President Buhari To Deliver “The Sustainable Development Goals: A Universal Push to Transform Our World” In N/Y

President Muhammadu Buhari will participate in the five-day 71st session United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, United States which will hold on Monday 19th September 2016. This was released in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday by Mr Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, to the president.

 

According to the  statement, the president would deliver Nigeria’s statement at the opening of the General Debate of the Assembly on a Topic: “The Sustainable Development Goals: A Universal Push to Transform Our World.”..

See The world’s Highest And Longest Glass-Bottomed Bridge Open China

                             

The world’s highest and longest glass-bottomed bridge has opened in China’s spectacular Zhangjiajie mountains – the inspiration for American blockbuster Avatar.

Measuring 430 m (1,400ft) long and suspended 300m above the ground, the bridge spans the canyon between two mountain cliffs in Zhangjiajie park in China’s central Hunan province.

Six metres wide and made of 99 panels of clear glass, the bridge can carry up to 800 people at the same time, an official in Zhangjiajie – a popular tourist destination – told the Xinhua news agency.

 Tourists can walk across the bridge, designed by Israeli architect Haim Dotan, and the more adventurous will be able to bungee jump or ride a zip line.

“I wanted to feel awe-inspired by this bridge. But I’m not afraid – it seems safe!” Wang Min, who was visiting the new structure with her husband and children, said.

Following an alarming glass bridge cracking incident at the Yuntai mountain in northern Henan in 2015, authorities in Zhangjiajie were eager to demonstrate the safety of the structure.

They organised a string of media events, including one where people were encouraged to try and smash the bridge’s glass panels with a sledge hammer, and another where they drove a car across it.

The structure, which is 6m wide and 430m long, spans the canyon between two mountain cliffs in central Hunan province

“It’s crowded today and a bit of a mess. But to be suspended 300 metres in the air, it’s a unique experience,” said Lin Chenglu, who had come to see the bridge with his colleagues.

Only 8,000 people each day will be allowed to cross the bridge, Xinhua said, and tourists will have to book their tickets a day in advance, at a cost of 138 yuan ($20).

People wearing stilettos will be banned, it added.

Local authorities have said that one of the summits in Zhangjiajie Park inspired the floating mountain which appears in the American blockbuster Avatar.

A Hollywood photographer visited the area in 2008, taking images which were used for the film, according to media reports.

Source: theguardian

The 'World's Highest Bridge' Nears Completion In China

 The Beipanjiang Bridge, in mountainous southwestern China, soars 565m (1,854ft) above a river.

Chinese engineers have completed the basic structure of what is expected to become the world’s highest bridge.

The Beipanjiang bridge, in mountainous southwestern China, soars 565 metres (1,854 feet) above a river, the Guizhou provincial transport department said in a statement.

As such it overtakes the Si Du River Bridge in the central province of Hubei to become the world’s highest bridge, said the statement posted on Sunday.

The two ends of the bridge were linked on Saturday, it added.

The 1,341-metre span is expected to open to traffic at the end of this year and will cut road trips from Liupanshui in Guizhou to Xuanwei in neighbouring Yunnan province from around five hours to less than two, state broadcaster China Central Television reported on Monday.

Several of the world’s highest bridges are in China, although the world’s tallest bridge – measured in terms of the height of its own structure, rather than the distance to the ground – remains France’s Millau viaduct at 343m tall.

The announcement comes a week after authorities closed the world’s longest glass-bottomed bridge, also in China, after deciding it needed urgent maintenance.

The bridge was opened to great fanfare 13 days earlier.


Source: theguardian

U S Presidential Candidate Collapse Hillary Clinton, It Was Revealed That She Is Suffering From Pneumonia

 U S Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton,  scheduled to travel to California this week to appear at two fundraising events and on the Ellen DeGeneres television show. 

However, the 68-year-old was forced to leave a 9/11 commemoration service yesterday suffering from a “medical episode” and has now cancelled her arrangements on the West Coast.

The US presidential candidate said she will release additional medical records this week after claims she was being overly secretive on her health.

Press Secretary Brian Fallon announced that Clinton would release the medical records. He stressed the campaign made mistakes on dealing with the situation on Sunday.

Hillary Clinton was forced to cancel a fundraising trip to California after nearly collapsing at a 9/11 memorial event .

A video has emerged of the Democratic presidential nominee in which her "knees buckled" as she left the commemorative event. 

She was then assisted by security staff into a van.

Mr Fallon added that the campaign had specifically not responded to questions for 90 minutes about Clinton's exit from the memorial event.

It has now been revealed by her doctor she was diagnosed with pneumonia on Friday.

Lisa Bardack, the former first lady's doctor said: “Secretary Clinton has been experiencing a cough related to allergies. 

“On Friday, during follow up evaluation of her prolonged cough, she was diagnosed with pneumonia.

"She was put on antibiotics, and advised to rest and modify her schedule. 

“While at this morning's event, she became overheated and dehydrated. I have just examined her and she is now re-hydrated and recovering nicely."

Her campaign team said she had been "overheated" but was now feeling "much better".

Last year, Clinton released a summary of medical reports and testing but until now has refused to release more. Now Clinton has decided to release further records.

According to US journalist Rick Levanthal, of Fox News, “She unexpectedly left early because of what appeared to be a medical episode.

