Yaya Toure wins BBC African Footballer of the year award

Manchester City and Ivory Coast star player, Yaya Toure has won the BBC African Footballer of the year award . He beat competition from Yacine Brahimi, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Andre Ayew and Sadio Mane to win the coveted award in London today. He last won it in 2013, and has now become the only player to have won the award twice apart from Jay Jay Okocha and Kanu Nwankwo.

"I am very proud. To receive this dedication from the fans is unbelievable" Toure told BBC Sport. "Also I want to pay tribute to the other nominees. African football is growing up, becoming much better and we have fantastic young players coming through now. I am delighted and very happy. And as an African player, I want to lead all my younger brothers to be successful in the future. When I was a kid I was always dreaming of being an important player. I have sacrificed a lot. I will continue to try to win a trophy every year, I will fight to win a personal trophy." he said

Bow Wow and Erica Mena dig at each other on instagram

Just weeks after ending things with Erica Mena, who he'd planned to marry in April this year, rapper Bow Wow is back with his baby mama, Joie Chavis. And he let Erica and his fans know he was back with Joie by posting a pics of her at his home on instagram...Erica then clapped back. Continue...

 And Erica clapped back...

Lol...because Bow Wow is not very tall...so dating him means not wearing high heels...lol

Cute new photos of Mikel Obi's twin girls

Cute new photos of Mikel Obi's twin girls

They are growing up so fast and so cute. See another photo after the cut...

Court of Appeal upholds Sen. Akpabio's election

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja this morning upheld the election of Godswill Akpabio as the senator representing Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District in the Senate. The former Akwa Ibom state governor shared the news on his Twitter handle contrary to earlier reports that his election was nullified.

Buhari speaks on why he can't reveal names of govt officials returning loots

President Buhari says any attempt to reveal the names of former government officials that are returning looted funds may jeopardize others from returning their loots. Buhari stated this while delivering his keynote address at the Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe lecture in Abuja today December 11th. He said CBN will reveal the names of the former government officials in due course

“As I stated recently, a good number of people who abused their positions are voluntarily returning the illicit funds. I have heard it said that we should disclose the names of the people, and the amount returned. Yes, in due course, the Central Bank of Nigeria will make information available to the public on the surrendered funds, but I must remark that it is yet early days, and any disclosure now may jeopardize the possibility of bigger recoveries. But we owe Nigerians adequate information, and it shall come in due course. It is part of the collective effort to change our land from the bastion of corruption it currently is, to a place of probity and transparency.”he said

Buhari's anti-corruption campaign is bound to step on big toes- Shehu Garba

Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media and Publicity Shehu Garba says that the ant-corruption crusade of President Buhari is bound to step on some big toes in the country. According to Garba, personal interest will be put aside as Buhari fights corruption. He stated this at the opening of a 3-day retreat for state house correspondents in Kaduna state yesterday Dec. 10th

"President Buhari has embarked on an anti-corruption campaign that is bound to offend many. Big toes will be stepped on, personal interests will be cast aside. As the popular saying goes, when you fight corruption, corruption fights back. Yes, anti-corruption is a war. And the press can help President Muhammadu Buhari to win that war. You (the press) are one of the government's most lethal weapons in this battle against the forces that aim to pull down Nigeria. The power of the media, if they have any power at all, lies in their ability to expose wrong-doing. This power of exposure is a far more effective deterrent in many countries, including our own, than the court systems that deliver judgment and not necessarily justice. If they know that they will be exposed, many crimes will not happen and herein lies the challenge of the media under Buhari administration. Use your power to expose wrong-doing; the days of impunity are gone. This is the best way to help the change, now that we have a government with the will and capacity to right all wrongs".he said

Photo: Girl dies during abortion in Ondo

20 year old Wunmi Agbeluyi pictured above, a National Diploma (ND) Science Laboratory Technology student of the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, died from complications of a failed abortion after her herbalist boyfriend gave her a concoction to terminate her pregnancy.

According to Vanguard, Wunmi met with the herbalist while he was an apprentice to her own father who was also a herbalist before he died.

The deceased and the suspect started an affair after her father died. She got pregnant for him and after they both agreed they were not ready to become parents, he prepared a concoction and gave to her, hoping to terminate the pregnancy. Few days after drinking the concoction, Wunmi developed severe abdominal pains. The pain became very severe, forcing him to take her to a private hospital.

