Welcome to Olokunbola's Blog |
- See How To Break Up with A Troublesome Naija Babe [VIDEO]
- UNBELIEVABLE: 7 Members of Ogbonnaya's Family Run Mad
- Nigeria At 53: Is It Uhuru Or Goodluck?
- I Don't Know Why I Always Love Wrong Men ––Actress Funmi
- Update On The Boat Tragedy In River Niger
- Why is Jonathan Afraid to Look Into Obama's Eyes As A Man?
- Beverly Osu Shows Off Her First Ever Birthday Gift
- Actress Exposes The Depth of Séxual Immorality In Nollywood
- Reactions: Beg Jonathan So I Won't Be Killed, They Want To Take Me Out ––Amaechi Reveals
- ALERT!! New Fraud Trending in Nigeria - Plz read and pass it on.
- Relationship issues: Facebook and Twitter make it harder to move on from heartache.
- 33-Year Old Nigerian Man Charged To Court In US For Supporting Al Qaeda
- Briggs Family Wins Maltina Dance All Season Seven
- Photos: Angelo Collins and Beverly Osu kiss at her birthday party
- Miss Philippines Megan Young crowned Miss World 2013 in Bali
- Bridget Jones' fans horror at death
- LMAO: Comedian Bovi writes his name on Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Boko Haram attacks College of Agriculture in Yobe, over 30 students killed
- Tweet of the day
- Five expired foods you can still eat
- Putting a price on love
| See How To Break Up with A Troublesome Naija Babe [VIDEO] Posted: 29 Sep 2013 07:31 AM PDT |
| UNBELIEVABLE: 7 Members of Ogbonnaya's Family Run Mad Posted: 29 Sep 2013 07:26 AM PDT  The sad story of the family of Mr Ogbonnaya goes thus: Ogbonnaya Ani's elder brother's daughter is mentally challenged. His younger brother's son is in the same condition. Three of his own children, a male and two females, are equally afflicted. His daughter-in-law is not left out. So, there are six mentally ill persons in the family and, perhaps, still counting. Worst still, one of Ani's mentally challenged daughters is heavily pregnant and no one seems to know who impregnated her... And before his first wife died, she exhibited some signs of madness. Recently, Mr Ogbonnaya told the stranger than fiction story. There is no doubt that the madness ravaging his immediate and nuclear families have left its toll on the old man. Sadness is evident in his sunken eyes. He looked frail and his voice quakes in palpable agony as he spoke. But for the magnanimity of a relation, Mr Ani and his household would not have had a place to lay their heads. This is because his mentally challenged son, Igwe Ani, alias Martin Martin, set his house ablaze. And before help could come, the structure had been reduced to ashes. So, currently, Ogbonnaya and his family are squatters somewhere in Uburu, Ohaozara LGA of Ebonyi State. When the reporter visited the family last Wednesday, Ozieme, his beautiful but insane daughter, was hanging around. With her tummy protruding as a result of advanced pregnancy, she looked vacantly into space, perhaps unaware of her environment and condition. A few times she smiled and muttered to herself. When asked to pose for a photograph, Ozieme obliged. Tale like no other "This place we are is not my house," Ogbonnaya began. "My place is further up, after Oriebe. I relocated to this place because of the problem that I'm facing. I had a small mud house and I made it good enough for people to stay in before the problem started through my son, Igwe. It first started with Igwe and his sister, Ozieme joined later. While Igwe's problem started at home, Ozieme's started from outside the community. When she travelled and returned, she began to behave abnormally." In an agony laden voice, Ogbonnaya continued: "I don't know how it started but we suspected or thought that Igwe joined his mates to smoke all sorts of things. I cautioned him to stop it if he was indulging in such act but there was no difference. We used to beat him to stop smoking to know if he would but to no avail. He started manifesting madness about eight years ago. He was still in primary school when it started; he was in Primary Four when he broke loose. Because of the problem, he couldn't continue with his education. I cannot really say if he brought it upon himself by smoking certain substances or it is a problem destined to come". He said that the problem reached a crescendo when Igwe burnt down his house. "He used to pack all sorts of rubbish and dump in the house. It was impossible to chase him out of the house because he used to wield cutlasses and wood, threatening to harm anyone who gets close to him. At a point, he had outgrown everybody. On a certain day, he set the house ablaze and before people could come to fight the fire, things had got out of hand. That was how the building containing two rooms, a parlour and big verandah were razed down. Thereafter, we became homeless, so I brought my wife and kids to stay in a relation's place. That was how we relocated." Like brother like sister Ani said that his daughter was okay until a certain man from Nsukka in Enugu State came to seek her hand in marriage. According to him, the man eloped with the girl, adding that by the time she returned home, she had lost her mind even as she nursed a baby. His words: "In the case of Ozieme, there was a