by Paul Adams 9jabook's 4.1.9 Buster
Coming Soon Expose of Top 20 YahooYahoo "ChairMen" of Naija origin in the diaspora with names and "Pictures" !
Adeniyi Adeyemi, 27, of Brooklyn, New York, was charged last week in a 149-count indictment for allegedly using his position as a computer technician to steal the identities of over 150 employees of the Bank of New York Mellon and to subsequently defraud charities, non-profits, and other organizations for more than $1.1 million over an eight year period.
The crimes with which Adeyemi is charged -- grand larceny, identity theft, money laundering, scheme to defraud, computer tampering, and unlawful possession of personal identification information -- allegedly took place between November 1, 2001 and April 30, 2009.
According to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, Adeyemi worked as a computer technician at the Bank of New York on 1 Wall Street and at other bank locations around Manhattan. While in the bank's employ, he is alleged to have stolen the personal information of dozens of bank employees, mostly from the bank's information technology department.
A spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office was not immediately available to confirm how long Adeyemi worked for the bank.
Over the eight year period, Adeyemi is alleged to have used the identities of other bank employees to open brokerage accounts at various institutions, including E*Trade, Fidelity, Citi, Wachovia, and Washington Mutual, and to have used those accounts to store and transfer money stolen from charities and non-profits.
Adeyemi's ability to access the bank accounts of charities and non-profits was made easier than it might otherwise have been because such organizations often make their bank account information available online to facilitate donations, the District Attorney's Office said.
The list of affected organizations includes: Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey, Iris Ministries, the Kalgidhar Trust, the Sudanese American Community Development Organization, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, AFK Foundation, the American Community School at Beirut, the Jacksonville Humane Society, American Friends of Birdlife International, the International Association of Women Judges, the Space Generation Advisory Council, and the American Association for Clinical Chemistry.
Adeyemi allegedly stole $128,000 from the IT employees whose identities he'd stolen. The District Attorney's Office claims that Adeyemi changed his former colleagues' online bank account contact information, hijacked their accounts and wired money out -- in increments below $10,000 to avoid triggering mandatory reporting to the US Treasury -- to the dummy accounts he had established at various brokerages. He allegedly bought about $100,000 in US Postal Service money orders, which he used to pay living expenses and to send money overseas, primarily to Nig.eri.a.
Adeyemi was placed under Secret Service surveillance "when suspicious Internet activity traced back to wireless Internet connections in Adeyemi's apartment building, and mail connected to the fraud was delivered to the various apartments within the building," the District Attorney's Office said.
An April 30, 2009 search of Adeyemi's apartment turned up credit reports belonging to dozens of Bank of New York employees on his computer, along with other documents containing personal information on over 150 bank employees, and $30,000 in cash. A storage locker rented by Adeyemi was found to contain similar documents and credit cards bearing the names of bank employees.
Adeyemi was arrested when the warrant was served and has remained in custody.
In an e-mail, Kurt Johnson, VP of corporate strategy for security vendor Courion, said that if the bank had had the proper automated access management technology in place, Adeyemi probably would not have been able to abuse his position as easily.
"Companies need to wake up to internal threats facing them today and stop handing the keys to the kingdom to people who have no business holding them," Johnson said.
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The penchant for quick money by most young Nigerians in the diaspora has now taken another dimension, as most of them now use their wealth of academic wherewithal to wreck havoc on the lives of their unsuspecting victims by defrauding
them without recourse to conscience whether they are right in such atrocious act. It is appalling to see that as anti graft agents in Nigeria (EFCC and ICPC) are working to quell corrupt practices and economic crimes right here in Nigeria, some Nigerians in the diaspora are still neck-deep in corruption and mudslinging the image of the Nigeria for self aggrandizement.Adeniyi Adeyemi, 27, of Brooklyn has been summarily made to face 149 counts, including grand larceny and identity theft. A 27-year-old Brooklyn man used his job as a computer technician to appropriate the identities of more than 150 employees at the Bank of New York Mellon and steal more than $1.1 million from a wide array of nonprofit groups and other institutions, officials announced this made this known recently. The technician, Adeniyi (of Yoruba origin), a of Crown Heights, was charged with grand larceny, identity theft, money laundering, scheme to defraud, computer tampering and unlawful possession of personal identification information in a indictment.
9jabook.com checks revealed that the fraud started in November 2001 and lasted through April of this 2009, according to the office of the Manhattan district attorney, Robert M. Morgenthau, which is prosecuting the case. Using his position as a contract employee in the information technology department at Bank of New York Mellon, Mr. Adeyemi stole personal identifying information from dozens of employees, using the information to more than 30 bank and brokerage accounts in their names at E*Trade, Fidelity, Citi, Wachovia and Washington Mutual, Mr. Morgenthau said.
Mr. Adeyemi then diverted money from the bank accounts of charities, transferred the funds to the dummy accounts, and later withdrew the money or funneled it into a second layer of “dummy accounts,” Mr. Morgenthau said. Among the charities Mr. Adeyemi is said to have stolen from are Goodwill Industries, Iris Ministries, the Kalgidhar Trust, the Sudanese American Community Development Organization, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, the American Community School at Beirut, the Jacksonville Humane Society, American Friends of Birdlife International, the International Association of Women Judges, the Space Generation Advisory Council, and the American Association for Clinical Chemistry.
Mr. Adeyemi is also alleged to have bought more than $100,000 in money orders from the Postal Service using funds stolen from the employees whose information he took. The New York/New Jersey Electronic Crimes Task Force of the United States Secret Service began surveillance on Mr. Adeyemi after tracing suspicious Internet activity to his apartment. During a court-authorized search in April, investigators found dozens of bank employees’ credit reports on his computer, along with many other identifying documents for more than 150 employees, Mr. Morgenthau’s office said.
Mr. Adeyemi was arrested and has been held in custody since then. He was to be arraigned in State Supreme Court before Justice Carol Berkman. Kevin Heine, a spokesman for Bank of New York Mellon, said in a statement, “We strongly support the investigation and actions taken by the district attorney’s office, and are fully cooperating.”
It was however gathered that Adeyemi was only caught when he got greedy and decided to steal from his ID-theft victims directly and investigators realized so many of them worked at Bank of New York, said Chief Assistant DA Mark Dwyer. Investigators are hinting that Adeyemi worked as part of a ring, and may have used some of his stolen fortune to buy his way into a sham marriage that enabled him to stay in the US. A bank spokesman Kevin Heine declined to comment on the case, except to say, "We strongly support the investigation and the actions taken by the DA's office and are fully cooperating."
by Paul Adams 9jabook's 4.1.9 Buster
Coming Soon Expose of Top 20 YahooYahoo "ChairMen" of Naija origin in the diaspora with names and "Pictures" ! email any comments or if you know any Chairman or Yahoo Yahoo boy in your area to pauladams@systemini.net
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Lagos (THEWILL) - A Nigerian woman Kate Artori West, age 28 was on Tuesday convicted and sentenced to a life term in prison by a Banjul, Gambian court for the murder of her millionaire husband William West, in 2006.
