accumulated during the “marriage.” If the judge recognizes the marriage, all of the music Iggy recorded during the union gets split 50/50.

Iggy’s rep has adamantly denied the reports and Iggy herself took to Twitter to set the record straight.

“I think we already all know, but just to clarify. I’m NOT married. Feel free to check the PUBLIC marriage records,” she said, adding, “Gotta laugh tho, now do you see the kinda craziness I deal with?! #ThisLifeWeLive.”

Iggy has been dating Lakers star Nick Young for the past year.
Hefe has also threatened to release a sex tape of Iggy along with unreleased recordings. Iggy has filed a federal lawsuit against Wine, accusing him of downloading the contents of her computer in 2009 while they were living together in Atlanta.

Nigeria number four in Top 10 Countries With High Kidnapping Rates

2014-10-10T20:31:00.000+01:00

The top 10 threat areas for kidnap for ransom have been identified in a new report published by crisis management assistance company red24. We’ve taken the report into consideration and done some
research ourselves and have come up with our own top 10 list of countries where you are most likely to be kidnapped.
10. Colombia

We start the list of the top ten countries where you are most likely to be kidnapped with Colombia. The U.S. government rates Haiti as “Critical” in the threat categories of Crime and Political Violence. Haiti is unique in the Caribbean for its relative lack of tourism, scarcity of foreign investment, and inferior infrastructure. As a result, traditional tourist-oriented crimes, such as pickpocketing and purse snatching, are less reported than in other countries in the region.

The most frequently reported crimes against Americans in Port-au-Prince are carjackings, kidnappings, and robberies. Home invasions also remain an item of concern in some parts of Port-au-Prince. Kidnapping and other crimes increase during holiday seasons and before school sessions begin due to the belief that people are in possession of more cash for gifts and school fees.

Crimes against persons, including gender-based violence, remain a serious problem. Reliable statistics are difficult to come by; Haitian National Police (HNP) numbers indicating a modest drop in crime during 2012 were undercut by those from other security entities operating in-country that continued to show a steady rise since 2010. Haiti’s perennially weak judiciary exacerbates an already unsteady security environment.
9. Haiti

We continue the list of top ten countries with highest kidnapping rates with Haiti. The U.S. government rates Haiti as “Critical” in the threat categories of Crime and Political Violence. Haiti is unique in the Caribbean for its relative lack of tourism, scarcity of foreign investment, and inferior infrastructure. As a result, traditional tourist-oriented crimes, such as pickpocketing and purse snatching, are less reported than in other countries in the region.

The most frequently reported crimes against Americans in Port-au-Prince are carjackings, kidnappings, and robberies. Home invasions also remain an item of concern in some parts of Port-au-Prince. Kidnapping and other crimes increase during holiday seasons and before school sessions begin due to the belief that people are in possession of more cash for gifts and school fees.

Crimes against persons, including gender-based violence, remain a serious problem. Reliable statistics are difficult to come by; Haitian National Police (HNP) numbers indicating a modest drop in crime during 2012 were undercut by those from other security entities operating in-country that continued to show a steady rise since 2010. Haiti’s perennially weak judiciary exacerbates an already unsteady security environment.
8. Mexico

The latest public security report, (pdf, Spanish link) released by Mexico’s statistics bureau (INEGI) earlier this week, reveals the extent of the country’s rampant and virtually unpunished kidnapping problem. According to the report (p.21), a mind-boggling 105,682 kidnappings were committed in Mexico last year, of which an incredibly small 1,317 were reported to local or federal authorities. In other words, 99% of kidnappings in Mexico flew under the radar last year.
Many kidnappings are drug-related, and therefore often kept from authorities because victims involved in the drug trade want to avoid backlash or crackdowns on other offenses. But a good deal of the 100,000+ abductions went unreported on suspicion that nothing would be done, or worse, that more harm would come to the involved parties, according to local digital news site Animal Politico (link in Spanish). A survey taken by INEGI and included in the statistics bureau’s report found that millions of crime victims simply considered reporting crimes “a waste of time.”

Mexico’s local police are famously negligent when it comes to identifying, pursuing and reporting crimes. A study in 2011 (link in Spanish) found that Mexican police investigated a mere 4.5% of crimes. Even when detained, criminals are rarely convicted because of the country’s broken justice system—one which the US has been trying (and failing) to help Mexico with for years. Only 31% of those arrested on drug charges between 2006 and 2011 were actually convicted, according to a report (link in Spanish) released by Mexico’s attorney general’s office last year.