time she travelled to Enugu to stay with her brother. There she started a relationship with one man from Nsukka and they agreed to marry. She brought the man home and introduced him to us. After meeting with us, the man said that he was going to prepare and come back for the formalization of the relationship. She insisted on going with the man; we asked her to wait for the man to go and come but she refused. We didn't see the man again. "When she was coming back, she came with a baby and started behaving in a manner we could not understand. We tried all we could to deal with the situation to no avail. This thing happened about five years ago and we have not set eyes on the man ever since. She didn't have the soundness of mind to breastfeed and properly care for the baby and she died. Right now, she is heavily pregnant, she will be putting to bed anytime and we do not know who is responsible for the pregnancy. "Again, another of my daughter who is married and a seamstress is also behaving abnormally. "I cannot explain how this problem came into the family. From our parents, we did not experience any such thing. It did not happen to my eldest brother, who had died." Source: The Sun  |
| Nigeria At 53: Is It Uhuru Or Goodluck? Posted: 29 Sep 2013 07:20 AM PDT  Freedom from poverty and wants, freedom from bad leadership and abuse of national resources, freedom from diseases and social vices, freedom from electoral malpractices and violence. However, we have Goodluck, not only as president of Nigeria at this time, but: Goodluck that God has been gracious we are still one entity as a nation, Nigeria at 53, goodluck that we are not fighting civil war, goodluck that our oil is still flowing and in demand in the International community, goodluck that Nigeria citizens are patient, long suffering and hopeful that one day goodluck will turn to Uhuru, real freedom and feeling of total independence from inept political leadership corrupt and unaccountable government. Freedom from greed and senseless acquisition of obscene material wealth at the expense of ordinary citizens, freedom from exploitation and abuse in the hands of people who are tasked with managing our resources and national wealth for the good of all, freedom from terrorism and plague of poverty. The Kenyans have Uhuru as President now, Nigeria has Goodluck. They are both leaders of nations. But are they leading well? The judgement is left to Nigerian and Kenyans. The focus of my write up today is not about Kenyans, but Nigeria, my country with abundance of goodluck, but with President Goodluck in position of leadership. Why are we still having the same old problem we had 10-20 years ago? 20 years ago I was in the University of Ibadan, we had ASUU strike for months, and then it was military era. Then later we had Independence from Military rule and we shouted Uhuru! We are in democracy, we are free! Lo and behold, 20 year later, the University students are still at home as a result of ASUU strike..yes! Same ASUU, same Nigerian Government, but a democratic one! Are we then moving forward or in a state of Static motion, all movement but no momentum? The government of Nigeria has still not got it right with funding and management of education system. Our education system has been outsourced to Ghana and other countries with significant capital flight, depletion of core skills, knowledge and expertise. Medical doctors, Nurses are still leaving the country in droves to hone their skills and settle in other countries. Nigeria intellectual class now stream to peddle their trade in countries like Ghana, South Africa, USA. Twenty years ago, we talked about brain drain. It is the same problem happening today. The fundamental reason for the phenomenon remains unchanged, ASUU strike, Poor remunerations, disdain for contractual agreement and poor facilities to do proper jobs. We have Goodluck, but we have no Uhuru! Twenty years ago, we have poor electricity supply, proliferation of generators, crime etc. Now we have Goodluck, we still have same problem, although we hear of talks of unbundling and uncoupling of NEPA, but the same problem still bedevilled majority of Nigerian, bribery, Nepotism, grand scale corruption, corrupt enrichment by public officials etc. Even worse vices have emerged from the stables, kidnapping, ransom demands, terrorism, Boko Haram, militant and amnesty rackets, yahoo yahoo etc. Yet, Nigeria is 53! Can we really celebrate? We can roll out drums as a matter of necessity and social exigencies but, Nigerians are not free and Nigerians are still suffering, its only that Nigerians are long suffering and resilient people, Nigerians have faith and hope, but to have Uhuru, we need more than goodluck! We need strong and effective leadership across the board i.e. executive, judiciary and legislative leadership, local and state, corporate and religion, spiritual and temporal. The Government and its acolytes may have reasons to celebrate, why would they not? They will, because for them, they have Goodluck and Uhuru! Twenty years ago, they had no shoes, but now they have private jets, private yatch, mansions in and out of the