14-year-old boy cleared of murder, 70 years after being executed

 More than 70 years after South Carolina sent a 14-year-old black boy to the electric chair in the killings of two white girls in a segregated mill town, a judge threw out the conviction, saying the state committed a great injustice.

Ugandan maid pleads guilty to child torture

A Ugandan nanny has pleaded guilty to charges of torturing a child who was under her care in a case that shocked Ugandans and sparked debate about the role of maids in raising children in the East African country.

2015: Igbo leader drums support for APGA candidates

Ahead of the February 2015 general election, a member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Ogirisi Igbo, Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka has called on Ndigbo to support all APGA who emerged victorious in the recently concluded party primaries.

‘Number of Nigerians with bad teeth on the rise’

The Managing Dentist of Choice Dental Lagos, Dr. Sade Akiode, has raised the alarm over what she described as misaligned, crowded or crooked unsightly gaps between teeth and missing teeth said to be on the increase among Nigerians.

Singer, Oritse Femi, involved in horrible car crash with new Range Rover

 Singer, Oritse Femi was on his way for a meeting with a representative of Big Brother Africa in preparation for his performance at the show’s finale which held December 7, when the crash happened.

Tanzania’s Idris wins Big Brother Hotshots

 The Big Brother Africa season nine, tagged Hotshots ended December 7, with Idris from Tanzania emerging winner.
Eight housemates — Sipe, Nhlanhla, Mackey 2, JJ, Idris, Mam’bea, Butterphly and Tayo — of 26 remained after 63 days.
They were evicted in this order: Butterphly and Mam’bea, JJ and Sipe, Nhlanhla and Macky2, leaving Idris and Tayo.

Woman who slept with over 10,000 men says: " I'm ready to settle down'

Former elite escort Gwyneth Montenegro has slept with exactly 10,091 men. She spent 12 years in the sex industry before retiring three years ago. After years of avoiding relationships she now says she is ready for love.

Man rapes dog; Says: "I did it gently"

A sick West Virginia man, Jonnie Boggess, has been arrested by the police after he was caught having sex with a dog, but he said he did not force himself on the animal but did it gently.

WHO officially declares Nigeria Ebola-free country

Following its 42-day observation, the World Health Organisation, (WHO), on Monday certified Nigeria free of the Ebola Virus Disease (EBD).

Legendary fashion designer, Oscar de la Renta, is dead

Legendary fashion designer Oscar de la Renta has died at age 82, family members confirmed Monday.
De la Renta, who recently designed Amal Clooney’s wedding dress, was diagnosed with cancer in 2006'

Police officer slumps in Anambra over transfer to Borno

A policeman attached to the Central Police Station, Nnewi in the Anambra State Police Command, has reportedly slumped following a directive from the Office of the Inspector General of Police posting him to Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State.

Catholic Nun wins Italian TV talent show

 Sister Cristina Scuccia, 25, the Sicilian singing nun who has become a worldwide sensation, has won the second edition of the TV talent competition “The Voice of Italy” after singing a rousing version of “What a Feeling,” the Oscar-winning song from the 1983 film “Flashdance,'’ accompanied by a chorus line of dancers dressed as monks, who threw off their habits to reveal pastel-colored suits.

Man with world’s largest manhood donates to museum

Jonah Falcon received an extraordinary gift at birth, and now he wants to give back. The 45-year-old is recognized for having the longest man-hood ever measured in a documentary, a distinction that has made him an Internet star. He has declined many opportunities in adult movies. But now, he has an offer he can’t refuse.

Woman to pay $2.6m for lying on rape

The woman who falsely accused football star Brian Banks of raping her is being forced to pay big time. A judge has ordered that the woman pay $2.6 million to Banks for ruining his life with false allegations. The lies caused him to lose numerous scholarship offers to college and also led to a prison sentence of over five years.

Hollywood actor shoots wife to death in front of his kids

Hollywood actor Michael Jace has been charged with homicide after he brutally shot his wife of 10 years (April Jace) at their Los Angeles home on May 19 in front of his two children.

Project Fame West Africa auditions begin

MTN Project Fame West Africa, the award winning music talent discovery and grooming competition, is back for a seventh straight season. Looking for raw talents, the annual show will commence auditions on May 24 to June 28 in four West African countries - Sierra Leone, Ghana, Liberia and Nigeria.

Pastor camouflages hidden cameras as air fresheners In women’s restroom

A 57-year-old Indiana pastor thought he could get away with viewing women going to the restroom by installing secret video cameras that captured footage he’d download later.

Robert Lyzenga was eventually caught after getting away with his disgusting vοyeuristic habit for over two years. When it was revealed that the troubled pastor had been viewing young girls using the restroom, all he had to say for himself is that he didn’t intend to record children.

