NEWS TRENDS

Ghanaian Movies Banned In Nigeria

2012-06-27T09:25:00.001-07:00

Several news reports from Nigeria suggest that there is a pending ban on the sale and distribution of Ghanaian movies in that country.

The reports also state that a group of Nigerian movie producers is lacing its boots to storm Ghana to demand royalty payments from all television stations that air Nigerian films without obtaining permission from the original producers.
“Starting from the first week of August (2012), no Ghanaian film will be allowed to enter the Nigerian market again. We have resolved that no Ghanaian film will be distributed within our controlled market.
Our Ghanaian counterparts have long stopped distributing our films in their country, and given this development, we have no choice than to reciprocate the gesture,” the reports quoted the Onitsha branch chairman of the Film, Video Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria (FVPMAN), Uzo Godson Nwosu.
The reports said FVPMAN had also resolved that any of its members who failed to comply with this new order would either be prosecuted or have their goods confiscated by the association.
Uzo Godson Nwosu said this position was taken after the association’s general meeting last weekend in Onitsha.
What is not certain is how this development would affect Ghanaian based movie production firms that are owned and controlled by Nigerians; and whether movies from such Nigerian producers based in Ghana would be allowed into the Nigerian market, especially when they mostly have a mixed cast of actors from both countries.
This may also affect the fortunes of Ghanaian actors who get roles in Nigeria.
The likes of Jackie Appiah, Majid Michel, John Dumelo, Kalsum Sinare, Nadia Buari and several others may have a challenge getting roles from Nigerian-based producers.
Interestingly, Ghanaian movie producers and distributors are yet to comment about the development publicly.
A few of them who decided to speak with NEWS-ONE said they did not care much because they hardly sold their movies in Nigeria.
“We should rather be the ones who are angry because most of us do not sell in Nigeria so if this happens they would be losers and not us,” they noted.
Meanwhile, the Film Distributors Association in Ghana, based in Opera, Accra, is already facing a difficult challenge, with various members openly refusing to obey the association’s rules of releasing movies into the market.
Several movie producers from Kumasi and Brong Ahafo for instance have decided to break away from the association and set their own rules and regulations for releasing movies into the market.
The breakaway group has accordingly formed a new association which regulates the release of their movies.
Award-winning producer Leila Djansi is also leading another group of producers to boycott the Opera Square-based association which she has described as a “wicked mafia with an empty importance”.
The Film Producers Association of Ghana (FIPAG), led by veteran actor Augustine Abbey aka Idikoko, is also almost on its knees with deep disagreements among its executive members.
Reports said its spokesperson and Public Relations Officer, Socrates Safo of Movie Africa already had a leg outside the association, though he was yet to officially tender in his resignation letter.
The complaints have generally bordered on alleged dictatorial tendencies on the part of Idikoko and lack of transparency in handling the association’s funds.

Nigeria: Chris Okotie Divorces Wife Number Two

2012-06-27T09:23:00.001-07:00

Glamour pastor, Reverend Chris Okotie, once again, is hitting the waves on yet another controversial note. He seems to have blended sufficiently well with controversies that whenever such social storms blow, he manages to emerge unruffled, and soon trudges on in life, as if he was never fazed by life's little hiccups.
But rather than get flustered, the worry this time, seems more from the members of his congregation at the Household of God Church, Oregun, Lagos, whom he openly told last Sunday, during church service, that "the union is not working," as a passing explanation for the absence of his now separated wife, Stephanie, from the church.
Not a few of the members of his church were shell-shocked and speechless when the funky pastor, who has over time been known for his controversial lifestyle, announced that he has broken up with Stephanie Henshaw, his second wife of four years.
According to him, "Stephanie and I are no longer married. We have separated. You can see she's not in church today. It's due to irreconcilable differences and you should please respect our wishes at this time", stressing that, "because there is no going back."
The congregation was bemused. Although unvoiced, many must have exclaimed in their minds, "again?" Controversy had precipitated Okotie's attempt to get married to Stephanie, a widow and mother of three, after he had divorced his first wife, Tina, who now lives in the United States of America.
The General Overseer of the Lagos-based church came to the attention of the public as a student with his I Need Someone track in the 80s, which became a monster hit. The single held night clubs spellbound for years. Ever since, the funky pop star-turned-pastor has remained a permanent feature on celebrity circuit in the country.
His claim to fame stepped up a notch when he joined partisan politics, seeking to become the president of the country under a party he formed - Fresh Democratic Party (FDP). As a politician, he served mostly as an entertainer, with his lofty and grandiloquent English at party conventions and campaigns, an idiosyncracy that earned him as much laughter as applause. Although he has never made an appreciable showing in the two presidential elections he has contested, his party (the FDP) won a seat in the Delta State House of Assembly a few years ago.
Just like his failed presidential bids, the entries on his marital life report have equally not been cheering. Given his charm, elan and panache, Okotie is generally believed to be a ladies' man, an attribute that some might conclude conflicts with the Pentecostal genre. But he had managed to beat down (not very successfully though) scandals and rumours surrounding his private life.
So when he chose to "separate" from his campus lover and eventual wife, Tina, in 1998, many sympathised with him especially as the story pushed out was that there was a conflict over the choice on running the ministry here in Nigeria with relocating to the US, as allegedly preferred by Tina. Eventually, Tina moved to the US while Chris continued to pastor his flock in Lagos. That effectively brought down the curtain on the 16-year-old marriage to his first wife.
Ten years later, August 2008, to be precise, he remarried, this time to Stephanie at a colourful ceremony in Lagos. In telling fanfare, the socialite pastor was decked out in a regal Urhobo outfit on that day, all in a bid to express his joy over his marriage to Stephanie.
Despite the protestation from church and family members against a cleric of Okotie's standing marrying a divorcee or widow, Okotie was purported to have said he was doing God's bidding, who had directed him into the marriage with Stephanie. Who could controvert the declaration of a MoG (Man of God)? Okotie had his way and married Stephanie.
While justifying his marriage to Stephanie at the time as against Biblical injunctions forbidding divorcees from re-marrying, he had argued, "There is a difference between a man abandoned by his wife and the one that divorces. The only thing that breaks a relationship is a divorce and even when there's a divorce, the Bible says you can re-marry."
According to reports, Okotie had during a press conference, said his new bride was destined to marry him from birth and that people really did not appreciate what love is. He said he began 'walking closely' with Stephanie in 1999, a year after his divorce and he had asked her to marry him many times. "She was not particularly certain whether it was what God wanted for her. So I had a situation where I had to get the Lord to persuade her that he is part of this agreement," he had said
But last Sunday, the cookie, once again, crumbled as the clergyman himself announced that things had fallen apart and that the centre could no longer hold. He followed this with a plea that the decision should be respected because they had mutually crossed the rubicon.
Besides, the divorce is now raising questions as to whether Okotie actually heard from God or if it was God that misled him. Now saddled with the reputation of not being able to keep his home together, his ability to serve as a good marriage counsellor to younger and intending couples is being called to question.
While Okotie is divorcing for the second time, Stephanie has now been married three times and has three children from her first two marriages. The breakup also puts an end to the dream twin babies that Okotie had expected her to deliver someday.
Now that Okotie has established himself as a man who flirted with marriage twice, will he someday remarry again? And what will happen to his claims of hearing from God. That perhaps is the harder part in this drama of reconciling a reverend pastor and a man no different from the rest of his congregation.

Jay-Z’s surprise for sister-in-law

2012-06-27T09:15:00.004-07:00

Jay-Z showered Solange Knowles with birthday surprises in the early hours of Sunday morning (24.06.12).