country, fat bank accounts, shares, stocks and investments in blue chip companies around the world, children are schooling at private institutions abroad and at home, their children have gainful employments in companies owned by them or in which they have large investment interests, they have all the securities around them to shield them from kidnappers and they have escort to clear the roads for them when they use the same road where ordinary citizens languish in traffic stampede and chaos, they don't have to stay on queue at fuel stations to have fuel because they have tanker storage of diesel and petrol in their compound. Unequal society at 53 years of Independence. The economic situation is no far different from what it was 20 years ago for majority of Nigerians. Students are still roaming the street due to University closure; graduates are still roaming the streets for lack of gainful employment, the same issue that faced graduates 20 years ago is still the same today in most families. Young men and women, even older ones are resorting to sharp practices, drug peddling to make ends meet. Now we have mobile phone system that works well, 20 years ago we did not have that facility but still the human development index for Nigeria according to the World Bank is still low. As Nigeria celebrates 53 years of independence, we ought to reflect on this. We don't have Uhuru, but we have Goodluck. Can we live on goodluck and expect things to change for the better? We need more than goodluck to get uhuru, we need public oriented purposeful policy for accelerated development. Genuine implementation of budgets and meaningful legislation and policy to drive growth and positive ideals in our society. Accountable government and conscience driven use of public funds for public good. Our leaders should realise that things cannot go on like this as a nation and the accumulated private wealth cannot bring total joy, peace and harmony in the society. We have a government, but what exactly do they aspire to for the nation? We can celebrate Independence Day, but are we really as a nation independent of worries that bedevil our nation? ASUU is still on strike, SSANU are threatening strike, electricity and power supply remains a mirage, Unemployment rate remain in double digit. Happy Independence Day. Long live Nigeria By: Dr Olayiwola Ajileye Dr Ajileye is the Publicity and Media Coordinator for Champions for Nigeria (CFN)  |
| I Don't Know Why I Always Love Wrong Men ––Actress Funmi Posted: 29 Sep 2013 07:18 AM PDT   Who is Funmi Fiberesima? I am a producer and actress but I like to refer to myself as entertainment entrepreneur because I handle the business of entertainment. How much did you spend producing your first movie? I spent close to N12m and that was because I ran into a lot of people that were thieves but my production was protected because of my background. I have learnt that if I have to give somebody any money, the person has to sign a written agreement. The money must have come from your boyfriend? I don't have a boyfriend. Why is that? I seem to make all the wrong choices. The cliché that good girls like bad boys applies to my situation because I have a tendency to run into the wrong kind of guys. Did you fall for a bad boy? Yes. I fell for a couple of them. I seem to have a track record in that area. The fact is that if one person does something bad to you and the second person does the same thing, you begin to ask if you have a problem. I am currently going through rehabilitation process in church so that I can spot a good guy when he comes. What happened with the last guy you dated? He is married now. We actually got engaged, he was a good guy but a boring one. Would you have preferred an actor to him? No, I would not prefer an actor because I am not sure I would be able to endure the sight of my husband kissing another woman in a movie. But that is your profession… I know. Our profession is the type that can drive a woman crazy. I know there are some actors that do all that and are still committed to their homes but I don't think I am secure enough to be an actor's wife. Interview by Punch's Anna Okon  |
| Update On The Boat Tragedy In River Niger Posted: 29 Sep 2013 07:15 AM PDT  While 42 bodies were recovered and confirmed dead, over 100 others are reportedly missing. So far, there was no survivor. Emergency personnel are trying to recover more bodies. The Public Relation Officer of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Mr. Ibrahim Hussaini, said: "The boat was believed to have carried over 150 passengers, mostly traders when it capsized mid way into its journey, resulting in the drowning of 42 passengers, while 100 others are missing. "Swimmers from Malili village swung into action immediately after they heard about the mishap, retrieving 42 corpses from the river, while efforts are being made to rescue possible survivors along the bank of the river or the corpses of those that drown. "At the moment, search and rescue is ongoing on the river, I will make the detail of the incident known soon." I hear the incident occurred as the traders were returning from Malili village to their village, Tunga Illo, which is across the River Niger. May their souls rest in peace.  |
