SHOLA O'NEIL'S BLOG: Boko Haram: We Will Retaliate - Niger Delta Milita...

SHOLA O'NEIL'S BLOG: Boko Haram: We Will Retaliate - Niger Delta Milita...:     Freedom Fighters (ex-militants) from in the Niger Delta region, under the auspices of Leadership Forum for Peace in the Niger Del...

Boko Haram: We Will Retaliate - Niger Delta Militants

 

 

Freedom Fighters (ex-militants) from in the Niger Delta region, under the auspices of Leadership Forum for Peace in the Niger Delta, have threatened to carry out reprisal attacks if the Islamic militant group, Boko Haram, continues with its attack on churches and Christians in the north.

The group’s President, ‘General’ Pastor Reuben Wilson, who led top members of the group while addressing in a press conference in Port Harcourt, also cautioned northern leaders to call Boko Haram to order.

He fingered key politicians in the northern geopolitical zones of instigating the people against their kinsman, President Goodluck Jonathan as part of a grand plot to discredit his administration and to prevent him from having a second shot at the highest office.

While recalling its own pasts, LFPND reminded sponsors of the group and other Islamic leaders, particularly in the northern parts of the country, that Boko Haram does not have the monopoly of violence and warned that the region’s warlords could be forced to launch reprisal attacks.

‘Gen’ Wilson, warned: “Northern leaders should allow Jonathan to serve his full term in peace and warn their boys because blood is still running in our veins and they should not take our silence and peace disposition to mean stupidity and cowardice.”

In the same vein, the group also advised the National Assembly to drop the threat to impeach President Goodluck Jonathan over 100 percent implementation of the 2012 budget, saying the president means well for Nigerians.

“He should be encouraged rather than being pilloried by (members) of a cabal who have woken up to the realization that power has shifted to the Niger Delta, where the wealth of this country is being produced.”

Port Harcourt News: Hawkers Protest Ban on Street Trading

 Street traders kick over plans to ban street trading

Street traders in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State have kicked against plans by the Rivers State Environmental Sanitation Authority to ban their activities from next Saturday, September 1.

It would be recalled that the RSESA Chairman, Mr. Isobo Jack, recently announced that street traders face both imprisonment and fine if caught flouting the new directives, which come into effect in the next 72 hours.

Jack said the decisions stemmed from the security implications of the activities of the street traders as well as their contribution to the filthiness of the Garden City and its environs.

Consequently, street trading is prohibited from Lagos Bus stop on the Aba Road to Eleme Junction, as well as within the Old and New GRA area, Ikwerre Road, Slaughter, Trans Amadi and other parts of the city.

The RSESA chairman warned that machinery has been put in place to apprehend and charge defaulters to court, warning that “they face being sent to jail and payment of fine.’

However, a cross section of the targeted traders on Aba and Ikwerre roads told our reporter this morning that the government’s action was “inhuman, unfair and inconsderate.”

Hygenius Onyekachi, a ‘Gala’ sausage hawker said: “Before they kick us out, what is their plan to give us job? This is the reason why people are stealing, because those who do not want to be armed robbers and criminals are being forced from their legitimate source of livelihood.”

Others who spoke on condition of anonymity warned that Mr. Jack’s claim that the directive would help curb crime in the city missed the point, with one saying, “they said destruction of ghettos will reduce crime, has crime reduced?”

MILITANT BILLIONAIRES - A MUST READ

Militant billionaires

.. TUESDAY'S THE NATION NEWSPAPERS' EDITORIAL

•Ex-warlords are now security chiefs in Nigeria’s oil industry!

THE recent revelation that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is paying about N5.6 billion annually to former leaders of Niger Delta militant groups to secure its pipelines is another unwelcome reminder of the Jonathan administration’s penchant for throwing money at problems instead of solving them.

The American newspaper, the Wall Street Journal, claims that the NNPC has a schedule of regular payments to several ex-militant leaders running into millions of dollars. Government Ekpumopolo, alias “Tompolo,” is paid U.S. $22 million a year; Mujahhid Dokubo-Asari gets about U.S $9 million; Ebikabowei “Boyloaf” Victor Ben and Ateke Tom annually receive $3.8 million each. According to the newspaper, the ex-militant leaders are paid to guard the NNPC’s pipelines which are vital to the evacuation of crude oil for export and the transportation of fuel products across the country.

Several questions immediately come to mind, many touching on the propriety of this arrangement. Is this a formal contractual agreement? If it is, where was the deal signed, and what are its terms? Why was an arrangement involving this amount of expenditure not disclosed to the relevant National Assembly committees overseeing the activities of the NNPC? Why was it kept secret from the Nigerian people? Were these ex-militant leaders not part of the government’s vaunted amnesty programme, on which it will be spending the equivalent of $450 million in 2012? 