The '99 Problems' hitmaker had been celebrating his headline set at the BBC Radio 1 Hackney Weekend music event backstage on Saturday (23.06.12) with friends and family including Solange, his wife Beyonce Knowles, Rihanna and M.I.A. but he made sure his sister-in-law's special day didn't go unnoticed as soon as the clock struck midnight.

He presented her with cake and champagne and led a chorus of 'Happy Birthday', much to Solange's shock.

A source told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "It was really sweet. Solange hadn't even noticed that it had turned 12am when Jay got everybody singing together. She was really touched."

Earlier in the day, Solange and her sibling Beyonce had enjoyed a relaxing day at the festival before watching Jay-Z take to the stage.

Alongside a picture of herself and her sister with beaming smiles, Solange tweeted: "We. Are. Family."

The birthday celebrations will have come as light relief following an incident earlier in the evening when Jay-Z's bodyguards were allegedly involved in a "ruckus" at BBC Radio 1's Hackney Weekend after someone insulted Beyonce.

The rapper's entourage reportedly "piled in" on a man after he upset the rapper's wife backstage at the London music event.

A source said "Someone in the entourage said something to Beyonce to really upset her.

"Jay-Z's bouncers moved in and there was a massive ruckus. Things really kicked off as his heavies all piled in on the guy." - Bang Showbiz

Brown: I didn’t start the brawl

2012-06-27T09:14:00.003-07:00

Chris Brown feels “really sorry” for the people who were injured in his fight with Drake.

The 23-year-old singer was involved in a brawl with Drake at a nightclub in New York on June 14 and while he wishes to pass on his regret about the incident – in which sports star Tony Parker sustained an injury to his eye - he claims he did not start it.

A source said: “Chris is really sorry and feels bad for the people who were injured at the club when all that s**t went down and wishes he could apologise to everyone that was injured there, even homeboy Tony Parker.

“He’s upset and feels bad for everyone but at the end of the day people need to remember that he was injured too and beyond that, he didn’t even instigate or start any of the bulls**t.”

Drake is believed to have started the fight when his entourage sent a note to Chris about his ex-girlfriend Rihanna.

The source added to HollywoodLife.com: “You see what happens when you let some ignorant asses in a club with new money. Some bulls**t always pops off and regular people, innocent people, who had nothing to do with anything, who just came to the club for a good time, end up getting hurt. So damn sad.”

As a result of the crawl, both Chris and Drake have been offered $1-million to continue their feud in a boxing ring.

Celebrity boxing promoter Damon Feldman claims billionaire Alki David wants to see the pair settle the differences in a public fight. - Bang Showbiz

Jackson brothers honour Michael

2012-06-27T09:11:00.000-07:00

Michael Jackson's brothers Tito and Jackie held a dinner on the third anniversary of his death.

The musicians held the event for 25 close friends and band members at Italian restaurant Canaletto in New York, before heading to the Apollo Theater to rehearse for a sold out show with brothers Marlon and Jermaine.

A source told the New York Post newspaper: "Most of the guests were band members who will perform at the Apollo.

"They a had big, glorious dinner before heading to Harlem to rehearse for the sold-out performance."

The third anniversary of Michael's death came on June 25, and fans sent 10,000 roses to Forest Lawn Memorial Park where he is buried with $30,000 being collected for the gift from fans using social media sites.

The Jackson brothers - who were originally known as The Jackson 5 - are preparing to perform for the first time without Michael, and admit they can "feel the sorrow" performing their old songs without him.

Tito said: "There's certain songs that make you feel the sorrow.

"Then again, there are other songs that bring so much joy and happiness, such as 'ABC' and 'I Want You Back' and the up-tempo stuff like 'This Place Hotel.'

"I just imagine how he used to walk and spin and do all these things. You can feel his presence here."

Michael died from acute Propofol intoxication on June 25, 2009 at the age of 50. - Bang Showbiz

Euro Cup 2012: Why Ronaldo led Portugal would lose against Spain

2012-06-27T09:09:00.002-07:00

It will be an all Iberian affair in the first semifinal of Euro 2012 which would be played between neighbours Portugal and Spain. But will the charismatic Cristiano Ronaldo take his side to the Euro 2012 final against the star studded Spaniards?

‘La Furia Roja’ have had their shares of troubles in the Euro 2012, yet they have been able to dominate their opponents whenever they played, and in the semi-finals the only trouble that they would be anticipating is Cristiano Ronaldo. The Spaniards are definitely the favourite to advance to the final.

Here are two reasons why the defending Spain champions Spain would reach the final of Euro 2012:

A tight defense capable to strangle CR7

Though Cristiano Ronaldo has inspired Portugal to two good victories with three goals in the past two matches, he was a visibly frustrated figure in the early part of the tournament. His distrust to pass the ball to his teammates was evident as he went about possessing the ball when the need of the hour was to stitch together a play. He also vented out his frustrations openly whenever he was not given the ball, and as a captain, that is a very concerning thing to do. Also he was up against the defenses of the Danes, Dutch and Czechs, none known for their solid backline.

But here, CR7 will have to deal with quality, quality defense probably up to the mark of CR7 ‘s class. The centre-backs Gerard Pique and Sergio Ramos are the top notch players one could find in the world and along with them, the likes of his Madrid teammate Alvaro Arbeloa and Jordi Alba in the flanks it would be a tough ask for Ronaldo to get the ball in for his teammates. Also, the combo of Sergio Ramos and the clever Sergio Busquets has the capability to shun the Real Madrid star from the game altogether.

The Spanish Tiki-Taka

The famous Spanish style of play had France on the mat. The French side who had a better showing than Portugal in the tournament did not even manage a proper shot on goal even after having the likes of Ribery, Benzema and in the second half Nasri. So, to expect the Portugal attack, mainly comprising off Ronaldo will get through the Spanish wall; will be optimism of highest order. The trouble would be, even if Ronaldo, Nani and Moutinho get themselves a goal, the Spanish forwards are just too strong for Portugese back four to contain. Like they did against France, Spain would frustrate Portugal with their back and forth passing game and would constantly put the pressure on their Iberian neighbours eventually getting a goal. From then on, the passing would continue with less of the attacking flair but with more and more of ball possession till the stipulated time. Portugal’s only hope of getting themselves ahead of the Spaniards will be to attack through the flanks with Nani and CR7.

Nigeria's Boko Haram frees 40 inmates in prison break

2012-06-24T10:57:00.001-07:00

Nigeria's deadly Islamic sect BokoHaram on Sunday announced the "martyrdom" of its top leader accused of masterminding a Christmas day church suicide attack that killed 44 people, even as the group launched a daring jailbreakand freed 40 inmates.

During prison attack, Boko Harammembers threw explosives at the prison gates and shot at prison guards before making their way into the jail in Yobe State.

State police Commissioner Patrick Egbuniwe confirmed that 40 inmates were freed during the jail break.

"The sect members entered the prison through the emir's palace and freed 40 persons. They were confronted by the military but they carried away their members shot by the military, " he said.

Earlier the radical sect confirmed the death of Habibu Bama, who was accused of masterminding a Christmas day church suicide attack, by the country's security forces.

"We are happy for Habibu Bama's martyrdom," Boko Haram said of its member who was a former soldier in a brief statement.

Nigeria's secret police, State Security Service (SSS), engaged the sect in a gun battle within the city last week after which it was announced that they had captured Bama.

Bama was declared wanted after the Christmas day bombing at St Theresa's Catholic Church in Madalla near the country's capital, Abuja, killed 44 people.

He was also accused of being involved last June's attack of police headquarters and August bombing of United Nations headquarters in Abuja.

Boko Haram says its plan is to install Islamic rule in the country of 150 million people divided equally among Christians and Muslims.