Law enforcement source who was there, who was 15 feet away form Hillary Clinton, said she was standing on a curb with her protective detail waiting for her motorcade.

"They were surprised to see her because she wasn't meant to be leaving yet.

"When it finally rolled up my source said she stumbled off the curb, appeared to faint, lost one of her shoes, which wound up under the van."

She arrived at the event at 8.18am local time and left around 90 minutes later.

Mr Levanthal continued: "The protective detail helped her into the van and the van took off, presumably in the direction of the hospital.

"They grabbed her shoe, flagged down the rest of the motorcade and this was given to her protective detail.

Source: express

Tennis: Bristish No 1 Jo Konta collapse at the US Open, later beat Tsvetana Pironkova 6-2-5-7-6-2 (photos)

Jo Konta staged a recovery that was both miraculous and controversial from an on court collapse to survive into the third round of the US Open.


The British No 1, struggling for breath, fell into a sobbing heap on the baseline at the end of her match's second set, a victim of the acute humidity at Flushing Meadows.

But after two separate breaks she was able to continue, and ended up a 6-2 5-7 6-2 winner against unfortunate Tsvetana Pironkova, whose rhythm was disrupted by the 20-minute drama. The Bulgarian later made known her displeasure at the rules.

Urgent medical attention had been summoned as Konta, going a putrid red in the face, suffered breathing problems and physical distress as her second set reached its climax.

First the Norwegian umpire, Julie Minori Kjendlie, was left to tend to her and then the doctor and tour physio rushed out to be at her side, applying ice packs as she lay on the court, having first sunk down onto all fours.  

The referee's office gave the official cause of the timeout as 'dizziness'. This is a crucial distinction from cramping, for which treatment is not allowed, as opposed to a heat-related illness, for which a medical treatment is permitted.

There was no suggestion from Pironkova that Konta was faking – she most certainly was not – but she rightly questioned the additional break after the timeout.

The drama occurred between her first and second serves as Konta faced a third set point at 5-6 in the second, having convincingly taken the first set with a sparkling display of tennis. Pironkova could only stand around as Konta told the medics that 'my whole body feels in shock'.

After an initial break of around 12 minutes she completed a double fault and then took a 'toilet' break that lasted around another seven minutes.
                                      
 'What was frustrating for me was what happened after that, the toilet break,' she said. 'With that, I think the match was stopped for just too long. I had my momentum going, I was getting back in the match.

'Everything was by the rules, but today I am not very happy with these rules. I wish I could say all players use bathroom breaks accordingly, to go to the toilet. Obviously some players use them to refocus. I don't think they should be used that way.'

The problem seemed to be down to the 80 per cent humidity, because this was not the hottest day of the tournament in pure temperature terms, with the mercury showing in the mid to late twenties.

Source: dailymail

BREAKING NEWS: Three people Where pulled from A popular beach in Camber Sands

Three people are pulled unconscious from the waves in Camber Sands as rescue teams try desperately to revive them They were said to have be pulled from the popular beach this afternoon.

Emergency teams were called to reports that the three needed urgent medical aid at Camber Sands, near Rye in East Sussex, at about 2.15pm.

  The Lydd and Lee-on-Solent-based UK Coastguard search-and-rescue helicopters were also scrambled to the scene, along with an air ambulance.

An RNLI lifeboat from Rye and Coastguard rescue teams were also there. The conditions of the three people are unclear.

 A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesman said: ‘This incident is ongoing and we have no further information at this stage.’

A Sussex Police spokesman said: ‘Three people have been pulled from the sea at Camber Sands on Wednesday.

‘One man was rescued at around 2.10pm and at around 2.20pm another person was seen in the water and was also rescued. 

Source: dailymail

Kind Heart! Bill Gates i here again, donates $1m worth of food, farming aides to Borno state residents

 Borno state governor, Kashim Shettima, yesterday flagged off the distribution of food items and farm outreach targeting 40,000 victims of the Boko Haram insurgency through the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which donated one million dollars to the Borno State Government as a post conflict intervention that is meant to support victims who are returning to their communities.

 Governor Shettima kicked off the distribution of the food itemS to 1,100 households at Mainok village in Kaga local government area yesterday August 14th. The Governor announced that officials of the State Government in partnership with the Gates Foundation used the $1m to procure the food items and commenced funding of 100 hectares of farm where beans is being cultivated. He explained that 200 farm-families will be allocated tilled and fertile land measuring half hectare each along with improved seeds, fertilizer, chemicals and technical supervision so that they can start growing food crops. The Governor also announced the release of two trucks of maize grid to add to the food procured with Gates donation.

