IDOTOB | Nigeria's No.1 Online Newspaper

The senate President, Senator Bukola has
confirmed the receipt of the list of ministerial
nominees sent by President Muhammadu
Buhari.
The Chief of Staff to Mr. President, Abba Kyari,
and the Special Adviser to Mr. President on
National Assembly (Senate) Sen. Ita Enang
presented the list concealed in a brown
envelope to Saraki on behalf of the President.
Saraki had on Tuesday urged the Senate to
ensure that the ministerial nominees are
screened quickly.
“Once the list is submitted, let us ensure that
we treat it with dispatch. We must not be held
down by unnecessary politicking. The enormity
of our national challenges at this time does not
give room for pettiness or politics of vendetta,”
Saraki said in his welcome address to the Senate
yesterday.

Russia has begun carrying out air strikes in Syria
against opponents of President Bashar al-Assad.
The strikes reportedly hit rebel-controlled areas of
Homs and Hama provinces, causing casualties.

The US says it was informed an hour before they
took place.
Russian defence officials say aircraft targeted the
Islamic State group, but an unnamed US official told
Reuters that so far they did not appear to be
targeting IS-held territory.
Follow the latest live updates here
Syria's civil war has raged for four years, with an
array of armed groups fighting to overthrow the
government.

The US and its allies have insisted that President
Assad should leave office, while Russia has backed
its ally remaining in power.
The upper house of the Russian parliament earlier
granted President Vladimir Putin permission to
deploy the Russian air force in Syria.
The Russian defence ministry said the country's air
force had targeted IS military equipment,
communication facilities, arms depots, ammunition
and fuel supplies.
Syrian opposition activists said Russian warplanes
had hit towns including Zafaraneh, Rastan and
Talbiseh, resulting in the deaths of 36 people, a
number of them children.
None of the areas targeted were controlled by IS,
activists said.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said the United
States was prepared to welcome Russian military
action in Syria - but only as long as it was directed
against IS and al-Qaeda-linked groups.

Speaking at the United Nations Security Council, Mr
Kerry said the US would have "grave concerns" if
Russia conducted strikes against other groups.
He said the US-led coalition against IS would
"dramatically accelerate our efforts" and that the
US was prepared to hold talks with Russia about
avoiding accidental conflicts between the two air
strike campaigns "as early as possible".
Analysis: Jonathan Marcus, defence and diplomatic
correspondent
Russia's decision to intervene with its air power
greatly complicates the Syrian crisis while probably
offering little additional chance of a diplomatic
resolution.

Russian sources indicate that Sukhoi Su-24
warplanes were involved, operating out of an
airbase near Latakia.
There are serious questions about who exactly the
Russian aircraft are targeting. US officials believe
that the initial Russian strikes are not in IS-held
territory, raising the possibility that Russian air
power is being utilised more in the form of close air
support for Syrian government forces against the
multiple enemies of the Assad regime.
Of course, many of these enemies are supported by
the West's Arab allies or Turkey. The warning time
given by the Russians to the Americans announcing
the start of their operations may also raise some
eyebrows, suggesting that much more detailed co-
ordination may be needed in future to avoid
incidents in Syrian airspace.

Super Eagles Head coach Sunday Oliseh has
given a surprise invite to Arsenal FC starlet Alex
Iwobi for next month’s international friendlies
against Democratic Republic of Congo and
Cameroon in Belgium.

The Super Eagles play the Leopards of the
Democratic Republic of Congo on October 8 and
the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon three days
later, in Belgium.

Iwobi alongside other invited players are expected
to arrive in Belgium on Monday, 5th October.
Alex Iwobi.

His inclusion comes just 5 days after the Nigeria
Football Federation released a list of 24 players for
both International friendlies.
Iwobi, who trained with the Nigeria U-23 squad
ahead of an All-Africa Games qualifying return leg
match early March 2015, is eligible to represent
Nigeria despite featuring for England at youth
level.

The 19 –year old attacker who plays as a forward
and captains the Gunners’ U21s, was born in
Lagos but has represented the English youth
teams.

He may likely feature for the Gunners when they
go to White Hart Lane to play against Tottenham in
a Capital one cup fixture tonight.

President Muhammadu Buhari has addressed
Nigerians in his first ever Eid-el-Kabir message to
facilitate with Muslims celebrating the Sallah
holidays.

According to The Nation, president in his Eid-el-
Kabir message to Muslims reiterated his
government’s commitment to eliminating Boko
Haram insurgency and added that the sect’s days
are numbered.

An extract from the document delivered though
the presidential spokesman Femi Adesina reads:

“Boko Haram’s reign of terror in parts of the
country will be finally over very soon as the
ongoing military onslaught against the terrorist
sect will continue relentlessly until total victory is
achieved.”

Buhari also ordered the army forces to ensure
maximum protection during the celebrations.
Referring to the Nigerian Muslims who are
currently in Saudi Arabia on Hajj, Buhari said:

“As they join the global Islamic community in
celebrating Eid-El-Kabir, President Buhari urges
Muslims and other Nigerians to rededicate
themselves to a greater acceptance and
internalisation of its lessons of piety, faithfulness,
dedication, fortitude, obedience, sacrifice and
selfless service which are for the benefit of all
mankind.

“The President calls for more patience, fortitude,
tolerance, endurance, patriotism and a greater
willingness to make personal sacrifices for the
good of all as his administration strives to lead the
nation towards rapidly overcoming its current
security, economic and developmental challenges.

Urges For An End To Terrorism
“President Buhari assures all Nigerians that their
safety, well-being and progress remain
uppermost in his thoughts and actions, and that he
will continue to work with all his might to deliver
the positive changes in national life which they
expect after his election and inauguration as Head
of the Government of the Federation.

“The President seizes this opportunity to extend
heartfelt commiserations to families in Maiduguri
and North-Eastern Nigeria who have sadly lost
beloved relatives in recent terrorist attacks.

“President Buhari’s thoughts and prayers for
Divine solace are with all those who have been
callously plunged into mourning by mindless
terrorists, when others are celebrating this year’s
Eid-El-Kabir.”

Recall that the federal government declared
Thursday and Friday public holidays for Nigerian
Muslims to commemorate Eid-El-Kabir.