The pastor must’ve thought that it would have been perfectly okay for a trusted servant of God to abuse the position he had been given, if he had only recorded older women members of his congregation in their time of relief.

Judge Randy Williams apparently didn’t think much of his excuse and set a hearing for his sentencing on July 18, after the pastor had admitted to all 10 counts against him.

Lyzenga will now face a concurrent prison sentence ranging from 2-10 years for the five counts of Class C felonies for child explοitation and five counts Class D felony vοyeurism leveled against him for recording 10 juvenile victims.

Possibly one of the reasons that the judge did not have much sympathy for the pastor of Sunrise Christian Reformed Church in Lafayette, IN is because he had kept recording video of young girls age 5-16, even after he had realized that his cameras were capturing children.

The pastor had initially made up an excuse, claiming that he thought he would not recognize any of his intended victims. however, he later admitted that he could, in fact, recognize many of them.

According to Lyzenga, he made the secret video cameras look like air fresheners and fastened them with Velcro to the door of the women’s cubicles. He added that he knew what he was doing was wrong and shameful, but he didn’t stop.

Lyzenga could have stopped recording the young girls and sought psychiatric help to overcome his disgraceful intentions at anytime before his actions were revealed in April 2012, but he didn’t do so until the day after he had been arrested.

In his defense, Kent Moore, defense attorney for Lyzenga, claimed that the pastor had not intended to record juveniles, but he didn’t say exactly what his intentions had been.

Culled from All Christian News

10 marriage tips every wife needs to hear

 "Our marriage isn’t perfect, but our failures in past relationships have shaped decisions we make about the way we treat each other."

1. Respect your husband.  - Notice how it doesn’t say “Respect your husband if he has earned it”. A man’s greatest need in this world is to be respected, and the person he desires that respect from the most is his wife.  The trap that we’ve all been ensnared by is that they only deserve our respect when they earn it. Yes, we want our husbands to make decisions that will ultimately garner our respect, but the truth is that your husband is a human being. A human being who makes mistakes. This is the man that YOU have chosen to walk alongside you for the rest of your life, and to lead your family and he needs to be respected for that quality alone. Take it from me – when respect is given even when he doesn’t deserve it, it will motivate him to earn it. That doesn’t mean you pretend that his choices are good ones when they aren’t. Things like that still need to be communicated, but you can trash out your differences WITH RESPECT. It makes all the difference in the world to him.
2. Guard your heart.  - The grass is not greener on the other side. Do not believe the lie that with a slimmer figure, a higher salary, a faster car, or a bigger house, you will be a happier woman. The world is full of things and people that will serve as reminders that you don’t have the best of the best, but it’s simply not true. Live the life you’ve been blessed with, and BE THANKFUL. I get that we all have struggles, and there are even times when I would love 1,000 more square feet of house to live in, but square feet is not fulfilling – relationships are. Guard your heart from things and people that will try to convince you that your life or your husband is not good enough.  There will always be bigger, faster, stronger, or shinier – but you’ll never be satisfied with more until you’re fulfilled with what you have now.
3. God, husband, kids…in that order.  - I know this isn’t a popular philosophy, especially among mothers, but hear me out. It’s no secret that my faith is of utmost importance, so God comes first in my life no matter what. But regardless of your belief system, your husband should come before your kids. Now unless you’re married to someone who is abusive  (in which case, I urge you to seek help beyond what this blog can give you), no man in his right mind would ask you to put your kids aside to serve his every need while neglecting them. That’s not what this means. When you board an airplane, the flight attendants are required to go over emergency preparedness prior to takeoff. When explaining the part about how to operate the oxygen mask, passengers are instructed to first put the mask on themselves before putting it on their small child. Is that because they think you are more important than your kids? Absolutely not. But you cannot effectively help your child if you can’t breathe yourself. The same holds true with marriage and parenting. You cannot effectively parent your children if your marriage is falling apart. There will also come a time when your kids will leave the house to pursue their dreams as adults. If you have not cultivated a lasting relationship with your spouse, you will have both empty nests and empty hearts.
4. Forgive.  - No one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. If you make forgiveness a habit – for everything from major mistakes to little annoyances,  you will keep resentment from growing.
5. Over-communicate.  - I used to have a bad habit of not speaking my feelings. I played the standard “You should know why I’m mad” game, and that’s just downright unfair. Men are not wired like women, and they DON’T always know that they’ve been insensitive. I’m still growing in this area, and there are often times when my husband has to pry something out of me, but I’m trying to remember that I need to just communicate how I feel.
6. Schedule a regular date night.  - This one isn’t new, but it’s very important. Never stop dating your spouse.  Even if you can’t afford dinner and a movie (which we seldom can), spending some regular one-on-one time with your spouse is essential. Don’t talk about bills, or schedules, or the kids. Frankie and I often daydream about our future, or plan our dream vacation. We connect emotionally and often learn something new about each other – even after four years.
7. Never say the “D Word”.  - If you’re going to say it, you better mean it. Plain and simple, threatening divorce is not fighting fair. 
8. Learn his love language.  - Everyone has a love language. The way you perceive love is often different from the way your spouse perceives love. Does he like words of affirmation, or does he respond better when you give him gifts? Whatever his love language is – learn it and USE IT. 
9. Never talk negatively about him.  If you’re going through a difficult time in your marriage and you need advice, see a counselor. Family counseling is a great tool, but try to remember that your family members and friends are not the most objective people to give advice. The argument they are hearing is one-sided and they often build up negative feelings toward your spouse, which usually doesn’t subside once you and your husband have gotten past it. Protect his image with those that you’re close with and seek help from those that can actually be objective.  News flash, ladies – your mother cannot be objective!
10. Choose to love.  - There are times in a marriage that you may wake up and not feel in love anymore. Choose to love anyway. There are times when you may not be attracted to your husband anymore. Choose to love anyway. Marriage is a commitment. In sickness and health, in good times and in bad. Those vows are sacred. They don’t say “if you have bad times”. They say “in good times AND in bad”, implying that there WILL be bad times. It’s inevitable. So choose to love anyway. He’s worth it.

