Shock as 16-year-old confesses to stabbing classmate who was missing for two months 'just because she didn't like her anymore'

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Emerging details of a 16-year-old's murder confession, who claimed she acted out a preplanned stabbing last summer, have shaken a small West Virginia community.

On May 1, Rachel Shoaf, of Morgantown, pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of Skylar Neese and she awaits sentencing in a juvenile detention center. Another unnamed girl is also facing charges.

Now, a newly released transcript of a secret plea hearing reveals that Shoaf said she and the second girl carried out a plan to kill Neese.

 

Friends: Rachel Shoaf (on the right in both pictures) has confessed to stabbing Skylar Neese (left) to death last summer

Tragic: Police chased numerous leads in trying to find Neese with no luck. Until Shoaf came forward

Court documents offer no insight into the motive for the crime. On May 1, Skylar's father said the only reason he could think of was that they 'didn't like her any more.'WDTV reported that Dave Neese stated: 'They didn't like her anymore. That's the only response I got.
'I want a reason, I want some kind of reason (for this to) happen. There is no reason I don't care if you have the best reason in the world, but there's no reason (for this to happen).' 
Neese added of Rachel Shoaf: 'I feel bad for your parents and I hope you rot in hell.'

The victim was last seen on surveillance video leaving her family's apartment voluntarily and getting into a car on July 6, 2012.

She was initially considered a runaway, but her parents soon suspected she was abducted.

Police chased numerous leads with no luck. The break finally came when Shoaf admitted plotting with another girl to kill her – shocking even the investigators working the case.

Skylar Neese disappeared in July 2012 and was initially thought to be a runaway but her parents soon suspected she had been abducted

The two girls were charged with luring the straight-A student at University High School out of her family's apartment in the middle of the night, stabbing her to death at an agreed-upon moment and hiding her body under branches in a Pennsylvania township about 30 miles away from her house, according to court documents.

The pair had spent time with Neese's mother after the slaying and even helped with the search.

The cold calculation and brutality of the plot shocked a community already frustrated by the slow pace and secrecy surrounding the case.

Rachel Shoaf, of Morgantown, pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of Skylar Neese and she awaits sentencing in a juvenile detention center.

Investigators have said little since announcing the charges three weeks ago.

People sit in the chairs at John's Barber Shop, gaze at Neese's photo on a bulletin board and wonder: How could anyone so young plot to kill a classmate and friend?

'They look as normal as any other kid that you could ever see,' said barber BJ McClead. 'Not kids you would think would have anything to do with anything like this.'

The other girl's identity is, for now, shrouded by the confidentiality of juvenile court.

Though McClead says most people in town have figured out who it is, it's unclear how long the three girls had been friends or just how close they were.

It's also unclear whether prosecutors will try to have the second suspect charged as an adult, as Shoaf was.

'People are confused. They're like, "What is taking so long?"' said McClead, whose daughter Hayden had been friends with Neese since junior high.

'It's ridiculous. Who's protecting these girls?' said the barber, who still hands out red-and-yellow bracelets bearing the victim's name.

'Three families' lives are now ruined because of this heinous crime that these girls committed.'

Monongalia County Prosecutor Marcia Ashdown has refused to return repeated calls seeking comment.

The mystery began last July when Neese climbed out of her bedroom window.

Surveillance video showed her getting into a car at the end of her street in a quiet residential neighborhood near West Virginia University.

With no sign of fear, no money and no contact lenses, she apparently expected to return.

Shock: In Star City, West Virginia, the community was shaken. Barber BJ McClead (pictured) said of the accused: 'They look as normal as any other kid that you could ever see.'

When she didn't, Dave and Mary Neese worried. Police initially suspected their daughter was a runaway, but they knew better. They walked up and down Crawford Street with Neese's photo, then plastered fliers everywhere.

'You couldn't go 5 feet without seeing her,' said 24-year-old Brittany Crouse, who moved in around the time of the disappearance. 'Everybody really, really wanted her to come home.'

