Coup Scare: Nigerian Army Clamps Down On Suspected Soldiers

The Nigerian Army may have begun an internal search for soldiers and officers suspected to be engaging in political meetings, a top military source has told SUNDAY PUNCH. The source said that some arrests may have been made, but that the information was being kept as top secret so as not to add to the public tension.

Some other sources who spoke to our correspondent on Saturday also noted that the  establishment of an army unit in Daura, Katsina State, on Friday, named Muhammadu Buhari Forward Operation Base, by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, was an effort to fortify the president’s hometown and a public pledge of loyalty.

On Tuesday, Buratai, in a tense language, had warned officers and soldiers to steer clear of politics, as information had reached him that some officers were involved in political meetings for “undisclosed reasons.”

The army chief had advised officers and soldiers interested in politicking to resign from the service, as any officer caught would be severely penalized.

US Air Force fighter jets escorted an American Airlines plane into Hawaii after a passenger disturbance

US Air Force fighter jets escorted an American Airlines plane into Honolulu, Hawaii, on Friday after a passenger disturbance on the flight.

The FBI did not immediately disclose the nature of the incident, but local CBS and NBC affiliates reported Friday that a passenger on American Airlines Flight 31 was detained after trying to breach the cockpit.

Crew members on Flight 31 and an off-duty police officer restrained the man aboard the flight which originated from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), the reports said. Flight 31 landed safely in Honolulu at 11:35 a.m. local time. No injuries were reported.

Federal authorities were preparing a criminal complaint to charge Turkish national Anil Uskanil, 25, with interference with a flight crew, FBI special-agent-in charge Paul Delacourt said at a Honolulu news conference, Reuters said.

Suicide bomber blown up as he waits to attack UNIMAID students

Another suicide bomber was blown up at the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) yesterday moments before he could attack a student gathering on the campus.

He was the only casualty of the attack, according to the police and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

Ibrahim Mallam Abdulkadir, spokesman for NEMA in the Northeast said the explosive which the bomber strapped to his body went off while he was waiting “for the right opportunity to detonate the bomb among students.”

“Today, May 20, at some minutes past 10 am, one male adult suicide bomber hid in the bush within university community surrounding, supposedly trying to gain access into university where students are gathering,” Abdulkadir said in a statement.

Revenge porn crackdown: NSW offenders could be jailed for up to three years

People who post revenge porn images of former partners could be jailed for up to three years under laws to be introduced in New South Wales.

Perpetrators could also be fined up to $11,000 for posting the intimate images without consent.

The NSW attorney general, Mark Speakman, said the new bill would give victims the right to ensure culprits were held to account.

photos : Beyonce's African themed Push Through party

 

Beyoncé had her Push-Through party and every member of her family was in attendance. Husband, Jay Z, Mum, Tina Knowles, Kelly Rowland, Solange, Michelle Williams and a host of others. The Push Through party was African themed, with African drummers, people dressed in African outfits and Afrobeats music blasting in one of the make shift huts etc. More photos after the cut...

Trump strikes arms deal with Saudis worth $350bn, $110bn to take effect immediately

In his first overseas trip as president, Donald Trump sealed an arms deal with Saudi Arabia worth $350 billion over 10 years, with nearly $110 billion to take effect immediately. The agreement is said to bolster security “in the face of Iranian threats.”

"This package of defense equipment and services supports the long-term security of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region in the face of malign Iranian influence and Iranian related threats. Additionally, it bolsters the Kingdom's ability to provide for its own security and continue contributing to counterterrorism operations across the region, reducing the burden on US military forces," the US Department of State said in a statement on Saturday.

White House officials say Trump is 'undisciplined' and 'self-destructive'

President Trump is abroad on his first foreign trip, but that hasn't stopped his problems from piling up at home. And despite administration officials' public attempts at pivoting the focus to the national security risks of leaking information to the public, staffers are privately "exasperated" by Trump, according to Axios' Jonathan Swan and Mike Allen. 

"They view their boss as completely undisciplined and self-destructive," Axios reported. 

On Friday, the New York Times reported that Trump told Russian officials former FBI director James Comey was "a real nut job" and that firing Comey had taken "great pressure" off of him. Trump had fired Comey one day before making the alleged comments to Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak during an Oval Office meeting.

