'We miss her so much,' grandma says of slain 6-year-old

Jack Darger,5, is held by his mother, Emma, during a vigil to show support for the family of Sierra Newbold at West Jordan Elementary School on Friday, June 29, 2012. Sierra Newbold was found dead in a canal near her West Jordan home Tuesday.

Laura Seitz, Deseret News

“It's an unbelievable thing. We can't hardly get our heads around it. You try to figure what and you don't get an answer. I can't understand how anyone can do something like this to a little girl — or anybody.”

Sierra's grandmother Frances Newbold

WEST JORDAN — It's hard to put into words what the loss of a bright-eyed, 6-year-old girl with freckles can do to her family.

One day, Sierra Newbold is dancing and dressing up in "fairy costumes" with her kid sister and the next day, she's gone.

"You don't even know hardly how to feel or think — it just upsets your whole world," Sierra's grandmother Frances Newbold said Friday.

"The first day was just so devastating. ... You finally dry up. You run out of tears."

As police investigate what happened to Sierra before she was sexually assaulted, killed and left in a canal near her home, her grandmother said she takes comfort in knowing that whatever cruel acts led to the child's death are over now.    

"We know where she is now and we're happy that she's out of any misery or pain she could have experienced. We miss her so much," Newbold told the Deseret News. "She was a vivacious little girl ... full of life."

That life was remembered Friday at a viewing in anticipation of Saturday's funeral, and at a candlelight vigil attracting about 200 people to Sierra's neighborhood school, only blocks away from the home from which she was taken.

Patty Belleso came to the vigil with her family "to show support because we have little ones too," she said. "Nobody deserved that. I don't think it's fair what happened to her."

The support for Sierra exhibited Friday was also laced with the fear that remains in the neighborhood.

"I know that people are afraid to let their kids go out, me being one of them," said Sharan Dawn Kanniainen. "I lock my doors during the day now. I won't let my kids go out," she said.

Just before 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, family members called police to report that the girl was missing from her home at 2383 W. 7095 South. Officers started searching the area and soon found her dead in a nearby canal.

West Jordan Police Chief Doug Diamond declined to provide details about her condition, but said there was "not a significant amount of trauma on the body." An autopsy later concluded her death was a homicide and that she'd been sexually assaulted.

"It's an unbelievable thing," Newbold said. "We can't hardly get our heads around it. You try to figure what and you don't get an answer. I can't understand how anyone can do something like this to a little girl — or anybody."

source: desert news

Elrufai Falsely Accuses Igbo Christian of Planting Bombs in Mosques

Apparently, controversial former minister of the FCT has a beef with the Igbo people of the Southeast. After writing a back-page piece in Thisday which was full of false information on Anambra state ( CLICK HERE TO READ ). Amazingly, El Rufai reportedly said Anambra was the poorest state in the country, that it was educationally backward, lacked priorities and suffered from poor infrastructural development. This prompted the governor of the state to respond, also on the back page of Thisday, proving Elrufai wrong.

But just yesterday, Elrufai tweeted a false claim against an Igbo man. In the tweet, it was claimed that an Igbo man had been caught trying to bomb Minna Central Mosque. (see tweet below).

It will be recalled that Elrufai was one of the prominent opposition members who have stoked tension in the North in recent months. In a tweet two weeks ago, he alluded that Christians were behind a Boko Haram attacks . (See tweets below)

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Elrufai also posted a similar claim on his facebook profile claiming that Boko Haram is a Southern Christian plot to destroy the Hausa Fulani and Islam. Those interested in reading Elrufai's allegations against Christians may do so by clicking on the following link https://www.facebook.com/nasirelrufai/posts/10151832787470128 or go to his facebook page.

Mean while, a facebook user who lives close to the mosques gave the testimony below which put to lie Elrufai's claims;

• 6 minutes ago via mobile · 
• 
  

  Ali Haruna Am a muslim and lives very close to the said mosque,pple like el-rufai are agents of lucifer and shpuld not be listened to,5 hausa muslims were killed in a mosque while praying some nobths ago in kano,where they killed by the igbo's?several district head had been killed in kano,is it the igbo,s that also killed them?4 days ago 4 police station were attacked in kano at thesame time,is there any igbo man among those arrested?El-rufai is a certified lunatic he should not be listened to.
  

  6 minutes ago via mobile ·

  
  

  source: naija pundit

fire destroyed three homes and damaged two others - Herrriman, Utah

HERRIMAN — A fast-moving 10-alarm fire destroyed three homes and damaged two others — in addition to multiple other structures including garages and barns — Friday, prompting officials to issue a mandatory evacuation.

While officials of the Rose Crest Fire said their hearts went out to the families who lost homes and property, the results could have been much worse.

"I thought we were going to lose upwards to 100 (homes) or so," said Unified Fire Chief Michael Jensen.

The fire, which began about 3:30 p.m., had grown to 350 acres in less than five hours, fire officials said. The burned acres were mostly along the ridgeline.

This is the second time within two years that Herriman residents have been forced from their homes by fire. Utah National Guardsmen were doing a routine machine gun training exercise at Camp Williams Sept. 19, 2010, when wind turned a small grass fire into an inferno that climbed over a hill into the residential area that borders the camp to the north.

The fire ultimately consumed more than 4,300 acres, destroyed three homes and damaged many others. More than 1,600 residents were evacuated during that blaze.

The big difference between that fire and Friday's Rose Crest Fire is that officials knew in 2010 that the fire was coming heading their way over the mountain.

"This happened right in the middle of a developed area," Jensen said.

"It's not the size of the fire, it's the location," added Utah Gov. Gary Herbert.

Herbert praised the work of firefighters Friday night, calling their work to save homes a "significantly remarkable effort."

"I'm just in awe of the good work they've done," he said. "We've got the best in the business here fighting fires."

