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Showing posts from February, 2017

FG raises the alarm over planned attacks by Muslim Brotherhood, B’Haram affiliate

Nigerian Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, on Friday raised the alarm over planned attacks by Muslim Brotherhood, an affiliate of the insurgency group, Boko Haram. The group is said to be acquiring bomb-making chemicals, high-calibre weapons and other sophisticated weapons like shoulder-fired rocket launchers for use in attacks against banks, arms depots and prisons. This was disclosed in a statement the minister released on Friday, explaining that intelligence monitoring has proven that the cell is intensifying efforts to improve its IED-making capability through the acquisition of such chemicals as Sodium Azide (for producing improvised detonators), Potassium Chlorate (alternative to ammonium nitrate used for producing IEDs) and Aluminium Powder (a fuel source for amplifying explosions). Mohammed said, “One Usman, an IED apprentice, left the cell some time back to join Islamic State in Libya. The new desire to acquire IED precursor chemicals could suggest that ...

27 men arrested in India for savagely raping sacred cow

Police officers in the city of Mumbai, India have proceeded to arrest 27 suspects who savagely raped a sacred cow for about 13 minutes during power outage at a subway. Reports say the cow had wandered into the subway during power outage and was sexually assaulted for several minutes by an “unknown number of men”. According to an eyewitness: “When the lights came back on, the cow’s face and body were covered in sperm”. Continuing, the witness said; “At first, when the lights went off, we did not understand what was happening. We heard the cow moaning, but we thought she was scared of the darkness. But when the lights came back on, the cow was covered in semen and some of the men still had their pants down”. Moments after arresting the men, Indian law expert, Drujnapitaka Jurpidritjpat said if found guilty, the suspects could face up to five years in jail. “The prohibition of cow slaughter and protection from any form of abuse, be it of physical or of psychological nature, is...

Stranded writer scared to return to West Bank as his novel is banned

29-year-old author Abbad Yahya has revealed that he cannot return to his West Bank home after his controversial novel was banned and an arrest warrant issued against him by Palestinian authorities. The writer who is currently on a visit to Qatar, said that he got wind of his arrest warrant and the banning of his novel “Crime in Ramallah” through the official Palestinian news agency while abroad and that he now fears he will be jailed if he returns to Palestine. Speaking with foreign media, Yahya said he doesn’t know what to do saying he may be arrested if he returns to Palestine and he’s running out of patience because he is living away from his family. The author, who now lives in Ramallah, has been accused of including “sexual terms” in his book that tackles themes such as politics, religion and homosexuality- which is considered a taboo in Palestinian society.

Iran steps up war of words with US, warns of ‘dark days’

Nuclear war head makers Iran has stepped up its war of words with the United States after it issued a threat through an influential adviser to the supreme leader who warned of a return of “dark days to come” in case of a military attack on his country. The threat was issued by Ali Akbar Velayati, foreign-affairs adviser to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, when he said “Washington does not dare carry out its military threats against Iran”. “The Americans know very well that Iran and its allies in the region would retaliate very hard, that will make America face dark days to come,” he said. Continuing, Velayati said Iran’s policies in the Middle East would not change, “therefore [President Donald] Trump and the American administration must get their stuff together and leave this region completely because the people of this region feel alienated by their policies”. Recall that in the past week, the US has imposed new sanctions on Iran over a mis...

Man bags 2 months in jail for investing customer’s money in MMM Man bags 2 months in jail for investing customer's money in MMM

An Abuja court has sentenced a 38-year-old man identified as Hassan Joshua, to two months in prison for criminal breach of trust and cheating. He was arraigned for having invested a customers N43,000 in the Ponzi scheme, MMM and was unable to pay back. While addressing the court, the prosecutor, Zannah Dalhatu said one Mr. Fagbo Tubosun of Gwarimpa Estate who reported the case at Gwarimpa Police Station on February 7 said he paid the sum to Joshua in October 2016 to construct a water tank and doors. “After collecting the money, he refused to do the work and he absconded to an unknown destination,’’ Dalhatu who also noted that Joshua’s offence is punishable under Sections 312 and 322 of the Penal Code said. Joshua, a welder, who resides at Nimasa Estate, Gwarimpa, Abuja, confessed to the crime saying he paid the money into the money doubling scheme, Movrodi Mondial Movement (MMM). In delivering his judgement, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq, the Karmo Grade 1 Area Court judge ordered th...