Mexico’s government is equally ineffective with murders, disappearances and other serious crimes. Less than 20% of roughly 4,000 disappearances in 2012 were reported, and 98% of murders last year went unsolved. The federal government only investigated 6% of all crimes in Mexico last year.
7. Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka faces a high degree of criminal activity around the country, especially in Colombo, its largest city and administrative capital of the Western Province. The majority of crimes are against Americans and other Westerners and are of petty variety (pickpockets, theft from hotel rooms, etc.). Many of these crimes are preventable if the traveler takes appropriate safeguards. Unfortunately, criminal threats run the spectrum, including murder, kidnapping, sexual harassment/assault, drug crimes, burglaries, counterfeiting (U.S. and Sri Lankan currency), and credit card fraud. Street hustlers or “touts” are common around the hotels, shopping centers, and tourist sites. American businesses have reported instances of threats and intimidation over business dealings and labor disputes.
6. India

Kidnapping in the India has just increased by rate of around 50% in the past few years. The children, the young guys and the girls, the rich companies’ employees are the greatest at risk of the kidnappings. Several highly publicized abductions and rape incidents involving tourists last year made headlines. One involved a 30-year-old American tourist who was offered a ride back to her hotel by three men. Instead, the men took her to a secluded spot and raped her. Poverty and inequality appear to be the biggest drivers of kidnapping and crime. The country’s poorer states, like Bihar, regularly account for a large share of kidnaps. Several larger criminal organizations and rebel groups also use abductions to augment their revenue streams.
5. Kyrgyzstan

They call it ala kachuu, or “grab and run.” In Kyrgyzstan, as many as 40% of ethnic Kyrgyz women are married after being kidnapped by the men who become their husbands, according to a local NGO. Two-thirds of these bride kidnappings are non-consensual—in some cases, a “kidnapping” is part of a planned elopment—and while the practice has been illegal since 1994, authorities largely look the other way. Typically, a would-be groom gathers a group of young men, and together they drive around looking for a woman he wants to marry. The unsuspecting woman is often literally dragged off the street, bundled into the car and taken straight to the man’s house—where frequently the family will have already started making preparations for the wedding.

Once the girls are inside the kidnapper’s home, female elders play a key role in persuading her to accept the marriage. They try to cover the girl’s head with a white scarf, symbolizing that she is ready to wed her kidnapper. After hours of struggle, around 84% of kidnapped women end up agreeing to the nuptials. (The rest manage to get back home.) The kidnapee’s parents often also pressure the girl, as once she has entered her kidnapper’s home she is considered to be no longer pure, making it shameful for her to return home. In order to avoid disgrace, many women tend to remain with their kidnappers.

At one time, the majority of marriages among Kyrgyz women were arranged by parents. Today, bride kidnapping is frighteningly common, and—although some kidnappings do create happy couples—marriages resulting from such incidents are also thought to cause significantly higher rates of domestic abuse, divorce, and suicide. Photographer Noriko Hayashi spent months visiting villages throughout Kyrgyzstan, and was sometimes able to witness and document the practice.
4. Nigeria

There is somewhat a tremendous increase in the kidnapping rate in the Nigeria for the past decade. More than around 1,800 people are just kidnapped annually so just making it kidnapping country more than the new cottage country. The global business is just far more in the developed countries and the Nigeria is just catching up fast. Kidnapping in the Nigeria does not only put the rich at the risk but also the poor, the old, the traders as well according to motive of the kidnappers. There is just need to have strict law enforcement and also check to eliminate the crime.
3. Iraq

Hostage-taking has become a particularly effective tactic. Terrorists crave an audience. With the spread of terrorism in the late twentieth century, audiences became inured to violence. Suicide bombings which might once have garnered headlines and commentary for a week now pass with bare mention. For a bombing or slaughter to win significant public attention, it must either target children—the Palestine Liberation Organization’s slaughter of school children in Ma’alot in 1974, or Chechen Jihadists seizure of a Beslan school thirty years later—or result in several thousand casualties, such as occurred in the East Africa embassy bombings in 1998 and on 9-11.

