California Allows First-Ever State Recognized Human-Animal Marriage

 
 On Monday history was made at the Chapel of Our Lady at the Presidio in San Francisco as the first-ever state recognized human-animal marriage took place.

Local resident 35-year-old Paul Horner was the groom during the ceremony. Joining him was his faithful dog Mac who is 36-years-old in dog years. Mac also decided to be the groom but ended up wearing a white veil at the last moment.

Father McHale who officiated the outdoor wedding told reporters he was extremely happy to be a part of this joyous moment of life. “This is the definition of true love my friends. There is nothing more sacred than the bond between a man and his faithful dog,” McHale said. “Now, since it is recognized as a legally binding marriage in the state of California, Mr. Horner and Mac will have all the same tax benefits and everything else coming to them that a regular married couple would receive. It’s a fantastic day to be alive!”
So how could this have happened?

In the book of California’s State Laws and Regulations there is a little known law that was passed as the state was first forming in 1850. According to article 155, paragraph 10, it clearly states:

    If a man and a man can get married and a woman and a woman can get married, if ever comes that day, then a human and animal will have the exact same rights to marriage in every eye of the law. God help us if this ever is to happen!

In attendance was Horner’s entire family who flew in from Hawaii to witness the event. Mac had her puppies on hand and making a special celebrity appearance was Alex from Stroh’s and Spuds Mckenzie.

Interswitch unveils card-less ATM withdrawals

One does not need a bank account or a Verve, Mastercard or Visa card to make withdrawals from an ATM any longer. All one needs is a 12-digit code and a 4-digit PIN. And thereafter you are on to your money.
Interswitch Transnational, a leading Pan-African integrated payments company, announced today that Nigerians will henceforth be able to make the card-less withdrawals from ATMs with Quickteller facility.
A statement from Interswitch said the card-less withdrawals will offer mobile money users the opportunity to withdraw cash from their mobile money accounts or “cash out” funds transferred to them, through Quickteller supported ATMs across the country.
“The service has been designed to specifically address the challenges of mobile money adoption which includes insufficient cash out locations thereby enabling those without bank accounts and bank cards have easier, more convenient and safer access to cash withdrawal,” it said.
Interswitch said the card-less service supports transactions between the range of N1,000.00 – N20,000.00 in multiples of N1,000.

Hong Kong tycoon's lesbian daughter asks him to accept who she is

 
The lesbian daughter of a Hong Kong tycoon who has offered millions of dollars to any man who can win her heart is asking him to come to terms with her sexuality.

"As your daughter, I would want nothing more than to make you happy," Gigi Chao writes to her father, Cecil, in an open letter published Wednesday in two local newspapers. "But in terms of relationships, your expectations of me and the reality of who I am, are not coherent."

Cecil Chao, a wealthy real estate developer, made headlines around the world in 2012 when he offered 500 million Hong Kong dollars (roughly $65 million) to any man who succeeded in marrying his daughter.

The only requirement is that the man "loves my daughter, and she loves him," he said at the time.

He proposed the multimillion dollar dowry after it emerged that Gigi Chao and her longtime female partner, Sean Eav, had their relationship blessed in a church ceremony in Paris.

His refusal to accept the relationship leaped back into the news in Hong Kong this month after a Malaysian newspaper that interviewed him reported that he might be willing to double his dowry offer.

7,000-Year-Old Human Bones Suggest New Date for Light-Skin Gene

An ancient European hunter-gatherer man had dark skin and blue eyes, a new genetic analysis has revealed.

The analysis of the man, who lived in modern-day Spain only about 7,000 years ago, shows light-skin genes in Europeans evolved much more recently than previously thought.

The findings, which were detailed today (Jan. 26) in the journal Nature, also hint that light skin evolved not to adjust to the lower-light conditions in Europe compared with Africa, but instead to the new diet that emerged after the agricultural revolution, said study co-author Carles Lalueza-Fox, a paleogenomics researcher at Pompeu Fabra University in Spain.
Sunlight changes
Many scientists have believed that lighter skin gradually arose in Europeans starting around 40,000 years ago, soon after people left tropical Africa for Europe's higher latitudes. The hunter-gatherer's dark skin pushes this date forward to only 7,000 years ago, suggesting that at least some humans lived considerably longer than thought in Europe before losing the dark pigmentation that evolved under Africa's sun.
"It was assumed that the lighter skin was something needed in high latitudes, to synthesize vitamin D in places where UV light is lower than in the tropics," Lalueza-Fox told LiveScience.
Scientists had assumed this was true because people need vitamin D for healthy bones, and can synthesize it in the skin with energy from the sun's UV rays, but darker skin, like that of the hunter-gatherer man, prevents UV-ray absorption.

But the new discovery shows that latitude alone didn't drive the evolution of Europeans' light skin. If it had, light skin would have become widespread in Europeans millennia earlier, Lalueza-Fox said.

Mysterious find

In 2006, hikers discovered two male skeletons buried in a labyrinthine cave known as La Braña-Arintero, in the Cantabrian Mountains of Spain. [Images of the Ancient Skeletons]

At first, officials thought the skeletons may have been recent murder victims. But then, an analysis revealed the skeletons were about 7,000 years old, and had no signs of trauma. The bodies were covered with red soil, characteristic of Paleolithic burial sites, Lalueza-Fox said.

At the time of the discovery, genetic techniques weren't advanced enough to analyze the skeletons. Several years later, the team revisited the skeletons and extracted DNA from a molar tooth in one skeleton. (The other skeleton had been sitting in water for millennia, so his DNA was more degraded, Lalueza-Fox said.)