Islamist joy as Morsy elected Egypt president

2012-06-24T10:55:00.002-07:00

CAIRO (Reuters) - Islamist Mohamed Morsy was declared Egypt's first freely elected president on Sunday, sparking joy among his Muslim Brotherhood supporters on the streets who vowed to continue a struggle to take power from the generals who retain ultimate control.

Morsy defeated former general Ahmed Shafik in a run-off last weekend by a convincing 3.5 percentage points, or nearly 900,000 votes, taking 51.7 percent of the total, officials said, ending a week of disputes over the count which left nerves frayed.

He succeeds Hosni Mubarak, who was overthrown 16 months ago after a popular uprising. The military council which has ruled the biggest Arab nation since then has this month curbed the powers of the presidency, meaning the head of state will have to work closely with the army on a planned democratic constitution.

Brotherhood officials, speaking as supporters turned Cairo's Tahrir Square into a roaring sea of flags and chants of "Allahu akbar!" (God is greatest), said they would press on with protest vigils to demand that the ruling military council cancel this month's dissolution of the Islamist-led parliament and a decree which gave the generals powers that will restrict the president.

"Speak! Have no fear! The military must go!" crowds chanted on Tahrir Square, seat of the Arab Spring revolution which prompted fellow officers to push Mubarak aside to appease the protesters.

There were some isolated scuffles in parts of Cairo between rival groups. Several hundred Shafik supporters in the middle-class suburb of Nasr City chanted "Save Egypt! The Brotherhood will destroy it!", while soldiers tried to keep traffic moving.

Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, who heads the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), called to congratulate the 60-year-old Morsy on his victory, state television said.

How these two men cooperate will determine Egypt's uncertain path from revolution to democracy and its relations with anxious Arab and Western allies: Tantawi was Mubarak's defense minister for 20 years and has been close to the Pentagon; Morsy, jailed more than once under the old regime, has a doctorate in engineering from the University of Southern California.

PROTESTS GO ON

"Morsy is the first truly democratically elected president in Egypt," Brotherhood official Yasser Ali told Reuters.

"He has the legitimacy and will sit down with the military council and all the political forces to resolve the outstanding issues over parliament and the constitutional decree and the newly imposed emergency law."

Another official at the movement's headquarters, Gihad Haddad, said demonstrations would also continue to press the army: "The peaceful protests will continue in the squares and across Egypt. The struggle for a new Egypt is just beginning."

Those who voted for Shafik as a bulwark against a religious rule that they fear will mean intolerance and alienation from the West were fearful: businessman Maged Abdel Wadud, 45, who had gathered with others at a hotel hoping to greet a victorious Shafik said: "This is a very bad day for Egypt.

"I am so so upset. I can't imagine this man becoming a president of Egypt. This is the beginning of the end for Egypt."

Western powers, and Israel, have been concerned about the Islamist turn in Egypt. But Washington and Europe, both big aid donors, have also pressed the military to accept democracy, while urging the Brotherhood to respect all Egyptians' rights.

"This is a truly historic moment for Egypt - a triumph over the politics of fear and prejudice," a senior Western diplomat said in Cairo. "Egypt has a civilian, democratically elected president for the first time in its history. The Muslim Brotherhood are far from a perfect organization, but Morsy's election represents a genuine result for the revolution."

He said he did not expect the movement to push its complaints so far as to provoke the military council to react and take from the presidency those powers it still has:

"The Muslim Brotherhood will take what they've got - a prize unimaginable to them 18 months ago," the diplomat said. "An imperfect presidency is way better than none at all.

"It's part of the new and delicate act of political compromise, part of Egypt's new cohabitation."

LIBERALS CAUTIOUS

Half of those who voted in last month's first round of the election backed neither Morsy nor Shafik and many who voted in the run-off voted negatively - either against Morsy's religious agenda or against Shafik as a symbol of military rule.

Liberal member of parliament Amr Hamzawy said on Twitter: "I salute the elected president and I say to him that he faces a great mission: reassuring the 48 percent of the citizens who did not give their votes to him and that he becomes a president for all Egyptians, and he must guarantee democracy."

Alaa Al-Aswany, a novelist and liberal activist, tweeted: "Congratulations to the Egyptian people, congratulations to President Mohamed Morsy. I hope he keeps all of his promises.

"The will of the people was able to bring down the old regime once again. A salute to the revolution."

For Morsy, a U.S.-educated engineer who spent time in jail under Mubarak, a spokesman said: "This is a testament to the resolve of the Egyptian people to make their voice heard."

Shafik, a former air force commander and Mubarak's last prime minister, offered no immediate reaction. He has said he would offer to serve in a Morsy administration.

Morsy won the first round ballot in May with a little under a quarter of the vote. He has pledged to form an inclusive government to appeal to the many Egyptians, including a large Christian minority, who are anxious over religious rule.

"President Morsy will struggle to control the levers of state," Elijah Zarwan, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said in Cairo.

"He will likely face foot-dragging and perhaps outright attempts to undermine his initiatives from key institutions. Faced with such resistance, frustration may tempt him to fall into the trap of attempting to throw his new weight around," Zarwan told Reuters. "This would be a mistake.

"His challenge is to lead a bitterly divided, fearful, and angry population toward a peaceful democratic outcome, without becoming a reviled scapegoat for continued military rule."

ISLAMIC RENAISSANCE

Morsy has promised a moderate Islamist agenda to steer Egypt into a new democratic era where autocracy will be replaced by transparent government that respects human rights and revives the fortunes of a powerful Arab state long in decline. Morsy is promising an "Egyptian renaissance with an Islamic foundation".

Yet the stocky, bespectacled party official appears something of an accidental president: he was only flung into the race at the last moment by the disqualification on a technicality of Khairat al-Shater, the group's preferred choice.

With a stiff and formal style, Morsy cast himself as a reluctant latecomer to the race, who cited religious fear of judgment day as one of his reasons for running. He struggled to shake off his label as the Brotherhood's "spare tire".

Questions remain over the extent to which Morsy will operate independently of other Brotherhood leaders once in office: his manifesto was drawn up by the group's policymakers. The role Shater might play has been one focus of debate in Egypt.

"I will treat everyone equally and be a servant of the Egyptian people," Morsy said at his campaign headquarters in Cairo shortly after polling ended last Sunday.

But many Egyptians, not least the Christian minority, remain suspicious of Morsy and even more so of the group he represents. Anti-Brotherhood sentiment, fuelled by both a hostile media and some of the group's policies, has soared in recent weeks.

Turnout was only 51.8 percent of the 50 million-strong electorate, slightly up on the first round but indicative still of a nation unused to having its voice heard without risking punishment and uncertain of the worth of the candidates.

(Additional reporting by Marwa Awad, Tamim Elyan, Tom Perry, Edmund Blair and Patrick Werr; Writing by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Edmund Blair and Philippa Fletcher)

Egypt Set to Announce Presidential Election Results

2012-06-24T04:38:00.000-07:00

gyptians learn the winner of a divisive presidential election Sunday.

The official results were supposed to be released Thursday, but the election commission said it needed more time to investigate fraud allegations by both candidates - Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi and former prime minister Ahmed Shafiq.

Egyptian officials have deployed extra security forces to Cairo streets and key state institutions ahead of the announcement of the election results scheduled for 3 p.m. local time.

Supporters of both men have threatened a backlash should their candidate lose.

Thousands of Egyptians held rallies in central Cairo late Saturday amid tight security to show support for both candidates.

Muslim Brotherhood supporters rallied in Cairo's Tahrir Square, the heart of the 16-month uprising, chanting their support for Morsi, while Shafiq's supporters gathered near the memorial of the unknown soldier.

Whoever wins, the new president will emerge with fewer powers than the candidates had expected when the army promised to hand over power to civilian rule by July 1.

The ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces recently carried out a series of moves aimed at solidifying its power, including the court-ordered dissolution of the Islamist-dominated parliament. The council also declared an interim constitution that gives its generals and the courts final say over much domestic and foreign policy, as well as the process to create a new, permanent constitution.

Some information for this report was provided by AP.

Nigeria: Family of Six Killed in Jos

2012-06-24T04:23:00.001-07:00

A family of six including a six month old child and a 70-year old grandmother were yesterday brutally murdered by gunmen at Kumpun village in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State.

In Lokoja, capital of Kogi State, the police command has discovered a hideout in Koto - Karfe area of the state where guns were being locally manufactured.

In Kano State, the Joint Military Taskforce, JTF, also yesterday discovered a high calibre Improvised Explosive Devise, IED, in the premises of Waje Friday Jumat Mosque in Fagge Local Government Area of the state. The JTF also arrested four persons while allegedly trying to plant the bomb in the mosque.

This was even as there was pandemonium in the Zone 5 area of Abuja, yesterday evening, following a bomb scare, with some offices in the ever-busy environment quickly evacuating as business men and women also hurriedly closed shops and residents scampered for safety.

Policemen from bomb disposal unit packing defused home made bombs made from cans of soft drinks.

In Minna, Niger State capital and environs, business activities were also temporarily disrupted yesterday afternoon as rumour of attacks by members of an Islamic sect, Boko-Haram filtered into town. The rumour which started barely an hour to the Friday Juma'at Mosque climaxed as some shop owners closed shops for the day's business while many traders at the Kure ultra modern market and other markets around the metropolis also hurriedly followed suit.

However, six other people were injured in Plateau State when the assailants suspected to be Fulani herdsmen and said to have numbered over 30 stormed the village at about 3.30am wielding guns and machetes.

An eyewitness said the attackers killed six members of the Dakibang family in their sleep and injured two other members of the family who were hit with machetes as they tried to escape before moving to other houses in the village where they injured four other people.

They reportedly shot sporadically while some of them attacked those trying to escape with dangerous weapons and operated for about two hours before escaping through a bush path.

Security men to whom distress calls were made allegedly arrived at the village an hour after the attackers had gone.

Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr. John Clark Dabwang who visited the affected village to commiserate with them described the attack as barbaric and wicked.

He wondered why people would hack down fellow human beings in cold blood and appealed for calm among the people urging them not to carry out reprisals.

Spokesman for the Plateau State Police Command, Deputy Superintendent Emmanuel Abuh confirmed the attack and the six killed adding that investigations were on to track down the perpetrators.In Kano State, the Waje Friday Mosque lies within the expanse of land that separate the predominantly Christian quarters and the indigenous Hausa.

Bomb found in Kano mosque

A statement by JTF spokesman made available to Saturday Vanguard in Kano, Lt Ikediche Iweha stated:

"The attention of the general public is hereby drawn to the latest desperate and despicable tactics employed by members of the terrorist sect aimed at causing public disorder and riots in the name of religion. This afternoon, June 22, 2012, at about 2pm, the attention of the JTF was called by a careful Nigerian to a suspicious package at a mosque in Fagge area just before the Friday prayers. Upon examination, the package turned out to be an IED planted by terrorists to cause death and grievous harm to worshippers at the Jum'mat prayers.

"This latest attempt is particularly disturbing in view of the wider implication it would have had on the fragile peace in Kano and the disruption of economic activities it would have brought with it. It is also equally disturbing in view of the recent events in parts of Kaduna State to which Kano boarders."

Similarly, the Police Public Relation Officer in the state, DSP Rilwanu Tanimu confirmed the arrest of the four suspects stressing that they were apprehended after they abandoned the IED stocked in a polythene bag.

Taminu further explained that a comprehensive investigation has begun on the matter, adding that the four suspects were in their custody.

Bomb scare in Abuja

As usual with such situations, there were several versions to the cause of the scare with some people saying that a bag dropped from a moving vehicle and those by the road side took to their heels.

Another version had it that a bag was dropped near an eatery in the area where several government offices, and private businesses as well as, the ruling Peoples' Democratic Party, PDP, had their headquarters.

Some eyewitnesses said they saw a suspicious bag between Top View Hotel and the headquarters of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps office in the area and concluded that it could be an explosive.

The headquarters of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, is located on the other side of the road leading to Alvan Ikoku Way. The incident which occurred between about 3pm and 5 pm caused traffic gridlock in the area as one lane had to be closed to traffic.

However, when Anti-Bomb Policemen visited the place, it was confirmed that there no explosive in the said bag.

Locally manufactured arms

The Kogi State police Commissioner, Muhammed Katsina who briefed newsmen over the incident said three persons, (names withheld), were arrested at the factory where locally made guns were being manufactured.

Katsina said, the trio who had already confessed to have manufactured guns of different categories for men of the underworld were arrested by detectives who swooped on them at their workshop following a tip off.

According to Katsina, 10 locally made single- barreled guns, one locally made double barreled gun, two manufacturing machines and a gas cylinder were recovered at the "arms workshop."

He further said the state command also arrested two persons, aged 25 and 26 in connection with the kidnapping of a teenage girl, Racheal Bulus from Jos.

The girl who was a Face book friend of Haruna travelled to see him only for the two to detain her and call her father asking for N200,000 ransom. The duo according to the police boss were arrested while trying to withdraw the money from their bank account in Ogane Iyale, Dekina Local Government of the state

Traders scamper in Minna over rumour of attack

As a result of the rumour of attack, the Friday prayer Mosques which were usually filled to capacity with adherents of the Islamic faith was poorly attended as many moslems chose to stay indoors as part of the rumour indicated that the central mosque was the target of the sect.

Proprietors of private schools, especially those owned by Christians, who were in session,out of fear called or sent text messages to parents/guardians to come for their wards as their fears were further heightened by the presence of soldiers and anti-riot policemen who were patrolling the town.The situation was chaotic as parents who had their wards in schools drove recklessly to pick their children, in the process, causing traffic gridlock along major roads in the city, especially at the Central Mosque-Sabon-Gari round- about linking the Obasanjo shopping complex.

Taxis and commercial motorcycle drivers popularly called 'Okada' were not left out in the confusion that ensued. While many simply stopped business to watch the unfolding events, others made brisk business charging more than the normal cost for a drop.

Meanwhile, the police in Niger state have advised residents against spreading rumour over possible attacks and asked them to go about their normal businesses.

A statement signed by the Police Public Relation Officer, PPRO,, Pius Edobor, solicited the support and cooperation of Nigerlites in tackling security challenges by providing the police with useful information to check criminals and people from cause breach of the peace.

Edobor described the rumoured attack as one of the gimmicks by mischief makers and assured residents of the state of their safety at all times.

Euro 2012: England captain Steven Gerrard dreaming of glory against Italy

2012-06-24T04:20:00.000-07:00

Steven Gerrard has sought to rally England’s players ahead of their European Championship quarter-final with Italy by insisting they are entitled to dream of glory after years of near misses.

The England captain is determined not to suffer more heartbreak at the sharp end of a major competition, having twice missed out on the chance of playing in the last four of a tournament.

At the age of 32, he knows that Euro 2012 may not see him get another chance to make his mark on one of football’s grandest stages.

At Euro 2004, having been substituted, he had to watch from the sidelines as his team-mates were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Portugal. Two years later at the World Cup in Germany it was the same opponent, the same stage of the tournament and the same methods. That time Gerrard missed his penalty.

“Since I made my England debut I’ve dreamed of doing well in these major tournaments,” he said. “Up to now that hasn’t happened. There’s another chance here to do it and, because of the hurt and pain I’ve been through before, I’m hoping it’ll be different this time. I’m going to give it everything I’ve got to try and make it different. Once you get to this stage of a competition, the quarter-final, and you can see what’s in sight, you start to dream. To lose any quarter-final match hurts so much.”