Kidnapping can bypass this dynamic by drawing out media attention and by allowing reporters to personalize the victim and humanize their story. For journalists, an assassination or bombing is anti-climatic; the press only begins its coverage after the operation has ended. But uncertainty about whether a hostage remains alive creates the suspense necessary for a good news story.

Terrorists and their sponsors have long exploited hostage-taking for political and diplomat gain. Hostage-taking rose to prominence with the 1979 seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran by radicals loyal to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. For 444 days, Khomeini’s followers held 52 American diplomats. While Washington did not offer concessions, the crisis brought immediate political benefit. They not only disrupted the bilateral rapprochement which had started three days earlier when the U.S. National Security Advisor met with Islamic Republic moderates in Algiers, but also used the crisis to purge the revolutionary movement of moderates.

Once the Islamic Republic released its hostages, the Western media ended its constant coverage of events in Iran and the grievances of the new government. The horrific deaths generated by the Iran-Iraq War received scant exposure in the West, nor did the various bombings, purges, and economic depression which marked the first year of the theocracy’s rule. The Islamic Re public reversed this neglect, though, when its terrorists proxies in Lebanon begin kidnapping Americans. As Tehran positioned itself as a channel for the release of the hostages, Washington again examined its bilateral problems with Iran. Tehran sought to leverage the hostages for diplomatic and material gain, although the affair ended badly in what became known as the Iran-Contra affair after Iranian authorities leaked word of the secret contacts to a Syrian newspaper.

Syrian president Hafez al-Assad followed the Iranian lead by using hostages seized by in Lebanon to bolster his own diplomatic position vis-à-vis the United States. After a U.S. investigation linked the Syrian government to the April 1983 bombing of the U.S. embassy in Beirut, Assad organized the release of the acting president of the American University of Beirut who had been kidnapped the previous year by a Syrian-backed group. The White House publicly thanked the Syrian government, rewarding its duplicitous behavior.

Assad likewise exploited the 1985 Syrian-orchestrated release of captured of U.S. Navy pilot Lieutenant Robert Goodman and passengers taken hostage on TWA flight 847 in order to paint himself as a rational peace-maker, rather than as a terror sponsor. His involvement in the release of hostages for whose seizure he was in part responsible enabled him to undercut diplomatic and perhaps military consequences for Syrian complicity in the 1983 U.S. Marine barracks bombing in Beirut and the TWA hijacking.

While many terrorists are backed by states, radical Islamism has changed the dynamics of terrorism. While some states still furnish jihadists and groups like al-Qaeda with aid, state sponsors of terrorism are less able to restrain Islamist groups to narrow diplomatic goals. “There is no truce in Jihad against the enemies of Allah,” Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, mastermind of the first World Trade Center bombing, declared. Jihadists have broader ideological goals that preclude compromise. Hostages become not pawns in a diplomatic struggle, but rather chits with which terrorists can both shock the outside world and appeal to their own constituency.

Whereas liberation movement terrorists seized hostages, they did not always seek to humiliate them. Islamist terrorists, however, humiliate those they perceive to be enemies as defined by their own intolerant definition of human worth.

ISIS emerged a decade ago as a small Iraqi affiliate of Al Qaeda, one that specialized in suicide bombings and inciting Iraq’s Sunni Muslim minority against the country’s Shiite majority. The network regenerated after 2011 amidst Iraq’s growing violence and the depravities of Syria’s civil war. This year,ISIS has conquered cities, oil fields, and swaths of territory in both Syria and Iraq. The movement draws its strength from Sunni Arab communities bitterly opposed to the Shiite-led government in Baghdad and the Alawite-dominated regime in Damascus, led by Bashar al-Assad. They are now kidnapping Western human rights workers as well as journalists and holding them ransom. When the government fails to pay, they do a public beheading.
2. Somalia

Poverty is stark in Somalia. The country doesn’t have a government strong enough to stop the crime. Those two things have helped make kidnapping foreigners and seizing foreign ships common in and around this anarchic state.

Somalia and neighboring Kenya rank ninth in the world for kidnapping threats, according to the British-based company AKE, which tracks threats across the world. (Somali waters, where piracy has been a persistent problem, rank fifth.) Between October and December 2011, an average of two people were kidnapped a month and held for an average of 90 days, according to AKE data.