President Barack Obama will host Pope Francis at the White
House for the first time Wednesday, warmly embracing the
Catholic pontiff seen as both a moral authority and potent
political ally.
The packed and bedecked South Lawn will echo
to strains of the Pontifical Anthem and a
thundering 21-gun salute, as the 78-year-old is
afforded a full ceremonial welcome on his
historic maiden visit to the United States.
Washington — a city that ordinarily shrugs its
shoulders when presidents, queens and sheikhs
roll through town — has been enveloped in
Pope-mania and so has the White House.
Obama made an exceedingly rare trip to the
airport to meet the Argentine’s plane Tuesday,
bringing his wife, daughters, Vice President Joe
Biden and his extended family to underscore the
point.
The effusive greeting is part protocol, part
politics — reflecting common ground between
the protestant president and the Jesuit pope on
a gamut of issues from climate change, to
inequality, to immigration, to US engagement
with Cuba.
The visit is a political mirror of Pope Benedict’s
2008 visit to George W. Bush’s White House.
Those two men were as conservative as their
current successors are progressive.
Still, the White House is desperate to avoid
suggestions it is co-opting a holy man revered
by America’s roughly 70 million Catholics to
batter Republican foes in Congress.
“The goal of this meeting is to give the two men
the opportunity to talk about their shared
values,” said White House spokesman Josh
Earnest.
“There’ll be time for politics, frankly, the other
364 days of the year,” he said.
“At least for that one meeting, it will be an
opportunity for the president to put politics
aside and have an opportunity to talk about the
values that he and the pope have in common.”
Francis has signaled he is also unlikely to wade
directly into America’s bitterly fought politics.
The Vatican played a crucial role in brokering
talks between Havana and Washington that led
to the recent restoration of diplomatic ties after
more than half a century.
Before leaving Cuba on Tuesday, Francis urged
Cubans “to build bridges, break down walls, sow
seeds of reconciliation,” in comments that
appeared to allude to the nascent reconciliation
across the Florida Straits.
– ‘Against all embargoes’ –
But the pope also told reporters that he would
not specifically raise Washington’s embargo of
Cuba in his speech Thursday before American
lawmakers who largely favor taking a tough line
with Havana.
“The Holy See is against this embargo, but it is
against all embargoes,” he said.
Yet there is no mistaking the value of enlisting a
popular pope’s moral authority and offering
him America’s largest political platform.
Even half of those Americans who hold an
unfavorable view of the Catholic Church like
Pope Francis, according to a recent Washington
Post-ABC poll.
Francis will make two key speeches during his
US visit, the address to Congress and another to
the United Nations on Friday.
Topics will include critiques of the dominance of
finance and technology; a condemnation of
world powers over the conflicts gripping the
planet; appeals to protect and welcome
immigrants; and climate change, according to
Vatican sources.
That agenda tracks so closely with Obama’s
efforts to introduce immigration reform, as well
as domestic and international limits on carbon
emissions, that Republicans are already crying
foul.
Congressman Paul Gosar, who is Catholic,
declared he would boycott the pontiff’s historic
address to Congress to protest his “leftist”
views.
During the historic six-day trip to the spiritual
home of capitalism Francis will also preside
over an inter-faith ceremony at Ground Zero,
visit a Harlem Catholic school and greet crowds
on a procession through Central Park.
He will wrap up his trip Saturday and Sunday in
Philadelphia at an international festival of
Catholic families.

President Muhammadu Buhari will leave Nigeria for New
York on Thursday for a series of meetings and interactions
with notable world leaders within and on the sidelines of
the main events of the 70th Session of the United Nations
General Assembly.
According to a statement signed by the special
adviser to the President on media and publicity,
Buhari’s talks with the United Nations
Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki Moon, President
Barack Obama of the United States and other
world leaders and will centre on domestic
developmental issues, bilateral relations, the
war against terrorism, countering violent
extremism, the enhancement of global security,
peace-keeping operations, climate change and
the adoption of a post 2015 global development
agenda.
The President who will be accompanied by the
Governors of Sokoto, Kaduna and Niger States,
the National Security Adviser and the
Permanent Secretaries in the Federal Ministries
of Foreign Affairs, Defence, Finance, Health,
Industry, Trade and Investment, will deliver
Nigeria’s Statement to the 70th Session of the
United Nations General Assembly on Monday,
September 28.
President Buhari is also scheduled to address
the World Leaders Summit on Violent
Extremism to which he was personally invited
by Mr. Ban Ki Moon during the Secretary-
General’s recent visit to Nigeria.
Also on the President busy schedule in New
York are a meeting of the African Union’s Peace
and Security Council, a High-Level Roundtable
on South-South Cooperation organised by
President Xi Jinping of China and the United
Nations, and participation in the launching of an
updated global health strategy for women and
children.
On President Buhari’s schedule too are meetings
with former President Bill Clinton of the United
States, Mr. Bill Gates of the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation which is assisting Nigeria in
several areas including polio eradication, and
former Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain,
the United Nations Special Envoy on Global
Education who is one of the main drivers of the
Safe Schools Initiative.
The President will concluded his visit to New
York on Tuesday, September 29 and leave the
city for Abuja on the same day.

After five years on air Game Of Thrones has been
named the best television drama series at the
Emmy Awards in Los Angeles.
The fantasy series, which airs on Sky Atlantic in
the UK, won some of the top awards of the night
after being nominated for a huge 24 prizes.
The show also took home awards for writing,
directing and for supporting actor, Peter Dinklage.
Last week it won eight Creative Emmys.
Dinklage embraced his co-star Lena Headey before
collecting his statuette and told the packed crowd
in the Microsoft Theatre: "I was chewing gum, I
wasn't prepared because the other actors in my
category awe me with their performances."
"Thank you HBO for believing in dragons," co-
creator David Benioff said after receiving the
drama prize from Tracey Morgan.
Morgan, who was critically injured in a car crash
last year, received a standing ovation after his
surprise appearance.

Thirteen migrants, including six children, have died
after their boat hit another vessel off Turkey.
It is believed 46 people were on board the dinghy,
which was heading towards the Greek island of
Lesbos when it capsized.
A further 20 people were rescued and the search
continues for 13 others, a coastguard source told
the Reuters news agency.
Another group of around 40 people reached Lesbos
in a small boat after paddling through the night with
their hands after the engine on their boat failed.
It comes as the spokesman for the Hungarian
government defended his country's approach to the
migration crisis that earlier this week saw refugees
tear gassed.

New season of keeping up with the Kardashian starts today
      Make sure to watch

             US officials say Russia has sent at least four
fighter jets to Syria as it continues to bolster the
embattled forces of Bashar al Assad.
Moscow had already sent troops and military
hardware, including helicopter gunships, tanks and
as many 500 Russian marines, to an airfield near
the Syrian port city of Latakia, the US claims.
One US official, speaking on condition of anonymity,
told Reuters that four tactical Russian fighter jets
have now been sent to Syria.
Another US official confirmed the presence of
multiple jets, but declined to put a number on it.
Sergei Shoigu (L) and Ash Carter discussed
Syria over the phone
US Secretary of State John Kerry said the US is
disturbed by the build-up.
"Clearly, the presence of aircraft with air-to-air
combat capacity ... and surface-to-air missiles
raises serious questions," Mr Kerry said after talks
in London with Foreign Minister Philip Hammond.
The build-up comes as Syrian government planes
launched a second round of airstrikes against
Islamic State positions in Palmyra, killing at least
26 people.
The ancient town was seized by the extremist
group in May, with much of its Roman-era buildings
reportedly now destroyed.
The latest Russian deployment adds significant
airpower to the build-up, which has led to the first
talks between US and Russian defence chiefs in
more than a year.
US Defence Secretary Ash Carter and his Russian
counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, discussed ways to
avoid accidental military interactions in Syria's
limited air space, where the US and its allies are
carrying airstrikes against Islamic State.
A US defence official briefed on the 50-minute
phone call told Reuters that Mr Shoigu described
Russia's military activities in the war-torn country
as "designed to honour commitments made to the
Syrian government".
The Cold War foes have a common enemy in IS,
also known as ISIL, in Syria - but the US opposes
Russia's support of Mr Assad.

Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said Mr Carter
and Mr Shoigu agreed to further discuss the
"counter-ISIL campaign".
Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor
Konashenkov said: "The course of the conversation
has shown that the sides' opinions on the majority
of issues under consideration are close or coincide.
He added the two sides agreed to continue
consultations.
The last time a US defence chief spoke with Mr
Shoigu was in August 2014. High-level
communications were halted after Russia's
annexation of Crimea and its intervention in
Ukraine.

The son of Dubai's ruler has died of a heart attack
at the age of 33, the United Arab Emirates state
news agency WAM said.
Sheikh Rashid was the first son of Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, who is also the
prime minister and vice president of the UAE.
He was also the elder brother to the emirate's heir
apparent, crown prince Sheikh Hamdan
Dubai announced three days of mourning after the
sheikh's death.
Sheikh Rashid was an avid sportsman and horse
racing enthusiast.

A female zookeeper has died after being attacked
by a Sumatran tiger at a New Zealand zoo.
The zoo’s only male tiger, Oz, was the animal
involved but authorities have so far not identified
the victim.
Police were called to Hamilton Zoo at 11am local
time on Sunday.
Senior Sergeant Mike Underwood confirmed the
woman was already dead by the time they arrived.
The attraction was open at the time and visitor
Adam Rich said staff quickly ushered people out of
the zoo.
"They seemed a bit panicky,” he told The New
Zealand Herald.
"I thought an animal had escaped but they
guaranteed that an animal did not escape."
The zoo – some 78 miles (125km) south of
Auckland – has five tigers. An investigation is
under way into what happened.
Council spokesman Jeff Neems had no comment
on whether the animal would be destroyed.
"Our focus at this time is on providing the adequate
support for our staff and family members who have
been affected by this tragic incident," said a council
statement.
Messages of support for the woman's family are
being left on the zoo's Facebook page, with many
urging it not to put the animal down.
The most-liked comment reads: "Condolences to
the keeper's family, colleagues and friends.
"Working with wild animals comes with known
risks, please don't kill the tiger for being a tiger."
"Condolences to the zoo family. But please don't
euthanase the tiger," says another comment.
The incident follows the death last week of another
zookeeper in a Sumatran tiger attack in Poland.
The man died "virtually on the spot" on Wednesday
morning – apparently while he was cleaning the
tiger’s enclosure.

"Sylva has a lot of skeletons in his
cupboard,” Kpodo said. “One, he is not
truthful and second, he has nothing to
offer except lies and deceit. What has he
done for Bayelsa people? A man who
was governor for five years does not
have a single structure in Bayelsa, even
in his village. He hates Bayelsa.”

Nigeria’s military on Saturday claimed further gains in its
counter-offensive against Boko Haram, but the group’s
shadowy leader Abubakar Shekau dismissed the talk of
success as “lies”.
Army spokesman Sani Usman said troops
destroyed more rebel enclaves and camps in the
restive state of Borno, which has been worst hit
by the six-year Islamist insurgency.
“The fight against the terrorists in the northeast
is gaining successful momentum, with most of
the camps falling to the Federal might,” he said
in a statement.
A total of 62 people were rescued from around
the town of Gwoza, which last year Boko Haram
declared the headquarters of its caliphate but
which it lost control of in March.
Some 77 men, women and children, most of
them “haggard, dejected and obviously
malnourished”, also arrived in the town of
Bama on Saturday, Usman said.
One man picked up said he had his right hand
cut off by militants in their Sambisa Forest
stronghold in Borno last year, he said, adding
that eight Boko Haram suspects surrendered to
troops.
Nigeria’s military has claimed a series of
successes against Boko Haram recently and on
Friday said it had rescued 90 people and
dislodged Boko Haram from two villages near
Gwoza.
President Muhammadu Buhari in early August
gave his new military commanders three
months to defeat Boko Haram, after six years of
violence, at least 15,000 dead and more than two
million homeless.
Shekau has not been seen on video since
February and until an audio message last month
had not spoken since March, when he
proclaimed Boko Haram’s allegiance to the so-
called Islamic State group.
His absence sparked fresh rumours about
whether he was still alive or had been deposed
as leader, with other videos this year fronted by
an unknown rebel under the name Islamic State
in West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Shekau said in a 25-minute recording in Hausa
and Arabic via social media: “They (the military)
lied that they have confiscated our arms, that
we have been chased out of our territories, that
we are in disarray.
“We are alive, I am alive, this is my voice, more
audible than it was before. This is Shekau.”
He added: “Buhari is a liar and has deceived
you. The army spokesman is also lying. He and
his footsoldiers always run helter-skelter
whenever we come face to face with them…
“Buhari, you once claimed that you will crush us
in three months. How can you crush us?”
Shekau directly refers to IS group leader Abu
Bakr Al-Baghdadi, to whom he says he is “loyal
and subservient”.
He also namechecks IS spokesman Abu-
Mohammed al-Adnani and sends “greetings to
the faithful in Yemen”, where there is also an IS
“affiliate”.
There was no indication of where or when the
recording was made but it appears to have have
been in recent days.
Shekau talks of Buhari’s “deal with Hollande”,
referring to the Nigerian president’s three-day
visit to Paris earlier this week, which included
talks with his French counterpart Francois
Hollande.
He also dismissed as untrue Buhari’s comments
about “our brethren in prison”.
Buhari this week said the Nigerian authorities
were talking to Boko Haram prisoners in their
custody and could offer them amnesty if the
group hands over more than 200 schoolgirls
abducted last year.

The Delta State Police Command on Saturday confirmed that it has rescued a 75-year-old grandmother,
Madam Ogaraya Macauley, who was kidnapped from her farm.
She was kidnapped in Ezionu village of Ukwuani Local Government Area of the state by suspected
hoodlums.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Celestina Kalu,
made the disclosure in a statement made available
to newsmen in Asaba.
According to a police statement, the old woman
regained her freedom after a police patrol team
intercepted the kidnappers’ vehicle along the
Kwale/Ogwashi-Uku road.
“On Sept. 18, 2015 at about 12.40 p.m., police
operatives of the Dragon patrol team 23 while on
routine patrol along Kwale/Ogwashi-uku road,
suspected a M/Benz VBoot car with Reg. No.
(Rivers) DW 357 PHC.
“The occupants on sighting the patrol team made a
suspicious u-turn. Consequently, the patrol men
gave the vehicle a hot pursuit which forced the two
occupants to abandon the vehicle and escape into
the bush.
“When the vehicle was searched, one Ogaraya
Macaulay, female, aged 75 years, of Ezionu village
in Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta was
found inside,” it said.
It added that on interrogation, the old woman
informed the policemen that she was kidnapped by
the hoodlums while working on her farm.
The statement said some items recovered from the
fleeing kidnappers included one locally-made gun,
three live cartridges, some fetish charms and the
said M/Benz, Reg. No. (Rivers) DW 357 PHC.
It stated further that preliminary inquiry conducted
by the police revealed that the said vehicle was
snatched from one Christopher Obukowho by the
suspects along Ogume road.
The statement said the rescued victim had since
rejoined her family, while the police had intensified
efforts to track down the fleeing suspects.

