150 feared dead in River Niger tragedy

Hello Friends!

One hundred and fifty persons were feared dead on Friday following a boat mishap in River Niger, close to Malilli village in the Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.

The accident happened at about 2 pm. While 42 bodies were recovered and confirmed dead, over 100 others are reportedly missing.

As at 10:30pm, no there was no survivor. Divers were still at the river looking for more victims.

The Public Relation Officer of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Mr. Ibrahim Hussaini, told our correspondent via the telephone that the incident occurred as the traders were returning from Malili village to their village, Tunga Illo, which is across the River Niger.

He 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.”

Nigerian arraigned in US for aiding al-Qaeda

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A Nigerian terror suspect accused of trying to help al-Qaeda in Yemen appear before a United States federal courtroom on Friday.

Lawal Babafemi was accused of training with members of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and using his English skills to help publish the terrorist magazine “Inspire.”

Judge John Gleason ordered Babafemi, also known as “Ayatollah Mustafa,” held without bail. No plea was entered, reports NBCnewyork.com.

Prosecutors said Babafemi is married with children in Nigeria and helped al-Qaeda attempt to recruit people who speak English to engage in acts of terror against Americans.

The FBI said Anwar al-Awlaki, the American cleric who became the al-Qeada commander in the Arabian Peninsula and was killed in a US drone strike, personally directed $9,000 be paid to Babafemi to assist in his recruitment efforts.

Sitting silently at a defense table, Babafemi wore a blue and white striped polo shirt as he listened to the hearing without the help of a translator.

His attorney did not object to his being held without bail, but told the judge Babafemi suffers from high blood pressure and asked that he receive medication when he gets to the Metropolitan Detention Center.

Investigators said Babafemi was active with al-Qaeda operatives from 2010 to 2011 until he was arrested for crimes in Nigeria. He was then turned over to FBI agents to be prosecuted for his alleged terrorist activity.

“The defendant threw his efforts behind al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s media, recruitment, and weapons training campaigns in an effort to strengthen the terrorist group’s grip on the region and extend its reach throughout the world,” US Attorney Loretta Lynch said in a statement.

His transfer to the United States comes amid increasing concerns about the growing footprint of al-Qaeda affiliated organizations in Africa.

Al-Qaeda in Yemen has tried to use an underwear bomb on an airliner heading to Detroit and has hidden explosives in printers to try to bomb cargo planes.

Al Shabaab — a Somali-based group linked to al-Qaeda — is believed to be behind the recent mall attack in Kenya.

Culled from The Punch Nigeria...

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Simply Cheska...

DSS, Army arrest Mike Ozekhome’s kidnapper...

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A combined security team drawn from the Nigerian Army and Department of Security Service, DSS, have arrested Kelvin Prosper Oniarah, who allegedly kidnapped the Human Rights lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, along Auchi–Benin road late last month. 

Spokesperson for DSS, Marilyn Ogar said Oniarah who was arrested Wednesday was a notorious terrorist, kidnap kingpin and armed robber and has been on the wanted list of security agencies.

Ogar said Kelvin Oniarah who is also known as Kelvin Ibruvwe was responsible for the kidnap of and killing of Dr. Chudi Nwike a former Deputy Governor of Anambra State, while in captivity;

According to the statmentj “on 25th September, 2013, a combined security team of the Nigerian Army and DSS operatives arrested Kelvin Prosper Oniarah, a notorious terrorist, kidnap kingpin and armed robber, who has been on the wanted list of security agencies.

“Kelvin ONIARAH who is also known as Kelvin IBRUVWE masterminded the kidnap of Mike OZEKHOME (SAN) on 24th August, 2013, along Auchi–Benin road.

“He is also responsible for the following kidnaps, Judge of the Edo State Judiciary, and a top female official of the Federal Inland Revenue Service,FIRS.

She said “Chudi Nwike, Dr. a former Deputy Governor of Anambra State, who was killed by Kelvin while in captivity; and several members of the NYSC and security agents.

“He also masterminded various attacks against security personnel, carried out several armed robberies and kidnap operations in Delta, Edo, Rivers and Anambra States.

“Oniarah maintained operational bases and detention camps in Warri and Kokori Community in Delta State, Ugbokolo Community in Benue State, Benin City in Edo State, and Aba in Abia State.

“It would also be recalled that on 18th September, 2013, Kelvin Oniarah issued a 60 day ultimatum from his base in Kokori, Delta State, to the Federal Government and threatened to wreak havoc on innocent Nigerian citizens.

“Kelvin Oniarah has been taken into custody and investigation of his notorious activities has commenced.”

Culled from The Vanguard Nigeria...

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Simply Cheska...

Woman who looked like 'White Widow' sprayed machine gun bullets at me during Kenyan mall massacre, says shop worker...

Involved? Samantha Lewthwaite, of Aylesbury, is seen in a newly-released photo from her school days...

Hello Friends!

A shop worker says a woman resembling ‘white widow’ Samantha Lewthwaite sprayed her with machine-gun bullets during the Kenyan mall massacre.

As the four-day siege drew to a close last night, a witness said an AK-47-wielding ‘pale-skinned woman’ with long dark hair – the same as British Muslim convert Lewthwaite – locked eyes with her as she cowered beneath a box before opening fire from a balcony.

Amazingly, the woman, who gave her name only as Caroline, escaped unharmed as Islamists stormed the Westgate shopping centre. 

She said: ‘She was high up but not far from me, close enough that I saw her looking along the floor where I was until she saw me.