Clinton mocks Trump in tweet after 3rd judge blocks immigration ban

Hours after US President Donald Trump suffered another legal setback, the business man turned politician got mocked on Twitter by Hillary Clinton. A US appeals court refused to reinstate a ban on travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries, proposed by Trump, Democratic nominee, Clinton took to her Twitter page and simply wrote thus; ‘3-0’, after the unanimous decision was reached by a panel of three judges from the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals who all declined to block a lower-court ruling that suspended the ban and allowed previously barred travelers to enter the US. In its ruling on Thursday, the 9th US Circuit rejected the administration’s claim that it did not have the authority to review the president’s executive order. District Judge James Robart in Seattle initially issued the temporary restraining order on the travel ban on February 4 after Washington and Minnesota states sued, prompting Trump to label him a “so-called judge”.

South African lawmakers exchange blows during Zuma’s address

President Jacob Zuma’s state-of-the-nation speech at the South African parliament turned out to be a free for all as lawmakers of the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters party exchanged blows with parliamentary orderlies. According to a reports, the exchange spilled over into the precincts of the building, as the lawmakers, clad in their trademark red overalls, continued to push the orderlies ejecting them on the Speaker’s orders. The incident forced Police to fire stun grenades outside parliament to disperse supporters of rival EFF and the ruling African National Congress party. Reports also revealed that members of the main opposition party, led by Mmusi Maimane later walked out of the parliament in protests of the ejection of some of its party members who were whisked away to forestall sanity in the chambers.

Open invitation! Senate invites public to 2017 budget hearing

The 8th Senate will on Monday hold a first-of-its-kind public hearing on the 2017 Appropriation Bill submitted to the legislature by President Muhammadu Buhari. According to a statement by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, the Public Hearing is aimed at allowing stakeholders and members of the public to make contributions to the proposed legislation before passage by the National Assembly. Over the past week, the Senate has suspended regular plenary sessions in order to allow all committees conduct oversight and for ministries, departments and agencies of the federal government to defend their allocations in the estimates submitted to the legislature by President Muhammadu Buhari. According to Sen Abdullahi, the joint public hearing, will push the budget defense a step further by allowing members of the public to weigh-in constructively on ways to improve the appropriations bill. “This will be the first time something lik...

Rape of blackman accidental, French police say

Investigations into the anal rape of a young blackman by an officer using a truncheon has been declared an accident by French police sparking further protest for justice for the victim identified as Theo. According to a police source, having taken into account footage from CCTV and witness reports, “there are not enough elements to prove that it was a rape”, the police said. Video footage from the scene of the incident shows a cop “applying a truncheon blow horizontally across the buttocks with a truncheon” and Theo’s trousers “slipped down on their own”, the source said. The outcome of the investigation has further flared up demonstrations in the French capital city of Paris with protesters calling for justice for the 22-year-old victim who reportedly suffered severe anal injuries which required surgery. Reports say Theo, a youth worker also suffered injuries to the head and face, leading a doctor to declare him unfit to work for 60 days Theo was arrested in France and alle...

China bans 32 S’Korean missionaries over US missile deployment

A proposed deployment of a U.S. missile defence system into Seoul has forced China to expel 32 South Korean Christian missionaries most of whom have worked in northeastern Yanji region near the border with North Korea for three decades. The action by China was carried out amid diplomatic tension between the two countries over the planned deployment. South Korea’s foreign ministry said on Friday it briefed Christian groups on the case of the missionaries, adding that they were expelled in January. The ministry advised the groups on the importance of complying with the laws and customs of the areas where they work, it said. China is widely believed to be retaliating against Seoul’s plan to host the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system of the U.S. military, against the threat of the missile attack from North Korea. But according to a South Korean government official who pleaded anonymity, there are no indications of a direct link between the expulsions and tension ...