The Charred remains of her 76-year-old husband entrepreneur, was found in a sack near their four bedroom holiday home in a Sanyang resort in The Gambia.
Kate had told local police that her late husband had disappeared while in Senegal on a daytrip from Sanyang in July 2006. She said he simply ‘disappeared’ after going into a corner store to buy cigarettes. She was arrested in The Gambia at the request of the British Police, interrogated and charged after she allegedly confessed to killing Mr. West with a wooden pestle used for pounding and then burning his remains. During another round of questioning, she recanted her two previous stories and said five Nigerian men took him from their sanyang home and killed him.
In court, she told the judge that her earlier confessions were forced out of her, as she was tortured with electric cables by The Gambian police.
Unconfirmed reports say the deceased was about to seek for a divorce before his murder. Kate stood to inherit millions of pounds and homes in Essex and Sanyang before her conviction.
The couple were said to have met in a bar in The Gambia in 2000, where William West had gone to holiday after the death of his former wife, Doris. They married later that year and moved to live together in his $1.2 million dollars home in St Helen’s Park Road, Hastings, East Sussex, UK.
Officers of the British police travelled to the West African country to assist the local police in its investigation.
The West family lawyer released a statement after the court ruling saying, “ This has been a protracted and traumatic time for the West family. They (family) are pleased that justice has now been done and that Kate West has been brought to account for her crime.”
However, Kate plans to appeal this judgment. Her lawyer in a statement said, “She is gutted about being sent to prison for life, she pleaded not guilty to the charge on the grounds that she firmly believed she did not kill Mr. West. She did confess to the crime originally but we challenged that confession on the grounds that it wasn’t obtained voluntarily.”
Kate, a farmers’ daughter from southern Nigeria will serve her sentence in a prison outside Banjul.
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Caught on camera: naked love rival flees furious husband
A naked man who climbed out of a window and hid on the ledge to escape his lover's furious husband has been caught on camera.
Sun Meng has been given the cold shoulder by his community after the extraordinary picture of him cowering naked outside the flat were posted on the internet.
The terrified 25-year-old fled from the balcony window when he was caught in bed with the man's wife at the married couple's flat in Chengdu, central China.
Photographs of the angry showdown, taken by a startled neighbour, were uploaded to a local community website.
They show Sun perched on the first floor ledge while his lover is confronted by her unnamed husband inside.
"My family is ashamed and none of my own neighbours will talk to me any more," said Sun.
"I know what I did was wrong but I was afraid he would kill me.
"People are even laughing at how I look naked – but I have to point out it was a very cold day," he added.
Chengdu, capital of the Sichuan province in south-western China, has a population of about 11 million.
In 2003, the Chinese government relaxed its traditional hold over the private lives of its subjects by allowing them to marry without the permission of their bosses.
The government published three lengthy documents dealing with marriage laws and population control.
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Posted by 9jabook.com on November 4, 2009 at 9:44pm
The father of the former governor of the central bank of Nigeria, Charles Chukwuma Soludo has been released by his kidnappers. In a text message, the overjoyed former czar of the apex bank said “my father has
been released and asked all to join him in thanking God.
Hear him:
“To God be the glory, my father has just been released by the kidnappers! We are emboldened by this experience to dedicate our life to the service of our fatherland and to find lasting solution to the kidnapping problem. Those who sought to break our will must be told that the wind of change in Anambra is unstoppable. Please join us in thanking God". Soludo
The new phase were kidnappers have turned into grandpanappers might continue as elections draw closer .
More to come!
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Patience Dike (not real name) was 12 years old when she moved in with her sister and her husband in their one-room apartment at Ebutte-Metta, Lagos State in January 2008. For over one year she lived with them, her sister’s husband, Philip Ugbuaja, routinely abused her sexually.
Recounting her experience, Miss Dike said her brother-in-law took away her dignity and self-worth. She said she lost count of the number of times she was abused by him. In June 2009, at the age of 13, she became pregnant for him.
“When he started he was always telling me that if I talk he will kill me. He did it so many times that I cannot remember how many times,” Miss Dike, a primary six pupil, said.
“But it was one day when I was vomiting that my sister found out I was pregnant. I then told her it is her husband who was responsible,”
The victim alleged that Jane Ugbuaja, in connivance with her husband, gave her sister, who was already two weeks pregnant, some pills in an attempt to abort the child. The pills led to her bleeding and Mrs Ugbuaja then called a neighbour, Toyin Ayodele, who was a nurse, to come to her aid.
“She (Mrs Ugbuaja) called me to come that her sister is bleeding. She was bleeding so much and had serious stomach pains. Her sister then told me she was pregnant and I discovered that part of the pregnancy had been removed. I had to do an evacuation of the retained product so as to save her life,” said Miss Ayodele, an auxiliary nurse.
After the abortion, Miss Dike’s life changed for the worse. Her sister started maltreating her while her husband continued to sexually molest her. Unable to bear the violence, she ran away on the 23rd of October 2009, when a Good Samaritan, she named Augustina, saw her in a shed.
She narrated her ordeal to her and out of pity Augustina housed her and subsequently took her to a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Project Alert, which deals with violence against females.
“When she was brought, she narrated all she had been through. One thing we discovered is that she was consistent with her story. We see it as a case against the state so we decided to take the case to the police for onward prosecution. We want justice for the girl because too many cases like hers go unprosecuted,” said Kate Ibeanusi, the Human Right Education project officer for the NGO.
When Mr and Mrs Ugbuaja were asked the reason for their actions, they became hostile. Mr Ugbuaja denied ever defiling his 13-year-old sister-in-law, instead claiming he was being framed by her.
Commenting, the Lagos State Police spokesman, Frank Mba, said evidence show the suspects committed the crime and tried to keep it to themselves. He said the police intend to prosecute to act as a deterrent to others.
“This is an extreme case of abuse. Even after the abortion, he (Mr Ugbuaja) continued to abuse the girl. It shows he is excessively and compulsively addicted to the habit. This is also an advice to wives to monitor that their husbands are not going beyond their briefs,” Mr Mba said.
Meanwhile, Mrs Ibeanusi said in view of creating awareness against the increasing number of violence against women and children, Project Alert will be organising a protest match in December 2009.
“This has become an issue that we need to bring to public awareness. There is an increase of rape cases of children between the ages of 5 and 14. This goes on because nobody is willing to take up the fight. We see this everyday and enough is enough,” Mrs Ibeanusi said.
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It takes more than a revealing outfit and a hot body to be Megan Fox. It takes a mouth full of inappropriate sound bites.Lady Gaga is well on her way.Known for wearing little more than a leotard—giant hats excluded—the pop star was honored Monday with the Stylemaker Award at the 13th annual Accessories Council Excellence Awards. She didn't disappoint when she donned one of her hefty signature lace headpieces.However, when she finally lifted the veil to speak, what came out was a Fox-worthy (not to be confused with Jeff Foxworthy) phrase pointing out her favorite accoutrement to any outfit. It wasn't quite what we expected."I think we all must remember that the ultimate accessory is the condom," she told the audience, according to the New York Post.The difference between the two hot shooting stars? Gaga was said to have forgone the meal at the fancy event and played with her Barbie doll at the table instead. Something tells us Megan wouldn't take it that far.Or would she?