We are grateful to God for creating people like Mr Bill Gates and his dear wife, Melinda. These leading lights of philanthropy across the world have shown love to the good people of Borno State at a time we are on the ground and looking for any hand to hold in trying to lift ourselves up. Now, with the emerging peace in Borno State, it is only necessary that as Post Insurgency response, focus should be combined in supporting all categories of the victims from those at Internally Displaced Persons, those in communities within Maiduguri, those in our satellite camps outside Maiduguri, those in communities across different local government areas who are returning to their homes and those being resettled. It is in this regard, that we are gathered today to Flag off the distribution of a key intervention of one million dollars food and farming aide donated by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Let me say it for the record, that unlike majority of interventions which happily came to us in kind, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation donated cash of one million dollars to the Borno State Government. It is the State Government that is carrying out procurements in the implementation of this particular intervention. The intervention is targeting returning and re-settling communities by giving them food aide and also helping them to return to their familiar ways of producing food for themselves and for commercial purposes. The intervention from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is being used for food supplies and to fund farming activities for households. As a preliminary stage, beans is being cultivated in one hundred hectares of land. Half hectare is being allocated to a farm-family with a target of reaching 200 households. Each household may have from 2 to 10 family members. Already, farms have been established in Konduga and Damboa. Each household is to be allocated not only tilled and fertile land but also improved variety of seeds, fertilizer, chemicals and most importantly, technical field supervision by extension workers.

On the food aspect, one thousand, one hundred households, not individuals, will be given a 25 kilogram bag of rice and a 10-kilogram bag for each household here in Mainok, Kaga local government area. The intervention aims at reaching 40,000 victims of the insurgency through households on both food aide and farming activity. We are particularly interested in ensuring that citizens begin to produce food crops in safe locations because direct food aide in post conflict situations is never sustainable over a long period of time" Shettima said.

Officials of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) witnessed the distribution with good will presented by them.

The Commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement in Borno State, Dr Babagana Umara Zulum explained that two trucks of food items as well as two farms in Damboa and Konduga funded through the Gates donation were ready for immediate access on Sunday while more communities were to benefit in a continuous exercise.

Source: lindaikejisblog

It Is Now Easy! UK launches 24-hour visa service in Nigeria

The UK has launched Super Priority Visa Service in Nigeria to allow customers to process their applications within 24 hours.

The British High Commission, on its website, said the new service was to particularly meet the needs of those who required urgent service to travel.


The High Commission quoted the British High Commissioner, Paul Arkwright, as welcoming the introduction of the Super Priority Visa service in Nigeria.

“I am pleased to see the Super Priority Visa service being launched in Nigeria.
“This comes with an additional cost but is designed to give greater flexibility to our customers and underlines our strong commitment to make improvements to the visa services we offer.

“We expect this new service to be particularly useful for business. We understand that business opportunities and urgent requirements can arise at very short notice.

“We recognise this and want to facilitate such travel to the UK with this new super-fast service”, Arkwright said.

The High Commission said the introduction of the service allowed customers greater flexibility to choose from a number of visa products to meet their needs.

“It is offered alongside our current Priority Visa (front of queue processing five to seven-day) and standard (15-day) services.

“The UK is the only European country to offer a visa decision in 24 hours.
“The Super Priority Visa service is aimed largely at key business customers and those needing to travel urgently by providing a visa decision for collection at the Visa Application Centre the working day following submission.”

It said the service costs 750 Pounds in addition to the visa fee and would be available to eligible customers applying in the Abuja and Lagos Visa Application Centres.
The High Commission said those applying in the “Visitors” or “Points Based System Tier 4” are eligible to use the Super Priority Service.

It said appointments are available from Mondays to Thursday from 8.30 a.m. to 10 a.m. and Fridays from 8.30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the Abuja and Lagos centres only.

“Extending the Super Priority Visa service to Nigeria is another example of how the UK is leading the world in the provision of premium visa services for those coming to the UK to visit, do business or study.’’

(NAN)

RIO 2016 LIVE: Colombia 1 - 0 Nigeria

Group B’s top two teams Nigeria (6 points) and Colombia (2 points) face-off today, August 10 at the Arena Corinthians in São Paulo, as the group games of Rio Olympics men’s football tournament rounds off. 

While Nigeria is be looking to secure nine points and a 100% record in the competition, but to the Colombia, the game is a must-win for if they want to advance to the next round.

 However, Colombia should not expect any favours from their opponents, with captain and Chelsea midfielder Mikel John Obi maintaining that his team will not lose focus on their target to win the gold medal.

 Although, Nigeria’s coach Samson Siasia has disclosed that he intends to rest some of his starters in the game, the 48-year-old still looks likely to feature a strong squad.

“I had to take this decision to rest some players because we have qualified for the quarter finals as group leaders, and secondly I need to rest some of the starters because in the next phase there is a possibility of going into extra time. “For now the boys have done well and I need to make the other players justify why I selected them for this tournament. This is not a tea party so everyone must stand up to be counted, and the only way they can be counted is if they play well against Colombia. Resting some starters does not mean we are under –rating the opposition,” he said.

Colombia XI: 1. Cristian Bonilla, 2. William Testillo, 3. Deivy Balanta, 8. Dorlan Pabon, 10. Teofilo Gutierrez (C), 11. Harold Preciado, 12. Andres Roa, 13. Helibelton Palacios, 15. Wilmar Barrios, 16. Kevin Balanta, 17. Cristian Borja

 Subs: 18. Luis Hurtado (GK), 4. Deiver Machado, 6. Jefferson Lerma, 7. Arley Rodriguez, 9. Miguel Borja, 14. Sebastian Perez

Nigeria XI: 1. Daniel Akpeyi (GK), 2. Muenfuh Sincere, 3. Kingsley Madu, 6. William Ekong, 7. Aminu Umar, 8. Oghenekaro Etebo, 10. John Obi Mikel (C), 12. Popoola Saliu, 13. Sadiq Umar, 14. Okechukwu Azubuike, 15. Ndifreke Udo

Subs: 18. Emmanuel Daniel (GK), 4. Abdullahi Shehu, 5. Saturday Erimuya, 9. Imoh Ezekiel, 11. Oluwafemi Ajayi, 16. Stanley Amuzie

Source: naij

The indomitable Spirit Of Nigerians Is Alive – President Buhari

President Buhari has said that the victory of the Golden Eaglets over Mali in the final match of 2015 Under-17 FIFA World Cup tournament in Chile on Sunday clearly indicated the indomitable spirit of Nigerians was still active.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the president congratulated the team, saying that they had made Nigerians proud.