Cause of fire

Officials believe the fire, which is being called accidental, started after someone parked their hot car in an area of tall, dry grass. That car owner's house was not one of the three destroyed, however, Jensen said.

"Car parked over dry grass plus hot muffler equals Rose Crest Fire," Herriman City Councilman Mike Day said in a tweet Friday night.

An emotional Carrie Choquette confirmed that she saw the fire begin across the street from her house, next to a vehicle.

source: desert news

Boko Haram: Why We Don’t Apply Full Force – Chief of Army Staffe

The chief of army staff, Lt. General Azubuike Ihejirika, said yesterday that the military  had been careful to not unleash its full might on insurgents in the north because of the need to avoid collateral damage.

He said that as much as they would want to tackle rising insecurity in the land, the army was mindful of the need to protect the lives and property of   innocent citizens.

The army chief, who was in Kano as part of the activities to mark this year’s Army Day, pointed out that his men had been responding to the series of attacks in parts of the north with utmost professionalism.

“I’m happy with the troops sent to the state [Kano] to provide security. They have been tackling the security challenges with utmost professionalism.

Said the COAS: “I have always cautioned my men to always show professionalism and protect women, children and other law-abiding citizens. They have been doing this even at the time we lost our men in some operations.”

“In our past operations, a lot of these women and children have been successfully rescued without being hurt; that is why I’m happy with the troops.

“As much as we do not want to exert our full force on the insurgents because we do not want to hurt innocent people, other security operatives have been very supportive in bringing peace back to Kano.’’

He also expressed appreciation to Kano State government and sister security agencies for standing by the army to restore peace and stability in parts of the north.

The current security problems in the country, he said, were a temporary challenge, pointing out that his vision was to transform the Nigerian army so that it can face the challenges adequately.

The COAS, who later addressed the troops, gave them a pat on the back for their maturity and professionalism and assured them of continued support in all areas of operations and training.

On the rumoured mutiny by Nigerian soldiers in the Sudan, the army chief said that there was nothing like that in the Sudan. He said the return of the soldiers drafted to the peace operation was delayed due to some UN administrative processes that had since been sorted out.

The practice, according to him, was to return soldiers who have completed their assignment so that they could reunite with their families.

While in Kano, the chief of army staff paid courtesy calls on the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, the state governor, Dr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, and commissioned the new office complex of the 3rd Brigade.

Nigeria’s Got Brains Too as Yet another Nigerian Emerges Best Graduating Student in Turkish University

While Nigerians at home are still basking in the glory of excellent performances by their students abroad reported within the past couple of weeks, another Nigerian student in Turkey has given the country more reasons to be proud.
Tunji Anthony Olu-Taiwo from Ifako-Ijaiye Local government area of Lagos state has recently graduated from Eastern Mediterranean University in the Turkish republic of North Cyprus as the best graduating student from the Faculty of engineering.He finished with a Grade Point Average of 4.00 out of a possible 4.00 (straight A’s). He obtained a degree in Computer Engineering.
Tunji was born in Kano, Nigeria where he attended Air force Nursery and Primary school. He completed his secondary education at St. Thomas Secondary School in Kano.
Within the past two weeks, at least two other Nigerians have appeared in the news for similar reasons. Twenty-two year old Emmanuel Ohuabunwa was in the news for breaking academic record at the John Hopkins University in the United States. Shortly afterwards, another Nigerian, this time twenty-one year old Chibundu Onuzo was declared UK’s Number 1 black student as a result of her excellent academic performances and other exploits in creative writing.

Jim Iyke To Pay N200, 000 Monthly Within 4 Years For N16.5M Debt

Case between actor Jim  Iyke and Mrs Abubakar that was thrown out of court due to lack of evidence created a form of dissatisfaction when the other parties heard the media slicing that befell the whole story. They gave their own side of the story and it read:

Our notice has been drawn to an article published on your blog and other media and we have been mandated to put the facts straight.

 

We would like to say categorically that the accused (Mr. Jim Iyke) confessed to all the charges that were brought against him which said charges includes criminal breach of trust, assault, criminal force, cheating, criminal misappropriation and obtaining by tricks etc.

 

Pursuant to his confession and guilty plea, the accused ( Mr. Jim Iyke) would have been sent to jail but for the magnanimity of the victim, Mrs Abubakar who, after listening to all the pleading from Jim’s family that he was their bread winner, decided to temper justice with mercy.

 

As it was not the interest of the victim to ruin his career nor cause his family unnecessary pain, the moral decision was taking to withdraw the case on the condition that he will refund all the money he fraudulently obtained.

 

At the instance of our client, the case was only discharged for amicable settlement (and not thrown out) and the accused was not in any way acquitted.

 

We expect that Mr. Jim Iyke will concentrate on finding ways of fulfilling the debt repayment agreement signed by him rather than the unnecessary show of braggadocio and deliberate misinformation, as the agreement clearly states that should he default on two consecutive installment payments, the case will be re-opened, all waivers suspended, and the law will take its cause.

 

He remains liable and must desist from bringing the court, the law enforcement officers and all parties involved to disrepute or the full wrath of the law will be brought upon him.

 

Please find attached evidence and documentation in respect of the above.

 

Thank you for setting the records straight.

 

Zuby Njoku

eLDee drops 5th album ‘Undeniable’ July 1

Popular Nigerian musician and music producer eLDee is set to release his 5th solo album ‘Undeniable‘ on 1st of July 2012.
eLDee’s other four solo music albums include ‘Long Time Coming’ (2004), ‘Return of the King’ (2006), ‘Big Boy’ (2008) and ‘Is it your Money?’(2010).
The ‘Undeniable’ album which features previously released singles ‘Wash wash’, ‘Today today’ and ‘Higher’ features guest appearances from EME acts Wizkid,Banky W and  Trybe Records acts Sojay, and K9.
“This album is different from my previous albums because I decided to take a fresh and truly original stab at what contemporary African music should sound like today” the Trybe records boss, eLDee, elaborated.
In his 15 year career, the 35-year-old has proved to be a consistent artiste topping the charts and building and moulding other artistes’ careers.
-NET

Colorado wildfires: President Obama declares disaster

People affected by the wildfires discuss their experiences of the disaster

US President Barack Obama has issued a disaster declaration for Colorado, where wildfires have forced tens of thousands from their homes.

