Local and International Issues: December 2012

Friday 28 December 2012

THANK YOU SO MUCH AS WE CLOSE FOR THE YEAR

It is our great pleasure to seize this great opportunity to wish all our esteemed readers a wonderful Christmas and a fabulous new year in advance. We bless the Almighty God for keeping us alive till this moment. It is a great privilege. We give God all the glory.

In the say vain, we will also love to say a very big thank you for your loyalty, patronage and respect all this while. We were not perfect in our delivery but your patience, tolerance and words of encouragement kept us going since inception. Your comments and responses in one way or the other were fantastic on our posts. We feel so loved. Our fan page( face book /local and international issues) growth rate is amazing and highly encouraging. About 27000 clicks on our page(www.adenugatunde.blogspot.com) in the last six months and over 600 Information posts including various career and personal development articles. All these we say thank you for being there for us.

It is also a great honor to inform you, that we will be closing for the year. And the cotton will be drawn on the 27^th of this month (December). We understand that a media outfit is not expected to go on a break at all. But there is a need for us to put more things in place in order to have a better package for you next year. You deserve the best. So, we apologize for this.

Once again, on behalf of the entire managing board, we say thank you. God bless.

Local and international Issues.

Wednesday 26 December 2012

MANDELA, 94, LEFT THE HOSPITAL

Former President Nelson Mandela has been discharged from a hospital and will continue receiving treatment at his home in Houghton, a spokesman for South African President Jacob Zuma told CNN on Wednesday.

Mandela, 94, was treated for an acute respiratory infection in 2011. He was hospitalized for a lung infection on December 8; and on December 15, he underwent surgery for removal of gallstones.

Mandela has not appeared in public since the 2010 World Cup hosted in his country.

During the time of apartheid in South Africa, Mandela was convicted of sabotage and was imprisoned for 27 years until 1990.

He and former President F.W. de Klerk, who dismantled apartheid, shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. A year later, Mandela became the nation's first black president.

South Africa last month issued banknotes bearing the picture of Mandela.

Despite his rare public appearances in recent years, Mandela retains his popularity and is considered a hero of democracy in the nation.

South Africans celebrated his 94th birthday in July by participating in good deeds nationwide to honor the legacy of the famous statesman.

Citizens performed at least 67 minutes of public service on his birthday, a reference to the number of years he devoted to helping others.

A day before his birthday, former U.S. President Bill Clinton and his daughter, Chelsea, had lunch with Mandela in the small southeastern village where he grew up and spends most of his time.

Clinton, whose presidential term coincided with Mandela's, hailed him as a "wonderful friend" and planted a tree in his honor during the visit.

"He didn't call me a single time, not once, when he didn't ask about Hillary (Clinton) and Chelsea," Clinton said of their conversations during their time in office. "If it wasn't too late, he'd ask me to go get Chelsea, bring her to the phone, ask about her homework."

Clinton said the anti-apartheid icon has never lost touch

7 STEPS TO AVOID CRYING IN THE WORK PLACE

by Kathryn Minshew

Ok, most of us have done it. Whether it’s over a stressful meeting, a terrible boss, or a bad breakup, many women have cried in the office at least once.
But like it or not, crying is stigmatized in the workplace. Tears can come across as weakness and be attributed to females not being able to “hack it” on the job. Your colleagues may view crying as immature, melodramatic, or even manipulative. As Dr. Linda M. Poverny and Susan Picascia note, “women and men in positions of leadership are socialized to believe that crying equals vulnerability, and that vulnerability connotes incompetence, or the inability to handle difficult situations.”
If you find yourself fighting back tears in the office, take these steps, recommended by Ms-JD.org, to help:

1. Focus on your breathing

Make yourself take ten slow, deep breaths. The extra oxygen will give you a bit of a high, soothing you. The activity also changes your focus.

2. Take a step back

If you have the opportunity to put some distance between yourself and a stressor, do it. Wait for your emotions to cool down. Where possible, avoid scheduling potentially emotional

by Jide Ojo (jideojong@yahoo.com)

It’s few days to the end of 2012 and as we count down to the zero hour that will usher in the New Year, it is apt to reflect on some of the defining moments in governance in this year. Essentially, it has been a mixed grill for the country in the outgoing year. As the cliché goes, “a lot of water has passed under the proverbial bridge.” Some of the momentous events in 2012 include the fuel subsidy controversies; the pension scam; the flash flood; the rising cost of governance; the 2012/2013 budgets; the latest Transparency International Corruption Perception Index ranking of Nigeria; the oil and gas, education, health, justice and power sector reforms as well as the daunting security challenges among several others.

My training as a Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Election (BRIDGE) facilitator admonishes me to say the positive aspects of a matter before the shortcomings. Hence, I will start my analysis from areas where I perceive that government has done well. I commend President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Assembly for the unprecedented way they have handled the 2013 budget proposals. It would be recalled that on October 10, President

HOW A FIREFIGHTER OF THE YEAR WAS SHOT DEAD IN THE US

$Lt. Mike Chiapperini was named \$

Seven weeks ago, Michael Chiapperini was in Long Island, helping those suffering after Superstorm Sandy. Two weeks ago, he was named "Firefighter of the Year" for his department in his upstate New York town of Webster.Monday, he was dead.A gunman -- later identified as William Spengler, 62 -- apparently set his home ablaze, took up a position on a nearby berm, then shot and killed Chiapperini and fellow firefighter Tomasz Kaczowka. Two other firefighters were wounded, as was an off-duty police officer who was driving through the area.