The lack of transparency surrounding the whole affair is a virtual confirmation of its illegitimacy. Regardless of their nuisance value, neither Ekpumopolo nor Dokubo-Asari or any of the others is a trained security operative with a proven background in oil-facility security. Destroying pipelines and oil facilities is not the same thing as securing them; the demonstrated capacity to throttle the nation’s oil export capacity does not connote the ability to facilitate the unhampered flow of the product. The fact that the theft and illegal refining of petroleum products and attacks on oil facilities have actually increased in recent times is ample testimony to the failure of the ex-militants to justify their payments. 

The larger implications of the situation must also be considered, especially given the severe security challenges currently confronting the country. When a government decides to pay huge amounts to individuals who were involved in activities detrimental to the Nigerian state, they are encouraging others to do the same thing. Just as indigenes of the Niger Delta have legitimate grievances over resource control and environmental degradation, other nationalities have their own valid complaints. The Federal Government seems to be saying that organised violence is the best way to attract its attention and its finances. 

To make matters worse, these payments do little to resolve the issues that gave rise to the problem of militancy in the first place. The ex-militant warlords may be extremely well-off, but their extreme wealth stands in stark contrast to the overwhelming poverty and despair which assails the south-south as a whole. The millions of dollars the NNPC has chosen to bestow on a few individuals could have been used to accelerate the overall development of the sorely-deprived communities of the region. 

The pipeline-security payments constitute yet another of the Federal Government’s opaque dealings with former militant leaders. Earlier this year, it was discovered that contracts for securing the nation’s coastline were given to a company in which one of them had substantial interests. There was no public tender and no short-listing process; the terms of the contract are unknown. 

If the Jonathan administration wants to be taken seriously, it must refrain from acquiescing in actions like these which demonstrate such a profound poverty of thinking. Ex-militant leaders have a right to pursue a legitimate living in their country, but that does not mean that they should take part in the corruption that they once claimed to be fighting.

Delta News: Bizwoman Kidnapped, N.7m snatched

Robbers, Kidnappers Continue Siege

A 51-year-old block moulding company owner was this morning abducted in Effurun, headquarters of Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State in Nigeria.

The victim, identified as Mrs. Pat Fueta, was abducted by gun-wielding men who invaded her company located around an NNPC petrol station on a road leading to the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company.

She was whisked away in Toyota Camry salon car driven by a member of the gang.

A police source at the nearby Ekpan Police Station said the incident was reported by the victim's brother.

Meanwhile, a middle-aged man was robbed by gunmen along Okere Road, by Robert Road junction, at about 1pm this Thursday.

It was gathered that the victim was dispossessed of N700,000 cash.

The incident occurred barely 20 minutes after the victim, a middle-aged man of Ijaw extraction, cashed a cheque at local branch of UBA located around Okumagba Avenue, by Total petrol station.

A reliable source close to the victim said he was accosted by the gunmen, who trailed the okada on which he rode in a car.

"Two men got out of the car and pointed a gun each to either sides of his body. They ordered him to surrender the bag containing the cash, if he valued his life."

Expectedly, both incidents sent shock waves down the spines of residents who had  thought  the activities of hoodlums have been brought under control.

Women Protest Against Anti-abortion Oath

 Ogbakiri women protest against antiabortion oath

…Say age long vow making them give birth like ‘animals'

Women of Ogbakiri Community in Emohua Local Government of Rivers State have call on government and women right defenders in the state to rescue them from the bondage of a traditional oath that forbids abortion by the community’s women.

.              

They blamed the oath for unwanted babies in the community, adding that it is making them “reproduce like animals”.

The women made the call during a protest on Tuesday and called for the reversal of the agelong oath.

Sources say abortion is regarded as sacrilege and a crime against the spirit of the land.

“Any woman born and married in Ogbakiri must respect the tradition and those who violated it die in the process of aborting their babies. No right thinking woman in Ogbakiri in this present generation can dare the gods,” an octogenarian in the community said.

However, the women said the protest was aimed at drawing the attention of government and human right organizations to their plights and to save them from the dangers inherent in the tradition.

Comfort Woji said: “We are no longer comfortable with the tradition that is why we decided to protest against it. We are human beings the law should not be greater than our lives. Most of us have more children than we can control because we are afraid of abortion.

“If as a housewife I have agree with my husband that I will not have any other baby again and mistakenly pregnancy comes I should be the one to decided if I am to keep it or abort it, no one should force me to do what I don’t intend to do,” she added.

Speaking in the same vein, Josephine Onu, said: “I am not saying I want to abort my babies, but such decision is personal and such personal right should be respected. I think NGOs in the state and Rivers State should come into this matter and rescue us from this law.”

But Chiyere Amadi said the fight to loose women from the bondage is for the sake of their daughters, saying, “For many years now we are in bondage, we are doing this to save our daughters in future we don’t want them to suffer what we are suffering today.”

