Fake CNN Reporter Swindles Bayelsa Government, Officials

caption: Paul Yempe

By SaharaReporters, New York

Paul Yempe, who passed himself off as a journalist working for the US-based Cable News Network (CNN), succeeded in swindling key officials of the Bayelsa State government, SaharaReporters has discovered. Our sources in the state and within law enforcement disclosed that the fraudster obtained various sums of money running into millions of naira from state officials who were desperate to receive favorable coverage about the state beset by rising insecurity and incessant kidnappings.

 

 

Investigations by SaharaReporters revealed that Allison Okuro, the secretary to the Bayelsa government, as well as Martins Fefegha, the state's commissioner of Information, were among the victims who lost money in the fraudulent deal that was recently exposed.

 

A source said the fake reporter had moved round several government ministries, departments and agencies collecting bribes before his luck ran out.

 

Our reporter learned that Mr. Okuro, a professor, had offered hotel accommodation to the imposter and had written a memo seeking the release of funds for a phony documentary promised by the fake reporter in addition to advance cash payments to Mr. Yempe.

 

Contacted to react on his involvement, the Commissioner for Information declined to state the amount of money he had advanced to the fake journalist. He however admitted that there were plans to lodge money into the reporter’s account before the deceptive deal came to limelight.

 

Mr. Yempe was taken into custody when he approached the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Energy to solicit funds for an interview for a supposed documentary to be aired on CNN.
Police spokesman Alex Akhigbe confirmed the arrest, but said the case was still being investigated. He declined to mention the number of officials fleeced of cash by the fake reporter or to reveal the amount involved.

 

A reporter in Bayelsa told SaharaReporters that Mr. Yempe is a senior staff of Radio Rivers in Port Harcourt.

CNN could not immediately confirm if it has any connection with the suspected fake reporter.

Wizkid Beats Davido

WizkId, Ayo Balogun has got every reason to beat his chest again, even going as far as calling everyone “broke” this time around with a bit of a smirk on his face is another feat that has been added to his mounting heap of honours and accomplishments.

 

Though the 24-year-old met a lot of big guns on the scene but it appears he is out-muscling them on the popularity contest by a long stretch. The twitter followers check reveals the  ‘Pakurumo’ crooner has followers totalling over 720,000 while next in line to him, D’Banj, Tuface Idibia and close rival Davido are a long shot away, with the closest person with followers less than 400,000 people.

 

For sometime now, leading social media, twitter has been the litmus test to measure popularity, especially among entertainers the world over. Lady Gaga got so big she felt she should have a social media of her own, hence ‘Little Monsters’ was born.

 

Source:music212

[PHOTOS] PDP Convention Fiasco: Punches Thrown At Anambra Stand

caption: Fighting in Anambra shed at the special convention of the Peoples Democratic party today

By SaharaReporters, New York

Fighting broke out today at the Anambra State stand during the special convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Fight started when notorious Uba brothers, Nnamdi (Andy) and Chris Uba tried to take center stage at the Anambra shed.

 

The two brothers had been expelled from the party, but they managed to get a court order to reinstate them. There presence infuriated other members of the party in Abuja leading to a scuffle.

 

Punches were thrown at Chris before the intervention of security men at the venue.

Are You Suicidal? A Blood Test Can Tell

Researchers said the biomarkers were found at significantly higher levels in the blood of both bipolar disorder patients with thoughts of suicide as well in a group of people who had committed suicide.

 

A simple blood test can now identify people most prone to committing suicide.

 

Scientists from indiana University School of Medicine researchers have found a series of RNA biomarkers in blood that may help identify who is at risk for taking their on life.
Researchers said the biomarkers were found at significantly higher levels in the blood of both bipolar disorder patients with thoughts of suicide as well in a group of people who had committed suicide.

Researchers now believe the results provide a first "proof of principle" for a test that could provide an early warning of somebody being at higher risk for an impulsive suicide act.
"Suicide is a big problem in psychiatry.

