Kanye West makes brief return year after breakdown

 Rap superstar Kanye West is back nearly a year after suffering a breakdown — making a brief musical appearance in which he appears to keep his feud with Taylor Swift alive .
West, a once omnipresent celebrity with a prolific media presence and high-profile marriage to Kim Kardashian , abruptly ended a tour and was hospitalized in November 2016 after unusual rants on stage.
Making his most visible appearance this year, West contributed a verse on a song released Tuesday by Cyhi The Prynce, an Atlanta rapper whom West earlier signed to his label imprint.
The song, “ Dat Side, ” expounds on the perils of fame and hits back at critics , with West speaking of being African -American in his affluent Los Angeles neighborhood .
“Neighbors said they think I gave the neighborhood a black eye , ” the 40-year-old father of two raps .
He also appears to reference his ongoing rift with Swift . In his 2016 song “Famous , ” West boasts that the pop star may have sex with him as he takes credit for her celebrity — a reference to how he disrupted her at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.
Swift voiced anger at the lyric and hit back in “ Look What You Made Me Do , ” a vindictive track released in August.
West on the latest track references the name of the controversial song as he raps : “ The people claim to know you… get famous on you / Then they go and blame it on you / You just good , they can ’ t ignore you. ”
West’ s last major public appearance following his hospitalization came in December when he unexpectedly showed up at Trump Tower in New York to meet then president-elect Donald Trump — whose aides said he was mulling an official role for the rapper .

My Designer Bags Can Feed Hushpuppi And His Family For 5 Years”

A Nigerian Guy has written to YabaLeftonline, to help him pass a message across to Malaysian Big Boy, Hushpuppi, who is currently embroiled in a social media beef with his former close friends, Classicbaggie and Mompha.
Identified simply as Daniel, he says one of his luxury bags can feed Hushpuppi’s family for at least 5 years, and he shared some photos with us.

Couple, 3 children suffocate to death from generator fumes

OLEH— RESIDENTS of Umeh community, Isoko South Local Government Area, Delta State, were, weekend, thrown into confusion, as a family of three was suffocated by fumes from a power generating set.
It was learned that the deceased, identified as Mr. Jemudia, his wife and daughters were found dead in early hours of Saturday by their neighbours after they noticed that fumes were coming out of their three-bedroom flat apartment.

Generator
A source in the community said the deceased had put on their power generator due to power outage, before they went to bed in one of the rooms in their apartment on Friday night, after they had earlier attended a funeral ceremony in the community.
According to the source, “we were surprised when residents of the neighbourhood alerted the whole community that Mr. Jemudia and his family had died as a result of inhaling fumes from his generator.”
He explained that the generator’s vibration had moved it, causing its exhaust to face the room in which they (the deceased) were sleeping.
The source, who preferred anonymity, said: “When we got there, we saw fumes all over their room. They died as a result of suffocation from the generator fumes, which they had inhaled.”
Describing the incident as a rude shock to the entire community, he said: “We have never witnessed or heard of this kind of occurrence in this community or in neighbouring communities.”
He said the bodies had been deposited in a morgue in one of the hospitals close to the community.
Contacted, the state Command’s Police Public Reactions Officer, Mr. Andrew Aniamaka, said he was yet to receive situation report “from the appropriate Divisional Police Officer.”

Hushpuppi: "God, If This Life Is Fake, I Don't Want A Real Life"

Nigerian Instagram big boy, Hushpuppi has taken to his usual social media platform to shade those claiming he's living a fake life.
His beef with another Nigerian Foreign based big boy, Mompha, has been one of the trending topics on social media lately.
In series of posts, Mompha claims Hushpuppi, real name Ramoni Abass, was a guy he housed cos he was broke. He even shared pictures of the taxi he claims his father drives while he is always on Instagram showing off a fake life.

Controversy as Joshua retains world heavyweight titles

Anthony Joshua maintained his 100 per cent knockout ratio by stopping a bloodied Carlos Takam in the tenth round on Saturday.
The English boxer retained his International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Association world heavyweight titles with a devastating display of his punching power to finish Cameroon ’ s France-based challenger at the Principality Stadium.
Takam became Joshua ’ s 20 th consecutive knockout victim in a fourth defence of his IBF belt and first of his WBA title, but the challenger stubbornly resisted the champion after being cut by the right eye in the fourth round .
“It was a good fight until the ref stopped it. I have the upmost respect for Takam , ” said Joshua , who injured his nose from a headbutt in the second round .
“Imagine if it’ s broke and I couldn’ t breath and he started catching up in the middle rounds ? It would have been a disaster, so I kept my cool . You have to control these situations because , if I showed any signs of weakness, the ref could have jumped in . ”
Takam was also given a count in the fourth round before being finished off by a barrage of unanswered punches which prompted the referee Phil Edwards to stop it.

Meet The Man Who Carved Out A Cooler From A Bamboo Tree.

Wow! Isn't this astonishing? Meet the Cameroonian who carved a cooler from a bamboo tree.

Ufedo Sunshine Wedding Photos: Movie Or Real?