For months, police chased down tips to no avail. The transcript from Shoaf's hearing shows the break came January 3, when she finally told investigators the truth - and where to find the body.

But it wasn't until March that authorities confirmed it was Neese, and silence followed until the day of the plea hearing.

'I think police who were involved in the front lines of that interview and that part of the investigation were stunned at Rachel Shoaf's confession,' Ashdown told Judge Russell Clawges that day.

'She confessed to a plan and conspiracy with another juvenile to kill Skylar Neese. A plan carried out.'

The three girls drove to Wayne Township, Pa., got out of the car and the suspects pretended to socialize with Neese.

'And, at a planned and agreed upon moment,' Ashdown said, the girls 'attacked and stabbed Skylar to death, and they left her there.'

People in the small West Virginia town had wondered for months about Skylar Neese. She vanished after slipping out the bedroom of her Star City home in July 2012

They tried to bury Neese, she said, but covered her with branches when they couldn't.

In the five-page court file on Shoaf, prosecutors say they plan to recommend a 20-year prison sentence. But she could get as many as 40 years under the law.

Shoaf's family issued a public apology through a lawyer but has made no further statements.

'There is no way to describe the pain that we, too, are feeling,' they said.

'We are truly sorry for the pain that she has caused the Neese family, and we know her actions are unforgivable and inexcusable.

'Our daughter has admitted her involvement and she has accepted responsibility for her actions.

'Our hearts are broken for your loss,' they told the Neese family, 'and we are still trying to come to terms with this event.'

Mary Neese has declined interview requests. But the family has tried to spare others their agony, persuading legislators to pass 'Skylar's Law' earlier this year.

Tribute: A Facebook image created by Skylar Reese's friends

Under the law, Amber Alerts are no longer limited to kidnappings in West Virginia. Even when authorities suspect a child is a runaway, information is turned over to Amber Alert officials.

The transcript of Shoaf's hearing shows other students also had suspicions, chattering on social media about all three girls.

A few overheard a conversation between the suspects about the plot but waited to report it.

The teenagers thought it was a joke, Ashdown told the judge, 'but only later decided and believed it was all too true and all too prophetic.'

McClead marvels that two teenage girls could maintain their deception from July to January. 'Some of the criminals that are locked up for life aren't that hard.'

Culled from The Daily Mail UK...


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I'll gag the hate clerics: Cameron to launch new terror task force to stamp out religious extremism...

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David Cameron is planning new powers to muzzle Islamic hate preachers accused of provoking terrorist outrages such as the killing of soldier Lee Rigby.

The Prime Minister wants to stop extremist clerics using schools, colleges, prisons and mosques to spread their ‘poison’ and is to head a new Tackling Extremism and Radicalisation Task Force (TERFOR) made up of senior Ministers, MI5, police and moderate religious leaders.

The high-powered group will study a number of measures, including banning extremist clerics from being given public platforms to incite students, prisoners and other followers – and forcing mosque leaders to answer for ‘hate preachers’.

 

Islamist preacher Omar Bakri praised Michael Adebolajo for remaining at the murder scene

How has the government dealt with the Woolwich terror killing

It will also urge Muslim ‘whistleblowers’ to report clerics who act as terrorist apologists to the police.
The launch of TERFOR signals a major overhaul of the Government’s counter-terrorism strategy in the wake of the brutal murder of Drummer Rigby on Wednesday.

A senior Whitehall source said: ‘The PM is determined to challenge the poisonous narrative of extremist clerics and confront religious leaders who promote violence.’
The move comes as:

It was revealed that Woolwich suspect Michael Adebolajo was known to MI5 after being held over terror charges in Kenya and deported to the UK.
The Mail on Sunday has been told that Adebolajo was offered cash by MI5 to work for them – then sought legal help to ‘get them off his back’ after refusing to do so.

Cleric Omar Bakri described Adebolajo as a ‘hero’ for remaining at the murder scene.