Gunman ambushes, kills 2 firefighters

Lt. Mike Chiapperini was named "Firefighter of the Year" for his work in Webster, New York's volunteer fire department.

Why Spengler, an ex-felon who killed his grandmother in 1980, committed these crimes is unknown.

But authorities say there's no doubt about the quality of the people he killed on Christmas Eve.

"We work with these people everyday, they're like our brothers

5 THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER SHARE WITH YOUR BOSS

by Megan Broussard

Some things are better left unsaid, a wise girl once told me. Actually, five regretful girls told me—after saying things to their bosses they wished they could have sucked right back in their mouths (if only their feet weren’t blocking the way).

Learn from their mistakes, and avoid these topics with your manager at all costs.

1. Your Side Business

It’s fine to have a hobby, and it’s fine and dandy if that hobby makes you a profit. What’s not fine is selling your services to your manager and her peers.
Case in point: A girl I used to work with was getting some negative feedback on her recent performance. Little things were building up to be a big thing, and rumors were swirling that management had had enough of her lack of attentiveness in meetings and constant mistakes.
They finally found out why this initial rock star was dwindling into a clock-watcher: At an important client dinner, she announced to a manager (who just told the table that she’s getting married) that she’d love to plan her wedding because she’s been trying to build her clientele. Turns out, she was an on-the-side event planner.
When she asked me later if I noticed how weird managers were being around her, all I could think of was “Yes, and it’s probably because they’re paying you $50K a year and their work is being neglected by the start-up you’re promoting on their time.” Yeah, that might be it.

2. Exhaustion Due to Late Night Studying

It’s totally cool to walk into the office tired from a late night of working overtime—in fact, it will probably earn you some big-girl Brownie badges that’ll help for your next promotion. But it’s not OK to complain because you had to stay up and study for an exam you have to take in order to make a career switch.
True story: a girl I worked with in a marketing department walked into a morning meeting yawning. When our boss playfully asked if she had a late night out,

WASHINGTON—US gun rights advocates have signed a White House petition calling for British CNN host Piers Morgan to be deported for allegedly attacking the Second Amendment rights of ordinary Americans.
The outspoken former British tabloid editor has launched something of a personal crusade for greater gun control measures in the wake of the December 14 massacre at Sandy Hook elementary in Newtown, Connecticut.
On Tuesday, Morgan held an especially contentious interview with executive director of Gun Owners of America Larry Pratt, appearing to become incensed and incredulous when Pratt suggested more, not fewer, weapons as the solution.
“You’re an unbelievably stupid man, aren’t you?” Morgan said at one point during the heated debate. “You have absolutely no coherent argument. You don’t actually give a damn about the gun murder rate in America.”
Following the interview, a Texas journalist posted

THANK YOU SO MUCH AS WE CLOSE FOR THE YEAR

Once again, on behalf of the entire managing board, we say thank you. God bless.

Local and international Issues.

THE FIRST LADY LIGHTS NIGERIAN FIRST NATIONAL CHRISTMAS TREE

The lighting of the First Nigerian National Christmas Tree by the Wife of the President was witnessed by the Minister of State for FCT, Oloye Olajumoke Akinjide; Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Onaiyekan; members of the National Assembly, wives of some Ministers, heads of ministries, departments and agencies of government, heads of secretariats, departments and agencies of the FCT Administration, diplomatic corps and the media, among others.
Mrs Jonathan urged Nigerians to live in peace and harmony as she noted that Christmas was a season for peace, reconciliation and love.
She also advised Nigerians to support the present Administration to realise its transformational agenda for the nation.
She said, “The significance of this ceremony will best be appreciated when we take into account that the Christmas season is a season of peace, goodwill and hope.
“As we light up this Christmas Tree, it is a symbol that peace is possible.

REAL MADRID CRISIS 101: HOW MOURINHO SEALS HIS FATE

Months of internal war and cloak and dagger skirmishes have finally spilled over into the public eye, with the Portuguese making an example of a man who could genuinely be considered Mr Real Madrid.

Dropping Casillas is the latest and starkest measure taken by Mourinho in a fully planned-out strategy to secure his exit from the club.

Since the start of the season, he has been paving a way to freedom in case things turned sour. And turned sour they have. The fans quickly turned on the coach following a series of poor results that left los Blancos trailing Barcelona by 13 points as of Saturday morning. When faced by a hostile reception from the crowd ahead of the crucial derby against Atletico Madrid, Mourinho realised that there was no turning back on his plan.

Since declaring that he "has no team" following defeat against

Kristin Goss

Kristin A. Goss is an associate professor of public policy at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, is the author of "Disarmed: The Missing Movement for Gun Control in America."