PORT HARCOURT NEWS: Pirates Pick Up N.1B Ransom

N100million ransom’ paid for oil workers' release

Bini Suntek with Ambo's 3 children 

There are indications that a ransom of about N100million was paid to secure the release of four foreign workers of Sea Truck Groups, who were abducted from a work vessel, Jascon 33 off the Coast of Bonny Island in Rivers State, on August 4.

Unconfirmed reports indicated that equivalent of about N100million was paid in various hard currencies as ransom to secure freedom for the Malaysian, a Thai, an Iranian and Indonesian.

Muhammad Khairun Aseh, Chairman of United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) Youth public complaints bureau, who partook in negotiating the release, said the kidnappers refused to discuss with Nigerian official and held the negotiation under strict condition of secrecy with family members or their representatives.

Nation Evening Express gathered that family members were forced to cave into the demands of the gang when the Nigerian Navy, NNS Pathfinder, which lost two ratings in the August 4 attack, could not unravel the hideout of the criminals.

It was reliably gathered that the release of the expatriates were conveyed to their families and management of STG by the kidnappers.

Revelation about the communication between the criminals and the family affirmed suspicion that ransom was indeed paid to secure freedom for the embattled foreigners.

Bibi Suntek, wife of the Malaysian victim identified as George Lipih Ambo, confirmed negotiations with the pirates. She told a Malaysian news agency that she and her family were told not to discuss details about the case and if her family had received any demands for ransom payment

Similarly, the UMNO chief also kept sealed lips on how much ransom, if any, was paid.

He said: “George's family approached me for help. Before George was released, we requested to speak to him on the phone. He seemed to be in good spirits. Arrangements are being made for George to return home to Malaysia this weekend, pending approval from the Nigerian authorities,” Muhammad Khairun said.

 George Lipih Ambo, a technician, and others were flown to a Lagos hospital, where it was confirmed that he was not suffering from malaria even though he was bitten by mosquitoes during his captivity.

Bibi Suntek said she and her family, including her three sons, were grateful that her husband was safe and unharmed, adding, “My husband called me this (Thursday) morning and said he is unharmed,”

She said there are arrangements for George’s return to Kuala Lumpur, adding, “I will fly to KL to meet him.”

....COURTESY NATION EVENING EXPRESS

Port Harcourt News: Four expatriate oil workers freed

Oil workers regain freedom

Four oil workers who were kidnapped in Bonny Island of Rivers State early this month have regained freedom.

The oil workers, who were abducted aboard Jascon 33, a merchant vessel owned by Netherlands-based Sea Trucks Group, were released last night. 

Two naval ratings were killed and two others wounded when they tried to repel the August 4 attack that led to their abduction. 

However, Nation Evening Express reports that the Malaysian, Iranian Indonesian and Thai were received by STG official in the early hours of today, nearly three weeks after they were snatched on August 4. 

Associate Press report also quoted the company's spokeswoman, Corrie van Kessel of the Sea Trucks Group, as saying the men were in good health when they were released. She said the men received medical checkups after their release and were safe.

"It looks as if it's all OK," van Kessel said. "We've informed their families and the local consulates."

It also was unclear how the men were released. Van Kessel declined to say whether a ransom had been paid for their freedom. While kidnappings in the delta routinely involve violence, most hostages are released a few weeks later unharmed after their employers pay a ransom.

INSANITY: MAN 'TRIED TO RAPE' CO-PASSENGER IN A US FLIGHT

Man 'tried to rape' woman on US flight

A passenger on a US domestic flight dozed off wearing headphones and awoke to find the hands of the stranger seated next to her inside her blouse and shorts, federal prosecutors said on Wednesday.

In a criminal complaint, the US attorney for New Jersey charged Bawer Aksal with sexual abuse.

Prosecutors said Askal, a Turkish national with U.S. citizenship, was sitting in the middle seat on United Airlines Flight 306 from Phoenix to Newark, New Jersey, on Monday night when he abused the woman, who was sitting in the window seat.

The woman, whose name is being withheld by prosecutors because of the nature of the charges, told authorities she woke up to find the man had one of his hands inside her shirt touching her breasts and the other in her shorts molesting her, according to the complaint. Aksal, 48, was breathing heavily and repeatedly asked the woman to kiss him, it says.

The woman demanded the man get off her, according to the complaint, slammed down the armrest between them and reported the incident to flight personnel.

A passenger in the aisle seat, noticing the commotion, offered to help the woman, prosecutors said, and accompanied her to the back of the plane to alert the flight crew. The aisle passenger later told authorities that he had seen the woman, who appeared to be asleep and not moving, and saw the man's arm under a jacket the woman had draped across her legs.

Aksal was detained on board and was taken into custody by federal authorities at Newark Liberty International Airport, a spokeswoman for the US attorney's office said. He admitted to law enforcement officers in Newark that he had touched the woman but insisted she had forced his hand into her shorts, prosecutors said.

The sex abuse charge carries a potential sentence of life in prison and a $250,000 fine upon conviction.