Two-thirds of Britons backed a clampdown on hate preachers in a Mail on Sunday poll, which also found strong voter support for the way Mr Cameron reacted to the horrific incident.

Career: Drummer Rigby, 25, known as 'Riggers', was known as a brave soldier

The Government, police and security services and religious and ethnic leaders have all struggled to come to terms with the Woolwich outrage. Government insiders say Mr Cameron’s new TERFOR group is intended to ‘disrupt’ the activities of extremist clerics wherever they preach their ‘hateful message’.

Soda addiction as bad for your teeth as meth or crack: study....

 

 

Hello Friends!

 

Bad news, diet coke junkies: gulping down excessive amounts of soda is no longer just bad for your teeth, now it's as bad for your teeth as crystal meth or crack.

That's according to one study, anyway, which found that excessive consumption of soda - even diet soda - can rot your choppers as badly as ingesting two of the most dangerous narcotics on earth.

The good news is it likely takes far more soda than the amount consumed by a normal human being to achieve the same dental devastation as crack or meth.

Cola mouth: a new study claims that excessive soda consumption can damage teeth as badly as meth or crack...

The study - conducted by Dr. Mohamed Bassiouny, a professor of restorative dentistry at the Temple University School of Dentistry in Philadelphia - references a woman in her 30s who drank two liters of soda a day for nearly five years. According to Bassiouny, she had the same amount of dental damage as a 29-year-old meth user and a 51-year-old crack addict.

The meth user, however, also consumed two or three cans of regular soda a day because the drugs made his mouth dry, and the crack addict has been a regular crack user for 18 years, nearly four times as long as the soda drinker had been consuming excessive amounts of soda. Additionally, the soda drinker admitted that she has not seen a dentist in many years.
"None of the teeth affected by erosion were salvageable," Bassiouny tells U.S. News and World Report, noting that all of the study participants had to have all of their teeth removed.

Gross: this is what happens when you don't go to the dentist

The study also finds that sugar-free soda is just as damaging to teeth as regular soda if they are consumed in the same quantity because of their acidic content - a high acidity level also is what makes crack and meth so bad for teeth.

But soda advocates say the study is flawed, and that comparing soda to illegal drugs is unfair and 'irresponsible.'

'The woman referenced in this article did not receive dental health services for more than 20 years -- two-thirds of her life,' the American Beverage Association said in a statement. 'To single out diet soda consumption as the unique factor in her tooth decay and erosion -- and to compare it to that from illicit drug use -- is irresponsible.

'The body of available science does not support that beverages are a unique factor in causing tooth decay or erosion,' the group said. 'However, we do know that brushing and flossing our teeth, along with making regular visits to the dentist, play a very important role in preventing them.'

More gross: this is what happens when you don't go to the dentist AND you use crystal meth...

 

 

 

Culled from The Daily Mail UK...

 

 

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Simply Cheska...

'They brainwashed him': Mother of Woolwich murder suspect battled to turn him against extremism amid concerns he was 'turning against the family'

 

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The mother of one of the men suspected of butchering a British solider on a London street desperately battled to turn him against extremism after becoming concerned by his behaviour, it has been claimed.

Friends say Juliet Obasuyi was worriedMichael Adebowale was turning against the family and wanted him to have 'spiritual guidance' before he radicalised himself.

The 43-year-old was often left in tears after speaking to her son and would approach neighbours and friends for help.
 

Worried: Juliet Obasuyi, the mother of one of the men suspected of butchering a British solider on a south London street, desperately attempted to turn him against extremism...

Troubled: The mother of Michael Adebowale, 22, desperately attempted to turn him against extremism. He is pictured with a knife in his hand at the scene where Lee Rigby was stabbed to death

One of her neighbours said Mrs Obasuyi went to him about nine months ago after her son dropped out of university.

According to the Daily Telegraph, Mrs Obasuyi told her 62-year-old security officer neighbour that her son was not listening anymore.
'His older sister is a good Christian with a degree but Michael is rebelling as he has no father figure, dropping out of university and handing out leaflets in Woolwich town centre.