Talented Nollywood actress Ufedo Sunshine has gotten her fans asking questions after she shared some exotic wedding photos on her IG page. It is not certain if the Kogi-indigene thespian has joined the league of entertainment personality opting for a secret wedding. While the actress has refused to say anything about the photos, and the lucky man is yet to be unveil, reactions are mixed about the photos on whether they are location shots or real wedding photos especially as they look very carefully organised.
Just last month, award-winning actress Gennevie Nnaji also sparked marriage rumours following suspicion that she got married abroad. Genny later shared a photo on IG with a wedding band and seems to be deliberately posted to tease her fans.

Mompha Exposes Hushpuppi: Fraudster, Your Mom A Bread Seller & Dad A Taxi Driver

"Mompha" the friend of Nigeria gucci master and socialite "Hushpuppi" has taken to his social media platforms to blast hushpuppi .
According to him, hushpuppi is living fake lifestyle and he is still yet to help his Taxi Driver Daddy And Bread Seller Mom.

Fraudsters producing paints at building sites, says MAN

The Paint Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, a subsector of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria , has said that product counterfeiters now manufacture fake paints at building sites.
The chairman stated, “Despite the launch of the Operation Flush in 2015 aimed at tackling substandard , fake , adulterated and counterfeit products in the country , we are yet to feel the impact of the initiative in our industry. ”
In his presentation, the Director-General /Chief Executive Officer , Raw Materials Research and Development Council, Dr. Hussaini Ibrahim , said that the present scenario of foreign exchange challenge could be a blessing in disguise as it afforded industry players the opportunity to partner government , academia and research institutes to locally produce raw materials from available natural resources.
He said , “ We all have a part to play if the country must make a headway in the circumstances that we have found ourselves . It is my strong belief that with our collective resolve and determination as a nation, we can rise above this challenge through a robust research and development policy that is in consonance with the global R&D competitiveness .

Actress Omotola Jalade Becomes UNSDG Ambassador

Omotola Jalade Ekehinde has added a new feather to her cap.She is now a UNSDG (United Nations Sustainable Development Goals)ambassador and an advocate of goal one,which is : End poverty in all its forms everywhere .
Other new ambassadors are Joke Silva,Ali Baba and ChiGul.

Timi Dakolo Blasts Daddy Freeze: "Stop Your Demonic Teachings"

Nigerian musician, Timi Dakolo who has obviously endured enough busted out on the controversial OAP ,Daddy Freeze after he disagreed with him over his post on the high rate of divorce.
Daddy Freeze made reference to his failed marriage and that of pastor oyakhilome.
The singer took time to tell Freeze his mind and warn him to stop his misleading and demonic teachings and reminded him that he has no right to talk about marriage not after calling the mother of his children “useless”

Naming Ceremony Of Benita Okojie's Baby

Actress Benita Okojie and her husband celebrates naming ceremony of their new born baby yesterday. The actress shared the cute photo of her and her husband on his page.

Phyno Has Finally Found His Look Alike Dbee

Dbee is a popular radio presenter in Enugu state Nigeria (Sunrise Fm) , He's also a singer and does much better in Nigerian music industry!!
Recently he shared a photo he took with Phyno #Pacman via his social handle

Wizkid Goes Clubbing With American Rapper, Future After A Successful Concert PIC

If there's any African Act that is well settled as an International Artiste, that Act is Wizkid. Below are some screenshots of the Starboy clubbing with American Rapper, Future.
Weezy was one of the Acts that performed at the Future Hndrxx Tour hosted by Future himself in London. After the performance, both Singers decided to go heat things up at a night club.

INEC involved in 419 cases – Chairman

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC ) on Tuesday, said that it had been involved in 419 court cases over election matters from 2016 to date .
Chairman of the commission, Prof . Mahmood Yakubu , said this in an interactive session with a group of civil society organizations, under the umbrella of the Situation Room, on Tuesday, in Abuja.
“Between 2016 and 2017, till this week , we have appeared for 419 cases in four different courts; so , I will say that in the last two years INEC has been dragged to court 419 times.
“Conversely , 187 of them are at Federal and state high courts while 141 are at the Court of Appeal. Sixty -one of them are at the Supreme Court and two at the Industrial Court , ’’ he said .
Yakubu said that the political atmosphere in Anambra was quite peaceful as compared to recent elections , adding that “ up till today , we have no case in court on the nomination of any candidate’’ .
He said that though the situation was unusual, it was rarely amazing in the context of litigation since the 2015 general elections.
The chairman said that 37 political parties were participating in the Nov. 18 Anambra governorship election which was a record for any governorship election in the country.
He said that INEC monitored all the political party’ s primaries and that 35 of them complied with the rules except for two that changed their candidates after the primaries, which was not allowed.
He said that Anambra had 21 local government areas , with 326 wards , 468 polling units, 724 voting points and 2 , 154, 738 registered voters, including 203, 681 new registrants.

US refugee ban ends, but 'enhanced vetting' implemented

The United States will temporarily delay processing for refugees from 11 "high risk" nations, the White House has announced, as a 120-day ban on refugees entering the country came to an end.
US President Donald Trump signed a new executive order on Tuesday that directs government agencies to resume the US refugee programme, but according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a 90-day review period for those arriving from "11 countries previously identified as posing a higher risk to the United States" will be put in place.
The order also said that new "enhanced vetting" procedures will be implemented all refugees.
DHS officials declined to reveal the countries that are considered "high risk", but said in a statement that "admissions for applicants from those 11 high-risk countries will move forward on a case-by-case basis" during the review period.
The resumption of the refugee programme came as the 120-day ban on refugees ended on Tuesday.