According to him, the victory also showed that the country was making steady progress to occupy its pride of place in the world affairs.



The statement read thus: “On behalf of the Federal Government and millions of very happy and proud Nigerians, President Muhammadu Buhari congratulates the Golden Eaglets of Nigeria on their victory over Mali in the final match of this year’s Under-17 FIFA World Cup tournament in Chile.

“President Buhari applauds the exemplary zeal, determination, commitment, hard work, patriotism and soccer artistry which the youthful Golden Eaglets put on display throughout the tournament to win the championship for a record fifth time.

“The President notes with delight that the Golden Eaglets not only won the coveted Under-17 FIFA World Cup, but they are also bringing home highly-valued individual awards such as the Golden Boot won by Victor Osimhen for being the tournament’s highest goal scorer and the Golden Ball, won by the team captain, Kelechi Nwakali for being the best player.

“President Buhari believes that by their triumph in Chile, the Golden Eaglets have shown the world that the indomitable Nigerian spirit is alive and waxing stronger.

“For the President, the Golden Eaglets’ latest victory on the global stage is an affirmation of the significant progress Nigeria is now making towards positively redefining and rediscovering its potential for greatness in the comity of nations.

“President Buhari trusts that if all other Nigerians imbibe and exhibit the doggedness, determination and patriotism displayed by their youthful compatriots in Chile, Nigeria will surely make faster progress towards becoming the strong, united, peaceful, secure and prosperous nation envisioned by its people.

“The President joins other proud Nigerians in awaiting the Golden Eaglets triumphant return to a heroes’ welcome from a joyous and grateful nation”.

Africans Are The Fastest Growing Immigrant Population In The US

Africans are becoming one of the fastest-growing immigrant populations in the United States. The number of foreign-born Africans moving to the US has nearly doubled every decade since 1970, according to a new study from the Pew Research Center.

As a percentage of the total immigrant population, they make up only 4.4% but when compared to other major immigrant groups, they have grown the most—an increase of 41% between 2000 and 2013. There were 1.8 million African immigrants living in the US as of 2013, according to US Census data, up from just 881,000 in 2000 and 80,000 in 1970.
The trend can be credited to new rules passed in the 1980s and 1990s that have made it easier for those fleeing conflict areas to gain asylum as well as potential emigres from underrepresented regions like sub-Saharan Africa. The top sending countries are Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, Ghana and Kenya, which account for almost half of the African population in the US. The US Census bureau has predicted that by 2060, some 16.5% of the country’s black population will be immigrants hailing from Africa as well as the Caribbean, South and Central America, Europe, and Asia.

Over half move to the south or the northeast and while their numbers are small, in some places they make up the majority of the foreign-born population. Africans account for as much as 28% of South Dakota’s foreign-born residents, led by Ethiopians and 21% in Minnesota, led by Somalians.

For the sending countries, this could be a problem. Many of them are some of their country’s best educated. According to Census data between 2008 and 2012, 41% of African-born residents had a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared with 28% of all foreign-born US residents. Another analysis of Census data found that 30% of African-born residents in New York City had obtained a college degree, in contrast to 22% of US blacks and 18% of Caribbean blacks.

Source: Quartz Africa

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Ghana Captain Asamoah Gyan Has Been Named Africa’s Highest Paid Footballer

Asamoah Gyan has been named as Africa’s highest paid footballer, the Ghana captain’s staggering £226,923.07 ($350,000 or GH¢1.429,615.03) a week salary in China placing him just above Ivory Coast captain, Yaya Toure who earns £220,000.00 weekly.

This was revealed by UK based website, Thekingmaker.me’s ratings of 200 best paid footballers in the world today in a list that included highest paid football coaches as well.

Gyan is number 6 in the world behind Lionel Messi (£313,461.00), Cristiano Ronaldo (£288,000.00), Wayne Rooney (£285,000.00), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (£275,000.00) and (Gareth Bale £256,000.00) with Yaya Toure just coming in at number 7.
Sergio Agüero (£220,000.00), David de Gea (£200,000.00) and Bastian Schweinsteiger £200,000.00 complete the Top 10 even though number 11, Eden Hazard and 12th, Luis Suárez both also earn £200,000.00 in weekly wages.

Conspicuously missing from the list however are Sulley Ali Muntari and Kevin-Prince Boateng who both reportedly earn over £100,000.00 weekly wages each even though KP’s brother, Jérôme Boateng is named at number 154 on a weekly wage of £64,800.00 at Bayern Munich.