Nigerian music act and hip-hop rapper, Remilekun Abdulkalid Safaru and popularly known as Reminisce,
aka Alaga Ibile, has disclosed that the ban on his song, Tesojue’, has little or no effect on him.
The 34-year-old Buga crooner in a recent chat with
newsmen disclosed this.
Nigeria Broadcasting
Commission (NBC) had placed a ban on his song,
‘Tesojue’ sometime last year.
He said, “I wasn’t bothered when I got the news
because I was convinced it would not affect my
career.
“The ban on my song, Tesojue, actually makes little
or no difference. The song was released last year
and it enjoyed airplay towards the end of last year
and early this year. I am not someone who often
goes to a radio station with my songs, so the effect
is very minimal.
Reminisce further said that although it is very
disappointing, it had little or no effect on his career
or creative flow.
“There are songs that I make and do not give to
radio stations. When you get famous to a certain
extent, presenters go out of their way to download
your song and play it on their shows. I really
appreciate those that do that because they do it out
of love. But whenever I submit my songs to radio
stations, I make sure they are clean. For those that
are not clean, I make sure I re-record them and
edit the vulgar part for public consumption on the
radio.
“I think NBC should try to hire people that
understand the industry because abroad, they also
have these laws but once the radio version is
clean, they do not disturb the artistes. They should
create a screening board that would check our
works and inform us of the ones they feel are not
for public consumption. It is not fair that they make
us go through the process of creating a hit song,
and shooting the video with millions and they later
tell us the song is banned.
“What have they been doing since?” he quizzed.
“They should consider us too because we spend a
lot of money putting these works together. As for
me, it has minimal effects but I am sure that there
are a lot of people out there that it really affects,”

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed immense
sadness over the news of the passing away of Chief
(Mrs.) Hannah Dideolu Awolowo.
A statement released by the Special Adviser to the
President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina said
”On behalf of the Federal Government and people of
Nigeria, President Buhari extends sincere
commiserations to the children, grand children and
great grand children of the ‘Jewel of Inestimable
Value’ on the death of their famed matriarch, just a
few weeks before her hundredth birthday.”
The statement stated further that the President joins
Nigerians and millions of admirers of her late
revered husband, Chief Obafemi Awolowo in
mourning Chief (Mrs.) Awolowo who will be long
remembered and celebrated as the famous spouse
and pillar of strength of the late nationalist, political
leader and sage.
It said ”President Buhari believes that Chief (Mrs.)
Awolowo will always be honoured too for the
indelible legacy of very significant, behind-the-
scene contributions to communal, state, regional
and national development which she has left behind.
The President, according to the statement, prays
that God will comfort Chief (Mrs.) Awolowo’s family,
relatives, friends, associates and admirers, and
grant them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
He also prayed that God ”will receive the late
matriarch’s worthy soul and grant her eternal rest
from her long, earthly service to her renowned
spouse, family, community and country.”

Arsenal boss, Arsene Wenger, has claimed that Diego
Costa should have received two red cards, as Chelsea
beat his team 2-0 on Saturday.
Costa and Gabriel were engaged in a tussle shortly
before half time, but the Brazilian defender picked
up two quick yellow cards to leave his side one man
short.
Santi Cazorla was also sent off for the Gunners in
the second half, but Wenger was furious with
referee Mike Dean.
“I would not like to be Mike Dean tonight,” Wenger
said after the match.
“Costa twice should be sent off. He hits him
[Koscielny] in the face in purpose. In every game he
has aggravation and he gets away with it because
of the weakness of the referee. We knew before the
game he is only looking at that.
“Gabriel should not have responded at all but the
two sending offs for us and Costa staying on the
pitch is a shame.”

Pope Francis headed to Cuba Saturday on the first leg of his
most high-profile trip to date, which will also take him to
the United States — highlighting his role in mediating the
former Cold War foes’ historic thaw.
Landmark speeches to the US Congress and the
UN General Assembly await next week on the
78-year-old Argentine’s first trip to a global
superpower whose policies he has never
hesitated to criticise.
But first the leader of the world’s 1.3 billion
Roman Catholics will become the third pope to
touch down in communist Cuba in less than two
decades.

Born Hannah Idowu Dideolu Adelana in ikenne,Ogun state on November 25,1915
She dies at 99,2months to 100yrs.May her soul rest in peace

Well, that was potentially awkward. Just a month
after rapper Future sounded off on Twitter about his
ex-fiancée, Ciara , the pair were at the same event
in L.A. on Thursday, Sept. 17.
The exes both attended the 2015 Streamy Awards
at the Hollywood Palladium, where the rapper
performed and Ciara presented an award for Best
Comedy Series alongside Youtube beauty guru
Michelle Phan .
PHOTOS: Celebrity Feuds: The Biggest Ever!
It appeared that the pair might have been
attempting to avoid each other – Future didn't walk
the red carpet and the "Body Party" singer, who
wore a black David Koma London dress, didn't
spend long posing for pictures.
Future performs at VH1's 5th Annual Streamy
Awards
Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Future, 31, performed his new song "March
Madness" with a fiery pyrotechnics display, and an
eyewitness says Ciara, 29, hung with Phan, Vampire
Diaries star Kat Graham , and singer Natasha
Bedingfield in a black curtained area to the side of
the stage. Ciara later tweeted a smiling pic with
Bedingfield, whom she described as "One Of The
Coolest Girls I Know."
Loves This Girl. One Of The Coolest Girls I Know
@natashabedingfield ?? pic.twitter.com/upeUZWbvlI
— Ciara (@ciara) September 18, 2015
Ciara called off her engagement to Future in August
2014, three months after the couple welcomed their
son, Future Zahir Wilburn . "He cheated on her.
Game over," an insider told Us Weekly at the time.
Ciara later hinted at his rumored infidelity in her
song "I Bet."
Since then Ciara has moved on with Seattle
Seahawks player Russell Wilson . Future insisted in
an interview in July that he didn’t care who she was
dating, but he did care who was hanging out with
their child.
PHOTOS: Ciara and Russell Wilson
"You don't bring a man around your son," he said.
"You know this dude for a few months and you're
bringing him around your kid? Who does that?
Nobody does that."
Later that month, Ciara made headlines when she
brought her 16-month-old son to visit her new
boyfriend at the Seahawks training camp in Seattle.
PHOTOS: Celebrities Dating Athletes
That led to Future's Twitter outburst. Although he
didn't name his ex directly, he vented about a "punk
ass hoe," writing, "Never made a permanent
decision over a temporary circumstance."
Ciara and Wilson, 26, seem to have been trying to
avoid any drama. The NFL star, a devout Christian,
and Ciara, have been memorably open about their
decision to remain abstinent in their relationship
until, as she put it, "the deal is sealed."
comments powered by Disqus
TooFab or TooDrab?! See the Best
and Worst Dressed Stars at NYFW
Julia Roberts Talks Hilary Clinton,
Says She Wants to See "Paradigm
Shift" In Society
Quiz: Which of These Beloved Stars
Has NEVER Won an Emmy?!
Dakota Johnson Talks '50 Shades'
Sequel, Says She's Had a Hard Time
Dating Since
Chris Brown Debuts New Song 'Zero':
Full Song & Lyrics - Listen Now!
Michelle Rodriguez Supports College
Filmmakers at the Student Academy
Awards
Sarah Michelle Gellar Gets Her Game