"Two World Best": Super Eagles Legend, Jay Jay Okocha Pose With Lionel Messi

Super Eagles Legend, Jay Jay Okocha best known for his skills on the football pitch took to his IG page to share this photo with Barcelona and Argentina star, Lionel Messi.

Will Abe change Japan's pacifist constitution?

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took a gamble when he called early elections this year.
But that gamble paid off on Sunday, when his party and coalition partner won more than two-thirds of the seats in parliament.
He the win is a vote of confidence from the public - one he sees as a green light to change Japan's pacifist constitution.
Abe is particularly keen on the move given the threat posed by nearby North Korea.
But what would a stronger Japanese military mean for the region?
Presenter: Jane Dutton
Guests:
Kotaro Tamura - Former Japanese senator
Richard Weitz - Director of the Center for Political-Military Analysis at the Hudson Institute
Alessio Patalano - Senior lecturer in Department of War Studies at King’s College London

2face, Paul Okoye And Timaya Pictured Having Fun Together

2face, Paul Okoye And Timaya Pictured Having Fun Together😊😊😊

Lies, deceit and the many reasons I want Obiano out – Peter Obi

M r. Peter Obi’s unique story in governance is the subject of many conversations. Tales of his unprecedented frugality in the utilization of government resources have been celebrated in the media space and in hush-hush discussions. The success of his eight-year stint as governor of Anambra State was imprinted in the development of infrastructure, education, and security across the state.
His politics has, however, been described in some quarters as bordering on innocence and lacking in the sophistication normally associated with political practitioners in his native Anambra State. His innocence nonetheless, Obi was able to vanquish those that previously held the state captive. Mr. Obi who foisted a successor in the person of Chief Willie Obiano is today fighting the same man in a battle to salvage the state from what he dubs the lies, deceits of the same Obiano.

N2bn fraud: Arrest ex-pension boss now, Sagay, Falana tell Buhari

The Chairman , Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof . Itse Sagay (SAN ), and prominent lawyer , Femi Falana have called on the President Muhammadu Buhari -led administration to arrest immediately the wanted ex -chairman of the defunct Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina, who has returned to Nigeria .
Maina, who fled the country in 2015 after being indicted for allegedly perpetrating fraud to the tune of N2 bn , returned to the country and was posted to the Ministry of Interior based on the recommendation of the Head of Service and was given double promotion.
But on Sunday evening , the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission spokesman, Mr . Wilson Uwujaren , maintained that Maina was still wanted .
When asked if Maina would be arrested by the commission, the EFCC spokesman refused to speak further.
The EFCC on its website , www. efccnigeria. org, retained a picture of Maina, asking members of the public to help fish him out.
The EFCC wrote , “ The public is hereby notified that Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina, former chairman of the Pension Reform Task Team , whose photograph appears above, is wanted by the EFCC for offences bordering on procurement fraud and obtaining by false pretences .
“Dark -complexioned Maina is allegedly complicit in the over N 2 bn pensions biometric scam in the office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation. He remains at large after charges were filed against his accomplices.

Reekado Banks To A Fan: "You Insulted Me 2 Years Ago, Don't Praise Me"

The mavin record act "reekadobanks" seems not to forget what a fan did to him two years ago on twitter. As he rejected a accolades from fan who insulted him two years ago but try to praise him now.

Yemi Alade Won Four Awards At The African Entertainment Awards In The US

Nigerian singer, Yemi Alade last night went home with four awards and was also given a Honorary Certificate from New Jersey General Assembly at the African Entertainment Awards in the United States.
The "Johnny" crooner won in the following categories;
1. Best Female (Africa)
2. Best Female(International)
3. Special Recognition Award; Mama Africa,
4. New Jersey County Of Essex Honorary Certificate
5. Honorary Certificate from New Jersey General Assembly
Her manager, Taiye Aliyu also bagged a special recognition award.

Obiano In A Warm Embrace With Obaze At St Patrick's Cathedral, Awka Toda

Gov Obiano in a warm embrace with Obaze at St Patrick's Cathedral, Awka today.
Anambra is a model state that plays politics without bitterness.
#VoteNotFight... Election No Be War!
Note: The two men attended the same elite college as youths in Onitsha- Christ the King College(CKC). They are both Catholics.Nnaa eh that hug chaa ..hmm😜

Tagbo’s Death: Davido’s Men Confess

 The last has not been heard of the controversy surrounding the death of Tagbo Umeike , friend to Nigerian pop star David Adeleke, popularly called Davido, as the other suspects who were detained by the police have given an insight into what actually happened the night Tagbo died.
Reports credited to the Lagos State Police Command had revealed that Tagbo had a night of heavy drinking and allegedly consumed about 40 shots of Tequila, a strong alcoholic beverage. He was alleged to be in company of his friends, including Davido, before his body was abandoned at Lagos Island General Hospital in the early hours of October 3.

FUTURE AND YOUNG THUG JUST DROPPED A SUPER SLIMEY SURPRISE

It turns out that Taylor Swift wasn't the only one to release
new music over the course of the last few hours. (Hell, she wasn't even the only artist on deck with a penchant for snakes, either.)
Future and Young Thug started hinting at a forthcoming collaboration just before Super Slimey, their joint effort of a mixtape, hit streaming services and the internet at large as soon as the clock struck 12 on October 20.