Manchester United confirm Juan Mata transfer from Chelsea for a club-record £37million fee

Manchester United have announced the signing of Juan Mata from Chelsea for a fee of £37.1million.
The Spain international midfielder arrived at the champions' Carrington training ground by helicopter earlier on Saturday and, following a medical, United tweeted a photo of Mata - clad in a club shirt - putting pen to paper alongside their beaming manager David Moyes.
Moyes has confirmed the 25-year-old will be in his squad for Tuesday's Premier League encounter with Cardiff at Old Trafford.
"I know our fans have admired Juan for some time now - he has always played well against us - and I know they will be delighted to see him in the red of United; starting on Tuesday," said Moyes.
The sum spent on Mata smashes United's previous record outlay - the £30.75million they paid Tottenham for Dimitar Berbatov in 2008.
It underlines the desperation at Old Trafford to prove they are determined to shove United back to the top end of the Premier League after this season's disastrous campaign.
United have slumped to seventh in the table and were eliminated from the Capital One Cup semi-finals by 19th-placed Sunderland on Wednesday.
In addition, they have also been knocked out of the FA Cup, meaning an unlikely Champions League triumph is now their only hope of silverware, in addition to currently being their best route back into the competition next term.
Nevertheless, despite the strife, Mata had no hesitation in jumping at the chance to rebuild his career, which has stalled following Jose Mourinho's arrival at Stamford Bridge, even though he was crowned Chelsea's player of the year in the previous two seasons.
"I am thrilled to be joining United," he said. "I have enjoyed some very happy years at Chelsea but the time has come for a new challenge.
"United is the perfect place for me and I am excited at the chance I have to be part of the next phase in the club's history.
"Chelsea is a top club and I have many friends there but you cannot turn down the chance to join Manchester United. I look forward to helping the manager and the team be successful in the coming years."

Mysterious Islamic writing on tree in Ibadan

A Community Grammar School, Amuloko, in Ona Ara Local Government area of Ibadan, Oyo state was a Mecca of sort Saturday as scores of residents rushed to see a mysterious inscription of the name of Allah on the bark of a tree in the premises of the school.
The inscription which had been noticed around 1 p.m on Friday by a JS 1 student, Abdulsalam Selimot, drew the attention of many people from the community and beyond, such that many turned the tree to an object of worship.
Similar experience was made public last year when a female undergraduate of the University of Ibadan saw an inscription of Allah in a piece of meat she bought and boiled.
The Quranic lettering, which an Agriculture teacher in the Amuloko school, Mr Atanda Abdulrauf Olayiwola, interpreted to mean “Mohammadu Ra Sululah” first appeared faintly before it got bolder few hours later to the consternation of many people.
Speaking with Selimot in her mother’s rented apartment at Oloya area of Amuloko, she said, “My Dad said he was coming to see me and so I stood under the tree in front of our school. Suddenly, a leaf fell on my head and when I picked it, I saw certain writing on it. I looked up to see where it came from and discovered it fell from the tree. There and then I saw an Arabic lettering appearing, being written on the tree.
“I could not read it well but I noticed that it was a Quranic Language similar to the spellings we were being taught at our Quranic centre. I then went to inform some Alfas who came for GNLD training close by. They saw it and asked for my name. They asked me to go and call my parents, and I went to call my mother”, she recollected.

DUBAI PROSTITUTION-How Nigerian ladies prostitute in UAE

 Across big cities in Nigeria, they cruise around in flashy cars and own good businesses but in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), many  Nigerian ladies engage in prostitution to keep their businesses afloat.

Flashy cars. Blinking bank accounts. Good businesses. They have it all. The good things of all fall on their laps. Like the queens that many see them to be outside, they live large.
Welcome to the world of the Nigerian ‘big babes’ who call the shots as far as prostitution is concerned in Dubai, that artificial creation in the United Arab Emirates which has caught the world’s attention.
Dubai covers an area of 1500 square miles and sits 52 feet above sea level. It is the gateway to Asia and is described as the Las Vegas of the Middle East. On the streets of Dubai, these ladies are the centre of attraction and back home, especially in cities such as Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, they own big businesses and drive flashy cars, yet from time to time, they acquire two months visa to Dubai for no reason other than to indulge in commercial sex. With the help of syndicates, they secure accommodation in hotels and apartments.
It came as a shock to this reporter, whose first time it was in Dubai. Having booked her accommodation online at the Africana Hotel, Deira, she was hopeful to have some quiet time and arriving the Dubai International Airport and seeing the Arabs all covered, with warning prohibiting indecency, she thought: “At last, there is some decency here!”
But she was soon to realize that beneath the cleanliness and splendour of the city lies a dirty trade, which even Sheiks are said to patronise when no one is watching. The moment this reporter stepped into the hotel she had reserved online, she saw an army of half-naked women, parading the premises.
Shocked by the contrast, she had quickly asked: “What’s going on here?” The reply from the smiling front desk person was: “They are from your country, Nigeria. They are our guests. See these ladies, they pair themselves in a room, some even stay three in a room. So, in case you want to save money, you can pair with any of them!”
But her response did not quench the reporter’s curiosity. It did not answer why half-nude Nigerian women, as early as 9am, were flaunting their bodies in front of the hotel with some black guys giving them signals.

New Delhi gang-rape shame: Danish tourist 'robbed attacked by group of men'

 Incredible. Disgraceful
 The victim told the police that she “lost count” of the number of men who assaulted her throughout the night

Tied together by rope, these are the men accused of gang-raping a 20-year-old woman on the orders of village elders - because she had fallen in love.
The victim is fighting for life in hospital after being brutalised by so many men she "lost count".
A Kangaroo court, locally called ‘Salishi Sabha’, allegedly ordered the rape as punishment for the woman because she couldn’t pay a £244 fine for her crime - falling in love with a man outside her community.

Morocco amends controversial rape marriage law

 

Violence against women and gender inequality are the subjects of frequent demonstrations in Rabat

The parliament of Morocco has unanimously amended an article of the penal code that allowed rapists of underage girls to avoid prosecution by marrying their victims.

The move follows intensive lobbying by activists for better protection of young rape victims. The amendment has been welcomed by rights groups.
Article 475 of the penal code generated unprecedented public criticism.
It was first proposed by Morocco's Islamist-led government a year ago.
But the issue came to public prominence in 2012 when 16-year-old Amina Filali killed herself after being forced to marry her rapist.

 Parliament has voted unanimously to alter the controversial penal code article

She accused Moustapha Fellak, who at the time was about 25, of physical abuse after they married, which he denies. After seven months of marriage, Ms Filali swallowed rat poison.

The case shocked many people in Morocco, received extensive media coverage and sparked protests in the capital Rabat and other cities.