The doctor they met at the hospital helped them remove the pregnancy. This however did not stop the pain she felt. When her condition worsened, the boyfriend took her to the state general hospital Akure where she died. The Ondo state police command have since arrested boyfriend and the doctor who carried out the abortion procedure.

When interviewed, Funke, the elder sister to the deceased said she was not aware that her younger sister was pregnant and had even tried doing an abortion

“it was a friend called Omololu who informed me that my sister has been admitted in the State specialist hospital and was critically ill. I rushed to the hospital to meet my sister in pain complaining of stomach ache. She insisted that the doctors should not give her injection or drips as prescribed. While we were in the hospital Wunmi refused to disclose why she was given the concoction. It was after the burial that people came to me and narrated what really happened to my sister I informed the family members and we reported the matter to the Olujare of Ijare who asked us to lodge a formal complaint with the Police. I was informed that someone gave her concoction to abort the pregnancy but when she complained of abdominal pain, she was rushed to the hospital. I was later informed that the doctor in the private hospital billed them N25,000 and an initial deposit of N20,000 was paid. It was the doctor that helped them to flush out the remnants of the pregnancy. But when the pains persisted I learnt she was rushed to the specialist hospital where she later died. We will pursue the matter to a logical conclusion and those behind the death of our last born should be made to face the music”, she said.

Meanwhile the deceased has since been buried.

Meet the mother of three who likes to do Yoga stark naked (photos)

A 34 year old Russian Yoga instructor who has over 140,000 followers on Instagram says she can do anything with her body despite being married with three kids, saying 'my husband doesn't own me'. Marina Vovchenko, mother of three regularly strips off to perform gravity-defying yoga poses for her Instagram followers because she 'loves' her body -despite haters telling her to cover up. Most of the images show Marina naked or half-naked. See more photos after the jump...

 'I love my body and think this is the best accessory a woman can have. One can't see it all in jeans and dresses, whose shape can simply be flattering.'

Talking about her husband's reaction to her nude photos she said:

'My husband is not my owner, and I am free to do whatever I feel is right for me. 'There is a category of women that can't do anything without their husband's permission. Well, this is not my experience.'

On her kids, she said that her children love her the way she is, and it does not matter whether she has her clothes on or off.

Source : Linda Ikeji 

Bonang Matheba, others hosted in Lagos (photos)

Bonang and some top female media faces were hosted at BLD by PLAY in Lekki. More photos after the cut..

Source from Linda Ikeji .

Drug kingpin El Chapo declares war on ISIS with chilling threat

Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, one of the world's most wanted drug lords has reportedly 'declared war' on the Islamic State in a threatening letter for destroying his cartel' shipment that went through the Islamic state's caliphate. He sent an encrypted email to the ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi after one of his cartel's shipments was destroyed by them.

His letter, which has been leaked by cartelblog.com, claims his men will "destroy" the terror group if they continue to 'impact on their operation'.
The Mexican drug baron, who runs the notorious Sinaloa cartel, allegedly told Al Baghdadi that his organisation are 'not soldiers' but 'lowly p*****s'.

He allegedly wrote:

"Your god cannot save you from the true terror that my men will levy at you if you continue to impact my operation.

"My men will destroy you. The world is not yours to dictate. I pity the next son of a wh*** that tries to interfere with the business of the Sinaloa Cartel.

"I will have their heart and tongue torn from them.”

El Chapo, nicknamed "Shorty", has been on the run from police since he escaped from the maximum security Altiplano prison - 55 miles west of Mexico City - in July.

Pakistani Diplomat's son charged with raping 13-year-old girl

The son of a Pakistani diplomat was charged with raping a 13-year-old Bronx girl and sexually abusing another teen, officials said Wednesday.
Mehmood Rahimoon, 20, who is nicknamed Rey and lives in Scarsdale, met the teens in October on Whisper, an app where users can post messages anonymously, sources said. For the next three weeks, they got in touch using Whisper and other apps, then met in person.

The pair met and touched each other but did not have sex until a third meeting on Dec. 1, in a room at the River Road Motor Inn on Webster Ave. in Woodlawn, according to sources.
Rahimoon forced the friend, also 13, to touch his private parts, according to prosecutors. At the same time, the friend’s father was waiting at her school to pick her and the victim up.

