Saudi Arabia Executes Ethiopian Maid For Killing Child

Saudi authorities on Monday executed an Ethiopian housemaid convicted of killing the child of her employer more than three years ago, the interior ministry said.

The ministry noted in a statement that the execution was carried out after the death sentence was endorsed by the king.

The convict had confessed having knifed to death the six-year-old girl in June 2013, allegedly in retaliation for her family’s ill-treatment.

Monday’s beheading brings to 119 the total number of executions so far this year in the conservative kingdom.

According to international rights groups, Saudi Arabia is among the top executioners in the world.

On January 2, authorities beheaded 47 people, including a prominent Shiite cleric, on terrorism-related charges.

Report says Saudi Arabia has imposed death penalty for murder, armed robbery, banditry, rape, drug-trafficking and witchcraft.

The kingdom, which applies a strict interpretation of Islamic law, has repeatedly rejected calls to end the death penalty, saying the punishment deters would-be offender.

Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie’s $400M Prenup Details

With a combined $400 million fortune between Brad Pitt, 52, and Angelina Jolie, 41, there’s a lot to be divided now that details of their prenup have been revealed.

However, multiple media outlets say the war will be over the kids and NOT their $400m fortune as it is revealed Brad hasn’t seen the kids in over a week, and Angelina reportedly blocked his number after filing for divorce.

According to TMZ, the A-listers prepared for this possibility before they tied the knot in 2014 by signing a prenuptial agreement, and it specifically lays out who gets what when it comes to money and properties.

The stars have 12 properties together, three of which they bought together at some point throughout their 12-year romance. Luckily, the prenup makes it clear how those will be divided up now that they’re no longer together, TMZ claims — but when it comes to custody of the kids, there are no specifications.

Clearly, this is where a battle is likely going to come into play for Brangelina. Angelina’s asked for full physical custody of Maddox, 15, Pax, 12, Zahara, 11, Shiloh, 10, Vivienne and Knox, 8, in her divorce papers, and it’s been reported that Brad is planning to put up a fight so that doesn’t happen.

Fists Fly As Player Loses Calm Over Red Card

Tension were very high when Vic Falls Tigers faced Amagagasi in Zimbabwe’s Southern Region division one on Sunday afternoon.

The referee was officiating a match between Amagagasi and Vic Falls Tigers when he sent off a player with a straight red card.

The player didn’t agree with the referee’s decision to send him off the field and retaliated.

The official didn’t back down and fought back, the referee threw a few punches in the direction of the player before the assistant referee and players intervened to stop the fight.

German Goalkeeper Arrested For Conceding 43 Goals In One Match

German Goalkeeper, Marco Kwiotek has been arrested by the police for conceding 43 goals in one match which saw his team SV Vonderort smashed by their local rivals PSV Oberhausen 43-0

The goalkeeper was picked during a training session after his team lost the game.

The score was 35-0 at halftime, and at one point Vonderort, a German team consisting of refugees from Syria, Iraq and Guinea were only able to field eight players. 

PSV Oberhausen felt so bad about the squared that they took off three of their own players just to even up the numbers.

Five days after the game, the police showed up at Vonderort training and arrested Kwiotek. The police gave no reason for his arrest. 

However, Kwiotek was quoted saying “They just want to clear some things up” as they took him away. But he hasn’t been seen since. 

There is also some speculations the goalkeeper could have been arrested for match-fixing, but police have refused to comment on why he was arrested.

Buhari Admits To Plagiarising Obama Speech

President Muhammadu Buhari plagiarised quotes from US President Barack Obama in a speech promising change in the West African country, his office said on Friday.

Last week, Buhari gave a speech to launch a campaign titled “Change Begins With Me,” part of his credo to end graft in Africa's biggest economy which is gripped by mismanagement and poverty despite sitting on vast energy reserves.

But one paragraph in the speech urging Nigerians not to fall back “on the same partisanship, pettiness and immaturity that have poisoned our country so long” was copied from Obama's victory speech after his election in November 2008.

“It was observed that the similarities between a paragraph in President Obama's 2008 victory speech and what President Buhari read in paragraph nine of the 16-paragraph address... are too close to be passed as coincidence,” Buhari's office said in a statement.

“President Buhari urges Nigerians to look beyond this incident and focus on the message of change which the country needs in order to restore our cherished value systems,” the office said after a Twitter user joked about the incident.

“Those responsible” would be punished, the office said, adding that a deputy director in the presidency had admitted the mistake.

12-Year Old Grace Vanderwaal Wins 2016 ‘America’s Got Talent’

12-year old singer and songwriter, Grace Vanderwaal has been announced as the winner of the reality talent show, ‘America’s Got Talent’.