Justin Bieber arrested in Miami Beach - report

 

Pop star Justin Bieber has been arrested for driving under the influence, according to a U.S. report.

Cops pulled over the 19 year old's vehicle in Miami Beach, Florida in the early hours of Thursday morning over allegations he was taking part in a drag race.

He was then taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence, according to TMZ.com.

The arrest comes a week after his home in California was raided by cops in connection to an 'egging' incident at a neighbour's home.

Man wants electricity firm to pay £13.8 MILLION 'because his prayers kept lights on during 2010 World Cup'

Incredible , I  never knew that prayers can be bought with finances
Nelson Thabo Modupe wants South African power company Eskom to stump up because he claims his religious devotion prevented power cuts

 
A man reportedly wants an electricity company to pay him nearly £14 millon - because he claims his prayers helped to keep the lights on during the 2010 World Cup.
Nelson Thabo Modupe claims Eskom should fork out 250 million rand (£13.8 million) because his religious devotion prevented power cuts during the tournament in South Africa.
Modupe, of Lichtenburg, near Johannesburg, is a member of the Zion Christian Church.
In a letter to Eskom, he said the main reason for load shedding was lightning and wind, and that he had taken it upon himself to pray to God and ask that no power cuts take place.
According to Afrikaans newspaper Beeld, Modupe claims he is owed the money because he saved the power utility the burden and humiliation of load shedding.
He is also understood to be willing to consider the offer of a partnership in the company.
His claim will go before the courts on Thursday.

source|: www.mirror.co.uk

PASSWORS NOT TO USE

Perhaps you chuckled at the irony of making your password "password." Or you thought it was the right place to express affection for your favorite primate by choosing "monkey."

More likely, you were lazy and wanted something easy to remember, like "123456."

If you're using any of these passwords, change them.

Those are some of the most common passwords, according to a new list released by security company Splash Data. The group comes up with the top 25 list based on lists of passwords that were stolen and posted publicly in the previous year.

This year, the most common password is "123456," which unseated last year's No. 1, "password."

In addition to strings of digits in numerical order and simple words and letters like "qwerty" and "admin," there are a few phrases on the list. The sweet and common "iloveyou" is beloved by hackers, as is "letmein," "trustno1" and "password1."

A string of high-profile breaches in the past year may serve as a wake-up call to the consumers who use these passwords. Many perhaps assume they would never be the target of hackers, so there's no reason to enact strict, or even common-sense, security measures.

This year's list was clearly skewed by the large number of Adobe passwords included in the round-up, as indicated by the presence of "adobe123" and "photoshop" on the list at number 10 and 15 respectively. Adobe experienced a sizable security breach in 2013 that affected 38 million users.

We can deduce that choosing a password named after the product for which it's used is a bad idea. Also avoid using your own name or other obvious words someone who knows you could guess (the name of your husband, child, cat).

To beef up your defenses, immediately change any of your own passwords that show up on the list. Combine random words instead of using common phrases, and if you include numbers or symbols, don't just substitute 3s for your Es. If you're ready to take your security to the next level, don't use the same password for all sites.

Also, when possible, turn on two-factor identification, in which access is granted based on a password and something else, such as a specific image.

NEW YEAR STATEMENT FROM FEMI GBAJIBIAMILA

                        

The House of Representatives resumed plenary on a rancorous note on Tuesday after a one-month holiday.

Trouble started when the Minority Leader, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, sprung a surprise on the floor of the House  by referring to the deputy majority leader,  Mr. Leo Ogor, as “deputy minority leader.”

Gbajabiamila was contributing to a debate on a  motion when he addressed Ogor as deputy minority leader.

This angered some Peoples Democratic Party lawmakers  who   rushed towards  him  in an apparent bid to attack him.

However, some APC members quickly protected  Gbajabiamila by encircling him at the front row of the floor.

For over 20 minutes, proceedings were suspended as the PDP lawmakers and their APC counterparts shouted at one another.

But the   intervention of the  Speaker, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, prevented  what would have been  another  free for all on the floor.

Referring to Gbajabiamila’s statement   as “a very expensive New Year joke,” Tambuwal stated that   he should not have said  it in the way he did.

The speaker  noted that while Gbajabiamila’s action was an attempt to pass the message that the APC wanted to effect a change in the leadership of the House, he should have first observed the rules of the House.

He also drew the attention of members to a subsisting court order, which had barred the House from changing its leadership.

Tambuwal  said, “We are a parliament and we have our rules of procedure, derived from the 1999 Constitution.

“The issue of leadership change in this House is also the subject of a recent court order.

“I have the order here with me; I was taken aback when he (Gbajabiamila) made that statement.”

The speaker then  asked Gbajabiamila to stand before members and clear his position.

The APC leader responded that while his comments might sound offensive, he was not at war with Ogor, but merely making “a statement of fact.”

According to him, it will be “breaching the collective privilege” of APC members, who are now in the majority, to be referred to as the minority in the House.

But, to calm his angry colleagues, he said, “In deference to your office (Speaker), I will now refer to Ogor as simply Hon. Leo Ogor.”

Gbajabiamila avoided either withdrawing the statement or apologising to the House, which was what the PDP members wanted him to do.

In his ruling, Tambuwal called for caution, saying that as a legislature, the House would be the last institution to disobey a court order.

He advised members to learn from what happened  in  1993  when the late MKO Abiola   was coasting to victory in the presidential election    before a court order disrupted the process.

The speaker noted, “We have been served with a court order and as an institution, we should be the last to disobey a court order, no matter what disagreement we may have with that order.

“Let us continue as leaders to manage what is emerging as very interesting political developments in this country.

“Let us continue to work together for the common interest of Nigerians and the stability of our democracy.”

Gbajabiamila later  told journalists outside the chamber of the House that the APC would defer to the court order pending when it had  been vacated.

However, he clarified that complying with the order did not change the “statement of fact that the APC is now clearly in the majority in the House.”

Gbajabiamila described the House as the “only parliament in the world” where the party that had majority members continued to play the role of the minority.

When asked why he chose to address Ogor as deputy minority leader when the APC had resolved to comply with the court order, Gbajabiamila replied that he was “throwing a parliamentary jab.”