 

It's a big problem in the civilian realm, it's a big problem in the military realm and there are no objective markers. There are people who will not reveal they are having suicidal thoughts when you ask them, who then commit it and there's nothing you can do about it. We need better ways to identify, intervene and prevent these tragic cases," said investigator Dr Alexander B Niculescu, director of the Laboratory of Neurophenomics at the Institute of Psychiatric Research at the IU School of Medicine.
Over three years, Niculescu and his colleagues followed a large group of patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder, completing interviews and taking blood samples every three to six months. The researchers conducted a variety of analyses of the blood of a subset of participants who reported a dramatic shift from no suicidal thoughts to strong suicidal ideation.

 

They identified differences in gene expression between the "low" and "high" states of suicidal thoughts and subjected those findings to a system of genetic and genomic analysis called Convergent Functional Genomics that identified and prioritized the best markers by cross-validation with other lines of evidence.

 

The researchers found that the marker SAT1 and a series of other markers provided the strongest biological "signal" associated with suicidal thoughts.

 

Next, to validate their findings, working with the local coroner's office, they analyzed blood samples from suicide victims and found that some of same top markers were significantly elevated.

 

Finally, the researchers analyzed blood test results from two additional groups of patients and found that high blood levels of the biomarkers were correlated with future suicide-related hospitalizations, as well as hospitalizations that had occurred before the blood tests.

Nokia 515 - Complete Features and Specifications

Nokia 515 is a classy budget feature phone. The shift from traditional plastic backs to an all aluminium feature phone is definitely impressive.

 

Nokia 515 is perhaps the first Nokia feature phone to feature a Gorilla Glass display!

 

Nokia 515 comes with a 2.4" QVGA display. The screen is made out of Gorilla Glass 2 for improved durability. Nokia 515 comes with a regular alpha-numeric keyboard. The keypad is made of resin and blended in with the device.

 

Nokia 515 comes with a 5 MP camera and LED flash. The camera is not another basic cam but supports various modes like panorama, sequential shot and self portrait for selfie lovers. There’s no front cam but the rear end snapper comes with voice-support which assists in getting that perfect self-shot!

 

Nokia 515 comes with a new widget called ‘Slam’ which let’s users share media files and images to another Bluetooth enabled phone in the vicinity without needing to actually pair the phones.

 

Nokia 515 comes with HD voice quality and supports 3.5G. Nokia has also made transferring contacts easier with their Transfer app which syncs contacts with any device, irrespective of the OS. Nokia 515 comes with 1200 mAh battery.

 

Priced at 149 USD, the phone is a budget feature-phone and is expected to launch in September. The phone is beautiful inside out and we definitely love the sleek looks!

Apple Launches iPhone Trade-In Program in US

 

Apple on Friday began letting US iPhone owners trade in their smartphones for credit toward buying new models.

 

The California company's trade-in program kicked off in the wake of unconfirmed reports of a September 10 event at which Apple will unveil new iPhones, with rumors ranging from a gold handset to a low-price version aimed at emerging markets.

 

"iPhones hold great value," Apple spokeswoman Amy Bessette said in an email to AFP.

 

"So Apple Retail Stores are launching a new program to assist customers who wish to bring in their previous-generation iPhone for reuse or recycling."

 

She would not specify how much Apple is paying for old iPhones, but they can fetch $300 or so depending on the model at an array of websites or US consumer electronics shops that buy handsets.

 

The Wall Street Journal earlier this month reported that Apple had asked its Taiwan-based supplier, Hon Hai Precision, to begin shipping two new versions of the iPhone in September, including a lower-cost model.

 

Speculation has centered around whether Apple will shift its strategy of focusing on premium devices priced at the high-end of the market to include a lower-cost handset appealing to people with tight budgets.

 

A survey by Gartner said Apple's share of the smartphone market worldwide fell to 14.2 per cent in the second quarter, while Samsung's rose to 31.7 percent.