The twelve-year-old was a fan favorite from her audition where she got the golden buzzer and will receive a $1 million cash prize to set her on her way.

Grace has been writing her own songs since she was three and she performed a number of her songs on the show.

Wizkid Sparks Romance Rumours With US Star Justine Skye

Nigeria music superstar Wizkid may have found himself an American princess.

Wizkid has been spending most of his time in America this year and on Monday evening once again sparked rumours that he might be romancing US TV and music star Justine Skye.

The pair posted a snap of themselves looking all loved-up, with Wizkid cuddling the Roc Nation star.

No doubt predicting the kind of questions he would be asked, Wizkid disabled the comments section of his post.

But that didn't stop fans from flooding Justine's post of the same picture.

The debate around their relationship gained more than 1,300 comments, as fans gave their view on it.

The pair, who are working on a song together, were first rumoured to be dating back in June and have shared several cute tributes to each other over the last few months.

Bearded Woman Makes Guinness Book World Records

A beautiful bearded woman, Harnaam Kaur, stunned a global audience when when she was announced as world most bearded woman, thereby making in into the book of Guinness World Records for 2017.

Kaur, who is a body-image activist and runway model reacting to her award said: “I am super proud to hold this record, the inner child in me is so pleased. I grew up reading this book, I even tried breaking some of my own records wanting to be in this book,” Kaur, 24, wrote on Instagram Thursday. Rather than remove her facial hair — the result of a hormonal condition called polycystic ovarian syndrome, for which September happens to be awareness month — the British challenger of beauty norms has chosen to nurture her whiskers.

“It is amazing to be valued and celebrated being a Bearded Lady. I am proud to hold this amazing record,” she continued. “I hope those who read or see my record can take away positivity, inspiration and realise that no matter who you are or what you look like, you are officially amazing!”

Yahoo News had reported that Kaur joins other beauty-themed record breakers this year, including Tyler Wright, who has what’s been deemed to be the largest afro (10 inches high and 9 inches wide); a group of 261 people in Milan who were recognized for the category Most People Wearing Their Hair in a Beehive; and Charlotte Guttenberg, 67, and her partner, Charles “Chuck” Helmke, both of Florida, for Most Tattooed Senior Citizens. Their bodies are covered with tats 91.5 percent and 93.75 percent, respectively.

Guinness has named Kaur the youngest female with a full beard. She began growing facial hair at age 11, and spent much of her adolescence dealing with shame, bullies, and efforts at hair removal. But at age 16, she made the decision to accept all of herself and embrace her beard.

Kaur’s confidence paid off, as last year she became the first woman to walk a major runway with a full beard, working the catwalk for jewelry designer Marianna Harutunian as part of Royal Fashion Day. Previously, she signed on to be a rep for model Tess Holliday’s social media campaign #EffYourBeautyStandards, spreading the love-yourself message to all.

The activist’s induction to Guinness has delighted Kaur’s many supporters. “I love that there was a record to break!” wrote one of her more than 61,000 Instagram followers. “Not because others have gone through the pain you have, but because it’s amazing to see ‘different’ celebrated and honoured. 

Congratulations!”

Sanusi Buys New N132m Rolls Royce For Sallah

The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has gotten a brand new Rolls Royce for Sallah. 

The Emir, Monday, shared the picture of the new car which is all white in colour on the social media even as the Eid el-Kabir celebrations by muslim faithful were in full gear.

On his official instagram page, the Emir captioned the shared pictures thus: “Has just been added” 

However, some findings revealed that the price of 2016 Rolls-Royce Phantom is estimated at $417,825 (about N132 million).

Operation Crocodile Smile: Four Soldiers Drown In Bayelsa Creek

The military operation against militants, code-named, ‘Operation Crocodile Smile’, on Monday suffered a setback as four soldiers drowned following a boat accident in Bayelsa State.

The incident occurred along the Brass waterfront in Brass Local Government Area of the state.

Service rifles belonging to the missing soldiers were also said to be missing.

It was learnt that the sad incident which occurred at about 10am on Monday, created panic among newly-deployed soldiers in the state.

Though the mission of the soldiers in the area could not be ascertained, it was gathered that it was not unconnected with the operations against renewed militancy, sea piracy and search for those threatening to hoist the Niger Delta Republic flag.

An indigene of the community, identified simply as Etta, said attempts by community youths and other soldiers to assist in a rescue operation failed as the drowned soldiers could not be found.

Etta said, “In recent times, we have been noticing increased movement of soldiers in our area. The boat that capsized was conveying a new batch of soldiers to the water front.

