Eight days after allegedly being sexually battered while passed out at a  party, and then humiliated by online photos of the assault, 15-year-old Audrie  Pott posted on Facebook that her life was ruined, “worst day ever,” and hanged  herself.

For the next eight months, her family struggled to figure out what happened  to their soccer loving, artistic, horse crazy daughter, with a gentle smile,  long dark hair and shining eyes.

And then on Thursday, seven months after the tragedy, a Northern California  sheriff’s office arrested three 16-year-old boys on charges of sexual battery.

“The family has been trying to understand why their loving daughter would  have taken her life at such a young age and to make sure that those responsible  would be held accountable,” said family attorney Robert Allard.

“After an extensive investigation that we have conducted on behalf of the  family, there is no doubt in our minds that the victim, then only 15 years old,  was savagely assaulted by her fellow high school students while she lay on a bed  completely unconscious.”

Allard said students used cell phones to share photos of the attack, and that  the images went viral.

Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Lt. Jose Cardoza said it arrested two of the  teens at Saratoga High School and the third, a former Saratoga High student, at  Christopher High School in Gilroy on Thursday. The names of the suspects were  not released because they are minors.

Cardoza said the suspects were booked into juvenile hall and face two  felonies and one misdemeanor each, all related to sexual battery that allegedly  occurred at a Saratoga house party.

The lieutenant said the arrests were the result of information gathered by  his agency’s Saratoga High School resource officers. He said the investigation  is on-going, and Los Gatos police also continue looking into the girl’s  September suicide.

The Associated Press does not, as a rule, identify victims of sexual assault.  But in this case, Pott’s family wanted her name and case known, Allard said. The  family also provided a photo to the AP.

The girl’s family members did not comment and have requested privacy until a  planned news conference Tuesday. Her father and step-mother Lawrence and Lisa  Pott, along with her mother Sheila Pott, have started the Audrie Pott Foundation  (audriepottfoundation.com) to provide music and art scholarships and offer youth  counseling and support.

The foundation website alludes to the teen’s struggles, but until now neither  law enforcement, school officials nor family has discussed the sexual battery.

“She was compassionate about life, her friends, her family, and would never  do anything to harm anyone,” the site says. “She was in the process of  developing the ability to cope with the cruelty of this world but had not quite  figured it all out.

“Ultimately, she had not yet acquired the antibiotics to deal with the  challenges present for teens in today’s society.”

On the day Pott died, Saratoga High School principal Paul Robinson announced  her death, stunning classmates. Two days later other students and staff wore her  favorite color, teal, in her honor.

Robinson wasn’t immediately available for comment Thursday.

The Pott family is not alone.

In Canada on Thursday, authorities said they are looking further into the  case of a teenage girl who hanged herself Sunday after an alleged rape and  months of bullying. A photo said to be of the 2011 assault on 17-year-old  Rehtaeh Parsons was shared online.

No charges initially were filed against four teenage boys being investigated.  But after an outcry, Nova Scotia’s justice minister appointed four government  departments to look into Parsons’ case.

Read more: Newsinfo

We’ll file this one under maybe.

Kate Middleton’s spokespeople were last year forced to deny rumours that the Duchess was sent (or sent back) bundles of free clothes from Kim Kardashian, but the young royal apparently can’t get enough of Kim’s show Keeping Up With The Kardashians.

by Chi Ibe

Here’s the new single from Terry G off his Book Of Ginjah album.

This new sound is titled, Pull Off.

Click here to listen and download:

Pull-Off

The next time you see a video of a person being scared by a goose, don’t feel smug or brave and tell yourself that you wouldn’t be terrified.

Because as this viral video proves, even great big hulking gorillas are scared s***less by geese.

The action took place at Sedgwick County Zoo in Kansas – and shows a gorilla called Barney coming up against a goose couple who had nested in the gorilla enclosure.

But before you go thinking that nesting in a gorilla enclosure might be a daft move, watch the clip.

Next time, Barney, may we recommend using a lightsaber?

Read more: Huffington Post

Want to see a car crash into a house? Twice? Well, you’ve come to the right place!

Yes, spare a thought for the driver of this Toyota Highlander, who seemed to have some trouble with the whole accelerator/brake thing (and on YouTube, they blame the manufacturers).

Although you should possibly spare more of a thought for the owner of the garage they smashed into… twice. Ouch!

