Mercy Johnson releases family photos with husband, daughter & new born son

        Mercy Johnson Okojie just released new family photos with her husband, daughter Purity and one month             old son, Henry. See the beautiful photos after the cut...

  

Mariah Carey "I Feel So Sorry For Kim Kardashian"

Mariah Carey has joined the growing list of celebrities who are not impressed by the sight of Kim Kardashian's oiled-up backside on Paper Magazine and here’s why she thinks Kim’s new photo is just plain "sad."

A source connected to the 44-year-old diva tells HollywoodLife that she took one glimpse at Kim’s jaw-dropping booty pic and thought, "When you have no talent and no real career, the only thing you can really offer is your body. It’s sad, it is, but a girl has to do what a girl has to do. And if her man likes it and approves, so be it."

The source also claims Mariah – who just got divorced from Nick Cannon - if for nothing, "prides herself on being accomplished and well-respected — that’s more than these new girls could ever say."

Mali tries to trace over 200 contacts in second Ebola wave

.

BAMAKO/GENEVA (Reuters) - Mali is trying to trace at least 200 contacts linked to confirmed and probable Ebola victims in an effort to control its second Ebola outbreak, health officials said on Friday.

An initial batch of contacts linked to a 2-year-old from Guinea who died of Ebola last month were close to the end of their 21-day quarantine period when Mali confirmed its second case this week.

There have been at least four more suspected Ebola deaths, all linked to an imam who entered Mali from neighbouring Guinea and died late last month with Ebola-like symptoms that were not recognised.

Malian Health Ministry spokesman Marakatie Dow said a woman who had helped wash the imam's body died on Thursday at the Gabriel Toure Hospital in Mali's capital, Bamako.

Dow said an initial Ebola test result for the woman was positive, making her the fourth clinically confirmed Malian case, although further analysis would be carried out abroad.

"There are 200 contacts if we add those linked to the case of the woman yesterday," Dow told Reuters.

Reuters journalists outside the Nenecarre mosque in Bamako's Djikoroni Para neighbourhood, where the imam's body was washed, said four health workers in protective gear entered the mosque to disinfect it but no effort was made to stop people from entering for Friday prayers.

A World Health Organization spokesman said more than 250 contacts were being traced across four locations.

These included the Pasteur Clinic where the imam was treated - not connected to the Institut Pasteur, a French-based institute specialising in infectious diseases - as well as a house in Bamako that he visited and the home of a nurse who treated him and died.

Mali is the sixth nation to have confirmed Ebola in West Africa, which is battling the world's worst epidemic of the haemorrhagic fever. At least 5,160 people have been killed since it erupted in March.

Mali shares an 800-km (500-mile) border with Guinea, where the first case of Ebola in the region was reported.

In a sign of growing concern over the new wave of cases, the French government on Friday updated its website to advise against all but essential travel to Bamako and Kayes, the western region where the girl died.

Boko Haram seizes Chibok, hometown of kidnapped schoolgirls

Boko Haram has seized the town of Chibok in Borno state, northeast Nigeria, from where 276 schoolgirls were kidnapped more than six months ago, a local pastor and a senator told AFP on Friday.

“Chibok was taken by Boko Haram. They are in control,” said Enoch Mark, a Christian pastor whose daughter and niece are among the 219 teenagers still being held.

Mark and the senator for southern Borno, Ali Ndume, said the militants attacked at about 4:00 pm (1500 GMT) on Thursday, destroying communications masts and forcing residents to flee.

Ndume said that he had received calls from fleeing residents saying the town “was now under their (Boko Haram) control”.

“There is no telephone service now in Chibok, which is why it took time before the reports reached me,” he added.

Boko Haram fighters stormed the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok on the evening of April 14 this year and forced students onto trucks in a mass abduction that caused global outrage.

Fifty-seven managed to escape.

The group’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, claims to have carried through his promise to marry off the teenagers still being held and said that they had all converted to Islam.

More than six months on, talks aimed at securing their release are at an impasse, despite government claims last month to have brokered a ceasefire deal with the militants and peace talks.

Mark said the attack on the town appeared to come after Boko Haram overran the towns of Hong and Gombi in neighbouring Adamawa state following the group’s ouster from the commercial hub of Mubi.

“They came in and engaged soldiers and vigilantes in a gunfight,” he added.

“Some of us managed to escape. All the telecom towers in the town were destroyed during the attack with RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades).

“No one can say what the situation is in the town in terms of destruction to property.”

Nigeria’s government has been heavily criticised for its response to the mass abduction, its failure to free the girls as well as its apparent inability to protect its citizens.