As England’s skipper, it will fall to Gerrard to impart the magnitude of the occasion to the younger players. The message is clear: no regrets.

“This is a fantastic moment for this team and this group of players. It’s important we grasp it and we don’t go home with any regrets. The only thing we can do is try and play a good level and leave everything out there.”

Manager Roy Hodgson is expected to name an unchanged side from the Ukraine game and he is confident that his players are ready. “They know there is a lot of pressure on them and there is a lot of pressure on the Italians as well,” Hodgson said. “What we can do is to try and make certain when we go on the field we don’t have any regrets because we could have done better or worked harder or been more together as a team.”

Italy’s build-up had been dominated by a familiar subject: Mario Balotelli. The eccentric striker had been much discussed in the Italian press: his agent, Mino Raiola, described him as Peter Pan while Daniele de Rossi said that, at 21, he is becoming a man.

“These are two metaphors for Mario as a person, not a player,” Balotelli said. “I think I’m a man, but then I don’t even need to say it. I think I’m a man. Mino Raiola said I am Peter Pan because he wants to make people laugh. I could be Peter Pan because I do things in my own way and want to be free. But I’m more of a man than a Peter Pan.”

U.K. consumer group picks Kia as best carmaker

2012-06-23T04:57:00.000-07:00

Kia Motors was selected as the Best Car Manufacturer in the 2012 Which? Award, announced the carmaker on Friday. Which? is a consumer organization in the UK with more than 650,000 members.
The carmaker was recognized by the organization for the best customer satisfaction achieved by its seven-year warranty service and excellent durable quality. It beat off other renowned brands like Hyundai, BMW and Toyota.
Which? said that Kia's new Rio, Sorento and Picanto all impressed in its test lab, while the new cee'd and Optima got the thumbs-up in its road tests.

"Compared to where it was just five years ago, we feel that Kia is the most improved car brand around," it said. Michael Cole, Kia Motors limited managing director in the U.K., said that they were absolutely delighted to win the award.
"It marks the culmination of several years of hard work by our designers, engineers and by our dealers who are as committed as we are to give our customers an outstanding buying and ownership experience," said Cole.

What’s Beef: Memphitz Calls K. Michelle A Liar In Response To Abuse Allegations

2012-06-23T04:49:00.000-07:00

Opening up to rapper Rasheeda over drinks about her experience as a recording artist, K. Michelle shared her perspective on why her career never flourished to her satisfaction on the premiere episode of ‘Love & Hip Hop.’
Though she never mentioned Mickey “Memphitz” Wright by name, she did tearfully reveal that the former host for BET’s show ‘The Deal,’ who is currently married to Toya Wright, blew her $2 million recording budget on expensive toys — and was also physically abusive during their time as a couple.

Govt names Sambo Dasuki as new NSA, sacks defense minister

2012-06-23T04:44:00.004-07:00

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday, removed Gen. Andrew Owoye Azazi as the National Security Adviser (NSA). In his place, he named Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.) as the new NSA.

The Minister of Defence, Bello Haliru Mohammed was also dropped. But as at press time, no replacement had been named.
According to Presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, changes came after the National Security Council meeting presided over by Jonathan.
Others who attended the meeting include Vice President Namadi Sambo, Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin; Chief of Army Staff, General Onyeabo Azubuike Ihejirika; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Mohammed Dikko Umar and Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Dikko Abubakar.
Minister of Police Affairs, Mr. Caleb Olubolade told journalists after the meeting, which ended late in the evening that the president expressed his displeasure with the security situation in the country.
Olubolade said: “He (Jonathan) particularly didn’t feel too well about the loss of lives. He said that we needed to do something proactively to stop it at all cost.”
There was nothing extraordinary about the meeting, he said, stating that, “It is a usual security meeting with the President looking at things in a comprehensive manner and seeing how the security agencies are faring. It was a useful discussion on certain areas where we had problems, how to tackle them, how the security agencies can be more effective and the role the populace has to play in assisting in the war against terror.
“We had to reappraise the other measures we had been taking before now and look at how Nigerians can be carried along to get more information so that peace can return to the land. We do not really have to kill Nigerians to sustain peace. The C-in-C believes that we need to talk and do what is right to ensure that we calm the nerves and make sure that this incessant bombing are minimised. It is a source of worry to all.”
The new National Security Adviser, retired Col. Sambo Mohammed Dasuki, comes from the royal family of Sokoto: He is the son of the former Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Ahmed Dasuki, who was deposed by the military regime of the late Gen. Sani Abacha.
Believed to be close to former dictator Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Abacha dismissed Dasuki and some military officers in 1993. Dasuki’s closeness to Babangida was said to have come about from the fact that he was once the dictator’s ADC, and he was actively involved in the 1985 coup that brought Babangida to power.
Dasuki later fled to the United States in 1995 after he was accused by the Abacha regime of being a party to a coup plot allegedly led by retired Col. Lawan Gwadabe.
On his return, former President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed him as the managing director of the National Security and Printing Company at the behest of Babangida.
A director of Regency Alliance, an insurance company, Dasuki attended the Washington DC and George Washington University, where he obtained a BA in International Relations and MA in Security Policy Studies respectively.
He had his military training in several institutions in Nigeria and abroad including the Nigerian Army School of Artillery, Oklahoma, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Ft. Leavenworth Kensas.

US warning on imminent attack in Kenya's second city Mombasa

2012-06-23T04:43:00.004-07:00

The US embassy in Kenya on Saturday warned of the threat of an imminent attack on Mombasa and urged nationals to shun the country's second city.
"This is to alert all US citizens in Kenya, or planning to travel to Kenya in the near future, that the US Embassy in Nairobi has received information of an imminent threat of a terrorist attack in Mombasa, Kenya," a statement said.
"All US government travel to Mombasa is suspended until July 1, 2012."
The warning came as Kenyan police said they had detained two Iranian nationals over suspected links to a terror network planning bombings in Nairobi and Mombasa.
"We are holding these two suspects, and they are being interrogated to establish their involvement in terrorism activities," said Aggrey Adoli, police chief for Coast province.
"They have been helpful, it is through them that we were able to find some chemicals which we believe is used to make explosives," he told AFP.
One was arrested in Nairobi and the other in Mombasa.
Kenya, which invaded southern Somalia last October to help oust Al-Qaeda linked Shebab insurgents, has seen a wave of attacks blamed on the Shebab or their supporters recently.
In 1998 a series of truck bomb explosions in Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania killed hundreds of people. The date marked the eighth anniversary of the arrival of US troops in Saudi Arabia.