Michael Essien however is the only other Ghanaian named in the list of 200 highest paid footballers at number 176 on £60,000.00 (GH¢378,000) a week.
On an African perspective, Emmanuel Adebayor is the 3rd highest paid player from the continent on £101,000.00 weekly (66th in the world) even though he remains unattached after his paying club, Tottenham Hotspurs failed to register him for competition this season.

Other African players on the list include Wilfried Bony £100,000.00 (76th), John Obi Mikel £75,000.00 (116th), Demba Cissé £70,000.00 (136th), Kolo Touré £65,000.00 (139th), Seydou Keita £55,000.00 (187th), Alex Song £50,000.00 (197th) and Cheik Tioté £50,000.00 (200th).

Underfire Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho is highest paid coach at number 18 on a reported £160,961.00 weekly wage followed by number 35, Louis van Gaal on £134,615.00, and Arsene Wenger on £126,923.00 at number 38.

27 Killed, Over 180 Injured In Fire at Bucharest Heavy Metal Concert

Over 180 people also injured after stage pyrotechnics ignite fire inside Romanian nightclub.
At least 27 people were killed and over 180 injured after a deadly fire and stampede broke out during a free heavy metal concert at a Bucharest, Romania nightclub. According to multiple reports, the blaze during the band Goodbye to Gravity's set was caused by stage pyrotechnics that ignited a pair of columns covered in foam insulation in the Soviet-era factory-turned-venue Colectiv, The Telegraph reports.
Photos from inside the venue before the fire spread show the flames climbing the pillars next to the stage up toward the ceiling. "The lead singer made a quick joke: 'This wasn't part of the program.' The next second, he realized it wasn't a joke and asked for a fire extinguisher," Delia Tugui, who was at the Friday night concert, wrote on her Facebook page (via The Associated Press). "In 30 seconds... the fire spread all over the ceiling. People rushed to the entrance but it was too narrow, and people panicked. Behind me people stampeded, climbing over each other, to try and get out."

The Telegraph writes that only one exit was available, forcing the crowd of over 300 people to funnel through that one door. However, once that exit door was opened, the venue filled with oxygen, which further fueled the fire.

Goodbye to Gravity's guitarists Vlad Telea and Mihai Alexandru were reportedly killed in the fire, while the band's singer Andrei Galut was hospitalized with serious burns to 45 percent of his body as well as injuries stemming from smoke inhalation, Blabbermouth reports. Bassist Alex Pascu is also reportedly underwent emergency surgery at a nearby hospital for undisclosed injuries. In 2008, Galut won Romania's Megastar singing competition.

The incident was the worst of its kind in Romania's history and is reminiscent of the February 2003 nightclub fire at a Great White concert in Rhode Island, where onstage pyrotechnics caused a fire that killed 100 people. "I am saddened, but also revolted that a tragedy of this scale could have taken place in Bucharest," Romanian president Klaus Iohannis said in a statement. "We already have indications that the legal regulations had not been respected. I hope that the authorities manage their inquiry with speed and rigor."

Three days of mourning in the Romanian capital are planned for the victims of the Colectiv fire, including a candlelight vigil Saturday outside the venue. "At this point we have to show respect for the dead, to understand how it happened and what we can do in the future to avoid such tragic events," Romania's prime minister Victor Ponta said.

Source: rollingstone

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Abacha Loot Is “Too Big” To Handle – World Bank Confesses

The greed of our leaders is on another level! Activists of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) are said to have contacted officials at the World Bank, demanding for information about the status of recovered funds looted by the late Nigerian Head of State, Sani Abacha, which is reportedly

over $11.3 billion.

Surprisingly, in response to the inquiry, World Bank representatives said:

“In response to your request, we would like to inform you that we are still considering your request and we will need additional time because the money involved is too huge for us to handle.” According to Channels, the report further states that it typically takes 20 working days to respond to such requests, however; under special cases it could take much longer time.World Bank has asked for more time to be able to supply information on the massive Abacha loot.

Overdoses Of Marijuana Kill 37 in Colorado On First Day Of Legalization

Colorado is reconsidering its decision to legalize recreational pot following the deaths of dozens due to marijuana overdoses.According to a report in the Rocky Mountain News, 37 people were killed across the state , the first day the drug became legal for all adults to purchase.

Several more are clinging onto life in local emergency rooms and are not expected to survive.
“It’s complete chaos here,” says Dr. Jack Shepard, chief of surgery at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Denver. “I’ve put five college students in body bags since breakfast and more are arriving every minute.
“We are seeing cardiac arrests, hypospadias, acquired trimethylaminuria and multiple organ failures. By next week the death toll could go as high as 200, maybe 300. Someone needs to step in and stop this madness. My god, why did we legalize marijuana? What were we thinking?”
Rainin’ Fire in the Sky

Colorado and Washington state approved the sale of marijuana for recreational use in November though statewide ballot measures. Under the new policies pot is legal for adult use, regulated like alcohol and heavily taxed.

One of the principal arguments of legalization advocates was that cannabis has long been considered safer than alcohol and tobacco and was not thought not to cause overdose. But a brave minority tried to warn Coloradans of the drug’s dangers.

“We told everyone this would happen,” says Peter Swindon, president and CEO of local brewer MolsonCoors. “Marijuana is a deadly hardcore drug that causes addiction and destroys lives.

