Uh uh! Ghanaian actress, Christabel Ekeh arrested over her nude photos

Ghbase.com is reporting that Ghanaian-Nigerian actress Christabel Ekeh is presently in Police custody over the nude photos of herself she released on social media.

According to the platform, the actress is being interrogated by the Ghana Police in a bid to tighten up indecent exposure laws in the country.

Recall that earlier this month, the actress sent the internet into a frenzy when she released her naked pictures on her Instagram page which later was blocked.

Although many thought her account was hacked, however, the actress in an interview said she released the photos herself in order to welcome everybody to the new 'Christabel'.

James Rodriguez Split From Wife After 6 Years  amid Claims Of An Affair With A Russian Model

Real Madrid football star, Jame Rodriquez, who's currently on loan at Bayern Munich has split from his wife of six years, amid claims of an affair with a Russian model.

It was confirmed by Football platform,  Marca that the Colombian midfielder who was voted the sexiest footballer in 2014, has parted with Daniela Ospina, sister of Arsenal goalkeeper David.

This comes amid reports in Colombia and Spain that Rodriguez has been involved in a love triangle with model Russian model Helga Lovekaty. 

Marca report that an affair with Lovekaty is the reason for the end of the footballer's marriage to the mother of his only child. 

A statement from Ospina's manager confirmed the pair, who have a daughter together, had made the decision amicably. 

The message said: 'Daniela Ospina and James Rodriguez, parents to Salome Rodriguez Ospina, are making official their separation after six and half years of marriage

It is done in the best possible terms and it is a mutual decision. They'll maintain a relationship of love and of respect, always with Salome's well being at heart.'

The couple, both Colombian, had married when they were teenagers, with Rodriguez aged 19 and Ospina just 18.

Samsung overtakes Apple to become world’s biggest phone maker

Samsung Electronics has overtaken Apple to become the world’s largest maker of mobile phones, memory chips and the most profitable tech firm.

The South Korean tech giant's quarterly earnings was released on Thursday and the figures show that Samsung is on course to overtake Apple as the world’s most profitable tech firm. The firm said huge sales of its new Galaxy S8 smartphone and demand for its memory chips were behind the jump in April-June and predicted another blockbuster report for the current quarter to September.

Samsung pulled in 61 trillion won ($54.8 billion) in revenue and 14 trillion won ($12.6 billion) in profit for the three months ending June 31. Apple will release its earnings for the same period next week. Analysts expect the Apple to report revenue of $44.9 billion and an operating profit of $10.5 billion.

Though Samsung is the world's leading smartphone maker, it was bumper demand for memory chips that drove the company's earnings to new heights. The chips unit posted 8 trillion won ($7.2 billion) in operating profit, or nearly half the group's total. Analysts expect the momentum to continue for the rest of the year, driven by the release of Samsung's next smartphone, the Galaxy Note 8, and sustained demand for memory chips.

However, Greg Roh, an analyst at HMC Investment Securities, told AFP: "Samsung has surpassed its rivals for now but Apple usually sees little fluctuation in its profits whereas Samsung's profits fluctuate largely on memory chip prices." 

Kwara state civil servant to be arraigned in court for allegedly criticizing Senate President, Bukola Saraki on Facebook- SR

According to Sahara Reporters, a civil servant with the Kwara state civil service, Biodun Baba, has been arrested and will be arraigned in a court in Ilorin, the state capital today. According to SR, he is being charged to court for insulting Senate President, Bukola Saraki, via his Facebook page.

3 Policemen Dismissed For Illegal Arrest And Extortion Of N200k From Young Men Wrongfully Accused Of Being Yahoo Boys In Lagos

Three policemen attached to Area ‘N’ Command Ijede-Ikorodu under the Lagos State Command have been dismissed from the service for carrying out illegal arrests and extortion. The affected police officers are (i) AP.No 136005 Inspr. Okelue Nkemeonye, (ii) F/No. 355897 Sgt. Braimoh Sunday and (iii) F/No. 359928 Sgt. Yusuf Olukoga, all pictured above. Their dismissal followed an Orderly Room trial at the Zone Two Command Headquarters, Onikan-Yaba, Lagos in which the men were found guilty by the Adjudicating officer on two charges of offence against discipline as provided for in paragraphs C (ii) Corrupt Practices and E (iii) Discreditable Conduct of the First Schedule of Police Act and Regulations Cap. P19. Law of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