Kidnapping aid workers has only worsened the challenges for aid agencies trying to deliver food to starving Somalis. Three years ago, the British think tank Overseas Development Institute calculated that 41 out of every 1,000 United Nations workers in Somalia were attacked in some way, including kidnapping and other threats.

Somalis get kidnapped too, said Abdi Samatar, a geography professor at the University of Minnesota. Those cases just don’t get the same attention as ones involving foreigners.

Kidnappings can sometimes turn deadly: David Tebbutt, a 58-year-old Briton, was shot to death by Somali gunmen in a Kenyan coastal resort. Marie Dedieu, a 66-year-old Frenchwoman living in Kenya, died after being abducted and taken to Somalia.
1. Afghanistan

200,000. It’s what a Westerner goes for in Kandahar Province. That, at least, was what my traveling companion, an opium smuggler and mid-ranking member of the Afghan Border Police, admitted to me after a few rounds of cheap whiskey once we had crossed back over into Pakistan. Last year, I spent eleven days living as his guest in the border town of Spin Boldak, in Kandahar Province. During that visit, a group of criminals, hearing about me, offered my host $200,000 to kidnap me. He’s just some kid, my host told them in return, and besides, he’s our guest.

As we mark the 300th day of captivity of French journalists Stéphane Taponier and Hervé Ghesquière and their three Afghan colleagues, Mohamed Reza, Ghulam, and Satar, I recall those times in Afghanistan when, faced with a moment of danger, my heart dropped through my stomach and I thought myself: “What was I thinking? Nothing could have possibly been worth what’s about to happen to me.”

Working in a war zone entails the risk of death or injury, but the most frightening scenario is surely being kidnapped, for the drawn-out anguish it would cause one’s loved ones. In the case of Taponier and Ghesquière, who were kidnapped in Kapisa Province in December 2009, their friends and family have mobilized a publicity campaign with the cooperation of French media, intended to pressure their kidnappers and the French government into negotiating their release.

As with most other things in Afghanistan, the security conditions for journalists there have gotten worse in recent years. Every time I return I find new places, formerly safe, where now even veteran journalists hesitate to go — this summer, it was parts of Ghor, Kunduz, and Baghlan provinces. Of course journalists aren’t the only ones in danger, as there are thousands of aid workers, diplomats, journalists, and contractors, who face the same risks, not to mention an entire country of innocents who were not given any choice in the matter.

Much of the threat is simply criminal. There is a burgeoning kidnapping industry in Afghanistan, part of the conflict economy that has been fed by tens of billions of dollars the international forces and community have pumped into the country since 2001. Most kidnappings end either in the payment of a ransom or the death of the hostage, and ransoms for foreigners can approach half a million dollars — though it’s wealthy Afghans who are most often the victims.

These kidnapping gangs often have links with those in positions of power. There are currently two parliamentary candidates in Kabul, both infamous former jihadi commanders, who have well-known connections to kidnapping groups (one of them looks very likely to win a seat.) The Canadian journalist

Melissa Fung was kidnapped by one such a group of criminals and held for 28 days.
Holding an abducted foreigner hostage can be quite difficult, however, as, unlike in the case of Afghans, significant military and political pressure will be brought to bear by the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and the Afghan government to find and free them. Petty criminals will therefore sell a kidnap victim up the chain to groups with the muscle to hang on to them, often meaning they are transferred across the border to Pakistan, and into the hands of the Taliban.

The other cause of the rising threat to journalists has been the growing fragmentation of the insurgency. This is partly because the expansion of the Taliban has resulted in the inclusion of all sorts of diverse groups in the insurgency, some little more than bandits who use the name ‘Taliban’ as a cover for their money-making activities. No one really knows who is who anymore. When eight foreign aid workers were murdered in cold blood in Badakhshan in August, their killings were in fact denounced by the local Taliban spokesman.

10 Inspiring Personalities Who You Should Follow On Twitter

2014-10-10T19:53:00.001+01:00

Soraya Chemaly (@schemaly)

Chemaly has written about gender in politics, media, and society for the Guardian, CNN, TIME, the Nation and more. Many of her tweets give pause--and as a journalist on gender, race, and politics, the knack for finding new angles shows in her social media presence.

John Maeda (@johnmaeda)

The former president of the Rhode Island School of Design brings together art and computer science. Now a design partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Maeda champions the intersection of STEM and art. Follow him if you like your tech tempered with artistic insights.