“When was the last time you heard of someone overdosing on beer? All these pro-marijuana groups should be ashamed of themselves. The victims’ blood is on their hands.”

One of the those victims was 29-year-old Jesse Bruce Pinkman, a former methamphetamine dealer from Albuquerque who had recently moved to Boulder to establish a legal marijuana dispensary.

Pinkman was partying with friends when he suffered several seizures and a massive heart attack which ultimately proved to be fatal. Toxicology reports revealed that marijuana was the only drug present in his system.

“This is just a terrible tragedy,” says his friend Peter. “Jesse was trying to go legit and now this happens? I guess drugs really are as dangerous as they say.”

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, who opposed the ballot initiative that legalized the drug, says he will call a special legislative session to try and overturn the new law.

“We can’t sit idly by and allow this slaughter to continue,” he said during a press conference Thursday.

SHOCKING!!! Chinese Woman Gives Birth To Septuplets (7 Babies), Has One Week To Choose

Shanghai, China—In the second such documented case ever, Jinan Huang, a 33-year-old Shanghai woman, gave birth to septuplets Monday.Jinan, who is in stable condition following the 31-hour delivery, has been given one week by government officials to decide which child she will keep.

My husband and I have not decided for certain,” said Jinan, speaking to reporters from her hospital bed shortly after the miraculous birth. “But we are very much considering keeping the second-born boy. He is the heaviest and, therefore, the most likely to survive and tend to us in our old age.”

“We definitely do not want either of the two girls,” Jinan’s husband Lin said. “Of that much we are certain.”

The six children not selected will, in accordance with Chinese multiple-birth law, be thrown off a mountaintop.

Since China’s one-child-per-family law went into effect in 1983, more than 65 million multiple-birth babies have been put to death in the country.

Jinan, who said she had tried to have a baby for years, vehemently denied taking fertility drugs, the use of which is punishable by death in China. “I do not know how this happened,” she said. “To my fellow citizens and our nation’s leaders, I wish to apologize for this shameful and irresponsible multiple birth.”


Source: gossipmill

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#Indian Man Faces Deportation Over Fake Marriage

It has emerged that the marriage between Ashok Kumar Sivaram, an Indian, and his Ghanaian wife, Gifty Abanka Abalisimi, is not legitimate to guarantee him a Ghanaian citizenship.

Following this revelation, Ashok is facing a possible repatriation as his residence permit is on the verge of being revoked.

A search conducted at the Marriage Registry of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) revealed that no marriage had been registered under the Marriage Act, 1884-1985 (CAP 127) in respect of Ashok Kumar Sivaram and Gifty Abanka Abalisimi.
Speculations are rife that Ashok contracted the ‘fake marriage’ in order to acquire Ghanaian citizenship as his previous marriage to an Indian woman, Seema Madhavan Nair, back in 1987 in India was not disclosed at the time of contracting the marriage in Kumasi in December 2012.

A letter from the Registrar of Marriages and Divorce Registry said certificate number KMA/1299/12 as contained in the couple’s marriage certificate was procured outside the registry.

According to the registrar, the development suggests that Mr and Mrs Sivaram’s marriage certificate is unauthentic, and might have been procured outside the genuine processes required by law.

Mr Kumar Sivaram had applied to be granted citizenship status as a Ghanaian to the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) after he submitted the said marriage certificate between him and Gifty Abanka Abalisimi.

Due diligence conducted by officials of GIS has exposed the Indian as an unqualified person to be accorded that status.

It is not clear whether the advice given him by the registrar of marriages and divorce had been taken.

The Ghana Immigration Service, in a letter on its findings, revealed that the applicant had presented a fake marriage certificate to advance his request for Ghana’s citizenship.

It said, “The Registrar of Marriages and Divorce at the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) in a letter dated 30 September, 2015 refuted the genuineness of the said certificate and stated categorically that it did not emanate from his office.”

According to the letter, Ashok, upon invitation to the office on October 8 this year in the presence of his lawyer, Gary Nimako Marfo, insisted that the certificate was genuine until a copy of the said letter from the registry was presented to them for examination, leading to the admission that the certificate was fake.

Nimako Marfo, the report disclosed, accepted the challenge and pleaded to conduct their independent investigation into the matter and that on October 12, Ashok and the said lawyer reported to the office confirming that the certificate was fake.

The lawyer explained that his client was unaware that he had been given a fake certificate because it was issued to him and his wife at the KMA premises.

When Mr Nimako Marfo was contacted, he questioned the rationale in writing the story. “What is public interest in this story?” he queried when DAILY GUIDE contacted him after Ashok had referred the paper to him.

Ashok had wondered how DAILY GUIDE got the story, saying that he wanted to have a one-on-one interview, but rather referred the paper to his lawyer.

The Immigration Service letter further disclosed that there were no indications that an earlier marriage contracted between Ashok and Seema Madhavan Nair in India had been dissolved.

“The investigation team, through intelligence, had a marriage document which shows that subject was earlier married to Seema Madhavan Nair in India in1987…however, when applicant was filling the application form, he did not mention that he ever married,” the letter averred.

It said Ashok again did not state in the vetting form that he had any children, but when questioned as to whether he had any children, he responded in the affirmative, saying he had two children from his previous relationship, although he was not married.