Full List: The World's Highest-Paid Celebrities 2017

It's a good year to be famous. Over the past 12 months, the world's 100 highest-paid celebrities pulled in $5.15 billion--more than the combined GDP of Belize, Liberia and Gambia--led by Diddy, who clocked a career-best $130 million. Beyoncé and J.K. Rowling round out the top three with $105 million and $95 million, respectively.
1. Diddy, $130 million (Musician, U.S.)
2. Beyoncé, $105 million (Musician, U.S.)
3. J.K. Rowling, $95 million (Author, U.K.)
4. Drake, $94 million (Musician, Canada)
5. Cristiano Ronaldo, $93 million (Athlete, Portugal)
6. The Weeknd, $92 million (Musician, Canada)
7. Howard Stern, $90 million (Personality, U.S.)
8. Coldplay, $88 million (Musicians, U.K.)

2face Idibia Speaks On Davido & Death Of DJ Olu, Chime Amechina And Tagbo Umeike

Music Legend, 2baba Idibia, has spoken on the controversies surrounding the death of singer, Davido’s frends; DJ Olu, Chime Amechina and Tagbo Umeike.
The afro-pop legend sat down with The Net NG, and was asked about the incident.. 2face didn’t fail to blame Davido’s friendly attitude for the incident.
According to him, Davido’s jolly attitude landed him in such circumstance.
He, however, advised Davido not to change his personality despite criticisms, adding that he should be more careful henceforth.

''I Love You Ray, Am Your Queen'- Tonto Dike Confirms She's Dating Hushpuppi

Ok, This is Very Very fresh, And am serving this Tea very hot, Now for someime now there has been rumor that Tonto Dike who was abandoned by her Hubby Churchill is dating Nigerian Gucci rep Hushpuppi, But i couldn't post it cos, Trust your Gossip Queen Ebiwali, i have to make my finding, first..
It all started on his Birthday while celebrating him she called him her ''King'' (Photo is below), I got the screenshot but didn't blog it cos, i was like, It might just be normal king stuff.
Now Fastforward to abou 30mins ago, the Actress and mother of one just shared a Photo of him, and wished him qucik recovery, and to top it all she declared her love for him..
As if thats not all, she removed the comment section of the post..Its a good hing to fall inlove again.. Happy for her..

This Is Tuface’s Favourite Of All The Songs He Sangs -

2Baba is undisputedly one of the most dedicated musician this generation is blessed with. With over hundred singles and collaborations, the singer has solidified his position as a pop icon.
His Buckwyld n Breathless concert holds this weekend

Taylor Swift Drops New Single 'Gorgeous' From Upcoming Album 'Reputation'

After announcing its release just yesterday, Taylor Swift has dropped “Gorgeous,” the second official single from her upcoming album Reputation.
The song sees Taylor returning to writing about the topics that made her a star in the first place, mostly, boys. The only thing that immediately separates "Gorgeous" from anything she's put out before and this era is the production, which is simultaneously a basic 808 drum and an attempt at something that pushes electro-pop into a more interesting territory than Top 40 is used to, but it doesn't quite get there. "Gorgeous" could have been written five years ago, and it doesn't seem to feature the same growth that her last single did (whether you like it or not). Last time around, the second single was "Blank Space," which bolted to No. 1 and produced one of the most iconic music videos of her career, but it's tough to imagine "Gorgeous" surviving the winter.
The pop star revealed that a new piece of music was on its way yesterday afternoon by uploading three items to her Instagram page, which is how she has been making many of her most important announcements during this era of her career. At the time, she shared a very short snippet of "Gorgeous" which featured what sounds like a baby saying the name of the song before a bit of an electronic beat kicks in.
“Gorgeous” follows in the footsteps of two other tracks Swift has thus far shared from her new album, which is slated to drop on November 10—less than a month from now. First up was electroclash banger “Look What You Made Me Do,” which dropped in late August, making perhaps the biggest immediately splash of any song in recent memory. The track was easily the most highly-anticipated of 2017, and people around the world rushed to hear what she had come up with this time around.

For Fela, Ambode dances at Afrika Shrine

Twenty years after his death, honour has continued to trail afrobeat superstar, Fela Anikulapo Kuti . AKEEM LASISI reports
The wave of tributes that marked this year’ s edition of
Felabration, a posthumous festival in his honour, was particularly strong, to the extent that Lagos State Governor, Mr . Akinwunmi Ambode , attended a special session for him on Sunday.
At the event held at Afrika Shrine, Agidingbi, Ikeja , the governor , his aides and associates , as well as other stakeholders, savoured musical performances, most of which were afrobeat-related.
While Lagos -based comedian , Omo Baba , was the compere, Humble Smith and Fela ’ s muscian sons, Femi and Seun , treated the audience to beautiful music . Humble Smith tried different kinds of numbers , but
Osinachi, his popular song, was still his best bet.
Seun was still very loyal to conventional afrobeat , with some members of the Egypt ’ 80 band creating the penetrating musical aura for which Fela was renowned . Yet, it was Femi who made the noon the most memorable treat .
Although they played separately , Femi and Seun exhibited a musical legacy that is total . Articulating their lyrics with vigour and spice, they demonstrated that they are not in the group of ‘ Track one!’ artistes who are fond of miming songs on stage. Each of them also showcased versatility as he moved from the microphone to the trumpet and piano. But in terms of the handling of instruments, Femi surely ruled the show, with his prolonged stay on the trumpet, which was so impressive that both the governor and the governed rose to appreciate him with applause.