According to a statement by the police, On the 21st June, 2017 the Public Complaint Rapid Response Unit (PCRRU) received a complaint via WhatsApp number 0805 700 0003 which states thus:

“My name is (withheld), I went to the bank this morning to deposit money to a Company’s account (name withheld) but there was no network so i deposited the money into my personal account to do the transfer to the account later. When I came out of the bank, a car packed full of some SARS policemen wearing black cloth with anti-robbery squad written at the back. I was told to enter the vehicle with a gun pointed at me. They collected my mobile phone and asked me what I do for a living. I told them that I had just finish my youth service and I am leaving with my brother and I pointed my brother shop for them to stop by and see him because he was the one that sent me to the bank. They refused to wait and they did not allow me to pick my calls and call out. I received an alert on my phone with the money I went to deposit they search my phone on seeing the alert, they started roping that am a yahoo boy telling me that I would pay them 1Million, one of them slapped me, they drove us around places in Ikorodu, ijede, gberigbe, ibeshe, igbe, ikpakodo, itaelewa, agric and first gate harassing people, moving them in the car and collecting huge amount from them. They collected N50, 000.00 from me but I notice that each junctions that we reached people were hailing there leader by his nickname (OJ. Ojewunmi). And one by name Austin slapped me. They picked me up around 9am and dropped me 6pm in the evening after collecting money from me. They even use my account to collect money from the guys that I met in the car and used my ATM to withdraw from them”

Upon the receipt of the complaint, a case with Tracking Number #PCRRU637624 was registered and acknowledgment of complaint sent to the complainant. PCRRU Investigation team was dispatched to Ikorodu where all the three dismissed policemen including AP No. 98199 ASP Bayo Obadia who led the team were apprehended. PCRRU preliminary investigation reveals that all the allegations contained in the WhatsApp message actually happened. Also the four police officers who were armed on the day of the incident falsely paraded themselves as operatives of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) despite not being posted to SARS by police authorities. Investigation also shows that the officers extorted a total sum of N200,000 from the young men who they tagged “Yahoo Yahoo Boys”, the money was forced from them via N90,000 ATM withdrawal and N110,000 mobile bank money transfer to a third party account provided by the policemen. All the extorted N200,000 was recovered by the PCRRU Investigators.

All the arrested officers, witnesses and recovered exhibits including the N200,000 cash and printed bank statement of account were handed over to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2 Lagos for further detailed investigation and necessary disciplinary measures. The approval of the punishment of dismissal from service as recommended by the Adjudicating officer is part of the outcome of the disciplinary measures. In the case of ASP Bayo Obadiah who led the team of the infamous men on this unacceptable conduct, an Official Query was issued to him by the AIG Zone 2 Lagos, both his reply and Query has been forwarded to the office of the Force Secretary, Force Headquarters, Abuja from where it would proceed to the Police Service Commission as required by Police Regulations.

The statement adds that the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris NPM, mni has commended the complainant for coming forward to report the incident to PCRRU. The IGP has also said that all allegations of professional misconduct reported against any police officer would be treated in line with relevant laws and in keeping to the “Change Begins With Me Champaign” of the Federal Government.

"Nigerians Need To Stop Blaming Only The Government! They Should Include Themselves!" Uti Nwachukwu

TV host and BBA winner, Uti Nwachukwu took to his Twitter page to rant about untrustworthy and fraudulent Nigerians. According to him, Nigerians need to stop putting the blame only on the government but work on changing their attitude. 

A Controversial Book About The Last Days Of Nelson Mandela Has Been Withdrawn By The Publisher

A controversial new book about the last days and life of South Africa's former President Nelson Mandela titled 'Mandela's last years' has been withdrawn by the publisher.

Late Mandela's family had complained that the book, written by his doctor, Vijay Ramlakan, contained personal details about the last days of the former president and freedom fighter.