‘She stopped and aimed at me and then opened fire. All of the  bullets did not hit me, I don’t know how that happened.

‘She stopped firing at me for a moment and looked away and I jumped up and ran around a corner and that’s how I escaped.

‘She had pale skin and long black hair, and was wearing a baggy black top. I can’t remember very much, but I remember she had pale skin.’

A senior Kenyan anti-terror officer last night revealed that police had received many witness accounts of a female attacker resembling the widow of 7/7 bomber Jermaine Lindsay. 

He added: ‘We believe that she was involved in the attack. We cannot doubt the eyewitnesses who say they saw her commanding the attackers.’

Mother: Relatives of Samantha Lewthwaite, from Buckinghamshire, in the UK maintained a wall of silence...

The vivid description of a female jihadist comes as Kenya president Uhuru Kenyatta last night confirmed he had received intelligence reports suggesting a British woman was involved.

Kenya foreign minister Amina Mohamed added: ‘The Briton was a woman... who has done this many times before.’

Yesterday, a Twitter account purporting to belong to militant group Al Shabaab also claimed that Lewthwaite had ‘commanded’ the attack.

A post said: ‘We have received permission to disclose the involvement of Samantha Lewthwaite aka sherafiyah [her Islamic name], she successfully overseered [sic] the mission.’

British security officials say they have yet to receive confirmation from the Kenyan authorities of Lewthwaite’s role in the attack, but they would not be ‘entirely surprised’ if she is involved.

It emerged yesterday that Lewthwaite’s grandmother, 85-year-old Ellen Allen, was rushed to hospital in Banbridge, Northern Ireland after collapsing from the stress of her granddaughter’s notoriety.

Is caffeine making teenagers stupid? Coffee, cola and energy drinks could 'slow brain development'...

Caffeine consumption in drinks such as cola and coffee plus energy drinks could slow down brain development in teenagers, Swiss scientists said...

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Teenagers who drink too much caffeine could be affecting their brain development, Swiss scientists have warned. 

Children and young adults guzzling the equivalent of three cups of coffee - three cans of energy drink or approximately one large bottle of cola - could be unconsciously reducing the amount of deep sleep they enjoy and slowing their brain development.

Humans and other mammals display particularly intensive sleeping patterns during puberty and their brains mature fastest at this time.

However, scientists exploring the effects of caffeine on rats found the maturing processes in the rodents' brains were delayed.

The study was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) which is concerned that children and young adults' caffeine consumption has soared by over 70 per cent during the past 30 years.

The foundation said children's exposure to caffeine will only grow as the drinks industry is posting its its fastest-growing sales in the segment of caffeine-laden energy drinks, causing some scientists to worry about possible health risks caused in young coffee-addicts and soft drink fans.

Researchers at the University Children’s Hospital Zurich, found that in pubescent rats, caffeine intake equating to three to four cups of coffee per day in humans results in reduced deep sleep and a delayed brain development.

In rats and humans, the duration and intensity of deep sleep as well as the number of synapses or connections in the brain increase during childhood, reaching their highest level during puberty and dropping again in adult age.

Reto Huber, who led the research, said: 'The brain of children is extremely plastic due to the many connections' and when the brain begins to mature during puberty, a large number of these connections are lost.

'This optimisation presumably occurs during deep sleep. Key synapses extend, others are reduced; this makes the network more efficient and the brain more powerful,' he said.

The scientists administered moderate quantities of caffeine to 30-day-old rats over five days and measured the electrical current generated by their brains.

'Over three days, I miscarried eight times. I cradled each of them as they died in my arms': Octomum Mandy Allwood relives the hell of losing her babies in the week they would have turned 17...

Mandy Allwood who was the first 'Octomum' but sadly lost all of her eight babies talks about her painful life after losing her children...

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This week, Mandy Allwood - the original 'Octomum' - will mark 17 years since her octuplets passed away in her arms.

In September 1996, she gave birth to  six boys and two girls - just 24 weeks into her pregnancy.

Within hours of being born, each had died.

The years that followed have seen Mrs Allwood descend into depression, suicide attempts and alcohol addiction.

Now, as she marks the week her children  Kypros, Adam, Martyn, Cassius, Nelson, Donald, Kitali and Layne would have celebrated their 17th birthday, Mrs Allwood has said she still relives the death of each of her children, who were born - and died - over the course of three days.

In an interview with the Sunday People, Mrs Allwood said she has tried to kill herself twice, and still battles an alcohol addiction, and speaks out against the accusations she 'cashed in' on the tragedy.

She said: 'Over three days and nights I miscarried eight times.

'I cradled each of them for two-and-a-half hours as they died in my arms. It was horrible. Truly horrible.'

She said she prayed to God when she felt the last of her children being born that at least one of them would live, only for her eighth child to die too.

The children are all buried in West Norwood Cemetery, South London.

She said her grief was worsened by the media attention her pregnancy attracted.

In September 1996, Mrs Allwood gave birth to six boys and two girls - just 24 weeks into her pregnancy. Within hours of being born, each had died

The years that followed have seen Mrs Allwood descend into depression, suicide attempts and alcohol addiction...

Herbalists accused of gang-raping housewife remanded...

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A Magistrate Court in Osogbo, Osun State, has ordered that two herbalists accused of defrauding their client and raping her be remanded in prison.

Magistrate Olusola Aluko gave the order because of the refusal of the suspects to appear in court for 12 times without any genuine reason.

The herbalists – Musa Sule, 32, Dauda Rasaq, 40, and one Femi Akomolafe who is at large – were accused of gang-raping the victim when she visited their shrine at the Sabo area of Osogbo to find spiritual solution to her problem of miscarriage.