| Why is Jonathan Afraid to Look Into Obama's Eyes As A Man? Posted: 29 Sep 2013 07:11 AM PDT  I thought I was the only one who noticed until I saw this piece by Mr. Tunde Fagbenle on the same issue. It is sure an interesting read: "Eyeball To Eyeball Please, Mr. President" The photograph splashed on the front page of virtually all Nigerian newspapers of Tuesday, September 24, was of our President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, finally in a one-on-one with America's President, Barak Obama. I say 'finally' because it is probably the first such opportunity for a private tête-à-tête between the two — something, from all indications, the Nigerian presidency had long longed for. But it wasn't a flattering photograph at all. There was President Jonathan obviously avoiding eye contact with Barak Obama who was looking directly into the eyes of Jonathan. I didn't like it at all. The message, the body language, was unwholesome. In the American culture, it says of only one thing: you are a shifty guy. However, I can't knock President Jonathan too hard. The fault is not entirely his. His handlers must bear some of the blame, unless, of course, they prepared him and he just "forgot"! The business of international relations, especially at such high diplomatic level, is a tough and dicey one. Those playing the host are as groomed as those visiting, but the onus is more on the visiting dignitaries to know and respect the norms and culture of the host. Eyeball to eyeball is a delicate thing. In our Nigerian culture (if one can be permitted to assume one) looking directly into someone's eyes, especially an elder or boss, is viewed as rude and confrontational. And we grow up generally accustomed to avoiding eye contact as a form of politeness. It is unfortunate because in Europe and America the interpretation is the exact opposite. Eye contact is the rule; making eye contact is interpreted as showing interest, paying attention, and a sign of self-confidence. But if it makes us feel good, America had their own horror of seeing their president (Obama) bowing to greet Japanese Emperor Akihito when Obama visited Japan in November 2009. Americans called it a "treasonous" bow. For them it was tantamount to treason for an American president to bow (damn diplomatic etiquette) to any other human being! That was an instance of carrying 'respect of the host's culture' one bow too far! I must admit that, other than his elocution, Dr. Jonathan is lately showing some signs of maturing somewhat into the dignity required of the office. But, please, President Jonathan, these things – body language, et al – are important. You are our President and presidential we want you to look – and talk! BY TUNDE FAGBENLE  |
| Beverly Osu Shows Off Her First Ever Birthday Gift Posted: 29 Sep 2013 07:09 AM PDT   The saying that fame brings you more friends is true and if well managed can lead to fortune. This is the latest of Beverly Osu's experience, who got a birthday gift for the very first time in her life after her controversial but very rewarding (to her career) appearance on Big Brother Africa. The photo above is the gift she got for her birthday and it's is special to her in so many ways. She shared the one-of-a-kind gift on twitter with the caption: "Birthday present from SHOECITY calabar...Giuseppe Zanotti shoe...dancing skelewu..Never gotten a birthday present B4."Happy birthday to her!  |
| Actress Exposes The Depth of Séxual Immorality In Nollywood Posted: 29 Sep 2013 07:04 AM PDT  Below is her revelations on the mess of sexual immorality in Nollywood: What is your view about Lesbianism in the industry? Were you sexually harassed as an upcoming actress?I think it is demonic. I won't say much about it because a lot of people are involved. The industry needs divine intervention so God can erase such people from the industry. It has eaten deep and it is affecting us. I didn't set myself up to be sexually harassed. Have you been a victim before? Not really. I think it is when you give room for these things that they occur. I was in Abuja for a particular event when a lady asked me to sit on her laps. I was like, 'what, sit on your laps! For what?' I left and got my own chair. That's why we need to seek the presence of God. Lesbianism is a sign of the end of time.  |
