Mandela, 91, is widely credited with helping South Africa win the World Cup bid in 2004 and South Africans have been hoping he might be able to attend the opening match despite his frail health.

Zenani Mandela, killed two days after her birthday, was one of Mandela's nine great-grandchildren.

"Zenani Mandela, 13, was traveling in a car returning from the World CupKick-Off Concert at Orlando Stadium when the accident occurred," a statement from the Foundation said.

"There was only one car involved and no one else was injured."

Mandela's ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela was in the car, the South African Press Association quoted police as saying. Police spokesman Noxolo Kweza said the driver had been arrested and police were investigating a case of culpable homicide.

The Mandela Foundation said the family had asked for privacy. Zenani was a grand-daughter of Zindzi Mandela, Nelson Mandela and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela's daughter..

Chinese student laments high business cost in Nigeria

The federal government is undertaking joint security operations to attack the camps of kidnappers in the south-eastern states, the minister of state for information, Labaran Maku said yesterday in Abuja.

Mr. Maku, who spoke with journalists after the federal executive council meeting, said government is also gathering information about where the kidnappers are staying. He did not however say when the operation against the kidnappers will start.

"The entire communities, especially state government, local government, traditional rulers, community organisation should cooperate," he said. "These criminals are not ghosts, they come from amongst our communities. They don't come from outside.

So, if the public can give cooperation and give sensitive information to security agencies, it will help these security agencies to cordon out some of these camps and flush out those who are engaged in this criminal activities.

This is a very serious matter because without peace and security, we cannot develop and nothing can be done properly," he warned.

The federal government, according to the minister of Information, Dora Akunyili also called on all the communities in the South-East and all other communities where kidnapping has become common to join hands with government and their traditional rulers to fish out the kidnappers.

The Council meeting, which started at five minutes after ten with the vice president and almost all the ministers in attendance, said the issue of kidnapping should be arrested once and for all.

While briefing journalists after the meeting, which lasted for less than two hours, Mrs Akunyili said President Goodluck Jonathan is sad over the increasing rate of kidnapping in the South-East.

Unacceptable practice

She told reporters that during the meeting, "reports were made about the security situation in Nigeria and the minister of police affairs reported efforts being made by Nigerian government to ameliorate the situation. The FCT minister reported that there is improved security in Abuja in the last three months.

President Jonathan expressed sadness over the rate of kidnapping, especially in the South-East and warned that something needs to be done to arrest the situation as soon as possible." She stated that though something is already been done about the situation, "what the president is referring to is that more efforts will be geared toward fighting the kidnapping saga in the South-East.

"The governors of the South-East are already working hard to ensure that this menace is curtailed to the barest minimum, or totally eradicated because it is unacceptable for any human being to pick a fellow human being in the name of kidnapping and demanding for ransom" Mrs. Akunyili added.

Mr. Maku, who was also at the briefing, added that the federal government has called on all communities in the south-east and in other parts of the countries, where security has become an issue, "to cooperate with security agencies that are already undertaking the operation to fish out the criminals wherever they may be hiding and deal with the situation decisively; because the issue of kidnapping is disrupting the normal life and commercial activities in some parts of those states and government cannot stay back and watch criminals take over the entire situation in those states".

Various criminal gangs in several southeastern states, especially in Abia State, are operating seemingly unchallenged by policemen deployed to the states. Many Nigerians and foreigners - including women and children - have been held hostage by gangs who are believed to have the backing of some politicians in the states where they operate..

TALIBAN fighters are burying dirty needles with their bombs in a bid to infect
British troops with HIV, The Sun can reveal..

The heroin needles are feared to be contaminated with hepatitis and HIV. And
if the bomb goes off, the needles become deadly flying shrapnel.

Senior backbencher Mr Mercer said yesterday: "Are there no depths to which
these people will stoop? This is the definition of a dirty war."

Razor blades are also being used. All Royal Engineer and Royal Logistic Corps
bomb search teams have been issued with protective Kevlar gloves.