The herbalists were accused of defrauding their patient of N29.5m, being the amount collected from her to solve her problem.

The victim was said to have been raped when she also complained to them that she still suffered another miscarriage despite the huge money she paid and assurances given her.

The prosecutor, Joshua Oladoye, told the court that the accused committed offences contrary to Sections 8 (a), 1 (2) and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2006.

The accused persons were said to have been arraigned before a court and were admitted to bail after pleading not guilty but they refused to appear before the court afterwards.

When they finally appeared, another charge was added to the initial offences.

Kenya: Corpses of Ghanaian poet, 67 others recovered...

British High Commissioner to Kenya, Christian Turner, donating blood to victims of the Westgate Mall terror attack in Nairobi (2); Soldiers in front of the mall (3); An injured soldier receiving treatment ... on Sunday...

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Nine more bodies have been discovered inside the Westgate shopping centre, raising the death toll to 68, as Kenyan officials vowed that the siege would “end tonight.”

A major assault is ongoing against Al-Shabaab gunmen in an attempt to end a siege in a shopping centre in Nairobi, Kenyan officials have said.

Up to 15 terrorists remain inside the centre, holding an unknown number of hostages. At least 49 people are still missing.

Ghanaian poet and diplomat Kofi Awoonor is among the 68 killed during the attack on Westgate Mall. He died on Saturday, aged 78, from injuries sustained in the attack on Westgate Mall, Nairobi, Telegraph UK reports.

The Ghanaian government confirmed Awoonor’s death early Sunday morning. Awoonor’s son had been shot in the shoulder during the attack, for which Somali militant group Al-Shabab has claimed responsibility, and was treated and discharged from hospital late on Saturday.

Awoonor was in Nairobi to speak at the Storymoja Hay Festival, a four-day celebration of writing, thinking and storytelling. Along with Ghanaian poets Nii Parkes and Kwame Dawes, he was due to perform on Saturday evening as part of a showcase of award-winning poetry from both sides of Africa.

Gunshots and explosions were heard in and around the Westgate shopping centre and soldiers were seen moving into the building. Helicopters hovered overhead.

Police conceded that the death toll could be “much, much higher”, after reports from inside of multiple bodies.

The attack began when gunmen from the Islamist Shabaab group burst into the upmarket mall yesterday afternoon armed with guns and grenades. Unconfirmed reports suggest women as well as men took part in the attack.

Some of those killed were reportedly executed after failing to recite a Muslim prayer at gunpoint. Others were shot at the entrance to the mall as they tried to escape.

The Kenyan Red Cross estimate at least 200 people have been injured. The group have set up a webpage for anyone worried friends or relatives might be caught up in incident.

A Foreign Office spokesman said three Britons were among those killed and warned the number is likely to rise.

Prime Minister David Cameron condemned the “despicable attack,” saying it was an act of “appalling brutality.”

“Because the situation is ongoing, we should prepare ourselves for further bad news,” he added.

More than 1,000 people have so far been evacuated from the shopping centre but an unknown number remain inside.

Security forces have taken control of the upper and lower levels of the building, and an army spokesman told Sky News they were trying to secure the second floor where the terrorists may be hiding.

Other reports suggested the attackers are holed up in a toilet block next to a supermarket on the ground floor of the complex.

Two Canadians are confirmed to have been killed in the attack, while two French citizens and a Dutch woman are also among the dead.

The Somalia-based Shabaab militant group claimed responsibility and warned of further attacks.

President Kenyatta said one of his nephews and his nephew’s fiancee were among the 68 people confirmed killed.

“They shall not get away with their despicable and beastly acts,” the President said in an emotional speech to the nation. “We will punish the masterminds swiftly and indeed very painfully.”

Culled from The Punch Nigeria...

xoxo

Simply Cheska...

Liam Hemsworth 'offers olive branch to Miley Cyrus after split as he tells her to KEEP her $250k engagement ring'...

Peace offering: Liam Hemsworth, pictured in Los Angeles on Tuesday, is said to have told Miley Cyrus that she can keep her engagement ring...

Hello Friends!

Liam Hemsworth has reportedly offered Miley Cyrus an olive branch by telling her she can keep her engagement ring following their split. 

The 23-year-old actor, who confirmed his split from Miley, 20, earlier this week, is said to have told his former fiancée that he has no desire for her to return the sparkling diamond. 

Miley's ring, which Liam presented her with last year, is a 3.5-carat diamond ring from jeweller Neil Lane, worth $250,000, handcrafted in 18-karat gold and speckled with intricate diamond floral motifs.

But despite their relationship allegedly ending on less than civilised terms, Liam is said to be keen for himself and Miley to move past their animosity and become friends. 

A source told RadarOnline.com: 'Liam wants Miley to keep the ring. He wouldn’t ask for it back. Liam told Miley to keep it and do with it what she wanted. He told her to keep it as a memento of their love affair.

'When Liam bought that ring, he truly believed he would be spending the rest of his life with her. Now he realises they are both just too young to be ready for such a big commitment.'

Split: Liam is reportedly keen to move on from any animosity between himself and Miley...

Luxury: Miley's ring is believed to have cost Liam $250,000...

The reports came as Liam was seen out in Los Angeles on Tuesday in the wake of the split. 

Looking in good spirits despite the drama in his personal life, Liam managed a small smile as he made his way into his friend's house. 

Liam is certainly doing his utmost to seek comfort following the split from his friends and family. 