Mr Obama is scheduled to visit the affected area on Friday, as federal funds were cleared to combat the blaze.
One person was declared dead after human remains were found in a burned-out home in Colorado Springs.
The Waldo Canyon fire has destroyed 346 houses, making it the most destructive in the state's history.
On Friday morning, officials said the fire was 15% contained and that favourable weather conditions helped firefighting crews make good progress overnight.
Incident commander Richard Harvey said there had been no perimeter growth of the fire, and no additional structures were lost or damaged.
But the forest service has warned that it could still take weeks to get the wildfires under control.
Another blaze in northern Colorado - the High Park fire - has killed one person and has destroyed 257 homes, officials have said.
Half of America's firefighting resources, some 1,100 personnel, have been deployed in the state, where nearly 160,000 acres have been razed.

Body found Some mandatory evacuation notices have been lifted, authorities said on Friday, enabling some people to begin returning home.
Many people remain in shelters and officials said that it may take some time to restore gas and electricity services to those who have been allowed to re-enter their houses.
On Tuesday, about 32,000 people were forced to leave their homes as the Waldo Canyon fire surged across the city limits of Colorado Springs, the state's second biggest city and home to some 420,000 people.

Continue reading the main story

Wildfire tracking online

Here is a selection of resources to help track the progress of the Waldo Canyon fire:
Local news station KKTV created this map illustrating the fire's rapid growth, and the Colorado Springs Gazette is live-blogging with updates from local police and details of services for residents.
This crowd-sourced, interactive map overlays social media content with terrain and wind conditions to give a fuller picture of the situation on the ground. Colorado's division of Emergency Management is also running a Twitter feed @COEmergency with updates on fires across the state.
And the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created helpcoloradonow.org, a website listing ways to help those affected by the fire.

Late on Thursday, Police Chief Pete Carey said the remains of a person were found in a gutted house in the city.

He said the body was one of two people reported missing from that address, but did not give further details.
On Friday he said authorities were trying to trace fewer than 10 people who may be unaccounted for.
Officials on Thursday said the fire was halted before it reached the academy for US Air Force cadets. It had been evacuated, but residents were allowed to return on Friday morning.
The authorities informed those who had lost homes on Thursday. Some had already been able to tell if their houses had survived from aerial photos, which showed rows of buildings reduced to ashes.
"Our minds just started sifting through all the memories of that house that we lost that can't be replaced," resident Rebekah Largent told the Associated Press news agency, after learning from lists distributed by the authorities that her house had been among those destroyed.
Colorado Springs Mayor Steve Bach said it would be a difficult time for those affected.
"This community is going to surround them with love and encouragement," Mr Bach said, according to the AP.
The fire, which has caused an estimated $3.2m (£2m) of damage, was 15% contained as of late on Thursday.
President Obama is due to tour the affected areas later on Friday. His decision to declare a disaster in the area makes federal funds available for local relief efforts.
Wildfires are also sweeping parts of Montana, Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and California.

source: bbc news

Comic Actor, Baba Ijesha Set To Mary Samsung Manager

Yoruba comic actor Baba Ijehsa will get married to his fiancée come July 14^th, 2012. He was recently asked in an interview about the identity of his bride and here is what he said;

Who is the lucky lady?

I don’t want to disclose that for now but very soon you will find out, but she’s definitely not into the entertainment industry. She is very quiet, reserved and hardworking. She is one of the managers of Samsung Company. Unlike me, she cherishes her private life.

Congrats to them.

Cities In The United States crack down on homeless people

 

An increasing number of cities across the country are embracing ordinances that criminalize sleeping in public places and panhandling. Shutterstock.com

Life for the homeless is getting even more difficult as an increasing number of cities across the country embrace ordinances criminalizing things like sleeping in public places and panhandling.

More than 50 cities, including Atlanta and San Diego, have adopted some kind of anti-camping or anti-food-sharing laws, according to the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty. In a recent survey of 234 American cities, the nonprofit found 40 percent prohibit sleeping, 33 percent prohibit sitting and 53 percent prohibit begging in public places.

Some cities are also tightening restrictions on those who help the poor, the Los Angles Times reported. Do-gooders in Dallas and Philadelphia are now prohibited from feeding the homeless without a permit. In New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently outlawed food donations to homeless shelters because the city can't assess salt, fat and fiber content.

Cities say the laws are designed to better serve the homeless and protect public safety. Advocates for the poor, though, argue the laws hurt, rather than help the homeless.

After Philadelphia passed a law banning feeding the homeless outdoors, a spokesman for the city's mayor, Michael Nutter, told USA Today the law was designed to protect the poor's dignity.

"This is about an activity on city park land that the mayor thinks is better suited elsewhere," said Mark McDonald, press secretary. "We think it's a much more dignified place to be in an indoor sit-down restaurant. … The overarching policy goal of the mayor is based on a belief that hungry people deserve something more than getting a ham sandwich out on the side of the street."

Reggie Shuford, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania argued, though, "These regulations are directed at the homeless, and no one else."

Earlier this month, the ACLU sued the city on behalf of a group of churches and religious leaders who wish to continue feeding the homeless in public parks.

"The city clearly values its public image over our clients' constitutional right to practice their religion and the needs of the homeless," Shuford said.

In a 2012 policy report, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness urged cities to look for "constructive alternatives" to homelessness rather than passing laws to get people off the street. The report, which called criminalization policy "costly," suggested pulling together government officials, philanthropists, businesses and community members to create a seamless system of care for the homeless.