Frontline comedian Basketmouth continues to make waves
on the international comedy scene by becoming the first
Nigerian comic to have his own dedicated TV special,
Comedy Central Presents Basketmouth – Lord of the Ribs,
filmed and broadcast on pan-African comedy channel
Comedy Central (DStv channel 122).
The laugh-out-loud comedy channel will be
pairing up with Basketmouth to broadcast a
one-hour highlights show based on the 2015
edition of Lord of the Ribs comedy night.
This year’s comedy spectacular includes a best-
ever line-up of Nigerian and international
comedians including Basketmouth himself, and
guest comedians Robert Powell (USA), Griff
(USA), Buchi (Nigeria), Bovi (Nigeria), Okey
Bakassi (Nigeria), Ndumiso Lindi (SA), David
Kau (SA) and Salvador (Uganda).
In support of the initiative, Basketmouth will
also feature in a range of associated
programming on Comedy Central’s sister
channel MTV Base.
“I am very excited to be working with Comedy
Central and MTV Base to expand the reach of
Lord of the Ribs to a pan-African television
audience,” the comedian said.
Alex Okosi, Senior Vice President & Managing
Director, Viacom International Media Networks
(VIMN) Africa said, “we are delighted to partner
with Basketmouth to create this compelling high
quality TV special for Comedy Central. We are
committed to raising the profile of Nigerian
comics and comedy – both at home and
internationally – and we hope the partnership
with Basketmouth will be the first of many such
initiatives.”
Comedy Central Presents Basketmouth – Lord of
the Ribs will be taped at the Eko Hotel & Suites,
Victoria Island, Lagos on 4 October 2015 and
broadcast to 50+ countries in sub-Saharan Africa
on Comedy Central in December.

Chelsea skipper John Terry was unexpectedly
named on the bench for his side’s Premier
League home game against Arsenal on Saturday,
with Branislav Ivanovic taking the captain’s
armband.
The 34-year-old centre-back sat out Chelsea’s
4-0 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Champions
League on Wednesday, but whereas Ivanovic,
Nemanja Matic and Diego Costa, who were also
rested, returned to the starting XI to face
Arsenal, Terry did not.
Defending champions Chelsea have made their
worst start to a league season in 29 years,
picking up four points from five games, and
have conceded 12 goals — more than any other
team in the division.
Pedro overcame a thigh problem to replace
Willian, who has a hamstring injury, while Oscar
shrugged off a knee injury to start at number
10.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger made six
changes to the team beaten 2-1 by Dinamo
Zagreb in the Champions League, with Theo
Walcott preferred to Olivier Giroud up front.
Goalkeeper Petr Cech was also recalled on his
return to the club where he spent 11 years.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday
expressed Nigeria’s condemnation of the
forceful seizure of power from the
transitional government of Burkina Faso by
the military.
Buhari, who frowned at the detention of the
Interim President, Prime Minister and other
ministers by the presidential guards since
Wednesday, demanded a return to the
transition timetable that had been planned to
culminate in presidential election next month.
An Aso Rock statement declared that “Buhari
and Nigeria align with  ECOWAS, the African
Union and the United Nations in rejecting the
brazen contravention of the constitution and
transitional charter of Burkina Faso by
elements of the Presidential Guard under the
leadership of General Gilbert Diendere.
“President Buhari and Nigeria urge the
Defense and Security Forces of Burkina
Faso to keep faith with the agreed
transitional programme for the  return of the
country to full democratic rule after
elections, which were due to be held in the
country on October 11, in support of which
Nigeria has donated 20 pick-up vans to the
National Electoral Commission of Burkina
Faso.
“While welcoming the news that the Interim
President, Mr. Michel Kafando has now been
freed, President Buhari and Nigeria also
demand the immediate release of Prime
Minister Isaac Zida and other detained
ministers.
“Nigeria will give the fullest possible support
to ongoing efforts by the ECOWAS mediatory
team of President Macky Sall of Senegal and
President Boni Yayi of Benin Republic to
quickly restore Burkina Faso to the path of
order, democracy and constitutionalism.”
The President further urged the people of
Burkina Faso to remain calm and steadfast
in support of the transitional order, elections
and democratic governance.
He assured them that Nigeria, ECOWAS and
the international community would uphold
their right to peace, freedom, democracy
and good governance.

Al-Qaeda’s Syria affiliate and its Islamist allies
have executed at least 56 regime troops at a
military airport they recently seized in the
northwest, a monitoring group said Saturday.
Al-Nusra Front and the Islamists shot dead the
regime fighters, who were being held as prisoners,
“execution-style” inside the Abu Duhur airport, said
Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights.
He said the killings in Idlib province had occurred
earlier this week but his monitoring group — which
gathers news from sources on the ground —
confirmed them on Saturday.
Al-Nusra is a leading member of an alliance of
jihadist and Islamist forces called the “Army of
Conquest” that overran the Abu Duhur military
airport on September 9.
When it overran the airbase, the Army of Conquest
killed dozens of regime loyalists and took others
captive.
The powerful coalition has seized almost all of Idlib
province except for Fuaa and Kafraya, two regime-
controlled villages inhabited by Shiite Muslims.
The Army of Conquest ramped up its assault on the
two villages on Friday, detonating at least nine car
bombs, seven of which were suicide bombers, the
Observatory said.
The attack left at least 21 regime loyalists and 17
Army of Conquest militants dead.
One of the suicide bombers managed to enter Fuaa
itself and killed seven civilians, including two
children, Abdel Rahman said.
Fierce clashes and heavy shelling on the two
villages continued on Saturday.
Fuaa, Kafraya and the rebel stronghold of Zabadani
in Damascus province were at the centre of two
failed attempts last month to secure broad
ceasefire deals.

The Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, sitting
in Abuja has ordered the Nigeria Police and other
relevant security agencies in the country to arrest
the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.
In a ruling earlier today, the tribunal headed by
Justice Danladi Umar issued a bench warrant
against Saraki following what it said is his refusal
to appear in court to face a 13-count criminal
charge that was preferred against him by the
Federal Ministry of Justice.
FG had through a deputy director in the office of the
Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. M.S.
Hassan, asked the tribunal to order Saraki’s arrest.
Saraki who was billed for arraignment this morning,
sent his team of lawyers to serve the tribunal with a
copy of the ruling of Justice Ahmed Mohammed of
the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court,
yesterday, which summoned the Ministry of Justice
to appear on Monday to show cause why the trial
should be allowed to proceed.
Equally summoned by the court were the Chairman
of the tribunal, Justice Danladi Umar and that of the
Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, Mr. Sam Saba, as
well as Mr. Hassan who signed the charge against
Saraki.
Meanwhile, irked by Saraki’s absence at the
tribunal for the commencement of his prosecution
over alleged false declaration of assets, the
Ministry of Justice prayed the Justice Umar-led
panel to order for his arrest, saying “he cannot sit in
the comfort of his chamber and object to his trial in
absentia”.
The prosecution further maintained that Justice
Mohammed lacked the powers to summon the CCT
and CCB chairmen, even as it accused Saraki of
engaging in “forum shopping” in a desperate bid to
scuttle his trial.
Meanwhile, Saraki has through his lawyer, begged
the tribunal to consider his position as the Senate
President and stay the execution of the arrest
warrant, saying he would be available for trial on
Monday.
His plea was refused by Justice Umar who
maintained that the accused person, having sworn
to protect the constitution, ought to have shown
respect to the tribunal by appearing before it today.

The Rivers Police Command on Friday banned the use of siren by private individuals in the State.

The Public Relations Officer of the command, DSP Ahmad Muhammad, disclosed this in a statement in Port Harcourt.

The statement said the ban forbids private individuals from using siren in the state.

‘’No private individual is allowed to use siren anywhere in the State.

‘’Bullion vans are also not allowed to use siren, except when piloted by police pilot vehicle,’’ it said.

According to the statement, top government officials- the President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker House of Representatives and Inspector-General of police (IGP) were exempted from the ban.

Others include Governors, Service Chiefs, General Officer Commanding (GOCs), Assistant Inspector-General of Police and commissioner of police.

The statement added that ambulance vehicles and fire fighting vehicles were also exempted from the ban.

It said that command had given unauthorised users in the State seven days to comply with the directive or face arrest and prosecution. (NAN)

Nigeria’s Super Star John Mikel Obi welcomed twins some four hours ago.
Mikel on his Facebook page wrote
“My whole world in my arms  Welcome to the world my angels

The Nigeria Football Federation is satisfied
with the performance of the Golden Eaglets at
the 2015 edition of the Suwon invitational
tournament even as it has concluded plans to
give the team more friendly games before the
under-17 world cup starts in Chile on October
19.
Director technical in the football house
Emmanuel Ikpeme is confident that the team
can defend the world title won in 2013 if
properly prepared.
Nigeria is the defending champion of the
cadet world cup after beating Mexico to
claim a fourth title in the United Arab
Emirates.

Ahmed Mohamed will be transferring to another high
school, family spokesperson says
Police were notified about a suspected hoax bomb
and arrested the 14-year-old
It started a social media storm, which included an
invitation to the White House
(CNN)— The week started pretty terribly for Texas
high school student Ahmed Mohamed. On Monday,
the teen, who is Muslim, brought to school a clock
that he was proud to have made on his own and
was arrested for what police initially -- and falsely
-- said was a hoax bomb .
But by mid-week, his face and name were
splashed across traditional and social media, and
he'd received thousands of tweets and Facebook
posts of encouragement. President Barack Obama
invited him to the White House and praised his love
of science. Leaders at Reddit and Twitter offered
him internships . Google executives said they were
reserving Ahmed a spot at their weekend science
fair and MIT asked him to visit the campus.
Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg invited him to
visit the company's headquarters, posting, "Having
the skill and ambition to build something cool should
lead to applause, not arrest. The future belongs to
people like Ahmed."
The hashtags #IStandWithAhmed and
#EngineersForAhmed garnered hundreds of
thousands of posts and tweets.
By Thursday, more details of the 14-year-old's
arrest in Irving, Texas, came to light.
In an interview late Wednesday with MSNBC's Chris
Hayes, Ahmed said he was pulled out of class at
MacArthur High School by his principal and five
police officers and taken to a room where he was
questioned for about an hour and a half.
He said he asked the adults if he could call his
parents.
"They told me 'No, you can't call your parents,'"
Ahmed said. "'You're in the middle of an
interrogation at the moment.' They asked me a
couple of times, 'Is it a bomb?' and I answered a
couple of times, 'It's a clock.'"
"I felt like I was a criminal," the teenager said. "I felt
like I was a terrorist. I felt like all the names I was
called."
Hayes asked what he meant.
In middle school, Ahmed said, he had been called
"bombmaker" and a "terrorist."
"Just because of my race and my religion," he said,
adding that when he walked into the room where he
was questioned, an officer reclined in a chair and
remarked, "That's who I thought it was."
"I took it to mean he was pointing at me for what I
am, my race," the freshman explained.
Ahmed is not going back to MacArthur -- he's
transferring to another school, his father Mohamed
Elhassan Mohamed said. The family has not yet
picked a new school for Ahmed, he said, and is
exploring options inside and outside of the country.
'Scared but happy now'
Mohamed, who immigrated to the United States
from Sudan, believes that his son was targeted
because of his brown skin color and his religion.
The teen has never been in trouble, Mohamed told
CNN. "My son's name is Mohamed -- people just
think Muslims are terrorists but we are peaceful,
we are not that way," he said.
He was furious that the school didn't contact him
right away to tell him his son had been arrested.
Instead, he first learned of what happened when
police called him.
Mohamed said he rushed to the station and saw his
son "surrounded by five police and he was
handcuffed."
The school later suspended Ahmed for three days,
his father said.
Mohamed said his son was at first embarrassed by
what happened, but then was lifted and emboldened
by the widespread support he has received.
Ahmed also appeared on ABC's "Good Morning
America" on Thursday.
"I was scared at the moment, but now I feel really
happy," he said. "I'm getting all this support from all
over the world. And the support isn't just for me but
for everyone who has been through this. I will fight
for you if you can't stand up for yourself."
He said he was most excited to hear from MIT. "I
dream of going there," he said.
And he's thrilled to go to the White House.
"I hope to see him soon," Ahmed said of Obama.
Irving police had held onto the clock as evidence,
but on Thursday, they told CNN that it's ready for
Ahmed to pick it up.
Asked what his plans for the future are, he told
GMA, "That clock was part of my future."

