18 yr old mute boy goes missing in Lagos

Punch - The family of an 18-year-old boy, Somto Orji, has been thrown into panic since he got missing in the Allen, Ikeja area of Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Somto, who is incapable of speech, was last seen leaving his parents’ home on Akin Osiyemi Street, off Allen Avenue.

Somto’s mother, Ify, told our correspondent that her son disappeared on November 29, 2013.

She said they only recently moved into the Allen Avenue house and that could be the reason her son did not know the way back home.

She said, “On that day, I was not home because I had gone to the hospital to have an X-ray following a serious car accident I had. My daughter called to inform me that Somto had run off. I learnt that it was when the houseboy opened the door for my daughter to come in that my son ran out of the house.

“The house boy said he chased him, but later turned back, thinking that he would come home soon.

“However, when I came back at 3.39pm, he had not come back. My husband and other people started searching for him. We reported the matter at the Ikeja Police Division.

“We searched the whole of Opebi, Allen, Alausa and Ikeja until 4.30am the following day, which was the monthly environmental sanitation day. Even during the sanitation, police gave us permission and we searched for him but to no avail.”

The victim’s mother said she and her husband later went to the state’s task force on environmental and other offences to check if her son had been arrested, adding that she did not find him there.

She said she also visited all the prisons in the state to no avail.

“We visited task force office at Alausa and we were told that 47 persons had been taken to the Badagry Prison. On getting to Badagry, 47 men were lined up for me to identify, but my son was not there.

“Task force said another 17 persons had been taken to Ikoyi Prison, so we made for Ikoyi,” she said.

Ify said her son was not found at Ikoyi Prison and she and her husband went to Kirikiri Prisons where 20 people had been remanded following a raid. She said her son was not found there as well.

She said she visited the Special Anti-Robbery Squad Ikeja, Area G Police Command, Ogba; as well as four police stations within Oshodi area, but she was told that no mute person had been arrested, while she was even allowed to see the detained suspects.

“We went to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital as well as the mortuary, but we did not see him. We went to Ministry of Youth and Culture and NAPTIP (National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and other related matters), but my son was not in any of these places,” she said.

The victim’s mother said after looking everywhere for her son, she was relying on divine help to finding him.

She said she had recently lost one of her children who was 19.

While crying profusely, she said, “My son was not born dumb but he suddenly lost his ability to speak at the age of seven.

Due to his hyperactivity, he was not able to stay in school and cannot write and doesn’t understand sign language but he can hear. He is 5ft5 and has a chocolate skin colour.

“My fist child died of Kidney disease during her first year in University of Lagos, I cannot lose another child.”

When contacted on the telephone, Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, said she had not been briefed, promising to call back. This, she had not done as of the time of going to the press.

Woman who stole 7-day-old baby arrested

JOS — The Plateau State Police command, yesterday, paraded the woman who, last week, stole a seven-day old baby in Bokkos Local Government Area and her accomplice who had faked a pregnancy to con her husband for seven months.

Parading the two alongside other suspects, state Commissioner of Police Mr. Chris Olakpe, said the housewife, Chundung Lagi Jugu, allegedly colluded with Elizabeth Zakari to steal the baby boy whose mother was on admission to justify the fake pregnancy.

According to him,“The suspects deceived one Mrs. Juliana Zakari who was delivered of a baby boy through caesarian operation after one week while she was still on admission that the governor’s wife was visiting Bokkos Local Government Area to assist all women who had their babies through caesarian operation and they took away her one-week old baby to an unknown destination.”

He said the suspects were arrested in Bukuru, Jos South Local Government Area.

Also paraded were three suspected killers of a nine-year-old girl whose corpse was found with vital parts removed in an uncompleted building in Fillin-Sukwa area of Jos.

The girl had been declared missing when she did not return after her grandmother sent her on an errand.

The commissioner said two of the suspects had confessed that they were contracted by one Aminu Saleh, to get a girl for N400,000 which made them to trick the unsuspecting girl identified as Umi Salma and kidnapped her.

He said the two confessed to having earlier sold a 12-year-old girl to the same Aminu Saleh for N300,000 but claimed he was yet to pay them for the last deal.

A 53-year old man alleged to have raped a 10-year old girl was also paraded.

Another middled aged man was paraded for alleged robbery, snatching a Toyota Corolla car from a lady at Zarmanganda area of Jos while two others were alleged to have stolen a Honda car from a shop.



#vanguard

Israel, Jordan and Palestinian Authority sign a deal to refill the rapidly disappearing Dead Sea with briny water pumped from the Red Sea.

New project to create drinking water from the Red Sea will also boost shrinking Dead Sea




NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images - Sylvan Shalom, left, Israeli regional development minister; Hazem Nasser, Jordanian water and agriculture minister; and Shaddad Attili, head of the Palestinian Water Authority, shake hands after signing the deal.


JERUSALEM — The Dead Sea has been rapidly disappearing for the past 50 years, one of the world’s natural wonders careening toward ecological collapse.

But in a deal signed Monday and hailed as “historic,” Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority agreed on an ambitious project to begin to refill the ancient salt lake with briny water pumped from the Red Sea.




The agreement calls for the construction of a large desalination plant in Jordan, on the Gulf of Aqaba, that would suck billions of gallons from the Red Sea and convert it to drinking water. The water would be shared by — and sold to thirsty customers in — Jordan and Israel. In addition, as part of the agreement, Israel agreed to increase the amount of water it sells annually to the Palestinian Authority by as much as 30 million cubic meters.

Billions of gallons of “reject brine” — essentially, super-salty water created by the desalination process — would be pumped via a new, 100-mile pipeline and discharged into the Dead Sea.

Estimated construction costs for the pipeline and desalination plant could run about $500 million. The first drop of water to enter the Dead Sea would probably not appear before 2017.

“This is a historic agreement that realizes a dream of many years,” said Silvan Shalom, the Israeli water and energy minister. “The agreement is of the highest diplomatic, economic, environmental and strategic importance.”

And hopefully not too late.

The deal was signed Monday in a ceremony at the World Bank in Washington, which for years has underwritten feasibility studies, environmental assessments and economic modeling about how not only to save the Dead Sea, but how to share costs and resources to provide drinking water for a thirsty region bristling with conflict.