"Instead of helping people experiencing homelessness move off the streets for good, these ordinances just force them into different neighborhoods. We are not ending homelessness, we are rearranging it," wrote Joel John Roberts, CEO of PATH Partners, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to providing support services to the homeless, in a editorial for the in a editorial for the Huffington Post. "The battle to end homelessness can only be won when more permanent affordable housing linked with intensive services is created to house those living on our streets."

source: desert news

Unions, pensions drove Bank of Stockton, California to bankruptcy

STOCKTON, Calif. — California officials must now assign blame to Stockton’s bankruptcy as mandated by its state law.

But who is to blame?

According to one analyst, it was cumbersome pension promises and public union salaries that sent Stockton under, not the housing crash.

“Union pensions wrecked Stockton,” said Mike Shedlock, investment advisor at Sitka Pacific Capital, in his article at Business Insider. “The only way to escape the death-grip of inane pension promises is bankruptcy.”

Shedlock said the U.S. should expect to see more cities file for bankruptcy.

The investment adviser also offered some potential solutions other than bankruptcy, including halts on defined benefit pension plans and collective bargaining for public union workers.

Stockton plans to default on $10.2 million in debt and cut $11.2 million in employee pay and benefits. The cuts have led to high crime and unemployment rates.

“The city is fiscally insolvent and must seek Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection,” Stockton said in a statement to Bloomberg. “In addition to the bankruptcy petition, the city will file a motion with the courts to share information from the confidential mediation.”

Source: desert news

After Insulting Nigeria's Leaders, Forbes Magazine Exposes Professor Ayittey's Hypocrisy(Exposes Ghane Poor Economy)

After thoroughly insulting Nigeria's leader for the state of Nigeria, 2nd rate Ghanaian Professor of Economics must now be embarrassed that perhaps the world's pre-eminent economics magazine, Forbes, has listed Professor Ayittey's country Ghana as a nation that has one of the world's worst economies. According to American published Forbes Magazine, Ghana is poor by design.

Professor Ayittey had insinuated that President Jonathan was of unsound mind and urged Nigerians to remove him. He also made uncomplimentary  pronouncements  about Nigeria's economy. However, Forbes rated the Nigerian economy as better ran than the Ghanaian economy and described the Ghanaian economy as not just badly run, but "poor by design".

Ayittey, who is a paid consultant who speaks the minds of his clients has surprisingly been celebrated by the likes of Bashir Yusuf, and Elrufai suggesting that his comments on Nigeria were procured.

Please read what Forbes Magazine wrote here (CLICK HERE). See full text below;

The World's Worst Economies: These countries aren't unlucky--they're poor by design.

Ghana has the world's largest manmade lake and the 1-gigawatt Aksombo Hydroelectric Plant, built to supply electricity to Africa's largest aluminum smelter. But the smelter has been idle since 2009, a casualty of low aluminum prices and persistent electricity shortages that have forced the government to divert the power elsewhere.

Ghana is a typical example of the world's worst-managed economies: It's a country that shouldn't be poor, but it is. The West African nation's gross domestic product per capita fell 9% last year to $621, ranking it 154th out of 184 countries tracked by the International Monetary Fund, below resource-impoverished Haiti. With a $3 billion trade deficit last year and $4.9 billion in external debt, Ghana is struggling to pay its bills even as it sits on some of the world's biggest reserves of gold and bauxite, as well as considerable amounts of offshore oil, which is being developed by Anadarko Petroleum ( APC - news - people ) and others.
Article Controls

"Ghana's problems are mostly homegrown," said Peter Allum, the IMF's mission chief to Ghana, in February. Forbes ranks Ghana ninth on our list of the world's worst economies.

As the world focuses on Greece and the rest of the so-called PIIGs--Portugal, Italy and Ireland--in their fight to reverse years of irresponsible fiscal policies, another group of nations make them look positively well-managed. Forbes screened IMF data for countries that have low and declining per-capita GDP, high trade deficits and high inflation, all indicators of bad economic management regardless of the country's inherent wealth.

All have at least one trait in common: Their governments discourage private investment--and economic growth--through policies of crony capitalism, expropriation or arbitrary enforcement of the laws. That makes it hard to generate hard currency to pay off government debt and discourages citizens from investing in education to improve their own economic lot.

"Most of these vulnerably low-income countries are in a trap," said Otaviano Canuto, vice president and head of the World Bank's Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network. "The climate is not conducive to investments, not only in factories and agricultural improvements, but in education."

No surprise as to the winner of this race to the bottom: Zimbabwe, a country where the annual inflation rate hit the surreal level of more than 500 billion percent in late 2008 as the government of dictator Robert Mugabe tried to print his way out of his own mistaken economic policies. Before the fever broke last year, Zimbabwe restaurants felt compelled to post signs reminding patrons not to use the nearly worthless dollar bills as toilet paper. Zimbabwe's inflation rate has since dropped to around 5% as the country abandoned its currency and allowed transactions to be conducted in U.S. dollars and other currencies. But it still was forced to import 500,000 tons of maize last year to make up for shortfalls in its once-bountiful agricultural sector.

Ranking fifth on the list is Nicaragua, the only Latin American country to show such a poisonous combination of poverty and stagnant growth. Nicaragua's inflation-adjusted GDP fell 1.5% in 2009 and foreign investors have shunned the country since 1980s socialist President Daniel Ortega returned to office in 2007. Textile manufacturers have closed and European aid agencies balked at supporting the Ortega government after flawed elections in 2008. One reliable source of income in this socialist paradise: remittances from expatriates, which represented 13% of GDP in 2008.

