Guadalajara, Mexico -- Maria Cristerna, 35-year-old lawyer turned video jockey, lives in a dangerous Mexico ghetto where violent gang culture is rife. However, people who see her for the first time would often walk on the other side of the road.

The story continues below

14:12

The Sahiwal district police officer has announced a Rs200,000 cash prize for anyone who helps the police arrest the people who have been stabbing women in shopping areas in Pakistan.

According to police, the gang members stabbed women "for leaving their houses after sunset".

He said most of the women were attacked in shopping areas.

Police said at least 25 cases had been reported in October so far.

In most cases, they said, the victims were accompanied by brothers and husbands waiting in the parking area while they went shopping.

14:05

A 31-year-old man, Joseph Idowu, on Thursday divorced his wife, Omolara, over her having insulted his landlord.

Idowu had filed a suit before an Ikole Customary Court in Ekiti on August 31, seeking the dissolution of his five-year-old marriage blessed with two children.

The man explained to the court that his wife insulted his landlord when he was trying to settle a dispute between the couple, and later moved out of his house because she got annoyed for being corrected.

13:57

For three months now, the singer, actor and movie producer is said to be living separately from his wife, and have put their family home up for sale.

The couple who have been married for 15 years, have two kids; Jaden and Willow, although Smith has a 20-year-old son; Trey, from his previous marriage to actress Sheree Fletcher.

13:27

'Your waist' crooner Iyanya, celebrated his birthday today, 31st October, by visiting Ikoyi Prisons.

The singer who turned 27 today was welcomed warmly by the DCP Bamidele, and the prison community; he then proceeded into the correctional facility where he spent time with the inmates.

Iyanya made his visit memorable for the inmates by performing with the talented ones and he allegedly pledged to build a recording studio in the establishment for the musically inclined inmates.

Check out pictures from his visit:

13:09

Former Arsenal player Andrey Arshavin has criticised the Gunners faithful for the "weird" atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium.

The 32-year-old now plays his football for Zenit St Petersburg, having left the North London club when his contract ended in June to return to the side Arsene Wenger first bought him from in 2009.

In what was a difficult period for the Russian playmaker, Arshavin recalls the lack of support from the home fans and the resulting absence of a home advantage at the Emirates.

12:55

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, southwest Nigeria, has vowed to prosecute policemen and military officers violating the state's Road Traffic Law, saying such bad eggs must be dealt with without mercy.

Speaking during the presentation of the 2014 budget proposal to the Lagos State House of Assembly at Alausa in Lagos on Wednesday, the governor decried the attitude of policemen and military officers who break the traffic law with impunity.

12:43

Cameroonian gendarme Gaitan Atouba was stunned when the Nigerian military opened fire on more than 100 Nigerian refugees under his protection, killing 15 and seriously wounding seven in the northeast Nigerian border town of Banki earlier this month.

Nigerian Muslims fleeing the military crackdown on Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria have fled to Cameroon's Minawao refugee camp, near Mokolo, Far North region. Photo October 25 2013

Atouba and his fellow officers had been ordered to round up refugees in the town of Amchide in Cameroon's Far North region and hand them over to the Nigerian border authorities in Banki for questioning about their possible involvement with the rebel Islamist sect Boko Haram.

Around 8,300 Nigerians, fleeing both attacks by Boko Haram and the heavy-handed response of the security forces in northern Nigeria, have crossed into Cameroon's Far North since Nigerian President Jonathan Goodluck declared a state of emergency in June.

12:37

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday arraigned one Kunle Adeshola for allegedly parading himself as an Assistant Commissioner of Police. Adeshola was arraigned on seven counts of impersonation, forgery and obtaining under false pretences, before Justice Hussain Baba of the FCT High Court, Maitama, Abuja. In a statement to The PUNCH by the EFCC Head, Media and Publicity,Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, Adesholahad allegedly presented himself to the Director-General of the Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation, claiming he had been assigned to discreetly investigate employees of the corporation. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. The prosecuting counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, asked the court for a trial date and urged the court to remand the accused person in prison.

04:42

Three people have been arrested and one other declared wanted after it came to light that four of them allegedly raped a young girl to a point of coma. The 15-year-old girl, simply identified as Vivian is currently fighting for her life in a private hospital in Ikorodu, Lagos. It was revealed that she had gone to to collect lesson notes from her colleague, Tabiola. Tabiola then lured her to a place where three others were waiting to devour her virginity. As soon as Tabiola walked in with Vivian, the suspects locked her inside a room where they forcefully stripped her naked. She was then forcefully raped and was abandoned unconscious in a pool of blood According to a police officer, who gave the name of the three apprehended suspects as Yusuf, Rasheed, Oyedepo, "When it dawned on the suspects that the girl was unconscious, they abandoned her in the pool of her blood where she would be seen and fled from the community. I believe that the evil guys did not expect the girl to survive.

03:57

Bayelsa State Government on Wednesday demolished a one-storey private building owned by Governor Seriake Dickson because it obstructed the Right-of-Way as well as intruding on the state Capital City Master Plan. The demolished building, which had been marked by the Capital City Development Authority on June 28, 2012, was situated along the Opolo/AIT Road, Yenagoa, the state capital. The demolition, which began about 12.48 pm, was supervised by the Deputy Governor John Jonah; Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Lawrence Ehwrudjakpor; Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Markson Fefegha; Commissioner for State Capital City Development; and Mr. Konugha Zuwa. Other structures affected by the demolition exercise included that of the Director General of the State Agency for the Control of AIDS, Dr. Temple Iluma. Jonah told journalists that the location of the Governor's house obstructed the Right-of-Way, hence there would be no compensation for him

03:51

The All Progressives Congress (APC) claim they will welcome into its fold the seven governors who are having problem with their party, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) if they decide to join the party.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Interim National Publicity Secretary, made this known during his interview with journalists in Abuja on Wednesday.

"They are welcome if that is their final decision. The development will strengthen our party towards 2015 election," he said.

According to Mohammed's words, the party is ready to effect a positive change in democratic system to uplift the country.

He mentions that APC is built on the principles of democracy and popular participation.

14:37

The Governor of Imo State Rochas Okorocha has called on South East geo-political zone to establish cultural centres for the preservation, documentation and promotion of Igbo cultural heritage.

Gov. Okorocha made the call in Owerri on October 30, 2013, Wednesday.

The Governor inspected the state's Cultural Centre on Aba-Owerri road, Naze, for the people of Owerri Zone, and emphasised in his speech that the centre was for the promotion of peace, culture, and unity of people in the state.

He expressed worry that most Igbo do not appreciate their culture as most of them now imitate foreign cultures.

Gov. Okorocha stressed the need for drastic measures to be taken to ensure that certain aspects of Igbo cultures do not go into extinction.

"Culture is our heritage; we owe it as a duty to bequeath it to the next generation. We must do everything to promote, preserve and document it for the next generation.

"If we fail in this responsibility, they will not forgive us. It is their right. My government attaches high premium to it", he said.

14:31

After her recent perfomance in which she stripped down naked Gaga took to the streets in an unbelievably high heels.

Her new Album ''Artpop'' is expected to hit the shelf soon.

What do you think of her heels?

14:28

The House of Representatives Committee on Aviation re-issued its summon on the Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah to appear at its investigative hearing on October 31, at 10 a.m.

On October 30, 2013, Wednesday, the Committee stressed that failure to honour "this last invitation" would be viewed as deliberate. It also added that she would therefore be made to face the consequences of her action according to the provisions of the law.

The Aviation Minister is expected to clarify issues relating to the controversial purchase of two BMW bullet proof cars by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority.

Ms. Oduah was to appear before the panel on October 24, but wrote to the Committee that she was out of the country for the signing of Bilateral Air Services Agreement between Nigeria and Israel.

The Aviation Minister was also absent on Wednesday's hearings of the Commission, as, reportedly, she had been on her way from the foreign trip.

14:24

Trying to be ironic on a serious issue, two comedians mocked Saudi Arabia's ban on women drivers to the tune of the Bob Marley hit, "No Woman, No Cry."

In the viral video, which had almost 6 million views on YouTube by the time of writing this article, Saudi comedians Hisham Fageeh and Fahad Al Butairi sing lines like,

"Say I remember when you used to sit in the family car, but backseat"

Or

"Ova-ovaries are safe and well. So you can make lots and lots of babies,"

in response to Sheik Salah al-Luhaydan, a cleric who said women who drive risk damaging their ovaries and give birth to kids with defects.

The video has been making waves since Saturday when women throughout the country drove cars to protest the ban and posted videos of their "drive-in" online. As a result of the protest, a reported 16 women were fined.

Speaking in an interview to Huffington Post on October 28, 2013, Monday, the creators of the video expressed their hope that the ban on women drivers will be lifted soon. They also told that the purpose of the video was to "spread happiness and positivity."

Check out the video below:

Watch video

14:18

A 13-year-old boy carrying a replica assault rifle has been shot dead by police in the US state of California.

Officers in the city of Santa Rosa say they opened fire after the boy refused orders to drop the rifle, which they believed to be real.

The shooting on Tuesday is now being investigated.

It comes a day after a 12-year-old boy in Nevada shot dead a maths teacher at his school and wounded two fellow pupils before taking his own life.

In the latest incident, two sheriff's deputies saw the teenager "with what appeared to be some type of rifle", a news release from the Sonoma County Sheriff's office said.

The deputies called for backup and repeatedly ordered the boy to drop the gun before firing several rounds from their handguns, police said.

13:40

Women are always quick to state what they hate about men, trying to prove that it's them who should work towards keeping the relationship going.

However, it's not always men who are to be blamed. Let's face it, as there are things women hate about men, there are also quite a few things that men hate about women. Here are few kinds of women that men tend to stay away from:

13:38

Real Housewives of Hollywood Star Camille Grammer was severely beaten by her boyfriend Dimitri Charalambopoulos just two days after having a successful operation to cure her cancer.

The 45-year-old former Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star said she was attacked and kicked for an hour in her hotel room and in a declaration filed by her to a judge, she accused her Greek boyfriend Dimitri Charalambopoulos.

She accused him of pulling out clumps of her hair, leaving her battered and bruised, and fearing for her life. Grammer said she was left with bruising on her wrists, a large contusion on the side of her head and scrapes and abrasions to her face and arms.

A judge at a California court granted a restraining order on Tuesday following the alleged incident, which happened almost two week ago in a Houston hotel room, days after she underwent surgery for endometrial cancer.

More photos below...

13:23

Ex Nigerian and Bolton Midfielder Austin 'Jay Jay' Okocha, threw a great 40th birthday party for his lovely wife of 16 years on Friday October 25th at Civic Centre in Lagos.

Reports indicate that Okocha gave his wife a brand new White Mercedez Benz G-Wagon SUV as a birthday present.

Mrs Nkechi Okocha was said to have immediately gone down on her knees to thank her husband for all his love and support.

Happy belated birthday to her!

13:19

Who's more powerful: the autocratic leader of a former superpower or the handcuffed commander in chief of the most dominant country in the world?

This year the votes for the World's Most Powerful went to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He climbs one spot ahead of U.S. President Barack Obama, who held the title in 2012.

Here is Forbes list of the most powerful people in the world. Surprisingly the lists sees Russian President Putin clinch the top spot and US President Obama below as number 2.

Putin has solidified his control over Russia while Obama's lame duck period has seemingly set in earlier than usual for a two-term president - latest example: the government shutdown mess.

Anyone watching this year's chess match over Syria and NSA leaks has a clear idea of the shifting individual power dynamics.

The Most Powerul People in the World list is an annual snapshot of the heads of state, financiers, philanthropists and entrepreneurs who truly rule the world.

It represents the collective wisdom of top FORBES editors, who consider hundreds of nominees before ranking the planet's top 72 power-brokers - one for every 100 million people on Earth - based on their scope of influence and their financial resources relative to their peers.

This year's list features 17 heads of state who run nations with a combined GDP of some $48 trillion - including the three most powerful people, Putin, Obama and Xi Jinping, the general secretary of the Communist Party of China.

13:13

Nigerian midfielder Mikel Obi speaks about Jose Mourinho influence on him in his second stint at Chelsea and what he has added to the team.

"This game is all about winning and the manager that brought this transformation of winning to this club is back now," Mikel told Chelsea TV before the Capital One Cup win over Arsenal on Tuesday.

"He still has the same idea of how he wants us to approach every game with a win, win mentality.

"I came to this club at 18 and he made me to think win, win, win," Mikel added.

Mikel also revealed that the players get motivated just seeing Mourinho

12:52

While the House of Representatives committee on Aviation was in process of hearings on the alleged purchase of two bulletproof BMW cars for N255million, a group known as Investigative Reporters in Aviation (IRA) has come out with yet another bombshell.

Two representatives of the group, who spoke to SaharaReporters, disclosed some data on looting of the nation's financial resources by the Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Stella Oduah, and her disorganization of the entire aviation sector.

Mazi Kanayo Ochei and Kenneth Uti, President and Secretary respectively, said their investigations reveal that in addition to the two cars the Minister forced the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to purchase for her, she also forced the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to buy two each of the same brand of cars.

12:43

A manager with a new generation bank, Kayode Adeyanju, has allegedly fled to the United Kingdom with his family following an allegation that he diverted N146 million in connivance with five members of staff of the bank.

The Special Fraud Unit, SFU, of the Nigeria Police at Milverton Street, Ikoyi, Lagos, southwest Nigeria, disclosed that they have arrested the other five members staff of the bank allegedly involved in the crime.

The SFU said the suspects are Albert Nsude, 32, Danladi Garba, 38, Nasir Shehu, 40, Daniel Adeboye, 32, and Patrick Jimoh, 32.

They are currently in police custody where they are undergoing interrogation.

SFU's PRO, DSP Ngozi Isitumen Agu, in a statement said the suspects were arrested following a written complaint by the management of the bank that it had uncovered massive fraud in their Sokoto State branch office and that they suspected the manager in charge, Adeyanju, to be the brain behind it.

Agu said during interrogation all the suspects allegedly confessed that they stole the money on the instruction of their manager, who is now at large.

The suspects further alleged that the branch manager personally withdrew N70 million from the bank's vault to treat himself of an undisclosed ailment and fled to London with his family.

Agu said the police have launched a manhunt for the manager and after investigation of the matter, all the suspects would be charged to court.

12:40

A manager with a new generation bank, Kayode Adeyanju, has allegedly fled to the United Kingdom with his family following an allegation that he diverted N146 million in connivance with five members of staff of the bank.

The Special Fraud Unit, SFU, of the Nigeria Police at Milverton Street, Ikoyi, Lagos, southwest Nigeria, disclosed that they have arrested the other five members staff of the bank allegedly involved in the crime.

The SFU said the suspects are Albert Nsude, 32, Danladi Garba, 38, Nasir Shehu, 40, Daniel Adeboye, 32, and Patrick Jimoh, 32.

They are currently in police custody where they are undergoing interrogation.

SFU's PRO, DSP Ngozi Isitumen Agu, in a statement said the suspects were arrested following a written complaint by the management of the bank that it had uncovered massive fraud in their Sokoto State branch office and that they suspected the manager in charge, Adeyanju, to be the brain behind it.

Agu said during interrogation all the suspects allegedly confessed that they stole the money on the instruction of their manager, who is now at large.

The suspects further alleged that the branch manager personally withdrew N70 million from the bank's vault to treat himself of an undisclosed ailment and fled to London with his family.

Agu said the police have launched a manhunt for the manager and after investigation of the matter, all the suspects would be charged to court.

12:39

The Delta State University Chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) warned that implementing the 'No-Work-No-Pay' rule would escalate the industrial crisis in public universities and make things even worse.

Dr. Emmanuel Mordi, the Chairman of the chapter, said in Asaba on October 30, 2013, Wednesday that the state government was planning to implement the policy for the first time.

"When the strike is called off, lecturers will say: 'No pay, no work'. It does not help anybody; it can only escalate the crisis.

"It is unfortunate that ASUU is at the receiving end, as the government, being stronger, has the power to withhold ASUU members' salaries, he said.

12:30

President Goodluck Jonathan may have finally succumbed to public pressure to  move against the embattled Minister of Aviation, Ms Stella Oduah, who is currently being probed over the N255m  bulletproof cars bought for her by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.

The development came to the fore with the last-minute decision to stop Oduah from signing the much-publicised Bilateral Air Services Agreement with Israel.

The ceremony was given by Presidency officials as the  main purpose of her inclusion in the President’s entourage to Israel for this year’s Christian pilgrimage.

In her stead, Minister of State I, Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri, signed

05:49

Competent sources told Vanguard that the beleagued minister is reported to have summoned courage and flew to Israel of on Tuesday a day ahead of President Jonathan's visit to the country, where he is expected to perform some spiritual rites and engage in some bilateral deals. who has already been subpoenaed by the two chambers of the National Assembly to appear and answer questions on her role in the purchase of the cars, will also come under the searchlight of the special probe panel raised by President Gooodluck Jonathan.

Embattled Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, has left Nigeria for Israel despite the furore generated by the controversial purchase of N225 million bullet-proof vehicles for her by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA.

01:35

The leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress has threatened to call a nationwide industrial action if the Federal Government fails to stop the ongoing strike by university lecturers under the banner of the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

The NLC, in a communiqué issued at the end of its National Executive Committee meeting in Kaduna on Wednesday, said it was unfortunate that the government had not taken the expected steps to stop the ongoing strike that has crippled academic activities in public universities across the country.

The President of the NLC, Mr. Abdulwahed Omar, and the Acting General Secretary of the Congress, Mr. Chris Uyot, accused the Federal Government of sponsoring protests against ASUU instead of resolving the lingering crisis.

The union warned that the NLC would not hesitate to call out Nigerian workers to protest across the country if the present situation was not resolved by the Federal Government.

Omar and Uyot also stated that the NLC had taken a decision to intervene in the crisis rocking the university system in order to save Nigerian students from been traumatised by the strike.

01:02

Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero believes Real Madrid had to sell Mesut Ozil this summer in order to buy Gareth Bale.

The decision to sacrifice the Germany international, who moved to Arsenal following the Welshman's transfer from Tottenham, proved controversial among the club's fans.

12:33

Manchester United manager David Moyes believes the key to his side beating Real Sociedad in tonight's Champions League clash, live on Sky, at Old Trafford will be better ball retention.

United sit top of Group A, with four points, following a win at home over Bayer Leverkusen and a draw at Shakhtar Donetsk, and face Sociedad who are bottom of the group following two defeats.

Moyes believes his team must improve on the draw with Shahtar, who are also have four points, if they are to go on and make a real impact in this season's competition.

12:32

Police who enforce Islamic law in Nigeria's northern city of Kano have arrested 150 people in the last week, including for indecent dress, as part of a crackdown on immorality, a spokesman said on Tuesday.

Some people in Nigeria's second city have been picked up for sporting hair styles inspired by prominent international football players, said Mohammed Yusuf Yola, spokesman for Kano's sharia police, or Hisbah.

Others were thrown in jail and fined for wearing their trousers too low on their waists, mimicking a style that became prominent in the 1990s, partly through the influence of some American hip hop artists.

The arrests have followed an order by Kano state Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to cleanse the city of immoral practices and the trend is set to continue in the weeks ahead, said Hisbah Director-General Abba Sufi.

The Hisbah is a state police force funded by state government and is not part of the federal police.

"We have arrested 150 men and women in the past week, including prostitutes and their boyfriends, transvestites, alcoholics and those engaged in indecent dressing in contravention of the sharia legal code," Yola told said.

Religion has repeatedly been used as a political issue in Kano and the governor, seen as a moderate, has been accused by rivals of lacking commitment to sharia's guidelines.