In a statement issued by the publisher 'Penguin Random House' it said it had pulled the book "out of respect" for the family, saying the author had told the publishers that Mr Mandela's family had asked for the book to be published.

Read the withdrawal statement below...

Mayor Forces Minneapolis Police Chief To Resign One Week After Fatal Police Shooting Of A Woman Who Called 911

Janeé Harteau, the Minneapolis Police Chief resigned on Friday, about a week after a police officer shot and killed a woman who had called officers for help.

Harteau, who has been chief since 2013, said the killing of Justine Ruszczyk was among several factors that led her to step down.

In her statement, "last Saturday's tragedy, as well as some other recent incidents, have caused me to engage in deep reflection. I've decided I am willing to step aside to let a fresh set of leadership eyes see what more can be done for the MPD to be the very best it can be."

Mayor Betsy Hodges said she asked Harteau to resign because "I've lost confidence in the chief's ability to lead us further and from the many conversations I've had with people around our city, especially this week, it is clear that she has lost the confidence of the people of Minneapolis as well." 

The mayor also announced that Assistant Chief Medaria "Rondo" Arradondo will move into Harteau's job. The mayor said she would not resign.

Late Ruszczyk was a 40-yr old Australian native who moved to Minnesota in 2014 and was active in the community as a yoga and meditation instructor. Her wedding was scheduled for next month.

She had called 911 to report a possible assault near her home. Minneapolis police officers Mohamed Noor and Matthew Harrity arrived about 11:30 p.m. Saturday. Police said a squad car entered an alley and Ruszczyk approached the driver's side to talk with the officers but the officer in the passenger seat, Noor, shot and killed the unarmed Ruszczyk.

Two Dead And Dozens Hurt As Quake Hits Greek And Turkish Resorts, Triggering Tsunami

Powerful magnitude-6.7 quake has struck off the south west coast of Bodrum, Turkey, triggering a tsunami and leaving two people dead and hundreds more injured.

The earthquake struck overnight. The tsunami that resulted thereof hit tourist resorts in the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas, damaging buildings across the region, carrying away cars and depositing boats in town streets. Tourists fled their hotels in terror and some even jumped from balconies as they ran for their lives.

Two male tourists - a 22-year-old from Sweden and a 39-year-old from Turkey - died on the Greek island of Kos after being crushed under a collapsed ceiling at the packed White Corner Club bar. Several others are injured with one tourist from Sweden losing both of his legs. A state of emergency had been declared on the island of Kos. 

Rescuers have been sifting through rubble searching for trapped survivors. In Turkey, at least 70 people were admitted to hospitals in Bodrum. Video taken when the quake hit showed staff and patients at Bodrum State Hospital cowering for cover. The disaster caused a large electrical fire to break out in the city after a power pylon came crashing to the ground

Many tourists were forced to sleep outside, along the roads, or beaches after they were warned not to re-enter hotels damaged by the quake. Kristian Stevens, 48, from Nelson in Lancashire said he had just gone to bed when, at around 1.30am local time, he felt the building he was in "shake like a jelly".

He said: "It was quite surreal as I had just laid down in bed and the whole building shook. The whole building shook like a jelly. Many of the locals rushed out into the streets still in underwear. Some have been seen with blankets and pillows not sure if it is safe to return home."

Sophie Wild said she ran from her third floor accommodation when she woke to a loud banging noise.

She said: "We were asleep and were awoken by what sounded like banging on our door, it got louder and louder and the building started shaking. We jumped up ran to the balcony to see what it was (my first thought when we heard the banging was that we were being attacked). When we realised it was an earthquake, we got an immediate sense to get out, we thought the building was going to crumble around us. We ran down our stairs (from the third floor". People were running out of rooms, banging on people's doors to make sure they were out. Everyone just ran outside and waited for a couple of hours - it's only now that people are starting to go back to their rooms. There are a few cracks in the walls but otherwise staff says it's safe."

Turkey's Foreign Ministry confirmed a Turkish citizen had died and said a second national in serious condition was being evacuated to Athens for treatment. The country has also sent a vessel to the island to bring some 200 Turkish tourists home. A number of flights at the airport have been cancelled while the port suffered major damage and ships are unable to dock.