Again EFCC says it has uncovered Diezani’s $37.5m Banana Island mansion

Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has claimed discovery of a $37.5million (N11.75bn) exotic building allegedly belonging to former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke located on Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos. The latest discovery is coming on the heels of the recovery of a shocking sum of $9,772,800 and another sum of £74,000 in cash, in a building in Kaduna State belonging to a former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Andrew Yakubu. Massive fraudulent activities in the NNPC at a time oil was selling at $100 per barrel on the average, was said to have robed the country of not less than $20billion. EFCC has been investigating the activities of the corporation during that period of oil boom, which efforts reportedly resulted in these discoveries. A detective of the EFCC who made this disclosure claimed that the building in Lagos supposedly owned by Diezani was bought ...

This Reign Sneak Peek Teases Mary's Death (and New Husband) in the Final Season

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The final battle between the queens is officially here. Reign 's final season kicks off tonight, and fans should not expect the CW royal drama to go quietly into the night. No, no, no, there are far too many deaths to plot and empires to take down. But will this final season show Mary's ( Adelaine Kane ) demise and her eventual death?  E! News has an exclusive sneak peek at the season four premiere, with finds Queen Elizabeth ( Rachel Skarsten ), Mary's cousin and frenemy No. 1, looking to keep her throne, and she's teaming with a handsome new face to do so: Lord Darnley ( Will Kemp ), Mary's potential new suitor with his own agenda.  In the exclusive clip above, Lord Darnley comes to Elizabeth's court to ask for a favor, as he holds a lot of power due to his a.k.a if Mary puts a ring on it, she will be set. CW "I am the foothold Mary needs to start a revolution and dethrone you," he boasts to Elizabeth, before adding, "hypot...

Paris Jackson, Camila Cabello, Jennifer Lopez, Celine Dion and More Stars Announced as Presenters at 2017 Grammys

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Somehow the  2017 Grammy Awards  just became even more star-studded! The Recording Academy announced the presenters at Sunday's award show, and it's certainly an A-list lineup.  Paris Jackson ,  Camila Cabello ,  The Chainsmokers ,  Kelly Clarkson ,  Laverne Cox ,  Jason Derulo ,  Céline Dion ,  DNCE ,  Halsey ,  Taraji P. Henson ,  Nick Jonas ,  Jennifer Lopez ,  Tim McGraw  &  Faith Hill ,  Katharine McPhee ,  Pentatonix ,  Thomas Rhett ,  Gina Rodriguez ,  Ryan Seacrest ,  Snoop Dogg  and  John Travolta  are all slated to hand out the coveted gramophones on music biggest night. Previously announced performers include  Beyoncé ,  Adele ,  Bruno Mars ,  The Weeknd ,  Lady Gaga ,  Katy Perry ,  Kelsea Ballerini  and  Demi Lovato . There will also be  tributes  to late icons  Prince  a...

Amber Rose and Val Chmerkovskiy Split Up

Amber Rose  and  Val Chmerkovskiy  are a thing of the past. E! News has learned the couple have split up after dating for nearly five months. The pair met while Amber was dancing with Val's brother,  Maksim Chmerkovskiy , on  Dancing With the Stars  last year and first sparked romance rumors after being  spotted together  at a birthday party in October. After spending  many holidays  and big family events together, including Maksim and  Peta Murgatroyd 's  baby shower , Amber came into 2017 feeling great about their relationship. In early January, she  gushed over her man , telling her co-host  Dr. Chris Donaghue  on  Play.it's eline, "It's amazing. It's so good. It's been four months now, and it's awesome. I love his family and everyone's so great. He's great." She continued, "Right now, it's just absolutely amazing and I'm super, super happy." ...

How Khloe Kardashian Makes Moving On Look So Easy and Fun

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It's no secret that  Khloe Kardashian  has cut out the majority of drama from her life. Over the past few years, the  Keeping Up With the Kardashians  star has worked to shed the weight of the world (and some pounds) that was hanging on her shoulders in the wake of her divorce from  Lamar Odom , but given everything she went through, she somehow made it look easy...and fun. First order of business was revamping her life, literally and figuratively. The E! star started a passionate affair with fitness, and it's a love that will not die. From Snapchatting her workouts to opening up to fitness magazines about her sessions with  Gunnar Peterson  or  Don  of Don-A-Matrix training, Khloe has made it clear that getting a  Revenge Body  is just part of the fun. AKM-GSI "I don't care what weight I am. It's genuinely about me being healthy," she  dished to  Health  magazine . "I was never like, 'I want to lose 30 p...