 

Samsung has found global success with smartphones powered by Google's free Android software, which now dominates the market.

 

As the smartphone market in the United States and other Western countries matures, companies may have better luck encouraging upgrades rather than reaching out to first-time buyers, according to Gartner analyst Van Baker.

 

Motives for Apple's trade-in program likely include keeping iPhone users loyal to the smartphones as well as the lucrative iTunes shop for digital music, films, and books.

 

"Keeping people in the fold is what it is all about," Baker said. "The question for me is whether it will be competitive with programs that already exist in the market."

Friends With Benefits: Is It A Good Idea

Meghna Isaac, 34, a film marketing manager, thought she had all the answers to life’s puzzles. But a year ago, Meghna felt sexually drawn to her friend, Mahesh Chauhan. The two shared many common interests and trusted each other with their secrets. One evening, the two friends became lovers. “It didn’t happen suddenly,” says Meghna. “The signals were all there. Over a period of time I had begun to notice Mahesh’s body, and felt my pulse quicken when he grew a stubble.”

 

Meghna often caught Mahesh admiring her body. Meghna and Mahesh could have had the fairytale. But Mahesh is a decade younger than Meghna. “His parents would have severed ties with him if he had chosen to marry me,” she says. Mahesh and Meghna had sex several times after that day until, a few months ago, they realised they could not have a future together. “I have counselled many cases where women involved in serious committed long-distance relationships feel lonely and end up having a sexual tryst with a friend,” says relationship counsellor Dr Nishi Shukla. Is there a rule book that could be followed in such situations?

 

Dr Shukla says there isn’t, but here are some hard questions you’ll need to confront.

 

Why do you want it?

Sex begins with a series of signals. Before you respond to them, ask yourself if it’s just a physical urge or a need for deeper emotional reassurance. Sometimes, it could be just insecurity. You see married friends enjoy a certain intimacy, and want that too. Also, ask yourself if you are rational enough to steer clear of emotional repercussions. A sexual relationship without any commitment gives you no right to be possessive when he chooses to date someone else later.

 

Why does he want it?

When he flirts uncharacteristically, ask him candidly how far he wants to take the mating game. Often, men find it easier to compartmentalise sex and emotions. He may cherish you and care for you, but may not be ready to have you as his steady girlfriend. Get him to confront the truth and weigh the consequences.

 

What if he is not who you think he is?

Be fully sure of your friend’s integrity. There have been cases where men have blackmailed women after sex.

 

What will you do when things fall apart?

If you both feel comfortable about taking the relationship to a physical level, despite not wanting to be long-term partners, discuss how you will help each other out if either of you starts investing your emotions into the new equation. Do not jump into bed hoping that things might just change and you may have a future together. One romp does not a relationship make.

Want to Lose Weight? Use Smartphones

Get away from healthy eating habits and regular exercises if you want to lose weight as new research shows that smartphones also play a big role in getting into shape.

 

Image Credit: Thinkstock

According to a new study by mobilephonechecker.co.uk, an online platform that offers the best mobile phone deals, as many as one-third of Britishers are now turning to their smartphones when dieting in a bid to help them reach their weight goals.

 

According to study, 39 percent of people rely heavily on dieting and weight loss phone and tablet application in order to make informed decisions about their food choices.

 

Also, 81 percent had seen more successful weight loss results through using dieting applications than they did before using them, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

 

“I think it is an absolutely fantastic sign that so many people are using their mobile phones to help aid them with weight loss, and seeing effective results from it. It must be hard to try and stick to a diet or low calorie menu when on the go or out at a restaurant, so being able to track food intake in situations like this on a mobile device must be a godsend to some,” said Adam Cable, director of mobilephonechecker.co.uk.

Some of the reasons for using dieting apps included:

- Easier to track calories and food intake at the push of a button

- Can check calorie content of items before deciding to eat them

- Helpful for planning healthy and nutritious meals in advance

- Cheaper and easier alternative to diet books and magazines

Katy Perry meditates every morning

Katy Perry has revealed she begins every day with a transcendental meditation session to prepare her for work.