Confusion over the ban on commercial cyclists, popularly known as ‘Okada', created much tension in Jos on Monday, as the Plateau State government began the enforcement exercise.

Sporadic gun shots had rented the air, especially in the state capital, the Ahmadu Bello Way, and most parts of Jos North as the enforcing team, including the Police, FRSC, VIOs, and NSCDC personnel, engaged the commercial motorcyclists in physical combat.

People ran for dare lives, some banks and business outfits hurriedly closed shop, and many cars had their windscreens smashed by the motorcyclists, who were protesting the confiscation of their motorcycles.

The operators, in their hundreds, had turned out to work, in defiance of warnings and threats by the state government on the need to ensure the deadline issued for their operation, and reportedly met before resuming work, in an apparent readiness for a showdown with the implementation Task Force.

The development threw the relatively calm city into another round of tension as the ‘Okada' operators engaged the law enforcement agents in a free-for-all, in spite of the gun shots warning fired to scare them away.

Inside Jos city and the environs, NAN observed that parents were rushing to pick their children from schools, while others were scampering into all directions for safety.

Mohammed Lerama, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Plateau Police Command, was not available to give useful comments, but the Army Public Relations Officer, 3 Armoured Division, Jos, Shekari, said that "the army is not aware of the new development. We were neither contacted nor involved in the enforcement of the ban," he said.

The Media Officer of the military Special Task Force (STF) on Jos crisis, Kingsley Umoh, also told journalists that the military was not involved.

"But I am sure that the police are capable of enforcing the ban," he said.

Mr. Umoh, however, said the Army "will watch the situation and we will respond appropriately if there is breakdown of law and order.

"I am sure you know that Okada is a very popular means of transportation, so you should expect some tension when you are trying to enforce that ban. But I know we will get over it," he said.

FRSC Sector Commander for Plateau, Samuel Odukoya, said that the ban was being enforced because the state government had signed the bill into law.

Mr. Odukoya added that the ban would have been enforced long time ago but for the intervention by some stakeholders that the Okada riders be given some time.

The Commander did not disclose how many operators had been arrested, but said that they would be charged to court as soon as possible.

251 now dead in Zamfara poison tragedy •Residents flee •Govt votes N240m to fight spread

This is coming a week after a similar incident in Kaduna led to over 500 people being hospitalised.

More dead bodies were discovered on Saturday as officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Doctors Without Borders, a non-governmental organisation stormed the small village of Yargalma in Zarumai district of Bukkuyum Local Government Area to rescue the victims of the mining disaster in the area.

Speaking in an interview, a journalist who resides in Bukkuyum but who pleaded for anonymity, said the situation was alarming and outrageous.

Narrating the incident to the Sunday Tribune, he disclosed that the situation started about a month ago “when several of our people who went to the mining sites in search of gold were killed as a result of the explosion of the landmines”.

According to him, “the landmines were buried in almost all the mining sites and these people suspected to be illegal miners just stepped on the landmines and it exploded with them”.

Other sources revealed that the emission coming from the explosion was so severe that children living at the vicinity of the sites gave up the ghost on inhaling it.

Sunday Tribune findings revealed that most of those that died at the mining scene were children between the ages of five years and 10 years.

The people of Bukkuyum according to Sunday Tribune investigations are now living in fear of the unknown.

As at the time of filing this report, people residing around the mining sites had started leaving to neighboring towns of Anka, Gummi and Jangebe.

When contacted, the state commissioner for information, Alh. Adamu Tsafe, remarked that government was aware of the situation stressing that “we will address you (press) on Sunday after we have gathered all the necessary information”

It would be recalled that recently a health official reported that about 163 people died as a result of inhaling poisonous substance from mining sites. According to the official, out of the number, 113 were children, while 350 were hospitalised.

Meanwhile, the Zamfara State government has voted about N240 million naira to control the ravaging spread of poisonous emissions that has so far killed about 250 people in the state.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Saiad Idris disclosed this at a press briefing in Gusau on Saturday.

He said the state government was being supported in curtailing the scourge by the Federal Government, World Health Organisation and development partners from the United States, Holland and others.

