Nelson Mandela's ex-wife Winnie and widow Graca Machel hugged at the anti-apartheid leader's memorial service in Johannesburg. Mandela's widow Graca Machel and ex-wife Winnie hug. Credit: RTV Ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela hugs widow Graca
Machel Winnie Mandela arriving in the FNB stadium. Credit: RTVGraca Machel. Credit: RTV
The Popularly known Fuji musician Alabi Pasuma is set to marry yoruba actress, Ronke Odusanya aka Flakky Ididowo. In a recent interview with journalist Kayode Aponmade, the fuji artiste said “well I am in a serious relationship with Ronke Odusanya a.k.a Flaky Ididowo, if things work according to plan we might get married soon. Though everything is in God’s hand but I can assure you that we are in a serious relationship’
Speaking further about his daughter and why he is still single, he said “I had my first child when I was 23 and by the time she was born, a lot of people thought I was not serious then. Thank God that she is 23 now while I clocked 46 on November 26. The girl is now my friend and confidant. I have been married once but it did not work. Mind you marriage is a life time contract, so I don’t want to rush into it. But I can assure you I will definitely move into my new house with a wife soon.”
A drawing shows what the species of Homo heidelbergensis might have looked like 400,000 years ago.
(CNN) -- There were no genetic tests 400,000 years ago, so our ancient relatives didn't know as much about themselves as we know about them now.
Scientists have reconstructed a nearly complete mitochondrial genome of an ancient human relative, whose remains were found in Sima de los Huesos ("pit of bones") in northern Spain. It is the oldest DNA to be recovered from an early humanlike species, authors of a study wrote in the journal Nature.
The ancient species that has revealed some of its genetic secrets, via bone fragments from a femur, is probably not directly linked to your family tree though.
"It's quite clear that this is not a direct ancestor of people today," said Svante Paabo, a biologist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and senior author of the study.
Instead, he said, this representative of an early humanlike species, called Homo heidelbergensis, could be an ancestor of both Neanderthals and another group called the De nisovans.
The genetic relationship to Denisovans, discovered through this DNA research, is surprising because the Homo heidelbergensis remains found in the cave have many Neanderthal-like features. The only remnants of Denisovans come from Siberia -- a long way from Spain.
"It's sort of an open question really what this means, and I think further research into the nuclear genome of these hominins will address that," Paabo said.
How they did it
Paabo and colleagues used a new method for sequencing ancient, degraded genetic material to put together the 400,000-year-old specimen's mitochondrial genome. It is the oldest DNA ever found outside permafrost conditions -- in other words, it was not permanently frozen.
Mitochondria are structures in cells that convert food energy into usable forms. DNA stored in the mitochondria is passed to children through the maternal line only (i.e., only moms can pass it on), so it's only a small snapshot of inherited genes.
Genetic material in the cell's nucleus comes from both parents and gives a fuller picture of genetic heritage.
To study genetics of our ancient predecessors, researchers have an easier time studying mitochondrial DNA because there are hundreds of times more copies of it in each cell.
"It's a much bigger chance to find some fragments of this preserved," Paabo said. A skeleton of a Homo heidelbergensis representative from a cave site in Spain.
The method that researchers used involves separating the two strands of the DNA double helix. They then make a "library" from each of the two strands. If part of one strand is damaged, its analogue on the other strand -- which is made of complementary genetic partners -- may be intact.
"That is sort of the big trick involved," Paabo said.
After sequencing the mitochondrial DNA, researchers then compared the result with genetic information about Neanderthals and Denisovans.
Since nuclear DNA encompasses more information about a person's inheritance, a nuclear genome sequence from Homo heidelbergensis may reveal even more clearly how it is connected to other ancient humanlike species, he said.
But retrieving the nuclear DNA sequence will be challenging, study authors wrote. Just to get the mitochondrial DNA sequence, it took about two grams of bone -- less than 0.1 ounce -- even though hundreds of copies of this DNA are in every cell.
Still, Paabo said, the sequencing technique his group used "opens a possibility to now do this at many other sites, and really begin to understand earlier human evolution."
Relationship to other species
Researchers thought initially the mitochondrial DNA of the Homo heidelbergensis specimen would share a common ancestor with Neanderthals. Neanderthals lived in Europe beginning as much as 300,000 years ago, Paabo said. (Homo sapiens, our species, first appeared in Africa between 100,000 and 200,000 years ago.)
Instead, researchers discovered through the DNA that this specimen is closer to the Denisovans, a group related to the Neanderthals.
A likely explanation is that in Eastern Eurasia this species gave rise to Denisovans, and in Western Eurasia they were the ancestors of Neanderthals, Paabo said. But more research needs to be done to verify that theory.
Humans, Neanderthals related to yet another group
Little is known about the Denisovans. Although some of their remains were found in southern Siberia, their genetic signature is only found today on islands in the Pacific.