Egypt waits for president - Islamist or an army man

2012-06-23T04:13:00.000-07:00

Egyptians were waiting for a president on Saturday, the first they have had a chance to choose for themselves, and one who will either be yet another military man or an Islamist from the army’s old adversary the Muslim Brotherhood.
Impatient Brotherhood supporters have been out on Cairo’s Tahrir Square day and night since a call in midweek from their leaders to demand the current military rulers cancel measures that they say are designed to hem in the powers of the man they believe was elected last weekend, Islamist Mohamed Morsy.
Hundreds were there on Saturday morning, chanting “Victory for Morsy!” and “Morsy, Morsy, Allahu akbar!” (God is greatest)
The party atmosphere anticipated what would be, if it comes, one of the most dramatic turns of events in the Middle East in decades - an Islamist president of the biggest Arab nation.
A delay in announcing the result, said by officials to be due to dealing with appeals over local voting irregularities, has prompted Brotherhood concern that the military-led “deep state”, left over when Hosni Mubarak was toppled last year, was trying to steal their victory, as it did routinely in the past.
“We want the military council to announce the real results without forgery,” said Hassan Eissa, 43, an accountant from north of Cairo who was demonstrating on the square. He accused the army of reneging on promises to hand over when it dissolved the Islamist-led parliament on the eve of the presidential run-off and then took for itself legislative powers by decree.
“They have no right,” Eissa said. “Egyptians shouldn’t be under any kind of guardianship after the revolution.”
Some officials say a result could come as early as Saturday, although electoral commission head Farouk Sultan told Reuters officials were still examining appeals and he could not say when the result would be announced.
A Morsy win will create a dramatic new configuration for Egyptian politics, with supporters of religious rule delighted and others, including many who fought on Tahrir Square to end dictatorship, anxious at what it may mean for minorities, women, secular values and for Egypt’s dealings with the Western powers.
Violence by hardline Islamists in Tunisia, whose revolt inspired that in Egypt, has troubled many Egyptian liberals.
TALKS
Senior figures from both the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) and the Brotherhood told Reuters they had been in discreet talks this week on political arrangements, though the army has made clear it will not go back on what critics called a “soft coup” aimed at delaying a handover to full civilian rule.
It will neither cancel the dissolution of the Islamist-led parliament nor a decree by which it reserved legislative powers for the council, curbing the president’s power. Presented with a take-it-or-leave-it choice, the Brotherhood may find a compromise to pull their protesters off the streets. Years of conflict have made it a wary organisation, and it has cooperated with the military council over the 16 months since Mubarak fell.
Electoral and military officials have told Reuters during the week and as late as Friday that the Brotherhood candidate has had a narrow but clear lead over former general Ahmed Shafik, Mubarak’s last prime minister. But nothing is certain.
One newspaper, Shorouk, headlined: “Morsy to be announced president today ... Unless.”
Morsy, like Shafik, has promised to build a government that bring in people from across the political spectrum. Many of those who launched the Arab Spring uprising were dismayed when more centrist candidates, neither from the army nor the Brotherhood, were eliminated in the first round vote last month.
While some grudgingly backed Shafik to block religious rule, others half-heartedly supported Morsy to prevent what they saw as a return to the old regime. Among those protesting on Tahrir Square on Saturday, Cairo lawyer Atef Rehan said: “I’m not from the Brotherhood and I voted for Morsy only reluctantly.
“But I am here to support their demands.“
A 60-year-old, U.S.-educated engineer, the bearded and bespectacled Morsy, is not a familiar figure to Egyptians, some of whom ridicule him as the movement’s “spare tyre“ after his campaign was launched following the exclusion from the race on a technicality of a much better known leader, Khairat al-Shater.
Both sides recall the bloodshed that ravaged another North African state, Algeria, when military rulers thwarted an Islamist movement’s triumph at the ballot box in the 1990s, and appear willing to renew the tentative cooperation they built up after Mubarak’s overthrow and step back from an outright clash.
An Islamist insurrection in Egypt in the 1990s also cost hundreds of lives, making the Brotherhood wary of violence.
WEIGHING OPPOSITION
Delay in the final tally of votes was due to many appeals being heard by the electoral commission, officials said. But it also gave more time for talks to defuse tensions.
“There has definitely been the process involved in tallying the official vote before announcing results,“ a senior state official familiar with the counting process told Reuters on Friday. “But there is also the politicking behind the scenes, with each side weighing up the strength of the other.
“The Brotherhood can draw millions of disciplined supporters onto the streets and the army has a mandate to ensure order.”
Discussions between generals and Islamists, whose violent confrontation has marked Egypt for decades, were assuming a likelihood that Morsy will win narrowly.
“We have met with them to discuss how to get out of this crisis after parliament was dissolved and the new president’s powers curbed,” Shater, who runs the Brotherhood’s finances and strategic planning, told Reuters - although he added they were some way from reaching any kind of agreement.
“The generals feel they are the proprietors of power and have not yet reached a level of real compromise,” he said.
Major General Mamdouh Shaheen, a member of SCAF, confirmed the recent meetings and repeated the army’s commitment to a democratic transition. But he echoed a strong statement issued by SCAF on Friday that rejected the Brotherhood’s demands.
“The constitutional decree is the exclusive authority of the military council,” Shaheen told Reuters.
In a brusque statement read on state television as Egyptians were completing their Friday prayers, the generals said: “The issuance of the supplementary constitutional decree was necessitated by the needs of administering the affairs of the state during this critical period in the history of our nation.”
Morsy shot back that the generals were defying the will of the people and said protests would go on. But he praised the army as “patriotic” and urged a rapid election result.
In what were menacing tones for the army’s old adversary the Muslim Brotherhood, SCAF criticised its premature announcement of the election result as sowing division and said people were free to protest - but only if they did not disrupt daily life.
In a country where virtually no one can remember an election before last year that was not rigged, trust is low, not least among Brotherhood officials, many of whom, like Morsy, were jailed under Mubarak for their political activities.
The same electoral commission that handed 90% of a November 2010 parliamentary vote to Mubarak’s supporters - a result that fuelled the protests that brought him down a few weeks later - sits in judgment on the new presidency.

Nigerian leader sacks security adviser, defense minister

2012-06-23T04:09:00.000-07:00

Several days of unrest in parts of northern Nigeria began Sunday in Kaduna state, with suicide attacks at three churches that killed at least 16 people and sparked reprisals by Christian mobs, who burned mosques and killed dozens of Muslims. (Reuters)

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday fired his national security adviser and defense minister, his spokesman said, as fears mounted over spiraling unrest in the country’s north.

“The NSA has been dropped ... The minister of defense has also been dropped,” Jonathan spokesman Reuben Abati told AFP.

He said the new security adviser would be Sambo Dasuki, a retired colonel, prominent northerner and cousin to the Sultan of Sokoto, Nigeria’s highest Muslim spiritual figure.

Dasuki was also implicated in a 1995 coup attempt against the government of former dictator Sani Abacha and went into exile in the United States at the time.

It was not yet clear who would replace defense minister Bello Mohammed.

Nigeria has faced a deadly insurgency from Islamist group Boko Haram for months, but criticism of Jonathan greatly intensified this week after three suicide bombings at churches sparked reprisals from Christian mobs who burnt mosques and killed dozens of Muslims.

There have been growing warnings that there could be more cases of residents taking the law into their own hands if something is not done to halt the Boko Haram attacks.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and largest oil producer, is roughly divided between a mainly Muslim north and predominately Christian south.

The fired national security adviser, Owoye Azazi, is a political ally of Jonathan’s, with both men from Bayelsa state in the country’s oil-producing south.

The decision was announced after Jonathan met with his security team on Friday, hours after returning to Nigeria from a U.N. environmental summit in Rio.

Jonathan’s decision to leave Nigeria on Tuesday for the summit as fresh riots broke out had also drawn heavy criticism.

Several days of unrest in parts of northern Nigeria began Sunday in Kaduna state, with suicide attacks at three churches that killed at least 16 people and sparked reprisals by Christian mobs, who burned mosques and killed dozens of Muslims.

More rioting broke out in Kaduna later in the week, while on Monday and Tuesday, shootouts between security forces and suspected Islamists in the northeastern city of Damaturu left at least 40 people dead.

At least 106 people were killed in the days of violence.

The initial suicide bombings were claimed by Boko Haram, whose insurgency concentrated in the north has killed hundreds.

Criticism has mounted over the government’s response to the violence, with few public indications of what strategies are being employed beyond heavy-handed military raids to stop the onslaught of attacks.

“Since these terrorist acts began, nothing the president ... has done has been reassuring that the end to this spate of bombings and gun attacks is in sight,” the Christian Association of Nigeria, the country’s main Christian body, said this week.

“On the contrary, his utterances after each bombing and killings, even if unwittingly, seem to have cast a hallmark of weakness on his presidency and an escalation of the terrorist acts.”