1 dead after car plows into pedestrians at New York’s Times Square

New York City Police have declared a “mass casualty incident” after a speeding car drove onto the sidewalk in Times Square, killing one and injuring at least a dozen people. The incident does not seem to be a terrorist attack, police said.

One person was killed and 22 were injured, New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio told reporters Thursday afternoon. He identified the victim as an 18-year-old woman.

“There is no indication that this was an act of terror,” DeBlasio said, calling New York the “safest big city in the world.”

WCBS-TV has identified the suspect as a 26-year-old male resident of The Bronx. City officials confirmed that he had two previous drunk-driving convictions, in 2008 and 2015. The New York Post gives the suspect’s name as Richard Rojas. According to Mayor DeBlasio, Rojas is a US citizen and a US Navy veteran, with a criminal record.

SHOCKING STORY OF GRADUATE TURNED YAHOO BOY.

I graduated from Olabisi Onabanjo University OOU in Ogun state year 2003 with Bsc in Chemistry. After my graduation I spent 2 year in ijebu loitering around the street seeking job with series of application but non yield a good result. I left Ogun state for Lagos the first Sunday of September 2005 to make a better living as a man. Arriving at the Ajah motor park, I picked up my belongings and proceeded to the next available ATM machine cos I had no money left on me, while in the line at the ATM machine, I felt a touch behind me, to my surprise, it was my classmate back in my primary school days, I was so happy to meet him again cos I had no ties in Lagos but left Ogun state wit the hope of being a successful man. He took me to a nearby restaurant in his Toyota corolla sport car and entertained me with delicious meal and chilled drinks. I quickly explained to him my condition and experience of unemployment, he took me to his apartment in one of the biggest estate in Ajah, gave me a room to stay till I Finally have a place of my own, he fed me and took charge my responsibilities.

Marriage is too important to stamped, shame or bully people into (by Charles Irongesit )

Just stepped out of my cousin's house in Benin to head back to Lagos. Honestly, people, please and please, stop telling girls to go and marry or running down people who are not married yet. Let each person marry at his/her own pace and to whatever choice of person he/she chooses. Marriage is too important to stamped, shame or bully people into.

My female cousin's marriage is in distress. To cut a lot story short: She is a certain type of person and her husband is his own type of person. However, the problem is while they were dating, the lady swore heaven and earth to understand his type of lifestyle, desires dreams etc. He also swore the same thing. However, the lady knew his own lifestyle and thoughts were quite unconventional for Nigerian men and Nigerian culture, so she made a bigger deal of swearing and convincing him of her readiness to adapt and tolerate him.
Now, eight years later. They barely talk and haven't slept in the same room for two years. She is my cousin and I will not be partial. 

Trump calls for tougher sanctions on North Korea

US President Donald Trump has called for tougher sanctions against North Korea after it test-fired a ballistic missile on Sunday.

The missile was fired from the region of Kusong, northwest of Pyongyang, where North Korea, in February, successfully test-launched an intermediate-range missile.

Multiple sets of UN and US sanctions against North Korea have done little to deter it from pursuing its nuclear and missile ambitions.

Trump's loyalists are praising Comey's ouster as a blow against the 'deep state,' a far-right conspiracy

President Donald Trump's shocking decision to fire FBI director James Comey on Tuesday set off one of the most tumultuous weeks in his young administration. Critics on both sides of the aisle blasted the president for firing the man who was overseeing an investigation into him and his associates for possible collusion with Russia during the 2016 presidential election.

But Trump's most dedicated supporters see things a little differently. To them, Trump's decision to fire Comey was a welcome sign of a democratically-elected president striking back at the American "deep state" — a theory peddled by those on the far-right, which asserts that there is a shadow network of government officials, politicians, and intelligence agents who are covertly working to undermine Trump's agenda and ultimately overthrow him.

Though there is no credible evidence of an American deep state, talks of it have been widespread on far-right news outlets like InfoWars and Breitbart. They've also found a home among notable pundits including Fox News host Sean Hannity, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and Rep. Steve King of Iowa.

North Korea says new rocket can carry nuclear warhead

North Korea said on Monday it had successfully launched a new type of ballistic missile in its latest test which it said was aimed at building capacity to launch nuclear missiles.

The North fired a ballistic missile that landed in the sea near Russia on Sunday in a launch that that came just days after South Korea's new President Moon Jae-in, who has called for closer engagement with the North, was inaugurated in Seoul.

Sunday's launch was of a "new ground-to-ground medium long-range strategic ballistic rocket" named the Hwasong-12, the official Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

Papua New Guinea mass jailbreak: suspects awaiting trial among 17 shot dead

Killings take place in the Pacific nation’s second largest city of Lae after 77 people break out of notorious Buimo jail

Seventeen prisoners have been shot dead and dozens are still at large after a mass escape at Papua New Guinean jail.

At least 77 male prisoners from the notoriously overcrowded prison in the city of Lae attempted a mass escape on Friday morning. Only three were apprehended, and 57 remain at large. It’s not yet clear who fired on the 17 men killed.

“These are undesirable people and will be a threat to the community,” Lae police metropolitan commander Chief Superintendent Anthony Wagambie Jr said of the escapees. “The majority of those who escaped were arrested for serious crimes and were in custody awaiting trial.

Light plane crashes and burns in Bosnia, kills five including three children

Five people, including three children, were killed in Bosnia on Saturday, May 13 when a light aircraft they were travelling in crashed near the southern town of Mostar, police said. The accident occurred at 3.50 pm local time (13:50 GMT) and police, firefighters, paramedics and a prosecutor were at the site of the crash, a police duty officer told Reuters.

Research suggests being-lazy is a sign of high intelligence

New research seems to prove the theory that brainy people spend more time lazing around than their active counterparts. 

Findings from a US-based study seem to support the idea that people with a high IQ get bored less easily, leading them to spend more time engaged in thought. 

And active people may be more physical as they need to stimulate their minds with external activities, either to escape their thoughts or because they get bored quickly

Researchers from the Florida Gulf Coast University gave a classic test – dating back three decades - to a group of students.  

The ‘need for cognition’ questionnaire asked participants to rate how strongly they agree with statements such as "I really enjoy a task that involves coming up with new solutions to problems", and "I only think as hard as I have to". 

Nepal votes in first local election in 20 years

Voting began Sunday in Nepal’s first local elections for two decades, a landmark moment in the country’s fraught transition to democracy.

Polls opened in three provinces at 7:00 am (0115 GMT), with nearly 50,000 candidates vying for the position of mayor, deputy mayor, ward chairman and ward member in 283 local municipalities.

With nearly 70 percent of the population aged under 35, many are electing their local representatives for the first time.The local representatives were last elected in 1997 and their five-year terms expired at the height of the brutal Maoist insurgency.

The ten-year war ended in 2006 and the country began a rocky transition from a Hindu monarchy to a secular federal republic, which has seen it cycle through nine governments.

Man who threatened to kill Barack Obama, his family sentenced to five years in prison

A man from Oregon, US, who threatened to kill former President, Barack Obama and his family over social media has been sentenced to five years in a U.S. federal prison.

U.S. District Court Judge, Michael McShane sentenced 62-year-old John Roos of Medford to 63 months in prison.

He also got a three-year post-prison supervision upon his release.

A U.S. Department of Justice news release said that Roos pleaded guilty to charges related to the threats and other charges for possession of an unregistered explosive device.

Roos explained in court that he threatened to kill Obama and the former first family on Twitter.

The Justice Department also said Roos has also posted on Facebook threats to kill FBI agents with hunting rifles.

However, Roos has said the threats were not serious.

Emmanuel Macron inaugurated as president with Paris under tight security

Emmanuel Macron has become France’s youngest ever president, officially taking over from François Hollande.

Macron, a 39-year-old centrist, arrived at the Élysée Palace in central Paris on Sunday in a motorcade and walked down the red carpet under light rain to be greeted by Hollande for his inauguration. The new president’s wife, Brigitte, arrived separately.

A week after his victory over far-right leader Marine Le Pen in a tumultuous election, Macron had a private meeting with Hollande at which he was given the codes to launch France’s nuclear weapons.

Hollande left the Élysée to applause from palace employees and the president of the constitutional council, Laurent Fabius, proclaimed the official result of the vote, formally inaugurating Macron.

Macron formally took power after his predecessor, Socialist Francois Hollande, met with him for one hour and left.

Greece train hits house after derailing, killing two

At least two people have been killed and others seriously injured after a passenger train derailed in northern Greece, officials say.

The train, travelling from Athens, struck a house when it left the track near the city of Thessaloniki.

A resident at the property said he managed to jump from a balcony just before the train made impact.

Pictures from the town of Adendro showed smashed carriages. It is unclear what caused the train to derail.

The train was carrying 70 passengers, most of whom were safely evacuated within three hours of the accident on Saturday night, according to reports.

'I was never afraid to be a provocative woman': Missy Elliott rocks Marc Jacobs track suit as she reveals inspiration for iconic outfits

'I was never afraid to be a provocative woman': Missy Elliott rocks Marc Jacobs track suit as she reveals inspiration for iconic outfits

When asked about her iconic plastic-bag suit for the music video The Rain, Elliott reported: 'To me, the outfit was a way to mask my shyness behind all the chaos of the look.'

'The outfit was a symbol of power. I loved the idea of feeling like a hip-hop Michelin woman,' she continued.

'I knew I could have on a blow-up suit and still have people talking.'

'It was bold and different. I’ve always seen myself as an innovator and a creative unlike any other.'

On keeping her brand in check, the Grammy-winner reported: 'One thing I won’t do is compromise. I will never do something based on what everybody else is telling me to do.'

'And have to kick myself in the ass every night. Nah. I have to make sure that it’s right.' she added.

Anthony Joshua receives surprise early morning visit from drug testers

Only 12 days after Anthony Joshua defeated Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley to retain his IBF title and claim the vacant WBA and IBO belts, he received a surprise visit from drug testers very early on Thursday morning.
The 27-year-old champion shared the video to his Instagram stories before 8 a.m. this morning. In the video, a man can be seen reading through a list of questions which Joshua was expected to supply answers to.

Tyga's girlfriend goes completely nude

24-year-old Jordan Ozuna was linked to Tyga weeks back after they were spotted having lunch together. She was also linked to Justin Bieber between 2013 and 2014.

After Jordan posted photos of herself from a bed believed to be Justin's, a woman spoke up to reveal that Jordan was still legally married to her son, Daniel Ozuna.

Well, her marriage to Daniel is officially over now and she can do as she likes, including sharing nude photos. The former Vega Hooters waitress shared a photo of herself completely naked on a bed in some sort of resort and it has garnered so many likes and comments on Instagram.

White House says Comey committed ‘atrocities’ as FBI director

A White House spokeswoman said on Wednesday that President Trump fired James Comey after receiving a letter that outlined “atrocities” committed by the FBI director.

White House deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters that “one of the big catalysts” for Trump was Comey’s decision to hold a press conference last summer announcing the bureau’s conclusions in its probe into Hillary Clinton’s emails without telling then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch what he was going to say.

“He had essentially taken a stick of dynamite and thrown it into the Department of Justice by going around the chain of command,” Huckabee Sanders said. “That is simply not allowed.”

During testimony to Congress last week, Comey said that Lynch’s controversial tarmac meeting with former President Bill Clinton last June led him to believe that the Justice Department could not by itself “credibly” conclude its investigation.

“That was a hard call for me to make, to call the attorney general that morning and say, ‘I’m about to do a press conference and I’m not going to tell you what I’m going to say,'” Comey testified. “I knew this would be disastrous for me personally, but I thought this is the best way to protect these institutions that we care so much about.”

Putin says Russia had ‘nothing to do’ with Trump’s firing of Comey

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Moscow had “nothing to do” with President Trump’s abrupt firing of FBI Director James Comey amid the bureau’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

In an impromptu interview with a CBS News reporter in a tunnel adjacent to a hockey rink, Putin said the move would not affect U.S.-Russia relations.

“There will be no effect,” Putin, dressed in his hockey gear and holding a stick, said through a translator. “Your question looks very funny for me. Don’t be angry with me. We have nothing to do with that.”