...Courtesy: www.telegraph.co.uk

NATION EVENING EXPRESS WEDNESDAY'S EDITION

Kuku blasts Niger Delta Govs

The Presidential Adviser on Niger Delta Affairs and Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Committee, Mr Kingsley Kuku, has challenged governors and chairmen of states and local government councils on the Niger Delta on the development of the region.

Kuku said elected officials in the region are not helping to improving the lots of their people despite the increase in their monthly allocations.

Kuku said that as a result of the amnesty programme, oil production has improved, rising from about 700,000 to about 2.7million barrels per day which in turn has increased the allocations of the governments of the Niger Delta by about seven billion naira monthly.

Despite this huge earnings accruing to them, Kuku lamented that they are not empowering their people.

The Presidential Adviser on Niger Delta Affairs and Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Committee, Mr Kingsley Kuku, has challenged governors and chairmen of states and local government councils on the Niger Delta on the development of the region.

Kuku said elected officials in the region are not helping to improving the lots of their people despite the increase in their monthly allocations.

Kuku said that as a result of the amnesty programme, oil production has improved, rising from about 700,000 to about 2.7million barrels per day which in turn has increased the allocations of the governments of the Niger Delta by about seven billion naira monthly.

Despite this huge earnings accruing to them, Kuku lamented that they are not empowering their people.

The Presidential Adviser who spoke in Port Harcourt when he had a meeting with Ogoni Youth Council (OYC) said that it is regrettable that instead of executing projects for the people, the politicians are busy jostling for second term in office “and because of that they do not tell the governors the truth for fear of losing their bids to come back to office.”

He also said that “this is the only time the governors can empower their people because beyond amnesty programme, what happens? Or must we gazette every Niger Delta youth as ex-militants?”

Kuku wondered why the four council chairmen in Ogoni land are not training their youths on environmental remediation so that they could key into the cleanup of the area as contained in the United Nations on Environment Programme (UNEP) report.

The presidential amnesty committee chairman who said that the meeting with the Ogoni youths was the first of the series of meetings he would hold with people of all ethnic nationalities in Niger Delta also urged the people to wake up and begin to talk to the governors and local government chairmen in the region “because we are getting more money and so let us use it to help our people.”

Earlier, OYC in communiqué signed by Comrade Marvin Yorbana, President and four others, dissociated themselves from “any call for secession” and condemned in strong terms the delayed implementation of the UNEP report on Ogoni.

They also demanded to be included in the amnesty programme as well as “an immediate training programme for the development of skills in oil spill cleanup and response techniques preparatory to the remediation exercise of devastated lands of Ogoni.”

NIGER DELTA NEWS - Ex-militants protest in Abuja this morning

NIGER DELTA NEWS - Ex-militant protest in Abuja this morning

Former armed militants from the Niger Delta region this morning took over the Eagle Square, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory in continuation of their protest for inclusion in the Federal Government’s amnesty programme.

The aggrieved youths had staged similar protests in Warri and Benin City, Delta and Edo states respectively.

Information available to Nation Evening Express indicated that over 1,000 youths sneaked into Abuja in the early hours of today and swooped on the Eagle Square at about 5am.

A leader of the group, ‘General’ Para Ekiye, confirmed the report in a telephone chat with our reporter. He said the action became necessary following the refusal of the Kingsley Kuku-led Amnesty Office to include his members in the list of beneficiaries of the gesture.

He said: “We moved in around 5am and we took over the Eagle Square to continue our protest because we want our members to be included in the amnesty having submitted our arms and ammunition to the Federal Government in line with the amnesty offer.”

However, Ekiye later told our reporter at about 8:49am that security officials, including the Commissioner of Police in the FCT, the State Security Services (SSS) and leaders of the Lagos and Abuja chapters of the Ijaw Youth Council, have waded into the matter.

“They appealed to us that the government would listen to us and right now we have been taken to the Glory Land (Ijaw Guest House) and we are awaiting further deliberations on the matter.”

Mr. Daniel Alabrah, Head of media unit of the amnesty programme, confirmed the protest in a telephone interview shortly afterwards.

Alabrah, who refused to comment, stated that it was not unconnected with the clamour for inclusion in the 3^rd phase of the amnesty programme.

He reiterated the stance of the Presidential Adviser to the President, Kingsley Kuku, on the issue, stressing that the fates of the agitators rest solely in the hands of President Jonathan

Port Harcourt News - Gunmen Kill 2

Rampaging gunmen kill 2, wound others in Mile 1

At least two persons were shot dead and several others wounded when four heavily armed men stormed a bar along Ikwerre Road in Mile 1, late on Tuesday evening.

A robbery victim

It was gathered that the gunmen, whose mission was yet unknown at the time of this report, opened fire on revelers at bar located at No. 49 Ikwerre Road. 

One of victims, whose identity was yet unknown at the time of this report, was shortly severally and his remains were badly mutilated by the impact of the bullets which were pumped into him severally at close range.