With Friday's defiant statement, the National Rifle Association massed its troops along familiar fronts in the culture war -- and even opened some new battle lines. But it also squandered an opportunity to participate in reasonable dialogue with an America that has begun losing its appetite for political extremism.

Longtime NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre, eager to keep the rank-and-file "mothers and fathers" among his membership from going soft, sounded themes critical to maintaining gun owners' collective identity and solidarity. These themes included:

The NRA is reasonable and a good citizen. Consistent with past practice, LaPierre recounted the NRA's horror at the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre and stated its silence came out of respect for the victims. Others exploit such tragedies, LaPierre said, but the NRA and its members are better than that.

More guns, less crime. That is the title of the NRA's bible, a 1998 book by Yale professor John Lott (whose core findings have been refuted by other scholars), and it is the logic behind the NRA's proposal to put an armed officer in all 140,000 American schools. The proposal is founded on the NRA's position that guns are merely tools that can be used by "monsters" or

CRISIS COUNT DOWN: THE FULL TRANSCRIPT OF PRESIDENT BARAK OBAMA ON FISCAL CLIFF

Here is the text of President Obama’s remarks late Friday regarding fiscal cliff negotiations.

5:34 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon, everybody. Over the last few weeks I’ve been working with leaders of both parties on a proposal to get our deficit under control, avoid tax cuts — or avoid tax hikes on the middle class, and to make sure that we can spur jobs and economic growth — a balanced proposal that cuts spending but also asks the wealthiest Americans to pay more; a proposal that will strengthen the middle class over the long haul and grow our economy over the long haul.
During the course of these negotiations, I offered to compromise with Republicans in Congress. I met them halfway on taxes, and I met them more than halfway on spending. And in terms of actual dollar amounts, we’re not that far apart.

As of today, I am still ready and willing to get a comprehensive package done. I still believe that reducing our deficit is the right thing to do for the long-term health of our economy and the confidence of our businesses. I remain committed to working towards

I can vividly remember how we used to go and queue early in the morning at some where in Surulere, Lagos to make an international call. Or is it when we must all go and sit at a neighbor's house every Saturday/Sunday evening before our dad could talk to us from America because NITEL said only two families deserved a land phone in my estate? When we had to sit back for an extra hour should the line break? I did not know what privacy was like when talking on phone. Every family issue became opened to everyone around to deliberate upon even when you did not ask for their opinion.It was a norm because some of us were talking on phone for the first time.

So, I could not touch or feel what a mobile phone was like until 2OO1. It was as if heaven came down when gsm was introduced. Even though it was only

CHAMPION'S LEAGUE LAST 16 FIXTURES

The long awaited second round,Champions League last 16 draw is here.
Valencia v PSG
Real Madrid v Manchester United
AC Milan v Barcelona
Shakhtar Donetsk v Borussia Dortmund
Arsenal v Bayern Munich
Porto v Malaga
Celtic v Juventus
Galatasaray v Schalke

Wednesday 19 December 2012

WE JOIN THE ENTIRE WORLD TO WISH TITO VILANOVA WELL

The entire crew members of this media outfit( Local and International Issues) will love to seize this great opportunity to join the rest of the world in wishing Tito Vilanova and everyone suffering from one ailment or the other divine healing and recovery. We feel your pain and share in your burden in such a time like this.

Others wishes from other parts of the world

"Very sorry to hear the news about Tito Vila. Thoughts are with him and his family. #AnimsTito"Retired Spanish footballer Gaizka Mendieta ‏@GaizkaMendieta6

"Very sorry to hear Tito Vilanova, the Barca coach, is undergoing surgery after a cancer relapse. Thoughts are with him."BBC Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker ‏@GaryLineker

"All my support and best wishes to Tito

U.S. President Barack Obama has been named Time's "Person of the Year" for 2012.
The selection was announced Wednesday on NBC's "Today" show.
The short list for the honour included Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teenager who was shot in the head for advocating for girls' education.
It also included Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi and Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Obama also received the honour in 2008, when he was President-elect.
Last year, "The Protester" got the honour.
Time's "Person of the Year" is the person or thing that has most influenced the culture and the news during the past year for good or for ill. In 2010, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg received the honour.
Other previous winners have included Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, Bono and President George W. Bush.

FCBARCELONA COACH TO STEP DOWN ON HEALTH GROUNDS. GUARDIOLA IS LIKELY TO FINISH THE JOB

Barcelona have been rocked by the news that head coach Tito Vilanova could be forced to step down from his role, after it emerged he has suffered a relapse of a tumor he had last year.

The 44-year-old, who took over from Pep Guardiola earlier this year, underwent emergency surgery in November 2011 on his parotid gland, and widescale reports from Spain say his tumor has become malignant again.

Vilanova has guided the Blaugrana to the best-ever start in La Liga, which has seen them go unbeaten for 16 games, and sit atop of the table with 46 points, holding a 13-point lead over arch-rivals Real Madrid.

News of his health problems come only one day after defender Eric Abidal got the green light to make his comeback, after spending the majority of 2012 on the sidelines due to a liver transplant.