The worried father called his daughter, who lied to him, saying she and the victim were working out in a park with their running club. Rahimoon then took the phone and told the father the teens would be back at school shortly, sources said.
 

That night, the friend told her dad what happened, prompting him to call the cops the next day, authorities said.

As part of the investigation, detectives set up a controlled meeting in upper Manhattan for Tuesday night. Rahimoon showed up in a vehicle with State Department consul license plates and was arrested, sources said.

The suspect’s father, Muhammad Rahimoon, is listed on his Facebook page as a community/welfare counselor for the Pakistani government.

“It’s a shock. I knew nothing of this,” the dad said after his son’s arraignment late Wednesday. “This is all fabricated. My son is a good person.”

The younger Rahimoon, who does not have diplomatic immunity, made a full confession, prosecutors said. He was was charged with raping a minor, sex abuse, sexual misconduct, and endangering the welfare of a child.

He was awaiting release early Thursday on bail of $20,000 bond or $10,000 cash.

 

The Pakistani Consulate had no comment, but the suspect’s sister, who declined to give her full name, called him a “good person.”

She said her brother studies business at Westchester Community College. His Facebook page says he is from Islamabad.

Source: NY Daily News

Lewis Hamilton insists he's single despite being linked to Rihanna and Kendall

Lewis Hamilton insists he's single despite being linked to Rihanna and Kendall

Despite being linked to Rihanna, Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid after his split from his  long-term girlfriend- Nicole Scherzinger, Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton, 30, insists he's single, not searching and loving it.

Speaking on The Jonathan Ross Show, he said he's enjoying being a single man at the moment, saying:

'Yes it’s different. I’ve been in two relationships in my life, [one when] I was 18 to 22 and then 23 to 30 and so I missed the single life that all my friends had.

'Now I’ve just been throwing myself at work, I’ve worked harder than ever this year, I’ve travelled like crazy, I’ve experienced everything I wanted to experience.'

Lewis added that he's enjoying nights out more - especially as they appear to positively affect his performance on the track.

He explained:

'Up until this year, I sacrificed everything so I never ever really went out. 'Last year I think I might have gone out three times, it’s probably a bit too extreme.

91-year-old man fatally shoots terminally ill wife of over 60 years

A 91-year-old man was arrested for killing his wife of over 60 years in the bedroom of the Texas retirement home where they lived. He reportedly wanted to end the woman’s suffering.

Nelson Harvey on Saturday allegedly shot and killed his 93-year-old wife, Evelyn, who had been suffering from a terminal illness, according to reports.
Harvey allegedly reported the death of his wife to caretakers at the Monte Vista at Coronado retirement center and gave them the firearm, El Paso police said.

Harvey told a home health care worker doing a daily check on the couple around 8 a.m. Sunday that his wife “had passed away but he did not provide any details,” the El Paso Times reported.

Thinking that the woman had died from her illness in her sleep, the worker left.

A supervisor who checked in on the man at 11:3 0 a.m. discovered Evelyn Harvey lying in her bed with a gunshot wound to the back of the head, according to the paper.

Harvey, who was found sleeping on the couch in the room, “informed them that the victim had died during the course of the night and made reference that he was tired of her suffering so he shot her,” the Times wrote.

He reportedly told court officers that he has no family and that his only friends at the retirement home are in their 80s or older.

Harvey was arrested by El Paso police on suspicion of murder and was jailed under a $25,000 bond.

Source: Inside Edition

Top Rwanda genocide suspect arrested

Top Rwanda genocide suspect arrested

One of the last suspects wanted for alleged involvement in the 1994 Rwandan genocide has been arrested in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, the UN says. 
Ladislas Ntaganzwa, 53, is accused of organising mass rapes and the massacre of thousands.
The US has issued a $5m (£3.2m) reward for his arrest, calling him "one of the main instigators of the genocide".

Mr Ntaganzwa and his lawyers have not commented on the allegations.

He was one of nine suspects still wanted by the UN for their alleged role in the genocide, which left about 800,000 people dead. The others are still at large. 

The genocide saw militias from the majority Hutu ethnic group killing Tutsis and moderate Hutus. 
Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) Hassan Bubacar Jallow told the BBC's Focus on Africa radio programme that Mr Ntaganzwa was "a big fish", even if he was not the most senior person to have been caught.