Eyewitness account of the incident indicated that the armed men stormed the scene in a Mitsubishi L300 bus.

“Two of the men came down carrying AK-47 rifles with two extra magazines attached. Two of them were strolling along the road with their guns, ostensibly on the looking out for policemen.

“The other two went straight to the bar and opened fire on their victims. One of those killed was shot severally and his body was damaged,” the source, who asked not to be named, stated.

Gov Amaechi

It was gathered that another victim, simply identified as Ambrose, was also killed, even though the firepower of the marauders were aimed at the yet unnamed victim. Another victim sustained serious gunshot wound was rushed to nearby Teme Memorial Medical Centre, Mile 1.

The incident, which occurred at about 8pm on Tuesday, led to panic in the area as businesses quickly shut their doors and scampered for safety.

Another source ruled out armed robbery as the motive for the incident, as the gunmen reportedly left the bar, which also has a gaming section and billiard/snooker tables, without taking anything.

SYPHILIS SCARE IN HOLLYWOOD

Porn Shutdown Over Syphilis Outbreak
.....from Huffington Post
A cluster of syphilis diagnoses threatens to temporarily shut down the porn industry in Southern California.
Adult Production Health & Safety Services, a resource for actors in the adult film industry, first sounded the alarm Thursday in a blog post about "recent unsubstantiated rumors of a syphilis incident among adult performers." Because of the rumors, APHSS opened up their semi-annual syphilis testing immediately instead holding off until the original September date.
The Los Angeles County Public Health Department confirmed the small cluster of positive syphilis tests to the Los Angeles Times the next day. Peter Kerndt, director of the county’s Sexually Transmitted Disease programs, told the Times that the department had received at least five cases in the last week, and are working to pinpoint the original source.
“Whenever there is a cluster like that it may be the tip of the iceberg,” Kerndt said to the Times. “It is a concern. It is a serious health risk to workers in this industry.”
APHSS has since called for a temporary moratorium on adult film production until all performers get tested for syphilis, and the non-profit AIDS Healthcare Foundation is also expected to hold a news conference Monday morning in response to the possible outbreak. The organization is expected to say that the current system of frequent testing and self-policing doesn't do enough to prevent STD outbreaks, reports ABC-7.
AHF is an advocacy group known for leading the charge to collect 371,000 signatures for a ballot measure mandating condom use in porn films. Come November, LA county voters will decide whether or not film permits should be tied to the use of condoms during sex scenes.
Statewide among the general population, syphilis rates are on the rise, according to a report from the California Department of Public Health. Syphilis infection rates jumped by 18 percent from 2010 to 2011, and there was also a five percent increase in chlamydia and 1.5 percent increase in gonorrhea cases.
Syphilis is a bacterial STD that initially manifests itself in sores or sometimes presents no symptoms. If the infection isn't treated immediately, people who have syphilis can go on to suffer rashes and lesions, hair loss and flu-like symptoms like muscle aches, fevers, sore throats and fatigue. Without treatment, syphilis could last for years and go on to damage internal organs and cause stillbirths. If caught early, the infection is easily treated with antibiotics such as penicillin.
The best way to prevent contracting syphilis is to refrain from having sex with an infected person. Condoms can decrease the risk, but only if the affected areas are covered by the latex, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.
UPDATE: At least one performer has tested positive for syphilis, said Joanne Cachapero, a spokeswoman for the Free Speech Coalition. The person's sexual partners are all being notified, reports the Associated Press.
Because of the possible outbreak, FSC has released a statement calling for a temporary moratorium on all adult film production. It's not clear how long the moratorium will be, especially considering that syphilis has a long incubation period and tests can't determine whether or not someone is contagious.
FSC explains the syphilis tests in more detail:
A negative test does NOT mean the performer is approved to work. It is important to note that this test has a large window period -- as much as 90 days -- and therefore cannot be relied upon to diagnose an acute (recent) syphilis infection. More importantly, a person with an acute infection can be contagious and still test negative. We cannot rely on these tests alone to determine a performer’s availability to work. This test only provides our doctors a baseline from which to base further testing or treatment options.
Because of the uncertainty surrounding syphilis testing, FSC is calling for all adult film workers to come forward and receive a prophylactic shot of antibiotics. Once the shot is administered, the performers can return to work in 10 days.
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation emphasized the same need for a pause in production in a press conference earlier Monday.
Mark McGrath of AHF brought up the possibility that the infection came from European porn shoots, reports KTLA.
"There's strong evidence to indicate that syphilis has started in Europe from European shoots and now has come over to the United States, exposing our community, exposing our citizens," said McGrath.
The film production moratorium won't affect LA-based Vivid Entertainment immediately. "Our next production is scheduled for mid-September," said founder and CEO Steven Hirsch to the Huffington Post. "We'll make a decision based on events at that time."
This isn't the first time that the porn industry in Southern California has undergone self-administered moratoriums. AP has more on porn's previous public health scares:
In 2011, major porn producers stopped filming for nearly a week after an adult film performer tested positive for HIV, which causes AIDS. The Free Speech Coalition said the case was later determined to have been a false report.