How Playing Undead Made Drew Barrymore Feel More Alive

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For  Drew Barrymore , playing a human flesh-hungry zombie real estate agent and mother came at just the right moment. Barrymore stars in Netflix's  Santa Clarita Diet , a comedy from  Better Off Ted 's  Victor Fresco , and told press she was particularly low when she read the part of Shelia, a mom who suddenly becomes a zombie, it  helped her though a low point  in her life. "I think every woman could use an awakening in her life at some point," Barrymore told E! News. "It's so true," her costar  Timothy Olyphant  joked. "It is," she said. "Sometimes we lose our confidence or our life goes one way when we thought it was going to go another. If you can make that empowering, and have this sort of great feminist excitement and enthusiasm that you had maybe previously lost—I got to have that through Shelia and I love her for it. And she was so fun to be—she is fun." Shelia, after throwing up massive amounts of green vomit an...

How Saturday Night Live Can Make or Break a Singer's Music Career in Two Short Performances

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Live from New York, it's Saturday night's most important music gig. While  Saturday Night Live  may be creating headlines this season for their hosts and political commentary, there's one element of the show that continues to be important for the music industry: It's the weekly performers and performances. This season alone, NBC's late-night series has featured veteran artists like  The Weeknd  and  Lady Gaga . At the same time, they have spotlighted underrated artists such as country darling  Maren Morris  and  Sturgill Simpson . And before you ask "who" for the latter, the 38-year-old is competing against  Beyoncé ,  Justin Bieber  and  Adele  for Album of the Year this Sunday at the  2017 Grammys . The weekend award show got us thinking of the powerful platform  SNL  continues to hold for artists of all genres. It also has proven to drastically help or hurt their careers NBC When Ade...

George & Amal Clooney Are Expecting Twins! Everything We Know About the Pregnancy So Fa

George Clooney  is about to become a dad! The actor's wife  Amal Clooney  is  pregnant with twins ,  The Talk 's  Julie Chen   revealed  on Thursday. Chen confirmed the news on the show, "Congratulations are in order for George and Amal Clooney!  The Talk  has confirmed that the 55-year-old superstar and his highly accomplished 39-year-old attorney wife are expecting twins." The host even revealed the due date! "Now, what we did find out that no one else is reporting, is that the twins are due this June!" Chen said. After the news broke, even more details were revealed about the pregnancy, like how the actor told his close friend  Matt Damon !

From Sexy Selfies to Cryptic Instagrams: Inside Jennifer Lopez’s Breakup Style

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Contrary to what many have speculated, this doesn't seem like a case of "Fake Love." Jennifer Lopez  and  Drake 's relationship has been the topic of a lot of discussion for several weeks now, but all of that seems to have come to an end. E! News previously reported that the world-famous pair  "have taken some time apart"  recently due to both of their busy schedules. The "On the Floor" singer and the self-proclaimed 6-God haven't been seen together since mid-January, but we still weren't expecting this news. Although, looking at J.Lo's Instagram, maybe we should have been. Instagram The first sign of the split came with the former  American Idol  judge's string of sexy selfies. While Lopez has never been afraid to how off her killer figure ( #tbt that iconic Versace dress ), we can't help but wonder if the recent pics had anything to do with showing a certain Toronto rapper just what he's missing. This  pi...

Inside Scott Disick and Chris Brown's Unlikely Friendship

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These bros are loyal! There's no question that  Scott Disick  and  Chris Brown  cross paths with a whole lot of famous figures. But time after time, these two Hollywood stars have found themselves running into each other at a variety of events. In fact, it has helped create a public friendship some may have never saw coming. As Grammy weekend unofficially kicked off Thursday night, the duo was spotted catching up at Hollywood hot spot CATCH LA. According to a source, Scott and Chris hung out with a group of guys at dinner before heading to 1OAK LA where they were joined by a few ladies. It's just one of their many night outs that have been occurring on and off since 2015. When Chris held his  listening party  for his album  Royalty , Scott was there to support his close friend. When  Kylie Jenner  celebrated her 19th birthday party at The Nice Guy in July, Scott and Chris arrived within minutes. On ot...