Culled from: www.eighthrising.com

The unbelievable story of why Marlon Brando rejected his 1973 Oscar for ‘The Godfather’

The man who made offers others couldn’t refuse once refused the movie industry’s heftiest honor.

On March 5, 1973, Marlon Brando declined the Academy Award for Best Actor for his gut-wrenching performance as Vito Corleone in “The Godfather” — for a very unexpected reason.

Here’s how it went down.

World’s most wanted drug trafficker and Forbes billionaire finally captured

He has been on the run for more than 12 years but a moment of passion appears to have been the downfall for the world’s most wanted druglord. Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman, described as the most powerful drug trafficker in the world, was arrested in a beach condominium on Saturday with help from U.S. agencies in a major victory for the government in a long, grisly war.

Facebook buys WhatsApp for $19bn

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has released a statement explaining why his company has paid $19bn for mesaging service WhatsApp. Here is the release in full.

Boy, 4, found wandering in desert

A photo tweeted on Feb 17, 2014, by UNHCR representative Andrew Harper with the caption, "UN staff found 4 year-old Marwan crossing desert alone after being separated from family fleeing Syria." UNHCR/Twitter

In the middle of the vast, rocky desert, a little boy, separated from his family, was found wandering, carrying all his worldly possessions in a plastic bag half his height, United Nations officials said.
Marwan, who is 4, came across blue-vested U.N. aid workers.

Snake-handling TV Pastor dies from snakebite, after refusing treatment

Rev Coots refused medical treatment for the bite. Pic: Natgeotv.com

A snake-handling pastor who appeared on a National Geographic television reality show has died after being bitten by a snake. Jamie Coots was bitten on the hand by a rattlesnake during a weekend church service in Kentucky. After the bite, he dropped the snakes, but then picked them back up and continued on. Rev Coots went home before emergency workers got to the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name Church in Middlesboro.

Did you know that Dr.Martin Luther King’s mother was assassinated?

Most people know the amazing stories about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  They know about his most famous speech, his legendary marches and some of the principals by which he lived his life. What most people do not know is what happened to his family.  There are stories about the numerous tragedies endured by the Kennedy family, but after reading this, you might know that the King family gave nearly everything in order to make the world a better place.

APGA crisis'll soon end, says Ezeonwuka, APGA BoT member

Since inception in 2003 as a political party in Nigeria, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, (APGA), has never faired well at the polls by winning elections into Governorship, Senate, Federal House of Representatives and State Houses of Assembly seats. The reason for the failure according to observers is consequent upon the fireworks of other parties like the PDP and defunct ANPP and ACN, now APC. A head of 2015 general election there is much more hope that APGA which has its strong hold in the southeast region will do well at the poll following the recent success recorded by the party in Anambra State where it retained the Governorship seat and swept votes during the local government poll. In this interview, Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka, the Ogirisi Igbo, who is now a member of the APGA Board of Trustees (BoT) said the ruling party in Anambra would rise up to the occasion of marching other parties fire for fire. He also spoke on Igbo Agenda and current national issues.

The bloody history of Saint Valentine: The martyred Roman priest who officiated marriages

The real history of Valentine's Day is not comprised of roses, chocolates and pretty cards. Instead, crime, imprisonment and execution are at the genesis of our modern day love fest, dating back to the man whose martyrdom may have inspired the holiday. There were reportedly three early Christian saints named Valentine, but the one the holiday likely comes from was a Roman priest during the 3rd century A.D. under Emperor Claudius II.