“I was going to dispose of refuse at the waterfront and I saw uniformed soldiers struggling to rescue their colleagues in a capsized boat.

“When the confusion subsided, four soldiers were found to be missing with their rifles and other military gear. Those that were rescued had their rifles missing and struggling out of the water. ”

It was further learnt that as of 2pm, the military authorities sought the help of local divers and youths in the search for the missing soldiers.

But one of the youths confirmed that the high tide of the water impeded the search for the missing soldiers.

PHOTOS: Operation Crocodile Smile Show Of Force In Port Harcourt

Troops of 2 Brigade Nigerian Army yesterday at Port Harcourt conducted a show of force as part of the ongoing OPERATION CROCODILE SMILE in the volatile Niger Delta.

PHOTOS: Rihanna Bares Her Butt In Philadelphia

Rihanna's butt was on display in a pair of sexy leather chaps as she hit the stage for her Anti World Tour in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Saturday night.

61 Priests Preside Over The Burial Of Stella Oduah's Son

The dust raised by the death of son of Nigeria's former Aviation minister and presently the Senator representing Anambra North Senatorial District in the red chambers of the National Assembly,Senator Princess Stella Oduah, has finally settled as the remains of 28 year old, Maxwell,Chinedu Oduah-Etoromi was at exactly 2:15 pm Saturday, interred at the Oduah family mausoleum in Akili- Ozizor,Ogbaru local Government of Anambra State amidst tears and eulogies

The Metropolitan Archbishop of Onitsha, Most Reverend Valerian Okeke,was represented in the burial mass by the Episcopal Vicar of Dunukofia Region, Very Rev Fr Theophilus Odukwe who presided over the mass with 57 other priests concelebrating,among whom was a Papal Chamberlain and Chaplain of the Catholic Women Organization(CWO) Onitsha Archdiocese, Monsignor Greg Adibe.In their midst were 3 Anglican priests. In his homily,the President of the West African Association of Priests,Very Rev Fr (Dr) Martin Onukwuba condoled with Senator Oduah and other members of their family saying that death is a mystery and universal experience which every mortal must pass through.According to him,the death of a Christian is nothing but a passage to meet the risen Christ adding that upon death,every believer must look forward to dying in order to open his or her eyes to the light of eternity.

In his contribution, the representative of the Archbishop, Very Rev Fr Theophilus Odukwe described the late Chinedu Oduah as a chip of the old block, meaning that he took over from her mother in generosity and kindness to the less privileged.

Fr Odukwe conveyed Archbishop Valerian Okeke's condolences to Senator Oduah who he described as a true daughter of Igbo land going by her achievement as Aviation Minister. The Senate President,Dr Olusola Saraki, represented by Senator Dino Melaye who led other senators and House of Representatives members to the funeral laced his remarks with humour and jokes,said the Senate President was pained by the death of Chinedu whose mother,Senator Stella Oduah she described as a reliable and hard working colleague.He pledged that the Senate will donate generously to the newly formed Foundation for the deceased.

Also in his remarks,the governor of Anambra State,Chief Willie Obiano represented by the Deputy Governor,Dr Nkemdiche Okeke,described the death of Chinedu in his prime as painful as it woul not be the wish of any mother to experience such.He prayed that God will give the entire family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

Chairman of Princess Stella Oduah Campaign Organization and former Rep member, High Chief (Hon) Okwudili Add to dictionary gratitude to God for his marvelous works in making the week long funeral peaceful.

While speaking on the death of his brother,Master Tuoyo,the immediate younger brother to the deceased spoke at length on the sterling qualities of his late brother who he described as generous to a fault. Among the dignitaries that attended the burial are former Gov Peter Obi(represented)the PDP chairman,Anambra State,Chief Ken Emeakayi,Hon Obinna Chidoka,former Anambra Speaker,Chief Anayo Nnebe ,Hon Eucharia Azodo,Chief Mrs Comfort Obi,member of board of the Police Service Commission,Abuja, the Okpala of Akili Ozizor,Prfessor Stella Okunna,Chief Mrs Odife,Chief Dubem Obaze,etc.PDP stalwarts at local and state levels attended.

The liturgical coordinator of the burial committee,Rev Fr Donald Uzoh,the coordinator of burial logistics,Prince Joe Agwunobi Oduah and the Chief of Staff of Princess Stella Oduah Foundation,Princess Nwaka Ononuju,the Knights of St Mulumba,St Mary's Subcouncil led by its Grand Knight,Sir Joseph Nsika, the director of Princess Stella Oduah campaign Organisation,Chief Pandola Okwuosa among many others were present.