Read more: Daily Picks And Flicks/LiveLeak and HuffPost

A couple in rural Australia made the most of an appearance by the Google Street View van recently by pretending to have sex for the camera.

The couple were driving on Dukes Highway in Keith, South Australia, when they apparently saw or passed the Google Maps car.

Thinking quickly they pulled to the side of the road, and made a lewd, though humourous, pose in front of their car.

We’re assured by most reports that the pose was a joke – but we’ve blurred it for good measure. The uncensored picture can be seen after the story.

As the car pulls away the couple can be seen laughing and running back to their vehicle.

Needless to say the original picture has now been heavily blurred on Google Maps.

Read more: HuffPost

by Isi Esene

Pastor E.A Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has made a case for mega-pastors owning private jets. He argued that jets are a necessity for effective evangelism especially when you head a church which has its membership spread across 160 countries.

Adeboye, in an interview with Al Jazeera, said, “There are things you need,” to perform the task he does as the general overseer.

“When you have to oversee churches in 160 countries, you can’t do that on a bicycle,” he added.

Other prominent pastors who have acquired private jets are Bishop Davis Oyedepo of the Winners’ Chapel and the president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor.

A collection of charming images showing a lifelong friendship between a four-year-old girl and her cat have been created by a Russian photographer.

Andy Prokh, 44, from St Petersburg has taken a series of natural shots and staged photos of his daughter with the family pet.

His daughter, Katherine, is pictured with LiLu Blue Royal Lady, a grey British shorthair cat in a variety of poses.

Russian photographer Andy Prokh has documented the friendship of his daughter Katherine and his cat LiLu over many years

In this image, entitled Bohemian Rhapsody Performed by Cat, Katherine is pictured holding a guitar which is too big for her

Andy Prokh said you should photograph what you love, and that he loves his daughter and his cat very much

Mr Prokh has been photographing six-year-old LiLu with his daughter, now four years old, since Katherine was born.

He said it’s important for him to photograph things he cares about.

‘You should shoot what you love,’ Mr Prokh told the New York Daily News. ‘I love these two models very much.’

‘They live and grow together, I just have to do is press the shutter button on the camera,’ Mr Prokh said.

The charming images of Andy Prokh’s daughter Katherine and six-year-old LiLu the cat span four years

Andy Prokh is modest about the adorable images and said all he did was press the camer’s shutter button

Katherine, who is now four years old, has been photographed with LiLu the Cat ever since she was born

The pair playing together have been photographed throughout Katherine’s life in various different poses

‘They live and grow together, I just have to do is press the shutter button on the camera,’ Mr Prokh said.

The images show the pair in a variety of scenarios, including playing with apples, drinking milk at a table, pondering a mathematical equation and playing guitar.

Most of the photographs are in black and white, and feature realistic poses, while others have been edited by Mr Prokh to depict imaginary scenes.

One of the more creative images features Katherine with LiLu in a hot air balloon made out of a hat and an Angry Birds balloon.

 

Some of the photos are realistic while others have been edited to depict imaginary scenes, like this Angry Birds and hat hot air balloon

Most of the images are black and white but this arty picture shows Katherine in a red dress next to a framed photo of LiLu

This images shows LiLu by herself with an old fashioned camera, taken by her photographer owner Andy Prokh

Read more: Mail Online

Three generations of the same family have been killed in a head-crash between a car and a lorry on one of Britain’s most dangerous roads.

David Cockburn, 48, his daughters Carley Ann Cockburn, 21, and Bethany Cockburn, 18, and Bethany’s 23-month-old daughter Lacie Jade Stephenson died in the accident near Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire yesterday afternoon. A fifth family member is yet to be formally identified, Humberside Police said.

It emerged today the family were on their way to Butlin’s in Skegness to take part in a dance competition.

Tragic: Bethany Cockburn and her 23-month-old daughter Lacie Jade Stephenson (pictured with Bethany’s boyfriend) were among the five members of the same family who were killed in the crash

Horror scene: Five people have died in a car crash in North East Lincolnshire, Humberside Police have said

Horror: The family’s Nissan Primera covered up next to the lorry following the fatal crash that killed five people

Tributes: Flowers are left outside the Cockburn family home in Chester-Le-Street, County Durham

 

Family: It emerged today the family were on their way to Butlin’s in Skegness to take part in a dance competition

Three members of the Durham family were pronounced dead at the scene on the A18 near Laceby Manor Golf Club, Grimsby, while two died in the nearby Diana Princess of Wales Hospital. The driver of the lorry is thought to have sustained minor injuries.