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Posted by Politics X on November 3, 2009 at 9:21pm
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Senate report indicts Anenih, others for corruptionCan He go the Bode George way ? Who can Prosecute Mr Fix It a former Police Officer who is probably the foremost Pen Robber Alive in the Country taking after his infamous alteregos Laurence Anini aka the Law and DoubleAgent Policeman George Iyamu who met their Waterloo at the executioners bullets.Anenih a former Top Cop from Edo State has had his hands in virtually every moneypot made by him or by someone else in the murky corrupt practices of the nations political system.The Senate may now indict him, a former minister of Works and former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees today, if it adopts the recommendations of its ad hoc committee on transportation.Tony Mr fix it AniniThere are indications based on the Senate order paper, that the reports of a Senate ad hoc committee that investigated alleged corruption in the transport sector since 1999 will be discussed on the floor of the upper legislative chamber today.This came after the conclusion of the Heineken Lokpobiri (PDP Bayelsa State)-led ad hoc committee’s work and subsequent submission of its report a fortnight ago.(lawrence the Law Anini)The report is filled with revelations of alleged serial malpractices and shows how in 10 years, through multiple contract fraud, unhelpful connivance between contractors and government officials, N633 billion was spent on only 4,752 kilometres of road; short-changing the government of N47 million per kilometre of road.Based on the report, between 1999 and 2009, the Ministry of Transportation, gave contracts for the construction and rehabilitation of 11, 591km roads at a cost of N1.7 trillion – about N87 million per km – and with only 24 per cent of the roads achieved, 64 per cent of the contract value has already been paid; about N133 million per km.Bidding without prior designThe report said during Mr. Anenih’s tenure as minister, and three others that later headed the ministry in the last 10 years, road contracts were awarded depending only on estimates that were submitted by the bidding companies without prior design by the ministry.They also “fixed prices even before the roads were actually designed by the companies,” the report said.Tony Anenih, Adeseye Ogunlewe, Obafemi Anibaba, and Cornelius Adebayo headed the Works Ministry within the period which the Senate probed.The horrible Lagos Benin Road major cause of countless Loss of LivesThe ad hoc committee in the report recommends that the four men and their ministers of state and the permanent secretaries should be prosecuted for corruption.Also recommended for prosecution is Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, who was the permanent secretary that served all the indicted ministers, but Mr. Anenih. He was said to have crafted a means of splitting contracts to sizeable amounts to bring the values within the approving authority of his office.With this, projects with single appropriation were allegedly awarded by him separately and besides that, he awarded contracts to non-existing companies.The report described the engineering representatives of the Works Ministry as one of the most corrupt and lacking in technical expertise; “they granted clearances to the contractors when the jobs were far from finished,” the report said.Former officials of the Ministry of Finance and the Bureau of Public Procurement (Due Process office), who were said to have provided funding and clearance for the unappropriated projects were also recommended for prosecution.The immediate past minister of Transportation, Diezani Allison, who literally wept while inspecting the condition of the Benin-Ore road, was said to have paid more than N1.2 billion into the private account of a company called Digital Toll Gates Limited against the written advice of the Due Process Office.The report took the ad hoc committee 18 months to produce. Ayogu Eze, the Senate’s spokesperson and a member of the committee, said the report took so long because it needed to be thorough and detailed in touching on the heart of the problem of road infrastructure in the country.Justice Joseph Oyewole, another convict will be coming your way soon. Please do Justice to Anenih (Mr Fix it). Please fix him for 29 years in prison. Anenih Must be JAILED. We all know he stole N300billion during his Tenor. The same God that ensured Bode Gorge was jailed will ensure Anenih and co receive appropriate judgement soonest.
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America’s globally respected cable channel, Cable News Network (CNN), has rated THISDAY Music Festival among the best in the world.advertisementIn an article entitled “A Guide to the World’s Best Music Festivals” (SEE BELOW), CNN describes the festival as the biggest in Africa.“The THISDAY festival in Nigeria, launched in 2006 by the editor-in-chief of THISDAY newspaper, Nduka Obaigbena, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the end of slavery, is the biggest music and fashion festival in Africa,” it said, while rating it No. 6 in list of the top 12 in the world.It highlighted the fact that Obaigbena said: “The festival is meant to highlight the positive progress being made in Africa, and find sustainable solutions for the continent's problems.”CNN also acknowledged that some of the world’s biggest artistes had been showcased at the event over the years.In 2006, the list of artistes that performed represented the who-is-who in world music, namely Jay-Z, Beyonce, Snoop Dogg, Ciara, Busta Rhymes and En Vogue.In 2007, international artistes such as UB40, Kelly Rowland and Rihanna also performed.Last year’s concert, with the theme “Africa Rising”, showcased Jay-Z, Rihanna, Usher, John Legend and Chris Brown.It was a four-city tour, covering Abuja, Lagos, Washington DC and London, where Seal, Chris Agulera and Yossou N’Dour performed.Nigerian stars have also stolen the stage to showcase their talent to the world – 2Face Idiba, Olu Maintain and Usher have received rave reviews performing at the THISDAY Music Festival on the international scene.This year, American R&B legend, R. Kelly, performed at the festival in Johannesburg and Cape Town in South Africa, as well as in Abuja and Lagos.ThisdayHead Nduka ObaigbenaFamous Beyonce PeepShow PicCNN FULL STORY BELOWA guide to the world's best music festivalsSTORY HIGHLIGHTSCNN has put together a list of some of the best music festivals in the worldYou can dress to kill at England's Bestival's fancy dress competitionEnjoy the music, comedians and silent disco at Bonnaroo, TennesseeDance all weekend in the shadows of a 300 year old Serbian castleCNN) -- More than 160,000 people flocked to the tenth Coachella music festival in April, signaling the start of the annual summer music festival season worldwide.Bestival, on the Isle of Wight, was voted last year's "Best Lineup" in the UK.more photos »The equivalent of a small city materialized for three days amid the searing heat and palm tree lined fields in east California, featuring performances from Paul McCartney, Leonard Cohen, and TV on the Radio.From silent disco parties at Bonnaroo in Tennessee to all-night raves at Serbia's Exit festival, our guide prepares music fans worldwide for another year of summer music festivals in the sun.BONNAROO, Tennessee, U.S.June 11-14 ($235)The word "bonnaroo" is New Orleans slang for "the best on the streets," and the Bonnaroo festival has grown into that name over the past eight years, winning Rolling Stone magazine's "Best Festival" award in 2008. In addition to promoting mainstream and independent rock, hip-hop, and electronic groups, Bonnaroo also features a stand-up comedians' tent and a "silent disco" tent -- where everyone gets a pair of headphones that sync up with the music for late night dancing without the noise complaints. Over 80,000 people will head to the festival outside of Nashville to see headliners including Bruce Springsteen, Phish, and Snoop Dogg.THISDAY, Abuja/Lagos, NigeriaDates tbcThe THISDAY festival in Nigeria, launched in 2006 by the editor-in-chief of Thisday newspaper, Nduka Obaigbena, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the end of slavery, is the biggest music and fashion festival in Africa. According to Obaigbena, the festival is meant to highlight the positive progress being made in Africa, and find sustainable solutions for the