As a result, the GIS, stressing that the applicant presented a fake certificate and lied on oath, recommended the immediate repatriation of Ashok.

“It’s our humble recommendation that based on the key findings, applicant’s residence permit be revoked in accordance with Section 20 (2) (a) of the Immigration Act 2000 (Act 573) and be repatriated immediately in accordance with Section 20 (3) (a) of the same Act,” it said.

Curiously, since the GIS findings, Ashok is still hopping about carrying out his dealings.

Source: ghanaweb

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SHOCKING!!! Wreckship In Greece Kill 31 People In Aegean Sea (Photos)

 LESBOS, Greece (AP) — Greece's prime minister lashed out Friday at European "ineptness" in handling the continent's massive immigration crisis after 31 more people — mostly children — drowned in shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea.

Greece's Merchant Marine Ministry said 19 people died and 138 were rescued near the eastern island of Kalymnos, in one of the worst accidents in Greek waters since hundreds of thousands starting fleeing the war in Syria. Eight of the victims were children and three were babies.

At least three more people — a woman, a child and a baby — died when another migrant boat sank off the nearby Greek island of Rhodes, and three more were missing. On the islet of Agathonissi, a fisherman recovered the body of a boy missing from yet another accident on Wednesday.
The death toll in the Aegean over the past three days has now reached at least 50. On the Turkish side, Turkey's state-run agency said four children drowned and two others were missing after two new accidents Friday involving boats en route to the Greek islands of Lesbos and Samos.
ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Nearly 600 people were rescued by the Greek coast guard in the past 24 hours, while thousands more made it safely from Turkey to Greece southeastern islands.

Far to the west in Spain, rescuers found the bodies of four migrants and were searching for 35 missing from a boat that ran into trouble trying to reach Spain from Morocco.

ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Greece is the main point of entry for people fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa and seeking a better life in Europe, after an alternative sea route from Libya to Italy became too dangerous. Well over half a million people — mainly Syrians and Afghans — have arrived so far this year from the nearby Turkish coast, as European governments weigh taking tougher measures to try to limit the number of arrivals in Europe.

The influx has overwhelmed authorities in financially struggling Greece.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras accused Europe of an "inability to defend its (humanitarian) values" by providing a safe alternative to the dangerous sea journeys.

"I want to express ... my endless grief at the dozens of deaths and the human tragedy playing out in our seas," he told parliament. "The waves of the Aegean are not just washing up dead refugees, dead children, but (also) the very civilization of Europe."

ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

"What about the tens of thousands of living children, who are cramming the roads of migration?" he said.

Tsipras blamed the migrant flows on western military interventions in the Middle East, which he said furthered geopolitical interests rather than democracy.

"And now, those who sowed winds are reaping whirlwinds, but these mainly afflict reception countries," he added.

"I feel ashamed of Europe's inability to effectively address this human drama, and of the level of debate ... where everyone tries to shift responsibility to someone else," Tsipras said.

Four coast guard patrol vessels, a helicopter and three fishing boats helped rescue the survivors off Kalymnos, and nobody was listed as missing, the Merchant Marine Ministry said. The accident occurred shortly before midnight Thursday, when the wooden boat in which the migrants had left from Turkey took on water and sank in moderately strong winds.

Meanwhile, authorities on Friday raised to 16 the number of deaths from another migrant ship disaster off the island of Lesbos on Wednesday. They said 274 people have been rescued in total, while one more migrant remains listed as missing.

JAVI JULIO/ANADOLU AGENCY/GETTY IMAGES

Tsipras accused Western countries of shedding "crocodile tears" over children dying in the Aegean but doing little for those who make it across.

"What about the tens of thousands of living children, who are cramming the roads of migration?" he said.

Tsipras blamed the migrant flows on Western military interventions in the Middle East, which he said furthered geopolitical interests rather than democracy.

"And now, those who sowed winds are reaping whirlwinds, but these mainly afflict reception countries," he added.

"I feel ashamed of Europe's inability to effectively address this human drama, and of the level of debate ... where everyone tries to shift responsibility to someone else," Tsipras said.

ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

On the ground, it's a 24-hour battle to keep up with the river of people entering Europe and trekking hundreds of miles north to wealthier EU nations.

Four coast guard patrol vessels, a helicopter and three fishing boats helped rescue the survivors off Kalymnos and nobody was listed as missing, the Merchant Marine Ministry said. The accident occurred shortly before midnight Thursday, when the wooden boat in which the migrants had left from Turkey took on water and sank in moderately strong winds.

Meanwhile, authorities on Friday raised to 16 the number of deaths from another smuggling ship disaster Wednesday off the island of Lesbos. They said 274 people have been rescued, while one migrant remains missing.

In Spain, the Marine Rescue service said Friday that 15 migrants were found alive on the boat Thursday in the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Spanish port of Malaga, and four bodies were recovered. Some 35 people are still missing.

Along Slovenia's border with Austria, hundreds of migrants, many holding children in their arms, pushed through metal barriers and a police cordon Friday into Austria.

Several people were seen collapsing amid the melee near the Slovenian refugee camp in Sentilj. A backlog of some 4,000 migrants has formed at the border as Austrian authorities struggled to process the thousands arriving daily from Slovenia.