Militants Threaten Attacks On soldiers Deployed In Niger Delta

A group, Niger Delta Cleansers (NDC), has threatened to attack more soldiers in the region if the federal government does not withdraw them from the creeks in the next 14 days.

Its spokesman, Col Fikenibai Miesin, in a statement said the militants will launch ‘Operation Hurricane’ to face soldiers deployed in the region.

Miesin condemned the ‘Operation Crocodile Smile’ launched by the federal government even after most militants have embraced the ongoing dialogue process in the region.

The statement reads: “The Niger Delta cleansers is unhappy with  the federal government for deploying soldiers in some Niger Delta communities under the operational code “Operation Crocodile Smile at a time dialogue is seeing the light of day

“We call on the federal government to immediately withdraw all soldiers deployed in the Niger Delta communities.

“Because of this we have perfected plans to launch ‘Operation Hurricane’ to combat government forces. We are giving them two weeks to withdraw the soldiers or face attacks.”

Nude Donald Trump Statue To Be Auctioned For Up To $20,000

A naked statue of U.S. Republican presidential contender Donald Trump is going up for auction, with profits from the sale going to an immigrant support group.

Julien's Auctions said on Wednesday that the statue, called "The Emperor Has No Balls," is expected to fetch $10,000 to $20,000 at the Oct. 22 auction in Los Angeles.

The statue is one of a series that appeared unannounced in public spaces in New York and four other U.S. cities earlier in August. The orange-tinted likeness showed Trump with a massive belly, small fingers and some missing genitals.

Most were confiscated or destroyed by local authorities and the Los Angeles statue is the only one remaining, Julien's said.

The statues were created by an anonymous artists collective called INDECLINE. A portion of the auction profits will go to the National Immigration Forum, which campaigns for the rights of immigrants.

Trump has pledged to build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico to keep immigrants out and to deport the millions of undocumented immigrants in the United States, should he be elected. He is due to give a speech on Wednesday as he seeks to find a balance in his immigration stance.

Trump is not the only politician to be represented in the October auction of street and contemporary art. American pop artist Knowledge Bennett's "Hillary Clinton Cojones," featuring the Democratic White House hopeful wearing a tuxedo, is expected to fetch up to $15,000, Julien's said.

Japanese Karate Expert Fights Off Bear Using Black Belt Skills

A 63-year-old karate expert was the unlikely victor of a fight with an angry bear, police in Japan have said.

Atsushi Aoki was fishing in the mountains of the Gunma Prefecture region when the animal emerged from woodland.

The snarling black bear - reportedly standing at 6ft 3ins on its hind legs - set upon him in an unprovoked attack, he told Japanese broadcaster TBS.

However, Mr Aoki said he was more than a match for his assailant, fighting the animal off with his bare hands.

Despite being knocked to the floor, he managed to pick himself up and face up to his opponent.

Rather than fleeing, he used his own deadly fighting skills to take the upper hand, punching the bear between the eyes.

The animal then retreated.

Mr Aoki told reporters the bear stood over him with "an imposing stance".

The fisherman was quoted in Singapore newspaper The Straits Times saying: "It came pouncing towards me when my eyes met the bear's.

"Its rounded ears were perfectly circular just like a teddy bear's and its face was so huge.

"The bear had such, such great strength. I was knocked over when it leapt at me. It scratched me and bit me. But in the end I managed to trick the bear, poked it in the eyes and it ran away."

After the attack, Mr Aoki apparently made his own way to a nearby hospital in Naganohara town, where he received treatment for minor injuries.

He sustained bite and claw marks on the right side of his upper body, head and arms, and an injury to his leg, but was otherwise unharmed.

Gunma police officials have warned anyone who comes across a bear in the wild not to copy Mr Aoki martial arts exploits.

"If you witness a bear, don't fight. Walk away quietly and report it to the police instead," an official told The Japan Times.

Kenyans Are Far Behind Nigerians In Every Aspect - Fani-Kayode

Former aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode has lent his voice in defence of his country in the ongoing Twitter feud between netizens in Nigeria and Kenya.

Fani-Kayode, who gave his verdict on his official Twitter account, @realffk, stressed that Kenyans are far behind Nigerians in every aspect.

Truth is that the Kenyans are v far behind us in every respect. I know their history inside out: they are just too small for us.

He furthers, "Kenyans should stop attacking Nigeria on twitter. They must know their place. Truth is the worse Nigerian is better than the best Kenyan."