In eighth place is Liberia, another resource-rich nation that has mismanaged its way to poverty through decades of corruption and civil war. The country has been relatively stable since 2005 and may achieve 6% GDP growth this year. But that's a GDP of less than $900 million, with rubber exports the single largest source of foreign currency at $170 million. Registrations of foreign ships brings in another $18 million, hardly enough to make a dent in the country's $3.4 billion debt. Last year commercial creditors agreed to call it even at 3 cents on the dollar, possibly allowing Liberia to begin the cycle of borrowing and defaulting anew. Some economic growth is expected after Arcelor Mittal ( MT - news - people ) begins shipping iron ore from the Yekapi complex in 2011.

Adele Pregnant: Singer Expecting First Child With Boyfriend Simon Konecki

It's been a big year for Adele and life is about to get even more exciting as the singer announced that she and boyfriend Simon Konecki are expecting their first child together.
The 24-year-old British singer made the announcement on her website on Friday:

Im delighted to announce that Simon and I are expecting our first child together. I wanted you to hear the news direct from me, obviously we’re over the moon and very excited but please respect our privacy at this precious time. Yours always, Adele xx

The Grammy winner met Konecki, 36, last summer in the U.K. and have been dating ever since, but the singer first addressed their relationship in January 2012, in a blog post on her website, writing: "Everyone in our lives separately and together wish us nothing but the best, and vice versa."
The good news follows recent reports that the singer wanted to be pregnant by the end of the year.
"[Adele] told Simon how broody she's been feeling. The pair have spoken about children and it's something they both very much want in the future. Simon already has a five-year-old daughter from his previous marriage with Clary, who Adele has met and absolutely adores," a source told the Daily Star in March.
"It's a huge turnaround for Adele who’s always said she wants to wait until she’s at least 30 and has five albums before she thinks about a family. But now they have their big pad in the country with ample bedrooms, she’s keen to fill it with babies," the source told the paper, adding that the singer already has a list of names she loves.

Beyonce and Jay Z To Attend Sunday's BET Awards

    Super-couple Beyonce and Jay z have been confirmed to attend the 2012 BET awards to hold  July 1 ,2012 in Los Angeles .Beyonce who is the second most nominated act  will battle her husband for video of the year at the BET Awards.

Beyonce fanpage confirmed she is going to attend

   She's up for six awards and  Jay-Z is nominated for five.Beyonce was not present last year  due to a performance at Glastonbury festival , but did share her routine with the BET audience via satellite.

This year’s ceremony features a tribute to Whitney Houston to be led by her mother cissy houston and  performances by D’Angelo, Nicki Minaj, MMG, Good Music, Chris Brown, Usher ,2 chainz and more.
    Awards will be presented by Jamie Foxx, Quentin Tarantino , Tyler Perry and many others, to be hosted by Samuel L. Jackson at the shrine auditorium ,Los Angeles.
Nigeria's Iceprince and wizkid are nominated in the best international  artist category .

Winnie Mandela's Biopic"Winnie" New Trailer Released

New trailer for winnie Mandela's Biopic "Winnie"  has been released .The biopic directed by Darrell Roodt Starring Jennifer Hudson as winnie mandela ,Terence Howard as nelson mandela chronicles the life of Winnie Mandela from her childhood through her marriage and her husband's incarceration. Winnie premiered at the toronto international film festival last year. The movie will be released in the US in september and in South africa before the end of the year.

Sir Shina Peters To Start Music School

  Afrojuju creator Sir shina peters has revealed he's ready to start a music school . When talking to hiptv , the legend who recently turned 54 said "i want people to tap from my experience,how i created afrojuju,so i am trying to build a school, a music school you know,this is academic aspect of my profession"
    He made it known  that the school will be affordable "It's going to be affordable, i promise you that".
 More information about the music school will be revealed soon.

Samuel Eto'o Owes 3.5M Euros In Taxes To Spain,Faces Five Years in Prison

Samuel Eto'o

   Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o has been axcused by a Spanish public prosecutor  of conspiring to evade 3.5 million euros in taxes owed on income from his image rights when he was playing for Barcelona between 2006-2009. 

      The former Barca and Inter Milan player, now with Russian Premier League club Anzhi Makhachkala, is accused of four tax offences, each punishable with up to five years in prison and a fine of as much as 21 million euros. 

      The case presented by the prosecutor on June 15 at a Barcelona court, and which was seen by Reuters on Thursday, asks a judge to open proceedings against the player before the statute of limitations on one of the alleged offences expires on Saturday. Spain recently launched a drive against tax evasion as it struggles to meet tough European deficit reduction targets that have meant budget cuts for hospitals and schools.

      Eto'o allegedly created two companies, one in Hungary and another in Spain, and used them to channel income obtained from ceding his image rights to Barca and sportswear maker Puma, the prosecutor said. The Hungarian company paid one of the lowest corporate tax rates in Europe - 10 percent to 19 percent - while the Spanish company paid a reduced corporate tax rate of 30 percent to 35 percent, instead of the 45 percent income tax rate, the charge said. 

      He also allegedly used the Spanish company to deduct personal expenses, such as payments for his mortgages, furniture and expenses related to his luxury cars, the complaint added. The prosecutor also accused Eto'o's former agent, Jose Maria Mesalles, and the manager of the Spanish company, Manuel de Jesus Lastre, of the same tax offences.

      Eto'o filed a lawsuit against Mesalles at a Barcelona court last year, accusing him of betraying his trust and of embezzling money, local media said. The Cameroon striker signed for Anzhi Makhachkala, a club from the volatile North Caucasus region and owned by Russian billionaire Suleiman Kerimov, last August, in a record-breaking move that made him the richest player in the world, on an annual salary of 20 million euros.
Reuters.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes To Divorce After Five Years of Marriage

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes - November 18 2006 - June 29 2012 

   Hollywood super-couple Tom Cruise and katie holmes are divorcing after getting married for five years .
       In a statement released by Katie holmes attorney "This is a personal and private matter for Katie and her family," . "Katie's primary concern remains, as it always has been, her daughter's best interest."  
     Cruise, 49, got married to actress Holmes, 33, in an Italian castle on November 18, 2006 at a ceremony of about 150 people.
They have daughter Suri who is 6 is 6 years old  . 
      In november 2011 ,the couple celebrated their five years of marriage with close family and friends in attendace .This was Holmes's first marriage and the third for Cruise, who previously wasmarried to the actresses Nicole Kidman, with whom he has two children, and Mimi Rogers.