 'He is from a strong Christian family but he is turning to Islam and turning against the family. He needs spiritual guidance before he radicalises himself.”

Another friend of Mrs Obasuyi, Steve Adebiyi, told the newspaper that Adebowale was giving his mother problems.

'They brainwashed him,' he said.

Problems: It has been claimed that Adebowale became radicalised after trying to escape gangland 'trouble'. This picture shows Macey House, in Greenwich, south east London where Adebowale is registered as a voter

Weapon: This battered car was used to crush Drummer Lee Rigby against a sign The streak of blood in front shows how his body was dragged into the street...

 

 Rant: A man identified as Michael Adebolajo, 28, brandishes a meat cleaver with bloodied hands near the scene of the killing. It was claimed last night that MI5 offered Adebolajo a job six months ago

He has been arrested by police officers along with Michael Adebolajo after Drummer Lee Rigby was brutally killed in Woolwich on Wednesday.

It was also claimed yesterday that Michael Adebowale became radicalised after trying to escape gangland ‘trouble’.

London-born Adebowale was told to ‘disappear’ after he was caught up with a local gang known as the Woolwich Boys, and underwent a dramatic change of personality.

Once a fun-loving schoolboy who was described as ‘always smiling’ and chatted to neighbours about Jamie Oliver recipes, he began dressing in traditional Islamic dress and preaching a radical message of hate.

 

Career: Drummer Rigby, 25, known as 'Riggers', was known as a brave soldier

Adebowale gave up alcohol and began distributing radical leaflets near his mother’s home in Greenwich, south-east London.

Neighbours said his Nigerian-born mother, Juliet Obasuyi, was a probation officer and a ‘hard-working’ Christian woman who raised Adebowale alone after separating from his father.

Police raided her flat and a property linked to Adebowale’s father, Adeniyi Adebowale, in Holloway, North London.

Plain-clothes officers were seen carrying six plastic bags full of video cassettes and audio tapes from the Holloway flat.

The videos appeared to be labelled as football matches but one line of inquiry for police is likely to be whether Adebowale was interested in the type of jihadi videos watched by the July 2005 London bombers.

The four bombers were linked to an extreme bookshop in Leeds which distributed videos of terrorist acts, exhorting followers to emulate them.

Michael Oluwatobi Adebowale was born to Nigerian parents in Denmark Hill, South London, in May 1991. His father was then a student at Rutherford College in Canterbury, Kent, and the couple were said to have separated soon after the birth.

Adebowale attended Kidbrooke School in Greenwich, where former pupils said he was known as Toby or Tobi, an abbreviation of his second name Oluwatobi.

Adebowale was said to have converted to Islam at 19, while studying at Greenwich University, where he met the other Woolwich suspect, Michael Adebolajo.

Family friend Madeleine Edwards, 49, said Adebowale had been in ‘some serious gangland trouble’ in 2010 and that his mother had told her he ‘had to disappear for a while’.

She said Adebowale’s father was a ‘typical African gentleman’ but his mother had struggled to control her wayward son.

Adebowale was said to have left the Greenwich area for a year and returned about eight months ago, wearing traditional Islamic garb and a white skull cap, typically worn by Muslim men who have been on the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.

A neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: ‘Michael would always say hello and play with my children, but in the last year he stopped. He would just ignore us when we saw him at the lift.

‘He used to talk to me very enthusiastically about cooking and his recipes. He loved Jamie Oliver and had his books.

Culled from The Daily Mail UK.

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Simply Cheska...

 

How Steve Jobs and his wife secretly gave away TEN OF MILLIONS of their own money to charity... even as critics accused him of not doing enough

 

 

 

Hello Friends!

In his lifetime, Steve Jobs was roundly criticized for seemingly not donating enough money to philanthropic causes.