Fans Of Bayelsa Queens Football Club Attack Sunshine Queens FC Players After A Match

Some fans of the Bayelsa Queens football club attacked Sunshine Queens FC players after a league game in Nembe, Bayelsa state yesterday July 19th. According to reports, the fans were angry that the goalkeeper of the Sunshine Queens FC prevented their home club from scoring as many goals, despite that they won the match 1-0. The goalkeeper was singled out during the attack and was rushed to the hospital after sustaining serious head injury.

Sunshine Queens reportedly received lots of threats during the game by the fans who vowed to deal with them if they succeed in preventing Bayelsa Queens from winning during the game.

Linkin Park Singer Chester Bennington, 41, Commits Suicide By Hanging At His Home

Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington committed suicide at his home in LA today according to a report by TMZ. Read full report below...

Law enforcement sources tell us the singer hanged himself at a private residence in Palos Verdes Estates in L.A. County. His body was discovered Thursday just before 9 AM.

Chester was married with 6 children from 2 wives.

The singer struggled with drugs and alcohol for years. He had said in the past he had considered committing suicide because he had been abused as a child by an older male.

Chester was very close with Chris Cornell, who himself committed suicide by hanging in May. Today would have been Cornell's 53rd birthday. Chester wrote an open letter to Chris on the day of Chris' suicide.

The band has had a string of hits over the years, including "Faint," "In the End" and "Crawling." Linkin Park crossed music genres, collaborating with Jay-Z.

The band's album, "Meteora," was one of the biggest alternative albums in music history.

Bennington was 41.

Arsenal Players Struck By Food Poisoning In China

Arsenal stars were struck by food poisoning in China that prevented several key players from playing their pre-season friendly with Bayern Munich on Wednesday, manager Arsene Wenger said in a statement.

According to the French coach, the sickness swept the Arsenal camp, coupled with the severe heat in China and extensive travelling to different climates wasn't "ideal physically" for the players.

Olivier Giroud missed Wednesday's friendly victory over Bayern Munich because of food poisoning, then captain Per Mertesacker pulled out of the game just moments before kick-off because he too fell ill with the same problem. 

New signing Sead Kolasinac also had to come off before the break and second-half substitutes Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey both finished the game not feeling well.

During the game, the Arsenal team were poor in the first half in the 36 degrees Celsius (97F) heat and Wenger admitted that the extreme conditions in Shanghai were "a shock" after flying in from Australia, which is in its winter

"I was a bit scared that tonight we could have big problems and in fact in the first half we suffered a bit," said Wenger.

"Ramsey finished the game, but Walcott, Kolasinac, Mertesacker, Giroud, they all had a little food poisoning."

Wenger said the club did not know what caused the food poisoning.

Wenger added of the punishing preseason schedule that many top European clubs now undertake to far-flung destinations for commercial reasons: "If you ask me is it ideal physically to prepare? I'd say certainly not.

"Has it got other advantages? Yes because we can meet fans all over the world so that is very positive."

Only One Candidate Out Of Six Showed Up For Election Debate On TV In Kenya

A TV debate for Kenyan politicians hoping to become vice president in next month's elections went ahead with only one candidate in attendance.

The solo attendee, Muthiora Kariara who is running with independent presidential candidate Japheth Kaluyu, answered questions for about an hour.

Some of the candidates were not allowed to take part because they arrived late, while the main candidates for deputy president, the current holder of the office William Ruto and Kalonzo Musyoka of the opposition National Super Alliance, boycotted the debate.

Viewers who tuned in saw a stage set with six podiums at the Catholic University of East Africa in Nairobi but only one of them was occupied. 

'Do Not Surrender To Your Enemies, Kill Yourself Before They Capture You' - Philippine's President Rodrigo Duterte Tells Governmentt Troops

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday told government troops not to allow themselves to be captured alive by enemies of the state and instead kill themselves if they are cornered in a battle.

"Do not surrender alive," he told soldiers after turning over 3,000 units of 45-calibre pistols for the military. "I will give you a pistol with three magazines, but remember one is for you and two is for the enemies."