Paabo was also the senior author on a 2012 study in the journal Science analyzing the Denisovan genome. That research suggested that human ancestors and the Denisovans' ancestors must have branched off from one another as much as 700,000 years ago -- although that number is vague. Still, it seems that the Denisovans must have mated with indigenous people in Papua New Guinea and Australia, Paabo said.
About 3% to 5% of the DNA of people from Melanesia (islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean), Australia and New Guinea as well as aboriginal people from the Philippines comes from the Denisovans.
On the other hand, everyone who lives outside Africa today probably has some Neanderthal DNA in them, Paabo said in 2012.
The bottom line, Paabo said, is that the relationships between these early human relatives -- Homo heidelbergensis, Neanderthals and Denisovans -- are not clear-cut.
"It's going to be a more complex history that one will eventually clarify with the help of DNA," he said.
President Barack Obama and the First Lady have arrived in Johannesburg after Air Force One touched down in South Africa on Tuesday morning. The Obamas were met at the airport by South Africa's minister for international relations Maite Nkoana-Mashabane (pictured above left) - after a 17-hour flight from Washington with former President George W Bush and his wife Laura, and former Secretary of State and first lady Hillary Clinton.
As dignitaries from around the world flew in for the funeral service, South Africans gathered in their thousands to celebrate the life of their inspirational leader (inset).
See photos below...more photos to come as events unfold....
Former President George W. Bush and his wife Laura are seen coming off of Air Force One after the Obamas as the two couples shared the plane with former Secretary of State and first lady Hillary Clinton
Lines of succession: Obama led the Americans, followed by Michelle, then former President George Bush, Laura Bush, and Hillary Clinton seen just slightly at the end
Representatives: David Cameron and Nick Clegg were attending the ceremony along with three former Prime Ministers of Britain
Arrival: Mr Cameron, Mr Clegg and John Major walking in to the FNB Stadium this morning
Successor: Jacob Zuma, the current president of South Africa, is giving the keynote speech during the ceremony
Ally: FW de Klerk, who was awarded the Nobel Prize along with Mandela for his role in ending apartheid, arrives with his wife Elita
Stars: U2 singer Bono and South African actress Charlize Theron talking in the crowd at the ceremony
Dignitary: Sir John Major former Prime Minister of the UK
Respected: Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan arrived with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former President Jimmy Carter
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace Mugabe (centre) arrive in Pretoria ahead of the memorial
Equatorial Guinea's president Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo (left) and Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta (right) also arrived in South Africa on Monday night
Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain (centre) is also on the guestlist for the prestigious memorial
Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni (left) and Malawi's President Joyce Banda (right) arrive at Waterkloof Air Force Base in Pretoria
Former X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos was tonight charged in connection with the supply of Class A drugs.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced the 25-year-old will appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on December 19.
The charge relates to Tulisa “being concerned in” the supply of drugs.
It follows a newspaper sting in which she was allegedly filmed appearing to fix an £820 cocaine deal with a man who was later revealed as an undercover journalist.
Tulisa is said to have acted as a go-between in the alleged drug deal involving part-time rapper Mike GLC - real name Michael Coombs – who was also charged.
During the sting operation, the reporter in question offered the singer a £3million film contract while masquerading as a movie producer.
Tulisa and her friends were also flown first class to Las Vegas.
CPS London chief Crown prosecutor Baljit Ubhey said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has today authorised the Metropolitan Police Service to charge Tulisa Contostavlos, 25, with being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs
“This charge relates to an investigation by the Sun newspaper between early March 2013 and May 23 2013 which resulted in the supply of Class A drugs to an investigative journalist,”
“This decision to prosecute was taken in accordance with the code for Crown prosecutors.
“We have determined that there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction and that a prosecution is in the public interest.”
“This defendant is now the subject of criminal proceedings and has the right to a fair trial.”
Tulisa was initially arrested in connection with the incident with 35-year-old musician Mike GLC on June 4 by appointment at a London police station.
If found guilty, supplying Class A drugs can carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
However, such severe punishment is only applied in the most extreme circumstances involving large scale drug rings, repeat offenders and huge profits.
Tulisa, from Hatfield, Herts, was officially dropped as a judge on X Factor days before her arrest, with Sharon Osborne returning to the show in her place.
A Scotland Yard spokesman confirmed the singer had been charged alongside Coombs, 35, of Enfield.
Tulisa’s lawyer Ben Rose said that she would fight the charge and plead not guilty.
Tulisa found fame as a member of N-Dubz before going solo and hitting number one with her debut single Young, released in April last year.
Her TV career flourished working as an X Factor judge on the show’s eighth and ninth series, in 2011 and 2012, before she was replaced.
Mandela's widow Graca Machel and ex-wife Winnie hug. Credit: RTV
Ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela hugs widow Graca
Machel
The Popularly known Fuji musician Alabi Pasuma is set to marry yoruba actress, Ronke Odusanya aka Flakky Ididowo.