On Monday night, Liam and his mom Leonie were seen leaving the Chateau Marmont Hotel in Los Angeles after apparently having dinner. 

Wearing a white T-shirt and blue baseball cap, Liam kept his head down as the pair headed home from their evening out.

Their outing comes as it was claimed that Liam had been left 'mortified' by Miley's now infamous performance at the MTV VMA awards earlier this year. 

Miley bumped and ground up against Robin Thicke while wearing nude latex underwear, in what was deemed a wholly inappropriate performance.

Culled from The Daily Mail UK...

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Simply Cheska...

Kim’s bid to split from ‘Kardashian p.r. machine’..

Kanye West (left) advised Kim Kardashian to get a new publicist.

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Kim Kardashian has hired a new publicist in a bid to distance herself from her family melodrama.

We’re told the new mother has moved on from PMK*BNC’s Jill Fritzo, who has tirelessly represented the entire Kardashian clan for years, to Sarah Jessica Parker ’s publicist, Slate PR co-founder Ina Treciokas. She also represents 

Woody Harrelson, Owen Wilson, Liev Schreiber and Justin Theroux. Treciokas’ firm also reps Jennifer Aniston.

Kris Kadashian Jenner...

A source tells us, “Kim wants to set herself apart from the Kardashian p.r. machine, and Kanye West advised her to build her own team.”

Kourtney Kadashian and Khloe Kadashian Odom...

Fritzo, currently battling with the Lamar Odom problem, continues to represent the rest of the Kardashians.

Robert Kadashian...

Culled from Page Six...

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Simply Cheska...

'He gets a little jealous!': Kourtney Kardashian admits Mason is unimpressed with the amount of attention bestowed on baby North West...

'He and Kim were so close!' Kourtney Kardashian has said that her son Mason is 'jealous' of his aunt Kim Kardashian's newest addition to the family, baby North...

Hello Friends!

It is fair to say that the Kardashians are a family who thrive on attention.

So it is understandable that there were rumblings of jealousy amongst the younger clan, when Kim's baby North West arrived on the scene.

Sister Kourtney has revealed how her three-year-old son, Mason, with her boyfriend Scott Disick, is still adjusting to the new member of their family.

The 34-year-old star told People.com: 'He gets a little jealous because he and Kim were so close. He doesn't understand because he's not the big center of attention.'

Kourtney said that Kim is still learning how to cope with children and doesn't know what to say to make Mason feel better.

She said: 'I don't think [Kim] knows what to do; she's just like, 'You don't like me anymore?' She feels like he [...] is getting older and changing, and I think she gets confused and doesn't know how to handle it.'

Kourtney spoke of little Mason's confusion about having to share Kim's affection with a new baby.

Newest addition! Mason and Penelope are no longer the center of attention since Kim gave birth to baby North - whose father is Kanye West - on June 15 of this year...

He's like, 'Why don't you like me anymore?' because he sees her with the baby.'

But Kourtney's daughter Penelope, 14 months, is a huge fan of North, whose father is Kanye West, and is in 'awe' of her younger cousin.

The doting mother-of-two said: 'Whenever [Penelope] sees [North] -- the second she walks into the room, Penelope gets so excited.'

Close-knit family: Mason has always been close to his aunt Kim, and the pair are pictured here on a family outing in 2012 with his parents Kourtney and Scott, and Kanye West...

Mason and Penelope were the first children to be welcomed into the Kardashian clan, so it's understandable that the entire family formed a close bond with the little ones.

Kourtney and the children's father Scott Disick have been together since 2006, whilst Khloe Kardashian and her husband Lamar - who is currently enduring hardship following allegations of drug abuse and infidelity - do not have any children as of yet.

Meanwhile, Kim has recently had to move forward with her professional ventures, too.

My husband uses my menstrual pads for ritual – wife alleges -

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A housewife, Mrs Iyabo Odewunmi, has told an Osogbo Customary Court in Osun State to dissolve her 10-year-old marriage to her husband, Ojo, over his habit of using her menstrual pads for ritual purposes.

Iyabo, while complaining that her husband was a threat to her life and that of her children, said “I noticed that my menstrual pads had been missing as well as my bras and pants.

When I complained to my husband, he said nothing. He later promised to buy me new pants and bras.”

She accused her husband of being diabolical, adding, “my husband has been behaving in a mysterious way in the last few months and I see this as a threat to my life and that of my children.”

In his response, Ojo informed the court that his wife lied against him because she was looking for flimsy excuses to abandon the marriage.

However, President of the court, Mrs Temilade Agboola, advised the couple to find means of resolving their dispute rather than dissolve the marriage and adjourned the case to November 5, 2013 for judgment.

Culled from The Vanguard Nigeria...

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Simply Cheska...

Liam Hemsworth's mother comforts her son after split from Miley Cyrus... as it's claimed THAT twerking performance was the 'nail in the coffin'...

Comforting presence: Liam Hemsworth was seen with his mother Leonie at Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles on Monday night after his split from Miely Cyrus was confirmed...

Hello Friends!

He's had a difficult few days after finally confirming that his relationship with Miley Cyrus is over.

So Liam Hemsworth decided to seek comfort from the woman who knows him best, his mother, on Monday night.

The 23-year-old actor and his mom Leonie were seen leaving the Chateau Marmont Hotel in Los Angeles after apparently having dinner.

Showing the strain: Liam looked tired and stony-faced as he was photographed behind the wheel...

Wearing a white T-shirt and blue baseball cap, Liam kept his head down as the pair headed home from their evening out.