However, it has been revealed recently that the late founder of Apple and his wife - both intensely private individuals - quietly made large donations to charity.

Jobs never addressed his philanthropic endeavors and refused to discuss the subject even with his biographer, Walter Isaacson. But now, his widow, Laurene Powell Jobs, has publicly spoken out about her charitable work.

Humble do-gooder: Steve Jobs, pictured here with his wife in 2011, was often criticized for seemingly not donating enough money to charity, but as it turns out, the Apple founder quietly gave away millions of dollars...

Intensely private: Laurene Powell Jobs, founder and chair of Emerson Collective and widow of the late Apple founder Steve Jobs, designed her organization in a way that allows her to make donations anonymously

Also, it has surfaced recently that the founder of Apple Inc. donated $50million of his own money to hospitals in California and funded HIV and AIDS research.

'We're really careful about amplifying the great work of others in every way that we can, and we don't like attaching our names to things,' Laurene Powell Jobs said in an interview to the New York Times.

Steve Jobs' widow has founded Emerson Collective LLC, which is structured on the model of a small business, allowing the organization to make anonymous donations to various causes, from grants to political campaigns.

Powell Jobs has been actively backing College Track, the college preparatory organization she co-founded in 1997.

'I’ve always appreciated that being the wife of Steve Jobs, she could have played that as much as possible, but she doesn’t,' said Marshall Lott, who has worked at College Track.

Pet project: Powell Jobs founded College Track, a college preparation organization, in 1997, and she has been sponsoring the group ever since ...

Every year, the animation studio Pixar, which Mr Jobs helped launch, hosts a screening of a film to raise money for Powell Jobs' College Track

Every year, the award-winning animation studio Pixar, which Mr Jobs helped launch, hosts a screening of a film to raise money for College Track, suggesting that the family have been doing charity work behind the scenes.

Jobs' attitude toward philanthropy stood in sharp contrast to that of other billionaires, most of them only too happy to draw the public's attention to their commitment to philanthropy.

 

Speaking out: U2 lead singer and humanitarian Bono, who was friends with Jobs, wrote an op-ed insisting that his contributions to the fight against AIDS in Africa were 'invaluable'

In 2011, Steve Jobs found himself in the middle of a controversy following the publication of a New York Times article, which claimed that there was no public record of the Apple founder giving money to charity.

In response, U2 lead singer and humanitarian Bono, who was friends with Jobs, wrote an op-ed insisting that Jobs' contributions to the fight against AIDS in Africa were 'invaluable,' according to Apple Insider.

The musician revealed that Apple, which has been supporting his (Product)RED charity, also has been the chief financial backer of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, adding that the tech giant has given millions of dollars toward HIV research.

Last year, Jobs' successor, Tim Cook, said that his late boss gave $50million to Stanford hospitals, which went towards building a children's medical center and a new main building.

Jobs also declined an invitation to join The Giving Pledge campaign spearheaded by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, which encourages the one-percenters to give away most of their wealth to charity in their lifetime.

Enigmatic: Jobs never addressed his philanthropic efforts and refused to discuss the subject even with his biographer, Walter Isaacson...

 

 

 

Culled from The Daily Mail UK...

 

 

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Simply Cheska...

Waiting for Big Brother Africa housemates...

 

Keagan- winner of 2012 BBA

 

 

Hello Friends!

 

Suspense is in the air again as the 2013 edition of Big Brother Africa will be inaugurated on Sunday. As usual, it will be another season of adventure, sensation, entertainment and, possibly, tongue wagging.

While the artistes who will grace the launch have, however, been decided, the housemates have not been unveiled to the public. Since the reality show has a way of drawing participants from various African countries, most nationals now eagerly look forward to knowing their nations‘ representatives.

 

The role played by the late Goldie last year, which kept many Nigerians on the edge of their wits, is an example of how compatriots get connected with whoever is‚ representing‘ their country. Unfortunately, Goldie did not live long enough to explore the post-BBA experience in different ways.