He added that the jab was intended to send the message to the PDP that it was no longer in the majority.

The lawmaker  said, “The PDP shamelessly went to court to obtain a strange order not known to the annals of jurisprudence in this country.

“The APC stands for change; we want to change the culture of impunity in the PDP.

“We will abide by the decision of the court until we have studied it and two, to vacate the order.  We have seen the handwriting on the wall that they are only trying to buy time.

“The reality on the ground is that the APC has a difference of almost 20 members over the PDP, though the media had reported 172 (APC) and 171 (PDP).

On his part, Ogor expressed surprise that Gbajabiamila,who is  a lawyer, would behave the way he did on Tuesday.

He argued that the issue of change of leadership was not the subject of debate, but that Gbajabiamila changed course by referring to him as deputy minority leader.

Ogor said, “This is a matter that is pending before a competent court of jurisdiction and there is a subsisting order.

“As it stands, the 37 members who defected to the APC are still members of the PDP pending the determination of the case.

“That means that PDP remains the majority party; how would he refer to me as deputy minority leader?”

An Abuja High Court orders Reps not to change leadership

 

An Abuja Federal High Court on Monday ordered members of the House of Representatives to refrain from changing or taking step to change the leadership of the legislative body, pending the determination of a suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party.

The court, presided over by Justice Adeniyi Ademola, ordered the lawmakers to maintain status quo.

In the pending suit, PDP is asking for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the House of Representatives; its Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal; Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha; and 49 others, including the 37 lawmakers that defected to the All Progressives Congress, from changing or altering the leadership of the House.

The court gave the order at the resumption of hearing in the pending suit on Monday, after counsel to the PDP and the defendants argued over which applications the court should hear first.

PDP lawyer, Yunus Usman, SAN, wanted the court to hear his motion for interlocutory injunction first.

Queen hands over the reigns to Prince Charles - historic step closer to a new king

Her Majesty to hand duties over to Prince Charles in an historic job share which experts say marks a gentle succession

Next in line: Prince Charles and Camilla

It is being dubbed the “gentle succession” – as the Queen gradually begins to relinquish some of her traditional duties as monarch.
As she approaches her 88th birthday in April after almost 62 years on the throne, she has agreed to hand over part of her workload in a historic “job-share” arrangement with Prince Charles.
In a royal first, he will be taking on more head of state-style responsibilities as
the Palace starts to make tentative plans for his eventual succession.
Courtiers yesterday described the softly-softly move as “wise” – and “just plain common sense”.
The first sign of the partial power transfer will be the merging this week of the Queen and Charles’s press offices.
In future any announcements concerning the monarch and her 65-year-old
eldest son will now come from the same source. Palace sources insist the switch will be entirely seamless.
Princes William and Harry will also play their part in the new set-up, with both assuming far more responsibility since they relinquished their military roles.

Passing the baton: The Queen

 One aide said: “This is about passing the baton to the next generation.
“The Prince of Wales’s diary is chock-full. Even he realises with the best will in the world he can’t go on like that.
“This is not going to be a sudden shift. It is a gradual process which will be borne out over the next few years.
“It’s a gentle succession.
“It’s important to note that the Queen is still working very hard. Every day you see her with the red box of Government papers and giving audiences.
“Charles will be doing less of his campaigning and the things he likes to do and more of the head of state role.
“While the Queen is still in excellent health, she is inevitably becoming a little more frail because of her age. Charles and Camilla will be doing much more of the public work on her behalf.”
Her Majesty is already the oldest ever British monarch and will soon overtake Queen Victoria’s longest-serving record of 63 years.
But it was stressed yesterday that the changes do not mean she is planning to take a back seat.
The Mirror can exclusively reveal she and Prince Philip will go to Rome later this
year for a visit that was postponed in 2013.
They will also visit Normandy, along with Charles, this summer to commemorate the
70th anniversary of the D-Day landings.
The merger of Palace press offices is likely to see Charles’s new spin doctor, the
highly respected former tabloid reporter and BBC Head of Communications Sally Osman at the helm of the new operation

Smiling serial killer Joanna Dennehy poses for chilling pictures hours before stabbing two more victims

 



Smiling serial killer Joanna Dennehy poses for a series of chilling photographs just hours before stabbing two more victims.
Grinning for the camera in her final moments on the run, Dennehy appears to be having the time of her life in the images - revealed at Cambridge crown court today.
On the day the shots were taken Dennehy allegedly moaned "I want my fun" as she and her alleged accomplice Gary Stretch hunted down innocent dog walkers to kill at random.
And jurors were told she boasted of wanting to end her killing spree like notorious American criminals Bonnie and Clyde.
In one chilling shot, Dennehy, 31, wields a large knife - not the murder weapon used to kill three men and injured two others. In another she happily flashes her bra before her 7ft 3ins tall pal Stretch, 47, strikes the same pose.
Shortly after these pictures were taken, Dennehy leapt out of the Vauxhall Astra driven by Stretch and brutally stabbed two men, Robin Bereza and John Rogers, the court was told.
They were lucky to survive the vicious attacks in Hereford on April 2 last year.
The pictures were revealed as witness Mark Lloyd, who appears in two of the snaps, gave evidence yesterday.
He recalls meeting Dennehy at a flat belonging to a pal in Kingstone near Hereford on April 2. It was here where several of the pictures were taken.
When she greeted him, Dennehy proudly told Mr Lloyd: "Hello Mark, I'm a killer.
"I've killed three people, Gary helped dispose of them and I want to do some more."
She then went on to say: "I want some fun. You have had your fun Gary, I want some fun now."
Mr Lloyd says he was "terrified" as Dennehy brandished a knife, which was covered in blood, but then began flirting with him.
"She was caressing my backside and running her hand down my neck," he said.
"It was like being touched by a rattlesnake."
He was forced to join Dennehy and Stretch in their Vauxhall Astra to Hereford. On the way, Dennehy made Stretch pull over, saying: "I want a photo."
She asked Stretch and Mr Lloyd to pose near some houses because she thought Hereford was an attractive place.
In the car, Dennehy took a picture of Mr Lloyd making an offensive hand gesture, although Mr Lloyd told the jury he cannot recall this being taken.
She then begged Stretch to find her some "fun".
Stretch spotted Mr Bereza, 64, walking his pet dog shortly after this and suggested: "Will he do?", it is claimed.
Mr Lloyd says Dennehy jumped out of the car and began attacking the retired firefighter.
Describing the attack, Mr Lloyd said: "She was holding the knife like the film Psycho."
Mr Bereza was left fighting for his life and had to be airlifted to hospital.
Mr Lloyd added: "She gets in the car, she's happy as Larry, big smile on her face.
"She kissed Gary on the cheek and said 'thanks'."
Following this, Stretch drive the group just a few minutes away and pulled over close to where Mr Rogers was walking his dog.
Mr Lloyd described this attack as even more brutal than the first.
He said: "It was frenzied. She just went absolutely mad on the fella.
"Gary was just mumbling away."
Dennehy left Mr Rogers, 56, bleeding on the ground and stole his pet lurcher.
On returning to the car she said: "Look at my best mate. He's so cute."
Mr Lloyd said: "This dog was terrified. He was shaking in her lap."
After this Mr Lloyd said Dennehy was desperate to take the dog for a walk but shortly after, they were arrested by police.
Earlier the court heard witness Georgina Page also told how Dennehy boasted she wanted to end her killing spree like Bonnie and Clyde - who died in a gun fight with cops in 1934 after killing nine people.
Miss Page said Dennehy warned Stretch: "You know we're going to get caught and go to jail for a long time. I want to be caught like Bonnie and Clyde."
In a further grim revelation, Dennehy tucked into a ham sandwich while looking at the bloody corpse of one victim.
The jury heard Stretch, 47, remarked there was "lots of claret (blood) on the floor" while Dennehy munched on her snack.
According to Miss Page, Stretch said he couldn't kill anyone, describing himself as a "professional burglar".