Lauryn Hill Pleads Guilty To Tax Charges,Faces Three Years in Prison

      Eight-time Grammy winner  Lauryn Hill has pleaded guilty in New Jersey to not paying her taxes. She was charged earlier this month with three counts of failing to file tax returns on more than $1.5 million earned from 2005 to 2007. 

      Hill appeared in U.S. District Court in Newark on Friday and admitted not filing taxes for all three years. She faces a maximum one-year sentence on each count totaling three years . Lauryn had issued a statement in response to the charges that she removed herself and her family from society, in order to keep them safe, healthy, and free from danger. 

      "I kept my life relatively simple, even after huge successes, but it became increasingly obvious that certain indulgences and privileges were expected to come at the expense of my free soul, free mind, and therefore my health and integrity. So I left a more mainstream and public life ", part of the statement reads

source: the first group

America's Supreme Court's ruling on health could leave the poorest Americans at the greatest risk

Photo Dean via Flickr

The Supreme Court's ruling on health care Thursday, could leave the poorest Americans at the greatest risk, according to MSNBC.

The Affordable Care Act allows state health insurance exchanges, giving tax credits to eligible citizens so they can purchase health care, according to the article. The problem is that the poorest Americans, who aren't covered by current programs, aren't eligible for such tax credits because the law assumes they'll get Medicaid, which isn't a certainty anymore.

The ruling allows states to opt out from the law which could leave some poor Americans without any insurance at all, according to the article.

In Utah, 30.1 percent of people under 18 with a household income of $46,100 don't have health insurance, according to 2009 data from the Utah Department of Health. About 62.8 percent of Utahans ages 19 to 64 with that same income.

Here's a list of the poorest areas in Utah by zip code. The data is from 2008, the most recently available information from the Internal Revenue Service.

The zip codes are sorted by the average Adjusted Gross Income (AGI). AGI is gross income minus adjustments.


source: desert news

Woman Denies Stalking Usher

Darshelle Jones-Rakestraw

 

It's one thing to fantasize about a relationship with a celebrity crush, and it's another thing altogether to act it out in real life, to the point of causing your target to fear for his safety.  That's what Usher says 26-year-old Darshelle Jones-Rakestraw has done. He's obtained a restraining order against her after, according to court documents, he claims she showed up uninvited to his Georgia home on June 23 with the intention of harassing him and his family, TMZ and BlackAmericaWeb report.
According to court docs, Usher claims Darshelle showed up uninvited to his Georgia home on June 23 with the intention of harassing him and his family. Sources close to Usher say she pounded on his front door and demanded to be let in.
Cops were called to the scene … where they warned Darshelle to stay away from the property and told her not to come back. We’re told Darshelle left the home … but not for long.
Usher says she returned the very next day. Cops were once again called to the scene … and sources tell us Darshelle tried to convince the officers she was Usher’s wife and had simply misplaced her keys.
Cops didn’t buy the story because Usher's not married and placed Darshelle under arrest.
Usher immediately obtained a temporary restraining order, claiming Darshelle “placed [him] in reasonable fear for his own safety and/or the safety of his immediate family.”
Darshelle 's side of the story  --- not surprisingly -- is a little different.  In the video below, she insists “I’m not a stalker … [Usher] has officially slandered me and defamed my character.” She adds that she's in love with the singer and that he agreed to make living arrangements for her and support her music career.

source: the root

Photo's From The Future Awards Season 7's

  

 

 

see more here

52-Year-Old Dropout Graduate with Honors in UCLA

 
 Teresa Pitts (The Huffington Post)

52-year old Teresa Pitts of Los Angeles, California didn’t graduate with her high school class and dropped out of college twice. But at 46, after the deaths of older brother and mom, she decided it wasn't too late to make a change. 26 years after what she thought was her last day in the classroom, she went back to school and, this year, she graduated from UCLA with honors.

source: the root

I was stabbed by DJ Tee' - injured upcoming act claims

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source Linda Ikeji

Gov. Oshiomhole Second Time Lucky: Escapes Death Again

Precisely two months after he narrowly escaped death following an attack on his convoy at Auchi area, Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole again came under attack by yet to be identified gunmen while his campaign train stopped at Usen town, Ovia South West Local Government Area of the state.

Oshiomhole had paid the customary homage to the Onogie of Usen, His Royal Highness Oluogbe II at his palace where he received a rousing welcome from the monarch and the council of chiefs as well a tumultuous crowd of well-wishers gathered outside the palace.

At about 6pm, Oshiomhole’s convoy left the palace. It had not travelled too far down the road when it ran into a barricade. Naturally, the security details attached to the governor came down to remove the bar. As they were clearing it, tens of heavily armed thugs emerged from nowhere and opened fire on the governor for several seconds.

Dutifully, the brave security details attached to the governor, supported by an additional contingent of regular policemen deployed to maintain law and order, rose to the occasion. They were able to shield the governor, key government functionaries and others including leaders of Edo Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to safety without sustaining any human casualties.

But several official vehicles including Toyota Landcruisers, Hilux pick-up van and Toyota Corolla saloon car were either badly damaged or riddled with bullets.

Apparently annoyed that they missed their target, the thugs later descended on the near-by police post and vandalised it.

Farouk Lawan - i collected money not bribe

Details of the testimonies of the suspended Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Monitoring of Subsidy Regime, Mr. Farouk Lawan, showed that he admitted taking “money” and “not a bribe” from oil businessman, Mr. Femi Otedola.