Last Monday, 58 boys were killed when a suspected Boko Haram suicide attacker detonated explosives at a school in Potiskum, Yobe state.

Equatorial Guinea to host African Nations Cup finals

1 of 1Full Size

CAIRO (Reuters) - Equatorial Guinea, one of Africa’s smallest countries, will replace Morocco as hosts of the 2015 African Nations Cup finals, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) said in a statement on Friday.

Morocco wanted the tournament postponed over fears of a spread of the deadly Ebola virus but CAF refused and on Tuesday stripped the north African country of the hosting rights.

Oil-rich Spanish-speaking Equatorial Guinea hosted the 2012 finals with neighbours Gabon but will take on the 16-team tournament on their own from Jan. 17-Feb. 8, despite having only two major stadiums in the capital Malabo and Bata.

It is not clear whether the new hosts will be able to play in the tournament. Equatorial Guinea were disqualified from the preliminaries for cheating.

Nigerian Sex Workers Explore Social Media

For many commercial sex workers in Nigeria, the internet has become a blessing as it is increasingly becoming a major avenue for them to meet clients and patrons.

P.M.NEWS findings show that the prostitutes majorly use social media including Twitter, Facebook, Eskimi, Twoo, Tango, Blackberry Messenger and 4clique to advertise themselves to likely patrons either directly or through agents.

While some of these media like Eskimi, Twoo forbid members from uploading and displaying nude photographs, others including Facebook, BBM and Twitter do not really give their members such restrictions apart from emphasising its rule against infringement of privacy.

“Some of these social media afford us the opportunity to display some of our assets to attract guys like you,” one of the girls on Twitter, who later gave her name simply as Bisi, a resident of Egbeda, told our correspondent, who had posed as a client.

“The use of social media is even better because some men are very shy to approach a lady physically. Some are also very scared of going to brothels. But on social media, they are bolder and encouraged to speak their minds because it is just like a blind date where they are not physically with the woman,” the 30-year old Bisi added.

File Photo: Sex workers protesting against discrimination

She, like many of her colleagues, have adopted a strategy to make it easy for them to meet with a client for sex over an agreed fee.

“What we do now is to come together-maybe three of us-and rent an accommodation where men visit us and have fun. But before then, we would have agreed on a fee.

“We fix the appointment after making sure it would not clash with those of our roommates. We either also give the impression that we are sisters or friends when our customers visit,” she said, adding that in the alternative, they would visit the “customer” at home after his assurances that it is safe to do so “or hang out somewhere else if the customer has enough money for entertainment and getting a room.

“I think it is more economical that the customers visit us, do what they want and pay rather than getting a venue and spending more for short time,” she said asking our correspondent which of the options he wanted.

On Eskimi and Twoo, the ladies are free to give details about themselves, their stature, marital status, number of children where applicable, and what they want from their likely catch.

P.M.NEWS finding showed that while some on these media are genuinely searching for love, others are there to date and flirt as found on some profile messages.

A 32-year old mother of two, who registered her profile as Victoria, told P.M.NEWS in an online chat that her husband left her and the children for another woman.

“Since then, I have been made to cater for the children and their education. He does not care and I can’t just allow the children suffer.

“You also know that it is difficult to find a man that would marry a woman who has two children when single ladies are even finding it increasingly difficult to get a husband.

“Instead of going about the streets to beg, the best thing is to make myself available to men who can afford it. That could help me take care of myself, the children and my rent,” she confided in P.M.NEWS.

Abuja-based Chidinma, who plies her trade on Twoo said she is not cut out for men lesser that 30 years, stressing that many of them are still children who do not know how the “sex business” operates.

“I can only date you if you are married. I go out with only married men and on exceptional cases, with spoilt children of wealthy men in Abuja,” she said.

She told our correspondent that she lives with two other ladies in a two-bedroom flat and that through the business, she now has a car and has been sponsoring two of her younger brothers through school.

Philomena, a 28-year old woman from Akwa-Ibom, who does ‘business’ majorly on Twitter explained that she had come to Lagos at the age of 15 to serve as a house help. She then graduated into prostitution at age 20, adding that since then, the business has paid off.

“I ran away from my the family I was serving as house help after the woman’s husband continuously tormented me with sex till the day my madam caught us.

“I then joined a group of girls in a brothel in Iyana-Ipaja and after a year, I was not meeting my expectations. So I started joining girls to seek customers around major streets.