BBC World TV's Komla Dumor dies at 41

 

BBC TV presenter Komla Dumor has died suddenly at his home in London at the age of 41, it has been announced.

Ghana-born Dumor was a presenter for BBC World News and its Focus on Africa programme.
One of Ghana's best-known journalists, he joined the BBC as a radio broadcaster in 2007 after a decade of journalism in Ghana.
Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama said on Twitter that his country had lost one of its finest ambassadors.

He was "committed to telling the story of Africa as it really is," Mr Horrocks said in a statement.

"Africa's energy and enthusiasm seemed to shine through every story Komla told".
"Komla's many friends and colleagues across Africa and the world will be as devastated as we are by this shocking news."
Komla Dumor featured in New African magazine's November 2013 list of 100 most influential Africans. It said he had "established himself as one of the emerging African faces of global broadcasting", who had "considerable influence on how the continent is covered".
James Harding, BBC Director of News and Current Affairs, spoke of Komla Dumor's "singular role in transforming the coverage of Africa". "He brought a depth of understanding, a great deal of courage, a joyous charm and boundless charisma to his work," Mr Harding said.

Controversial execution in Ohio uses new drug combination

 
Ohio inmate Dennis McGuire appeared to gasp and convulse for roughly 10 minutes before he died Thursday by lethal injection using a new combination of drugs, reporters who witnessed it said.

McGuire was convicted in 1994 of the rape and murder of 22-year-old Joy Stewart, who was seven months pregnant. Her relatives were at Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville to witness his death, according to tweets from television reporter Sheila Gray.

McGuire's "children and daughter-in-law were crying and visibly upset," Gray tweeted.

She said McGuire, before the drugs took effect, thanked Stewart's family for a letter he apparently received.

"To my children, I'm sorry. I love you. I'm going to heaven and I'll see you there when you come," McGuire reportedly said

Columbus Dispatch reporter Alan Johnson said that the whole execution process took 24 minutes, and that McGuire appeared to be gasping for air for 10 to 13 minutes.

"He gasped deeply. It was kind of a rattling, guttural sound. There was kind of a snorting through his nose. A couple of times, he definitely appeared to be choking," WDTN quoted Johnson as saying.

The convicted murderer was pronounced dead at 10:53 a.m. ET.

The execution generated controversy because, like many states, Ohio has been forced to find new drug protocols after European-based manufacturers banned U.S. prisons from using their drugs in executions -- among them, Danish-based Lundbeck, which manufactures pentobarbital.

According to Ohio's corrections department, the state used a combination of the drugs midazolam, a sedative; and the painkiller hydromorphone.

Both the length of time it took for McGuire to die and his gasping are not typical for an execution, said Howard Nearman, an anesthesiologist at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland.

"Why it took 24 minutes, I really can't tell you," he said. "It just makes you wonder -- what was given? What was the timing, and what were the doses?"

In an opinion piece written for CNN this week, a law professor noted that McGuire's attorneys argued he would "suffocate to death in agony and terror."

UCH celebrates first bloodless open heart surgery

 

The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals yesterday celebrated the first Coronary Artery By Pass Gland (CABG) Open Heart Surgery carried out at the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The surgery was done without blood transfusion with the aid of a Cardiac Capitalisation Machine made by Toshiba, which was acquired by the hospital in 2011. The machine was installed and put to use last year.

At UCH yesterday, health workers, led by the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof. Temitope Alonge, celebrated the achievement.

National President of the Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals Dr. Felix Olukayode Faniran described the feat as “a great breakthrough”.

Speaking at the School of Nursing Auditorium in UCH at a symposium on: “The Nigerian Health Sector: Politics, Policy and Practice”, organised by the union, Faniran said: “The essence of this symposium is to examine health care practices in the country. One of them is what you heard Alonge say. He said they just had a breakthrough in open heart surgery at UCH.”

Alonge said the concept of open heart surgery was not new in Nigeria, adding that the process to resuscitate the procedure started last year at UCH.

He said the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital in Enugu was the first institution to embark on open heart surgery, but the challenges have always been that of equipment, manpower and the ability to sustain it.

Accountants and priests can carry guns under new laws in the Philippines

 
Filipino doctors, priests, journalists and accountants will be allowed to arm themselves while at work under a controversial new gun law that takes effect in their country this month.