Duterte said soldiers, especially those deployed in the southern Philippines, should not give Islamist militants the opportunity to execute and behead them, which the terrorists film and later on release on the internet.

"It is very horrifying and traumatic for (family members) to see that," he said. "I don't mind losing the guns to the enemies, but don't give the guns to them alive. Never allow yourself to be degraded."

Nearly 100 soldiers have been killed in almost two months of fighting with hundreds of Islamic State-allied militants in Marawi City, 800 kilometres south of Manila.

Troops have killed more than 400 militants, who have executed 45 civilians since the fighting started on May 23. Some of the executions have been filmed by the militants and released on the internet, the military said.

Chelsea Coach Antonio Conte Signs 2-Year Contract Extension

Antonio Conte has just signed a two-year contract extension with us that'll see him stay at Stamford Bridge till 2021.

Speaking to Chelsea FC's official website about his new contract, Conte said: "'I am very happy to have signed a new contract with Chelsea. We worked extremely hard in our first year to achieve something amazing, which I am very proud of. Now we must work even harder to stay at the top. The Chelsea fans have given me so much support since I arrived here one year ago and it is important we continue to succeed together."  

Last season, Conte took the Blues from tenth in the Premier League to the peak and to their fifth league title under Roman Abramovich.

Texas Signs A Law That Allows People Openly Carry A Sword

From September 2017, adults in Texas can openly carry knives with blades longer than 5.5 inches. 

Texas Governor, Greg Abbott signed the bill into law last month, but it doesn't go into effect until September 1, 2017. Under the existing law knives with blades longer than 5.5 inches could be purchased but not carried which has now changed in the new law.

However, there are some places where the new law won't apply including schools, prisons, hospitals, amusement parks or places of worship. Long blades are still banned at sports events. And you can't bring your sword into a bar, either. 

Under thenew law, swords, spears, daggers, sabers, bowie knives and machetes are all perfectly fine to carry around.

Stanford University Professor Who Is The Only Woman To Win Mathematics Highest Award, Dies At 40

Maryam Mirzakhani, a Stanford University professor who became the only woman to receive the highest honor in mathematics is dead.

She died Saturday, July 15, 2017 at the age of 40 after a long battle with cancer.

The Iran native thrived in study of curved surfaces such as doughnut shapes and amoebas to a degree that other bright minds in the field dared not explore. In 2014, she became the first woman to receive the Fields Medal, the highest honor in mathematics and equivalent in reputation to a Nobel Prize.

The International Mathematical Union established the award in 1936 and has presented it to at least two people every four years since 1950. All 52 recipients before Mirazkhani were men.

FIFA Whistle-blower Chuck Blazer Dies At 72

Former FIFA official Chuck Blazer, whose evidence to US investigators was key in the FIFA corruption scandal, has died aged 72.

 Blazer, whose admissions of corruption ultimately led to the downfall of Sepp Blatter, long-time FIFA president, had been battling cancer before his death.

He was a former FIFA executive committee member who was banned for life from all football activities in 2015 for accepting bribes in conjunction with bids to host previous football World Cup contests.


His lawyers in a statement confirming his death said, 'we are truly saddened by the passing of our client and friend, Chuck Blazer. His misconduct, for which he accepted full responsibility, should not obscure Chuck's positive impact on international soccer'.
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South African Landlord Evicts Tenant For Using 400 Litres Of Water A Day, Claims She Flushes The Toilet 22 Times In One Day

With some town in South Africa experiencing water shortage, a landlord from Cape town has evicted one of his tenants because she was using up to 400 litres of water a day, including flushing her toilet 22 times in one day.

Alex Lepnik‚ 47‚ a landlord from Table View in the city of Cape town‚ sent the woman packing after failed to adhere to his initial warning on water usage at his compound.

“I put in my rental agreements that the water allowance is recommended from the City of Cape Town. It is written in the contract and also‚ when the tenant moves in‚ I advise them of this‚” Lepnik was quoted on Timeslive

According to him, “the lady was using excessive amounts of water. She would use up to 400 litres of water a day. I have a meter on the toilet and it showed that she flushed the toilet 22 times in one day.”