A 14-year-old Muslim boy arrested in Texas for
bringing a homemade clock to school has continued
to receive an outpouring of support from scientists,
politicians and celebrities.
Ahmed Mohamed has been invited to visit
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) by a
professor who called him an "ideal student".
He also told ABC News he will accept an invitation
to the White House.
His arrest was sharply criticised and the charges
against him were dropped.
Ahmed hopes to one day attend MIT, one of the top
engineering universities in the US. He told ABC he
was more excited about the MIT tour than the White
House invitation.
Some of the biggest names in the world of science
have welcomed Ahmed with open arms.
Nasa, Google Science Fair, Space Camp USA and
astronaut Chris Hadfield were among those
applauding him for his ingenuity.
Officials at MacArthur High School in Irving alerted
police because they thought the device Ahmed built
was a "hoax bomb".
In a news conference on Wednesday, Ahmed said
he plans to transfer schools.
He told reporters it was "very sad" that his teacher
thought his clock was a threat.
"I built a clock to impress my teacher but when I
showed it to her she thought it was a threat to her.
I'm very sad that she got the wrong impression of
it."
Ahmed's father Mohamed Elhassan Mohamed, who
is originally from Sudan, praised his son's
ingenuity, saying he fixes everything around the
house, including his father's phone and computer.
"He's a very smart, brilliant boy and he said he just
wanted to show himself to the world," he said.
The police have rejected the claim made by
Ahmed's family that he was detained because of his
name.
"We have always had an outstanding relationship
with the Muslim community," Irving Police
Department chief Larry Boyd said on Wednesday.
"Incidents like this present challenges. We want to
learn how we can move forward and turn this into a
positive," Mr Boyd added.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations says it
is investigating the incident.
Under the hashtag #IstandwithAhmed , thousands of
Twitter users - including Nasa scientists, Facebook
CEO Mark Zuckerberg and US President Barack
Obama - praised the boy's initiative and questioned
why he was detained.
"Cool clock, Ahmed. Want to bring it to the White
House? We should inspire more kids like you to like
science. It's what makes America great," Mr
Obama wrote on Twitter .

A three-year-old Iraqi boy has died in an accident
at a welcome party for refugees in western
Germany.
He was swinging on a rope hung between two large
flowerpots when one fell and crushed him, state
prosecutor Jost Schuetzeberg told Reuters news
agency.
Authorities in Eschweiler have ordered a post-
mortem examination but say there is no indication
of a criminal offence.
The boy and his family arrived there four weeks
ago after a journey of more than 4,000km (2,500
miles) from Iraq.
He was taken to hospital but later died of head
injuries, local media reported (in German).
The boy was attending the welcoming party,
organised by local citizens and aid groups, together
with his parents and his nine-year-old brother, city
spokesman Rene Costantini said.
"It was a very tragic accident," he said, adding that
the parents and the brother had been offered
psychological help.

19 year old Kendall Jenner made Forbes' list of
highest-paid models for the first time and she's the
youngest on the list. Kendall is the 8th highest paid
model with her $4 million earnings putting her just
behind top model Kate Moss. Gisele Bunchen, of
course, leads.
Check out the full list below:
1. Gisele Bundchen $44 million
2. Cara Delevingne $9 million
2. Adriana Lima $9 million
3. Doutzen Kroes $7.5 million
4. Natalia Vodianova $7 million
5. Miranda Kerr $5.5 million
5. Joan Smalls $5.5 million
6. Lara Stone $5 million
6. Alessandra Ambrosio $5 million
6. Candice Swanepoel $5 million
6. Karlie Kloss $5 million
7. Carolyn Murphy $4.5 million
7. Kate Moss $4.5 million
7. Liu Wen $4.5 million
7. Daria Werbowy $4.5 million
8. Kendall Jenner $4 million
9. Hilary Rhoda $3.5 million
9. Jourdan Dunn $3.5 million
9. Kate Upton $3.5 million
9. Anja Rubik $3.5 million
9. Edita Vilkeviciute $3.5 million

War on all fronts," thunders the headline in the
conservative daily newspaper, Magyar Nemzet - a
reference to both the battles between desperate
refugees and Hungarian riot police, and to
Hungary's deepening diplomatic isolation.
Csaba Lukacs, the paper's leader writer, depicts a
Hungary under attack from young, stone-throwing
Muslim men: "Hungary's border was besieged by
those who think they have the basic human right to
march across Europe without documents."
Many in Hungary agree with these sentiments.
In Roszke on the Serbian border, through which
tens of thousands of refugees have walked in
recent months, little remains of the refugee camp
constructed last weekend - just in time to help the
last of the migrants.
A few white humanitarian tents, 34 portable toilets,
and some people sifting through the rubbish for
anything of value.
But in the cornfields and sunflower fields nearby,
there are knapsacks, clothes, children's toys and
human excrement in every row. Many patches
where people slept or hid, or fled pursuing
policemen, have been flattened.
"I'm so glad this is all over," local farmer Zoltan
Varga told me, as he inspected his red peppers.
Some of the crop was trampled underfoot, he said,
as people ran through the fields. Some migrants
slept in his greenhouses and caused damage there.
He had watched Wednesday's police intervention at
the Roszke road crossing on television.
"The police acted correctly," he said. But he also
felt sorry for the families with children. "If they had
to come, why couldn't we lay on trains to take them
across the country?"
Hungarian police 'had little choice'
The clashes at the Roszke-Horgos border crossing
divide pro-government and opposition newspapers.
Magyar Idok, a paper launched recently by the
ruling Fidesz party, argues the "determination and
aggressiveness" of the migrants left Hungarian
police with little choice but to use water cannon.
Centre-right Magyar Nemzet says "the Hungarian
border was besieged by those who think that it's
their basic human right to march throughout Europe
without papers."
But centre-left Nepszabadsag reacts sarcastically
that "the strong Hungarian nation can breathe
freely. We no longer have anything to worry about".
And a commentator in centre-left Nepszava
remarks: "We can now get on with our everyday
Hungarian lives surrounded by barbed wire and
shunned by migrants, neighbours, brothers, pals,
close friends and investors."
The government has been anxiously watching
public opinion polls, and commissioning its own
private ones, for any sign of an improvement in
their popularity, which sank drastically last October.
An important factor in its handling of the crisis has
been the loss of a million supporters, and a surge in
the popularity of the radical nationalist Jobbik party,
which shares Fidesz's anti-migrant rhetoric.
The latest poll by the pro-government Szazadveg
think tank gave them some comfort, suggesting that
the popularity of Fidesz grew from 43% in June to
48% in September.
But those figures are challenged by Professor
Gabor Toka, a public opinion specialist at the
Central European University in Budapest.
"I haven't seen any evidence that would support the
claim that the government's handling of the refugee
crisis has increased its popularity," he told the BBC,
pointing to the results of five separate pollsters
since January.
From the opposition side, liberal weekly Magyar
Narancs depicted Prime Minister Viktor Orban with
a curly, Hitler-style moustache made of coils of
barbed wire - prompting a small demonstration
outside its offices by Orban loyalists.
The dispute has further polarised an already
deeply-divided society.