Europa: Giroud overhead kick edges Arsenal past Red Star

Olivier Giroud scored a fantastic late winner as Arsenal edged to their third straight Europa League win by beating 10 -man Red Star Belgrade 1 -0 in Serbia on Thursday.
Arsene Wenger ’ s men rode their luck at times in an uninspiring performance before Giroud struck in the 85 th minute after Red Star had seen Milan Rodic sent off .
The Premier League side stay top of Group H , five points clear of Red Star, while Cologne remained pointless after losing 1 -0 at BATE Borisov.
Wenger made sweeping changes to his team with Sunday’ s Premier League visit to Everton in mind.
Only goalkeeper Petr Cech remained from the starting XI that lost 2 -1 at Watford last weekend, as injury -plagued French right-back Mathieu Debuchy made his first start for the club in 11 months.
Roared on by a vociferous home crowd, Red Star made a bright start, but it was Arsenal winger Theo Walcott who saw the game ’ s first real chance saved by the legs of Canadian goalkeeper Milan Borjan.
The inexperienced away defenders were lucky not to concede in the 26 th minute when Richmond Boakye headed onto the crossbar when unmarked at a corner .

Man Steals Meat At Ijagbara Market In Lagos Today, Blames The Devil

This young Igbo guy allegedly stole meat earlier today at Ijagbara market Opposite, LASU gate Ojo Lagos.
According to Lasgidi Online reader who sent the photo said, after the guy was caught he was made to carry the meat on his head and photos was taken.
When asked why he stole the meat, he simply blamed the devil.devil u Don suffer chaa

Charly Boy Praises Daughter Dewy Oputa Who Comes Out Gay

Charly boy daughter Dewy Oputa who just join the gay community is been praised by her father.
Veteran entertainer Charly Boy took to Instagram to praise his daughter Dominique 'Dewy' Oputa. In the post, he described the model as "one of his greatest creation'.

Alexandra Burke Strips Completely Unclad After Dropping Three Dress Sizes

Hallelujah singer, Alexandra Burke, stripped completely Unclad for Women’s Health magazine.
The singer, who rose to fame after winning the fifth series of The X Factor in 2008, posed with just her hands protecting her modesty. She flaunted her washboard abs and lean legs

Brexit: May offers more assurances to EU nationals

heresa May has vowed to make it as easy as possible for EU citizens to remain in the UK after Brexit ahead of a key summit of European leaders.
In a Facebook post, the prime minister insisted the application process for settled status would be "streamlined" and the cost "as low as possible".
She said representatives of EU citizens will sit on a "user group" which will iron out any problems in the system.
The other 27 EU leaders will assess overall progress in the talks so far.
At a meeting on Friday, at which the UK will not be present, they are expected to conclude officially that "insufficient progress" has been made on the status of EU nationals in the UK and British expats on the continent - and other separation issues - to move onto the second phase of trade discussions.
European Council President Donald Tusk said there would be no "breakthrough" at the two-day summit, but progress could be achieved by the next scheduled meeting of EU leaders in December.

Keeping Boris Nemtsov's memory alive

Moscow, Russia - On a cold, rainy October morning, Moscow's Red Square was almost deserted. As I was making my way towards the Moscow River along the Kremlin's eastern wall, the light rain turned into a steady downpour.
By the time I stepped onto the Bolshoy Moskvoretsky Bridge, gusts of strong northerly wind were making it difficult even to hold on to my umbrella.
I was looking for something I wasn't sure I would find: a sign marking the place where Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was fatally shot on February 27, 2015.
What I found was more than a sign: a dozen neatly arranged flowerpots lined the pavement of the bridge. In between the pots were black-and-white portraits of Nemtsov.
I looked around: there was no one on the pavement, except me and an elderly man with a bushy white beard and a long khaki raincoat sitting on a small stool.
I found it odd that he was just sitting there in the pouring rain. I thought perhaps he was selling something, so I approached him.
"No, I'm on shift," he said. "They destroy the memorial, so we keep watch here to make sure it doesn't disappear."
His hands emerged from under his raincoat. He took off his black mittens and introduced himself: Grigory Saksonov, a human rights defender.

‘In Nollywood, people get roles based on their looks’

Nollywood actor, Sam Anyamele, never thought that film acting would become his primary means of livelihood someday. As a teenager, acting was just his favourite pastime.
The actor, in an interview with our correspondent , revealed that although his passion for the arts and entertainment was nurtured through music , by the time he had left secondary school his eyes were already fixed on starting a career in music .
He could play the guitar very well and had, at different times, had short stints with different music bands around Lagos, including the popular DKB band – well -known for backing up most of the popular musicians in the country.
Also , Anyamele used to play in Sammy Needle’ s band as a bass guitarist and backup singer .
Going down memory lane , he said , “ My contemporaries were people like Mike Aremu, Wole Oni and Kunle Odutayo. Wole , Kunle and I used to be in the same band. I have forgotten the name of the band,
“At a point, I wanted to join Femi Kuti ’ s Afrobeat band as a guitarist, but the Christian in me couldn’ t cope with the kind of lifestyles that members of the band led . I couldn’ t imagine myself performing on stage alongside half -naked female dancers.
“I just couldn’ t bring myself to play in such a band where people smoked a lot. I felt that, as a member of the Assemblies of God Church , I shouldn’ t be seen in that kind of company , ” he said. And that was long before he decided to focus on film acting .