Lepnik who claims his personal water use is 60 litres a day, explained that even though he will lose out on an income‚ sometimes saving water trumps monetary gain.

The landlord, however, revealed that he has got another alternative method by installing a big water-harvesting system

“I have installed a big water-harvesting system. I harvest rainwater and I use very little municipal water. You cannot keep on adding people to the same grid‚ knowing that the grid cannot take all that pressure.”

The City of Cape Town mayoral committee member Xanthea Limberg said the dam levels remain critically low‚ despite recent rains.

He, therefore, urged residents to manage the use of water consumption as the dam levels currently stand at 25.4%. The last 10% is not safe for consumption, according to him.

Russian Military Court Jails Five Men Found Guilty In The Killing Of Opposition Leader, Boris Nemtsov

Russian state media agency, Tass confirms that a military court has sentenced five Chechen men found guilty in the killing of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov to lengthy prison terms.

Late Nemtsov, a vocal Kremlin critic and deputy prime minister in the late 1990s to President Boris Yeltsin, was shot dead in February 2015 as he walked with his girlfriend in central Moscow.

 Former Chechen soldier Zaur Dadaev, who investigators say acted as the gunman, was handed a 20-year sentence, while Four other men all of whom were convicted of being accomplices in the same court last month were handed terms ranging between 11 and 19 years.

 All five will serve their time in a high-security penal colony.

 Moscow's District Military Court also fined each man 100,000 rubles ($1,670). The trial of the five men began in October 2016, seven months after the suspects were arrested.

Traditional rulers must not be heard speaking the English language at public functions in Imo again - Imo State Governor Rochas

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state has restrained traditional rulers from speaking the English language at public functions in the communities of the state.

According to him, all monarchs in Imo State must speak the indigenous language at functions and conduct activities in their palaces in Igbo.

The governor gave the order on Tuesday, July 11, during the handing over ceremony of the staff of office and certificate of recognition to 19 monarchs at the Government House, Owerri, Daily Sun reports. 

Okorocha also called on the traditional rulers to promote peace, progress, and prosperity rather than causing a division and disunity in their respective community. He warned that any Monarch who couldn't show genuine leadership in his autonomous Community stands the risk of having his Certificate of Recognition and Staff of Office withdrawn.

He said,

“Today, history is made that light has come and darkness would not comprehend at all. The truth has surfaced and the right people have finally become the Custodian of the traditional right of their people. You are not permitted to speak English at functions. This will help keep our Culture and Igbo language alive”.

He continued:

“For many years now, most of you have been looking for a day like this. Some of you were victims of injustice and never believed that this could be possible and most of you have been waiting without knowing your fate. But today, it is a manifest of truth that your people have chosen you, and the government of Imo State has approved”.

He further stated:

“I took the bold step of reconciling people, took the step to ensure that truth came to be and voided the rancour that has existed in our various communities over ezeship title. This has equally affected the Community Government Council (CGC) negatively because every community requires an Eze to function effectively as the head of the Community Government Council.

“Today, that responsibility has fallen on you, I urge you not to fail as failure is not an option. I encourage you to help the government in developing the resources of our land as posterity will only remember you for your positive contributions in the development of your community and not in how much wealth you enmassed as an eze”.

He added:

“Remember that to whom much is given much is expected. This whole exercise you must understand is not an election or appointment to enable you distinguish between those who love you and those who hate you. Today, you are an Eze, and you must be the Eze for everyone both those against you and those who were for you. I advise you to take all of them along and embrace peace. Your first assignment should be to invite those who were against you to make peace in your land as no Eze can function effectively if there is no peace in your land.

“Today, you join several Ezes in the Communities of Imo State. You are now addressed as royal fathers and members of Imo State Traditional Council which its right is given to you until death, unless you act in such a manner that you are found wanting before the members of this society.

“The essence of Ezeship is not in the title of being called HRM or HRH, it’s in what you have been able to do to change your society for good. You have to understand that you have enormous responsibilities, Ezeship is not an easy job, it attracts enmity and takes all your time”.

Reacting to the Governor's new order, Eze Lucky Ajoku of Ihiagwa Autonomous Community, described the governor as an apostle of good conscience and equity and promised that they will embrace peace and help the government attain the lofty ideals of the Community Government Councils in their various communities.