Get moved
We're not talking about packing up and renting a U-Haul. Dr. Fuhrman says that viewing beautiful art, watching a touching dramatic scene or even listening to an inspiring piece of music can produce endorphins. "A person who gets pleasure in life, from whatever source, will keep endorphins at a healthy level," he says.
Endorphin factor: 2, unless you're overwhelmed with emotion (think swooning, tear-filled eyes and a quickened heartbeat); that counts for 3.

Undergo acupuncture
"Putting needles into the body is a release," says Dr. Fuhrman, "and it may trigger endorphin production." Also, patients benefit from a placebo effect -- they believe that the process is working, so it really does, says Dr. Fuhrman. Talk about the brain's power.
Endorphin factor: 3. People who use acupuncture tend to be positive thinkers, which adds to the effects.

Chow chocolate
We knew that the cocoa bean had an addictive quality. "The food closest to a drug is chocolate," says Dr. Hirsch. "It actually has an impact on your brain that triggers an endorphin release." But there's no need to wolf down three bars in one sitting; a bite or two will cause the same response.
Endorphin factor: 1 -- but such a sweet one!

Be afraid
Ever hear friends say they like being scared? Whether you're watching a horror movie with your hand over your eyes or feeling a rush of wind in your hair as you plummet down a steep incline on a roller coaster, fear causes endorphin release. Why do you think extreme sports are so popular? No one wants to get hurt; it's just fun (in a twisted kind of way) to cheat death. "The thrill of a high-speed ride induces a positive mood state that can leave you giddy," says Dr. Hirsch. And Freddy Krueger can do it for you too. Who knew he was such a heartthrob?
Endorphin factor: 3 to 5, depending on the personal fear factor.

Catch a few rays
Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center have found that ultraviolet (UV) light can trigger endorphin production, which may be why some bathing beauties are reluctant to give up their tanning time, even given the dangers of skin cancer. A few minutes of exposure is enough to harm your skin, so doctors recommend sunscreen. But with the placebo effect working for you, just knowing it's sunny outside can boost your endorphin production and your mood.

Endorphin factor: 2, because you know you're protecting your skin (and you're happy it's warm).

Have a giggle fit
Whether it's a quick joke that tickles your funny bone or a long, hilarious romantic comedy, having a laugh produces endorphins that will increase your immune function and make you more resistant to disease, according to Dr. Fuhrman.
Endorphin factor: 2 to 3. Ever hear the phrase "Laughter is the best medicine"? Get thee to a comedy show.

Please Let these South Africans realise this is the World Cup for Soccer and not Stealing or Sex Scandals! Cmon President has sex with

Angry SA president calls for family summit after reports that second wife is pregnant by bodyguard

A furious South African President Jacob Zuma has called an urgent family meeting at his family homestead in Nkandla, in rural KwaZulu-Natal, this weekend to deal with a letter that alleges infidelity by his second wife, Nompumelelo Ntuli.On Thursday, the Durban newspaper Ilanga reported that it had received a letter from "concerned family members" in which MaNtuli is accused of cheating on the president with her bodyguard, Phinda Thomo, who reportedly committed suicide earlier this year.

Recent media reports have suggested that MaNtuli, who has two children, is pregnant again - and the paternity of the unborn child is being questioned by the "concerned family members".

The letter reads: "... what is the mystery now and talked about by the family is whose child is it that she is carrying. Is it ubaba's (Zuma's) child or the ex-private bodyguard?"

The letter says that MaNtuli became pregnant when she and Zuma "were apart and not talking to each other".

Zuma, 68, returned last night from an official trip to India with MaNtuli, 35. The Presidency released a statement on Friday saying Zuma would not dignify "gossip" with a response.

The statement reads: "The Presidency has noted with great concern reports that violate the privacy of President Jacob Zuma and his wife, Mrs Nompumelelo Zuma. The reports appear to be part of an ongoing and malicious campaign to undermine the right of the president and his family to privacy and dignity."

The president's businessman nephew, Khulubuse Zuma, denied that the letter was written by members of the family.