Floral tributes were today laid outside the family home in Chester-Le-Street, County Durham.

Chris Baron, resort director at Butlin’s Skegness, said: ‘We are all shocked and stunned by this tragedy and our thoughts go out to the extended families of the victims.

‘Our team at Skegness is offering support and assistance to the other competitors and their families. We are working closely with the dance competition organisers.’

The crash happened at 12.30pm yesterday near Oaklands Hotel on the A18 Grimsby Road, in Laceby, when the family’s Nissan Primera was in collision with a light goods vehicle.

Operations Superintendent Tracy Bradley, of Humberside Police, said: ‘Our deepest thoughts go out to the family and friends of those who were tragically killed in this collision which happened on the A18 yesterday. We are working closely with relatives of those who lost their lives and are supporting them through what will be a very difficult time.

Crash: Three people were pronounced dead at the scene, the two remaining passengers died at hospital

Scene: The head-on collision between the family’s car and the light goods vehicle occurred at 12.30pm today on Barton Street, Grimsby

‘Roads policing officers are working closely with our collision investigation team to piece together the evidence we have gathered in order to try and determine what led to this tragic incident taking place and took the lives of those travelling in the Nissan at the time.

‘We have spoken to a number of key witnesses already, however, if anyone saw the incident but has not come forward I would ask them to do so.’

A force spokesman said relatives of the family have asked to be left alone.

Witnesses said the road was notoriously dangerous. Jason Abrams, a golfer at the nearby Laceby Manor Golf Club, told ITV News: ‘It’s a bendy road but people do go at a great lick along it. It’s 60mph at the moment but the council are looking at changing it to 50 and hopefully this will make a difference.

‘A car went into an articulated lorry. All we know is what the police have said – that the car tried to overtake something or the car hit a curb which has sent it spinning out of control and obviously gone head-on into a lorry.’

Supt Bradley told the Grimsby Telegraph officers were looking for further witnesses to come forward.

‘At this moment in time we are conducting an investigation to try to find out what the cause of the incident was, and we have family liaison officers that are working with family and relatives of the deceased,’ he said.

‘We would like to appeal to any witnesses that either saw any of the vehicles prior to the collision or saw the incident occurring.’

Eight emergency vehicles were called to the scene, five ambulances and three fire engines, some of which remain tonight, according to witnesses.

The road was closed for investigations but was reopened shortly after 10pm yesterday.

The road is of the most notorious in the area and has been scene of 20 accidents in the last three years.

It featured in a BBC television programme, Britain’s Most Dangerous Roads, in 2011, which claimed it was 25 times more dangerous than the average British motorway.

It was also found to be the UK’s highest-risk stretch of road for car drivers in a nationwide survey by the Road Safety Foundation in 2010.

Read more: Mail Online

Giving Prince Harry a run for his money, the cast of Hollyoaks turned out in tasteless fashion, dressed up as famous dead people for a leaving do.

Never before has Osama Bin Laden and Steve Irwin been seen together in one room, but Bianca Hendrickse-Spendlove made it happen by picking possibly the crudest theme in fancy dress history.

The soap actors and actresses headed out in Liverpool on Friday night.

Oh dear: Hollyoaks actor James Atherton dresses up as the late Steve Irwin for a ‘famous dead people’ party

James Atherton – who plays Will Savage – dressed in a safari outfit complete with cork-string hat and inflatable animals round his neck to recreate the image of the Crocodile Hunter.

Whoever decided to dress up as the Al Qaeda terrorist kept his identity a mystery.

Former Hollyoaks star, Alice Lowe arrived as Anna-Nicole Smith in full Playboy bunny attire and inflatable boobs.

Bad taste: One anonymous party-goer dressed as Osama Bin Laden

TLC: Anna Shaffer dressed as Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes for her friend’s leaving do

Farewell: The cast were out to say goodbye to Bianca Hendrickse-Spendlove, who dressed as Cleopatra

Anna Shaffer originally intended to be Tupac Shakur, but arrived as TLC’s Lisa #Left Eye’ Lopes wearing a string vest, cargo pants and Timbaland boots.

She tweeted her fans earlier in the day for help putting her outfit together: ‘So I’ve gone from Tupac to Lisa Left Eye Lopez….anyone got an eye patch I could borrow?’