“But since someone introduced me to Twitter, things have changed. I have been getting more clients than when I was at the brothel. I now live in a rented apartment, but I select the type of people I bring into my apartment,” she said, adding “I am just giving you details of myself because I like you and I believe you are a serious person.”

P.M.NEWS finding revealed that women are not the only ones who pass through agents. Men are also part of the group.

However, those who seek to be linked up through agents include men in search of sugar mummies, adult women in search of younger men for sexual relationships and men in need of young ladies.

These agents demand particular amounts for the different services.

For example, to register for a sugar mummy on Mature And Rich Sugar Moms And Dads Hookups, one is expected to pay the sum of N3,000 while belonging to the BBM group costs just N500 through recharge cards.

While defending this business strategy, one of those who told P.M.NEWS that he had patronised some of the women through social media, said it was more economical and “it brings the two of you close even before you finally meet each other and it affords you the opportunity to know more about the kind of woman you want at that particular period.”

Nigeria’s Air force chopper carrying weapons, crashes 

A Nigerian air force helicopter burst into flames midair and crashed near Modibo Adama University of Technology in Yola, Adamawa state, witnesses and the military said on Friday.The crash — the second to down a military chopper in a week — occurred late Thursday, and initially sparked fears that Nigeria’s feared Boko Haram insurgency was mounting an attack.

There was no immediate information on casualties.

“A chopper belonging to the Nigeria Air Force crashed last night (Thursday) in Yola. But we don’t have details,” air force spokesman Air Commodore Dele Alonge said.

Witnesses said the aircraft was thought to be carrying weapons to troops fighting Boko Haram.

“Two military helicopters flew over the campus and one of them came down close to the fence near the student hostels,” said Kyari Mohammed, a lecturer at the Modibbo Adama University of Science and Technology.

“The crash was followed by series of intermittent explosions inside the chopper, which people believe to be from weapons the chopper was ferrying.”

He said he called the airport, which told him one of the military’s helicopters had crashed.

The explosions caused panic among students, who thought Boko Haram insurgents were on the prowl in the city, which has been repeatedly attacked by the group.

“Suddenly, we heard a huge thundering sound which made us to rush out of the hostels, thinking the school was under Boko Haram attack,” said Harisu Abdulaziz, a student.

Another student who was in the hostel at the time said it caused chaos and soldiers guarding the gates prevented anyone from fleeing.

The city’s university has been under military protection to stop Boko Haram attacks after a spate of school attacks by the Islamist group in the region.

Thursday’s incident came just three days after another military chopper on a training mission crash-landed near Yola airport.

Nigeria’s military has suffered a series of air crashes in the northeast since a state of emergency was imposed in the Adamawa region, of which Yola is tha capital, and two neighbouring states in May last year.

Boko Haram has claimed to have shot down a number of aircraft, including a Nigerian air force jet that went missing in September, again out of Yola. The military denies the assertion.

#PMNEWS

Obama in shorts? Xi in his swimmers? Brisbane welcomes G20 to 'paradise'

(CNN) -- The G20 is in town and with it comes sacred flames, security bans, street protests and a bizarre front page depiction of world leaders in various states of undress.

The Australian city of Brisbane arguably hasn't seen this much excitement since World Expo '88 transformed a derelict strip of industrial land into a sprawling souvenir shop and later an inner city beach.

Preparations have been underway for more than two years, since ex-Prime Minister Julia Gillard's former Labor government proposed the city as a venue for the world's largest and most influential economic talks.

Current Prime Minister Tony Abbott has sworn that this G20 "will not be a talkfest." Still, over the next few days, political pundits will be scrutinizing the words, actions and gestures of at least 25 world leaders for hints at future policy.

While they do, here are few lesser-known facts about Brisbane's G20.

G20 ceremonial fire. Don't put it out.

1. There's a sacred ceremonial fire

At least, we hope there is. Last week, firefighters responded to a 000 call -- Australia's version of 911 -- to report an open fire in the city's Musgrave Park near the G20 center.

Officers duly put it out, only to be confronted by angry Aboriginal elders of the Jagera tribe who had lit the sacred ceremonial flame for G20, according to ABC reporter Michael James.

"They accosted the firefighters, yelling at them, a fair bit of swearing, accusing them of deliberately attempting to extinguish the fire as they knew that it was their sacred fire," James told CNN.

The embers used to light the blaze came from the fire burning at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra, the headquarters of a long campaign for recognition and compensation for the theft of Aboriginal land.

During a march through the city on Monday, activists stopped in the middle of the street and broke into traditional dance, James said. More protests are planned during G20.

Protesters dance in the street.