To usher in about 28 housemates to the show are award-winning musicians from Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa. These include Don Jazzy, D’Prince and Wande Coal. But a statement from the organisers indicate that Kenya’s ATL and South Africa’s leading afro pop music groups, Mafikizolo, will also serenade audiences.

With IK Osakioduwa as host, the line-up will also include a slot for some comic relief from Kenyan stand-up comedian Daniel Ndambuki, popularly known as Churchill. The highly talented entertainer has also become a household name with his TV show called “Churchill Live”.

In another statement from MultiChoice Nigeria Head of Media Realtions, Mr. Segun Fayose, GoTv is also set for the programme, which will be screened live on both AfricaMagic World and AfricaMagic.

 

 

Culled from The Punch Nigeria...

 

 

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Simply Cheska...

'She wants to look perfect': Khloe Kardashian flaunts her 25-pound weight loss in blue skinny jeans at sister Kim's house...

 

 

Hello Friends!

 Kim Kardashian has gained over 60 pounds during her seven-month pregnancy.

And Khloe Kardashian - flaunting her own 25-pound weight loss - dutifully came to visit her big sister at her Beverly Hills home on Friday.

The five-foot-10 reality personality, who turns 29 next month, looked confident and powerful in her black sharp-shouldered blazer, matching vest, and skinny blue jeans.

Enjoying her slimmer frame: Khloe Kardashian - flaunting her own 25-pound weight loss - dutifully came to visit her pregnant sister Kim at her Beverly Hills home on Friday


The Keeping Up with the Kardashians star accessorised her strong look with a gold medallion choker, a big black studded purse, and matching studded Louboutins.

The eldest Kardashian sibling, Kourtney, also came by Kim's house on Friday, but looked far more fuss-free than Khloe, whose face was caked in makeup.

The make-up free mother-of-two rocked a casual '70s vibe with her chambray shirt, zig-zag bell bottoms, and brown platform sandals.

The Khloé & Lamar star had fans questioning whether she was the new 'Kim' on Thursday when she rocked her new sexy size 6 figure at the Hypnotiq event in Beverly Hills

 Intimidating attire: The Keeping Up with the Kardashians star accessorised her strong look with a gold medallion choker, a big black studded purse, and matching studded Louboutins

Fierce: The five-foot-10 Amazon, who turns 29 next month, looked confident and powerful in her black sharp-shouldered blazer, matching vest, and skinny blue jeans


Khloe displayed her shrinking waist in a red-striped Robert Rodriguez dress and Giuseppe Zanotti shoes by Kanye West.

The weight loss came from strenuous daily workouts and strict high-protein diet.

'She wants to look perfect,' a Kardashian insider recently told In Touch.

'She's always felt like the ugly sister. Now that she sees she can be hot and pretty, that’s not enough. She wants to be the hottest and prettiest no matter what.'

Fuss free: The eldest Kardashian sibling, Kourtney, also came by Kim's house on Friday, but looked far more fuss-free than Khloe

Retro realness: The make-up free mother-of-two rocked a casual '70s vibe with her chambray shirt, zig-zag bell bottoms, and brown platform sandals

Meanwhile the reality star came to the defense of Kim constantly on the attack from fat-shaming critics.

'I totally understand how she feels,' Khloe told E! Online on Thursday.

"One day, she was at my house just complaining...not complaining but just saying how hurt she is and she says, "I can't control it, I'm pregnant, I'm growing a baby, what do they want me to do?"

'And I just commend Kim for being so strong and she's so beautiful and I think it's wrong that anyone would criticize anyone for their weight, but then especially a pregnant person. And I just wanted her to know when she left my house how much I love her.'

Kanye believe it? In the just-released family portrait, Khloe is seated next to her husband Lamar Odom and Kourtney is seated next to her partner Scott Disick - but Kim is on her own

 In the just-released family photo promoting the upcoming season of KUWTK, Khloe is seated next to her husband Lamar Odom and Kourtney is seated next to her partner Scott Disick - but Kanye West is notably missing.