Under the Philippines' Republic Act 10591, people working in these sectors -- along with nurses, engineers, bank tellers, and lawyers -- are considered "in imminent danger due to their profession" and will be allowed to carry small guns when outside their homes.

To qualify for a special firearms permit, people in these professions have to pass drug and psychiatric tests, and show they don't have any criminal convictions or pending cases for crimes with punishments of more than two years in prison.

This relaxes the requirements of the previous gun law, the Republic Act 8294, under which they had to prove they were under "actual threat" of danger to carry a firearm.

The regulations could be good news for reporters in the Philippines, who live in one of the world's deadliest countries for the media, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Some 74 journalists, mostly covering politics, have been murdered in the Philippines since 1992, the press freedom group says. In more than 70% of cases, the killers have gone unpunished.

Dozens arrested after anti-gay law passed in Nigeria

 
If there is nothing good the present GEJ government has done , i think the issue of assenting to the bill on gay marriage is a great plus for this administration , yet , some so called human rights activists termed the law draconian, i just laugh.

Dozens of gay men have been arrested in northern Nigeria under a draconian anti-gay law that makes same-sex marriage a crime punishable by up to 14 years in jail, human rights activists say.

The law was signed in secret by members of Nigeria’s House of Representatives in Abuja on December 17 and by the president on January 7, although there was no public announcement.

The Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act criminalizes same-sex marriage and provides for up to 14 years in jail. Membership or support of gay organizations, associations or clubs carries a penalty of up to 10 years’ imprisonment.

The new law reflects a highly religious and conservative society that largely considers homosexuality a deviation. In areas of northern Nigeria law is enforced by Islamic Shariah courts and homosexuals can be stoned to death.

Dorothy Aken’Ova of Nigeria’s International Center for Reproductive Health and Sexual Rights said that police in Bauchi state have drawn up a list of 168 allegedly gay men, 38 of whom have been taken into custody so far.

Activists have suggested that some Nigerian homosexuals may have already fled the country.

HISTORY OF GAY MARRIAGE

WHAT IS MARRIAGE
A social union or legal contract between two consenting persons for the purpose of creating children may be referred to as a traditional marriage. A marriage, a societal institution, may refer to an interpersonal relationship whereby intimate and sexual engagements are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on where the bond originated. A traditional marriage usually has a formal induction through a wedding ceremony, otherwise known as matrimony. A marriage occurs for one of a number of reasons, including legal, social, libidinal, emotional, economic, religious, and spiritual in essence.

Marriages are often recognized by the state, religious authority, or both institutions. Civil marriage is a legally recognized union recognized by the governmental institution unattached to a religious organization. Marital contracts can also be broken or dissolved through a separative process known as a divorce or annulment. Both definitions carry different connotations from culture to culture with each imposing varying penalties based on the wavering of the legal and/or religious affiliation.

Marriage has been practiced throughout all of recorded history; however the practices, rules, and ceremonies in which the marriage is conducted have changed greatly over the course of human history.

PHENOMENON CRISTIANO RONALDO

The Portuguese forward's phenomenal 2013 secured him the crown ahead of Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery and Barcelona's Lionel Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo has been awarded the FIFA Ballon d'Or following a string of sensational performances in 2013.

The Portugal international skipper has held off strong claims from both Franck Ribery and four-time winner Lionel Messi to claim his second Golden Ball.

Ronaldo, 28, had previously won the award in 2008, during his time with Manchester United.

He went into the ceremony in Zurich as an astonishing best price 50-1 ON to claim the prize, following a stunning year with Los Blancos and the Portuguese national side.

He netted 66 goals in 56 games for club and country last year, including five hat-tricks, one of which came in Portugal's 4-2 (aggregate) World Cup Play-off win over Sweden, to ensure his country's place at this year's World Cup in Brazil

Cristiano Ronaldo has been awarded the FIFA Ballon d'Or following a string of sensational performances in 2013.

The Portugal international skipper has held off strong claims from both Franck Ribery and four-time winner Lionel Messi to claim his second Golden Ball.

Ronaldo, 28, had previously won the award in 2008, during his time with Manchester United.

He went into the ceremony in Zurich as an astonishing best price 50-1 ON to claim the prize, following a stunning year with Los Blancos and the Portuguese national side.

He netted 66 goals in 56 games for club and country last year, including five hat-tricks, one of which came in Portugal's 4-2 (aggregate) World Cup Play-off win over Sweden, to ensure his country's place at this year's World Cup in Brazil.

Although rivals Ribery and Messi both emerged with their respective league titles to their name, Ronaldo was at the peak of his powers. Devastatingly quick, ferociously powerful and clinical in the final third, his individual star has shone brighter than any other's during the last 12 months.

He once again showed remarkable consistency in his relentless pursuit of perfection.

Jupp Heynckes was named FIFA men's football Coach of the Year, Silvia Neid winning the women's award. Pele was given an honorary award, and the Women's Ballon d'Or went to Nadine Angerer.

The FIFA XI of the year, meanwhile, was: Manuel Neuer, Dani Alves, Thiago Silva, Sergio Ramos, Philipp Lahm, Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Franck Ribery, Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Lionel Messi.

Ibrahimovic won the Puskas Award for best goal, for his overhead kick against England.

Terminally ill cancer patient who married fiancée from his hospital bed dies aged 23

 

 

A young dad who married his fiancée from his hospital bed while suffering from terminal bowl cancer has died.

Ryan Glenny - known to friends by his middle name Felix - fulfilled his dying wish of marrying his partner Cola in a moving ceremony last month, after being told he had just weeks to live.

The couple’s two children - Ralph, two, and Pearl, four months - watched as they said their vows alongside friends and family.

But the 23-year-old sadly passed away died at the Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham, Kent, on Saturday.

Paying tribute to Felix, his close friend Ashley Clark said: "I have so many strong memories of him, I couldn't pick out just one. He was always happy, always fun to be around and we always had a laugh.

"I'm still in shock at his death and keep thinking it's a dream that I'm going to wake up from. We met at secondary school through mutual friends and just hit it off.

"We got closer and closer as we grew older. He asked me to become godfather to his children and now this has happened."