Jorgie Porter’s outfit had a less offensive humorous twist, dressed as South Park character Kenny, who famously dies in every episode.

Bunny: Alice Lowe dressed as Anna-Nicole Smith complete with inflatable boobs

 

Oh my God they killed Kenny! Jorgie Porter dressed in a less provocative outfit while Jessica Fox arrived as Natalie Wood

Say hello to my little friend! Though Michelle Pfieffer and Al Pacino are still breathing, Gemma Merna and Danny Mac dress as their Scarface characters Elvira Hancock and Tony Montana

She was accompanied by Jessica Fox – who plays Nancy Osborne on the show.

She chose the late Hollywood actress Natalie Wood for her famous dead impersonation, who mysteriously died on a boating trip.

Though Michelle Pfieffer and Al Pacino are still breathing, Gemma Merna and Danny Mac dressed as their Scarface characters Elvira Hancock and Tony Montana

 

Nirvana: Ashley Taylor Dawson dressed as Kurt Cobain, while Nick Pickard’s tuxedo costume could have made him any number of deceased gentlemen

 

Bianca – who played Texas Longford in the Channel Four show – arrived to her party as Cleopatra, but opted for uncharacteristically large high heels instead of the more realistic flat sandals the former Queen of Egypt would have worn.

Ashley Taylor Dawson dressed as Kurt Cobain, while Nick Pickard’s choice of tuxedo could have made him any number of deceased gentlemen.

Read more: Mail Online

 

One American couple have found the perfect way to continue celebrating their wedding all over the world.

Jeff and Jennifer Salvage, of Medford, New Jersey, got married on a volcano in Easter Island in the South Pacific five years ago.

As the bridal dress had to be flown 7,000 miles and stored in a backpack for that ceremony, Jennifer decided on a hard-wearing design that wouldn’t need too much primping to look its best.

But even she didn’t know how durable the gown would have to be. After the wedding, Jeff and Jennifer decided to turn their passion for travel and photography into a stunning picture project.

Since then Jeff has photographed Jennifer wearing her white dress in 136 photo shoots in 17 different countries. They estimate the dress has now covered around 135,000 miles.

The couple have also produced a coffee table book. Further details and more photos are available at their website: One Dress, One Woman, One World.

 

Read more: Mail Online

She’s one of the most stunning models of current times so it’s no wonder Beach Bunny swimwear enlisted Irina Shayk for their latest bikini shoot.

And the Russian model certainly puts everyone else in the shade in the latest shoot as she soaks up the sun herself in an array of minuscule two-pieces.

The 27-year-old model positively glows in the images as she happily shows off exactly how she made her name.

Beach babe: Irina Shayk shows off her enviably perfect body as she shoots Beach Bunny’s latest swimwear range

The brunette beauty looks ravishing in one particular bikini, which is available from spottedcelebs.com, as she stands with wet hair in a strapless hit pink and navy blue number.

Irina smoulders with smokey eyes as her taut stomach and and slender frame is sown off t the max.

In another image but in a similar two-piece, this time with a string triangular top, she flings her hair back to emphasise her body even more.

She must work out: Irina Shayk poses in an array of bikinis sowing off her impressive physique for the campaign

Smouldering: The Russian model perfectly shows off the designs for 2013 swimwear range

Irina Shayk shows off her to die for figure in new swimwear shoot

The catwalk star, who is dating footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, even shows off her pert derriere in a couple of the other shots from the collection.

She wears one zebra print number as she poses with her back to the camera to sow exactly how one should look in a bikini.

In other images she puts on a pink and light blue polka dot two piece, again with wet look hair and polka dot eyes.

Strike a pose: It’s no wonder the swimwear company chose 27-year-old Irina as she’s clearly the ultimate Beach Bunny

And stretch: She showed off her tanned skin in another hot pink and blue two-piece for the shoot

He must be proud: Her boyfriend, footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, is the envy of all men thanks to Irina’s fabulous figure

Not that she needed to of course, but she also posed with her hand squeezing her waist to make it look even smaller.

The pictures promote the Beach Bunny 2013 swimsuit collection as she gears fans up for the warmer and holiday months.

Perfect pose: The catwalk star has been busy of late shooting a number of different bikini and clothing campaigns

It seems she’s been a busy girl of late – it was only earlier this week that she was also see glammed up for the new Canadian clothing giant Dynamite campaign.