Findings indicated that the panel grilled the former Chairman, House Committee on Education for over fours hours, starting from 1.07pm.

It was gathered that during the investigation, Lawan tried to draw a distinction between money and bribe. He was said to have insisted he took the money with the aim of exposing Otedola.

A source, who was privy to the details of the testimonies, said, “He told the committee that he took money to expose Otedola, as different from a bribe. “In the statement he issued, where he admitted taking the money, he drew the attention of the committee to the fact that he was careful with his choice of words.

“Bribe was not mentioned in the statement, but money. Money he took to expose Otedola,” the source said.

Lawan reportedly tendered text messages and call logs to the panel as evidence that he did not initiate the transaction between Otedola and himself. “From what he tendered, it seemed the transaction was not initiated by him. So, what the committee has decided to do is to confront the other parties to the case with the information Lawan has divulged”, the source, who pleaded anonymity, added.

Asked whether Lawan was in possession of the $620,000, the source said he replied that “a lot more information will be made available as the police and other agencies continu with their investigations. The truth is there.”

The source explained that because of the sensitive nature of the investigation, the committee later reasoned that it was not wise to make the inquiry public. “Lawan has information and documents; he has text messages; he has call logs and other evidence. The committee didn’t want other witnesses to take advantage of a public appearance and work on their own testimonies.

“The committee wants to throw Lawan’s claims on other witnesses to see how they will respond. In that way, some conflicting information may come to the fore. The other witnesses too will be heard in camera and will be accorded the same protection as Lawan”, the source stated.

Lawan was discharged after four hours of meeting with the panel. According to the source, the committee resolved to invite him again if the testimonies of other witnesses punctured his claims “or if there is the need to hear from him again.”

Lawan had appeared before the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges on Thursday. The committee, which is investigating the $620,000 bribery allegation, is headed by Mr. Gambo Musa.

Angelina Jolie Floats In The Air In On-Set Photos

In more photos from the set of "Maleficent," Angelina Jolie appears to be filming a scene which requires her to be floating. She's hoisted into the air by the device, which is colored blue so it can be cut out of the shot in editing.
The movie, which tells the backstory of the villain of "Sleeping Beauty," is not due out until March of 2014. Disney had previously released a teaser photo of Jolie with her horns, and earlier paparazzi photos of the set revealed her full look.
Joining Jolie in the film are Elle Fanning as Aurora/Sleeping Beauty, Sam Riley, Sharlto Copley, Imelda Staunton, Miranda Richardson, Juno Temple and Lesley Manville. Robert Stromberg makes his directorial debut. For more photos from the set, head over to BuzzFeed.

Quincy Jones Mocks Diddy

Quincy Jones doesn't think Diddy can recognize a B flat.

Quincy Jones is certainly one of the most influential producers of all time, having lent his midas touch to everyone from Ray Charles to Michael Jackson. As such, he's an authority on music and is entitled to give his opinion on the careers of others in the industry. And on Tuesday, he had Diddy on his mind.
In an interview with The Wrap at a Spotify launch event in Los Angeles (the streaming service was announcing artist-curated playlists), Jones said that the rapper and Bad Boy head honcho "couldn't recognize a b flat." Instead, Jones noted, "P. Diddy has a doctorate in marketing," citing his clothing labels and success with Ciroc (his vodka company) as the rapper's true talents.
Though Jones' comments might strike some as a welcome rebuke of Diddy's reputation as one of the most influential men in hip-hop, the situation is slightly more complicated. Though Diddy is probably not a fantastic musician, he has proven (time and time again) to have a great ear. After all, this is the man that signed not only Faith Evans, 112, Cassie and Mario Winans, but also Biggie Smalls. (That said, it could be argued that his biggest musical achievement was stumbling upon and fostering Notorious B.I.G., which was decades ago).
It's true that Diddy seems hellbent on maxing out his business ventures, but that doesn't mean he always succeeds. He recently closed Justin, the Atlanta restaurant he named after his son. The New York outpost of Justin was also closed, in 1997.
Justin Combs, of course, has been in the news lately for receiving a full-ride to play football at UCLA. Many were shocked that the infamously cash-strapped school would offer a hefty scholarship to the son of a mogul, but others defended the decision, citing the fact that money that goes to the football program could not be allocated elsewhere. Some maintained that if Justin is qualified to earn a scholarship, his father's wealth should not prevent him from doing so.
Jones curated a playlist for Spotify, as did Tiesto, Rancid and Distrubed. The service hopes the playlists will help guide users through the millions of songs it has licensed.

Source: huff post

Sony music to release Usher’s new album in Nigeria

Entertainment company, MComm in partnership with Sony Music Entertainment has announced plans to release for the first time in Nigeria, Usher’s new album, ‘Looking 4 Myself’.
Speaking on the partnership, CEO of Mcomm, Chidi Okeke expressed delight in the relationship between both companies adding that it will afford Nigeria the opportunity to be the first West African country to have an official international release of the album.
‘We believe this will form a foundation for potential future strategic alliances with Sony Music, he says.
The album which will be available nationwide from Monday, Friday 29, 2012, will be sold in five major cities in Nigeria including Lagos, Abuja, Port- Harcourt, Enugu, Ibadan, and will be available in designated album stores and retail outlets nationwide.
Meanwhile, the Grammy award winning musician, has described the album which is his seventh, as a record that gives people ‘an experience’.