Former Nigerian Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala reappointed Chairman of Bill Gates health initiative

Immediate past Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has been reappointed the Chairman of Gavi, a global health initiative of billionaire, Bill & Melinda Gates, set up with the aim of saving children’s lives and protecting people’s health by increasing equitable use of vaccines in third worlds and developing countries. She was reappointed for another 3-year term.

Announcing her re-appointment, the organization in a statement posted on its website, said Okonjo-Iweala's leadership qualities has helped further its engagements in developing countries. The statement in part reads

"Since her appointment in 2016, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s leadership has enabled the Alliance to further its engagement with developing countries and for partners to scale-up and finance immunisation programmes, while fostering public-private initiatives to improve access to healthcare for those most in need. Dr Okonjo-Iweala has also been an instrumental advocate for the positive economic benefits of vaccination.

The direction she has provided to the Gavi Board has been critical in the implementation of the Gavi 2016-2020 strategy, which aims to support the vaccination of a further 300 million children against life-threatening diseases, preventing 5 to 6 million deaths".

Reacting to her re-appointment, the former Minister said

“I am greatly honoured by the confidence the Gavi Alliance Board has placed in me and as Chair of the Board I am excited to be given the opportunity to continue to dedicate my work to that greatest purpose of protecting the lives of millions of the poorest children in the world with life-saving vaccines. Universal access to immunisation will play a fundamental role in bringing about healthy, resilient populations and in ensuring that we develop stronger economies as we face the challenges of the next century.”

Brazilian footballer, Dani Alves holds secret wedding with super model, Joana Sanz in Ibiza

Brazilian footballer and former Barcelona defender, Dani Alves recently married his long time partner and super model, Joana Sanz in a secret wedding ceremony in Ibiza, Spain. The romantic ceremony on the Spanish island was held as discreetly as possible but a few guests and the bride shared pictures of the event on Instagram with Alves choosing to wear a white suit to match his beautiful 23-year old bride. 

Manchester United’s £75million signing, Romelu Lukaku arrested for hosting a rowdy party with Paul Pogba in LA

Manchester United-bound player, Romelu Lukaku was last week, arrested for hosting a rowdy pool party at the rented Beverly Hills mansion in Los Angeles, where he's holidaying with fellow football star Paul Pogba.

Beverly Hills Police Department revealed in a statement said they visited the address five times on the same evening to warn Lukaku about the noise last Sunday.

According to the authorities,  Lukaku was technically arrested and given a citation. But it was not a physical arrest which would have involved handcuffs and being taken to jail.

The Belguim international star who's set to join Manchester United from Everton in a £75million deal was said to have released at the scene of his arrest 

Lukaku s scheduled to appear before a judge at the Los Angeles Airport Courthouse on October 2, 2017

A statement by the Beverly Hills police read:

“On July 2, 2017, at approximately 8:00 PM, Beverly Hills Police Department officers arrested a 24-year-old male subject by the name of Romelu Lukaku Bolingoli.

“Bolingoli received a misdemeanour citation for Beverly Hills Municipal Code Violation 5-1-104 – Excessive Noise. The citation was issued after officers responded to five other noise complaints from the same location, which resulted in verbal warnings.

“These noise violations occurred at a residence in Beverly Hills where Bolingoli was temporarily residing. Bolingoli was released at the scene with the citation and was not physically arrested.

“Bolingoli is scheduled to appear at the Los Angeles Airport Courthouse on October 2, 2017.”

French prosecutor wants the son of Equatorial Guinea's President jailed for embezzling $115m from his country

A French public prosecutor on Wednesday asked a court to sentence the son of Equatorial Guinea's president to three years in jail on charges of embezzling $115 million from his country to buy Parisian luxury properties and exotic cars.

Teodorin Obiang, who's the Vice President of Equatorial Guinea and the eldest son of President Teodoro Obiang denied the charges of laundering embezzled public funds. He is being tried in absentia.

The French authorities investigating the possibly illicit purchases of French assets by African leaders, estimate that Teodorin’s collection of cars, real estate, and other items are worth more than €100 million (about $115 million). The prosecutor is also seeking a €30 million fine for Teodorin.