Photographed by Tony Kelly, Irina showed off her impressive physique and plenty of skin for the colourful shoot once more.

Read more: Mail Online

by Laura Vanderkam

So consider doing your chores during the workweek; the chores will take less time because you have less time. This will leave your weekends free for more rejuvenating activities.

1. They Don’t Keep Spinning. 

Yes, successful people work a lot. Martha Stewart, for instance, has famously claimed to sleep just four hours a night. But there are times to push and times not to. We need both. “A decade ago, I let my days just sort of all blend together,” says James Reinhart, whose San Francisco-based online clothing resale platform ThredUp.com has grown from 30 employees to 140 in the past year. After starting the company, though, he realized that “it’s the quality of my decision making that ultimately makes the company successful.” Without the time to go into refresh mode, “you never end up with the space to think.”

So now he makes a point of golfing from 6 to 8 in the morning before his family wakes up, getting out with his daughter, and running. Reinhart claims to do his best thinking while hitting the trails in a nearby state park. “I come back from runs with clarity on decisions I want to make,” he says. (He may be onto something: A number of neurological studies have found that exercise improves brain function.)

Of course, in a world where we tether ourselves to our inboxes, unplugging is easier said than done. You take your iPhone along when you meet a friend for coffee. She’s five minutes late. You start checking your email and, boom! Work mode is back. That’s part of modern life, but you can still carve out a few hours for a “tech Sabbath,” which is time with no electronic devices. Try turning the smartphone off Friday or Saturday night and turning it back on 24 hours later. Probably nothing has changed, save for the level of your energy.

2. They Don’t Go Limp.
If you spend your workweek running — or worse, flying — from place to place, you may think you want to collapse on the couch all weekend. But resist the urge: First, it’s impossible to do “nothing.” Second: Think of the logistics. Want tickets to Cirque du Soleil? So do other people. Need a babysitter? She won’t show up on a whim. Finally, research into human happiness is finding that anticipation accounts for a major chunk of the mood boost associated with any activity. One well-known Dutch study of vacationers found that holiday-goers were happier than people who weren’t taking vacations, but the increased happiness largely happened before the trips, as people anticipated the fun to come. Compare it to opening Christmas presents: The act only takes an hour, but seeing wrapped gifts under the tree stretches out the joy for weeks. If you make a reservation on Wednesday for a Saturday-night dinner at your favorite restaurant, you’ll spend the next three days imagining your pasta carbonara to come — which improves your weekend and your week.

3. They Don’t Clean the Grout.
Using the weekend to catch up on chores is probably the hardest trap to avoid. After all, if you work full-time, when else are you supposed to do the 15.1 hours (for women) or 9.6 hours (for men) of household activities that the Bureau of Labor Statistics claims the average American does each week? But housework will take all the time you are willing to give it. After all, women in 1965 spent more than 30 hours each week on housework… and we haven’t descended into complete filth since then.

So consider doing your chores during the workweek; the chores will take less time because you have less time. This will leave your weekends free for more rejuvenating activities. Throw a load of laundry in before dinner and have the kids either do the dishes after or fold. Make a quick trip to the grocery store at 8:30 p.m. on a Wednesday. The place will be so empty you’ll zoom through. If a sparkling house is important to you — and sometimes it is — then designate a short cleaning time on the weekend, perhaps on Sunday afternoon. That way, if you find yourself looking at a messy house on Saturday morning, you can tell yourself that there’s a time for cleaning, and now is not that time. When the cleaning window arrives, set an alarm and do as much as you can in an hour. When the time is up, it’s up.

4. They Don’t Lose the Last 15 Hours.
I struggle with this trap myself. I love what I do, but sometimes the sheer volume of work waiting for me Monday morning makes me look at the clock come Sunday afternoon and fall into a total Sunday funk. But the thing is: At 3 p.m. on Sunday, I still have 15 hours before I’ll wake up Monday morning, including seven hours before I need to go to bed. Why not seize that time?

This is why Sunday nights have become my new favorite time to host parties. Most people are free, and there’s a more relaxed vibe than at the formal get-togethers people expect on Saturday nights. Order food, have a beer, enjoy your friends, and you’ll be far readier for the workweek than if you spend that same time thinking about your inbox. As Reinhart puts it, failing to relax, run and refresh on weekends “makes me not a good husband, not a good dad and a terrible CEO.” Success requires recharging the batteries from time to time, so you can hit Monday refreshed and ready to conquer — if not the world, then at least your own life.