2. Banned: Eggs, stones, insects

If you thought about taking your lizard for a walk through inner city Brisbane this week think again. "A reptile, insect, or other animal capable of causing physical harm if released in close proximity to a person" are banned from key areas of the city, according to the government's G20 security law.

You can't carry an egg, stone, metal cans, tins or glass bottles, and especially not ones that contain urine or manure, which are also on the banned list. Of course, crossbows are out and it would be best to leave your whips at home.

3. Step away from the mayonnaise

The threat of terrorism may be on the minds of police chiefs, but the state's top doctor has said she's more worried about egg mayonnaise.

We've seen quite a few outbreaks in Queensland over the last few years, mainly due to raw eggs," Dr. Jeannette Young told The Australian.

Why have just one?

"My personal view is we should all shy away from raw egg mayonnaise at all times," she said.

Local caterers are expecting to prepare around 100,000 meals for delegates, media and police over the two-day event, creating a potential Salmonella minefield.

MORE: Is this the world's most liveable city?

 

 

4. Cheese please

U.S. President Obama is known to love a cheese burger, which is presumably why Brisbane Airport's Windmill & Co. has created the Big Obama Burger. Either that or they fancied some free publicity.

The towering burger includes two Angus beef patties, cheese (of course), onions, onion rings, spinach, tomato, cucumbers and mustard. Fans of local burger delicacies, beetroot and pineapple, will have to look elsewhere.

5. Mind the signs

A row has erupted over signs at Brisbane Airport, which would have been some of the first images delegates saw as they make their way through arrivals.

Guess the odd one out.

The rejected slogans, submitted by Civil Society 20 (C20) and Transparency International included: "If corruption was an industry it would be the world's third largest." And "Women comprise 70% of the world's poor."

Brisbane Airport tweeted: "We don't accept any political ads, whether from parties, cause based organizations or individuals, regardless of issue/message."

C20 spokesman John Lindsay said: "It's a sad day for Australia if talking about inequality, climate change or corruption are deemed too political."

The airport is offering a billboard of world leaders to satisfy demands for selfies.

6. Still at the airport...

Possibly the people most excited about G20 right now are about 120 plane spotters who are at Brisbane Airport eagerly awaiting the arrival of planes never before seen the country.

"The mood is excellent. People are excited about these aircraft visiting and how it puts Brisbane on the map in a global sense,"Beau Chenery from PlaneImages.net told CNN.

U.S. Treasury Secretary arrives

"Some of these aircraft will probably never visit Brisbane again so it really is a one in a lifetime opportunity for aviation photographers."

The most anticipated touchdowns are President Putin's Ilyushin Il-96 and Obama's Air Force One.

"Everyone's hoping for Air Force One but it probably won't happen," plane spotter Daniel Vorbach told the ABC.

"I'd be ecstatic. That would be the pinnacle of everything."

Culled from CNN

President Jonathan Replies Amaechi With Action

Latest reports indicate that President Goodluck Jonathan has promised to complete two federal roads in Rivers State, the Bodo-Bonny and Onne Axis of East-West roads.

This detail was announced on Thursday, 13 November, 2014, by the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Rivers State Chapter, Felix Obuah.

This is coming after Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State accused Jonathan of not executing any federal projects in Rivers state.

Speaking on the President’s decision to complete the two roads which are major roads in Rivers State, Obuah expressed satisfaction over Jonathan’s assurances on the completion of the roads.

According to the PDP Chairman in Rivers State, the two roads were abandoned by previous administration at the federal level.

Gov Amaechi and President Jonathan.

Obuah commended Jonathan, who he describes as a man that matches his words with action.

Obuah observes that fixing the two important roads will help boost economic activities through which the respective local and state governments will generate huge revenues that will quicken the anticipated development in the area.He noted that Jonathan has shown his sensitivity to the plight of the people of the area and his commitment to enhancing the economic potential of the state and safety of goods and personnel conveyed through the roads.

He stated that such action by the President further demonstrates the effectiveness of his transformation programme which is being felt in the six geo-political zones of Nigeria.

The PDP Chairman also noted that the President has by this commitment proved that governance is a continuous process, as projects initiated but abandoned by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration have now received attention from the present administration.

It would be recalled that recently Amaechi blamed Jonathan and his administration of fiasco to implement the projects initiated by the governor, of encouraging corruption.

Moreover, the politician insisted that his problems with Dame Patience started when he refused to share “Rivers peoples money” with her.

President Goodluck Jonathan and First Lady Patience Jonathan immediately reacted to his accusations.