 

Katy Perry begins her day with transcendental meditation.

 

The 28-year-old singer practices the ancient Indian technique every morning while sitting on her bed with her eyes closed for about 20 minutes to make sure she is relaxed and in a good mood before she starts work.

 

She said: ''I start the day with transcendental meditation. It puts me in the best mood. I wake up and just prop myself up in bed for 20 minutes. It's the only time my mind gets absolute rest. When I'm asleep, my subconscious mind is switched on and, when I'm awake, I'm alert.''

 

The 'Roar' hitmaker also takes vitamins to give her an afternoon ''energy boost'', which she believes helps her with digestion too.

 

She told Britain's Marie Claire magazine: ''Like everyone I have a four o'clock slump. I take vitamins after lunch and they give me an energy boost. I have iron, vitamins B, C and D and probiotics, which help with my digestion.''

Keshi names 23-man squad

 

Nigeria head coach Stephen Keshi has named his 23-man squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Malawi on September 7 in Calabar.

 

Keshi will offer a recall to Lille goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, who missed the friendly against South Africa last month, as well as defender Godfrey Oboabona who just recently completed his move to Turkish Super Lig side Çaykur Rizespor from Sunshine Stars.

 

Also included in the squad is highly-rated centre back Sunday Mba and Keshi confirmed that the 24-year-old had travelled to France to complete his much anticipated move to AC Bastia.

 

"Sunday Mba is in France to team up with a top division side. He did not travel to undergo trials but to join the team as well as finalize the contractual terms involving his transfer to the club," Keshi told Standard Digital News.

 

The former Anderlecht man added that nobody's place in the Super Eagles starting line-up is guaranteed and will asses the squad's performance in training before picking his starting team.

 

"There is no automatic shirt for the home lads. All of them have to fight for the five slots I allocated to them and when we start training we will know who is who," Keshi said.

 

Full squad list:

Goalkeepers: Vincent Enyeama (Lille FC, France); Austin Ejide (Hapoel Be'er Sheva, Israel); Chigozie Agbim (Enugu Rangers, Nigeria)

 

Defenders: Elderson Echiejile (Sporting Braga, Portugal); Benjamin Francis (Heartland FC, Nigeria); Efe Ambrose (Celtic FC, Scotland); Solomon Kwambe (Sunshine Stars, Nigeria); James Okwuosa (Chippa United, South Africa); Godfrey Oboabona (Rizespor FC, Turkey); Azubuike Egwuekwe (Warri Wolves, Nigeria)

 

Midfielders: John Mikel Obi (Chelsea FC, England); Ogenyi Onazi (SS Lazio, Italy); John Ogu (Academica de Coimbra, Portugal); Victor Moses (Chelsea FC, England); Nnamdi Oduamadi (AC Milan, Italy); Nosa Igiebor (Real Betis, Spain); Sunday Mba (Enugu Rangers, Nigeria)

 

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Brown Ideye (Dynamo Kyiv, Ukraine); Shola Ameobi (Newcastle United, England); Emmanuel Emenike (Fenerbahce FC, Turkey); Uche Nwofor (SC Heerenveen, Netherlands); Obinna Nsofor (Lokomotiv Moscow, Russia)

Woman faints when son assaults brother at mortuary

A woman grieving over the death of her boyfriend was further agitated when her 2 sons started fighting at the mortuary over who could view the body.

 

Shin Min Daily reported that Mr Pheh Yong Cheng, 77, had fallen to his death from a block of flats on Thursday.

 

Madam Lian Bao Shi, 52, who lived with Pheh, had gone to the mortuary with her children on Friday to view the body of the deceased.

 

However, her sons started arguing about who should view the body, Wanbao reported. The fight started as they had mistakenly thought that only 3 people were allowed to do so. In fact, the rule states that only 3 people were allowed to enter the mortuary at any one time.