However, the strain of the past few weeks were clear to see on Liam's face, with the actor looking tired and stony-faced as he was pictured at the wheel. 

Their outing comes as it was claimed that Liam had been left 'mortified' by Miley's now infamous performance at the MTV VMA awards earlier this year. 

The 20-year-old singer bumped and ground up against Robin Thicke while wearing nude latex underwear, in what was deemed a wholly inappropriate performance.

It's over: Liam and Miley officially confirmed that their engagement was over on Monday...

A source told RadarOnline.com: 'Miley and Liam were already pretty much broken up at that point, but when he saw her performance and the backlash it created, it was the nail in the coffin.

'That was all he needed to finally break up with Miley once and for all. He was embarrassed, disgusted and mortified by her performance.'

On Monday, representatives for Miley and Liam confirmed that the pair have ended their engagement and their romance, after having dated for two years.

Liam proposed to Miley with a 3.5 carat Neil Lane engagement ring in May 2012, and at the time the Hannah Montana star gushed about her future with the hunky Aussie star.

'Nail in the coffin': Liam was less than impressed with Miley's performance a the MTV VMA awards with Robin Thicke...

'I'm so happy to be engaged and look forward to a life of happiness with Liam,' she told People magazine at the time.

The pair first met on the set of the 2010 romantic drama The Last Song, and began dating not long after. 

But in the last year, they have seemingly struggled with their relationship, breaking up and getting back together several times as each one continues in different directions of their careers. 

And now as news of the split emerges, it seems that Liam may have already moved on.

Liam was seen getting very close to Mexican actress Eiza Gonzalez, also 23, as he partied at VIP club Bungalow in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

Moving on already? Liam was spotted getting very close to Mexican actress Eiza Gonzalez as they partied in Las Vegas over the weekend...

Flirting: The pair were seen flirting and gazing into each other's eyes in the VIP section of the club...

Former Disney star Zac Efron entered rehab in secret 'to deal with cocaine addiction'...

Squeaky clean: Fans of former High School Musical star Zac Efron, pictured at the Toronto Film Festival earlier this month, will be surprised to hear the actor completed a rehab stint five months ago...

Hello Friends!

He’s the squeaky clean star of Disney’s High School Musical, so Zac Efron’s fans will be shocked to hear how he secretly completed a stint in rehab five months ago. 

According to TMZ, the 25-year-old actor quietly checked into a treatment facility to deal with a cocaine problem, and a source adds that he also experimented with MDMA - the active ingredient in Ecstasy tablets, which is known as 'Molly' on the street. 

Zac is now said to be healthy and happy and is focusing on his movie career as he attempts to move on with his life.

A source told E! News: ‘He's healthy, happy and not drinking. He's taking time to focus on working.’

An insider also told People: ‘He’s doing great. He's taking care of himself and it shows.’

However, it has been reported that prior to entering rehab, Zac's addiction had been causing issues in his movie career.

According to TMZ, Zac allegedly missed several days of filming while shooting Seth Rogen's new fraternity comedy Neighbors back in April. 

A film source told the site: 'It was common knowledge he was struggling with cocaine.'

TMZ also claimed that Zac and a group of friends caused around $50,000 of damage in their room at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas during a cocaine-fulled party.

While Zac hasn’t commented on the rehab reports, he told reporters at the Toronto International Film Festival recently: 'I'm good, real good.'

The news of the stint in the treatment facility will come as a shock to Zac’s fans as the actor has mainly stayed away from the party scene, apart from one well publicised visit to a strip club back in 2010.

While Zac admitted that he went to Flash Dancers Gentlemen's Club in New York with High School Musical co-star Corbin Bleu, he insisted he had received permission from his then-girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens before the boys’ night out.

‘The hardest part is calling your girlfriend before,' he said on US late-night chat show Jimmy Kimmel Live!

'It's like, how do you even start that conversation without feeling like an a**hole?'

When Kimmel asked how Vanessa responded, Zac hesitated for a while before saying: 'She was fine with it.'

He went on to say that it wasn't exactly what he expected, telling the host: 'I had this image of what it'd be like. 

Clean cut: Zac shot to fame in Disney's High School Musical franchise...

'Healthy, happy and not drinking': Sources say Zac is concentrating on his career after rehab...

'I've heard a lot about these places, mostly from rap music - they're supposed to be pretty reputable!'

He added: 'So I envisioned myself in a nice couch with stunner shades with T-Pain and Usher making it rain money! And it just wasn't like that.'

Otherwise, Zac has maintained a low profile and is not usually spotted out partying like his young Hollywood contemporaries.

Zac will next appear on the big screen in Parkland, about the days surrounding President Kennedy's death in Dallas in 1963.

Affecting his work: According to TMZ, Zac's 'addiction' caused him to miss several days of filming for new comedy Neighbors back in April...

Efron plays Jim Carrico, the real-life doctor who battled to save JFK at Parkland Memorial Hospital after he was shot.

He also recently shot Are We Officially Dating? alongside Imogen Poots, and Neighbors with Dave Franco.

MailOnline has contacted Efron's representatives for comment.

Culled from The Daily Mail UK...

xoxo

Simply Cheska...

Court dissolves 17yrs marriage over constant beating of husband by wife..

Hello Friends!

An Osogbo Magistrate’s court in Osun has dissolved a 17-year-old marriage over complaint by the husband that his wife beats him up mercilessly for going to church. The petitioner, Mr. Asimuyu Oladosu, told the court that his wife, Kehinde, beats him whenever he goes to church or vigil and urged the court to dissolve the marriage.