Court orders forfeiture of 14 properties traced to ex-FCT minister Bala Mohammed, son

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday ordered an interim forfeiture of 14 properties in “choice areas ” of Abuja which were allegedly traced to the immediate past Minister of the Federal Capital Territory , Mr . Bala Mohammed, and his son , Shamsuddeen.
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba granted the interim forfeiture order upon an ex parte application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission .
The judge also granted an order “ directing the publication of a notice ” in a newspaper and the EFCC’ s website “inviting all persons/bodies who may have interest in the said properties to show cause why the said properties should not be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria” .
EFCC’ s lawyer , Mr . Ben Ikani, while applying for the court orders on Wednesday, said, “We have an ex parte application for interim order of forfeiture .

Qatar accuses Saudi Arabia of promoting 'regime change'

Qatar has accused Saudi Arabia of trying to engineer "regime change" during its four-month blockade of its Gulf neighbour.
Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told CNBC on Tuesday that Riyadh is attempting to destabilise Qatar's leadership.
"We see [Saudi] government officials talking about regime change… We see a country that is bringing back the dark ages of tribes and putting them together in order to create a pressure on connected tribes in Qatar," he said.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt severed diplomatic and trade links with Qatar on June 5, accusing Doha of supporting "extremism and terrorism" and cozying up to Iran - a regional nemesis.
Qatar has vehemently denied all allegations.
Sheikh Mohammed said the plan of the blockading countries was not to thwart terrorism but to "disrespect and bully".
"It is nothing to do with stopping financing terrorism or hate speech while they are doing the same by promoting incitement against my country, promoting a regime change in my country," he told the US broadcaster.
Qatar is the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, and also houses the region's biggest US military base with more than 11,000 American troops.
Sheikh Mohammed said the blockade has impeded the fight against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in the region.

Don’t use Paris Club refund as precondition to pay workers’ salaries, NLC warns Govt

Govs demand 50% balance of Paris Club refund
Meet with Buhari, seek to use funds in their 2018 budgets
By Victor Ahiuma-Young & Johnbosco Agbakwuru
ABUJA — Governors of the 36 states of the federation, yesterday, met President Muhammadu Buhari, demanding payment of the 50 per cent balance of Paris Club refund as agreed in 2016.

Governors’ forum delegation meets Pres. Buhari
The governors, who met the President under the aegis of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, also commended the President for his intervention in the payment of salaries in many states through bailout funds, adding that the bailout had remained a great relief, bearing in mind that majority of the nation’s population resides in rural areas of the states.
But Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in a swift reaction, last night, said it was inappropriate and unacceptable for governors to use Paris Club refund as a precondition to pay workers’ salaries, arguing that not many of the governors have complied with earlier agreement to use 50 per cent of previous refund disbursed to them to pay salaries and pensions.
Recall that President Buhari in the first tranche of the refunds, approved the release of N516 billion to the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
A total of N243. 795 billion was released to the states in the second tranche as part of the wider efforts to stimulate the economy and support states in meeting salary and other obligations, thus alleviating the challenges faced by workers.
It would also be recalled that former chairman of Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, Engr. Hamman Tukur, had said the President had no powers to give governors any form of bailout without passing through the National Assembly.
But President Buhari, yesterday, expressed concern over the growing complaints and agitations by workers in states over unpaid salaries and allowances, in spite
Buhari, according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said the plight of workers in the states needed urgent attention as many could barely survive.
He said: “How can anyone go to bed and sleep soundly when workers have not been paid their salaries for months?
“I actually wonder how the workers feed their families, pay their rents and even pay school fees for their children.”
The President told the governors that two of the three-pronged focus of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to secure the country and fight corruption, had received some commendable reviews by the people, noting that the challenge in payment of salaries in states had taken a toll on the people.
“God has been merciful in hearing the prayers of his servants, so the rainy season has been good, you can ask Kebbi State governor this, and our enormous food importation bill has gone down,” the President said.

of interventions by the Federal Government.

Four armed robbers die in shoot-out with Bayelsa police

Four suspected armed robbers have been confirmed dead after a shoot -out with the police in Bayelsa State .
The names of the suspects were given as Solomon Atuya , Dickson Ebibatei , Preye Niwanidigha and Oyinkuro Robert.
The four hoodlums were said to have met their waterloo after allegedly robbing some persons of about N 2 m and other belongings .
It was learnt that the suspects died at a hospital due to injuries sustained during the gun duel with the police on October 13 , 2017 .
Operatives of the Bayelsa State Special Anti -Robbery Squad were said to have given the suspected robbers a hot chase following a distress call by some concerned residents in Yenagoa .
The Police Public Relations Officer , Bayelsa State Command, Mr. Asinim Butswat , confirmed the develop -ment.
Butswat said , “ On October 13 , 2017 , about 1 . 30pm , policemen responded to a distress call that armed men in a Honda car robbed some persons of their money totalling N2 m and other belongings .
“SARS operatives chased the hoodlums and intercepted them along Isaac Boro Expressway in Yenagoa . The suspects exchanged gunfire with the team. Others attempted to escape , but were chased by youths and arrested.
“They were beaten up by the angry mob. The suspects sustained varying degrees of injury and were taken to the Federal Medical Centre , Yenagoa . One British -made pistol , one locally-made pistol and one Honda car with number plate EF 66 LSR were recovered from them.