Barca have yet to comment on the matter, but cancelled a Christmas lunch with the media, and are expected to release an official statement later on Wednesday in which Pep Guardiola is likely to come back.

BENGHAZI: AMERICAN AMBARSADOR, CHRISTOPHER STEVEN FINAL MINUTES REVEALED

Photos: Attack on U.S. Consulate in Libya

They were hiding in a place security officers called a "safe area." It was anything but.

Outside an angry crowd grew, gunfire rang out and a fire blazed.

Thick smoke blinded the three trapped men. The intruders banged on the fortified safety gate of the bunker-like villa.

A security officer handed his cell phone to Ambassador Chris Stevens. Prepare for the mob to blast open the locks of the safety gate, the officer said.

It was a little before 10 at night on September 11, 2012. And time was running out for Stevens.

Vivid new details of the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, were released Tuesday night by a federal committee trying to come to grips with the violence that led to the first murder of a U.S. ambassador since 1988 and the deaths of three other Americans.

The report spoke of grossly inadequate security, an issue

Comments have beginning to trip in as a result of way and manner some families were treated in the cause of the helicopter crash on Saturday that killed some people including the Kaduna state Governor, Yakowa and the former special adviser to the President on security affairs, Gen Owoeye Azazi .“But it seems as if only the dignitaries on board the helicopter died said by one of the members of the co-pilot family . Adeyemi is also important.
“Adeyemi and a senior colleague lost their lives also. They are equally precious to their families. It was their responsibility to transport the dignitaries even though their own lives were on the line.”
Another family member, an aunt of the deceased, broke down in tears. She expressed sadness that while the news about the crash was circulating, authorities only focused on Yakowa and Azazi.
“It’s like the people in government see our son and his colleague as unimportant. Is it only Azazi and Yakowa that died in that crash? Why can’t they sympathise with us as well? The incident happened and all they were talking about were the two government officials on board,”

NEWTON SHOOTINGS: BARAK OBAMA BACKS ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN

White House spokesman Jay Carney said the president supported legislation on the so-called 'gun show loophole'.US President Barack Obama wants to reinstate an assault weapons ban in the wake of the mass killings in Newtown, Connecticut, his spokesman says.

Jay Carney said the president was "actively supportive" of a Democratic senator's plan to introduce a bill on the first day of the next Congress.
There could also be moves on ammunition and gun-sale loopholes, Mr Carney said.
In its first statement since Friday, the National Rifle Association said it was "heartbroken" by the attack.
The gun lobby group said it was "made up of four million moms and dads, sons and daughters - and we were shocked, saddened and heartbroken by the news of the horrific and senseless murders in Newtown.
"The NRA is prepared to offer meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again," the statement said, announcing a "major news conference" to be held on Friday.
Gun sales, including those of assault rifles, have risen since Friday, a sign that enthusiasts fear that new legislation is coming, the BBC's Paul Adams in

In an interview at the house of the formal special adviser to the president on security affairs, Gen Azazi Owoeye, his children made their ordeal known to everyone who came around including the first lady, Mrs Patience Ebele Jonathan “Our main interest now is our mother and how to ensure she does not miss him so much. We have not set a burial date yet; we are still deliberating as a family,” he said.
Benatare, who was in tears as she spoke with our reporter, said she was at the airport until the airport closed for the day, just wishing her father would come out somehow, somewhere.
She said: “I saw my dad on Friday in Abuja. He brought some things for me from Lagos, so, I met him at the airport to pick the things up. He told me he was coming back and we would have time to discuss and so I left.
“On hearing about the crash, I rushed back to the airport. I was at the airport until they closed for the day, wishing something would just happen and he was not inside that helicopter.
“But it dawned on me my dad was not coming back when the airport closed for the day. I am yet to come out of the shock.
“He was a wonderful father. I do not think there is any dad like mine. Nothing

Lionel Messi has agreed a new contract with Barcelona, which will keep the Argentine at the Spanish club until 2018.

The 25-year-old already had a deal that expired with the European giants in 2016, but that has now been extended by two years.

Messi has been in sensational form this year, scoring 90 goals for both club and country to surpass the previous goalscoring record for a calendar year set by Gerd Mueller in 1972, when the German scored 85 goals.

Read: Messi beats Mueller's 40-year record

The 21-time Spanish champions have also verbally agreed new deals with midfielder Xavi, who will extend his contract from 2014 until 2016, while defender Carles Puyol, whose contract had been due to expire next year, will stay with Barca until 2016.

None of the players has yet to put pen to paper on their new contracts

With memories of last week's school massacre still hauntingly fresh, most students in Newtown will return to class Tuesday with their sense of normalcy shattered.

They'll see more police and more counselors in their buildings. But nothing can erase what happened to 20 other students across town at Sandy Hook Elementary.

Survivors from Sandy Hook won't return. Their school is still a crime scene.

It's not clear when they'll go back to class, but when they do it'll be at a different school in neighboring Monroe, Connecticut.

Can we honestly say we're doing enough to keep our children -- all of them -- safe from harm?
President Barack Obama

As investigators dig deeper into what led to this mass tragedy, two victims -- a pair of 6-year-olds -- will be buried Tuesday.