————————

Read this article in Huffington Post

Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.

According to a filing by Antonio de la Rua, the singer’s former romantic partner, her 10-year Live Nation deal is valued at $300 million.

The behind-the-scenes drama of Shakira’s personal life and finances are coming to light via a lawsuit filed by Antonio de la Rua.

The Argentinian businessman, who met the Colombian singer in 2000 while serving as campaign manager for his father’s bid to become president of Argentina, and began dating her soon after, alleges that their severed business partnership entitles him to $100 million. According to the filing, de la Rua estimates that the value of Shakira’s 2008 10-year deal with Live Nation alone is worth $300 million.

In the suit, filed on April 12 in California Superior Court, de la Rua claims that the global success of Shakira, whose real name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, “was not simply luck,” but rather, “the result of a hard-fought battle to conquer the music world that Mebarak and de la Rua fought together as business partners.”

Read the filing in its entirety here.

De la Rua takes credit for expanding Shakira’s reach beyond the Latin American market, calling himself the “principal architect of her management team and business plan that set ‘Shakira’ on the path to lasting financial success.”

Indeed, since taking over leadership of said partnership, De la Rua says he propelled the value of the business relationship, which continued after their romance had ended.

The suit cites a January 2011 announcement on Shakira’s website in which the singer wrote, “[We] continue to be partners in our business and professional lives.” The continuing partnership was further emphasized in an email Shakira apparently sent to the CEO of Live Nation Michael Rapino, which read, “[the break-up] only involves the romantic aspect of our relationship. His [de la Rua’s] word is mine … We continue to be partners in all of our projects.”

Among those lucrative projects was a $9 million sponsorship deal with Telefonica and a perfume deal with Puig that guaranteed the singer 2 million GBP every year for a decade. “The partnership was assured a steady stream of multi-million dollar profits for more than a decade with little or no risk of loss,” de la Rua asserts in the suit.

But less than a year later, on Oct. 2011, de la Rua claims, his services were “terminated” by Shakira. In Feb. 2012, it was announced that Shakira had signed with Roc Nation, the management company owned by Jay-Z.

The de la Rua suit is apparently in response to a preemptive filing by Shakira in the Bahamas.

Today, the singer is also a judge on NBC’s The Voice. She is currently dating Spanish soccer player Gerard Piqué, with whom she has a son, born in January.

THR has reached out to Roc Nation and Shakira’s personal rep for comment.

Read more in THR

Angelina Jolie slipped on a pair of skintight leather pants as she hopped on a flight from London to Los Angeles yesterday (April 12).

Escorted by her eldest child, 11-year-old Maddox, Jolie looked a lot like her former wild child self as she proved leather is still a huge part of her wardrobe.

On Thursday, Jolie, a special envoy to the UNHCR, attended the G8 Foreign Ministers’ conference at Lancaster House in London to discuss wartime rape and how it can be prevented it the future. She was also spotted at the Women in the World gala in NYC on April 5 where she turned heads in a loose-fitting Saint Laurent dress.

Check out Angie’s leather look below:

And remember this Angelina?

Read more: Huffington Post

by Isi Esene

There are reports that the Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg will be visiting Akwa Ibom state in May this year.

This was disclosed by Moses Siasia, the chairman of the Niger Delta Young Professionals, a non governmental group, while on a visit to the governor of the state, Godswill Akpabio.

Siasia said Zuckerberg had been invited as one of the guest speakers during his groups youth economic summit, scheduled to hold in Uyo from May 28 to May 29.

The chairman said that young professionals from the Niger Delta were coming together to promote entrepreneurship, looking at economic challenges in the area.

The governor pledged his support towards the hosting of the summit, commending the youths for not engaging in militancy.

Supermodel Rosie Huntington-Whiteley stepped out in California this week missing a very important undergarment.

Huntington-Whiteley wore no bra under a thin, sleeveless sweater while walking in sunny West Hollywood, Calif., on Thursday. The gorgeous 25-year-old paired the top with a below-the-knee printed skirt and strappy stilettos, but no doubt eyes were focused elsewhere.

The no-bra look took Huntington-Whiteley’s style from demure to PG-13 rated with something … er, two things peeking through the fabric.

But this Victoria’s Secret model has bared it all on and off the catwalk before.

When she isn’t posing in skimpy lingerie, she is posting topless Instagram shots for her 500,000-plus followers, E! News notes.