In late 2010, porn actor Derrick Burts was diagnosed as HIV-positive, and his case was confirmed, briefly halting production.

In 2004, at least five performers tested positive for HIV, prompting another brief self-imposed moratorium.

MAGIC WEIGHT LOSS

For years scientists have searched for a magical ingredient that would help people shed fat. In 2008, Dr. Shalamar Sibley of the University of Minnesota put 38 obese people on an 11-week diet where they consumed 750 calories less than their estimated daily need. Study participants whose blood levels of D were higher at the study's start lost more weight than participants whose blood levels of D were lower. They actually lost a lot more--70 percent more, to be exact.
---From Yahoo health

VITAMIN D

Based on the results of this study, by fueling your body with the D-rich nutrients it needs to stay out of a fat-storage state and in a fat-burning state, you can speed weight loss by 70 percent! Thousands of studies on vitamin D have been completed over a span of 40 years, and it's become clear that vitamin D is pretty incredible and effective. Still, it's not the only player on this fat-melting team. Turn up your metabolism and melt body fat adding vitamin D and these five fat-melters from The Vitamin D Diet.

CALCIUM


HOW IT MELTS FAT: Calcium is a mineral that works in tandem with D to help you shed fat. Calcium is stored in fat cells, and researchers think that the more calcium a fat cell has, the more fat that cell will release to be burned. Calcium also promotes weight loss by binding to fat in your GI tract, preventing some of it from getting absorbed into your bloodstream.
PROTEIN
HOW IT MELTS FAT: In addition to keeping hunger in check, regular doses of protein help to keep body composition--the amount of fat relative to muscle--in better proportion. Along with calcium and D, protein helps you to preserve muscle mass as you drop pounds. A recent study out of the University of Illinois found that women who consumed protein twice daily lost 3.9 percent more weight than women who consumed less of it on a diet. They not only lost more weight, they also got stronger as they did so, with their thigh muscles alone ending up with 5.8 percent more protein at the end of the diet than before.
OMEGA3
HOW IT MELTS FAT: Omega-3s enable weight loss by switching on enzymes that trigger fat-burning in cells. They also help to boost mood, which may help reduce emotional eating. And omega 3s might improve leptin signaling in the brain, causing the brain to turn up fat burning and turn down appetite.
You almost can't consume D without consuming omega-3 fatty acids, and that's a good thing. Fatty fish like salmon (which are also high in D) are one of the richest sources of this fat. Other foods, such as some nuts and seeds, contain a type of fat that can be converted into omega-3s after ingestion.
MONOUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS (MUFAs)
HOW THEY MELT FAT: MUFAs are a type of fat found in olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocados, peanut butter, and chocolate, and they have just one chemical bond (which is why they are called "mono" unsaturated). One Danish study of 26 men and women found that a diet that included 20 percent of its calories from MUFAs improved 24-hour calorie burning by 0.1 percent and fat burning by 0.04 percent after 6 months. Other research shows that MUFAs zero in on belly fat. Specific foods that are high in MUFAs--especially peanuts, tree nuts, and olive oil--have been shown to keep blood sugar steady and reduce appetite, too.
CONJUGATED LINOLEIC ACID
HOW IT BURNS FAT: CLAs are potent fat burners that are found, along with D and calcium, in dairy products. They are fatty acids that are created when bacteria ferments the food in the first part of the stomach of cows, sheep, and other ruminant animals. The CLA that is created through fermentation then makes its way into the meat and milk of these animals.
When we consume these foods, the CLA helps blood glucose enter body cells, so CLA can be burned for energy and not stored as fat. CLA also helps to promote fat burning, especially in muscles, where the bulk of our calorie burning takes place.
Now before you start superdosing yourself with all of these fat melters and waiting for the fat to magically melt away, let's be clear: D and other fat melters facilitate weight loss, but they are not magic pills. If you just took a bunch of supplements, you might see some effect--for instance, by swapping some fat for muscle. But to see serious weight loss, you'll need to combine these fat melters with portion control.

iPhone, iPad Make Apple Biggest Stock Ever

Apple Becomes Biggest Stock of All Time

By Robert Hum | CNBC – 

Apple Becomes Biggest Stock of All Time

Barely a year after supplanting Exxon Mobil as the largest stock in the current marketplace, Apple entered the record books Monday, becoming the most valuable stock to have ever traded.

Apple retail store in New York City.Apple closed at another historic high of $665.15 on Monday, ending the day with a record market cap of $623.5 billion. With the gain, Apple (AAPL) eclipsed Microsoft's (MSFT) peak market cap of $618.9 billion, a level that Microsoft hit more than 12 1/2 years ago, on Dec. 30, 1999. That happened at the height of the dot-com boom and just three months before the Nasdaq Composite peaked at its all-time high of 5,132.52.