Iraqi forces launch 'major' Kirkuk operation

Iraqi security forces have launched a "major operation" in the Kurdish-held region of Kirkuk, advancing towards oil fields and a strategic military base, according to Kurdish and Iraqi officials.
The objective of the push early on Monday is to take control of the K1 airbase, west of Kirkuk, Lieutenant Colonel Salah el-Kinani, of the Iraqi army's 9th armoured division, told Reuters news agency.
Iraqi forces rolled into parts of the countryside outside Kirkuk city and took control of "vast areas" without facing resistance from Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, Iraq's state TV said.
Yet, a Kurdish security official denied that the Iraqi troops were able to get closer to the city or take territory from the Peshmerga, telling Reuters that the oil fields and the airbase were still under Kurdish control.
'Multi-pronged assault'
"They attacked Peshmerga Forces from two fronts in the Taza-Kirkuk intersection and Maryam Bag bridge, both south of Kirkuk, using US military equipment, including Abrams tanks and Humvees," the Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) said in a statement.
"Significant forces have also been deployed to Maktab Khalid intersection in southwest Kirkuk as part of the operation," the statement added.
The Kurdish forces said they destroyed at least five US Humvees used by Iraqi army.
"Peshmerga will continue to defend Kurdistan, its people and interests. This was an unprovoked attack following days of Iraqi military deployments to Kurdistan's borders," the KRSC statement said.

Maduro claims landslide win in disputed Venezuela elections

resident Nicolas Maduro claimed a landslide victory Sunday in closely watched regional elections in Venezuela on Sunday , based on official results that the opposition immediately rejected .
Maduro’ s socialist party won governorships of 17 of the 23 states with the opposition Democratic Union Roundtable coalition taking only five, with one state still undecided, according to the results announced by the National Elections Council.
“We do not recognize any of the results at this time. We are facing a very serious moment for the country , ” warned the MUD’ s campaign director Gerardo Blyde , who demanded a full audit of the vote.
Maduro said his government had scored an “ emphatic victory” over its rivals by leaving the opposition with only five states, with his socialists still in line to take one further state where the results were still in dispute early Monday. Maduro and his allies held 20 outgoing governorships.
The results amounted to a crushing blow to the opposition which had characterized the elections as a referendum on Maduro , after months of deadly street protests earlier this year had failed to unseat him.
“We have serious suspicions, doubts , about the results that are going to be announced in a few minutes, ” Blyde told reporters at a hastily-arranged press conference even before the official results were announced.
International powers accuse Maduro of dismantling democracy by taking over state institutions in the wake of an economic collapse caused by a fall in the price of oil, its main source of revenue.

Oscar board expels Havey Weinstein from Motion Picture Academy

Film mogul Harvey Weinstein has been ousted from the organisation which hands out the Oscars.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences says over two-thirds of its board has voted to reject him. The decision was announced after an emergency meeting on Saturday.
Weinstein is accused of rape and sexual harassment by more than two dozen women, including actresses Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Evacuation ends as ISIL defeat in Syria's Raqqa nears

A group of ISIL fighters has evacuated the Syrian city of Raqqa overnight, taking civilians with them as human shields, a militia spokesperson said, as the battle continued with fighters who stayed behind.
The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias, said foreign fighters were not included under the withdrawal deal.
However, a member of the Raqqa Civil Council said that some ISIL foreigners did manage the leave with the Syrian ISIL group as they left their self-proclaimed capital in the country's north.
The ISIL fighters took about 400 civilians with them as human shields, according to the SDF.

Four die as French army charter jet crashes in I Coast

A small cargo plane chartered by the French army has crashed into the waters off Ivory coast, killing at least four Moldovan citizens, according to firefighters.
Another six people were injured on Saturday in the crash of the Antonov aircraft, which had taken off from Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou. It crash-landed in the sea near the airport in Ivory Coast's main city, Abidjan, breaking in half.
"There were 10 people on board, Moldovans and French people. The four victims who died are Moldovan nationals," firefighter Colonel Issa Sakho told local television.
Four French citizens survived the crash but were injured, Ivory Coast's Security Minister Sidiki Diakite told reporters at the scene. Several Ivorian security sources said French soldiers were among the wounded.
Local forces were hoping to secure the wreck before it drifted away "so investigators can do their job", said
Sakho.

A French military source told AFP news agency that the Antonov was chartered as part of Operation Barkhane, under which France maintains a 4,000-man mission in the region.
The operation aims to shore up fragile Sahel countries against fighters who have carried out a wave of bombings, shootings and kidnappings.
The French military base in Abidjan provides logistical support for the operation which is headquartered in Chad's capital, N'Djamena. French special forces are stationed in Ouagadougou.
Every year, around 100 sorties are flown out of Abidjan airport as part of Barkhane, often by former Soviet army pilots in Ukrainian-made Antonovs.
The planes frequently carry French military personnel and sub-contractors accompanying their cargo.
There was a heavy storm over Abidjan early on Saturday, but it was unclear whether the heavy weather was the cause of the accident.
France keeps around 950 military personnel in Ivory Coast as part of the FFCI force based in the biggest French army base on Africa's Atlantic coast. Other bases are in Libreville, Gabon and Dakar, Senegal.