The expecting 32-year-old cut a somewhat lonely figure in the family portrait shot by the clan's very own snapper Nick Saglimbeni.
While the hot-tempered rapper appeared in several episodes of Kourtney And Kim Take Miami, he reportedly refused to take part in the family's main hit reality show.

Khloe has been trying to have a baby with Lamar, who's the 33-year-old forward for the Los Angeles Clippers, ever since their 2009 wedding.

Weeks away! Meanwhile the expecting 32-year-old has gained over 60 pounds during her seven-month pregnancy


But the only childless Kardashian seems content with her substantial weight loss at the moment.

'People assume I’m desperate for a baby. And yes, I would love to have a baby,' Khloe told Redbook.

'But I’m 28, and I’ve been married three and a half years. I love my life, but it doesn’t feel incomplete right now.'The brunette socialite is stepmother to Lamar's children with his ex-girlfriend Liza Morales - 14-year-old daughter Destiny and 11-year-old son Lamar Jr.

The eighth season of Keeping Up with the Kardashians is set to premiere June 2 on E!

Wow! The Khloé & Lamar star had fans questioning whether she was the new 'Kim' on Thursday when she rocked her new sexy size 6 figure at the Hypnotiq event in Beverly Hills...

Culled from The Daily Mail UK.

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Simply Cheska...

 

I gave hoodlums N40,000 to escape being gang-raped –Resident...

I gave hoodlums N40,000 to escape being gang-raped –Resident...

 

Hello Friends!

 

Residents of Mushin area of Lagos are still living in an atmosphere of fear after Sunday’s mayhem in which their homes were looted and a man was allegedly killed.

Saturday PUNCH visited the area on Wednesday to see what has changed since the incident, but observed that many of the residents are afraid that the hoodlums who carried out the attack might soon come back as they reportedly promised.

Some of the residents, who told our correspondent their stories, insisted the perpetrators, who they said numbered more than 50, came from Akala Street, Mushin.

Ike Olu Street was the most affected area. There were still remnants of shattered vehicle windscreens, house windows and burnt vehicles on the street when our correspondent visited.

The residents told Saturday PUNCH that the hoodlums went from house to house about 1.30 am on Sunday, robbing, looting shops and smashing cars before fleeing when they noticed police presence.

The looting hoodlums came back after they had initially fled, Saturday PUNCH learnt.

More looting was recorded during their second coming, it was learnt. It was during that period that they reportedly burnt the vehicles they had already smashed.

US drones spy on Boko Haram...

 

Members of Boko Haram Sect...

 

 

Hello Friends!

Nigerian troops fighting Boko Haram insurgents in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states may have been bolstered by United States drones stationed in Niamey, Niger Republic.

The Nigerian government had deployed thousands of troops to the three states after President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in their territories on May 14, 2013.

A top intelligence official, who declined to be named due to the sensitive nature of the issue, told Saturday PUNCH that US drones had been spying on Boko Haram bases in the forests and plains around Nigeria’s borders with Niger, Chad and Cameroon.

The source said this was part of assistance provided by the US Government, in its bid to destroy terror bases in West and North Africa.

The security official did not, however, give further details of the spying mission as well as other aspects of US military assistance to the campaign against Boko Haram.

“Yes, it is true. We have got assistance from the United States, including what you mentioned,” he stated.

US President Barack Obama had in February announced that 100 American troops were being sent to the drone base in the Nigerien capital.

The drones had been deployed in missions against Islamist extremists in Mali but may their area of coverage may have now been extended to cover Niger’s border with Nigeria.

Nigerien President Issoufou Mahamadou had told the Associated Press in January that his government invited Washington to send surveillance drones because he was worried that the country might not be able to defend its borders from Islamist fighters based in Mali, Libya or Nigeria.

NGF election: Governors jubilate as Amaechi emerges winner....