"It is particularly shameful and alarming that the president's political enemies have now taken to masquerading as members of his family to spread malicious innuendo about him and his family," he said.

He said that the family "is united" in distancing itself from the letter.

But, according to insiders, an angry Zuma wants answers from members of his family and has convened an urgent meeting for late on Sunday or on Monday, at which the allegations will be discussed.

"The president is deeply concerned about these allegations," said an insider. "That is why the intelligence (services) and the police are now on this matter.

"He wants to know about the letter and how it ended up in the press."

The latest controversy is further evidence that not all is well in the president's polygamous family.

The first signs of a fissure emerged soon after Zuma's election as president, when MaNtuli and Zuma's third wife, Thobeka Madiba, were caught on camera shoving each other in what appeared to be a fight over who should stand next to him.

When Zuma married KaMadiba, in January, MaNtuli was conspicuous by her absence.

The letter alleges that she has had run-ins with the president's first wife, Sizakele Khumalo, and that their conflict resulted in MaNtuli moving out of the homestead in Nkandla and settling in Durban.

"We, as family, truly believe that ubaba made the biggest mistake of his life by taking MaNtuli as his second wife," the authors of the letter write. "As the family, we are all shocked because we don't know her ... We do feel embarrassed to be associated with somebody like MaNtuli and feel sorry for ubaba, who has to live with her for the rest of his life."

It was reported that MaNtuli paid a fine of a goat in April this year as a punishment for her alleged cheating.

Meanwhile, the Sunday Times has established that a top South African actor's previous relationship with MaNtuli has come back to haunt her.

Although the two were an item before she became involved with Zuma, the married actor has confirmed that they have a child together - although this is something he has yet to tell his wife.

Earlier this year, Zuma was embroiled in controversy when the Sunday Times revealed that he had fathered an illegitimate child with a daughter of South African soccer boss Irvin Khoza.

STATE VISIT: Jacob Zuma and his second wife, Nompumelelo Ntuli, place a wreath at the Mahatma Gandhi memorial in New Delhi this week during a state visit to India Picture: REUTERS

Sepp Blatter, the President of FIFA is banking all his hopes that the world icon Nelson Mandela will be in good health to open the FIFA World Cup in South Africa this summer.

The former South African President is 91 years old and was last seen by the public on 11^thFebruary. It was the 20^th anniversary of his prison release, the day from which he was set free and was inspired to work with more vigour for his country.

Blatter earlier stated while talking to the media, “We cross fingers that Nelson Mandela can realise this dream. And his dream would be to be at the opening of the World Cup. For the time being, he is doing well and we hope that he can do it”.

He then added, “It will be his World Cup”.

Blatter has been riddled with critics who constantly question about the success of the World Cup in South Africa. South Africa was eager to have the world wide event on its turf while Blatter said they would have his full co-operation. Though there have been setbacks in the selection of major players and injuries, the tournament nevertheless looks to be a stunner despite a lesser number of predicted tickets being sold.

In fact the board is so convinced about its success that FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke, the man whose neck is on the line for the preparations, claims that the tournament could have started weeks ago.

There has been a large drop in the amount of tickets being sold this year for two reasons. The first is a massive drop in ticket sales from Europe. A majority of the tickets used to be sold from the United Kingdom but as Valcke has correctly noted, the new internet-based system of ticket sales for this World Cup hasn’t been quite a success. One reason is the locals of Africa which have a low percentage of internet penetration and online banking facilities. Still, it’s predicted by Valcke and Blatter that the stadiums will be full to a 95 percent capacity.

The start of the internet campaign was pretty impressive and the sales reached a new record. However, a sudden rush was met with a surprising retreat. Valcke said, “I think we should have opened ticketing centres in the country before. Yes, we have to think about our ticketing policies and maybe review the policy which limits people to buying four tickets for one game. We will learn for 2014”.

There was fear that there might be a lot of unoccupied seats, a fear that Blatter had constantly took notice of but Valcke has affirmed, “We’re very confident of having a high number of people attending all 64 matches. The only World Cup with 100 per cent occupancy was in 1994 in the United States, but we will have at least 95 per cent occupancy of all stadiums.”