My comedy skits are strategic –Kiss Daniel

Talented singer , Daniel Anidugbe , aka Kiss Daniel, has been thrilling his fans with comedy skits for sometime now. This has led many to insinuate that the Woju singer may have plans to make a career switch to comedy someday.
However, speaking through his handlers, Daniel told
Sunday Scoop his reasons for uploading the skits . “I have no plans to delve into comedy; music is my major talent . If you listen to my new song , Yeba , you would notice that there are traces of comedy in it . You would also note that I started uploading those comedy skits about a month before Yeba was released, so it was just a strategy to promote the song. It was a means of creating awareness , ” he said.
Speaking on the response his new song has been getting from fans, he said , “There has been a massive outpouring of love from all angles and I really appreciate it. It feels good when people appreciate what you do, and it motivates one to do even better. ”

Abia sign Everton

Umuahia Premier League side Abia Warriors on Thursday said they had agreed a deal with former IfeanyiUbah Brazilian coach Rafael Everton to manage them next season .
In a statement , spokesman for the outfit Igwe Onuoha said Everton , who helped IfeanyUbah win the Federation Cup last year, had agreed to lead Abia Warriors.
Everton dumped the Federation Cup holders after he was redeployed to the team’ s academy.

Barca plan £80m bonus for Messi

Barcelona are prepared to hand Lionel Messi a record -breaking bonus when he signs a new deal at the Nou Camp, Mirror. co . uk reports.
The Argentine is out of contract at the end of the season and is yet to put pen to paper on an extension .
Last month , Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu insisted the only thing missing was his signature after agreeing a new £ 500, 000 -a -week deal .
And Catalan paper L’ Ara report Barca will hand Messi a bonus between £ 79 m and £ 85 m when he agrees his contract.
With Messi having fired Argentina to World Cup glory this week, he has opened the window to sign his contract during the next break in November .
Barca could pay for the deal with help from a new Nike deal and a stadium sponsor for the Nou Camp.
They are preparing for a £ 500m renovation of the iconic venue, where the capacity will be increased to an incredible 105, 000 by the end of the 2021 /22 season .
Sport reports that Barca have already began negotiations with global companies over the possibility of taking the rights.
The Catalan giants are hoping for in excess of £ 179 m in a deal.
Meanwhile , Sergio Aguero has said he would Messi to join him at Man City but acknowledged that it would be difficult for his compatriot to leave Barcelona.

2018 World Cup: Five biggest teams that won’t be in Russia

The ongoing final phase of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers has thrown up a lot of surprises and shocks . Some teams considered by many as underdogs have found their way to Russia , and some big guns would be absent because they just could not qualify.
Whatever angle you view it from , Russia 2018 is going to be a World Cup of surprises .
. The United States of America

The United States hosted the 1994 World Cup, where they advanced to the round of sixteen and lost to Brazil. The team qualified for five consecutive World Cups after 1990 , becoming one of the tournament’ s regular competitors and often advancing to the round of sixteen. The United States reached the quarter-finals of the 2002 World Cup , where they lost to Germany . Another notable result came during the 2009 Confederations Cup, where they eliminated top-ranked Spain in the semi -finals before losing to Brazil in the final , their only appearance in a FIFA men’ s competition final . The team missed the 2018 World Cup after being eliminated in continental qualifying, ending a 24-year streak .
Chile

The South American nation has a long and intriguing history in the FIFA World Cup games . Chile made its debut in the games in 1930. The Chilean team withdrew from two subsequent editions of the game in 1934 and 1938 only to come back in 1950 . The team’ s best result was in 1962 when it finished in the third place.
The team was disqualified from the 1990 edition of the game after a desperate shady move made by the team to force the disqualification of Brazil and ensure its own qualification. The team was also banned from the 1994 edition while its goalkeeper , Roberto Rojas who played a major role in the shady move was banned from football for life. He had claimed he was injured by a firecracker thrown into the Maracana football pitch by a Brazilian fan to force the game to an inconclusive end. The team has played in three out of the last five World Cup games , including the last two editions since the ban was lifted in 1998.
Netherlands

The European country has had an impressive run in the World Cup since its first game in 1934. The Netherlands (call it Holland if you like ) has played in 10 editions of the FIFA World Cup , finishing second in three editions and third in one. Unfortunately, they won’ t be having a chance to take another shot at it in Russia .
Cameroon

The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon have played seven World Cup games since their first appearance in 1982 . Their best result came in 1990, during their second World Cup appearance. The African team was stopped in the quarter-final by England who only edged them out by a narrow 3 -2 win.
Ghana

Since its debut appearance in Germany 2006 , Ghana has qualified for two other World Cup editions that followed . The country ’ s best result was in the 2010 edition where the country played in the quarterfinals . Ghana was knocked out of the game by Uruguay with a 4 -2 scoreline in a game that ended on penalties . The team couldn’ t improve on the results four years later in Brazil. It is such a shame they would not be getting the opportunity again in Russia 2018