When Kenyan leaders were still doing "mau mau", swinging from trees and eating one another ours were at Oxford and Cambridge university" He noted

When Kenyan leaders were still doing "mau mau", swinging from trees and eating one another ours were at Oxford and Cambridge university

Recall that the clash started following unclear reports and speculations which surrounds the back-and-forth movement of the billionaire Facebook CEO, between the two African nations.

China Closes World’s Longest Glass Bridge

The world’s longest glass bridge, over a scenic canyon in China, has been closed less than two weeks after it opened after being overwhelmed by a swarm of visitors. 

More than 10,000 visitors a day flooded over the Guinness record-setting attraction, overwhelming managers who had planned to limit visitors to no more than 8,000, local media reported.

The bridge is undergoing “an internal system upgrade”, the official Xinhua News service quoted officials as saying, but did not specify when it would reopen. 

The group in charge of the attraction said that it would use the closure to update “software and hardware” related to managing visitors, Xinhua said Friday.

In an announcement on one of its social media accounts, the company apologised for inconveniencing the many travellers who had made reservations to visit.

“You… have cheated consumers,” one angry commenter replied. “I’m on the train right now. I can’t change my travel plans or get a refund. You have made the world lose hope. I see you are the world’s number one cheat.” 

Some 430 metres (1,400 feet) long and suspended 300 metres above the earth, the bridge spans the canyon between two mountain cliffs in Zhangjiajie park in China’s central Hunan province. The nature reserve is known for its otherworldly natural beauty. 

Famous for its precipitous cloud-wreathed mountains, it is a UNESCO world heritage site that reportedly inspired the landscapes of James Cameron’s sci-fi blockbuster Avatar. 

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

They organised a string of media events, including one where people were encouraged to try and smash the bridge’s glass panels with a sledge hammer, and another where they drove a car across it. Nonetheless, visitors were banned from wearing high heels as they ventured out onto the deck.

Church Of England Welcomes First Openly Gay Bishop

A British bishop has become the first in the Church of England — the mother church of the worldwide Anglican faith — to announce he is homosexual, in an interview published Saturday.

Nicholas Chamberlain, the Bishop of Grantham in central England, told the Guardian newspaper he was in a long-term relationship with his male partner, after a Sunday paper reportedly said it was about to publish a story on his private life.

“It was not my decision to make a big thing about coming out,” he said, adding that he adhered to church guidelines which stipulate that gay clergy must be celibate.

“People know I’m gay, but it’s not the first thing I’d say to anyone. Sexuality is part of who I am, but it’s my ministry that I want to focus on.”

The church knew he was gay when he became a bishop last year, he revealed.

“I was myself. Those making the appointment knew about my sexual identity.”

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, leader of the world’s Anglican faith, said Chamberlain’s sexuality was “completely irrelevant”.

“His appointment as Bishop of Grantham was made on the basis of his skills and calling to serve the church in the diocese of Lincoln,” he said.

“He lives within the bishops’ guidelines and his sexuality is completely irrelevant to his office.”

Chamberlain said of his relationship: “It is faithful, loving, we are like-minded, we enjoy each other’s company and we share each other’s life.”

A Church of England spokesman said it would have been “unjust” not to appoint him based due to his sexuality.

The Church of England dropped its opposition to gay clergymen in civil partnerships becoming bishops in 2013, although many of the Anglican faith worldwide — who number 80 million — were opposed.

The Anglican Church of Uganda in 2014 said it may consider breaking away from their mother church in England if it put Uganda under pressure over its tough anti-homosexuality law.

Mass Wedding: Kano Government Screens 1,000 Prospective Couples

The Kano State Hisbah Board said it had commenced medical screening of 1,000 prospective couples for the next Mass Wedding Programme in the state.

NAN reports that no fewer than 4, 395 prospective couples were registered by the state government to participate in the programme.

The Director General of the board, Dr Abba Sufi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Friday that the screening which started last week was aimed at ensuring the health status of the couples before the marriage

“The medical screening started about eight days ago and it is intended to ascertain the health status of each and everyone of them.

“The screening is mandatory as it will enable the board and each partner to know the health status their partners before the marriage is conducted,”he said.

Sufi said the medical screening was in preparation for the conduct of the programme scheduled to take place after the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.

“The state government has planned to conduct the programme after Sallah, hence the decision to start the screening of the couples in time,”Sufi said

He said the state government under the leadership of Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje was committed to the success of the programme as it would check prostitution especially among indigent unmarried young girls and widows.

NAN recalls that no fewer than 5,000 indigent unmarried young men and women benefited from the programme during the administration of former Gov. Rabi’u Kwankwaso who introduced it in 2012.

NAN