Nothing seems to be slowing down Apple's stock these days. Shares have been on the rise over the past three months in high anticipation of new iPhone and iPad models that have been predicted to hit stores during the second half of this year. Even a disappointing earnings report late last month did little to spook investors as they remained focused on the widely expected, but not yet formally announced, iPhone launch next month.

Despite paying a dividend last week for the first time since 1995, Apple's stock quietly closed at historic highs and saw its market cap close above $600 billion for the first time on Friday.

In fact, Apple has seen its market cap double from $300 billion to $600 billion in a mere 19 months. Now, Apple's colossal market cap is roughly equivalent to the combined market caps of tech titans IBM (IBM), Google (GOOG), Intel (INTC), and Hewlett-Packard (HPQ).

As Apple's stock continues to push higher, the gap between its market cap and that of the second largest company, Exxon Mobil (XOM), continues to widen.

Apple's stock is now more than 50 percent bigger than Exxon Mobil, with over $200 billion now separating the two companies' market caps. That's a large gap, considering only nine stocks in the S&P 500 have a market cap of $200 billion or more.

[More From CNBC: Is There a Broken Correlation Between Apple and th

The difference between Apple and Exxon Mobil's market caps is bigger than the individual market caps of 98 percent of the S&P 500 companies.

Key Apple Market Cap Milestones

• May 30, 2007 - Apple tops $100 billion
• March 9, 2010 - Apple passes $200 billion
• May 26, 2010 - Apple becomes 2nd largest stock, surpassing Microsoft's market cap of $219 billion
• Jan. 3, 2011 - Apple crosses $300 billion milestone
• Aug. 10, 2011 - Apple becomes world's largest stock, topping Exxon's $331 billion market cap
• Jan. 25, 2012 - Apple rises to $400 billion
• Feb. 29, 2012 - Apple becomes 5th stock ever to cross $500 billion
• Aug. 17, 2012 - Apple closes with a $600 billion market cap for the first time

*Based on closing (not intraday) market cap values
Source: CNBC Analytics and S&P Capital IQ

Apple's record market cap also comes almost exactly a year after co-founder Steve Jobs abruptly resigned as CEO due to ongoing health issues. When he resigned on Aug. 24, 2011, some people grew concerned that Apple's growth could slow without Jobs' intrepid and visionary leadership.

Despite the change in leadership, Apple's stock has continued to soar over the past year. Since Tim Cook succeeded Jobs last August, shares of Apple have risen 76 percent.

During this period, only five stocks on the Nasdaq 100 and 12 stocks on the S&P 500 have outperformed Apple. Additionally, while Apple remains absent from the Dow Industrials, it should not go unnoticed that Apple has outperformed all of the 30 Dow stocks since Cook's tenure began.

Rivers Evictees Sleep Under Bridge, Uncompleted Buildings

…Two months after demolition of their homes

FORMER OCCUPANTS of Abonnema Wharf road and Njemanze Waterfront in Mile 1, Port Harcourt, have relocated to under bridges and uncompleted buildings following their inability to pay for more decent accommodations, Nation Evening Express investigation  revealed.

The evictees of the shanties were forced to seek alternative FORMER OCCUPANTS of Abonnema Wharf road and Njemanze Waterfront in Mile 1, Port Harcourt, have relocated to under bridges and uncompleted buildings following their inability to pay for more decent accommodations, Nation Evening Express investigation  revealed.

The evictees of the shanties were forced to seek alternative cent of the Abonnema Wharf Road evictees are yet to secure accommodation, two months after rampaging bulldozers levelled their homes.

Our investigations further revealed that most of the displaced persons now take shelter under the Mile 1 flyover and uncompleted buildings at Boro and other streets around the area.

An occupant of uncompleted building, Mrs. Glory Idabari, told our reporter: “I was living at Njemaze Waterfront with my younger sister before the government came and destroyed the place. We thought they will provide another place for us but we were left with no hope. “I don't have a husband or anybody to assist me, but if God provides a little money for me, I will look for a moderate house where I could pay N1500-2000 per month. As of now, I will manage this uncompleted building, even though we are living at the mercy of bad boys and robbers.”

The US-based Amnesty International had earlier told Governor Amaechi to "stop the violent eviction of the people of Rivers State; to respect their human rights and provide emergency accommodation and relief to those currently homeless.”