Boko Haram initially said it was fighting for the creation of an Islamic state, but its demands have since repeatedly shifted and its structure has become less clear. It is believed to have a number of factions, including a main Islamist wing.

The United States on Thursday said it had designated the head of the main branch of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, a “global terrorist” along with two others tied to both Boko Haram and al-Qaeda’s north African branch.

US Puts 3 Boko Haram Members on Terrorist Lis

2012-06-21T09:33:00.005-07:00

The United States has placed three members of the Nigerian militant group Boko Haram on its list of designated terrorists.

The U.S. State Department announced Thursday it was adding Abubakar Shekau, Abubakar Adam Kambar and Khalid al-Barnawi to the terrorist list.

A statement described Shekau as the “most visible leader” of Boko Haram. It said Kambar and al-Barnawi have close links to al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, which the U.S. previously designated a terrorist organization.

The U.S. said Boko Haram and associated militants have killed more than 1,000 people in the past 18 months through attacks in Nigeria, mostly in the north.

Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for many attacks, including several church bombings, the bombing of a United Nations building, and a series of attacks in the city of Kano that killed more than 180 people.

The group has said it wants wider application of Islamic law in Nigeria, and does not recognize the government or the constitution.

Designation as a terrorist blocks individuals from holding property or assets in the U.S. and prohibits Americans from engaging in transactions with them.

Jay Z in copyright lawsuit

2012-06-21T09:30:00.001-07:00

LOS ANGELES: Singer Jay Z has been sued for copyright infringement by author Patrick White for stealing portions of his writing and using them without his consent on Jay Z’s 2010 song book Decoded.

White claimed his laptop was stolen in 2009.

“My personal computer was compromised, resulting in my personal work to be used in Jay-Z’s book Decoded which was released in 2010,” he explained in the hand-written lawsuit,” White wrote in a letter, reports aceshowbiz.com.

“The book [Decoded] contains various expressions/colours/phrases, which correlates to my work. After contacting or attempting to contact the co-author, I got no reply,” he said.

White filed the legal documents in United States District Court June 13. He’s suing for copyright infringement and invasion of property.

The Eighth Saudi Crown Prince

2012-06-21T07:17:00.001-07:00

These are not ordinary days for Saudi Arabia and the rest of the region, and the question is always: how do we deal with these tremors? The death of Crown Prince Naif came as a surprise and confused everyone, and King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz was faced with a test regarding how best to handle the emergency vacuum, in light of the tense regional events and lurking circumstances.

Ultimately, the King surprised us, not with his choice of Crown Prince, because he chose an active and prominent member of the ruling system, but rather because he resolved the matter so quickly, in less than 24 hours after the Saudi state had begun mourning. I think that history will remember King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as a leader with great popularity and decisiveness, who never hesitated in the moment of truth. In the past years he has made some difficult decisions, some of which were a surprise, and some of which were issued as quickly as his decision yesterday. Since he resolved this matter immediately, he sent the message that the Kingdom is cohesive. He chose the 25th son of the founder of the Saudi state to be the eighth Crown Prince in the country’s history.
The man chosen to be the Crown Prince, Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz, is one of the most famous personalities in the Arab world. He is an active politician who has toured the world and has engaged with it at different levels. Since the 1950s he has been present at major political events, and throughout consecutive decades he has dealt with the regions’ leaders and governments. He can be seen in historical photographs from Egypt, for example, along with all the leaders of the 1952 revolution, such as Muhammed Naguib and Gamal Abdul Nasser. He has dealt with complex Arab and Gulf issues from their very beginnings, and he has been a longstanding companion to Lebanese leaders and their political houses, from Fouad Chehab to Charles Helou, and from Hussein al-Oweini and Riad as-Solh to Omar Karami.

We know a lot about politicians from their majlises [a weekly meet-and-greet where an official engages with the local populace], and Prince Salman’s are always full of individuals from all classes and from all countries in the region, channeling the same spirit and philosophy as his father King Abdulaziz, who became famous in the first half of the 20th century for holding huge majlises with a great mix of Arabs in attendance, from Syrians, Egyptians, Libyans, Iraqis and Palestinians, introducing them all to his project for a new kingdom. Many notable names have attended Prince Salman’s majlises, including historical figures such as the late thinker Muhammad Asad, and even Ghassan Tueni, who only recently passed away. Prince Salman does not only know a great many intellectuals and politicians from beyond the borders of his country, but it could also be argued that he is one of the most knowledgeable Saudis when it comes to the Kingdom’s tribes and families, and the detailed history of the Kingdom’s cities and regions, reflecting his personal interest.

With this experience and detailed knowledge, everyone knows that the new Saudi Crown Prince is a wise and learned man, in a country that is a guarantor of stability in the region. We must acknowledge that our society judges a regime by its men, and this is why we always ask and inspect at length the nature of each man assigned to become a leader.

In my opinion, a country like Saudi Arabia, despite all its capabilities, is not immune from mistakes, nor is it a country facing a practice test. It is not true that money or time can solve all problems. The challenges that the Saudi regime faces are no less difficult than those faced by other states, and this is what makes us search for leaders with wisdom, experience, responsibility and a knowledge of the past and the present.

Obama immigration shift a hit with voters, says new poll

2012-06-19T11:54:00.001-07:00

Young people cheer President Barack Obama's immigration announcement (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

President Barack Obama's high-profile shift on immigration last week—announcing plans to grant temporary legal status to as many as 800,000 undocumented people brought to American soil as children—has the overwhelming support of likely voters in a new Bloomberg poll released Tuesday.

Sixty-four percent of them—and 66 percent of independents, the frequently up-for-grabs voters thought to decide elections—support the president's decision. The White House has forcefully (and rather implausibly) denied that Obama sought political gain from his announcement. But as recently as March 2011, he had said publicly that he lacked the power to halt such deportations.

The Bloomberg survey found that just 30 percent of likely voters disagreed with the president's plan. Fifty-six percent of likely Republican voters opposed it, while 86 percent of Democrats supported it. Just 26 percent of independents sided with the Republican majority in the poll.

The results surely cheered Obama's re-election campaign, which has been working to reassemble the victorious coalition that powered his history-making 2008 win—but it faces an uphill fight in the face of deep pessimism about the economy.

The poll, which had an error margin of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points, also showed that immigration was the top issue of just 4 percent of voters—the sputtering recovery tops that list in every survey of public opinion.Obama enjoys a lopsided advantage over Republican rival Mitt Romney among Latinos. But while they are the fastest-growing voting bloc and could decide the outcome in pivotal battleground states like Colorado, Florida and Nevada, Latinos have the lowest voter registration numbers of any major ethnic group in the United States. That means the president must energize them enough to register—and then encourage them to show up on Nov. 6.

The challenge—and the stakes—are evident in Florida. A whopping 638,000 Latinos there are eligible to vote but have not registered, according to a recent report by the Obama-aligned Center for American Progress think tank in Washington. That's enough to make the difference in the Sunshine State.

Both Romney and Obama are due to visit Florida this week to address the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) at the group's annual conference. The former Massachusetts governor will speak Thursday, followed by Obama on Friday.

Gunfire, blasts as religions clash in north Nigeria

2012-06-19T11:53:00.000-07:00

KADUNA, Nigeria (Reuters) - Nigerian Muslims fired AK-47 rifles, burned tires and destroyed at least one church in the northern city of Kaduna on Tuesday, two days after rioting by Christian youths killed 52 people, witnesses said.

An explosion also struck a market in Kaduna, residents said, during the latest of a series of retaliatory confrontations between followers of the two faiths in Africa's largest oil producer.
The escalating violence has raised fears of wider sectarian conflict in a country already reeling from months of attacks on government buildings and churches by followers of the Islamist sect Boko Haram.