Now that Makhenkesi Stofile, the Minister of Sport and Recreation has confirmed that Nelson Mandela will be arriving at the Soccer City for the World Cup’s opening ceremony, there is bound to more joy and attendance from the local as well as international fans.

The former Nobel Prize winner, in spite of his poor health, has confirmed that he will be fit enough to come. Stofile told that Madiba has asked the FIFA 2010 World Cup board for four tickets which have been honoured to them.

Mandela will be participating in the opener between Bafana Bafana (South Africa) and Mexico on the 11^th of June, along with the final that is due on the 11^th of July at the Soccer City Stadium.

At least 114 people were killed in a fire that razed a crowded, centuries-old Dhaka neighbourhood overnight as rescue workers scrambled on Friday to pull bodies, many charred beyond recognition, from smouldering debris.

The blaze was the worst to sweep through the Bangladeshi capital in almost four decades.

"The confirmed death toll from the fire is now 114 and may rise," Muhibul Haque, district commissioner of Dhaka, told Reuters. He said more than 40 people were being treated for burns in hospital, with 12 in critical condition.

Fuelling the flames, which some witnesses said rose up to six-storeys high, were chemicals from illegal, home-based factories in the Kayettuli neighbourhood, one of the most densely populated in Dhaka and in the heart of the city.

"It seemed like hell broke loose," said a wailing woman, looking for her daughter and son in what remained of the area, home to several multi-storey blocks and tin-roofed dwellings. Some had been turned into chemical factories despite a law banning their presence in residential areas.

"Burning chemicals from stores within or beside the living quarters spewed on the streets like lava from a volcano. There was hardly any safe place to step out," added one survivor.

Television channels put the death toll at up to 150, including a dozen people who died in hospital.

The country's police chief, Nur Mohammad, said it was difficult to give an exact casualty toll until search and rescue operations were finished, likely on Friday afternoon.

RESIDENTS TRAPPED IN BURNING BUILDINGS

Some families lost up to eight members, witnesses said, and many residents were trapped trying to rush out of buildings.

"Flames leapt up to the sixth floor of buildings. It was a huge inferno," said a Reuters witness.

The blaze, believed to have been caused by an explosion at a electrical transformer, was the worst in the capital since 1971, the fire brigade said.

"I never have had such a harrowing experience in my 40 years here," said a doctor at the burns unit of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, as patients crammed the corridors and sobbing relatives searched for loved ones.

Hospitals, strained by the high casualty toll, began handing back corpses to relatives able to identify them. "Some of the bodies lying in the morgue are charred beyond identification," one police officer said..

Firefighters said narrow streets and the density of the buildings hampered access and the chemicals in the area helped the fire spread quickly.

The government has ordered an investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire.

Jahangir Kabir Nanak, State Minister for local government, said the lack of proper fire escapes in many buildings contributed to the high death toll. "We should have better planned homes and wider roads to save lives," he said.

The government declared Saturday a day of mourning and said it would pay 20,000 taka (197 pounds) towards the cost of each burial. "I have no words to console them," said Home Minister Sahara Khatun while visiting the hospital late on Thursday.

REUTERS

The Special Drug Court in Durban, South Africa sentenced one of the most wanted druglords, Ndudim Agoha to 20 years imprisonment.

NDUDIM AGOHA.

Ndudim Agoha is a Nigerian, and had been living in South Africa for eight years. Agoha will spend 16 years behind bars because four years of his sentence was suspended.

The business magnate was arrested in May last year after polce found cocaine and ecstacy at his home. The druglord was convicted of dealing in cocaine and ecstacy with a street value of a R100,000.

He reportedly has assets in the plush Sunningdale suburb of Durban, and described flashy and a lavish spender. Equipment and quantity of drugs found in his home, convinced the court that he was higher up in the city's underground drug syndicates hierarchy. Durban is a city plagued by drugs and rising crime.