Asimuyu hinged the dissolution of his marriage blessed with three children on the ground that he is tired of the marriage due to frequent beating by his wife, as well as her nagging nature. He said: “She does not go to church and whenever I go to church or vigil, she will not allow me into the house and if she does, she beats me mercilessly. And based on these facts, I want the court to dissolve this union.”

Pleading with the court not to dissolve her marriage, Kehinde admitted beating her husband, but claimed she does that only when some unknown spirits comes into her.

She pointed out that some unknown spirits push her to beat her husband, adding “what my husband said is true. I always beat him but I do not know what usually come over me whenever I did that. Some unknown spirits push me to do it. I still love my husband and I want the matter to be settled amicably. I don’t want to leave him and I promise that I will never beat him again.”

After listening to both parties, President of the court, Mrs. Temilade Agboola, urged the husband to consider the plea of his wife and forgive her. However, the husband insisted that he was no more interested in the marriage and urged the court to grant his request.

Left with no option but to grant the request, Agboola subsequently dissolved the marriage and ordered that the wife should take custody of the three children. She also ordered Oladosu to give N9, 000 monthly for the upkeep of the children.

Culled from The Vanguard Nigeria...

xoxo

Simply Cheska...

PDP: Reps exchange blows over rebel governors visit...

Reps in a free-for-all in Abuja ...on Tuesday...

Hello Friends!

Me Talking: This is a huge shame...Law makers and interpreters of our constitution? They should all go for a compulsory anger management training!

Fighting erupted in the House of Representatives on Tuesday when seven governors loyal to the New Peoples Democratic Party visited the House in Abuja.

A member of the House from Bayelsa State, Mr. Henry Ofongo, was punched and shoved repeatedly by his colleagues for daring to oppose the visit. His jacket was pulled off by some members.

Most of the members who crowded Ofongo, were from Kano State, including Mr. Aminu Suleiman, Mr. Baballe Murktar, Mr. Ali Madakaki and Mr. Ado Dogoa.

Mr. Dakuku Peterside and Andrew Uchendu, both from Rivers State, also shoved Ofongo, preventing him from moving close to the high table.

In the ensuing fracas, other members , who were in solidarity with Ofongo, attempted to throw chairs.

One of the lawmakers, who lifted a chair but was prevented from throwing it, was Mr. Ini Udoka from Akwa Ibom State.

Mr. Emmanuel Okon, also from Akwa Ibom State, joined the fighting on the side of Ofongo.

Udoka and Okon, like Afongo, are pro- Bamanga Tukur-led National Working Committee of the PDP lawmakers.

The governors in the New PDP that visited the lawmakers were Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto); Babangida Aliyu (Niger); Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano); Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers); Sule Lamido (Jigawa); Murtala Nyako (Adamawa); and Abdul-Fatai Ahmed (Kwara).

They arrived the House in company with the National Chairman of the New PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje.

LeBron James marries high school sweetheart Savannah Brinson in lavish three-day San Diego wedding...

Newly weds: LeBron James and Savaannah Brinson were married in San Diego on Saturday...

Hello Friends!

Basketball's MVP LeBron James married his longtime girlfriend Savannah Brinson in a lavish San Diego ceremony on Saturday.

The 28-year-old multimillionaire and his new wife held their ceremony at the Grand Del Mar hotel less than three months after he won his second straight NBA title with Miami Heat. 

A ceremony was said to have been held in the hotel's Capella Chapel at 4.30pm, with celebrations lasting three days.

The high school sweethearts, who have two children, announced their engagement in January last year. 

Guests, including James's teammate Dwayne Wade, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, were welcomed to the wedding on Friday, with a barbecue and the festivities are expected to last until a farewell brunch on Sunday. 

Other guests including Wade's girlfriend Gabrielle Union, and NBA players Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony, according to People.

A couple since high school and the parents of two young boys, right, LeBron James and Savannah Brinson have finally gotten married this weekend...

The Grand Del Mar Hotel staff and pretty much everyone involved with the wedding were asked to sign non-disclosure agreements, but one tell-tale sign about the venue is about to host something out of the ordinary is the large tent that's been erected outside...

The extravaganza was organized by celebrity wedding planner Preston Bailey, who also oversaw internet entrepreneur Sean Parker’s $10 million ‘Lord of the Rings’-themed wedding to Alexandra Lenas back in June.

King James' big day was expected be a slightly more muted affair. The guest list was expected to only number in the hundreds, rather than the thousands that have attended some NBA All-Star’s nuptials.

The wrath of Gaga: In the bitchiest of court battles, Lady Gaga's PA says she had to share the diva's bed and flush her toilet. The star's response? It's all in these amazing legal testimonies...

In testimony prepared for a forthcoming court case between her and former PA Jennifer O'Neill, the multimillionaire megastar tells in her own words how she reigns as 'Queen of the Universe every day'...

Hello Friends!

With her outrageous outfits, performances bordering on the pornographic and a love life best described as ‘alternative’, Lady Gaga has become the global pop diva one simply cannot ignore. She has raised irreverence to glamorous new heights and managed to define herself as a cultural icon, an art documentary maker, and was even billed as one of the world’s most influential people according to Time Magazine.

Now, in a landmark legal case, she is also set to redraw the rules of employment, after a ferocious spat with best friend Jennifer O’Neill, who became her personal assistant.

In testimony prepared for a forthcoming trial, the multimillionaire megastar tells in her own words how she reigns as ‘Queen of the Universe every day’ – and why no one should be paid overtime.