Source: net

A High School Caught In Cheating Scandal On New York Regents Exams

A cheating ring has rocked the elite Stuyvesant High School in New York City, culminating in the expulsion of one of its students.
School officials caught a student, identified as Nayeem Ahsan, taking pictures of a Spanish exam last week and accused him of distributing test answers to over 50 other test-takers, the New York Daily News reports.
Stuyvesant High School is a prestigious New York City high school that accepts only the top performers on an admission test. The cheating allegations are currently under investigation by the New York City Education Department.
Ahsan is also alleged to have taken pictures of the statewide Physics and English Regents exams and delivered the answers to other students via cell phone. He was caught when a proctor, upon seeing him take pictures of the Spanish test, took the phone and discovered photos taken previously of the Physics and English exams.
Students speaking with WABC debated whether the deed could be pulled off undetected.
"Well, you have your phone under the table," one student said. "You set it up. [The teacher] looks away. You take it, put the phone down, and that's it."
"The schools' chancellor is furious about the situation," a city official told The Wall Street Journal.

The high school junior was told to leave the school permanently. His motivation for cheating is still under investigation.
"I think we have to delve in deeper," Shino Tanikawa of the Community Education Council told WABC. "Why did he do it? Did he need the money? Maybe he needed the money. Or was there something he wanted to do? Or was he just simply playing pranks?"
An online petition is circulating on Change.org asking that Stuyvesant Principal Stanley Teitel to "Reinstate Nayeem Ahsan as a student at Stuyvesant."
The petition, which gathered 251 signatures, reads:

Nayeem Ahsan is a valued member of the Stuyesant community (sic). He plays an integral role in school morale, photographing all major school events among the countless other selfless deeds he's done for the class of 2013. His absence would leave the senior class of 2013 defunct. Expulsion from his home for the last three years is an exorbitant repercussion for his mistake, Nayeem does not deserve to have his future ripped out of his hands, simply so the administration can set an example.

Cheating scandals are hardly rare at elite, pressure-cooker high schools.
Last month in Wake County, N.C., five juniors were caught cheating at one of the county's top performing high schools, NBC 17 reported. The students, described as "high achieving" by Wake County Schools spokesperson Samiha Khanna, were found with an early copy of an exam after one of the group had secured it and given it to the rest.
"Sometimes, good students make bad choices," Khanna told NBC 17.
The student who obtained the exam was given a short suspension while the other students received detention. One of the students was stripped of his membership to the National Honor Society.
In September 2011, authorities in New York uncovered a comprehensive cheating ring in which six students at Great Neck North High School paid 19 year-old Sam Eshaghoff thousands of dollars to take the SATs in their stead.
Eshaghoff charged up to $2500 per test, a high price he backed up with solid performances.
"Some of the scores," Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said, "were 2220, 2180, 2170."
In the wake of the scandal, the College Board and ACT Inc. decided to implement tighter security measures to combat incidents of cheating.

First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan Bags Africa's Tourism Ambassador Award

The Wife of the President, Dame Patience Jonathan, has received the Tourism Ambassador for Africa award from the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).

The award was presented to her on Tuesday by the Secretary-General of the UNWTO, Mr. Talik Rifai, during the 53rd meeting of the UNWTO Commission for Africa holding in Calabar.

Rifai said it was in recognition of her monumental commitment and support for women in tourism.

In her speech, the First Lady pledged to mobilise women and the youth to achieve the goals of the organisation across the continent.

She stated that tourism was a veritable instrument of fighting poverty and had the potential to advance the economies of African countries.

Miami 'Face Eater' Wasn't on Bath Salts

Miami-Dade County Police

Thirty-one-year-old Rudy Eugene was widely speculated to have been under the influence of a synthetic drug or suffering from a drug-induced psychosis the afternoon of May 26, when he stripped naked and brutally attacked homeless resident Ronald Poppo in broad daylight along Miami's busy MacArthur Causeway, chewing and ripping off roughly half of the older man's face.
But according to a statement on the full toxicology report by the Miami-Dade medical examiner, the only drug detected in his body was marijuana.
The news doesn't make the tragic story any better for Poppo, who is still recovering from his injuries, and it raises more questions than answers about what could possibly explain this gruesome incident.
The Huffington Post reports:

"The department's toxicology laboratory has identified the active components of marijuana," medical examiner Dr. Bruce Hyma said in a statement. "The laboratory has tested for but not detected any other street drugs, alcohol or prescription drugs ... This includes cocaine, LSD, amphetamines (Extasy, Meth and others), phencyclidine (PCP or Angel Dust), heroin, oxycodone, Xanax, synthetic marijuana (Spice), and many other similar compounds."
A second forensic toxicology lab also confirmed the absence of the most common ingredients of bath salts, a synthetic amphetamine cocktail blamed in several recent incidents that bear some similarity to Eugene's attack.
"Within the limits of current technology by both laboratories," the statement read, "marijuana is the only drug identified in the body of Mr. Rudy Eugene."
The statement did not address previously reported autopsy findings of what appeared to be undigested pills in Eugene's stomach, and an expert told the Associated Press marijuana alone was not likely to cause such an attack.

Source: The root

Angelina Jolie’s Kids Pay Her A Visit On The Maleficent Set

When we saw this first picture of Angelina Jolie as Maleficent, we were thrilled and scared in equal parts. No one can play a gorgeous villain with a really hardcore set of horns like Angie. And then we saw these pictures of Angelina in full character on the Maleficent set and that whole roller coaster of emotions happened again. As you know, the actress is playing the titular role in the upcoming live-action film about the secret, untold story of Sleeping Beauty‘s “villain.” Whether or not she’s actual evil will all hinge on how deftly the shades of grey are portrayed in the movie. In terms of sheer appearance alone, Angelina has nailed it with the blood red lips, those crazy cheekbones, the robes, staff and of course, the horns. So when we saw these photos of Angie’s kids visiting her on set, we’re wondering what went down when they first saw her? Did they run away screaming or did they say, “Mommy, you look kinda funny?” They’re probably used to seeing their mom play dress-up, but this is a whole other zone. We love the fact that she’s carting her daughter Vivienne around on her hip while fully made up! The photographs were taken in the outdoor locale that’s currently filming in the U.K. We’d probably want to try out those horns, if we got the chance. They’d make for a hell of a photo-op!
[Photos: Splash News Online]