continent's problems. The theme of last year's festival was "Africa Rising," and it showcased some of the world's biggest artists including Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Usher. Stay tuned for this year's lineup.GLASTONBURY, Somerset, EnglandJune 24-28 ($255)Glastonbury has been around since dairy farmer Michael Eavis first held a free-two day festival on his farm in 1970, and it's long been the festival in England for seeing the biggest and best bands in the world. It also may be the muddiest -- heavy rain in several years, most notably 1997, turned Glastonbury into a muddy bog. Everyone from Radiohead to Jay-Z has headlined the festival, and with over 700 acts each year, there is something for everybody, and some of the proceeds from the festival go to Oxfam and Greenpeace. This year's headliners include Franz Ferdinand, Blur, and Bruce Springsteen.ROCK AL PARQUE, Bogota, ColombiaJune 27-29 (free)The Rock al Parque festival, launched in 1995, has become South America's biggest rockfest in recent years -- some 320,000 people traveled to Simon Bolivar Park in 2006 for a weekend of Colombia's biggest rock bands and renowned international headliners. Funded by Colombia's culture secretary, the free festival has included some of rock's biggest names, including Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Manu Chao, and Bloc Party. In the days leading up to Rock al Parque, the festival organizers host a series of panel discussions on music production, management, and the recording industry.ROSKILDE, DenmarkJuly 2-5 ($220)Since 1971, the rock festival in Roskilde has hosted the biggest names in music, from Bob Marley to Bob Dylan. It is the biggest summer festival in northern Europe, and the "Arena" stage boasts a 17,000-capacity tent, the largest in Europe. The festival boasts a daily newspaper and a 24-hour live radio station, and is also home to the annual "Naked Run," where the first naked person to cross the finish line receives a free ticket for next year's festival. Some 80,000 will travel to Roskilde to see headliners including Coldplay, Oasis and Nine Inch Nails.EXIT, Novi Sad, SerbiaJuly 9-12 ($105)Created in 2000 by three university students as a protest against former Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic, the electro-focused festival in the heart of Serbia was named Europe's best festival in 2007. Over 200,000 people attended Exit last year, dancing at all night raves in the gorgeous surroundings of Petrovaradin Fortress, an eighteenth century castle near the Danube River. Some of techno's biggest names will be on hand to celebrate Exit's 10-year anniversary, including Moby, Kraftwerk, and The Prodigy.FUJI ROCK, Naeba, JapanJuly 24-26 ($410)Japan's biggest outdoor festival takes its name from Mt. Fuji, the site of the first festival in 1997. Fuji Rock has been set amongst the cool forested mountains of the Naeba ski resort for the past ten years -- gondolas and hilly trails transport people from stage to stage, and the streams and forests between them are the reason why Fuji Rock has been called the most beautiful festival in the world. It's not just about the scenery, though -- over 100,000 people will trek through the mountains to see headliners Franz Ferdinand, The Killers, and Weezer.LOLLAPALOOZA, Chicago, U.S.August 7-9 ($190)Rocker Perry Farrell began Lollapalooza in 1991 as a farewell tour for his band, Jane's Addiction. The biggest grunge rock festival during the nineties disappeared for awhile around the turn of the century, but it was revived in 2005 as a more traditional "big weekend" destination festival in Chicago. The past few years at Grant Park have been marked by hot summers, huge crowds, and even bigger bands. The anticipated crowd of nearly 200,000 is staggering, as are this year's headliners: Kings of Leon, Tool, Depeche Mode, and Beastie Boys, just to name a few.BESTIVAL, Isle of Wight, EnglandSeptember 11-13 ($205)The trendy Bestival, the original boutique weekend festival on the Isle of Wight, is the best way to end the summer festival season in Europe. Bestival boasts a yearly fancy dress competition -- last year was "30,000 freaks under the sea," and 2009 is the year of "Outer Space," so make sure to dress accordingly. Thousands of Bestival-goers will witness an eclectic lineup including Lily Allen, Massive Attack, and MGMT in the picturesque surroundings of Robin Hill Park. For family fun, look no further than Camp Bestival, a three day family festival at a castle by the sea in July.PARKLIFE, AustraliaLate September-Early OctoberThe Parklife one-day music festivals kick off the summer festival season across Australia. The dance-focused fests have featured heavyweights Justice, MIA, and Muscles over the past two years. The day-long festivals are followed by an official "After Life" party that runs until the early hours of the morning, so be prepared for a long one if you're one of the estimated 100,000 people attending a Parklife gig in one of capital cities across Australia at the end of September.WOODSTOCK, Cape Town, South AfricaLate Fall 2009When people think of Woodstock, Cape Town isn't necessarily what comes to mind. But for the past decade, the South African festival has been the biggest youth music event in the country, hosting a variety of both well-known and upcoming mainstream and hip-hop acts -- not to mention a variety of extreme sports stunt acts, paintballing, and flea-market stalls. Woodstock may not have the star power of the legendary American festival -- but with the wide range of music and outdoor activities it presents, its promoters aren't lying when they say that boredom simply isn't an option.SUNBURN, Goa, IndiaDecember 2009Sunburn Festival launched in December 2007 as south Asia's first electronic music festival, and featured heavyweights like Carl Cox and John '00' Fleming. Located seaside in Goa, on India's west coast, the festival has its roots in "Goa Trance," a type of pulsing, transcendental electro music that became popular in the early 1990s. Sunburn again treated over 5,000 electro revelers to a three-day party by the beach in December 2008. The festival's founder has said Sunburn will always be free to attend, and it is not to be missed if you happen to be in India in December.http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/04/28/summer.festivals/index.htmlRead more…
WORLD football governing body, FIFA, may penalise the Royal Dutch Football Association following its U-17 team's unlawful act at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu after their 0-1 loss to Iran in the last game of Group C.advertisementThe Guardian learnt that in protest over the way the referee handled the game, a Dutch player with an official of the team went on rampage, breaking one of the windows at the stadium as FIFA officials watched in amazement. The FIFA official eventually called his colleagues to take photographs of the scene for onward report to the centre's FIFA co-ordinator.The official confirmed to The Guardian that violence was been preached against in football, wondering why it should be extended to a youth championship. Though the head of the Netherlands delegation, Piet Hubers, regretted the act, he nonetheless condemned the away the Guatemalan referee handled the match that sent his team out of the competition.Meanwhile, having been eliminated from the championship, the Netherlands officials are in dare need of buyers who would pay for the large quantity of food items they brought for the games. It will be recalled that the Dutch came in with preserved food items such as meat, fish, beverages, tomato pastas, fruits, cartons of indomie, spaghetti, fruit drinks and chocolate cheese, as well as a cook.An official of the team confirmed that they would want to dispose off the food items to recover some of the money they had spent in bringing them to the country. He added that it would make no sense going back to their country with the items.It was further understood that the officials had reached agreement with the management of Nike Lake Resort, Enugu, where the team camped, as well as the officials of the Turkish team, who would be playing their second round match in Enugu tomorrow, for the purchase of the items.An official of the Turkish team told The Guardian at the Nike Lake Resort that the items would be shared between his team and the hotel, stressing that they would require more food items since they did not envisage moving beyond the first round of the championship.
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Super Eagles’ Head Coach, Shaibu Amodu has picked 23 players to represent Nigeria in next weekend’s all –important 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Kenya’s Harambee Stars in Nairobi.advertisementa href="http://www.9jabook.com">On the list are skipper, Nwankwo Kanu, deputy skipper, Joshttp://www.9jabook.com/profiles/blog/neweph Yobo and the other 16 players who made the list for the last qualifier against Mozambique in Abuja, and five others.Nigeria tackles Kenya in a must –win final game of the qualifiers at the Karasani Sports Centre on Saturday, 14 November – the date for the conclusion of the African series for the 2010 FIFA World Cup to be hosted by the Republic of South Africa.Also listed are goalkeepers, Vincent Enyeama and Bamidele Aiyenugba, defenders, Elderson Echiejile and Obinna Nwaneri, midfielders, Yusuf Ayila and Osaze Odemwingie and strikers Obinna Nsofor and Obafemi Martins.The players will start arriving in Nigeria on Monday, November 9 and will depart for Nairobi aboard a chartered flight on the night of Thursday, November 12.
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As part of its efforts to get the support of the spectators for their team, officials of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) bought tickets worth over N750,000 for Ijebu Ode fans to come and watch their Group E match against the United States of America (USA) at the Gateway International Stadium, Ijebu Ode.advertisementThe tickets were distributed to fans at the main entrance of the stadium on Saturday and Sunday, shortly before the kick off of the match that was watched by a large spectators, including the Ogun State governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, and many traditional rulers, among others.Their gesture paid off as they were supported throughout the match, which USA won 1-0, by fans who applauded all their moves.The UAE officials also distributed their country's national flags to the fans who waved this endlessly to show their support. Some of the fans who spoke with Tribunesports expressed appreciation for the tickets, saying they were happy to have benefitted from the largesse.An official of the UAE who spoke to Tribunesports but refused to give out his name, explained that the idea behind buying the tickets was to get support and commended the spectators for supporting them.
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Lagosians have expressed divergent views over the existence of strip clubs in the state, following P.M.News report on their activities last Friday.
P.M.News had reported that the number of strip clubs in the state is increasing by the day with four of them located on the Opebi-Allen axis alone.
Following the report, the Archbishop of Lagos State, Anthony Cardinal Okogie, lamented that evil has completely taken over Lagos and called on Governor Babatunde Fashola to act immediately to correct the situation by shutting them down.
“Evil has taken over in Lagos State. The way things are going, when girls of between the ages of 15 and 25 dance nude and throw caution to the wind with boys and men watching them, then they are sending a wrong signal to the society. It portends danger. We are sitting on a loaded gun,” said Okogie, in a statement signed by the Director of Social Communications, Lagos State, Reverend Gabriel Osu.
Okogie called on Fashola to act now because the strip clubs are on the increase, while those shut earlier have re-opened with impunity and with a change of name.
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I hope this is not making mockery of Lagos as mega-city, Centre of Fxcellence and City of Aquatic Splendour,” he said.
While many Lagosians backed Okogie’s view, others who reacted on our website www.thepmnews.com or granted us interviews, called on the state governor to simply regulate strip clubs as adult fun is allowed in all mega cities of the world.
“Lagos is a mega city and all over the world, there is room for adult fun in mega cities. These strip clubs are not open to everybody but to adults who pay to enter. Nobody forces them to enter. They willingly pay to enter. I agree that some people may not like it but all over the world, some people will never like some things.
“I think, the state government must regulate the strip clubs. There must be some conditions under which they are allowed to operate. Under-aged girls and boys must not be seen within the vicinity and strip clubs must be located far away from residential areas,” said Ayo who claimed he has lived in Nigeria, Europe and America.
Another reader, Madudu, said: “It’s unfortunate that we quickly swallow negative tendencies from the western societies. While positive attributes such as good governance, hard work, honesty, love, and democracy are relegated. I suggest heavy tax by government to keep in check these aberrations.”
According to Toyin A, “Those rich men that are taking advantage of these young girls beware; you shall reap what you sow one day. If your sons do not marry one of these girls, your daughters will end up becoming one of them.”
“It is not only in Lagos. We have it in Port Harcourt, near the St. John Catholic Church. It happens live and open to the public as you drive through the spot. It is a big shame that the government cannot arrest such a dangerous activity. This is not as a result of unemployment. It is just SIN. The police should make arrests including the proprietors of the Clubs and prosecute them,” said Ochai.
According to Uzezi Jerry, “Reading through the comments on this page, I quickly realised that I am in Nigeria: A land of hypocrites and pretenders. For God’s sake, night clubs are not our problem. They are not the ones who looted our national treasury and left us in penury.
“We should channel our energies into fighting corruption in government, ignorance, religious and ethnic intolerance. These are the problems facing us not adults having consensual sex or fun in a night club.
“The nations of the West have night clubs everywhere but they are closer to God in attitude and behaviour than us; that is why they are more developed than us. Let us stop chasing shadows and face reality.”
Another reader who identified himself as Kabikala simply said : “Hypocrites you all! If you don’t like what they are doing, don’t go there. Let those who like it pay for what they like. How is that a problem of any of you?”
According to Shawnvince, “It is a very welcome development. I was in Nigeria recently and believe the experience and atmosphere was really elecrifying. However, they should try to stop live sex in these clubs, it is not good.”
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Posted by 9jabook.com on November 2, 2009 at 11:16pm
MOST of the major highways in Lagos metropolis and other cities on Sunday, recorded an unusually low vehicular traffic, as fuel scarcity bit harder across the country.
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In Lagos, most fillings stations closed their gates to customers with the few selling recording long queues of motorists.
As usual, illegal petrol hawkers have resurfaced at some strategic locations, some close to the filling stations, where miscreants extort as much as N100 from each motorist before allowing them access to buy fuel.
While the illegal hawkers sold the commodity for N1000 for 10 litres, neighbourhood retailers sold a litre for N104.
There was pandemonium at the Total retail outlet at Ogba, about 2 p.m. when some motorists tried to resist some boys at the College Bus-stop gate end, who insisted on the being tipped before allowing the customers into the filling station. They eventually had their way as the customers paid the N100.
However, most motorists expressed frustration over what they described as an artificial scarcity, alleging that many of the outlets had fuel but refused to open to customers for two days running.
There was palpable fear that the scarcity could worsen today, when most workers are expected to resume for duty after the weekend.
Nigerian Tribune observed that only one out of the 10 filling stations on the Isolo-Ikotun Road offered skeletal service to customers, who spent more than two hours on the queue.
Virtually all the filling stations on Oshodi-Apapa expressway as well as from Anthony to Maryland and Bank-Anthony Way did not open to customers.
But it was a rowdy situation at the two stations on Agege Motor Road in Mushin that sold fuel to customers.
The current fuel scarcity was triggered by speculations that the Federal Government would make good its plan to deregulate the oil sector from November 1 (Sunday).
But the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) have tried to ally public fears on the matter, with the latter warning against the ongoing panic buying of fuel.
The spokesman for the Department of Petroleum Resources, Mr. Paul Osu, told the Nigerian Tribune on Saturady that there was no disruption in supply, as there was fuel in most filling stations.
He said, “ I think people are just scared of possible fuel scarcity because of the Federal Government’s former intention to start deregulation tomorrow. People are just involved in panic buying, we are not really foreseeing any scarcity, I think people just want to be prepared in case of possible scarcity.
Investigations by the Nigerian Tribune also revealed that some filling stations around Ikorodu took advantage of the situation to sell petrol at N80 and above per litre, while some hoarded the product in anticipation of scarcity tomorrow.
People also bought the product in various containers in order to store it in their homes to beat the scarcity.
The NNPC said in October that it had enough fuel that could last for six months should marketers refuse to import.
The spokesman for NNPC was not available for comments when one of our correspondents called him on the phone on Saturday.
As tension continues to mount over the planned deregulation of the downstream of the oil industry by the Federal Government which has led the long queue at filling stations in some part of the country, the Speaker of House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, on Sunday described the government’s position as a challenge Nigerians would have to face.
Bankole in a brief interview with airport journalists on arrival from Johannesburg, South Africa, said the challenge posed by the planned deregulation was a bitter pill Nigerians would have to swallow.
His words: “Well, whether we like it or not, there are some challenges in the oil industry we must face. If we do not face it today, we will have to face it in the future. And the challenge is raising revenue for government, which by extension is for the country, to enable government to develop its many projects accordingly.”
The speaker, who condemned the current panic buying by some people, said it would not bring solution to the problem.
He said the National Assembly would continue to work hard to ensure that those that would be adversely affected by the deregulation were looked out for and looked after.
The Speaker declared: “We have to sit with labour, sit with the executive arm of government, the minister of petroleum, and civil servants as well as other stakeholders to work out a plan to make sure that things at least go on well.”
Asked on how he felt in the two years of his leading the nation’s lower house, the Speaker only said; “we thank God for everything,” as he went straight to board the presidential aircraft which took him to Abuja.
Meanwhile, the price of the product has gone up from N65 per litre to between N100 and N150 litre in some filling stations in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
According to the Nigerian Tribune’s investigation, black marketers have taken over the distribution and supply of fuel in some places visited by our corespondent.
While major marketers are still selling their product at N65 per litre in Abuja metropolis, the Nigerian Tribune investigation showed that some independent marketers sell their product at between N100 and N150 per litre.
In all the fuel stations visited by our correspondent, it was apparent that fuel was being hoarded. Instead of them selling fuel from all the selling points, it was observed that fuel was being dispensed in one or two selling points leading to long queues in all the fuel stations.
A motorist, who simply identified himself as Mr. John, said he had been at the Conoil filling station located on the Airport road since his return from church but could not get fuel as of 5.30 p.m. when he spoke with the Nigerian Tribune.
At Kuje, headquarters of Kuje Local Government Area, black marketers and roadside fuel hawkers were having a field day as only one out of the five fuel stations located in the area had fuel to sell to the people.
The manager of the station, Mr. Musa Haruna, told the Nigerian Tribune that the Federal Government had stopped those who used to supply them fuel from fuel importation in anticipation of the proposed deregulation of the downstream oil sector of the economy.
Because of the limited supply from the NNPC, Haruna said there was no way there would not be fuel scarcity as demand for fuel was now higher than supply.
Though the NNPC is yet to make statement on the latest of scarcity, the Nigerian Tribune source, however, accused the fuel marketers of hoarding, adding that the corporation had enough supply to distribute till the end of the year.
Also, hike in the prizes of petroleum products is still biting hard in Enugu the Enugu State capital, investigation by the Nigerian Tribune has revealed.
While a litre of fuel sells for as much as N90, kerosene is sold at N150 per litre depending on the consumer’s place of residence.
It was learnt that while major marketers are selling a litre of fuel for N65, independent marketers were selling for N80 per litre, making motorists to queue up before can purchasing the product at fuel filling stations owned by independent marketers.
Away far from the state capital, the prizes are higher with a litre of fuel selling for between N90 and N100.
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Oh, what a night !The third edition of the Nigerian Music Video Awards held on Sunday, November 1 at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, was a night of fun, glitz and glamour. Like most Nigerian events, the CallyVision Networks production took off late, starting at 7.45pm, two hours and 45 minutes behind schedule.After some banter and photo sessions on the green carpet (instead of the traditional red), guests, including Nollywood stars and top musicians made for the beautifully decorated hall. The anchors for the night were Nigezie boss, Femi Adebigbe, aka Kwame, Nollywood actress and singer, Bariyah El James, and comedian, Basket Mouth, who stole the show.The event began with a remix of Banky W's "Don't Break My Heart" sung by a cover band, followed by a rendition of a somewhat Lion King soundtrack-inspired national anthem by Eva Ogoro, much to the delight of the audience, before the NMVA theme song was performed by upcoming acts and female reggae sensation, Nyore.After a few jokes by Basket Mouth, the show kicked off with a screening of a Michael Jackson documentary which featured tributes by industry insiders who extolled Jackson's achievements and expertise in music video production. Afterwards, dance groups - Streethood and Pulse - entertained with MJ-inspired dance routines.Highlights of the night included performances by MI, Djinee, Bracket, Waje, Benita, Wande Coal and Dr. Alban with Charly Boy, whose act elicited more laughter than applause. Raymond Dokpesi, the Daar Communications chairman, was also inducted into the NMVA Hall of Fame. Darey won three Annabels (the award's nickname) for Video of the Year, Best Use of Costume and Best R&B Video, making him the biggest winner in the event. The Mo Hits crew went home with the Best Afro Hip-Hop Video for "Ten Ten" while front man, D'banj, won Best Afro-Pop Video for "Gbona Feli Feli". MI's "Safe", featuring Djinee, earned him the Best Mainstream Hip-Hop Video and Best Special Effects awards.Barring a few hitches, the show was well put together and ranks as the best edition since its inception three years ago.
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Oh, how I crave gold stars. One of my worst qualities is my insatiable need for credit; I always want the recognition, the praise, the gold star stuck on my homework. I struggle to master my need for gold stars, because it makes me a resentful score-keeper.
Several of my resolutions are aimed at this desire, like Don’t expect praise or appreciation and "Do it for myself." One of my Twelve Commandments is "No calculation" – it comes from a quotation from St. Therese of Lisieux, who observed, “When one loves, one does not calculate.”
Nevertheless, for all my efforts, I have to admit that I still crave gold stars. Whether or not I should want them, I do. Here are the strategies I use to try to curb my craving:
1. Do it for yourself. For a long time, I self-righteously told myself that I made certain efforts “for the team.” While this sounded generous, it led to a bad result, because I sulked when my husband or whoever didn’t appreciate my efforts. Now, I tell myself, “I’m doing this for myself. This is what I want.” I want to send out Valentine’s cards. I want to organize the cabinets. This sounds selfish, but in fact, it’s less selfish, because it means I’m not waiting for a gold star. No one else even has to notice what I’ve done.
2. Find ways to reward yourself. Maybe other people aren’t giving you credit, but you can give yourself credit. One reason I love my Resolutions Chart is that I get a little jolt of satisfaction when I reward myself with check-mark next to a resolution. I give myself my own gold stars! (True confession: my need for gold stars is so raw that when I started keeping my Resolutions Chart, I considered buying actual gold-star stickers and literally sticking them on. I didn’t go that far.)
3. Tell people you’d like to get a gold star. Once I acknowledged to myself how much I crave gold stars, I was able to explain that to my family – and sometimes even joke about it. Since then, they’ve all been better about doling them out, because they know how important it is to me. Also, it’s easy for people innocently to overlook contributions you’ve made, and if you give a gentle reminder, they might happily load you with gold stars.
4. Express your appreciation for what other people do. One good rule for happiness is that if you wish people would act a certain way toward you, act that way yourself toward others. If you wish people would be freer with praise and appreciation, make sure you’re ladling it out yourself. Also, when you push yourself to feel grateful for what others are doing, you remind yourself of how much they do for you -- and that eases resentment.
5. Remember that being taken for granted is a form of praise. It’s ironic: the more reliable you are, and the less you complain, the more likely you are to be taken for granted. If you always meet deadlines, if you never lose your temper, if you’re always prepared, people overlook your efforts. Really, that’s a compliment.
* Interested in starting your own Happiness Project ? then email me noelene@systemini.net
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Olympic and world sprint champion Usain Bolt on Monday adopted a cheetah cub in Kenya’s Nairobi National Park.
The head of the Kenya Wildlife Service, Julius Kipng’etich, described the event as “the first time in history where the fastest animal and the fastest man will meet.” Mr. Bolt, who had said previously he was scared of cheetahs as they could out-run him, said he changed his mind as he bottle-fed the two-month-old cub over his shoulder.
Cheetahs are some of the world’s fastest and most skilled predators, able to reach speeds of up to 112 km (70 miles) per hour. The Jamaican sprinter’s new cub has been named Lightning Bolt.
Mr. Bolt was accompanied by Welsh hurdler, Colin Jackson, who adopted an eland, and Kenyan Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, who has previously adopted two lions.
Mr. Odinga used the occasion to remind Kenyans that it was their “civic duty” to preserve the country’s diverse wildlife, not just for tourism, but for future generations.
He described the event as a “refreshing” opportunity to talk about sport and wildlife conservation rather than politics, in a country that has faced huge political challenges in recent years.
Mr. Bolt has been touring Kenya since last Friday as a sports ambassador for The Zeitz Foundation of Germany.
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I feel very fortunate that I met the perfect guy for me, but I have to admit that I do get really jealous of my single girlfriends when I hear about their dating adventures (even the bad ones!). Is that weird?
When I was dating, I didn't fully appreciate that nervous energy you get before you meet someone new, and I miss it. Sometimes when my friends are giving me a play-by-play of their dating adventures, I wish I could trade places with them for just one night to experience that rush again.
When I read about my girlfriends going on a date with her husband of eight years and feeling butterflies, I couldn't help but smile. That's the feeling I miss. Maybe I just need to make Ifeoma institute a monthly date night to let me experience that energy again!
Do you ever feel jealous of your single girlfriends when they go on dates? Ever wish you could trade places with them, even for one night? Or are you thrilled that you met "the one" so that you never have to go on another date again?
P.S. Who's your favorite fictional single gal? What's the sweetest thing a guy ever did for you on a first date? And what do you always do on or before a first date?
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Posted by OBAJE AFREECA on November 2, 2009 at 9:09am
By Dr. Maoshing NiSoda, pop, cola, soft drink — whatever you call it, it is one of the worst beverages that you could be drinking for your health. As the debate for whether to put a tax on the sale of soft drinks continues, you should know how they affect your body so that you can make an informed choice on your own.Soft drinks are hard on your healthSoft drinks contain little to no vitamins or other essential nutrients. However, it is what they do contain that is the problem: caffeine, carbonation, simple sugars — or worse, sugar substitutes — and often food additives such as artificial coloring, flavoring, and preservatives.A lot of research has found that consumption of soft drinks in high quantity, especially by children, is responsible for many health problems that include tooth decay, nutritional depletion, obesity, type-2 diabetes, and heart diseaseWhy the sugar in soft drinks isn’t so sweetMost soft drinks contain a high amount of simple sugars. The USDA recommendation of sugar consumption for a 2,000-calorie diet is a daily allotment of 10 teaspoons of added sugars. Many soft drinks contain more than this amount!Just why is too much sugar so unhealthy? Well, to start, let's talk about what happens to you as sugar enters your body. When you drink sodas that are packed with simple sugars, the pancreas is called upon to produce and release insulin, a hormone that empties the sugar in your blood stream into all the tissues and cells for usage. The result of overindulging in simple sugar is raised insulin levels. Raised blood insulin levels beyond the norm can lead to depression of the immune system, which in turn weakens your ability to fight disease.Something else to consider is that most of the excess sugar ends up being stored as fat in your body, which results in weight gain and elevates risk for heart disease and cancer. One study found that when subjects were givenrefined sugar, their white blood cell count decreased significantly for several hours afterwards. Another study discovered that rats fed a high-sugar diet had a substantially elevated rate of breast cancer when compared to rats on a regular diet.The health effects of diet sodaYou may come to the conclusion that diet or sugar-free soda is a better choice. However, one study discovered that drinking one or more soft drinks a day — and it didn’t matter whether it was diet or regular — led to a 30% greater chance of weight gain around the belly.Diet soda is filled with artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose, or saccharin. These artificial sweeteners pose a threat to your health. Saccharin, for instance, has been found to be carcinogenic, and studies have found that it produced bladder cancer in rats.Aspartame, commonly known as nutrasweet, is a chemical that stimulates the brain to think the food is sweet. It breaks down into acpartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol at a temperature of 86 degrees. (Remember, your stomach is somewhere around 98 degrees.) An article put out by the University of Texas found that aspartame has been linked to obesity. The process of stimulating the brain causes more cravings for sweets and leads to carbohydrate loading.Carbonation depletes calciumBeverages with bubbles contain phosphoric acid, which can severely deplete the blood calcium levels; calcium is a key component of the bone matrix. With less concentration of calcium over a long time, it can lower deposition rates so that bone mass and density suffer. This means that drinking sodas and carbonated water increases your risk of osteoporosis.Add in the caffeine usually present in soft drinks, and you are in for even more trouble. Caffeine can deplete the body’s calcium, in addition to stimulating your central nervous system and contributing to stress, a racing mind, and insomnia.Skip the soda and go for:• Fresh waterWater is a vital beverage for good health. Each and every cell needs water to perform its essential functions. Since studies show that tap water is filled with contaminants, antibiotics, and a number of other unhealthy substances, consider investing in a quality carbon-based filter for your tap water. To find out more about a high-performance filtration system, click here.On the go? Try using a stainless steel thermos or glass bottle, filled with filtered water. Enhance the flavor of your water with a refreshing infusion of basil, mint leaves, and a drop of honey.• Fruit JuiceIf you are a juice drinker, try watering down your juice to cut back on the sugar content. Buy a jar of organic 100% juice, especially cranberry, acai, pomegranate, and then dilute three parts filtered water to one part juice. You will get a subtle sweet taste and the benefit of antioxidants. After a couple of weeks, you will no longer miss the sweetness of sugary concentrated juices.• TeaTea gently lifts your energy and has numerous health benefits. Black, green, white, and oolong teas all contain antioxidant polyphenols. In fact, tea ranks as high or higher than many fruits and vegetables on the ORAC scale, the score that measures antioxidant potential of plant-based foods.Herbal tea does not have the same antioxidant properties, though it is still a great beverage choice with other health benefits, such as inducing calming and relaxing effects.If tea doesn’t satisfy your sweet tooth, try adding cinnamon or a little honey, which has important health benefits that refined sugar lacks. For a selection of healthy teas that promote total body wellness, click here. Drink up!I hope you find the ways and means to avoid soft drinks. I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.May you live long, live strong, and live happy!--Dr. Mao.