The Prosecutors allege that Teodorin stole at least $115 million from the country while serving as agriculture minister for his father, who first took power in 1979.

Among the acquisitions at the centre of the trial are a large property bought for 25 million euros ($28.31 million)in 2005 on Paris's upmarket Avenue Foch, with gymnasium, steam room, hairdressing studio and a discotheque with cinema screen.

In addition, prosecutors say Obiang built up an exceptional collection of costly cars, which along with clothes, jewels and real estate took the value of all his assets to around 100 million euros.

According to Reuters, the case is the first of several to reach court in a broader judicial investigation into allegations of illicit acquisitions in France by long-time leaders and family relatives in several African countries including Gabon and the Congo Republic.

The court's ruling is expected to come at a later date.

Over the past few years, European authorities have seized some of Obiang’s properties including a $120 million 76-meter yacht, called Ebony Ice, and a fleet of some of the world’s rarest cars, and a mansion in Paris, complete with a club, gold-plated bathrooms, and original paintings by Degas and Renoir.

In a previous settlement with US authorities, Obiang handed over more than $30 million in assets, including a villa in Malibu, California and luxury cars. He was able to keep Michael Jackson collectors items including a crystal glove Jackson once wore.

Pastor elected as President of underpopulated island country Vanuatu

Tallis Obed Moses, a long-serving Pastor and former leader of the Presbyterian Church, has been elected President of the Vanuatu Republic in the southwest Pacific Ocean.

The 63-year-old was sworn in Thursday after winning 39 votes against his opponent, former prime minister Maxim Carlos Korman.

He replaces the former President Baldwin Lonsdale who died suddenly from a heart attack last month while serving in office.

Dan McGarry, the media director of the Vanuatu Daily Post who was at Parliament this morning, said Mr. Moses' reputation as a man of "impeccable moral character" was a decisive factor played a significant role in his being elected to succeed Lonsdale.

The Vanuatu Republic is an archipelago nation with 270,000 population. It's located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, north of New Zealand and east of Australia.

Robot saves little girl from getting crushed by a shelf

A little girl was saved from getting crushed to death by a falling shelf, all thanks to a fast robot that quickly held on to the toppling unit thereby giving the girl a chance to escape.

The girl who looks about 7 or 8 years was unaccompanied and could easily have been crushed, as no one else was close enough.

The incident happened within the vicinity of a university. Dressed in a black top and lemon green pants, the girl skipped to a shelf and began to climb it, probably to reach for something at the top. Soon after she climbs, the shelf starts to topple. The robot named Promobot quickly zooms forward and lifts up its arm to stop the metal unit from collapsing on the girl. 

The video was captured on CCTV in the lobby of the Perm Polytechnic University in the central Russian city of Perm. It had been the student graduation ceremony and as such a busy day.

Oleg Kivokurtsev, Director of Promobot’s Development said the robot had been invited to the graduation ceremony to take part in the event, and was waiting for its turn to be called when the accident happened.

He added it was a “pure coincidence” as it is equipped with a ‘mirror mode’ which enables it to emulate human actions.

Nigerian Air Force helicopter suffers technical mishap, crashes into water

A Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Agusta 109 Light Utility Helicopter has suffered a mishap while undertaking a liaison mission targeted at further enhancing the synergy between the Nigerian Army and the NAF in the ongoing counterinsurgency operation in the North East.

A statement issued by NAF spokesperson, Air Commodore, Olatokunbo Adesanya said the incident, which occurred today, 6 July 2017, was as a result of an airborne technical fault with the helicopter.

"The experienced NAF pilots, however, successfully ditched the helicopter into a pool of water to minimize damage and loss of lives. Consequently, there were neither any injuries nor loss of lives to anyone on board or on the ground. The Chief of the Air Staff has immediately directed the constitution of a board of inquiry to determine the exact cause of the incidence while efforts are ongoing to recover the helicopter and members of the board are already in Maiduguri to commence work. The NAF continues to solicit the understanding and support of the general populace as it daily strives to ensure the security of Nigeria and Nigerians." the statement reads.