The ICTR indictment describes his involvement in 1994 in the killing of more than 20,000 Tutsis between 14 and 18 April.

It says he "substantially participated in the planning, preparation and execution of the massacre".

“He personally participated in these crimes,” his indictment says.

He told a group including Hutu civilians to surround Cyahinda parish, in southern Rwanda, "so that no Tutsis could escape and told them to kill Tutsis", the indictment adds.
He is also wanted for other crimes.

The ICTR, which is now winding up its activities, has transferred his case to Rwanda, Mr Jallow told the BBC.

Mr. Ntaganzwa might stand trial in Rwanda, as the country requested. Mr. Ntaganzwa is accused of five counts, including genocide and rape as a crime against humanity.

Nicki Minaj covers Billboard mag, denies being engaged to Meek Mill

Nicki Minaj covers Billboard mag, denies being engaged to Meek Mill

In an interview with Billboard magazine, Nicki has denied she is set to walk down the aisle anytime soon.

"He and I are not engaged," she said. "But he said he would like to give me three rings before we get married."

Her comments were revealed by the magazine today but the interview was conducted before her birthday on December 8. 
She continued: "My birthday's coming up, and he better get the new one, because he got [the first one] for my last birthday

Russian supermarket under fire for selling chopping boards with photo of Barack Obama as a monkey

Russian supermarket under fire for selling chopping boards with photo of Barack Obama as a monkey

Scandal broke out after a customer purchased a chopping board with an image of US President Barack Obama as a monkey, in a store in Tatarstan's main city Kazan and took pictures that went viral. The product features a family of monkeys, with an image of Obama's face superimposed onto that of the smallest primate.
 

The upscale Russian store chain on Thursday, December 10, apologised on Thursday for selling the chopping boards after the US embassy reacted furiously.

The store chain also announced it had pulled the item from its shelves, saying it had not been aware of Obama's image. "Sales of the chopping boards have been stopped," Valentina Moiseyeva, a spokeswoman for the Bakhetle supermarket chain, Tass agency reported. "We are sorry that such product was on our store shelves. For us it is unacceptable that a store is used as a place for political provocation," Moiseyeva said, adding that the supermarket had lodged a formal complaint against the boards' supplier.

The board is styled as a calendar for 2016, the year of the monkey according to the Chinese zodiac.

The Bakhetle chain is based in Russia's traditionally Muslim region of Tatarstan but has stores throughout the country.

Will Stevens, the spokesman for the US Embassy in Moscow, took to Twitter to show his displeasure. "Disgusting to see that such blatant racism has a place on Russian store shelves," Stevens wrote on Twitter.

Serena Williams wins 4th WTA Player of the Year award for the 7th time

Serena Williams wins 4th WTA Player of the Year award for the 7th time

The tennis champion has been voted WTA's Player of the Year for the 4th consecutive time & seventh overall. The awards were announced on Tuesday, December 8, by the Women's Tennis Association.

Williams was ranked No. 1 throughout 2015, going 53-3 with a WTA-high five titles, including three at major tournaments- Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon. William's older sister, Venus was recognized as Comeback Player of the Year. Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza were Doubles Team of the Year, and Daria Gavrilova was Newcomer of the Year.

France Football Federation ban Karim Benzema indefinitely over sex tape blackmail scandal

France Football Federation ban Karim Benzema indefinitely over sex tape blackmail scandal

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has been suspended indefinitely from the French national team over the sex tape blackmail case he is currently involved in with team mate Mathieu Valbuena. The president of the national football federation (FFF), Le Graet said today that Benzema was put under formal investigation by a French judge last month in connection with an alleged attempt to blackmail international team mate Mathieu Valbuena over a sex video.

"I have decided, it's a decision from the president of the French federation and not from the executive committee or the ethics committee, that Karim Benzema cannot play for France until the situation evolves," Noel Le Graet told a news conference. "As long as the judicial system has not decided that everything that has been published on Benzema is excessive, the federation will not change its mind," he added, while urging the judge handling the case to set up a meeting between the two players.

Le Graet was not specific about the duration of the ban but his ruling probably means Benzema cannot be called up by the national team until he is convicted or cleared of the alleged offence, putting his EURO 2016 spot in jeopardy.

Benzema has denied any wrongdoing and claims although he has been banned by a high court from contacting anyone linked to the investigation including Olympique Lyonnais forward Valbuena.