Meanwhile, more

Before events at the school

At some point before he went to the school, investigators believe Adam Lanza, 20, killed his mother, Nancy Lanza.
He grabbed three guns from the house -- a semi-automatic AR-15 assault rifle made by Bushmaster and pistols made by Glock and Sig Sauer -- and went to the elementary school wearing black fatigues and a military vest, according to a law enforcement official.

The above weapons are similar to the ones found with the suspect: A Bushmaster rifle, a Glock handgun, and a Sig-Sauer handgun.

Classes were under way at the school. Approximately 700 students were present.
Earlier this year, the school principal, Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung, ordered a new security system installed that required visitors to be visibly identified and buzzed in. As part of the security system, the school locked its doors each day at 9:30 a.m.
The door was locked

“SSCE holders can no longer join the police as constables; even a third class degree holder cannot join the Cadet Inspector cadre. The minimum qualification for a constable is OND and it must include six credit passes in SSCE including Credit pass in English and Mathematics.”
The PSC Commissioner in charge of Strategy, Dr. Otive Igbuzor, explained that written examinations had been introduced for applicants, adding that promotions in the force were based on merit.
He explained that 599 cases of indiscipline were treated between 2008 and 2011. He said 94 officers were compulsorily retired, and a number of others were sanctioned for various offences.
According to her, the PSC has over the years formulated policies aimed at the efficiency and discipline of the police force, adding that background checks are now carried out on applicants to separate bad eggs and discourage people of shady characters from joining the police.
Obi stated that polygraph tests were also carried out on applicants to determine drug users, alcoholics and liars that could tarnish the image of the force.
She said, “The mechanism put in place by the commission is in line with police regulations to ensure that bad eggs don’t find their way into the force. We are focusing on the recruitment process and have raised the minimum entry requirements.
Culled: Punchng

Monday 17 December 2012

GEN AZAZI'S FINAL HOUR

ALABO GEORGE

It was just a few minutes to 13.00hours and the service of songs was in session when our chartered Caverton helicopter landed in the ancient breezy coastal community of Okoroba, hometown of Oronto Douglas, President Goodluck Jonathan’s Special Adviser on Research and Documentation. I had flown with my Uncle, Engr. Mayne David-West, Principal Consultant of Pearl Consultants, and George Kerley, Coordinator of The Jonathan Project and an unrepentant crusader of the President.

We proceeded directly to the venue of the service of songs. It was a 10-minute walk from the school field where the helicopter had landed, and it offered an opportunity to see the sprawling ancient community and the new developments taking place. The people were very happy. They were seeing new faces – ministers, governors, commissioners, corporate executives, and citizens they only read about and saw in the newspapers and television stations walk on the new rigid pavements of their community. I think above all, they wowed at the Nollywood stars who dazzled the natives to disbelief.

I HAVE NEVER SEEN A SITUATION LIKE THIS BEFORE----JOSE MOURINHO CONFESES

The team is not having the best time in terms of results and Mourinho spoke about how to change the situation: "I think that it has to come every man for himself. It is a matter of professional pride and of each individual’s ambition that each player has to think about. You're not happy, you do not enjoy what’s happening, you lose too many times and you are far from the aims you had but you still have others. Real Madrid, just for being Real Madrid, always have to fight for every match and I think that is what you need to get yourself ready for. Without any cheap philosophy or nonsense. This is about the individual pride of each person wanting the best for himself and his club".

Referring to the possible causes of this not very positive situation for the team the coach said: "The non-sporting side has always existed. It is not a new thing. We're not playing as well as we have done before. When you are not getting the results you don’t get the same enjoyment and confidence. Normally, with the team doing well and with confidence high and with all of these chances in previous seasons the match would have ended with three, four or five. We are struggling to score them and our opponents are

Thank you.

Thank you, Governor. To all the families, first responders, to the community of Newtown, clergy, guests, scripture tells us, "Do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, inwardly, we are being renewed day by day.

"For light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all, so we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

"For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven not built by human hands."

We gather here in memory of 20 beautiful children and six remarkable adults. They lost their lives in a school that could have been any school in a quiet town full of good and decent people that could be any town in America.

Here in Newtown, I come to offer the love and prayers of a nation. I am very mindful that mere words cannot match the depths of your sorrow, nor can they

The entire managing board of Local and International Issues will love to seize this solemn moment to condole with the entire nation, Nigeria, and especially the direct family members of the helicopter crash victims of yesterday (The Kaduna State Governor, Patrick Yakowa, Former National Security Adviser (NSA), General Owoeye Azazi and four others).

We really feel your pain in such a time like this and we pray God gives you the fortitude to bear this great loss.

Also in like manner, we feel and bear with all the families of CONNECTICUT SCHOOL SHOOTING VICTIMS of Friday in the United States. The act is senseless, barbaric and highly condemnable. We pray God guides and keeps you all at this time. We feel your pain to the marrow. It is only God that can heal your wounds.

God bless Nigeria. God bless America and God continue to bless the World.