Jill Filipovic (@JillFilipovic)

A scroll through lawyer and senior Cosmopolitan political writer Jill Filopovic's feed will have you cheering "You tell 'em!" when she takes on the trolls. She tweets about gender equality, reproductive rights, and current events.

Caterina Fake (@Caterina)

The cofounder of Flickr is also a mom ("You aren't my sunshine" she tweets on behalf of her angry four-year-old), and has a lot to say about subjects ranging from feminism to art and tech.

Andrew Bachelor (@KingBach)

Among the memes and pizza emoji, viral Vine celebrity King Bach tweets poignant motivational gems. Followers are laughing out loud one moment, and thinking about their life's purpose the next. He made Fast Company's MCP list for packing smart hilarity into six-second videos, and earning millions of followers along the way.

Simon Sinek (@simonsinek)

This author and leadership expert won't fill your feed with self-promotion, but shares engaging thoughts and quotes. Sinek's latest TED talk on leadership is also worth a listen.

Imani Perry (@ImaniPerry)

As a professor at Princeton Center for African American Studies, Perry delivers hard-to-verbalize thoughts with grace, mixed with an occasional peek into her personal life.

Beth Comstock (@bethcomstock)

Comstock uses Twitter mainly for curation of articles on science, health, and technology. The CMO of GE has mastered the service-tweet, sharing what she's reading and finds fascinating around the Internet.

Jeanette Jenkins (@JenetteJenkins)

If you're scrolling through Twitter in bed instead of getting up for a pre-work run, Jenkins is your personal pep-talker--who also happens to be a celebrity fitness trainer.

Kid President (@iamkidpresident)

When you're feeling jaded, Kid President gives a shot of innocence, fun, and poignance. The video series and website started in 2012 and is run by Brad Montague and his 10-year-old brother-in-law Robby, Kid President's only campaigning agenda is to spread a little joy, and the occasional kick in the pants.

BONUS FOLLOWS: @DennysDiner, @TacoBell, @Oreo

If you're looking for inspiration for your own Twitter presence, these brands are doing it right. You probably won't find any motivational quotes or deep thoughts on leadership from pancakes, cookies, or taco, but they're tweeting master classes of honing a "voice" online.

Court Martial: EU rejects death sentences

2014-10-10T08:20:00.000+01:00

The European Union (EU) has rejected the death sentence handed to 12 Nigerian soldiers by the General Court Martial in Nigeria for alleged mutiny.

The EU in a statement issued yesterday on the occasion of the World Day against Death Penalty condemned all death sentences especially after mass trials as was the case with the Nigerian soldiers.

The union, headed by Secretary-General, Mr. Thorbjørn Jagland, argued that execution had stopped in that region of the world for close to two decades

According to the statement: “On the European and World Day against the Death Penalty, the European Union and the Council of Europe reaffirm their strong and absolute opposition to capital punishment in all cases and under all circumstances, and their commitment to its worldwide abolition.

“We are deeply concerned about setbacks in some countries, such as recent mass trials leading to a vast number of death sentences. No execution has taken place in our member states in the last 17 years.

The European Union and the Council of Europe welcome the fact that all Member States of the European Union have now ratified both Protocols 6 and 13 to the European Convention on Human Rights, and urge all other European States that have not yet done so to sign and ratify these instruments which aim at the abolition of the death penalty.”

Iggy Azalea Reveals ‘Reclassified’ Cover Art

2014-10-09T22:24:00.000+01:00

Iggy Azalea will cap off her banner year with a re-release of her debut The New Classic. The Aussie rap sensation took to Instagram to reveal the title, Reclassified, and cover art, on which she dons a colorful Pucci bodysuit in an outtake from her New Classic packaging shoot.

“Since You guys gave me 100million views I’m gonna go ahead and drop this on you as a Thankyou. #ComingSoon,” she told her fans.

Reclassified will arrive later this year featuring six new songs including a collaboration with Ellie Goulding, which is featured in the trailer for 20th Century Fox’s Kingsman: The Secret Service.

The New Classic debuted at No. 3 upon its release in April. It has spawned the No. 1 hit “Fancy” featuring Charli XCX and Rita Ora-assisted single “Black Widow,” which moves 4-3 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week.

Last night, Iggy performed at Vevo CERTIFIED’s SuperFanFest, which will air October 16 on the video channel.