"He was cought dealing in over R100 000 cocaine and ecstacy, and therefore his involvement in manufacture and distribution is obviously of much larger scale than your average drug dealer," Mark Dyson, the senior public prosecutor, said.

Defence argued in court that the lavish spending Nigerian was a legitimate businessman who traveiied to Nigeria and US regularly.

Magistrate Mervin Maistry said he viewed drug dealing as serious as murder, his reason for the stiff sentence.

He said Agoha would have received lesser sentence had he assisted the police in identifying other people involved in the drug network.

Yesterday, the Ondo State Council of Obas announced the suspension of the Mr

Adepoju for allegedly involving himself in a street brawl with his wife. The council's chairman, the Olowo of Owo, Oba Folagbade

Amazing mosquito facts

You're more likely to be a target for mosquitoes if you consume bananas. Biting activity increase by 500 times when there is a full moon. A mosquito's wings beat 500 times a second.

The animal responsible for the most human deaths world-wide is the mosquito.

Mosquitoes dislike citronella because it irritates their feet.

Mosquitoes prefer children to adults, and blondes to brunettes.

A mosquito can detect a moving target at 18 ft away

The average life span of a female mosquito is 3 to 100 days. the male lives 10 to 20 days.

Mosquitoes: lay up to 300 eggs at a time, fly across 150 miles in their lifetime, range from sea level to altitudes as high as 10,800 feet (3,600 meters), develop from egg to adulthood in 4 to 7 days

Q: How many species of mosquitoes are there?
A: About 2,700.

Q: What does a mosquito weigh?
A: About 2 to 2.5 milligrams (for an Aedes aegypti).

Q: How much blood does a female mosquito drink per, er, serving?
A: About 5-millionths of a liter (for an Aedes aegypti).

Q: How do mosquitoes find new hosts?
A: By sight (they observe movement); by detecting infra-red radiation emitted by warm bodies; and by chemical signals (mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide and lactic acid, among other chemicals).

Q: How fast can a mosquito fly?
A: An estimated 1 to 1.5 miles per hour.

Q: How far do certain mosquitoes fly
A: Salt marsh mosquitoes migrate 75 to 100 miles. .

Q: How far away can a mosquito smell you, or a cow or another host?
A: 20 to 35 meters.

Q: Why does a film of oil on water kill mosquito larvae?
A: Because the oil clogs up the snorkel that the larvae use to breathe.

Mosquitoes don't see very well, but they zoom in like a heat-seeking missile. In the spherical arrangement of their compound eyes, blind spots separate each eye from the next one. As a result, they can't see you until they are 30 feet (10 meters) away. Even then, they have trouble distinguishing you from any object of similar size and shape: tree stump, 55-gallon drum, etc. When they are 10 feet (3 meters) away they use extremely sensitive thermal receptors on the tip of their antennae to locate blood near the surface of the skin. The range of these receptors increases threefold when the humidity is high.

Why don't mosquitoes transmit HIV virus?

Studies with HIV clearly show that the virus responsible for the AIDS infection is regarded as food to the mosquito and is digested along with the blood meal.
Mosquitoes Do Not Ingest Enough HIV Particles to Transmit AIDS by Contamination
An AIDS-free individual would have to be bitten by 10 million mosquitoes that had begun feeding on an AIDS carrier to receive a single unit of HIV from contaminated mosquito mouthparts.Most people have heard that mosquitoes regurgitate saliva before they feed, but are unaware that the food canal and salivary canal are separate passageways in the mosquito. The mosquito's feeding apparatus is an extremely complicated structure that is totally unlike the crude single-bore syringe. Unlike a syringe, the mosquito delivers salivary fluid through one passage and draws blood up another. As a result, the food canal is not flushed out like a used needle, and blood flow is always unidirectional. The mechanics involved in mosquito feeding are totally unlike the mechanisms employed by the drug user's needles. In short, mosquitoes are not flying hypodermic needles and a mosquito that disgorges saliva into your body is not flushing out the remnants of its last blood meal.
Rutgers Cooperative Extension Fact Sheet # FS736