 

Witnesses saw the brothers in heated argument as they stormed out of the mortuary's office. The older brother, who was topless and barefooted at the time, was seen punching and kicking the younger brother. When the younger brother fell to the ground, the older brother continued to attack him, ignoring his wife's attempts to stop him.

 

At this point, their grief-stricken mother fell to the ground. Her younger son's wife then quickly attended to her.

 

Police were later called to the scene. It is understood that the dispute was eventually resolved amicably between the parties.

 

According to Shin Min, Madam Lian said that the deceased had behaved strangely before his death.

 

Both papers reported that Mr Pheh led a troubled life, having been in-and-out of prison at least 3 times for serious crimes including rape and manslaughter.

 

Madam Pheh said was aware that her boyfriend was an ex-convict but did not know the details about the crimes he committed.

 

Pheh had previously expressed regret over his past, even advising Madam Lian's son not to be too rash and to not follow in his footsteps, the Chinese paper said.

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Britain's Kate makes first appearance since royal birth

LONDON, England - Prince William's wife Catherine on Friday attended her first public event since giving birth to their son five weeks ago.

But there was no sign of Prince George himself - now third in line to the British throne - as the couple attended a sports event on the Welsh island of Anglesey, where William is based as a Royal Air Force search-and-rescue helicopter pilot.

"I said 'How's he (George) doing?' She said 'He's doing really well, he's with his grandma'," said Ms Sarah Bingham, whose husband founded the race.She told one onlooker that she had left baby George with his grandmother, Carole Middleton, for the day.

"They are both really lovely people, really genuine. It was nice to speak to her after what Kate's just been through. She looks wonderful, doesn't she?"

Members of the public said Catherine, 31, appeared to be taking well to motherhood.

"We were talking about the joy she was having from George and how quick he was changing, she couldn't quite believe it. She's enjoying every minute of it," said Ms Marian Wyn-Jones.

"He's getting quite huge, she said."

William, who is second in line to the throne after his father Prince Charles, rang a bell to start the race and clapped with his wife as the runners set off.

[Photos]One Direction rents Titanic-style bungalow in LA

Groupies who trailed behind One Direction while they toured in Los Angeles earlier this month would have been wowed by the boy band's luxurious temporary abode.

 

According to Celebrity Real Estate, the boys had rented a Titanic-style mansion in Santa Monica, Los Angeles for a week while they were in town.

The beautiful home, which has a spectacular 360-degree view of the canyon, cost them a whopping S$35,000 to rent for just 7 days.

 

The website also reported that the estate was put on sale in January for US$6.749 million but removed from the selling list in June.

 

Not only does it have a huge swimming pool, the 6-storey home comes with 6 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms.

 

With its indoor and outdoor entertainment area, the property is 11,000 square feet in size and comes with two kitchens, a club, a wet bar, 2 spas and a room made for playing pool.

 

One Direction was in Los Angeles for their Take Me Home tour.

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Find out how Singapore mum, 42, maintains killer bod of a 20-year-old

SINGAPORE - Mrs Mogi Cardon never fails to turn heads whenever she arrives at her condominium pool in her bikini.

 

With her glowing skin, glossy hair and toned physique, the Mongolian-born housewife, 42, can pass off as the poster girl of a health campaign.

 

But it was not always like this, says the mother of three who came to Singapore in 1996 with her Belgian husband and is now a permanent resident.

 

She has always been slim, but started exercising in earnest only when she turned 30 because she noticed her metabolism was slowing down and her muscles lacked tone.

 

Like most other women, she put on weight during each of her pregnancies - about 10kg for her first child, 11kg for her second and 14kg for her third. Her children are now 21, eight and six.

 

She shed the baby weight easily the first time, but took six months to a year to regain her shape after her subsequent pregnancies.

 

"I was flabby for quite some time after my second and third pregnancies, but I never went on any diet. I focused on exercise."

