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Jonathan's men behind MASSOB's agitation - Group

A pan-Igbo group, The Igbo Conscience, says some former political office holders who served in the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan were behind the Biafran revolt. The TIC said this was why the protests gained momentum immediately after Jonathan was defeated at the polls. The leader of the group, Mr. Monday Ubani, who is a former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja branch, said this at a news conference in Lagos on Wednesday. Ubani noted that during Jonathan’s administration, many Igbo politicians were given juicy appointments. He, however, added that the appointments did not improve the standard of living of the people of the South-East. He said, “As recently as six months ago, the Igbo occupied and boasted of occupying prime positions in the country during the six years of President Jonathan’s rule. Why is it that immediately after the defeat of the past regime in March, the cries of Igbo marginalisation rose to high heavens with slanderous allega...

Steve Jobs' Syrian ancestry plays out in current refugee crisis

Paris attacks: Twitter reminds US Steve Jobs was son of Syrian migrant after states move to block refugees The Apple co-founder's  Steve Jobs’ children were not uber-geeks Jobs grew up with his adoptive parents in California. After a number of US states said they won't be accepting Syrian refugees due to security fears after the Paris attacks, Twitter users have re-shared the fact that the creator of the iPhone was the son of a Syrian migrant. Steve Jobs, the Apple founder who died in 2011 was the son of a Syrian man who moved to the US to study in the 1950s. Independent UK   A number of Republican governors from states including Texas, Alabama and Michigan moved to block Syrian refugees over claims some of the terrorists involved in attacks on Friday which killed 129 people entered Europe by disguising themselves as refugees. ADVERTISING Read more 'We're monitorin...

Gunmen kidnap mother of Nig. soccer coach

News emerging this morning reveals that the mother of current head coach of Nigeria's U-23 football team, Samson Siasia has been kidnapped. According to reports, gunmen stormed the family residence of the Siasia's in the early hours of Tuesday morning at Odoni community of Sagama Local Council Area of Bayelsa State and forcefully whisked away Siasia's mother on a motorcycle. Bayelsa State Police Command spokesperson, ASP Ansinim Butswat, has confirmed the incident saying that the matter has been reported, but details were still sketchy. Speaking to the media on the incident, a distraught Siasia has expressed his confusion at the occurrence of the event. Siasia said: "Right now I am confused, from the story I got, three men on motorbike stormed my parents' house in my village Odoni in Bayelsa State, shot sporadically into the air before taking my old mother away on a bike. "What do they expect from me? I don't have money, I am right now on national duty...

PM says French terror attacks were planned from Syria

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French Prime Minister Manuel Valls. (AFP photo) PARIS: The deadly attacks across Paris last week that claimed 129 lives were planned and organised from Syria, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said on Monday. "The attack was organised, conceived, and planned from Syria," CNN quoted Valls as saying in a radio interview. The prime minister said more than 150 raids were conducted on militant targets in different areas of France earlier in the day. "We are making use of the legal framework of the state of emergency to question people who are part of the radical jihadi movement... and all those who advocate hate of the republic," he said. At least nine people have been arrested so far. Five of the detainees were identified over the weekend, and on Monday another two were named by the Paris prosecutor as Ahmad al-Mohammad and Samy Amimour, a BBC report said. Al-Mohammad is the name on a Syrian passport found with the remains of one of the attackers, though the ma...

See pix of teenage Rita Ora auditioning for show before fame

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Long before she bounded onto the music scene with Hot Right Now, Rita Ora had all but signed up to sing for Great Britain at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2009. And lucky for us, her audition for the BBC show Eurovision: Your Country Needs You!, is still on YouTube so you can see a young Ora perform. In the video, stunning pop star-ready Rita, then 18, performs Oleta Adams’ hit Get Here and quite clearly impressed the judges, including music supremo Andrew Lloyd Webber. The video then cuts to Rita nervously waiting outside the audition room as the judges deliberated. BBC/YouTube But while Rita was offered the chance to sing for Great Britain in the contest, she quit the competition and now says she’s glad she didn’t say yes. ‘Right from the start I was, like, “What am I doing here?” I did my song and walked out. No-one knew what to do. They started looking for me, calling my agent,’ Rita has since recalled. And then seemingly taking a veiled dig at Sugababe...