DARKO BANDIC/ASSOCIATED PRESS

The foreign minister of Hungary, which has fenced off its southern border, called the refugee crisis is "the most serious challenge the European Union has ever faced." Speaking Friday in Athens, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto also denounced "a piece of hypocrisy" in the criticism of his nation's decision to fence off its border.

Urging stronger EU action to guard Greece's porous sea border with Turkey, Szijjarto said instead of "bashing and criticizing each other," EU members should formulate a common approach on immigration.

Tsipras' left-led government has appealed for more assistance from its EU partners. It argues that the migrants should be registered in camps in Turkey, then flown directly to host countries under the EU's relocation program, in order to spare them the perilous sea voyage.


Source: huffingtonpos

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One-Child Policy In China’s Has Finally Ends – But Is It Too Little, Too Late?

 

For years, the typical on-screen Chinese family looked something like this: Glowing parents doting over one precious child.

The taglines drummed it home: “One hope.” “One joy.” “One responsibility.”

In other words, China’s one-child policy was the family’s way to support and help the state.

But, in recent times, the perfect television family has changed.

In a commercial earlier this year, a boy begrudgingly shares a toy with his younger sister, then they all gather together with a large brood to watch the televised Lunar New Year Gala. The new message was: Two is better than one.

In the typical fashion of Chinese state media, the bigger the news, the shorter the article. This one came in one sentence, just as foreign reporters were clocking off work.

And it started with a bombshell: “China will allow all couples to have two children, abandoning its decades-long one-child policy.”

The decision came after a secretive four day meeting in a Beijing hotel where senior communist party officials strategized a five year plan for the ruling party.

In a country ruled by top-down command politics, few edicts have been as controversial or as hated as the one-child policy.

Now, it’s being amended to try to save an aging and declining workforce.

For about 35 years, the Party enforced its policy on most Chinese to curb population growth, and to spur the economy.

When the propaganda didn’t work, local officials have resorted to abortions, heavy fines, and forced sterilization.

The policy was always a bit of a misnomer as millions of Chinese weren’t restricted to one child. But it was the urban and often up and coming Chinese families that had to bear the brunt of the rules.

But even as the party steadily relaxed the policy, allowing parents, who themselves were an only child, to have a second child — many parents came to the realization that another bundle of joy wasn’t realistic.

Yang Xue and Chang Zi’an told me earlier this year that though they could qualify for a second child, they had no plans for a brother or sister for Tao Zi because it was just too expensive — even for two professionals.

In fact, demographers say that the changes in policy this year have all been too little too late.

“China has already begun to feel an unfolding crisis in terms of its population change,” Wang Feng, a professor at Fudan University, told me earlier this year, “History will look back to see the one-child policy as one of the most glaring policy mistakes that China has made in its modern history,” he said.

Chinese government officials still maintain that it was necessary to keep population numbers down, to allow China’s breakneck growth without an added burden of a population strain. But now China faces a rapidly graying population.

The government says the country could become home to the highest elderly population on the planet in just 15 years, with more than 400 million people over the age of 60.

Researchers say healthcare and social services will all be burdened by the graying population, and the world’s second largest economy will struggle to maintain its growth, because there simply would not be enough workers to push the economy forward.

The Party will be hoping this latest decision will spark a baby boom. And the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Source: CNN

British Ghanaian Actor, Model And MTV Host, Sam Sarpong Commits Suicide

British-Ghanaian actor and model Sam Sarpong, known for co-hosting MTV’s “Yo Momma” and presenting the BET Award for Best International Act, died Monday, his rep confirmed. He was 40.

Sarpong died after jumping off a bridge in Pasadena, Calif., according to E! News. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner has ruled his death a suicide, with an autopsy pending.
“It is with great sadness that the family of Samuel Sarpong, Jr. must share the news that Sam has passed away,” said his publicist in a statement. “The circumstances surrounding his death are currently under investigation and no additional details are known at this time. Information about final arrangements will be forthcoming. The family appreciates the thoughts prayers and other expressions of sympathy, and request their privacy be respected at this extremely difficult time.”

“[Sarpong] had a pure heart and always went out of his way to help others,” his rep, J.D. Sobol, told Variety. “We will all miss him dearly.”

The British-American star was born in London and moved to Los Angeles with his father when he was 11. He would go on to book modeling work, including being the face of Tommy Hilfiger for six years, as well as walking runways for Versace, Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana and Donna Karen.

Sarpong’s first onscreen role came in an episode of Claire Danes’ “My So-Called Life” in 1994. His big TV break, however, came in 2006, when MTV cast him as one of its co-hosts for “Yo Momma.” Sarpong and Valderrama traveled across the country for three seasons to find the best trash talkers. After the show ended in 2007, Sarpong hosted BET pre-awards show “All Access.”

His other TV credits include “Pacific Blue,” “Family Matters,” “ER,” “Boston Public,” “Everybody Hates Chris,” “Veronica Mars,” “Bones” and “24.” He also had a role in FX’s heavily buzzed “American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson,” which is set to debut next year.

He appeared in films “Carmen: The Hip Hopera,” “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” and “Anchor Baby.”

Sarpong is survived by his father, Samuel Sarpong Sr., and his sister, June.


Source: jumpfon

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