 

Mrs Cardon, whose husband is the chief executive of a logistics company, does not take any supplements or protein shakes either.

 

"I exercise, I eat healthy, I do everything in moderation. I don't spend anything more than what any other person does on his or her food."

 

Instead, she makes it a point never to skip a meal and has two snacks in between her three daily meals. She loves fish, greens and fruits, so all three make up a big part of her diet.

 

Breakfast is usually oatmeal or cereal with full-cream milk and fruit. She has a snack of fruit or crackers at about 11am, followed by lunch at 1pm.

 

She takes another snack at 4pm, usually wheat crackers, and tries to have dinner with her two daughters at about 7pm. Her son, the eldest child, is studying in Australia.

 

She likes a glass of red wine and a bit of dark chocolate to round off the night.

 

She has developed her own exercise routine based on various YouTube fitness videos and what she has learnt from the years she spent in the gym.

 

She works out four to five days a week at the gym in Hillcrest Arcadia condominium, where she lives.

 

At 1.61m tall and weighing 47kg, she often surprises other gym users by lifting weights of up to 10kg.

 

She also does jumping lunges, squats, push-ups, pull-ups and weight training.

 

"My workout is intense, short and never more than 50 minutes. People tend to over-exercise or they do the wrong type of exercise, which is why they do not see results sometimes," she says.

 

"You need to focus and do the right exercise at the right intensity."

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Student, 15, 'raped' by Facebook friend

LEDANG, Johor - A day out with her month-old Facebook friend ended up a nightmare for a 15-year-old girl when she was raped at an oil palm estate in Parit Jarum, Bukit Gambir here.

 

The girl was allegedly raped by the 18-year-old suspect on Aug 12 before he sent her back home.

 

Ledang police chief Superintendent Harun Idris said the Form Three student had gone on a date with the suspect before the incident happened.

 

"The victim only lodged a police report at the Bukit Gambir police station on Thursday after her family found out about the incident," he said yesterday.

 

Harun said following the report, police arrested the suspect at his family home in Kampung Parit Jarum Laut here on the same day.

 

Police also seized a silver motorcycle believed to be used by the suspect to ferry the victim on the day of the alleged rape.

 

Harun said the suspect, who works as a bicycle shop assistant, had, a month ago, befriended the girl through the popular social network.

 

"Initial investigations revealed that they had been going out on several occasions before the alleged rape took place.

 

"The suspect does not have any criminal record and did not test positive for drugs."

 

Harun said the suspect had been remanded until Sept 5 to facilitate investigations under Section 376 of the Penal Code for rape. He advised the community, especially teenage girls, to be wary of strangers they befriend through the Internet.

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Football: No world record deal for Bale after Real agree $154m fee with Spurs

MADRID - Gareth Bale's prolonged transfer from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid is set to be finalised after the two clubs agreed a 78-million-pound (S$154 million) fee for the player, Madrid sports daily AS reported on Friday.

 

Citing sources from Real Madrid, the paper said that the Spanish giants will pay 72 million pounds of the fee up front with a further 6 million pounds to be paid in variables depending on the Welshman's success with the club.

 

No one at Real Madrid was immediately available for comment when contacted by AFP.

 

It had been expected that the price for Bale would even exceed the world transfer record of 80 million pounds that Madrid paid Manchester United for Cristiano Ronaldo back in 2009.

 

However, having sealed the transfers of Dane Christian Eriksen, Argentinian Erik Lamela and Romanian Vlad Chiriches on Friday to take their spending for the window to more than 100 million pounds, it is believed the London club wanted the bulk of the deal to be paid up front even if it meant settling for a lower price overall.

 

Madrid are believed to want to officially announce the deal well in advance of Monday's transfer deadline so that the 23-year-old can be presented at the Santiago Bernabeu before he is due to report for international duty with Wales on Tuesday ahead of their World Cup qualifiers with Macedonia and Serbia.

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