The court papers, obtained in full for the first time by The Mail on Sunday, show how Lady Gaga, real name Stefani Germanotta, argues a 9-to-5 job may last 24 hours a day but in return, staff get to sleep between Egyptian cotton sheets, eat caviar, relax on luxury yachts and ‘party all night’.

The star, 27, has submitted the expletive-filled 200-page witness statement that explains in her own words why her entourage get perks instead of cash for extra hours worked. She says: ‘It’s actually based on a bubbly, good heart. I am quite wonderful to everyone that works for me. I am going to tell you exactly what ******* happened, so that the judge can read on this transcript exactly what’s going on, which is my ex-best friend is a ******* hood rat who is suing me for money that she didn’t earn. The job was essentially a favour, and Jennifer was majorly unqualified for it.’

Jennifer O’Neill, 42, is claiming she worked 7,168 hours of unpaid overtime while being employed by the star for 13 months and is demanding £240,000, plus damages. She claims she was at Gaga’s ‘beck and call’, responsible for her ‘grunt work’ as the singer’s career took off in 2010.

O’Neill, who was paid £1,000 a week, said she often had to share a bed with the star who hated sleeping alone, had to rub the corns on her feet and was woken up because the star could not be bothered to get up to change a DVD.

The star, 27, has submitted the expletive-filled 200-page witness statement that explains in her own words why her entourage get perks instead of cash for extra hours worked...

If Gaga loses the case, due in court in New York on November 4, the verdict will have huge ramifications for entertainment-industry employees because, as Gaga herself says, ‘overtime payments are not usual in my line of work’.

A source close to the case said: ‘She thinks nothing of splashing out huge chunks of money on selfish things but when it comes to looking after her staff and paying a fair wage for their time, she is neglectful. It’s double standards. Her selfishness can be breathtaking at times.’

Here, in her own words for the first time – as well as those of her former PA – is life under Lady Gaga. . .

'You don't punch in and punch out'

ONeill, who was paid £1,000 a week, said she often had to share a bed with the star who hated sleeping alone

Personal Assistant..

We were never really on vacation. Every time she leaves an appointment, every time she walks outside, she has to be fully dressed, fully make-up’d, full hair, full everything.

Every day is a work day for her, so every day is a work day for the rest of us. There is no ‘We’re going to stay in, we’re going to sleep’. There is no, ‘Let’s put on sweatpants and go out to the movies and be girlfriends.’ It doesn’t work like that.

If she needs to get dressed, if she needs to get up, then I need to work and make sure that she has clothes on, make-up on, hair on, has drunk some water, taken her medication and had something to eat, which is every day of her life during that time.

Lady Gaga

This job is a 9-to-5 job that is spaced out throughout the day. You don’t get a schedule. You don’t get a schedule that is like you punch in and you can play ******* Tetris at your desk for four hours and then you punch out at the end of the day. This is: When I need you, you’re available.

I remember clearly calling Jennifer at three in the morning, miserably ill one night and I needed her so bad to help me. We were in the middle of London and I was like ‘I’m hanging over the toilet vomiting, please help me, I've got a headache, I’m shaking’, and, yes, I woke her up in the middle of the night, because I can’t get anyone to come help me. I wouldn't know how to call a doctor. I needed somebody to help me. If I am sick and need someone to arrange a doctor or put a cold compress on my head, I view that as work, sure.

'It ain't nothin': Diddy boasts about losing $1 million to rapper Rick Ross while shooting dice...

I Owe You: Diddy scrawled out an IOU for $1 million after losing a bet with Rick Ross..

Hello Friends!

For most people it’s a fortune but Diddy didn’t care about losing $1 million to rapper Rick Ross in the early hours of this morning. 

The 43-year-old rapper and entrepreneur - who has a net worth of $580 million – lost the huge sum to Ross shooting dice in a recording studio but bragged ‘it ain’t nothing’. 

Diddy was so blasé about the loss that he posted a video to his Instagram page, showing his IOU to Rick, scrawled on lined paper, and the events leading up to the loss.

He is seen swigging from a bottle of his own brand CIROC vodka before three dice are rolled and he loses. 

Diddy, wearing a black T-shirt, large gold jewellery and sunglasses appears unperturbed while Ross looks positively gleeful at his win. 

Diddy captioned the video ‘I just lost a million dollars. It ain't nothin #SuckMyD**kB***h.’

No tears here: Diddy is worth $580 million so didn't care about losing $1 million to his pal...

He later tweeted ‘I just lost a million to @rickyrozay in the studio recording Big Homie.'

Rick also uploaded the video to his own Instagram page and captioned it, ‘I had Puff write me a contract for the 1million $ I won from him Rollin dice.’

He tweeted: ‘I just won a Milli from @iamdiddy Go to my Instagram Now: Richforever’ and later added ‘Won a Million lastnight. #456’

'It ain't nothin': Diddy swigged from a bottle of CIROC vodka as he watched the events unfold...

Money clearly isn’t an issue for Diddy, who earlier this year was named number one on a list of hip-hop’s wealthiest artists by Forbes magazine. 

He beat his contemporaries including Jay Z, Dr Dre, Cash Money Records co-founder Bryan ‘Birdman’ Williams and 50 Cent to take the top spot.

'It ain't nothin': Diddy swigged from a bottle of CIROC vodka as he watched the events unfold...

According to Forbes ‘The artist formerly known as Puff Daddy ranks No. 1 on this year’s Forbes Five list of hip-hop’s wealthiest artists with an estimated net worth of $580 million. 