Gunmen bomb Benin Prison

Heavily armed men on Sunday invaded the Oko Minimum Prison in, freeing 12 inmates.
The daredevil gunmen attacked the prison gate, overpowered the prison Arms Squard with explosives, believed to be improvised no fewer than 12 inmates, which led to the escape of 12 prisoners. The gunmen were said to have arrived in a Toyota Coaster.
According to one Edokpayi, a resident of Oko community, the suddenness of the attack and the noise of the explosion caused pandemonium among the people living in and around the prison.
"The entire neighbourhood of the prison was woken up by heavy shootings and explosions which occurred at the early hours of today forcing many families to abandon their homes," Edokpayi said.
Relatives and family members of inmates besieged the prison when the news spread around the State capital. Edo State Controller of Prisons, Mr. Ewulo F. O. who confirmed the incident said that the incident was being investigated.
Meanwhile, the Edo State Police spokesperson, Anthony Airhuoyo, said the State Command is yet to be briefed by the Divisional Police Officer, (DPO) in charge of the area.

BREAKING DELTA NEWS

Kidnapped Judge regains freedom

Justice Marcel Okoh of Delta astate regained freedom today, over one week after he was snatched by gun-wielding youths in the Abraka area of Ethiope East Local Government Area of the State.

Unconfirmed reported indicated that at least N6million was paid as ransom to secure his release.

Although details of how the fund was paid remained sketchy at this time, source close to the negotiators said the embattled judge was released around Asaba, the state capital between 8 and 9pm.

The newly promoted judge was traveling to Warri to resume as vacating judge on Tuesday, August 7, when he was seized by his kidnappers.

His abduction led to a solidarity strike by both the Nigeria Bar Association and his colleagues, last weekend.

The strike crippled legal activities in Warri and environs.

Okupe: ACN Warns Against Cover Up

...Insists that 'Jonathan Must fire Doyin Okupe'

The Action Congress of Nigeria has insisted that Dr Doyin Okupe, President Goodluck Jonathan's Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs is not a fit and proper person to hold the position given his alleged past steeped in corruption and criminal conversion of state funds and warns the Economic and Financial Crime Commission against any cover up.
In a statement issued in Ibadan this morning by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party described as false and deliberately misleading a statement credited to the spokesman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, Mr Wilson Uwujaaren that he is not aware that Dr Doyin Okupe is under investigation, as it is on record that Dr Doyin Okupe was in the custody of the EFCC in Lagos for almost one month between July and August 2006, on account of a contract he obtained this time from Imo state but which he failed to execute after collecting a hefty mobilisation fee. 
The party warned the EFCC and other relevant agencies, especially The Presidency, not to attempt to falsify and obliterate records in order to give Dr Doyin Okupe a clean bill of health in relation to these allegations as "Dr Doyin Okupe's fraudulent activities were not limited to Benue and Imo states alone and are too well documented for any attempt at a cover up. The party further warned all those who know how to bury dead bodes to remember those who also know how to exhume them."
The party reiterates its earlier position that retaining Dr Doyin Okupe as the administration's spokesman on Public Affairs is not just an insult to the collective intergrity of all Nigerian but also flies in the face of the administration's flaunted commitment to fighting corruption.
It reminded the Presidency that the President's spokesman is the face not only of the President but of Nigeria as a whole and that responsibility cannot rest on the shoulders of a person morally damaged. Nigeria the party further admonished is definitely not in want of qualified individuals with talent and credentials for the position of a Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs and retaining Dr Doyin Okupe in this position in the face of incontrovertible evidence as to his unsuitability will only give credence to the widely held belief that this administration is a haven for persons with criminal pasts.

SHOCKING: "My sister organised my rape"

SHOCKING: "My sister organised my rape"

A senior magistrate court in Port Harcourt, yesterday remanded a 32-year-old woman, for allegedly recruiting men to rape her 21-year-old younger sister, Miss Blessing (surname withheld).

The accused, Best Sampson, reportedly took the action to teach her sister a lesson for allegedly stealing her money.

She was remanded alongside one of her male accomplice and alleged rapist, Mr. Godpower John, 30. Other suspects are on the run.

The unholy duo was jointly charged in a one-count offence of conspiracy, while John was separately charged for rape offence.

While the accused persons pleaded not guilty on the count one, the court did not allow the 2^nd accused person (John) to take plea on the 2^nd count, for lack of jurisdiction.

The defence lawyers, in a bail application, told the court that their clients were first offenders, adding that discussions for out-of-court settlement had already commenced with the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), who announced their appearance as interest party /watching brief.

However, the prosecution led by Sergeant Kenneth Osisi opposed the bail application, maintaining that the court has no jurisdiction to entertain the count two of the offence.

He stated that the section under which the 2^nd accused person was charged in count two (rape) carries life imprisonment, if found guilty.

Besides, Sgt Osisi said the issue of settlement raised by the defence was misleading, noting that the offence committed was against the state and not FIDA, and that the Commissioner of Police that brought the matter to court has not given him information that settlement has begun.

He urged the court to ignore such report, adding that it is obvious that the accused persons would jump bail or indulge in such indecent deal if admitted on bail.

The case was adjourned to tomorrow (Wednesday), for further address on bail.

COURTESY: Nation Evening Express: www.nationonlineng.net