October 11th of this year was slated to hold a nationwide elections and move Burkina Faso into democratic government.Last year Former President Blaise Compare was removed in a coup after more than 27years of being head of state.
      A close ally of the former Burkina Faso President
Blaise Compaore lead a coup which has effectively
deposed the executive leadership of the country
yesterday. The coup, lead by General Gilbert
Diendere, detained interim President Michel Kafano
and interim Prime Minister Isaac Zida during a high
level cabinet meeting in Ouagadougou, the capital
of Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso citizens demonstrating against
military coup in 2015
Media has also reported that in addition to seizing
control of the executive functions of the state,
soldiers raided the offices of Radio Omega and set
them on fire. Radio Omega was central in reporting
events of the 2014 protests and subsequent coup.
The coup was officially confirmed early Thursday
morning when the military spokesman, Lt. Colonel
Mamadou Bamba, made a statement saying that
President Kafando has been removed from power
and the National Transitional Council, which has
been acting as Burkina Faso’s Parliament, has
been dissolved.
The new authorities, calling themselves the
National Counsel for Democracy, have sealed the
boarders of the country, cancelled flights, and
imposed a curfew on citizens.
There has been a wave of protests and
demonstrations across Burkina Faso with labor
unions calling nationwide strikes, and there have
been at least eight people admitted to the hospital
according to reporting by the New York Times.
The whereabouts of Michel Kafando and Isaac Zida
is not presently known. Fanny Noaro, a journalist
speaking with Al Jazeera in Ouagadougou,
confirmed that there “is no information about the
transitional president and prime minister and there
is no information if they are dead or alive.”
October 11th of this year was slated to hold
nationwide elections and move Burkina Faso into a
democratic government. Last year the former
President Blaise Compaore was removed in a coup
after more than 27 years of being head of state.
Members of the international community,
particularly France, have condemned this coup.
International and civil society groups are declaring
this a major setback for Burkina Faso’s democratic
progress.

Soul singer, songwriter and recording artist, Asa
is a year older today!
Born Bukola Elemide, Aṣa was born in Paris,
France to her Nigerian parents on the 17th of
September, 1982. Her family returned to live in
Nigeria when she was two. Aṣa grew up in
Alagbole, a border town in Ogun state near
Lagos, in the south-western part of Nigeria.
Twenty years later, Aṣa returned to Paris where
her life as an artist took off. Her stage name
“Aṣa” means “Hawk” in Yoruba.
Asa developed an interest and inspiration in
music following her fathers fine collection of
records featuring soul classics and Nigerian
music, including Marvin Gaye, Fela Kuti, Bob
Marley, Aretha Franklin, King Sunny Adé,
Ebenezer Obey and Lagbaja.
In 2004, Aṣa met her manager and friend, Janet,
who introduced her to Cobhams Emmanuel
Asuquo, who in turn became her musical
partner and producer.
The release of the album ‘ASA’ saw her win the
prestigious French Constantin Award in 2008,
where she was voted best fresh talent of 10
singers or groups by a jury of 19 music-industry
specialists in Paris.
Her second album, Beautiful Imperfection, was
released on 25 October 2010. The lead single
from Beautiful Imperfection is titled “Be My
Man” and was released in late September. A
video for the song was released in mid-October.
She also performed with Féfé at the Sydney
Festival in 2011.

Ex-beauty queen and rapper Munachi Abii
shared this lovely throwback picture on her
instagram page with a captivating caption to go
with it.
See throwback picture:
Read caption carefully below:

Hey baby girl, I know u had big dreams, I know
u wanted to fly so high,and love so deep, and
laugh so hard. You gave your attention to soo
many things at some point that you forgot what
you truly wanted. You hid your voice so deep
within for fear that that could also be taken from
you.but little did you know that you became
afraid of your own voice. you are so cute.
You choose to experience what you thought you
liked because you were looking for love and you
thought that was love.but it wasn’t.
The world has a judgement for that, but that’s
not you, only your experience. I don’t feel sorry
for you, I applaud you,for now you know what
you do not want. And it’s funny how that wind
has blown you closer to where you’ve always
wanted to be.
For I wouldn’t be here today if you didn’t go
through that, and I wouldn’t have met him or
met her. I believe you choose to go through it all
to find your voice, to find these words, to help
another & help yourself. You fish you.
One can’t speak of freedom with conviction if you
haven’t felt imprisoned by yourself first or by
another. This is your experience & I hold the
certificate for you. I am proud of you no matter
what.
However , I take no pride in self now because I
realize that I am nothing but clay, but my soul
is as deep, as wide , as clear and as blue as the
ocean( with a dash of seasoning).
You wanna see the world Munachi, but you are
the universe. Why focus on a piece of crumb
when you are the whole cake? Let’s look at that
shall we? Here’s a fun fact about the universe.
Nothing is impossible for it and everything it
chooses to become, it becomes. I have chosen to
show you the universe because you deserve it
and I love you. I love you more than enough for
the both of us.
So don’t look without for approval and
validation or attention or affection, I am looking
within, to you, because I love you, and I care
about you. So here’s to you Munachi . Let’s go on
this journey together & may our Nakama enjoy
this adventure as much as I. Peace and Love my
lovely one. & like Luffy would say… YOSH!!!
Ikimashō .

An Air Canada flight had a heating problem in the
cargo hold
That could have put Simba the French bulldog's life
in danger
(CNN)— Simba the French bulldog is probably alive
today because of the attentiveness of an Air
Canada pilot.
Simba was flying via Air Canada Flight 85 from Tel
Aviv to Toronto when the pilot noticed a problem
with the cargo area's heating system, according to
CNN Canadian affiliate City News. (Simba's owner,
German Kontorovich, was in the cabin with his
fellow humans.)
"As soon as the crew became aware of the
temperature issue, the captain grew rightfully
concerned for the dog's comfort and well-being,"
Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick told CNN
via email. "With the altitude it can become very
uncomfortable, and possibly the situation could
have been life-threatening if the flight had
continued."
The aircraft diverted to Frankfurt, Germany, where
Simba, age 7, was boarded onto another flight,
causing a delay of about 75 minutes for the original
flight's passengers.
"Frankfurt was a good choice due to proximity, the
fact there are multiple Air Canada flights (and
flights by our partner Lufthansa) to Canada each
day, and also because the airport can turn aircraft
quickly, meaning there would be little time on the
ground," said Fitzpatrick.
"While we recognize this was an inconvenience for
our customers, the overall reaction was positive,
particularly once people understood the dog was in
potential danger but safe as a result of the
diversion," he said.
Kontorovich was grateful for the pilot's decision.
"It's my dog, it's like (my) child. It's everything,"
he told City News after landing at Toronto Pearson
International Airport.
"It was definitely the right thing to do," a fellow
passenger said.
The diversion could cost the airline thousands of
dollars in fuel costs, aviation expert Phyl Durby
told City News, but he called it the right decision.
"The captain is responsible for all lives on board."