‘The bulk of the Bad Boy Records founder’s wealth comes from non-musical ventures, namely his deal with Diageo’s CIROC.’

What's $1 million between friends: Diddy and Rick Ross were recording in the studio when the money changed hands...

Culled from The Daily Mail

xoxo

Simply Cheska...

Moment Dewani made bizarre 'gun gesture' as murdered wife's bombshell texts reveal her torment over marriage to 'perfectionist'...

Bizarre: These exclusive pictures show the moment Dewani appears to make a gun gesture at his wife...

Hello Friends!

A series of anguished text  messages from honeymoon murder victim Anni Dewani – revealed for the first time today – show how desperate she was to escape her troubled relationship with the man accused of murdering her.

The dramatic texts, contained in a South African police file, are the first evidence to emerge of Anni’s intimate feelings about her husband since her death in 2010 during a car-jacking in a crime-ridden Cape Town slum.

Over a period of four months before the murder, 28-year-old Anni sent a sequence of messages to her cousin Sneha in Britain.

And they show the young bride had deep-seated reservations about Dewani.

In one despairing message five weeks before the wedding, Anni tells Sneha: ‘I don’t want to marry him . . . I’m going to be unhappy  for the rest of my life . . . one cannot even hug him . . . we have nothing  in common.'

In another text, Anni wrote: ‘Want to cry myself to death.’

Yet another read: ‘Crying every day.’ A month before the wedding she texted: ‘Hate him.’

And three days before her death, she messaged Sneha: ‘I don’t feel happy at all.’

Sneha has told police that Anni called off the engagement and marriage at least three times, only for Shrien to change her mind each time.

When the texts are taken alongside statements from other witnesses, the police files depict a marriage that was doomed before it began.

Some of the most disturbing evidence in the files comes from a 40-year-old male prostitute based in Birmingham, who told police he met Dewani for sex sessions after the relationship with Anni had begun.

Munich-born Leopold Leisser, known as the ‘German Master’, told police that Dewani – whom he photographed during one of their meetings – told him that he was engaged.

‘He said that she was a nice, lovely girl, and that he liked her, but that he could not break out of it in any way because he would be disowned by the family.'

CCTV footage showing Anni accompanying Shrien Dewani out for a meal on her last night alive...

The CCTV footage was taken on the Friday, the day before she was shot. Dewani raises two fingers of each hand in what looks like an imitation of a handgun...

CCTV footage shows Shrien Dewani being led away by officers just after being told that his wife has been found dead..

Hiding her pain: This picture of Anni and Dewani was taken just four days before she was shot dead...

In addition to Anni’s distressing texts, previously unseen CCTV footage of the couple around the time of the killing has been uncovered in a joint investigation between The Mail on Sunday and BBC’s, Panorama and is likely to play a key role in any court case in South Africa.

In one startling image, taken just 24 hours before the killing, Dewani is seen making an unfortunate  gesture which could be misconstrued as mimicking a gun.

And just a day after the murder, he is seen apparently smiling during a phone call to relatives.

Swedish-born Anni was kidnapped and shot dead in November 2010 while on a fairytale honeymoon with millionaire Dewani, 33, from Bristol.

Taxi driver Zola Tongo, who testified that Dewani set up the killing, was jailed along with two gunmen.

Dewani fought a long legal battle against extradition to South Africa to face a conspiracy to murder charge.

He lost and now his lawyers, citing his mental health, have appealed to the Supreme Court.

Anni’s father Vinod Hindocha, 64, and Sneha, 30, had misgivings about the relationship even before the lavish £200,000 wedding in a Mumbai hotel.

Anni’s father told police that she wanted to end the engagement and walked out on her husband-to-be.

Mr Hindocha said that Anni became convinced that Dewani would change and told her father: ‘Papa, he’s like a Hitler - but don’t worry – I will get married.’

Doomed: They smiled for the cameras on their wedding day, but their relationship was already on the rocks...

Sneha told police that Anni’s doubts about Dewani first emerged in 2009, a year before the wedding.

‘Anni told me that she had tried to be intimate but Dewani had pushed her away,’ her statement says.

‘She felt embarrassed and hurt by Dewani’s reaction and we both felt it was weird.’

The same thing happened a couple of weeks later.

‘I remember that Anni and I speculated that maybe he was a virgin or perhaps just being proper and not wanting to be intimate before marriage.’

Sneha said Dewani told Anni that his behaviour was due to hormone treatment for infertility.

Her reaction was immediate: ‘Anni broke off the relationship because she wanted to have children in the future,’ said Sneha.

Two months later, Dewani claimed the treatment was working and he could now have sex and father  children, persuading her to rekindle the relationship.

Confidant: Anni sent a series of text messages to her cousin Sneha in the lead up to the wedding...

But doubts remained. ‘Anni told me she was not comfortable with Dewani and that they fought and argued a lot,’ Sneha told police. ‘These trivial arguments were  continuous.’

In May 2010, shortly before their engagement that month, Anni emailed Dewani again, calling it off, but he promised to ‘change his ways’ and it went ahead.

Anni’s texts to Sneha, translated from Swedish, begin in August 2010 when Anni was visiting Shrien’s family:

August 5, 2010: ‘Miss you so much. Don’t want to be with these people. I don’t know what to do. I’m much more comfortable alone. I hate them. Want to cry myself to death.’

August 25: ‘Feels very empty  without you. Can’t understand why I’m crying all the time.’

By September matters had reached a head while Anni was in India for wedding preparations: