Nigeria's Senate on Tuesday passed a motion that Vice President Goodluck Jonathan should be acting president in the absence of President Umaru Yar'Adua.

The motion, backed by the majority of Senate members, puts further pressure on Mr. Yar'Adua to formally transfer powers but there is no provision for sucha move by the upper house of parliament under the terms of the constitution.

"The Vice President ... shall henceforth discharge the functions of the office of the president, commander in chief of the armed forces of thefederation, as acting president," the motion said.

Mr. Yar'Adua has been in Saudi Arabia for more than two months receiving treatment for a heart condition but has not formally transferred power to VicePresident Jonathan, triggering confusion over who is in charge.

The Senate passed a second motion that Mr. Jonathan would cease to be acting president when Mr. Yar'Adua transmits a letter to parliament saying that he hasreturned from "medical vacation".

A Muslim bus driver stunned passengers by pulling over mid-route and beginning to pray in the aisle.

The driver stopped the bus without warning before removing his shoes and, using a fluorescent jacket as a prayer mat, beginning to chant in Arabic.

Passengers said they feared the driver could be preparing for a terror attack.

No one was able to get on or off the vehicle during the five-minute prayer session.

Passenger Gayle Griffiths complained to Transport for London about the bizarre incident on the No.24 bus in Gospel Oak, north London, this week.

Mother-of-one Miss Griffiths, 33, of Camden, north-west London, had boarded the bus a few minutes earlier on her way home from work.

She says that she even feared at the time that the driver might be a fanatic planning to blow up the bus.

She said: 'I have done the journey a million times before but I was in a hurry to get home to pick my little girl up from school.

'We had just picked up and let off people at a bus stop and moved off again when the driver stopped the bus very suddenly.

'He got out of his cab, leaving the engine running, and walked towards the middle exit door.

'He laid out a fluorescent jacket on the floor and I thought that somebody must have been sick and he was covering it up.

'I didn't really think much of it.

'But then he took off his shoes and began praying. I was gobsmacked and quite bewildered.'

Miss Griffiths said the bus driver didn't give the passengers any explanation as to what he was doing.

'He hadn't addressed the passengers at all,' she said. 'I didn't say anything and nor did anyone else. I thought it would all be over in 30 seconds but it went on for over five minutes.

Passenger: Gayle Griffiths

'It even went through my mind that this might be some sort of terrorist attack with the bus blown up because I had heard that suicide bombers prayed before attacks.

'As the engine was running anyone could also have got in the cab and driven off with a bus full of passengers.

'He was also blocking the exit, so if something had happened we would not have been able to get off.

'Everyone was looking round in a mix of shock and amazement. It was truly bizarre, ludicrous and aggravating.

'We are delayed often enough as it is in London.

'We live in a multi-cultural society but there is a time and a place for prayer and the middle of a journey with a busload of passengers is not it.'

Transport for London said it had apologised to all the passengers for the delay to their journey and said all Muslim drivers are being reminded that they should pray during statutory rest periods rather than hold up services.

A TfL spokesman said: 'A route 24 bus was delayed following a decision by the driver to stop the bus to pray.

'The bus company, London General, has had a word with the driver as this is not something that should be happening.

'TfL apologises to passengers for any inconvenience this may have caused them.

'We understand that there is some flexibility in the Muslim faith as to the times of day that drivers can pray.

'TfL and the individual bus operating companies acknowledge and value the diversity of their staff.

'As diverse employers, TfL and the bus operators provide suitable prayer or quiet rooms at garages and other key locations for staff who wish to practise their faith.

'We have asked London General to remind drivers who have a requirement to pray to use these facilities during their rest periods.'

In this abridged essay, Funsho Ogundipe, Nigerian pianist, composer, movie-maker, leader of the band, Ayetoro, and one, who was also privileged to play in the band of the late Afrobeat attempts to lead our teeming readers into the musical world of Fela and how he did his thing.

In the afrobeat underground it normally started with whisperings. One of the guys in the house may have observed the master humming a melody… or clapping a drum pattern… or scribbling away at paper. Perhaps, simply writing some chords…

The next stage would see him at the old upright piano, which sat in the hallway of his house, Kalakuta, checking out different chords and working out individual parts for each instrument in his Egypt 80 Orchestra.

He would usually Have a joint in hand, in Y-fronts, and not much else. Hitting notes and feeling them. Then you knew for sure — if you lived in the house, or was one of the frequent visitors to Kalakuta — because his dancers and the girls in his harem would start the rumor:.

Fela don get new song… Fela don begin new number…Fela dis… Fela dat… Na fire……

By this time, the word was up. Everyone knew. From the runners selling weed on the streets to the call girls by the street corners waiting for their johns to relieve their boredom. Everyone knew a new number was coming.

The punters in the local pubs, musicians waiting on the latest tune in case they wanted to sit in with the band later… Students, workers, market women… The closer you were to Ikeja — the Lagos suburb where Fela both lived and worked before his transition — the stronger the rumors grew, and as the days go by, they became more than rumors.

Soon Wednesday evenings at the Shrine would have the familiar sounds and smells that accompany a Fela Kuti rehearsal.

First, having decided that the tune he had been hearing in his mind had come to stay, he would send for his rhythm section, jazz drums and miscellaneous percussions: five in all… add to that twin guitars (tenor and rhythm), then twin basses and electric piano. Since he writes his music line for line, he would dictate parts to each musician. They would work on their parts until the whole thing became the groove he wanted, adding layers and layers of sound, until the wall of sound was ready to hit you.

By this time, fans would be waiting outside his house — drinking, smoking, flirting, eating or just listening to the sounds conjured by the sonic scientist. A few bold enough to venture inside would press their bodies against the walls adjourning the rehearsal rooms and cup their hands to their ears for a closer listening to the band. At this stage, only the diehards would be around. You could hear the harmonic carpet but not much else. No majestic horn melodies, no breaks — and yes, no killer vocals. Those would come later. What you heard now though was a wicked groove and some super bass lines…..

Fela:

He sits facing the band. Shirt open, smoking a cigarette. He drags on the cigarette and looks at the horn section. Sitting opposite him, ten-man strong, they range from trumpets through flugal horns to the reed section with twin alto tenor and baritone saxophones. They are flanked by the chekere and sticks players.

He counts off a tempo and the rhythm section come in on the one. He plays a melody again over the groove. The horn players pick up the melody and play together with different degrees of success. He plays the melody again. Some musicians have scraps of paper with the melody sketched out and they look at this while they blow. Others prefer their ears and play patiently listening to his lines on the electric piano.

After a few attempts they get it right. Then he guides them more gently, sketching the form of the tune aurally: how many times the melody must be played; how many sections there were; what harmonies were for the horns… He plays the backing riffs for instrumental solos and they fall in behind him, riffling away until they were one tight, loud, section.

When Fela has a new number to work on, Wednesday nights at the shrine were rehearsal nights. The club would be as full as on a regular day of performance with people listening intently. The only difference would be that only vibe will be heard and no dancing. Everyone is quiet. Lagosians are witnessing one of their most innovative composers at work and the atmosphere is one of respect for his craft. At the first sign of the melody from his keyboard, someone somewhere picks it up and starts humming.

Abigail Nwajei whose son, Nnamdi, tried to murder two days to 2010 on an allegation that a church revealed that she was behind his misfortune, has left hospital. Emmanuel Onyeche writes her near tragic story.

Abigail Nwajei

Although Mrs. Abigail Nwajei, whose son, Nnamdi,attempted to murder by slicing off her throat two days to 2010, has left hospital, the scars of that near tragic experience may never leave her.

At 50, four of her front teeth are gone - knocked off with her son's hammer - and the scars of the attack, though healed, run rings round her neck.

"I took five pints of blood to stay alive", she told our correspondent at her Ajangbadi resident in Lagos last Tuesday, a claim confirmed by a doctor at Goodness Hospital in the same suburb. The doctor simply gave his name as Durotimi. "We had to call in a dentist to fix the aspect concerning her teeth", Durotimi added.

Nnamdi, 22, a 2006/2007 Accountancy graduate of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, had allegedly attempted to murder his mother with a hammer and a knife on December 30 last year, accusing her of being behind the misfortunes of her children.

After policemen attached to the Ilemba Hausa Division of the Lagos State Command had arrested him, he said while being paraded on January 5 this year that he approached his mother for, "a mother to son talk" following numerous revelations in a branch of Mountain of Fire and Miracle church, Lagos, which he did not give its location. He said that the church revealed that his mother was responsible for his misfortune.

"I wanted to talk to her to let her see reason why she should release us, her children, from bondage, especially as we enter the new year. But she started shouting. I picked up a knife to scare her and she took a hammer. I snatched it from her and used it on her. I did not plan to kill her.

Things happened so fast. I regret my action and I blame myself for taking the church revelations seriously," he said.

But Nwajei said, "The incident happened at 8.30pm. He came in hailing me 'Malee' (a corruption of 'mother' used mostly by people from the Niger Delta region of the country to hail their mothers). He was demanding food and searching every where. There was no power supply and he went and put on the generator. It was at the same time that I was also ready to eat so I brought out food for the two of us.

"He did not touch the food but suddenly pounced on me and started attacking me with the knife. He wanted to stab me with it but I prevented that with my hand. I was shouting for help and mentioning his name but I guess people did not hear me because of the noisy generator. He was much stronger and when he had overpowered me, he started slicing my throat with the knife. He also brought out a hammer from his pocket and hit me on the head several times with it. That was all I could remember until I found myself in the hospital," she said.

Nwajei's saviour was Festus, a motorcycle rider, who she graciously accommodated in a room in her house.

Festus said, "I came around but saw that the gate was locked from inside. I heard shouts but I thought it was a church pastor praying for Mama. I peeped through a hole and saw a figure moving. From the hand that I saw, I knew it was a young man. I concluded it was a thief and started shouting and neighbours were attracted".

By the time they got to Nwajei, Nnamdi had scaled the fence and bolted. She was found in the pool of her blood and passed out after she had managed to reveal that it was her son that had attacked her. Festus and her neighbours rushed her to Goodness Hospital where she went through tremendous pain and trauma trying to hang on to life.

Ironically however, Nwajei was still seemed concerned about Nnamdi as she expressed the hope that he would be freed soon several times during her short interview with our correspondent.

The authorities of MFM, when contacted, said that the man was not a member of the church since he could not mention the branch that gave him the revelation. They added that the church never asked any of its member to kill.

But Nnamdi's motive, as he confessed to the police, brings to the fore the growing issue of religious incitement which we seem to be ignoring currently. Some messages preached in churches nowadays are nothing short of outright incitements. The preachers seem to ignore that some of the listeners are unable to distinguish between things of the spirit from those of the physical.

At a new generation pentecostal church in Lagos recently, the congregation were asked to pray facing the direction their enemy resided. Later, they were urged to fight their enemies. A man got home and descended on his wife saying it was her he saw in his vision while he was praying against his enemy.

In another pentecostal church in Lagos that has an outspoken pastor, the congregation were once told to come to church on a certain Sunday bringing logs of wood. Nearly 95 per cent of the congregation did. Apparently, however, the pastor was just performing an experiment with them.

On the Sunday in question, he asked all those who had brought their logs of wood to stand up. When they did, the pastor was shocked. He shook his head at their naivety and asked them to dispense with the wood.

If religion is indeed the opium of the masses, it is indeed time we exercise caution.

All People Grand Alliance Party gubernatorial candidate and incumbent governor of Anambra state, Peter Obi has been declared the winner of the governorship elections in Anambra state.

Obi won by a total of 97843 votes, followed closely by Action Congress's candidate, Chris Ngige with 60240 votes while PDP party flag bearer, Chukwuma Soludo came third with 59365 votes respectively.

Obi was declared winner of the election by the resident electoral commissioner of the state

AWKA-At exactly 9.09 am Sunday, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC declared the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA candidate and the incumbent governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi as the winner of Saturday governorship election having scored majority lawful votes of 97,833.

Governor Peter Obi

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Obi who by this victory has earned another four-year mandate, fulfilled the constitutional requirement by winning two-third votes in 14 out of the 21 local government area of the state.

His closest rival, the candidate of Action Congress, AC, Dr. Chris Ngige scored 60,240 votes to emerge second in the keenly contested ballot. He scored 25 percent in three local governments.

However, the highly rated Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Candidate, Professor Chukwuma Soludo came third winning in two local government areas with 59,355 votes. Surprisingly, the former Central Bank Governor lost in his Aguata Local Government to APGA.

Former presidential aide, Dr. Andy Uba of the Labour Party, LP came fourth with 26,106 while former House of Representatives member and Hope Democratic Party, HDP candidate, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu polled 20,727. Both Uba and Ukachukwu won in only one local government area each.

The only prominent female candidate and House of Representatives member, Hon. Mrs. Uche Ekwunife got 9,595 votes.

Declaring the result of the election, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Anambra State, Josiah Uwazuruonye, said Obi had satisfied all the constitutional requirements to be elected for a second term of four years.

“I, Bar. Josiah Chukwudi Uwazuruonye hereby certify that I was the Returning Officer for the Anambra State Governorship Election 2010 and that as the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Anambra State, the candidate of APGA Mr. Peter Obi has satisfied the constitutional requirement and is hereby declared winner of the election,” the REC said.

National Chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Umeh, who was elated by the party victory, said the outcome of the election was a reflection of the wishes of the people while commending the electorates and security operatives.

He said: “We feel so happy that after the strenuous struggle to pull the seat of Anambra State down we have been able to do it in a very spectacular way to the glory of God. Like we stated before the only thing Nigeria needs to progress as a democratic country is a credible, free and fair election. And our party APGA has been in the vanguard of this struggle. We are very happy that this morning our involvement in this struggle has yielded the necessary dividends.

“Nigeria is going to move on from this election to greater glory. There is no way we can succeed as a country if we continue to deny the people their inalienable right to elect leaders of their choice and this is the beauty of democracy.

“For me, I will say that the INEC has done well, not just because we have won but because yesterday (Saturday) we were allowed to vote. Anambra State that has had traumatic experience in the past election yesterday did not record any incident of people writing results from their private homes and these results finding their ways to INEC Headquarters for declaration. So, if INEC keeps it this way we would get out of the woods.

“I sincerely thank the Nigeria Police. Before this election yesterday, Anambra State was invaded by thugs hired by desperate candidates in this election and it was an uphill task to maintain peace. The level of security provided by the Nigeria Police the thugs took their heels that was why the election was peaceful. I also thank INEC for having this disposition at this time to allow the people of Anambra State elect governor of their choice.”

Addressing a news conference shortly after results were declared, the Anambra State Election Monitoring and Observation Board praised INEC for the successful conduct of the election.

Chairman of the board, Barrister Ikeazor Akaraiwe, who spoke on behalf of the observers, also commended the security agencies for providing adequate security for the election just as he expressed concern over the late commencement of the election in most centers.

He said: “In spite of laudable action of action of INEC in commencing early distribution of sensitive election materials, voting did not start early in many units. During the board’s pre-election assessment, it expressed the concern on the integrity of the voters’ register. Among our key concerns were the omission of names in the voters’ register and the inclusion of foreign names.

“The board regrets that in spite of our efforts to encourage INEC to deliver a credible voters’ register, the envisaged serious challenges occurred. In many of the wards monitored by this board we observed that unacceptable number of voters did not find their names on the register.”

The Board, however, recommended that INEC should make provision for its transportable during election as against the present practice where party chieftains provided transportation to convey sensitive electoral materials to voting centers.

Noting that the corps members used for the conduct of the election were not indigenes and could not speak the native language of the people and that they were left to operate without adequate instruction on what to do with people with valid voter’s card but whose names could not be found in voters’ register, the Board said there was need for a review of their operation in that regard.

FINAL RESULT OF ANAMBRA GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION RELEASED BY INEC

Some quotes from this controversial book which are often cited in discussions about Khomeini's work:

• "A man can marry a girl younger than nine years of age, even if the girl is still a baby being breastfed. A man, however is prohibited from having intercourse with a girl younger than nine, other sexual acts such as foreplay, rubbing, kissing and sodomy is allowed. A man having intercourse with a girl younger than nine years of age has not committed a crime, but only an infraction, if the girl is not permanently damaged. If the girl, however, is permanently damaged, the man must provide for her all her life. But this girl will not count as one of the man’s four permanent wives. He also is not permitted to marry the girl’s sister.” - Ayatollah Khomeini, “Tahrir- ol-vasyleh”, Volume 4, Darol Elm, Qom, Iran, 1990, p. 221.

• 
  
• "If one commits an act of sodomy with a cow, a ewe, or a camel, their urine and their excrements become impure, and even their milk may no longer be consumed." - Ayatollah Khomeini, "Tozih-ol-Masael".

• 
  
• "During sexual intercourse, if the penis enters a woman's vagina or a man's anus, fully or only as far as the circumcision ring, both partners become impure, even if they have not reached puberty; they must consequently perform their ablutions." - Ayatollah Khomeini, "Tozih-ol-Masael".

• 
  
• “A man can have sex with animals such as sheeps, cows, camels and so on. However, he should kill the animal after he has his orgasm. He should not sell the meat to the people in his own village; however, selling the meat to the next door village should be fine.” - Ayatollah Khomeini, “Tahrir- ol-vasyleh”, Volume 4, Darol Elm, Qom, Iran, 1990.

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• "After the wedding, if the husband commits sodomy with the father or brother of the bride, the marriage stays valid." - Ayatollah Khomeini, "Tozih-ol-Masael".

Grand Ayatollah Sayyed^{[citation needed]} Ruhollah Mousavi Khomeini (Persian: روح الله موسوی خمینی, pronounced [ruːhollɑːhe muːsæviːje xomejniː] ( listen)^{[add stress]}; 24 September 1902^[1][2] – 3 June 1989) was an Iranian religious leader and politician, and leader of the 1979 Iranian Revolution which saw the overthrow of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran. Following the revolution and a national referendum, Khomeini became the country's Supreme Leader—a position created in the constitution as the highest ranking political and religious authority of the nation—until his death.

Khomeini was a marja or marja al-taqlid ("source of emulation", also known as a Grand Ayatollah) in Twelver Shi'a Islam, but is most famous for his political role. In his writings and preachings he expanded the Shi'a Usuli theory of velayat-e faqih, the "guardianship of the jurisconsult (clerical authority)" to include theocratic political rule by Islamic jurists.

Beloved by millions of Iranians ^[3] he was "the Imam, an ascetic spiritual leader whose teachings are unquestioned."^[4] Both his return from exile and his funeral were occasions of great emotional outpouring for millions.

In the non-Muslim world abroad he was described as the "virtual face of Islam in Western popular culture," ^[5] known for his support of the hostage takers during the Iranian hostage crisis ^[6] and his fatwa calling for the death of British citizen Salman Rushdie.^[7] TIME magazine described him as "a fanatic whose judgments are harsh, reasoning bizarre and conclusions surreal,"^[4] and Iranian American scholar Vali Nasr as one who inculcated "fear and distrust towards Islam.^[5]

Named Man of the Year in 1979 by American newsmagazine TIME^[4], Khomeini has been referred to as a "charismatic leader of immense popularity," ^[8] considered a "champion of Islamic revival" by both Shia and Sunni scholars.^[5]

Khomeini is usually known as Imam Khomeini inside Iran^[9] and amongst his followers internationally, and Ayatollah Khomeini outside of the country.^[10]

Talented song-stress, Asa, who recently came into the country from her base in France, has debunked the rumour that she is a lesbian.

It has been in circulation for some time that she was having an affair with her manager, Janet Nwose.

“All what they were saying about me are far from the truth. Presently, I’m only married to my guitar,” Asa said.

Tosyn Bucknor: On Interviewing Asa

If you listen to her music, you might have already guessed what Asa would come across as in person. I cant say this was my first time of meeting her, but it was in a different way, and as she sat down, I thought to myself, “better not mess this one up”! It was easy interviewing her though! If you ask, she will answer. Straightforward, no punches pulled!

We began with the easy ones first! Her album is still making a massive impact now and even still getting her nominations! What did she think about that! She says at the time of making the album, all she wondered was if people would like it, but she thinks in the end, it comes down to the fact that when she made/makes music, her focus is the music itself, telling her stories and discovering herself, and not ulterior motives like fame or music. She also admitted that she is a very shy and quiet person who gets surprised when people recognise her. We do hope she is ready for a lot of surprises then because she is one of the most visually recognised artistes from Nigeria!

A quick music break had Top Radio’s in-house deejay (DJ GQ) playing, while Dj Jimmy, Asa, Janet (her manager) and myself had a lot of fun with off air gist! We mainly kept grilling Jimmy Jatt about love, and knowing ‘The One’ . Once we went back on air, it was time to tackle those rumours! The most recent story on asa was that she had been arrested at Heathrow for being in possession of cocaine. Her presence in Nigeria (and in Nigeria at the time of the news breaking) was proof enough that the story was false, but she categorically denied those rumours, saying she was at home, having a relaxed time with her family, when the calls started coming in. She said she was hurt and angry, and clarified while she was at it, that she was not a lesbian, and was just a quiet person who truly liked to keep her life private. She said when she did get married and have children, she would love to keep even that, private! I love the way she expresses herself, and the way she pronounces certain words with both an emphasis and a clipped tone! I love that she is all about the music, for even when we were off air, she would get lost in it, and I love that after all is said and done, it all boils down to an artiste who is truly truly, all about the art itself.

Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, better known as Carlos the Jackal, is not known for shunning the spotlight and with the appearance of Newer 77virgin minded terrorists like Osama B Laden and Our own Farouk Abdul mutallab .The Jackal a regular in Frederick Forsyth's Novels like (the Day of the Jackal).One wonders while legend around Osama & co. have not created a cult following novel writing.Dan Brown should maybe look into this .

Looks like he wants the top spot in the News back.

For years the world's most wanted terrorist, he once claimed, in front of the television cameras, to have killed more than 1,500 people in the pursuit of Palestinian liberation.

But the Venezuelan revolutionary, serving life imprisonment for the murder of two French intelligence officials and their informant in 1975, seems to have decided that not all publicity is good publicity.

With the help of his wife, a French lawyer whom he married in prison, Sanchez – once described as "the most dangerous man alive" – is suing a Parisian production company over a three-part television drama he claims could violate his "biographical image".

Isabelle Coutant-Peyre has demanded that the producers hand over the master copy of the footage for her to check for errors and potentially make changes before it is broadcast on the French Canal+ channel.

Coutant-Peyre told a court in Nanterre last month that the drama, which has not yet been finished, would make her husband out to be the instigator of crimes for which he has not been found guilty.

"You'd have thought it was the prosecutor narrating ... it's a film against Ramírez Sánchez," she said.

Lawyers for Film en Stock, meanwhile, insisted that handing over the film would signify a violation of its creative rights.

"How could we tarnish the image of Carlos when he himself has claimed to be behind almost 2,000 deaths?" the company's lawyer, Richard Malka, asked.

Daniel Leconte, the firm's owner and the producer of the three-part drama, said he had never allowed any of his subjects access to his material before it was aired.

"For us, this would be catastrophic," he said. "It would mean that every time we make a film we are giving our subjects the right to direct their own lives."

He said the film be presented clearly as a fictional interpretation of a real man's life and could not be taken as an attempt at a factual biography.

"As far as the facts are concerned, we know almost everything about him already," he said. "Carlos' own life actions destroyed his name. He doesn't need me for that."

A verdict in the case is due tomorrow.

Ramírez Sánchez, who was given his nickname after a copy of Frederick Forsyth's novel The Day of the Jackal was found in his belongings and mistakenly believed to be his, was wanted in at least five European countries at the peak of his infamy.

Eventually captured by French police while recovering from surgery in Sudan in 1994, he has been in prison ever since, having been sentenced in absentia to life in jail.

The 60-year-old is awaiting a new trial before a special anti-terrorism tribunal for other attacks in the early 1980s.

A 12-year-old Saudi girl has unexpectedly dropped her application to divorce her 80-year-old second cousin, despite intervention from human rights groups.

According to reports, the girl had been married to the elderly relative under the wishes of her father, who received a dowry worth $22,665. The mother, who was separated from the father, did not approve the marriage, and accused the second cousin of raping her daughter.

A reporter for the Al-Riyadh newspaper, to whom the girl admitted the marriage had been consummated and asked for help, first discovered the girl's plight. Human Rights Commission had since stepped into help the girl, hiring a lawyer and bringing attention to the case.

However on Monday in a court in Buraidah, in Al-Qasim province, the girl dropped the case. "I agree to the marriage. I have no objection. This is in filial respect to my father and obedience to his wish," she said according to Saudi media reports.

Both her lawyer and HRC expressed shock at the sudden change of heart.

Due to the supremacy of Saudi Arabia's austere form of Sunni Islamic law, child marriage remains legal in the country. However, there has been a movement to ban the practice. In January, Sheikh Abdullah al-Manie, a member of the Council of Senior Ulema (scholars), told Saudi media that the Prophet Mohammed's marriage to a nine-year-old girl 14 centuries ago cannot be used to justify child marriage.

King Abdullah's daughter, Princess Adela bint Abdullah, also stepped in, telling Al-Riyadh newspaper, "I, personally, and many specialists in social and education fields, share the opinion" that it is in violation of children's rights.

The Two Words Bill Gates Doesn't Want You to Hear...

Plus, the 2 companies poised to rule the post-Microsoft world

On October 30, 2005, something incredible happened...

In Redmond, Washington, one of the world's richest -- and most powerful -- businessmen sent an urgent memo to his top engineers and most-trusted managers.

It sounded the alarm that a very disruptive "wave" was about to wash over the entire world -- forever changing the way we get information and do business.

It also warned this would wipe out the $200 billion business empire he'd spent his life building.

Meanwhile, a few hundred miles south, on the banks of the Columbia River, a mysterious outfit known only as "Design, LLC," quietly constructed two massive windowless warehouses.

This mammoth undertaking was code named "Project 2," and the International Herald Tribune described the towering monolithic structures as "looming like an information-age nuclear plant."

This may sound like something out of a Tom Clancy novel, but you'll want to have all the facts because...

Merrill Lynch estimates this "wave" has grown into a $160 billion tsunami.

And experts say it's going to upend a $1 trillion industry. Yet very few investors understand just how huge it's going to be.

That's why it's crucial to take the next few minutes to read this report in its entirety.

At the very least, you'll get the full story so you can decide for yourself if you'll be front and center when the big money starts rolling in.

But be warned, the smart money is on the move...

A handful of investors are already quietly positioning themselves to cash in on this incredible economic shift. Soon, tens of thousands will be rushing to join them.

One of the most lucrative investment opportunities we'll ever encounter

The next great technological revolution is already under way.

And now that the last pieces are falling into place, the floodgates are beginning to open.

Which is exactly where you come in...Just ask David Gardner, co-founder of The Motley Fool. He's convinced that this technological shift will dump millions of dollars into the portfolios of investors just like you.

You've probably seen David on CNBC discussing his favorite growth stocks with some of the nation's other top-tier equity analysts. Or perhaps you've read one of his many best-selling investment books...

Or maybe you're just familiar with some of his remarkable stock recommendations... eBay in 1999... Starbucks in 1998... AOL in 1994... Amgen in 1998... Amazon in 1997.

Regardless, it's not hard to see why Money.com says he's "among the most widely followed stock advisors in the world."

And surely you can understand why anytime David gets excited about an investment opportunity, people stand up and take notice...

He's been closely tracking the development of this blockbuster technology and the 3 dominant players heading the revolution.

These are the companies he believes will rule their respective industries over the next 5 to 10 years and hand investors life-changing wealth along the way.

Recent developments have him particularly excited about one of the companies. Right now he considers it the No. 1 way to profit from this coming technological boom. And he's telling his followers to snap up shares immediately.

To see why he's so convinced about this company, you must learn the six traits he looks for in a growth stock -- and how they have led him to companies that have soared 231%, 233%, 375% and even 478% in just the past four years.

But first, a little bit more about this amazing technology and why, once again