University rescinds Bill Cosby's doctorate

Drew University, in New Jersey, has rescinded an honorary degree given to  Bill Cosby . The university said in a statement yesterday that its board rescinded the degree because of Cosby's admissions in sworn testimony that he engaged in conduct toward women that violates the school's values and standards. Cosby has been facing allegations of sexual molestation from many women across America in recent months. So what happens when a school rescinds your degree? Do they come to your house and take it off the wall? - Daily News

Charlie Sheen prepares for impending HIV positive announcement and multiple lawsuits

HOWARD GENSLER,  DAILY NEWS TATTLE COLUMNIST POSTED:  Tuesday, November 17, 2015, 3:01 AM image: http://media.philly.com/designimages/partnerIcon-DailyNews-2014.jpg Charlie Sheen  was scheduled to chat with  Matt Lauer  on the "Today" show this morning to tell the world he's HIV-positive. Sheen reportedly has known for a while, according to  People  magazine - the  National Enquirer  reported the news first and claims Sheen has known for four years. In Touch  says it's two years. Hollywood crisis manager  Howard Bragman  told  People  that Sheen "is getting treatment, and a lot of people in his life know about it." "The ['Today'] interview could open up a lot of sympathy for him," Bragman said, "but he has to be concerned about a fear of litigation from former sexual partners. You don't take that lightly. "I feel very sorry for his pain," Bragman added. "And I hope it's used a...

Task Before Buhari Enormous, Says Former Speaker Bankole

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Former speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Dimeji Bankole Former speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Dimeji Bankole, has said the President Muhammadu Buhari administration has a lot of issues to deal with and that the government should be given time to articulate its plans. Speaking last Wednesday evening at a networking event organised by young Nigerians who studied abroad and who considered it necessary to come back home to contribute their quota towards nation building, the youngest speaker of the House of Representative in Nigerian history also noted that the expectations of Nigerians from the government are high. “Every sector in Nigeria has issues and Buhari’s government, just like every other government before it, has to settle those issues. His administration has to look at areas where they will get quick gains for Nigeria while also taking into consideration the long and short term implications of its policy implementation. ...

PDP crisis deepens as Fayose, Secondus get embroiled in cold war

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Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has clarified that his absence at the Peoples Democratic Party’s National Conference held in Abuja on Thursday should not be misinterpreted to mean that he is at loggerheads with Prince Uche Secondus-led National Working Committee. Fayose said he is solidly behind the NWC in its strides to reposition the party and return its winning streak that makes the party the darling to all Nigerians. The governor was conspicuously absent at the conference attended by party bigwigs like Governors Idris Wada of Kogi, Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, Ibrahim Dankwabo of Gombe State, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, acting BOT Chairman, Alhaji Haliru Mohammed, Chief Ojo Madekwe, ex-PDP governors, serving senators  and other party top-notchers. Fayose , who  gave the clarification in Afao Ekiti during a  chat with jour...

Chelsea's former coach wants Mourinho's job, indirectly

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Former Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has declared that he would have “no problem” returning to Stamford Bridge, but he does not believe that the club will sack Jose Mourinho. Mourinho is under pressure after a catastrophic start to the season and Ancelotti has been linked with a return to the club he led to a Premier League and FA Cup double in 2010 before being dismissed a year later. The Italian is currently out of work following his departure from Real Madrid at the end of last season, but although he is open to the idea of a return to Chelsea, he does not believe there will be a vacancy any time soon. Mourinho “I would have no problem with Chelsea,” he told Thursday’s edition of the Daily Mail. “But Jose won’t be sacked. They already chose to keep him, and I think they made a good choice.” Ancelotti dismissed reports that he had been approached by Liverpool prior to their appointment of Jurgen Klopp, but said that he ...

Judge freezes assets of Maradona's ex-wife over dispute with the footballer

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An Argentine judge has frozen the assets of Diego Maradona’s ex-wife, whom the football legend blames for the disappearance of millions of dollars from his fortune. Following a request by Maradona, Judge Gladys Carminati on Wednesday ordered a freeze on the assets of ex-wife Claudia Villafane as a precautionary measure until the case is resolved. Maradona, 54, says the funds were taken from several of his Argentine and foreign bank accounts. Local media estimate the amount in question is $8 million. Villafane, 53, insists on her innocence. “I think what they want to do is instill fear, but I’m not afraid because I did nothing wrong, and have no regrets,” Villafane told the TV show Intrusos. Maradona and Villafane, childhood sweethearts, divorced in 2003. Both however agreed that Villafane would handle their joint accounts to benefit daughters Dalma (28) and Gianinna (26), who support their mother in the dispute. The forme...

BREAKING: Supreme Court suspends CCT trial of Saraki

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The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the suspension of the trial of the Senate president, Bukola Saraki, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal until his appeal case before the highest court in Nigeria is concluded. The Senate President’s trial at the CCT was set to resume on November 19. Saraki is currently facing 13-count charge of corruption and false declaration of assets at the CCT. On October 30, Saraki lost the bid to stop his trial after the Court of Appeal in Abuja threw out an appeal brought before it. Senator Saraki had approached the appellate court asking it to stop his corruption trial before the Code of Conduct Tribunal claiming that the tribunal lacked jurisdiction to proceed to try him for falsely declaring his assets as required by law. Delivering their judgment, the three justices of the Court of Appeal in a split decision ruled that the Code of Conduct Tribunal has jurisdiction to try Saraki for falsely declaring ...