The movement styled on the Taliban appears bent on provoking Christian-Muslim clashes as part of its campaign to carve an Islamic state out of parts of Nigeria.

"They (the Muslims) are out on the streets, burning tires and shooting. They burned a church," said one witness in Kaduna, who only gave his first name, Suleiman, for fear of reprisals.

It was not immediately clear if the shots were fired into the air or at people and other targets.

Religiously mixed Kaduna is near the volatile "Middle Belt", where the mostly Christian south and largely Muslim north meet. The city has been a flashpoint for tensions over religion, ethnicity and land ownership.

The protests in Kaduna followed attacks on Sunday by angry Christian youths who set up roadblocks, dragged Muslims from their vehicles and killed them, according to witnesses.

The Christian youths were in turn reacting to suicide bombings at three churches in Kaduna state, blamed on Islamists, that killed 19 people.

Kaduna Police commissioner Mohammed Abubakar told journalists later on Tuesday calm had been restored and nine suspects arrested.

Officers had also recovered 15 homemade bombs, several rifles and pistols with rounds of ammunition, he added.

"We call on the people of Kaduna state to remain peaceful to ensure the maintenance of law and order," Abubakar said.

Kaduna authorities imposed a second 24-hour curfew in two days.

ISLAMISTS, SECURITY FORCES BATTLE

Hundreds of kilometers away in the northeastern city of Damaturu, at least three policeman and two soldiers were killed in overnight clashes with Boko Haram suspects.

Yobe State commissioner of police, Patrick Egbuniwe, confirmed the deaths to reporters and said sect members and civilians were also killed. He could not confirm how many because they were still collecting bodies.

The Yobe state government has also imposed a 24-hour curfew. In November, 65 people were killed in attacks claimed by Boko Haram on churches, mosques and police stations in Damaturu, where security forces often clash with Islamists in gun battles.

Sensitive to the possibility of religious tensions escalating, the Senate appealed for unity.

"The senate agrees that there is an attempt to pitch each religion against the other but we are appealing to Nigerians not to fall for the trap," Nigeria's Senate spokesman Eyinnaya Abaribe said after a meeting of the lawmakers on Tuesday.

Riots killed hundreds in the city in April last year after President Goodluck Jonathan, a southern Christian, defeated northern Muslim Muhammadu Buhari in elections.

Boko Haram's leader Abubakar Shekau has said the attacks on Christians were revenge for past killing of Muslims.

Jonathan has been criticized for failing to end the attacks.

"Since these terrorist acts began, nothing the President has done has been re-assuring that the end to this spate of bombings and gun attacks is in sight," a statement from the Christian Association of Nigeria said on Tuesday.

"His utterances after each bombing and killing ... seem to have cast a hallmark of weakness on his presidency."

(Additional reporting by Ibrahim Mshelizza and Garba Mohammed in Kaduna, Afolabi Sotunde, Camillus Eboh and Mike Oboh in Abuja; Writing by Joe Brock; Editing by Tim Cocks and Andrew Heavens)

Five Smart Online Degrees

2012-06-19T11:51:00.002-07:00

These flexible online degrees could help you go to school on your terms.

By Renee Wade
Are you interested in going back to school, but aren't sure how to fit classes into your daily schedule?
Online education could be a great alternative to traditional classes, especially if you want to:

Attend class when it's convenient for you
Avoid commuting to school
Keep your day job
Prepare for a new career

Tom Jewell, Dean of Virtual Studies at Bergen Community College in New Jersey, adds that online classes "serve people who wouldn't be able to get a schedule together if they had to do all face-to-face classes."
Check out these five smart online degree options.

#1 - Online Bachelor's in Business
If you want to learn about the ins and outs of business - without quitting your day job - an online program could offer the flexibility you need.

Smart Factors

This online degree was the most popular in terms of online enrollment, according to a 2009 study by Eduventures, an education and consulting company. And it makes sense...With courses that often include business policy and strategy, this program could help you develop relevant skills and knowledge.

If you're looking for job security, an online business degree could be a smart investment. According to a 2010 Forbes article, "Top Degrees Mean Top Jobs", a business administration degree could help one land careers with high job growth, like financial examiner and accountant, which are expecting 41 percent and 22 percent growth from 2008-2018, respectively.

#2 - Online Bachelor's in IT and Information Systems
An online bachelor's degree in IT and information systems could help you learn about cutting-edge technology in a truly innovative setting.

Smart Factors

This flexible online degree could allow you to hone your computer and technology skills through courses that will likely include computer networking, database management systems, and systems analysis and design.

If you want in on the fast growing tech industry, this bachelor's degree could lend some support. The computer systems design and related services industry is expecting 45 percent job growth from 2008 to 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

#3 - Online Bachelor's in Health Care Administration

Are you interested in health care and medical management? Then consider an online degree in health care administration.

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With this online degree, you might learn about anatomy, physiology, economics of health care, and health policy. These courses can help you acquire the skills necessary to pursue a behind-the-scenes career in health care.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, changes in the health care system means that managers in this field will need to be technologically savvy, as well as educated in more traditional health topics. Earning your degree in health care administration online could help show employers that you're up for the challenges of a new era.

#4 - Online Bachelor's in Nursing
If you're interested in eventually pursuing a rewarding, hands-on career, an online bachelor's degree in nursing could offer the flexibility you need to prepare to pursue registered nursing opportunities.

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While clinical requirements will likely need to be completed near you, with this type of program, you'll be able to study theory courses like pathophysiology and pharmacology online - when you want, where you want.

Employment of registered nurses is expected to grow by 22 percent from 2008 to 2018, according to the Department of Labor. So, if you're interested in a flexible online degree that can offer potential job security, this could be a smart option for you.

#5 - Online Master's in Business Administration (MBA)
Want to earn your MBA, but need some flexibility to make it work with your schedule? Consider earning it online.

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Earning an MBA is once again looking like a smart investment. According to U.S. News, which surveyed 437 business schools, 75.7 percent of 2010 graduates got hired within three months of graduating.

Whether you're looking to advance your career or gain leadership skills, an MBA could be a great investment. According to its 2010 list of "Best Master's Degrees for Jobs", Forbes notes that MBA grads can look forward to a high job growth and an average earning potential of $109,000.

Egyptians, Awaiting Poll Result, Rally Against Military

2012-06-19T11:42:00.001-07:00

CAIRO—Egypt's divided political opposition witnessed a rare moment of unity on Tuesday as demonstrators from across the political spectrum descended on downtown Cairo to protest a decree by the armed forces extending their grip on power.
The protests came one day before an election commission is expected to announce the final winner in a polarizing presidential race that threatens to spark new unrest.
Both the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohammed Morsi and former regime loyalist Ahmed Shafiq claimed victory in the election.
But the united effort in Tahrir Square offered the first indication that the country's divergent political forces could set aside ...

Banky W to lift Olympic torch, as Wizkid confirms Pepsi deal

2012-06-19T06:21:00.000-07:00

Banky W has been chosen as one of the distinguished people to carry the 2012 Olympic Torch.

The EME boss will join three other distinguished entertainers including Steve Onu (Yaw), Funke Akindele, and football star, Kanu Nwankwo to lift the Torch in Coventry, U.K on Sunday, July 1, 2012.

This is the second time a Nigerian musician would be selected to feature in the ceremonial initiative. Rapper Eedris Abdulkareem was part of the Nigerians selected to carry the torch in 2001.

Meanwhile, Wizkid has confirmed he’s joining Tiwa Savage as brand ambassador for Pepsi.

The 21 year-old star singer, who returned last week from Beirut where he was shooting Pepsi commercials with Tiwa, says he’s having fun and working hard to make sure ‘doesn’t disappoint’.

Wizkid’s boss, Banky, interestingly, recently fronted a campaign for Coca Cola