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Posted by Jane Okinedo on November 2, 2009 at 3:22am
There are worrying indications that Nigeria’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote is facing a financial tempest that has pushed the Forbes-listed billionaire on the brink of bankruptcy as his financial empire suffocates under the weight of crumbling debt and mismanagement.Forbes magazine reported that Aliko Dangote, whose net worth was estimated at $2.5 billion, is in debt to the tune of over $1.7 billion and facing insolvency as the global financial meltdown hits the Nigerian economy. To weather what appears to be the perfect storm, Huhuonline.com has learnt from close sources that the Dangote group of companies will undertake a massive down-sizing exercise that will involve as many as over 3000 lay-offs.It was unclear when or where the lay-offs will occur, but a senior employee at the Dangote group told Huhuonline.com that the “right-sizing” exercise will cut across the board of companies which include: Dan sugar, Dan salt, Dan Flour, Benue Cement, Chevron Texaco amongst others. The Nigerian cement king was among dozens of to business executives singled out by Nigeria's central bank, in its published list of recalcitrant debtors, who have been told to pay up or face arrest and possible assets seizure. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is also looking into recovering the loans.Loans related to Dangote-owned companies so far appear to have amounted to hundreds of millions of dollars and counting as Dangote continues to expand his cement operations with new plants in Nigeria as well as South Africa, Ethiopia, Senegal and Zambia. The Dangote group recently signed two agreements worth $228 million with the Chinese group Sinoma International Engineering.The first contract involves its subsidiary Dangote Industries Senegal SA and covers construction of a new production plant near Dakar with capacity of 3,000 tonnes per day. The deal is worth $144 million. Under the second contract, for the same amount, Dangote Industries Zambia Ltd will build a similarly sized cement plant in Zambia. Along with the second project, roughly another $324 million will be invested in infrastructure, which will be handled by sub-contractors.Nigerian Central Bank sources told Huhuonline.com that part of this expansion by the Dangote group has been funded with debt financing from Nigerian banks reportedly to the tune of $1 billion and some of these assets may potentially be in trouble. The Dangote group is also interested in mining ore: in particular it has positioned itself to obtain coal mining permits in Nigeria, according to sources.The unsettling revelations about Aliko Dangote’s financial meltdown was predictable after Huhuonline.com reported an unending wave of mass exodus of several top management staff who resigned their positions from the Dangote group amid speculations that Dangote’s black-box like financial empire will explode in a wave of financial mismanagement and accounting scandals.Dangote has enjoyed cozy relations with powerful politicians and was closely linked to former president Olusegun Obasanjo. He sits on various government and quasi-government bodies, including the Nigeria Stock Exchange, (NSE) where he was unanimously elected president through a shoddy process of horse-trading and clunker philandering which also saw Erastus Akingbola, then Group Chief Executive of Intercontinental Bank, elected NSE 1st vice-president.Dangote has been at odds with Akingbola after Intercontinental Bank Plc, petitioned President Yar'adua asking for his intervention to help compel a "debt cabal" led by Dangote to re-pay the loans owed Intercontinental Bank. In the petition sent on its behalf by A.O.S Practice, a firm of legal practitioners, and dated August 5, 2009, Intercontinental described Dangote as a loan defaulter and “rabid debtor” who was being daily serenaded in the media as an affluent Nigerian. A look at the three Dangote companies indebted to Intercontinental Bank as contained in the said petition showed that their cumulative debt profile stood at about N35.8 billion.Intercontinental said: "To proceed to sue these institutions as ordinary legal dictates would suggest, is to get bogged down with the legal technicalities and slow pace of the adversarial practice of our judicial system, which these cabal would engage to wear us down.”Recall that Erastus Akingbola was among the five managers of Nigeria's largest banks -Intercontinental, Oceanic, Afribank, Finbank and Union - who were sacked by CBN Governor Lamido Sanusi, and government bailout funds extended to their banks to keep them solvent .While Erastus Akingbola remains on “health exile” in London, all the bank managers have been arrested and face prosecution for corporate governance malpractices, lax credit administration processes and the absence or non-adherence to credit risk management practices. Only time will tell whether Aliko Dangote will weather the storm and rescue his financial empire from total collapse.
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Posted by EDOFEST 2009 on November 1, 2009 at 8:53pm
TWENTY FOUR years after the then Bendel State hosted the last festival of arts and culture, Edo State government has disclosed that plans were at advanced stage to host the first Edo Festival of Arts and Culture, tagged Edo-FEST 2009, on Private Public Partnership Initiative (PPPI) basis in November 2009. The state Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Tourism, Honorable Vincent Akhere, who stood in for the state governor, Adams Oshiomhole, said the festival would be a prelude to series of programmes aimed at reviving the state’s lost glory in the area of arts and culture. Honorable Akhere said that Comrade Oshiomhole was very desirous of reviving the cultural heritage of Edo people to ensure that the state remained the cultural destination of Nigeria, adding to this end, the state government wants to collaborate with the private sector in the organization of the festival. Would be sponsors of the festival, it was further gathered, would be given incentives and other benefits.Consequent upon this, it was learnt that commercial banks and multinational companies are already rushing to be part of the event. Notable artists from Edo State like Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen, Alex Usifo, Sam Loco Efe, Sir Victor Uwaifo, and others within the country would grace the occasion.
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