Felix, from Lower Stoke, Kent, was admitted to hospital with severe stomach pains in November, before being told the devastating news that doctors had found a large tumour in his bowels.

At first it was thought the cancer could be removed, but later tests showed the disease had spread and he was given months to live.

N255m car scandal: Presidential panel indicts Oduah

Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah

The committee set up by President Goodluck Jonathan to probe the N255m bulletproof car scandal in the aviation ministry has indicted the Minister, Ms. Stella Oduah.

 It was gathered  in Abuja on Sunday  that the report of the presidential committee tallied  with some findings of the House of Representatives  Committee  on Aviation on the scandal.

In October, there were reports that with the approval of the minister, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority purchased two bulletproof  BMW cars at an allegedly inflated rate of N255m.

 The development sparked a countrywide controversy with  many Nigerians and groups  calling  for her sacking.

The House  subsequently mandated its Committee on  Aviation to probe the allegation against the minister.

On  December 19, 2013, the House endorsed the report of its   committee and agreed that the minister breached the 2013 Appropriation Act.

It therefore asked Jonathan to review Oduah’s  appointment for approving expenditure of over N643m for the NCAA  to procure 54 vehicles last year.

The spokesperson   for the House, Mr. Zackary Mohammed, had explained that the lawmakers wanted the minister sacked.

He said, “The word  ‘review’ here means a change in status. It is a mild way of saying that Mr. President should sack the minister.”

No ambition is worth the blood of Nigerians – JONATHAN

 
President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, said that no Nigerian should kill or maim himself or herself because of his presumed 2015 second term ambition, saying that “any ambition I have at any time is not worth the blood of Nigerians.”

Meanwhile, President Jonathan has told the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur that he would require the support of every Nigerian, not only him (Tukur), to win the 2015 election if he would contest the election.

The President stated this at a meeting with Vice President Namadi Sambo, Tukur, and other members of the National Working Committee, NWC.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/01/ambition-worth-blood-nigerians-jonathan/#sthash.mAg7nfnh.LoBYALYc.dpuf
Jonathan spoke on the need for peace in the PDP and warned that accusations and counter accusations must stop.

He also said that he would “never, ever expect a Nigerian to spill a drop of his blood because Goodluck Jonathan has some ambitions. Nigerians should always preach peace and unity in all their engagements. This is the only way the country will achieve greatness.”

Speaking at a special church service to mark this year’s Armed Forces Remembrance Day, Jonathan reminded politicians that no ambition was worth the blood of innocent Nigerians, adding that if we continued to kill ourselves, there would be no nation to govern.

He said: “Sometimes I get worried and embarrassed when I hear provocative statements that come from very senior citizens; people that ordinarily will be perceived as senior citizens, who ordinarily should know that the unity of this country is more important than the interests of any individual or a group of individuals. And that the peace of Nigeria is more important than any interest of individuals or group of individuals. Some people even encourage young people to take arms and fight themselves.

“I always say as a politician that I pray all politicians should know that there will be no nation if we kill ourselves. If you want people to come out and vote, why do you threaten them? If you threaten people they will stay in their houses and how will you win election?

“In an occasion like this, we should also admonish ourselves that we should preach peace and unity in all our conversations. If we do that all our problems will be resolved, our security issues will be resolved. If all of us collectively talk about the unity of this country, about peace in this country, then our country will progress and move in the direction we want the country to move.”

The president noted that this year’s remembrance celebration was unique as it was coming at a time that the country is celebrating its 100 years of existence as a nation.

He paid tributes to members of the Armed Forces, saying that their sacrifices had ensured that Nigeria remained one indivisible country, despite the challenges it had faced.

“The Armed Forces Remembrance Day is unique and this year’s programme is more unique because first January marks 100 years of our existence as a nation. It is not easy to get here. The country faced a lot of challenges no doubt about that. Some of us witnessed the civil war.

For us who have survived this 100 years, some people paid dearly for it, some people worked for it like the armed forces. We know the challenges they faced during the civil war. But for their sacrifice, Nigeria would have been more than one nation. They worked for it, some died in the process while some died serving in wars outside Nigeria.

These are the people that we are remembering today. We all have to emulate them. Those of us who are alive, what we can do to honour them is to ensure that whatever we do, whatever we say, whatever song we sing is a song that will bring peace and unity to this country.”

Earlier in his message, the Arch Bishop of the Abuja Diocese of the Methodist Church, Arch Bishop Job Ojei, who read from Hebrew 11:13. And 2 Timothy 4:7, called on Nigerians to stop making “unedifying utterances that will weaken those in leadership” while  those who are power drunk should be rebuked.

Manchester United win after Alex Ferguson visits David Moyes for an HOUR long 'summit meeting'

Manchester United hauled themselves back from the brink of crisis against Swansea – thanks to another helping of Fergie Time, writes Steve Bates in the Sunday People.

Former boss Sir Alex Ferguson held crisis talks with under-fire boss David Moyes after last week’s Old Trafford defeat by the Swans.

And in the very next league game, against the same team that wrecked their FA Cup dreams a week ago, the champions gave a far more assured display – even without the injured Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie – to win 2-0.

Fergie, who led the Reds to an 11-point title triumph last season, spent an hour in Moyes’s Old Trafford office last week in an unscheduled emergency summit.

He told Moyes - the man he chose as his successor - that his job was NOT under threat; that he had the full support of the Glazer family; and that money will be made available in summer to beef up an ailing squad.

Insiders say it’s not the first time that Fergie, shown mostly these days sitting with a frown in the Old Trafford stands, has met Moyes to offer reassuring words.

The United legend travelled to Wearside in midweek for the 2-1 defeat at Sunderland in the Capital One Cup and spoke to the beleaguered boss once more.

Bill Gates the most admired person in the world

Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates is the most admired person in the world, according to a survey published today.
He narrowly edged out US President Barack Obama for the top spot and stormed ahead of fellow billionaire and friend Warren Buffett and physicist Stephen Hawking in the YouGov poll for The Times.
Mr Gates, well known for donating large sums of money to charitable organisations and scientific research, is highly regarded everywhere, judging by the responses of the 14,000 people who were questioned.
Residents of Great Britain, China, Pakistan and the USA were amongst those who took part in the survey.