Huntington-Whiteley, who maintains her amazing figure with yoga and kickboxing sessions, has also been trying her hand at acting lately. She replaced Megan Fox as the hottie in the “Transformers” series in 2011′s “Dark of the Moon” and stars in 2014′s “Mad Max: Fury Road” alongside Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy.

“It was a lot of work,” she told the Telegraph about making the post-apocalyptic action flick. “Making a film is very different from photo-shoots and a lot more is expected from you. But those moments that are fulfilling are like ecstasy – they’re amazing.”

Read more in Huffington Post

People complaining of a killer commute may be closer to the truth than they realise.

Research has found that workers with long commutes of over 30 miles die younger than those who live closer to their work.

Social geographer Erika Sandow from Sweden’s Umeå University presented her worrying findings which showed that travelling workers were likely to suffer higher blood pressure, stress and heart disease.

Health trouble: Unfortunate commuters suffer a range of afflictions including higher blood pressure and weight gain

Commuters also take more sick leave and gain more weight over their working lives.

Sandow’s earlier studies also showed the toll that commuting takes on relationships.

Women who travelled for longer grew more likely to face an earlier death as the commute lengthened. But this was only true for women who had a low income or low education.

Sandow thought it might be because women experienced greater stress because they had greater household obligations than the men.

Poor health: Traffic jams and long train journeys cause more sick days and weight gain

Read more: UK Daily Mail

by Rachel Ogbu

The Toyota Highlander SUV. Inset: Korie (Photo:Punch)

Men in police uniforms who killed a young driver in his car because he broke traffic laws along Mushin area in Lagos state are now in police custody after they confessed to the crime.

An eye witness, Tayo Odunlami who is a trader in the area recounted the incident to reporters saying that the policemen opened fire on him because he drove against traffic.

The driver later identified as Onyekachi Korie had his younger brother also present.

“Around 7am last Thursday, I was carrying out the weekly market sanitation at Daleko Market when I saw a silver-coloured Toyota Highlander Sports Utility Vehicle coming from Ilasamaja direction,” Odunlami said.

“On getting beneath the bridge and driving towards Mushin, he noticed that there was a roadblock due to construction and he claimed he did not know the alternative route to take so a newspaper vendor advised him to reverse and drive against traffic, make a U-turn and then ascend the Daleko Bridge.

“He drove against traffic and as he was about making a U-turn to ascend the bridge, he was accosted by the policemen.

“The policemen were talking to him, but he was smiling and did not roll down his window. The next thing I heard were four gunshots and everyone fled. The man’s car continued to move probably because he had taken his legs off the brakes. The vehicle then rammed into the side of the bridge, damaging the car.”

According to reports, a police source at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS said that the killer policemen confessed to the crime in a written statement.

“The murder was a case of police extortion that went out of hand. However, there will be no cover up on the matter as we have arrested both killer policemen as well as those who have been engaging on illegal traffic duty,” the source said.

The suspects, “policemen” , Idu and Ameh with a peddler, Sunday Sylvester,  confessed that they usually engaged in illegal duty between 5am and 7am.

“The police suspects said they usually seized commercial buses and then used it to extort money from people early in the morning before LASTMA men come for morning shifts. Sylvester also confessed that he had driven the policemen on over 10 illegal operations.

“He said after arresting traffic offenders, they would take them to a corner and negotiate a specific amount of money and then release them. He said offenders were never taken to LASTMA office because they would need to register the case and by so doing, they would not make any money,” the source said.

The Punch reports:

PUNCH Metro investigations revealed that the killer policemen were attached to the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority.

The witness told our correspondent that the policemen, however, came in without LASTMA officials in a commercial bus which had been seized from its owner and then used it to carry out an illegal operation on that particular day.

He said the surviving occupant of the vehicle had reported the matter at Area D Command.

He said, “The policemen usually work with LASTMA under the bridge and due to the ongoing construction, motorists are usually allowed to drive against traffic. The policemen wanted to extort money from people that morning. That was why they came in a commercial bus and not the LASTMA van.

“After they killed the man, they fled and some commercial motorcycle riders chased them but they shot into the air to scare people away. They then jumped on a motorcycle and fled.

“Meanwhile, the other occupant of the SUV came down and started crying for help. We then advised him to go and report the matter at Area D. The Area Commander, Omololu Bishi, arrived at the scene but by then, the man was already dead.”