Why President Jonathan forced out his chief of staff

SaharaReporters has gathered that a huge dossier prepared on the activities of the erstwhile Chief of Staff of President Goodluck Jonathan, whom he fired today, revealed an extensive corruption profile. 
But the former Deputy Governor of Edo State is unlikely to be asked to answer to any of them because Mr. Jonathan does not want to open a Pandora’s Box involving persons at the highest levels of his administration, analysts have told SaharaReporters.

BEHOLD! THE WORST DRIVER IN THE WORLD CAUGHT ON CCTV

Worst driver in the world caught on CCTV, in Manila, the capital and second largest city of the Philippines.

18-foot Burmese python found in Florida Everglades

Engineers in the Everglades stumbled upon a near-record-breaking Burmese python measuring more than 18 feet long during a routine inspection of levees on Tuesday, a water management district spokesman said. The snake, measuring at 18 feet 2 inches, fell short of the state record by 6 inches, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Fire guts St. Nicholas Hospital in Lagos

A temporary wave of apprehension swept through the prestigious St. Nicholas Hospital, located at 57 Campbell Street, Lagos Island, on Sunday when fire broke out in a room on the 9th floor of the health institution, displacing over 40 patients on admission.

Indian woman, baby burned alive for dowry

 Police in eastern India have arrested the husband and parents-in-law of a young woman for allegedly burning her and her baby girl alive.

The primary motive behind the January 30  attack is suspected to be dowry-related, as alleged by the parents of the dead woman, Jharkhand state police superintendent N.K. Mishra said.

Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman dies of drug overdose

Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in his Manhattan apartment Sunday of an apparent drug overdose, law enforcement sources said.

Police said Hoffman, 46, was found on the bathroom floor and pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators found two bags of what is believed to be heroin inside the fourth-floor apartment, law enforcement officials said.

Pastor, 10 others killed in fresh terrorists’ attack in Adamawa

Suspected Boko Haram members struck again in Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State on Friday, killing 11 persons, including a pastor. The attack came barely a week after the insurgents’ terror unleashed on a Catholic Church in another village in the local government area left no fewer than 35 persons dead.

HIV-positive student videotapes self having sex with 31 people

According to prosecutors, a 22-year-old college student secretly filmed himself having unprotected sex with as many as 31 people, knowingly exposing them to HIV.

In October, Michael Johnson, a student and former wrestler at Lindenwood University in Missouri, was charged with five felony counts of exposing partners to HIV. Some time later, police discovered the sex tapes—reportedly filmed with hidden cameras—stored on Johnson's laptop. Prosecutors disclosed the discovery on Friday.

'Mind-blowing' sex can wipe memory clean –study

A 54-year-old woman showed up in the emergency room at Georgetown University Hospital, U.S.A with her husband, unable to remember the past 24 hours. Her newer memories were hazy, too. One thing she did recall: Her amnesia had started right after having sex with her husband just an hour before.

Woman's horror after £4,000 breast implant drops off

A woman who spent £4,000 on a breast implant had the shock of her life after her body started to reject one of the implants.
Lauren Yardley went under knife to increase her A-cup size breasts to DD but within two months, her body started rejecting it. Eventually, the implant started falling out from her chest and came through the skin.

13 roasted in Warri auto crash

Thirteen persons, including children have died in a mid-day auto accident on the busy Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Road, Effurun, Warri, Delta State.
It was gathered that a 18-seater bus, tagged: Uduaghan Warri Township, involved in the accident and some of its passengers burnt beyond recognition. Only five escaped death with burns.

Cell phone argument in movie theater sparks fatal shooting

One man was shot dead after an argument over a cell phone conversation at a movie theater Monday afternoon in Wesley Chapel, Florida, Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco told CNN.

The victim and a woman who was also shot were sitting in a row in front of another couple.

Nigerian Farouk Abdulmutallab’s life sentence upheld by U.S. court

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a Nigerian man who tried to set off an explosive hidden in his underwear while aboard a U.S. airliner on Christmas Day in 2009, on Monday had his life sentence upheld by a federal appeals court.

APC zones Presidential slot to North-West as it moves to promote Buhari-Tinubu ticket for 2015

In line with its original political framework, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has concluded plans to field retired General Muhammadu Buhari as its Presidential Candidate in the forthcoming Presidential Election in 2015.

Wife axes husband to death for refusing to eat

If 35-year-old Zenab Agbontine had lived in medieval times, the nickname ‘Zenab, the Axe Queen’ would have fitted her perfectly.  Zenab did the abominable when she allegedly murdered her husband, Egberise Agbontine, in Ubiane Aviele village near Auchi, Edo State with an axe for refusing to eat the food she prepared for him after he returned from work.

James Avery dies: Uncle Phil of Fresh Prince of Bel Air passes away

James Avery, who played the character of Uncle Phil in American television show The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, has passed away at the age of 65.