| Reactions: Beg Jonathan So I Won't Be Killed, They Want To Take Me Out ––Amaechi Reveals Posted: 29 Sep 2013 06:59 AM PDT  Consequently, Governor Amaechi has revealed that their is a plot to "take him out" since he is now seen as an enemy of President Jonathan and not a political leader with his own right and privileges. He has also sent out a strong message to Jonathan to ensure nothing happens to him. Speaking in an interview with Sahara TV, Amaechi also narrated his ordeal in hands of the Nigeria police and other agencies under the control of the Presidency. "I don't have an aide de camp. I don't have a chief security officer. They've withdrawn so many policemen. They've withdrawn all policemen from the commissioners. I feel unsafe. I just know that they want to kill me. Beg Mr. President to ensure that I'm not killed because I'm sure they are planning towards that." Amaechi also accused his political forces, including Minister of State for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, and the President's wife, Patience Jonathan, of using the police to intimidate the people of the state. "It is not just Wike that is controlling Mbu [state Police Commissioner]. It is not just Mrs. Patience Jonathan that is controlling Mbu. There are some people on the street controlling him. "They are doing two things under the watch of Mr. President and the Inspector-General of Police. They are trying to intimidate the Rivers society so that they can rig elections. And they are trying to intimidate me and expose me to danger." Amaechi described the level of impunity under Jonathan as worse than what Nigeria experienced under late General Sani Abacha. He said there would have been peace in Nigeria had the President not interfered in the Nigerian Governors Forum's election, where he emerged winner. He said Jonathan confessed during one of their meetings in Aso Rock. "While Akpabio was denying it, I reminded him that the President confirmed to me that he participated. Jonathan said he canvassed support for Governor Shema and that he called governors and showed them a video recording of my speech on the oil well that was taken from Soku [in Rivers State] to Balyesa, and he therefore told them that if I won, he would never work with me," Amaechi revealed.  |
| ALERT!! New Fraud Trending in Nigeria - Plz read and pass it on. Posted: 29 Sep 2013 06:54 AM PDT  Given below is what happened to someone & he has narrated this in his own words:
Be Safe and Stay Alert! Please pass around to your family and friends !!!  |
| Relationship issues: Facebook and Twitter make it harder to move on from heartache. Posted: 29 Sep 2013 06:52 AM PDT  New reports states that social networks like Facebook makes it hard for one to move-on after breakup. According to DailyMail,
I think trying to move on from someone you really loved is like trying to deny the existence of a certain period of love and happiness and the person who gave them to you. However, the reminders of exes are painful and the ignorance is best for healing.  |
| 33-Year Old Nigerian Man Charged To Court In US For Supporting Al Qaeda Posted: 29 Sep 2013 06:47 AM PDT  Babafemi, who is also known as "Ayatollah Mustapha'', was arraigned on a four-count charge of indictment, conspiracy, providing material support to AQAP, and use of firearms. He allegedly provided the support to the group in the Arabian Peninsula, the terrorist organisation's Yemen-based affiliate. Between January 2010 and August 2011, Babafemi travelled twice from Nigeria to Yemen to train with leaders of al Qaeda, known as AQAP. According to the media, a statement by U.S. prosecutors said that he helped AQAP's media operations, including the publication of its magazine, called "Inspire''. It said that the group's leadership, including Anwar al-Awlaki, paid Babafemi almost $9,000 to recruit English-speaking people from Nigeria. A U.S. citizen born in New Mexico, was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Yemen in 2011. Babafemi faces life in prison if convicted on firearms charges and up to 15 years in prison on the material support charges. The media also quoted a U.S. District Judge, John Gleeson, as having ordered that Babafemi to be held without bail. It noted that in August, a Nigerian Court granted a U.S. request for Babafemi's extradition. In another statement, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Loretta Lynch, said Babafemi supported al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's media, recruitment, and weapons training campaigns. Lynch said the support was part of effort to strengthen the terrorist group's grip on the region and extend its reach throughout the world. "We will use every tool at our disposal to combat al Qaeda and other terrorist groups in a manner consistent with our laws," Lynch said.  |
| Briggs Family Wins Maltina Dance All Season Seven Posted: 29 Sep 2013 06:40 AM PDT  After months of suspense, thrills, excitement and emotions, the Maltina Dance All (MDA) Season 7 'The Evolution' came to a spectacular end at the grand finale which took place at the Convention centre of Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos. The tension soaked finale was breathtaking as the five families that qualified for the finals were locked in a battle of wits for the grand prize of N6 million, a brand new car and the title of 'Nigeria's number one dancing family'. In the end, the Briggs family from Port Harcourt, Rivers State emerged winners in what would go down as one of the most hotly contested finals in the MDA history. Continue...  The five families that took part in the finals were; the Ikumonien, Ibrahim, Enweribe, Ebute and Briggs families. The grand finale which was beamed live across major Television networks, kicked-off with the families performing the first of the two dance styles of the night - Pantomime. The Ikumonien family was first to hit the stage with an impressive performance that set the tone for the evening. Their performance attracted a thunderous applause from the audience. Next up on stage was the Ibrahim family. Much to the delight of the audience, the family danced to the 90's hit song I like to Move it by Reel 2 Real featuring the Mad Stuntman. The Enweribe family mesmerized the audience with their dancing skills when they rendered a sublime performance of Zombieby late Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Eventual winners, the Briggs family took the audience back in time when they danced to Felix Liberty's hit song Ifeoma. Last on stage for the Pantomime performance was the Ebute family who performed to Rise up by Swiss artiste DJ, Yves Larock. The Hip-hop dance style was the final performance of the night. The Ibrahim family was the first on stage followed by the Briggs, Ikumonien, Ebute and Enweribe. The highlight of the night was the announcement of the winner after voting by Nigerianswas concluded. The tension in the hall was palpable as the families all gathered on stage eagerly awaiting their fate. In the end, Nigerians voted the Briggs family as the winner of the MDA 7. The Enweribe family was the first runners-up while the Ebute family emerged second runners-up. They got N1 million and N500, 000 respectively for their commendable performances. Mr. Victor Famuyibo, Human Resources Director Nigerian Breweries Plc who represented Mr. Nicolaas Ververlde, the Managing Director commended the families for their excellent performances and reiterated that Maltina will continue to share happiness to its consumers. Senior Brand Manager, Maltina, Mrs. Ngozi Nkwoji stated that the MDA has been amazing. "The family is the bedrock of every society. I believe that Nigeria has so much talent and today it was shown in these families coming together to share happiness. Nigerians love to dance. It's who we are, anytime there is a new dance step everybody adopts it and as a result our music has gone far and wide. Maltina is the number one malt drink and we love to share happiness. One of the ways we do this is the seamless synergy between the brand and dance. Apart from earning the title of Nigeria's number one dance family, the winning family becomes partners of the brand and we will continue with them for as long as we can". Also present at the event were, Corporate Affairs Adviser, Mr. Kufre Ekanem and Mr. Sampson Oloche, Marketing Manager Non- alcoholic drinks.                            |
| Photos: Angelo Collins and Beverly Osu kiss at her birthday party Posted: 29 Sep 2013 06:36 AM PDT |
| Miss Philippines Megan Young crowned Miss World 2013 in Bali Posted: 29 Sep 2013 06:34 AM PDT  Megan Young won ahead of Miss France and Miss Ghana The 2013 Miss World pageant has been won by Miss Philippines, Megan Young, on the Indonesian island of Bali. US-born Ms Young, 23, beat 126 other contestants and pledged to be "the best Miss World ever".The competition was moved to Bali from the capital, Jakarta, because of protests from hardline Muslim groups. Security for Saturday's event was high in Bali, a resort island with a majority Hindu population, but no further demonstrations were reported. Miss France, Marine Lorphelin, came second in the contest and Miss Ghana, Carranzar Naa Okailey Shooter, took third place. Wearing a glittering gown, Ms Young, who moved to the Philippines at the age of 10, wept as the Miss World sash was put over her shoulder by 2012 winner Miss China. She told the cheering crowd in Nusa Dua in southern Bali she would "be myself in everything I do, to share what I know and to educate people".  Heavily armed police patrolled the event in southern Bali Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim country and the organisers had originally offered to abandon the contest's bikini round in an attempt to address complaints of pornography and immorality.Protests were led by the hardline Islamic Defenders' Front (FPI), which had planned to cross to the island from East Java but were prevented when the port was shut late on Friday. The event, broadcast in 180 countries, was guarded by heavily armed police with water cannon while some 1,000 FPI members held a prayer session at a mosque outside Jakarta.  |
| Bridget Jones' fans horror at death Posted: 29 Sep 2013 06:30 AM PDT  Bridget Jones fans have taken to social networking to voice their horror at the news that author Helen Fielding has killed off Mark Darcy. In extracts from her new book, Mad About The Boy, published in the Sunday Times magazine, Bridget reveals that Darcy - her husband and father to her two children, died five years earlier. Darcy was played by Colin Firth in the Bridget Jones movies. Chloe Helen Lemmon wrote on Twitter: "One word for Helen Fielding: why?!" Becky Milborrow asked: "What the hell is helen fielding playing at in the next bridget jones book!? Fielding is due to speak at next month's Cheltenham Literature Festival. In the published extracts, Bridget is revealed to have two children Mabel and Billy and a 30-year-old toyboy called Roxster. Writing on Twitter, Mairi Thomson said: "Saw the news about the Bridget jones sequel, it comes out on my birthday and Mark Darcy is DEAD!!!! Awful news #birthdayruined". Fielding's first book Bridget Jones's Diary was published in 1996 and a sequel Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason was released three years later. Written in the form of a personal diary, the novels chronicle the life of a 30-something single working woman living in London. In 2001, a film adaptation starring American actress Renee Zellweger, with Hugh Grant as womanising Daniel Cleaver and Colin Firth as Darcy, was released. Zellweger was Oscar-nominated for the role and, in 2004, the sequel was released, although it was not as critically well received. Mad About The Boy is out on 10 October.  |
| LMAO: Comedian Bovi writes his name on Hollywood Walk of Fame Posted: 29 Sep 2013 06:24 AM PDT    |
| Boko Haram attacks College of Agriculture in Yobe, over 30 students killed Posted: 29 Sep 2013 06:22 AM PDT  Area Military spokesman Lazarus Eli confirmed the incident and said that security forces have been deployed to the school to protect surviving students until they can all leave the campus. Eli said the attack was carried out by "Boko Haram terrorists who went into the school and opened fire on students while they were sleeping"  |
| Posted: 29 Sep 2013 06:21 AM PDT     |
| Five expired foods you can still eat Posted: 29 Sep 2013 06:18 AM PDT  A supermarket in Boston is going to sell only food that's past its sell-by date. So what are they, asks Rajini Vaidyanathan. In the US alone, 40% of food is thrown out, partly because of confusing date labels, telling consumers to "use by", "sell by" and "enjoy by" a certain time. Some of the dates are not about safety but taste, says Dana Gunders, a food scientist from the Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC), which has issued a report saying much of the food labelled bad is actually perfectly edible. Early next year, businessman Doug Rauch, once behind the successful Trader Joe's chain in the US, is opening a supermarket and restaurant which will sell outdated food. So what are some of those foods? Tortilla chips aren't going to make you sick after a month, says Gunders, although they might start tasting stale. Putting them in an oven with oil will re-crisp them again, while storing in a sealed container extends their life by keeping moisture out. Gunders says yogurt can last beyond six weeks and she often scrapes off the mould. "I eat yogurt months past its date, I haven't ever had a problem." Chocolate can last a long time, she adds, but it often develops a white coating, known as the "bloom", when it's exposed to the air. This happens when some of the crystalline fat melts and rises to the top. It's not mould, she says, and it's fine to eat. People throw out eggs much earlier than they need to, says Gunders - they can last 3-5 weeks. But keep them at a temperature below 5C (41F), says Ted Labuza, a professor of food science at the University of Minnesota, because that helps prevent potential growth of Salmonella enteritidis. Milk will smell or taste bad long before it makes you sick, says Labuza. Don't let the container sit out at room temperature because microbes in the air will spoil the milk - close it up quickly and return it to the refrigerator, which should be set at around 2C (36F) to help prolong its life.  |
| Posted: 29 Sep 2013 06:14 AM PDT   Our loved ones are worth more to us than gold - but do we understand love's true value, asks AL Kennedy. We're told it's a good thing, a many splendoured thing, all around and what the world needs now. Love. Just four letters to name something commonplace and yet unfathomable. It fascinates us, apparently. Our media earn their keep by telling us Miranda supports Orlando and Prince Felix has just married Princess Claire and Downton Abbey has a new romance (and me and popular culture, we're like chalk and fire engines) but even I've noticed, love sells. Just as light beguiles physicists by behaving like both a wave and a particle, love beguiles us by being a verb and a noun, behaving like a gift and an amputation, an impregnable defence and the destruction of every safe place we've ever known. As someone who often says "I think" and almost never says "I feel", I don't personally welcome love's ability to make me fear not only for myself, but others. My loves. A few days ago, Stephen King announced the advent of his sequel to The Shining. While touching on the challenge of making modern, savvy readers satisfactorily terrified, he expressed the belief that people can still be reliably scared by a narrative threatening characters they've come to love. He said: "Love creates horror." I can only agree. In my 47 years of being alive, love has been, like light, a sustaining energy. Yet the more I know about it the less I understand, the more it consoles me the more it threatens, the more I try to love well the more plainly I fail. I become, as we might say, dazzled in the light. Access - that's the problem, or one of them. Love opens the way for itself deep into our bones. And it doesn't close the door behind it. Love not only heightens the perils besetting a novel's protagonists, it makes us newly sensitive to all reality's possible risks. I don't mind much if a figment of someone else's imagination is swept away, or to be honest if Liam has moved on really quickly after leaving Miley.  Young love didn't run smooth for Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth But I may mind very much if someone I love is in trouble, or wanders off. And I may prove remarkably susceptible to buying a new brand of toothpaste if it might make me more loveable, or taking out insurance that shows I care for my relatives, or obtaining a well-nourished cat, a car, a chocolate bar that will somehow replace an inconveniently autonomous lover with dependable sweetness and purring. Whether we grow up loving them, or meet them later, we don't want to lose the people we love. Once they're in our lives, we'd like them to stay, not least because then we can know if they're OK. More than that, we hope they'll be well and happy and flourish in all the best ways and our expectations of reality can become unreasonably demanding on their behalf. They have an access to us which makes us use words like soul and heart and forever and then run out of words entirely and move on to proving how beautiful we find them in ways that might seem foolish if they weren't also private. Using "soul" and "heart" and "forever" to sell me a haircut or a manifesto, feels like an intrusion on my privacy. And I am inherently suspicious of people who make public use of love, whether they're leading round an appetising boyfriend like a prizewinning Swaledale ram, or insisting that I love my country without giving me enough information to establish what that means. Love made public can seem cheap, manipulative, not love at all. We value what we love and it feels unpleasant when others appropriate that value and attach it to products, or ways of thinking. And I find love does bring horror at a personal level - the vulnerable joys it offers, panic me right to my shoes but even so, I do think there's a place for love in the public domain.Love does make me easy to influence. I could momentarily ponder having plastic surgery in order to impress my beloved, or buying a sofa to match his eyes - but love also brings immutable values. It immediately reminds me that I wouldn't, and don't, love a man who'd insist I have buttock fat injected into my crumpling lips, or that I redesign my interior in any sense. Love is about loving a person for who they already are. Love makes us altruistic, humane. We would find it bizarre if a parent was more worried about dropping a vase than dropping their baby - even a Ming vase and an ugly baby. An absence of love within a family or a relationship is taken as a sign of something having gone very wrong.  Seven astronauts were killed when the Challenger Space Shuttle broke apart So when, say, the performance of rubber O rings on the space shuttles was analysed, statistical warning signs were addressed on paper but a pressing danger was allowed to remain in the real world. And at low temperature an O ring failed (predictably) on the Challenger and seven human beings died in what became a burning coffin, far from home. Not enough people in the right places remembered that caring about people more than figures would be essential until it was too late. We could say an absence of love means a school may coach children to pass a set percentage of tests, rather than helping them learn how to live. An ageing population becomes a burden, a problem to be tucked away and not prioritised - but our own older relatives, friends? We would usually do anything, spend anything, to let them be healthier, stay longer, keep holding our hands. The phone I cling to so I can express my little slivers of devotion is full of conflict minerals from the Congo. I didn't know when I bought it that its manufacturer takes decisions that don't seem to value, to love, human life. So I currently love my love using something that harmed or destroyed the loves of others who were deemed to be less precious than tantalum, tungsten, tin, gold. I love you more than gold. It would be a corny thing to say, sounds extreme, but would you genuinely want to stay around someone who didn't love you more than gold? Would you really replace those you love, their long-term well-being, their happiness, for any amount of gold? For any amount of anything? It's unlikely. And I say that as the most unromantic, cynical person you'll hear, truly.  Love really can be like light. It lets us see each other and what matters. Dying declarations, last messages, when we know we don't have long, we tend to use all that's left of ourselves to name our loves, send them our souls, our hearts, our forevers. We do what matters. And, yes, love scares me and I'm bad at it, but trying to love better, preferably before I'm dying, makes me better too, reminds me of what matters. Love is the best measure in every case. In our wider lives, it's something upon which I feel we might insist - if not for ourselves, then for all of those we love.  |
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