It was learnt that some foreign passports were found inside the deceased’s vehicle, which made people to initially believe that he was a foreigner.

However, our correspondent who visited the scene on Saturday learnt that he was a Nigerian whose real name was Onyekachi Korie.

PUNCH Metro had reported on Friday that two policemen, Idu and Ameh, as well as a tout, Sunday Sylvester, had been arrested by the police and transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

However, the police spokesperson, Ngozi Braide, had said the killers might have been hired killers in police uniform. She, however, confirmed that arrests had been made.

Our correspondent, who visited the Area D Command on Saturday, saw the deceased’s vehicle with registration number, EH778FST on the premises.

 

by Rachel Ogbu

Bauchi-State-Governor-Isa-Yuguda-(Photo: Punch)

The Bauchi State Governor, Isa Yuguda has said that members of the ‘real’ Boko Haram sect would accept President’s Goodluck Jonathan’s amnesty offer.

Yuguda’s new take on the matter came as the Federal Government’s insists on progressing with its plan to grant Boko Haram amnesty even though the known leader of the sect, Abubakar Shekau, had already rejected the offer.

According to reports, Yuguda who was in Lagos on Sunday said that the group which rejected the proposed government amnesty was the “criminal and political” Boko Haram used by some politicians to perpetrate evil.

“The criminal Boko Haram faction is benefitting from their criminal activities, which is why they have rejected amnesty. Some of them are perpetrating their evils on behalf of politicians

“I believe the real Boko Haram may have genuine agitations, like joblessness. But once they accept the amnesty, we will face and fight the criminal ones,” he said.

Special Adviser to President Jonathan on Political Matters, Ahmed Gulak, on Sunday, said:

“The decision of the Federal Government to set up the committee to work out modalities to grant amnesty to members of the (Boko Haram) sect is on course.

“No pronouncement by any individual or group or an attempt to blackmail government will stop it. Government is serious about bringing this crisis to an end, and we are committed to this.”

A report from the government’s established committee set up to consider the propriety or otherwise of granting amnesty to Boko Haram, is expected this week.  A source said the committee’s report would be submitted during another high-level security meeting with the President on Thursday or Friday this week, reports claim.

The Punch reports:

Meanwhile, the Northern Speakers Forum, a body that unites heads of the house of assemblies in the northern states, has commended the Federal Government on its amnesty committee for Boko Haram.

In a communiqué at the end of its two-day meeting in Minna, Niger State, on Sunday, the NSF commended the Federal Government on the steps it had taken towards a successful negotiation with members of the Islamic sect.

Chairman of the forum, Stephen Onmeje, said he wanted the support of every state government in the north as well as the traditional rulers in the region to ensure that peace returns.

However, the pan-Northern socio-political organisation, Arewa Consultative Froum and the Middle Belt Dialogue on Sunday disagreed over the proposed amnesty programme for members of Boko Haram.

While the ACF insisted that amnesty was the best option for the sect to come out of their hideout for dialogue, the Middle Belt Dialogue in an open letter to President Goodluck Jonathan cautioned him to have a rethink over the matter.

The Middle Belt group noted that there was no justification for granting amnesty to the sect that had unleashed havoc on innocent Nigerians in some parts of the North and that there was no basis for comparison between the agitation of the Niger Delta militants and members of the Islamic sect.

The group said it was sad that nobody was talking about the dead victims of the killings by Boko Haram while persons and groups were preoccupied with requests for amnesty for members of the sect.

“They are self serving, dangerous and potentially great threat to the security of the nation and will obviously open the country to international disrepute. We do not believe that Boko Haram and its associates are prepared for genuine peace where the right to worship and life of other Nigerians would be respected,” the group said.

However, the ACF in its submission to the Federal Government on the proposed amnesty for the sect, a copy obtained by our correspondent in Kaduna, insisted that granting amnesty to the sect would lead to dialogue, pointing out that the use of force would not solve the problem of the insurgency in the country.

The Forum, in its position, which was signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Anthony Sani, argued that the offer of amnesty would make members of the sect to come out and show their faces on the negotiation table without fear of any security agent.

“Without any form of mechanism in place by the government that guarantees the security of the insurgents, nobody can reasonably expect them to show their faces.”

The forum further noted that its insistence on amnesty for the group was not in any way to encourage the sect or any other group to use violence as a means of addressing their concern but that “amnesty as a strategy of war is one that has yet to be tried.”