Ariel Sharon, Israeli Leader Who Vacated Gaza, Dies at 85

 

 Ariel Sharon, the soldier-politician whose career helped shape modern Israel’s history, died on Saturday after eight years in a coma. His death at the age of 85 set in motion plans for an elaborate state funeral and provoking a tributes and condemnation in almost equal measure.

Doctors at the Tel Hashomer Hospital’s Sheba Medical Centre, near Tel Aviv, said the former Israeli prime minister, had passed away after showing “surprising strength” in the face of rapidly declining health.

Israelis had been alerted on January 1 that Mr Sharon’s life was in danger after his kidneys and other vital organs began to fail as a result of an infection.

The former leader had been kept alive for the previous eight years by a complicated network of ventilators and feeding tubes. He had been in a persistent vegetative state since suffering a massive stroke in 2006 that inflicted severe brain damage.
As his two sons, Omri and Gilad, kept vigil by his side in recent days, doctors said Mr Sharon - who was prime minister from 2001 until 2006 - had battled to stay alive with the tenacity that marked his political and military career.

“He went when he decided to go,” said Gilad Sharon, 46, Mr Sharon’s younger son.

Procedures immediately got underway for a state funeral appropriate to his significance in Israeli history. World leaders will be invited to an event that will see the decorated former army general laid to rest beside the grave of his late wife, Lily, at his beloved ranch in the Negev desert
 During his career as a soldier and a politician Mr Sharon proved an influential but hugely divisive figure, earning bitter enemies among fellow Jews as well as Palestinians. Having distinguished himself in combat during three wars against Egypt, he found himself accused of human rights abuses during Israel’s 1982 campaign Lebanon. As prime minister, he alienated many on his own side by ordering Israeli settlers to be removed from Gaza in 2005.

Within minutes of Mr Sharon’s death, tributes from Israeli politicians and Western leaders competed with denunciations from critics as befitting a man who polarised opinion throughout his life.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s current prime minister, who had an often difficult relationship with Mr Sharon, said his memory would be “enshrined forever in the heart of the nation”.

“Ariel Sharon played a central role in the struggle for the security of the State of Israel over all its years,” Mr Netanyahu said in a statement. “He was, first and foremost, a courageous fighter and an outstanding general, and was among the IDF’s [Israeli Defence Forces] greatest commanders.”

David Cameron, the Prime Minister, hailed Mr Sharon as an “important leader” who had taken “brave” decisions for peace “Ariel Sharon is one of the most significant figures in Israeli history and as prime minister he took brave and controversial decisions in pursuit of peace, before he was so tragically incapacitated,” he said. “Israel has today lost an important leader.”

Shimon Peres, Israel’s president and a political contemporary and rival of Mr Sharon, said: “Arik [Mr Sharon’s widely-used nick-name] was a brave soldier and a daring leader who loved his nation and his nation loved him. He was one of Israel’s great protectors and most important architects, who knew no fear and certainly never feared vision.”
 By contrast, Palestinians reacted with a mixture of anger over Mr Sharon’s career - which was marked by bloody crackdowns on their aspirations for statehood - and glee at his death.

“S

Laughing At Ourselves

 
The ability to laugh at one’s mistakes should be a sign of maturity and openness. In addition to that, joking creates humour and can be a good uniting force among people. The object of laughter may vary considerable, but there is always a great possibility that someone somewhere might get offended since jokes often target people’s weaknesses or foolishness. While the poor and the weak can hardly put up any fight when offended in this way, jokes about the rich and the powerful often display a great level of caution.
Every country has it’s own popular comedy shows, and African countries are no exception. Growing up in Nigeria in the 70s and 80s, the most popular comedy show was probable The New Masquerade created by James Iroha, and starred the famous Zebrudaya. The comedy was usually about the shortcomings of ordinary people: lack of money, stalking neighbours for food,  husband/wife disputes, disability and so on. Whenever politics or government was touched, it was to show how the common man should be more understanding towards government policies like the austerity measures and structural adjustment programme. In those days, the only electronic media was TV and mostly state owned.  Ridiculing the authority was probable a sure way to get your show permanently removed.

The Chosen Church and An Abracadabra Resurrection Miracle

  



 The book of Matthew 24:24 says: “For false christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. 25“Behold, I have told you in advance”.

This Biblical injunction freely and clearly offers an advance warning that many Christians  are yet to heed. It warns about the rise of false prophets masquerading as men of god that use God’s name to swindle, deceive and hypnotize the gullible. That was exactly what happened in Umuezii, Nguru Mbaise where the Chosen Church of God prophets embarked on a failed mission to resurrect the dead. This is not the first time the Chosen Church is directly fingered in fake miracles and spiritual hocus-pocus.
A young man, from Umuezii community died in Burkina Faso in November last year under mysterious circumstances.  A month after, his sealed body was brought back to Nigeria and was buried the same day in his family compound in Umuezii, Nguru Mbaise, Imo State.
Trouble started when prophets and seers of the Chosen Church of God prophesied that the dead-and-buried young man was still alive (six feet beneath the earth) as his soul has persistently approached them via telephone calls and other spiritual means, requesting immediate exhumation. His elder sister, who is a member of the Chosen Church, communicated this prophecy to the entire family, leading to a family resolution insisting on the “divinely ordered” exhumation.
The decision to exhume the dead body did not go down well with the community as such act was considered an abomination both under the native tradition and under the prevailing Catholic norms deeply established within the community. All entreaties to the family made by the traditional ruler and parish priest of the St. Luke Catholic Church, Umuezii to refrain from such religious charade fell on deaf ears. It got to a point that the deceased family representatives openly accused the church and community leaders of killing their late brother, and preventing his “god-ordained” resurrection.
As a lasting solution to the impasse, the traditional ruler of the community invited the Chosen Church seers and prophets to sign an agreement of performance failing which they will be handed over to the police authorities for prosecution.  The second condition was that the miracle will be performed in full public glare and in the presence of other independent witnesses. Proudly beating their chests and boasting deafeningly about their “majestic powers”, the seers and prophets signed the agreement and a date was mutually agreed for the resurrection miracle.