Local and International Issues

IS GOVERNOR, SULLIVAN CHIME OF ENUGU STATE TRULY DEAD?

An unconfirmed report raging in the air for about 24hrs now states that, the governor died yesterday in one of the hospitals in India after battling an undisclosed ailment for some months. This is coming after the air disaster of yesterday that killed some politicians in the country including the governor of Kaduna and the former special adviser to the president on security issues, Gen Azazi Owoeye. We are still on the look out for any breaking update on the issue.

Saturday 15 December 2012

THE NAMES OF CONNECTICUT SCHOOL SHOOTING VICTIMS

Most died at the very start of their lives, just 6 or 7 years old. Others found their life’s work in sheltering them, teaching them, caring for them, treating them as their own. After the gunfire ended Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary School in the U.S. state of Connecticut, the trail of loss was more than many could bear: 20 children and six adults at the school.

Police released the name and ages of the victims on Saturday.
Children:
Charlotte Bacon, 6
Daniel Barden, 7
Olivia Engel, 6
Josephine Gay, 7
Ana Marquez-Greene, 6
Dylan Hockley

Major crime investigators from the Connecticut state police on Saturday were combing "every crack and crevice" of Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, a day after a gunman shot dead 20 students and six adults before apparently killing himself.

They said they're finding some "very good evidence" in their search of the school, and at the home of the man identified by authorities as the shooter -- 20-year-old Adam Lanza. Lanza's mother was killed at that house before the school rampage began, authorities said.

"The detectives will certainly analyze everything and put a complete picture together of the evidence that they did obtain, and we're hopeful -- we're hopeful -- that it will paint a complete picture as to how and why this entire unfortunate incidence occurred," said Lt. J. Paul Vance, a spokesman for the Connecticut State Police.

Vance said police are already talking to the one wounded adult at the school, a woman who has not been named.

"She has been treated and she'll be instrumental in this investigation,

It was a sorrowful day for the entire nation especially the direct members of the family of Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna State and former National Security Adviser Andrew Owoye Azazi and others who lost their lives in the helicopter crash today in Bayelsa State.
Governor Yakowa and Mr. Azazi, a retired military general who served as chief security adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, were among passengers in the ill-fated helicopter.
Nigeria's National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) had earlier indicated that the agency had activated a search for a crashed helicopter.

Governor Yakowa and Mr. Azazi were among many political figures who reportedly attended the burial of the father of senior presidential aide Oronto Douglas. The funeral event took place in the Nembe area of Bayelsa State earlier today.
The crash comes on the heels of a plane crash on October 25, 2012 that has left Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba State brain-damaged. Mr. Suntai was moved to a hospital in Germany where he remains in poor shape, unable to recognize his visitors or to speak.

Thursday 13 December 2012

2014: WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR AFGHANISTAN WHEN THE MARINES CALL IT A DAY?

America's longest war is expected to conclude by the end of next year, when the United States plans to withdraw all its combat troops from Afghanistan.

But many challenges remain.

Insurgents are still a "resilient and determined" threat, according to a Pentagon report released this week. Afghan security forces must be fully trained to take over for U.S. troops. And the two countries have to come to an agreement over what kind of troop presence the U.S. will have in 2014.

"How this war winds down is very important to Afghanistan, to the United States and so many other countries," said CNN's Erin Burnett, who has been in Afghanistan this week talking to U.S. officials, troops and Afghan civilians. "People paid for this with their lives. People have died, people have spent a decade of their lives fighting this war away from home. And of course, the U.S. has spent about $650 billion on the war alone."

Burnett talked to CNN.com on Thursday about her trip and what she's been hearing from various people about the transition and their hopes for Afghanistan's future.

Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948), political and spiritual leader of India. Location unknown.

October 2 saw the birthday of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, better known as Mahatma Gandhi. The Indian luminary, famous for leading the Indian nation to independence in peaceful means, is deemed an inspirational figure to this day, over 60 years after his death in 1948.
As a tribute to Gandhi, here’s a collection of some of his thought-provoking quotes.

1.
ON LIFE
"My life is my message."

2.
ON BEING A SOLDIER
“I regard myself as a soldier, though a soldier of peace.“

3.
ON FAITH IN HUMANITY
“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean;

Racist abuse, fan violence, attacks on players -- on the face of it, English football seems to be experiencing a return to the dark days that led to its clubs being banned from Europe in the 1980s.

One respected English newspaper declared the sport to be "toxic" and "spinning out of control" following Sunday's tumultuous Manchester derby.

"Disturbing ... deplorable ... unacceptable" was how Football Association chairman David Bernstein described the pitch invasion, coin throwing, allegations of racist abuse and 13 arrests made during and after United's 3-2 victory at City.

That the Premier League's two leading clubs could be involved in such a poor advert for one of the world's most popular and lucrative sporting competitions has led many to question its leaders.

The headlines point to a descent back down the slippery slope that resulted in the 1989 Hillsborough and 1985 Heysel stadium tragedies. The latter occurred

10 CITIES YOU CAN VISIT TO HAVE A MEMORIABLE NEW YEAR EVE

For many people, New Year's Eve can be disappointing -- there's so much hype in the lead-up to the event that when it actually comes around, it often falls short of the mark.

Madding crowds, endless taxi queues and even longer lines to get to the bathroom -- it's no wonder so many people choose to stay at home with a good movie and a bottle of bubbles.

However, certain destinations around the world offer such spectacular greetings to the new year, that you may want to seriously consider braving the throngs for a front-row seat.

Firework's light up Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour.

Hong Kong

$Firework\'s light up Hong Kong\'s Victoria Harbour.$ Hong Kong's harbor dazzles for most of the year, but on December 31 it really glows. This year, for the first time, the city's midnight fireworks display will journey across town, beginning at the sea and moving along Victoria Harbour to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai.

The best places to view the action? The Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza, the promenade from the Avenue of Stars

JOSE MOURINHO'S 10 EXCUSES FOR NOT DOING WELL

Mourinho's Madrid have now lost as many times this term as in his debut season at the Santiago Bernabeu (six), and last night's defeat means his team have now been beaten in all four competitions in 2012-13 (Liga, Champions League, Spanish Supercopa and Copa del Rey).

The Supercopa was claimed after beating Barca in the second leg, but the champions are 11 points adrift of the Catalans in the Primera Division and looked second best in both games against Borussia Dortmund (a loss and a draw) in the Champions League, having to settle for the runners-up spot in Group D.

The Portuguese has never lost more than nine times in a single season (at Uniao Leiria and Porto in 2001-02), but that record is now in danger as he approaches Christmas with six losses suffered already.

And he is running out of reasons for his side's sub-par showings. Here, Goal.com takes a look at 10 of the coach's excuses since moving to Madrid in 2010.

REFEREES

Probably his favourite. Mourinho produced a list of 13 refereeing mistakes in his first season after beating Sevilla 1-0, claimed Barcelona would be "happy with Iturralde" ahead of his first Clasico (which Madrid lost 5-0 at Camp Nou in November 2010) and told reporters the officials had made "two big errors" in the recent loss at Betis. He also complained after the first-leg defeat by Barca in the Spanish Supercopa and went even further following his side's

South Korea's navy has launched a salvage operation in the Yellow Sea to retrieve debris from North Korea's long-range rocket launch, military officials said Thursday.

The first stage of the North's Unha-3 rocket launched on Wednesday fell in the sea off the Korean peninsula, while the second splashed down east of the Philippines.

"Our navy discovered what appeared to be a part from the first stage of North Korea's rocket in the Yellow Sea Wednesday afternoon," a defence ministry spokesman told AFP.

"A salvage operation is now under way to retrieve it," he said, declining to give details.

The chunk of the debris was found on

by Bayo Olupohunda (bayoolupohunda@yahoo.com)

It is no longer news. The relationship between former president Olusegun Obasanjo, and his political godson, the incumbent, President Goodluck Jonathan has finally hit the rocks. The “father” and “son” bond that had held the two political players together in the last few years had reached a breaking point. It hit an all time low recently and finally snapped with the godfather’s open and scathing criticism of President Jonathan’s administration and leadership style. That an acrimonious epilogue would eventually signal a denouement of a pact fated to end in tragedy is nothing unusual; in politics, especially in our country, coalitions and friendship among politicians are not always scripted to your storybook, fairytale, happy ever-after ending. This democracy is replete with tales of political alliances that have gone sour as soon as they began.

The saying that in politics “no permanent friends or enemies but permanent interests” can best describe the cat and mouse liaisons that have often defined association among politicians. Examples abound of godsons who had turned the tables against their godfathers.

THE ROYAL PRANK CALL: WHO IS JACINTHA?

Jacintha Saldanha should never have become a household name. But within a few hours of her apparent suicide after being duped by a radio prank call, the nurse's name was in headlines around the world.

Her husband and two teenage children have said little, overwhelmed by the shocking death of a wife and mother thrust suddenly into the public eye.

An inquest, expected to open Thursday, may shed more light on the reasons for her apparent decision to take her own life early Friday, three days after putting through the fateful call from two Australian DJs who impersonated Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles to gain medical details about Prince William's pregnant wife, Catherine.

In the meantime, a picture is starting to emerge of a generous, caring woman who was caught up in a media maelstrom.

The 46-year-old nurse moved to the UK from India a decade

From India to Las Vegas, superstitious lovebirds and numbers geeks are reveling in a once-in-a-lifetime Wednesday event: the date 12/12/12.

Sure, it might be just another set of numbers for some. But unlike the past 11 years, this will be the last such triple date for almost a century -- until January 1, 2101.

That means one last chance for couples to get hitched on such an easy-to-remember wedding date (read: anniversary date).

Those tying the knot at the Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel have 40 different 12/12/12 wedding packages to choose from. Six of those options include an Elvis impersonator. Others include pirate, gangster and gothic themes.

"Besides a traditional wedding, the most popular is Elvis in a pink Caddy, where Elvis drives the couple down the aisle in a pink Cadillac," said general manager Brian Mills, who doubles as an Elvis impersonator.

From midnight to midnight, more than 100 couples will walk

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) headquarters in Lagos on Monday, came short of a war front, as Motorcycle (Okada) riders encountered armed policemen, causing gridlock on the Yaba-Ojuelegba road.
Apparently acting on orders, the policemen surrounded the NLC building, take-off point of the protest. This however did little to deter the organisers, Joint Action Front (JAF), as they remained adamant, saying they needed no permit to hold a peaceful rally.
As tension grew, the police who were already overwhelmed by the gathering, called for reinforcement from nearby stations. Four of the people distributing leaflets among the crowd were later arrested, an action which further angered the protesters.
Protesting further against the obstruction of the rally, JAF Secretary, Comrade Abiodun Aremu, told the police team thus “If Fashola still smokes despite warnings that tobacco smokers are liable to die young; motorbike operators also have a right to continue their operations with provided warnings that bike passengers are liable to be injured in an accident”.

Culled: 24/7 Nigerian news

Tuesday 11 December 2012

ROYAL PREGNANCY PRANK CALL: 524000 DOLLARS GO FOR CONPENSATION FOR JACINTHA'S DEATH FROM CALLERS

The Australian radio station which made a prank call to a UK hospital that apparently resulted in the death of a nurse said Tuesday that it would donate at least 500,000 Australian dollars (US$524,000) to a fund for the nurse's family.Jacintha Saldanha apparently committed suicide after being duped by the prank call from two DJs seeking information on Prince William's pregnant wife, Catherine.

The Sydney-based 2DayFM radio station has come under heavy fire over the hoax call.

The media group which owns 2DayFM said it would resume advertising on the station -- halted in the wake of the tragedy -- beginning Thursday, with all profits until the end of the year going to "an appropriate fund" that would directly benefit Saldanha's family and a minimum contribution of 500,000 Australian dollars.

"We are very sorry for what has happened," said Rhys

A young upcoming Lagos wrapper called Tiwa Bankole was alledged to have been stabbed many times with a broken bottle by the Landlord son over a misunderstanding at Iyana Ipaja Lagos.More horrible pixes

Wonder shall never end. It was like a child's play when a former member of the Household of God, one Mr. Dafiaghor Okiotor charged Rev Chris Okotie to Court for alleged debt. He made it known that he had been playing for the church for about 14 years without being paid.
The flamboyant head of the Household of God Church International, Chris Okotie, is expected to appear before an Ikeja Magistrate Court on February 5, 2013,
Dafiaghor Okiotor, a former keyboardist at the church before he fell out with Mr. Okotie in 2009, over what he called unpaid salaries, he said that the money covers the 14 years he worked for the church without being paid. The church, however, insisted that he wasworking for God.

MONEY LAUNDRY CRIME: HSBC TO PAY THE BIGGEST FINE IN HISTORY TO THE US. A MUST READ

HSBC Holdings Plc admitted to a breakdown of controls and apologized in a statement on Tuesday announcing it had reached a deferred-prosecution agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, as first reported by Reuters last week.
"We accept responsibility for our past mistakes. We have said we are profoundly sorry for them, and we do so again. The HSBC of today is a fundamentally different organization from the one that made those mistakes," said Chief Executive Stuart Gulliver.
"Over the last two years, under new senior leadership, we have been taking concrete steps to put right what went wrong and to participate actively with government authorities in bringing to light and addressing these matters."
The deferred prosecution agreement, when detailed by U.S. Justice Department officials later on Tuesday, could yield new information about a failure at HSBC to police transactions linked to Mexico, sources familiar with the matter said.
Details of those dealings were reported this summer in a sweeping U.S. Senate probe.
The Senate panel alleged that HSBC failed to maintain

THE ROYAL PREGNANCY AND THE DANGER OF A PRANK CALL

The two hosts of the 2Day FM Sydney radio program will be feeling awful. In seeking to con their way into recording a telephone call with a patient receiving treatment in a hospital they were doing what they thought FM radio hosts do. Everyone else does prank calls so we'll do one too.

The position of the radio station is different though.

This Sydney radio station has a track record of attempting to garner large ratings through shock tactics. In 2009 on this very same radio station a 14-year-old girl was invited into the studio with her mother.

She was wired up to a lie detector and asked personal questions. This was considered a jape. To take that jape just that potential ratings point further, the young girl was asked about her sex life. A reminder: she was 14. Obviously intimidated by the occasion, the fame of the hosts and the setting, she revealed to the vast audience listening at home and in cars that she had been

Friday 28 December 2012

Wednesday 26 December 2012

Tuesday 25 December 2012

1. Focus on your breathing

2. Take a step back

Monday 24 December 2012

1. Your Side Business

2. Exhaustion Due to Late Night Studying

Sunday 23 December 2012

Saturday 22 December 2012

Friday 21 December 2012

Thursday 20 December 2012

Wednesday 19 December 2012

Tuesday 18 December 2012

Before events at the school

Monday 17 December 2012

Sunday 16 December 2012

Saturday 15 December 2012

Thursday 13 December 2012

Wednesday 12 December 2012

Tuesday 11 December 2012

Monday 10 December 2012