L-R: (Sitting) Director-General, Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Mr. Asishana Okauru; Governors Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers); Murtala Nyako (Adamawa); Sule Lamido (Jigawa); and (standing) Babatunde Fashola (Lagos), briefing journalists after the NGF election, in Abuja... on Friday

Hello Friends!


Months of intrigues and political permutations among the 36 state governors ended on Friday with the election of Governor Rotimi Amaechi as the chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum for a second term.

The election, which was held at the Rivers State Governor’s Lodge, in Abuja was witnessed by 35 out of the 36 state governors.

Only the governor of Yobe, Ibrahim Geidam, was not at the venue of the election and was not represented.

Amaechi defeated his only rival, Mr. Jonah Jang, who is the governor of Plateau State.

While Amaechi got 19 votes, Jang had 16.

Also elected as the deputy chairman of the forum was the Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Abdulazees Yari, who was unopposed.

His rival for the position, Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, had voluntarily withdrawn from the race.

Announcing the result of the election, the Returning Officer for the election, who is also the Director-General of the forum, Mr. Asishana Okauru, said the election was well contested.

He said, “The governor of Yobe was not present. We counted all the votes and the chairman, Chibuke Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State emerged winner with a total of 19 votes against the governor of Plateau State, who secured a total of 16 votes.

The final goodbye: Kristen Stewart cuts a sad figure after watching moving trucks take away the last of Robert Pattinson's belongings from her home

Hello Friends!


My Heart aches for this "seemingly soul mates", but what else can I say?
 

Sad split: Newly-single Kristen Stewart drives with her friends to pick up food as a moving truck takes away Robert Pattinson's belongings...

 

It looks like their split is finally official.

Kristen Stewart supervised a moving van on Thursday full of what is believed to be the last of Robert Pattinson's personal belongings from the Los Feliz, California, home that the Twilight couple once shared.

With a car full of friends to support her during the dramatic moment, the 23-year-old actress looked as serious as ever when they made a shopping run to Gelson's grocery store while the storage POD on a large truck left the house.

After weathering the storm of her sex scandal with Rupert Sanders last year, Kristen and Robert reportedly broke up for good over the weekend when he reportedly found text messages from her to the Snow White and The Huntsman director and became upset that they were still in contact.

'All this stuff came up. A lot of issues came up. (They argue) about the cheating, about how selfish she always is, about how moody she always is,' an insider told Us Weekly magazine.

Meanwhile, Robert was looking 'miserable' on Sunday when he was spotted moving what was thought to be his smaller belongings out of Kristen's home, where she will now remain alone.


 Packed bags: A storage POD on a flatbed truck was spotted leaving the Los Feliz, California, home that the Twilight couple shared until recently

Another eye witness told Life & Style magazine that it took the English actor 30 minutes to gather his personal items.

 
United front: Kristen and Robert stood loyally by each other's sides at the The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 premiere in Los Angeles in November...

'When he came out, the back of the truck was loaded with stuff. Suitcases, a bike, trash bags full of his things,' they revealed.

'(He) looked miserable... He looked like a man who had just been kicked out.'

However, earlier this month it was Kristen who was down in the dumps when on Robert's 27th birthday instead celebrating with him - she was spotted driving with a friend around the Los Feliz area - and even appeared to be tearing up at one point.

Speculation over their rocky romance had subsided lately, as the pair have been putting on a show of solidarity, but now sources claim they have chosen to go their separate ways even though Robert had put Kristen's affair behind them.

The Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire hunk initially struggled to cope with Kristen's 'momentary indiscretion' with friends revealing their relationship was strained for months after the fling.

Following the affair, which was caught on film by a cameraman, the 23-year-old issued a public apology for the hurt she had caused and finally acknowledged publicly her relationship with her co-star.

Now it appears to be over again - and even they don't know if it will be for good this time.


Checking in and then checking out: The former on-and-off screen lovers were last seen together on May 8 when they flew back to Los Angeles from New York City...

Culled from The Daily Mail UK...


xoxo
Simply Cheska...