The project, supported by the Obama administration as a symbol of regional cooperation and a sign for what could be accomplished if peace were to take hold, has been the subject of study and debate since the 18th century.

The Dead Sea is an ecological wonder and generator of superlatives good and bad. It appears in the Bible but not much. The Crusaders called it the Devil’s Sea. Today, it is a popular destination for tourists, who pack themselves in mud from its shores and float in water that is 10 times as salty as most oceans. There are salt ponds and potash mining and a mystical vibe — with lots of quicksand and sinkholes.

It is the lowest spot on Earth, a vast, sulfurous and strange inland sea, landlocked in a great rift valley, a cradle of civilizations and religions.

Thanks to humans, this natural wonder has been dying for years.

The water level of the lake has dropped more than 80 feet in the past half-century, as the Jordan River has withered to a trickle, sucked dry by Israeli and Jordanian agricultural projects. The sharp decrease in inflow from the river, and the desiccation of local natural springs, has reduced the surface area of the lake by one-third.

Government scientists and World Bank officials said the desalination deal would begin a very long, slow, uncertain process of stabilizing the Dead Sea. But some environmental groups, such as Friends of the Earth in the Middle East, warned that “the brine should not be transferred into the Dead Sea because of detrimental impacts.”

Supporters of the project say that since the Dead Sea will receive only 26 billion gallons of brine from the project a year, a fraction of what is needed to hold the Dead Sea at current levels, the benefits of the projects outweigh the risks.

Scientists say they will monitor the sea to look for impacts.





#washingtonpost

Nicki Minaj celebrates her birthday with a boob cake, stripper pole.....and arrives in a $700k hot pink Lamborghini

Nicki Minaj celebrated her 31st birthday yesterday.
Her birthday cake featured a naked torso wearing only a bow tie, showing off a pair of breasts in between the words 'Shake Your' and 'For Nicki'.
What a befitting cake design for the superstar who doesn't seem to mind getting her own boobs out.
Her close friends bought her a stripper pole.
Nicki shared a photo of the gift on her instagram, describing it as "awkward" ... although we doubt she was complaining.

She wrote: "That awkward moment when u get a stripper pole for your birthday."
Addressing her fans, she added: "Love u guys so much. Thank you".

PHOTOS: Long awaited filming of 50 Shades of Grey kicks off in Canada

Filming is well under way for the very racy adaptation of E.L. James' steamy 50 Shades of Grey as Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele are seen smooching.

Things are hotting up in Vancouver as the 50 Shades of Grey movie kicks into production.


The adaptation of the best-selling S&M themed novel is currently filming in the Canadian city with Once Upon A Time star Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson in the lead roles of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele respectively.

The pair were spotted filming the first kiss of the movie, which is being directed by British director Sam Taylor-Johnson, who's married to Kick Ass star Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

It was recently revealed that British songstress Rita Ora is to star in the adaptation.

The 23-year-old singer will appear alongside actor Jamie Dornan in the racy film, based on the hugely successful novel by E.L.James.

The blonde bombshell will play the adopted sister of Christian Grey, played by Dornan, in the hit movie, due for release in 2015.

Rita could hardly contain her excitement as she tweeted the news to her 3.5 million followers.

She said: "It's official! I've been cast in @FiftyShades of Grey as Christian's sister Mia. #FiftyShades"

*50 Shades of Grey is due for release later in 2014.




#mirror.co.uk

Rebecca Ferguson describes her brief romance with One Direction's Zayn Malik as 'A little blip in my life'

She was the envy of girls the world over when she appeared on ITV's X Factor and then dated One Direction's Zayn Malik.

But Rebecca Ferguson looks back on her past with a mixture of fondness and bewilderment, according to a recent interview.


The Liverpudlian singer, who has just released a new album called Freedom, has spoken about her fleeting fling with the boyband star and claimed it was a 'blip'.




Looking back: The Liverpudlian star has spoken about her brief relationship with One Direction's Zayn Malik

The pair dated for four months in summer 2011 after getting together on the X Factor live tour.

Although their relationship only lasted a few months, the pairing has remained in the echo chamber of pop music and light entertainment.

Now, following a recent confession by Zayn that the relationship was a 'mistake', Rebecca spoke to Heat Radio - which will air on 14 December - about her side of the story.



In full bloom: Rebecca Ferguson is back with a second album and has mused on her younger self

'It’s a bit like, wow that’s a little blip in my life, what was I doing?' she said. 'I have a lot of respect for him and a lot of respect for the band, but that to me is a moment in my life that I just think, what was going on? You were having a breakdown.'

At the time Zayn hadn't yet embraced body art - and, apparently, never mentioned it until he met his fiancé Perrie Edwards.


'I don’t think so, no. We were only together for three months that would have freaked me right out. I would call for help!'



Old flames: X Factor Couple Rebecca Ferguson and Zayn Malik seen leaving Merah Nightclub in London

The mum-of-two, Lillie May, 9, and Karl, 7, claims her new album is not only a lot more 'modern' and 'younger' than her previous album, but has also created a compilation of emotive songs as a result.

'The songs are all about overcoming fears and becoming a woman,' she said.


'They are about just getting on with things even when you're at your lowest, you have to pick yourself up and dust yourself off.'


Something Rebecca has plenty of experience of. The singer is currently in the midst of a law suit with former management company, Modest! who are suing her for breach of contract.

And on top of that there is a police inquiry pending into the people who scammed her out of £100,000 over the past two years.



New album: The star has poured her feelings into her latest LP, Freedom


#dailymail

Why DIET COLA could be making you FATTER and WRINKLIER

Diet colas have long been regarded as the dieter's friend - but one-calorie fizzy drinks may actually be the reason you can't shift that stubborn spare tyre.


Some health experts now believe the chemicals in the drink could actually be causing your body to lay down fat deposits around your middle - dubbed 'diet cola belly' - reports Get The Gloss.

And that's not all: some experts also believe diet cola’s mix of carbonated water, colourings and sweeteners such as aspartame and acesulfame K could also speed up the ageing process, and have disastrous health consequences.




Diet cola is NOT going to help you lose weight, say health experts - and it could even cause wrinkles



Hoards of nutritionists and scientists now claim diet cola’s image as a 'healthy' alternative to the nine-teaspoons-of sugar, regular variety of the fizzy drink is wholly misplaced.

WEIGHT

The fructose, artificial sweeteners, and sugar alcohols (another type of low-calorie sweetener) present in diet colas can all interfere with natural gut bacteria, according to Amanda Payne of Switzerland’s Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health which published a paper in the journal Obesity Reviews.


Diet cola could be causing fat deposits around your middle, say health experts



This messes up your metabolism and disrupts the body’s way of signaling to you that you’re full and satisfied.

As a consequence, the body pumps out insulin, the hormone that controls sugar levels and fat storage, so that you lay down what Toribio-Mateas calls 'diet cola belly in the form of more fat around the midriff' - just where you wanted to shed fat.

In addition to this: 'The fake sugars in the drink are hundreds of times sweeter than sugar and trick your brain into thinking real sugar is on the way,' says Toribio-Mateas. 'When the calories don’t arrive, it triggers a cascading effect that interferes with hunger signals, blood sugar levels and satiety.'

AGEING

Amanda Griggs, director of health and nutrition at the Balance Clinic in London, says: 'phosphoric acid, the ingredient that gives diet cola its appealing tangy taste and the tingle you get when it is swallowed, can cause a host of problems'.


According to one, study, published in a 2010 issue of the FASEB Journal, it can even accelerate the ageing process.


It found that the excessive phosphate levels found in sodas caused lab rats to die a full five weeks earlier than the rats whose diets had more normal phosphate levels.





The excessive phosphate levels found in sodas caused lab rats to die a full five weeks earlier than the rats whose diets had more normal phosphate levels



Phosphoric acid has also been linked to lower bone density in some studies, including a discussion in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.


In experiments at Harvard University, the mineral was found to make skin and muscles wither and to damage the heart and kidneys over time.


However, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a consumer watchdog group not affiliated with the food industry, only a small fraction of the phosphate in diets comes from additives in soft drinks. Most comes from meat and dairy products.


TEETH


The phosphoric acid in cola drinks erodes away tooth enamel, and the coloring makes the root go dark brown


Sian Porter, spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association says diet colas may lack sugar, but the acidic nature of artificially sweetened fizzy varieties means they still attack tooth enamel.


'It’s not just the sugary drinks that are causing teeth problems,' says Porter. 'Sugar raises the risk of decay, but diet drinks are equally acidic and can cause erosion in the same way.'

HEALTH

It has also been shown to raise the risk of type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure by some researchers. To add to the dire news for diet cola fans, results of a ten-year study found a link with cardiovascular disease among those who drank it every day; cola drinkers were found to be 43 per cent more likely to suffer a stroke or heart attack during a ten-year period than those who abstained.

Other studies have shown that the phosphorus released from phosphoric acid in just two fizzy drinks a week can cause calcium to be leached from bones, raising the risk of osteoporosis.

Cola (both diet and regular varieties) seems particularly damaging to the skeleton. Typically, a can of diet cola contains 44-62mg of phosphoric acid - more than in many other soft drinks - and researchers at Tufts University in Boston showed that women who regularly drank three or more cans a day had four per cent lower bone mineral density in their hips compared to those who preferred other soft drinks.



#dailymail

Chinese boyfriend jumped to his death after his girlfriend insisted on going into another clothes shop

Tao Hsiao, 38, jumped to his death after a furious row with his girlfriend in a shopping mall

China – A man jumped to his death after a furious row with his girlfriend who insisted they go into another clothes shop.

• Tao Hsiao was shopping with his girlfriend in Jiangsu province, east China
• After five hours Tao finally had enough and demanded to go home
• When she insisted they go into another shop the 38-year-old chucked the bags to the floor and jumped over the balcony

 
CCTV shows Tao Hsiao, 38, escorting his girlfriend around a shopping mall in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, east China. After five hours Tao finally had enough and demanded to go home. Eyewitnesses say he could be heard saying they already had more bags than they could carry, but she insisted on going into one more shop where the was a special offer on shoes.

An eyewitness said: “He told her she already had enough shoes, more shoes that she could wear in a lifetime, and it was pointless buying any more. She started shouting at him, accusing him of being a skinflint, and of spoiling Christmas. It was a really heated argument.”

The shouting match ended when the man chucked the bags on the floor and jumped over the balcony. He smashed into Christmas decorations on his way down before hitting the floor seven stories below.

Emergency services arrived at the scene, but Tao was killed immediately from the impact of the fall.

A shopping spokesman said: “His body was removed fairly quickly. He actually landed on one of the stalls below and then fell to the floor so although the store was damaged it meant he didn’t hit anybody.

“This is a tragic incident, but this time of year can be very stressful for many people.”

 

 

#dailymail

LAGOS: Wife discovers missing husband’s corpse in his office

Adegboyega's office
| credits: Comfort Oseghale

 

 

There was confusion in the Bariga area of Lagos State last week when the decomposing corpse of an estate agent, simply identified as Adegboyega, was discovered by his wife and neighbours in his office.

 

A resident anonymously told PUNCH Metro that Adegboyega’s wife had shown up at her spouse’s office on Odugbuwa Street, Bariga, because he had not come home.

 

Due to the nature of his work, Adegboeyga used to pass the night at his office from Monday to Thursday and returned home every Friday for the weekend. His phone number was also said to have been unavailable throughout that weekend.

When Adegboyega’s wife and neighbours reportedly knocked on his office doors, they perceived an offensive odour emanating from the locked doors.

 

Afraid that the odour could be something sinister, Adegboyega’s neighbours advised the wife to lodge a complaint at the Bariga Police Division.

 

Adegboyega’s wife returned a few hours later with some policemen, who then broke into the office to discover Adegboyega’s already decomposing corpse, covered with a cloth. The door to his office was said to have been locked from outside, making residents to allege murder.

 

A neighbour anonymously said, “The last time we saw Adegboyega was two weeks ago, when he was rejoicing that he had been selected as the next councilor for ward B in the next local government election. Nobody can say for sure what must have transpired the Friday of his death because we cannot recall seeing anything suspicious. We suspect foul play though because the door of his office was locked from the outside; someone must have done that.”

 

Due to the state of the corpse, PUNCH Metro gathered that the policemen were unable to evacuate it immediately, but had to call on some health workers to take the decomposing remains to the mortuary.

 

 

#punch

Ex-San Diego mayor to be sentenced for harassing several women

SAN DIEGO - Bob Filner has almost vanished from public view since a defiant resignation speech as San Diego mayor amid widespread allegations that he sexually harassed women. He returns to the spotlight at least once more.
The former 10-term congressman will be sentenced Monday for one felony and two misdemeanours for placing a woman in a headlock, kissing another woman and grabbing the buttocks of a third. He pleaded guilty in October in an agreement with prosecutors, who will recommend that he get three months of home confinement and three years of probation.

Filner, who is divorced, was convicted of felony false imprisonment for restraining a woman against her will at a fundraiser on March 6 and applying additional force when she resisted. His attorney said it was a headlock.
The battery counts are for kissing a woman on the lips without permission at a "Meet the Mayor" event on April 6 and grabbing another woman's buttocks at a May 25 rally to clean up Fiesta Island in Mission Bay. None of the victims have been identified.

Filner's former communications director, Irene McCormack Jackson became the first to go public with sexual harassment allegations in July. She has filed a lawsuit against Filner and the city, claiming her boss asked her to work without panties, demanded kisses, told her he wanted to see her naked and dragged her in a headlock while whispering in her ear.

Nearly 20 women have publicly identified themselves as targets of Filner's unwanted advances, including kissing, groping and requests for dates. They include a retired Navy rear admiral, a San Diego State University dean and a great-grandmother who volunteers answering senior citizens' questions at City Hall.


#montrealgazette

Newlywed Couple lure man to his death with a Craigslist ad because they wanted to kill someone together

 

In this Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013 photo, Miranda K. Barbour is led into District Judge Ben Apfelbaum's office in Sunbury, Pa., by Sunbury policeman Travis Bremigen. Elytte Barbour told officers before his arrest Friday, Dec. 6, that he and his wife, Miranda, had planned to kill before, but their plans never worked out until last month when Troy LaFerrara responded to an online posting that promised companionship in return for money, authorities said. Elytte Barbour, 22, and Miranda Barbour, 18, face criminal homicide charges in LaFerrara's death. His body was found Nov. 12 in an alley in Sunbury, a small city about 100 miles northwest of Philadelphia. MANDATORY CREDIT Photo: Mike Staugaitis, AP

Several police officers lead Elyett Barbour from District Justice Benjamin Apfelbaum's office in Sunbury, Pa., on Friday, Dec. 6, 2013, after being charged in the stabbing death of Troy LaFerrara. Barbour told officers before his arrest Friday, that he and his wife, Miranda Barbour, had planned to kill before, but their plans never worked out until last month when LaFerrara responded to an online posting that promised companionship in return for money, authorities said. Elytte Barbour, 22, and Miranda Barbour, 18, face criminal homicide charges in LaFerrara's death. His body was found Nov. 12 in an alley in Sunbury, a small city about 100 miles northwest of Philadelphia. MANDATORY CREDIT Photo: Larry Deklinski, AP






SUNBURY, Pa. (AP) — A couple married for just three weeks lured a man to his death with a Craigslist ad because they wanted to kill someone together, police said.

Elytte Barbour told officers before his arrest Friday night that he and his wife, Miranda, had planned to kill before, but their plans never worked out until last month when Troy LaFerrara responded to an online posting that promised companionship in return for money, authorities said.

Elytte Barbour told investigators "that they committed the murder because they just wanted to murder someone together," police said in the affidavit.

Elytte Barbour, 22, and Miranda Barbour, 18, face criminal homicide charges in LaFerrara's death. His body was found Nov. 12 in an alley in Sunbury, a small city about 100 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The couple had recently moved to nearby Selinsgrove from

Sunbury's police chief, Steve Mazzeo, said Saturday he did not want to comment on the case or the couple's motives since it was still an active investigation.

According to Sunbury police, Elytte Barbour told investigators he hid under a blanket in the backseat of the couple's SUV as his wife picked up LaFerrara at a mall Nov. 11. He told police that, on his wife's signal, he wrapped a cord around LaFerrara's neck, restraining him while Miranda Barbour stabbed him.

The 42-year-old Port Trevorton man was stabbed about 20 times, police said.

Miranda Barbour was charged Tuesday, a day after police first contacted her. She initially denied knowing LaFerrara, but her story evolved as investigators gathered evidence, including the discovery that the last call received by the victim's cellphone was made from her number, according to an affidavit in her case.

That affidavit said Miranda Barbour acknowledged meeting the victim in Selinsgrove and driving with him to Sunbury, where they parked. She said LaFerrara groped her and she took a knife from between the front seats and stabbed him after he put his hand around her throat, according to the affidavit.

Police said Miranda Barbour had told them she purchased cleaning supplies at a department store after stabbing LaFerrara, then picked up her husband and took him to a strip club for his birthday. On Friday, police said, Elytte Barbour told them he was the one who had purchased the cleaning products, an account investigators said was backed up by surveillance footage.

Following his wife's arrest, Elytte Barbour told The Daily Item of Sunbury that Miranda Barbour, whom he married Oct. 22, regularly hired herself out as a "companion" to men she met on various websites, a business venture he said he supported because it didn't involve sexual contact.

Barbour said his wife made anywhere from $50 to $850 by meeting with men for such activities as having dinner together or walking around a mall. The ads she placed on websites including Craigslist all said upfront that sex was not part of the deal, he said.

"She is not a prostitute," he said. "What she does is meet men who have broken marriages or have no one in their lives, and she meets with them and has delightful conversation."

Elytte Barbour didn't have an attorney at his arraignment Friday night. Telephone messages left for his wife's public defenders Saturday were not immediately returned.

Investigators also plan to look into the death of a man with whom Miranda Barbour had a 1-year-old child, Mazzeo said, but he would not say if there is a suspicion of foul play.

 

 

 

 

#seattlepi.com

Teen dies aboard Delta Air Lines flight from Seattle to Atlanta

A 16-year-old boy suffered a medical emergency and died on board a Delta Air Lines flight en route to Atlanta from Seattle Saturday morning.

Authorities told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the boy, whose name has not been released, was originally from the Atlanta area and was en route with an unspecified number of family members to celebrate Christmas with relatives there. The boy's father is in the military and is stationed in Washington.

Spokane (Wash.) Fire Assistant Chief Brian Schaeffer told the paper that the boy began suffering distress approximately 30 minutes after Delta Flight 128 took off at 9 a.m. local time. The aircraft was diverted to Spokane, where emergency technicians met the plane at a gate.

Passenger Joe Ryan said that the pilot came on the plane's intercom shortly after takeoff and informed the passengers of the emergency. Ryan said he believed the teen and his family were sitting somewhere behind him, and the boy was taken to the rear of the craft, where flight attendants attempted life-saving measures.

According to The Associated Press, officials said the teen had an incident in-flight, and passed away from natural causes prior to the emergency landing.

Schaeffer told the Journal-Constitution that the teen did have a pre-existing condition, but family members had said that he was able to fly. It was not immediately clear what the pre-existing condition was. An autopsy is pending.

The flight had been scheduled to land in Atlanta at 4 p.m. local time. Delta spokesman Michael Thomas told the paper that the airline was working to rearrange travel for some of the 258 passengers. A relief crew was expected to take over the plane and fly the remaining passengers to Atlanta, with landing estimated to be at midnight Sunday local time.



#foxnews

Idris Elba Confirms He's Having a Baby, Reveals Father's Death

Sorry ladies but Idris Elba is officially sooo off the market!

During an appearance on Oprah's Next Chapter, the Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom star revealed that London-based makeup artist Naiyana Garth is indeed expecting his baby.

"My girlfriend's having a baby, yes," he told Oprah.

Elba made his first public appearance with a pregnant Garth at the Harper's Bazaar Women of the Year Awards in London last month. This would be his second child. He also has an 11-year-old daughter named Isan.

The 41-year-old actor also revealed that he found out he was having a baby soon after his father's death. Winston Elba died in September after a battle with lung cancer. Elba recalled his West African family's shock at the cancer diagnosis. "Africans don't think cancer is something that happens to us," he said. It's only been three months and Elba says he has hardly give himself time to grieve and hasn't quite accepted his father's death.

Our condolences, and congratulations, to Idris Elba!



#essenceonline

Veteran actor, Olu Jacobs speaks on why his wife is keeping her maiden name and how they've maintained their 27 years marriage

Veteran Actor Olu Jacobs, who recently turned 71 , explained in an interview with TheNetng how he and his wife, Joke Silva, were able to maintain their marriage for 27 years and receive the tag of “Nollywood’s most celebrated couple”.



Read the interview below:

Meeting the Future Wife
I was having a meeting at the National Theatre and the door opened a young lady came in. I looked at her. I have never met her before in my life and I said to the people in the room ‘ladies and gentlemen, this is the lady I am going to marry’. Everybody laughed. She looked at me up and down, hissed and left. Today, she is my wife and that was 27 years ago.

The Secret of Long-Lasting Marriage
It is God. There are other forces outside that you need to take cognizance of but when you do, you have to make sure that they don’t take control over your life. You are now thinking for two. No decision you take should be for yourself alone. It’s for two and it must remain for two. You have to always remember that. If my wife goes out, and she finds out that she would not be able to make it back at the time she initially thought she would, she picks up the phone and calls me to tell me. Fine! You are thinking for two, she knows where I am, I know where she is. We still do this till tomorrow. Communicating like that helps a lot, once we are talking, you have an idea of where I am and I have an idea of where you are. I am not saying that it should be every minute calls. Sometimes just being together in a room not necessarily saying anything is also important.


The Art of Resolving Quarrels
You learn not to pick on anything your partner says. It interferes with the relationship. If something happens and you want to discuss it, discuss it till the two of you resolve it. Why won’t we argue? I have a mind, she has a mind so why shouldn’t we argue. We must argue but as we do so, we must finish up that argument so we can start another one. We must quarrel, it is resolving it that is the task. Anybody can fight but how many can sit down and resolve it? You must finish one fight before another and you cannot jump because if you jump it will pull you back. We thank God and pray to him to continue to guide us and give us the wisdom to relate properly, and to be as fair and honest as possible. Apart from that, we just take it as it comes.

About Wife Maintaining Her Maiden Name.
She is her own individual. When I met her, she was an actress known as Joke Silva so why should marrying me now deny her and her audience her name. She is Miss Joke Silva who is Mrs. Joke Jacobs. It is as simple as that. People now begin to say what they like. They have even written that we are separated and all sort of stuffs. When she is working, she is Joke Silva but she is Mrs. Joke Jacobs at home.

The Things Olu Jacobs Likes / Dislikes About Her Wife
Sometimes, she insists on things. Even when we have resolved it, she will still bring it back. She thinks more of others. She will think of you and remind you of things that need to be reminded of. She is always happy to help anybody. For her it’s not an effort. She cares a lot and of course, we are all boys in the house so she mothers all of us. That’s the way, we handle it, so whatever we need to do, we discuss it.



#Thenetng

10 Old-School Tips For A Happy Marriage

BlackDoctor.org— Would you take relationship tips from your grandfather or your mom to make your marriage happier? Modern married couples just might do well to emulate some of the successful strategies of their happily married parents and grandparents — from sleeping in separate beds to maintaining same-sex friends.

Could “old-fashioned” practices offer greater longevity, stability, and pleasure to your marriage? Quite possibly. Here are 10 tried-and-true strategies you can borrow from your parents’ marriage to enhance your own.

1. Don’t Go to Bed Angry
Even if you can’t resolve a disagreement before you hit the sheets, you can agree to let the anger go for the night. Remind each other how lucky you are — even as you disagree — to have each other to disagree with.

2. Give Compliments
To give a compliment, you’ve got to pay attention — really notice something about someone. If it’s been a while since you’ve doled out flattering praise, try it. It costs nothing to say, “You look good,” “You did a great job,” or “I like your shirt.” Yet compliments can really reassure and pump up your spouse.

3. Hold Hands
Back in our parents’ time, hand-holding and discreet pecks on the cheek were the tasteful, chaste displays of affection.
Although anything goes these days, its encouraged that couples simply hold hands in public. It somehow affirms to everyone your undying affection and love for each other, and it shows everyone that you are proud to be with each other and you want everyone to know it. There’s an actual electrical connection that passes between us when we touch. You can use that electrical connection to provide juice in your marriage. Give each other little pats and gentle touches and hold hands frequently when you’re walking or driving and you’ll keep the energy — and the sweetness — flowing between you.

4. Cut Back on Complaints
Yesteryear’s couples had a comic reputation for nagging — yet, in truth, many partners often held their tongues. A stumbling block in modern marriages is a constant soundtrack of discord. Current generations think that closeness comes from sharing everything, letting each other know how miserable you are. But it doesn’t motivate me to treat you better. Relaying every annoyance is a bad idea. Instead, pick your battles. “Not everything needs to be addressed.”

5. Try Thoughtful Little Acts
Back in the day, with fewer stresses, limited technology and less multitasking, couples were more “present” in their relationships. The presence of little, daily thoughtful acts showed caring and appreciation for one another. Things like making breakfast for your spouse or packing their lunch, bringing them coffee in the morning or a drink or glass of wine at the end of the day, warming up their car or putting their keys and other personal effects on the hall table, ready to go. Sustaining a happy relationship requires careful thought, a generous spirit and hard work.

There’s a lot of wisdom to be gained from our parents or grandparents.They had companionship marriage, but we’ve raised the bar — we want romance, great sex, and more intimacy. We can reconcile these two approaches. With some of the gentleness and graciousness of previous generations with the technology and savvy of today’s marriages.

6. Maintain Same-Sex Friends — and Interests
Women, don’t try to regulate your husband’s pleasures and don’t be jealous if they don’t include you. It’s only been during the past couple of decades that couples expected to share a bulk of their free time together. Retro couples didn’t necessarily want to participate in each others hobbies. Couples should keep close ties with their same-sex friends throughout marriage. This will give you both time to cultivate your own interests, and not be totally reliant on each other for their entertainment.

7. Look Sharp
You can inspire romance by dressing up for the occasion. “With our hectic schedules, it’s tempting to resort to sweatpants all weekend or immediately changing into a ratty T-shirt after work. Instead, dress up the next time you and your spouse have dinner or plan a night out. Wearing a beautiful dress or a button-down shirt and slacks will be unexpected and make your partner feel special that you took the extra time to look nice. Taking time with your appearance inspires romance and shows your partner you care. Never let yourself go. Look your best as often as possible — it will make your partner feel loved and proud.

8. Put Pen to Paper
Back before cell phones and instant messaging, people wrote letters of affection to each other, often waiting weeks to receive them. Love letters exchanged between a couple can strengthen their relationship by helping them to connect to one another on a deeper level. These letters may also become treasured keepsakes that can be revisited and experienced anew each time they are read. You’ll reap bonus points if you hand write it on beautiful paper and enclose a cherished memento such as a photograph or ticket stub from a movie you saw together.

9. Reinstate Civilit
“Please,” “thank you,” “pardon me” and “may I” are phrases that seemed to have all but disappeared from present-day vocabularies, especially with our loved ones. You should extend your partner the same courtesy you would a stranger. When speaking to your spouse, don’t be rude, be respectful. Use a combination of old-school civility and modern frankness. Additionally, try more sweetness and tenderness by saying things more lovingly. Politeness is like a lubricant for your daily interactions; it makes everything go more smoothly.

Husbands, show her that chivalry is not dead: Pull out her chair, open the door for her, help her over a puddle, give her your coat when it is cold outside, help her to put on her coat. This act of affection shows that she is important and there is a level of respect for her.

10. Have Couples Fun
Cocktail hour and formal anniversary celebrations with like-minded couples were common activities shared by our parents and their friends. It’s fun and a great way to be social with others and playful with one another.

It is important to identify friends who are healthy additions to your social circle. Your goal is to become close with other couples with similar standards and interests who have positive attitudes about marriage and family life. Gravitate toward fun couples who make you feel supported and enhance your active, healthy lifestyle. Friends like these are good for your marriage and overall well-being.

Toddler drowned his newborn twin brother and left another brain damaged while alcoholic mother slept after drinking four cans of strong lager

• The mother from Merseyside drank four cans of super-strength lager
• 3-year-old ran 10-inch bath for twin brothers to make them 'nice and clean'
• Mother awoke later to find both babies unconscious and not breathing
• Pleaded guilty to three counts of neglect and said she is 'haunted' by image

 

A three-year-old boy drowned his newborn twin brother and left the other permanently brain damaged as he tried to bathe them while his alcoholic mother slept.

The boy said he wanted to make his siblings 'nice and clean' after their mother passed out having drunk four cans of super-strength lager.

The shocking sequence of events emerged in court when the mother - who cannot be identified for legal reasons - was given a one-year suspended prison sentence for neglect.

She had sought refuge at a Merseyside home with her children after escaping a relationship of domestic violence, Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday.

The jury heard she slept in a single bed with her eldest son, with the newborn babies cradled together in a drawer.

The mother, an insomniac, fell asleep in the afternoon after drinking four cans of Special Brew, which is nine per cent alcohol.

The toddler woke up and ran a 10-inch bath of cold water.

The mother found her infant children naked and unconscious, not breathing, when she awoke.

Judge Mrs Justice Cox said: 'The drink certainly played a part in you going to sleep and failing to wake up when the toddler woke up and got out of bed.

'While you slept the toddler decided to make the twins nice and clean and he put them in the bath.

'When he woke you up you found both of your babies floating in the bath water. They were cold, naked and they weren’t breathing.'

The mother called police and paramedics, telling a 999 operator that she had found her newborn twins unresponsive.

Both babies were given CPR and were taken to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in West Derby, Liverpool, where they were put on life support.

Days later, one of the boys died in his father's arms. His brother, who suffered a cardiac arrest, was left with severe brain damage.

The court heard he is likely to be severely affected by cerebral palsy and will need round-the-clock care for the rest of his life.



Emergency: The boys were taken to Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool. Days later one died in his father's arms



David McLaughlin, defending, said the mother will be haunted by what happened forever.

He said: 'She bears full responsibility – not a day goes by when she doesn’t think about what happened.

'Every morning she wakes up with a vision of her babies’ faces in the bath, a vision that will haunt her forever-more.'

He added: 'She wants it to be known that she holds herself fully responsible for what occurred and she wants her toddler son to know, if ever that time should arise when he is older, that through her plea of guilty she accepts full responsibility for what occurred and no blame should be laid against him.'

She was handed a one-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, and a supervision order after pleading guilty to three counts of neglect.

Mrs Justice Cox revealed this is not the first time the mother has come into contact with social services.



Sentenced: The mother received a one-year jail sentence, suspended for two years at Liverpool Crown Court


She had previously been warned by health workers of the dangers of drinking while caring for children.

Mrs Justice Cox told her: 'This was not a case involving positive and deliberate acts of abuse or ill-treatment. I accept you intended no harm.

'But you chose to drink strong lager that day and its effects were devastating.

'I have noted you had been advised by health workers as to the risks of alcohol misuse and caring properly for young children.

'You were responsible for those young children in your care and there was a serious breach of the standards they were entitled to have.'

The judge described the mother as 'in general terms, a loving and caring mother who understands the duties and responsibility of motherhood'.

She added: 'Your real punishment will lie in the images that will stay with you, possibly permanently, of what happened that day.'

#dailymail.co.uk

NELSON MANDELA DIES @ 95! R.I.P.GREAT MAN!

“Death is something inevitable. When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace. I believe I have made that effort and that is, therefore, why I will sleep for the eternity.” ~ Nelson Mandela 1996


 


(CNN) -- Nelson Mandela, the revered statesman who emerged from prison after 27 years to lead South Africa out of decades of apartheid, has died, South African President Jacob Zuma announced late Thursday.

Mandela was 95.

"He is now resting. He is now at peace," Zuma said. "Our nation has lost its greatest son. Our people have lost a father."

"What made Nelson Mandela great was precisely what made him human," the president said in his late-night address. "We saw in him what we seek in ourselves."

Mandela will have a state funeral. Zuma ordered all flags in the nation to be flown at half-staff from Friday through that funeral.

Mandela, a former president, battled health issues in recent months, including a recurring lung infection that led to numerous hospitalizations.

With advancing age and bouts of illness, Mandela retreated to a quiet life at his boyhood home in the nation's Eastern Cape Province, where he said he was most at peace. He was later moved to his home in the Johannesburg suburb of Houghton, where he died.

Despite rare public appearances, he held a special place in the consciousness of the nation and the world.

“We need more customer base of three million Nigerians to be able to go into fridge manufacturing.” - PZ Cussons

Richard Harvey is the global chairman of PZ Cussons Plc.

He was in the country last week to commission the company’s subsidiary (HPZ Limited) new assembling line for its fridge products.

In this interview, he noted that fridge factory is highly capital intensive and in order for the company to be competitive, “We need more customer base of three million Nigerians to be able to go into fridge manufacturing.”

Excerpt:
How long have you been doing business in Nigeria?
As you know, PZ Cussons Nigeria is the largest subsidiary of PZ Cussons. We have been operating in the country for more than a hundred year.

So , Nigeria has been a backbone of our operation as a group.What is the contribution of PZ Nigeria to your global sales?
That is a very good question. PZ Nigeria contributes about 30 percent to our global turnover.
So Nigeria is a very important part of the group.

Do you have plans of extending your products category to other sectors of the Nigerian economy?
AS you are probably aware, we have interest in Nigeria’s agriculture sector where we have invested N10 billon in palm oil refinery at Ikorodu area of Lagos. We have started producing our vegetable oil under the brand name ‘Mamadore’ produced from crude oil palm and refined to the highest quality and bottled to international standard. For us it is exciting bringing into the market great product. The product has been in the market in the last three months.

What are your key challenges and how is it affecting productivity?
Productivity actually is improving. We are improving productivity with the patronage our brands are enjoing and we have been bring in new machinery and equipment to improve productivity and produce products that are of high quality and competitive. PZ is a global brand and we are producing according to global standards.

How much money have you invested in Nigeria in the past five years?
In the last five years, we have invested about 130 million dollars.

What did you want to achieve with this new production line?
It will help to rapidly expand the distribution of our fridge products in Nigeria and Ghana.
We anticipate that the demand will keep growing and with the factory, we are ready to sustain supply.

What message do you have for your Nigerian shareholders?
They are investing in the right company.

You have spent so much money on internal expansion, are you thinking of doing any capital issues?
No. The group as a whole is strongly capitalised. Besides we are conservative about borrowing.

How many jobs have you created in support of Nigerian government’s Transformation Agenda?
Currently, we have 2,500 workers across the country on our payroll and we are increasing the number by 30 to 50 percent, through our PZ Wimar palm oil project. In 2010, PZ Cussons Plc entered into a joint venture (PZ Wilmar Ltd) with Wilmar International to build a palm oil refinery in Nigeria and build up an associate food ingredients business.

What is your capacity utilisation?
The capacity utiisation in this factory is a little bit lower than what we would like to do now.Honestly, we are building for the future.

What percentage of your raw materials is sourced locally?
Honestly, our record speaks for itself; we make much use of local raw materials in our milk products like Nunu milk.The content and can are sourced locally except the machinery for packaging it.

What about transition to full scale manufacturing instead of assembling?
Of course, we would love to produce locally, but most certainly it is a long – term plan. This is because the fridge factory is highly capital intensive and in order for us to be competitive, we probably need more customer base of three million Nigerians to be able to go into fridge manufacturing. As of now; we have not decided to go into it until we are able to capture more market out of the 160 million people in the country.

In recent times, many foreign companies have been increasing their shareholdings in Nigerian companies; do you intend to do the same?
No. We have over 85,000 shareholders and we are holding about 70 percent. As of now, there is no plan to increase our shareholding in a Nigerian subsidiary. However, we are committed to our shareholders and the Nigerian economy.

#vanguard

Obama Forbidden iPhone for Security Reasons.......Looks like Blackberry will keep at least one loyal customer!

President Barack Obama publicly explained why he is sticking with his bulky Blackberry—the super-secure device is the only one he is allowed to carry.

At a meeting to promote the health care law at the White House on Wednesday, Obama told a group of young people, “I’m not allowed for security reasons to have an iPhone.” He added that daughters Sasha and Malea spend a lot of time on their iPhones.

Agence France-Presse reports that even though Blackberry has hemorrhaged market share to Apple and other tech firms, it’s still popular among officials in Washington because of its strong encryption. Around the time of his inauguration in 2009, Obama fought to keep his Blackberry; he has said he doesn’t want to be kept in the “White House bubble” where the majority of the president’s communications are filtered by staff and the media.

Obama also reportedly has a personal email address that’s limited to a small group of senior officials and close friends.

#AFP

NSA 'tracking' hundreds of millions of mobile phones - BBC

The tracking system lets the NSA map phone use around the world



Almost five billion mobile phone location records are logged by the NSA every day, reports the Washington Post.

The data is said to help the NSA track individuals, and map who they know, to aid the agency's anti-terror work.

The "dragnet surveillance" was condemned by digital rights groups who called for the NSA's snooping efforts to be reined in.

The news comes as Microsoft plans to use more encryption to thwart NSA spying on it and its customers.Wrong target

The huge database built up by the NSA (National Security Agency) keeps an eye on "hundreds of millions" of mobile phones, said the Post, adding that it let the agency map movements and relationships in ways that were "previously unimaginable".

It added that the vast programme potentially surpassed any other NSA project in terms of its impact on privacy. Information about the programme was in papers released to the Post by whistleblower Edward Snowden.

The spying agency is said to have accumulated so much data, about 27 terabytes according to leaked papers seen by the Post, that it was "outpacing" the NSA's ability to analyse the information in a timely fashion.

The analysis, via a computer system called Co-Traveler, was necessary as only a tiny fraction of 1% of the data gathered was actually useful in its anti-terror work, said the paper. The analysis is so detailed that it can be used to thwart attempts to hide from scrutiny by people who use disposable phones or only use a handset briefly before switching it off.

The vast majority of the information gathered is said to come from taps installed on mobile phone networks and used the basic location-information that networks log as people move around. Analysing this data helps the NSA work out which devices are regularly in close proximity and, by implication, exposes a potential connection between the owners of those handsets.

The American Civil Liberties Union said it was "staggering" that the NSA could mount such a vast location-logging system without any public debate. The "dragnet surveillance" broke US obligations that require it to respect the privacy of foreigners and Americans.

"The government should be targeting its surveillance at those suspected of wrong-doing, not assembling massive associational databases that, by their very nature, record the movements of a huge number of innocent people," it added.

The steady flow of information about the NSA's surveillance work has led Microsoft to take steps to protect itself and its customers from unwarranted scrutiny, it said in a blogpost.

Brad Smith, Microsoft legal counsel, said government snooping was now as much of a security problem as computer viruses and other cyber-attacks.

In response, Mr Smith said, Microsoft was expanding its use of encryption; would fight legal orders that stop it telling customers when their data is being sought and would allow a closer look at the code it develops to show there were no backdoors built in.

#bbc.co.uk

Nollywood and Ghallywood star Jackie Appiah turns 30 today

Today marks the 30th birthday of Nollywood and Ghallywood star Jackie Appiah. ...

Happy Birthday Gurl!

PHOTOS: War of cleavages at the UK Lingerie Awards + Full List Of Winners

Celebs came  to pose on the red carpet at the UK Lingerie Awards held last night at the Freemasons' Hall in London and they didn't disappoint with what they chose to wear.

Winners of the UK Lingerie Awards 2013 in association with Fashion Forms
Fuller Bust Brand of the Year: Elomi
Swimwear Brand of the Year, sponsored by Mode City Paris Salon International De La Lingerie & Du Swimwear: Pistol Panties
Post Surgery Brand of the Year: Anita Care
Maternity Brand of the Year: Lorna Drew
Hosiery Brand of the Year: Jonathan Aston
New Designer of the Year: Madame Supertrash
Independent Directional Brand of the Year: Something Wicked
Lounge & Nightwear Brand of the Year: Olivia Von Halle
Shapewear Brand of the Year: Spanx
Sports Bra Brand of the Year: Panache Sport
Marketing Campaign of the Year: Freya Deco 365
Boudoir Lingerie Brand of the Year: Maison Close
Independent Retailer of the Year, sponsored by Triumph: Dolci Follie
Multiple Retailer of the Year, sponsored by Vercella Vita: Rigby & Peller
Digital Retailer of the Year: Figleaves
Department Store of the Year, sponsored by Panache: Selfridges
Regional Department Store of the Year, sponsored by Charnos XeLence: Jarrold
Lingerie Brand of the Year, sponsored by Salon International De La Lingerie: Gossard
The UK's Favourite British Designer of the Year: Janet Reger
The UK's Favourite Lingerie Retailer of the Year: Debenhams
The UK's Favourite Lingerie Brand of the Year: Gossard
Lifetime Achievement Award: Gillian Proctor

                    
               

Missing 29 Yr Old Ayobami Jaiyeola Kidnapped, N10m Ransom Demanded

The disappearance of 29 Yr Old Ayobami Jaiyeola which was initially reported as a case of missing person, has now become a case of kidnap after kidnappers made an anonymous call to the family demanding a ransom of 10 million naira.


Following her sudden disappearance from her elder sister’s house at Dideolu Estate in the Oniru area of the state on the 29th of November, friends of the victim began sending messages on smartphones and the social media, begging members of the public to help search and provide details regarding Ayobami’s whereabouts.


However, it was gathered that Wednesday afternoon (yesterday), a man, who refused to give his identity, called the victim’s elder sister over the phone, demanding N10m as ransom.

The relative said, “We did not speak with Ayobami, but someone called with a private number demanding N10m.

“When we tried to ask further questions about the state of our daughter, the man terminated the call abruptly.”

Jaiyeola who graduated from the University of Maryland in the United States, was said to have returned to Nigeria in January to serve her father land.

It was learnt that until her abduction, her place of NYSC primary assignment was the Lagos State Ministry of Works, Alausa, Ikeja.

Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, who confirmed the incident said the police had commenced investigation into the matter.

What is WRONG with this photo?

#southafrica# understandingwomenbetter#celebratingwomensmonth
#meninheels