Yola insisted the operation was launched to reverse disturbing trends in the city of some five million people and is targetting people of various faiths.

"Those arrested include Muslims and non-Muslims and we treat them equally because this is about morality," he said.

Kano, like the rest of northern Nigeria, is majority Muslim, but the city has a sizeable Christian minority.

12:27

The Senate on Wednesday said that the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) wants N1.5 trillion to end its ongoing strike.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education, Senator Uche Chukwumerije, released the figure in his contribution on a motion urging the striking lecturers to call off their strike.

The motion sponsored by the Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, and 106 others is entitled: "Appeal to Academic Staff Union of Universities to call off the strike action and return to work."

Chukwumerije, who read the controversial 2009 agreement between the Federal Government and ASUU, said that part of the component of the agreement on funding stipulated that "all regular federal universities shall require the sum of N1.5 trillion for the period 2009 to 2011.

He said that ASUU is insisting that the agreement must be implemented to the latter.

He said the agreement also said that "This money is to be paid in three installments, 2009 - almost N500 billion; 2010 - almost N500 billion and 2011 - almost N506 billion.

Apart from the N1.5 trillion the agreement also stipulated that "each state university shall require N3.6 million" while "a minimum of 26 per cent of the annual budget should be allocated to education."

According to him, the agreement also said that "education should be put on First Line Charge" while the Education Tax Act should be amended to its original concept as High Education Fund."

He noted that the agreement said that "Governing Council of Universities should access and effectively utilize from Education Tax Fund funds for research, training and development of academic staff."

Other components of the agreement included Salary Structure of Academic Staff of Nigerian universities and earned academic staff allowances.

The earned academic staff allowances include: "Post graduate supervision allowances; teaching practice and industrial allowances; honorarium for external moderation of undergraduate and postgraduate examination system, postgraduate study grants; external assessment of readers or professors, call duty and clinical duty and hazard allowance and excess workload allowance."

12:24

As the tussle over ownership of late Chief Odimegwu Ojukwu's transport company and his estate rages, some members of the late warlord's family have asked his wife - Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu, Nigeria's Ambassador to Spain, to provide evidence of legal marriage to him.

The Ojukwu brothers along with Ojukwu Transport Limited, in a 19 paragraph statement of defence filed before Justice Funmilayo Atilade of a Lagos High Court, also demanded proof that Bianca's two sons, Afamefuna and Nwachukwu are biological children of the late warlord.

Bianca had on behalf of her sons, dragged Prof. Joseph Ojukwu; Emmanuel Ojukwu; Lotanna Putalora Ojukwu; Dr. Patrick Ojukwu; Edward Ojukwu; Lota Akajiora Ojukwu and Mrs. Massey Udegbe before the court, seeking a declaration that her children are entitled to the possession and occupation of 29, Oyinkan Abayomi Street, Ikoyi until the harmonisation of the management and administration of the assets of OTL.

Bianca had through her lawyer, Chris Ezugwu, prayed the court to declare as illegal the threat of forceful ejection of her sons from the property in dispute by the defendants.

She had urged the court to declare that they are entitled to possess 13, Hawksworth Road, Ikoyi (now 13 Ojora Road); 32A Commercial Avenue, Yaba, Lagos; 30 Gerard Road, Ikoyi, and 30 McPherson Avenue, Ikoyi.

Bianca had stated that the defendants played no role all through the period her sons' father (Ojukwu) struggled to retrieve the above properties from the state government.

Hence, the claimants want an order of court restraining the defendants, their agents or privies from interfering with their possession and control of the properties.

But the defendants through their lawyer, George Uwechue (SAN) averred that the subscribers of the Memorandum of Association of OTL (1st defendant) at incorporation in 1952 were L.P Ojukwu and Betram Chukwuemeka Obi, adding that the late Ojukwu and one Prof. Joseph Ojukwu (2nd defendant) were later appointed as directors in 1953.

They stated that the late Ojukwu ceased to be a director of the company prior to the Nigerian civil war and was reappointed as a director on December 16, 2005 while the third and fourth defendants were appointed directors in 1954 and 2005 respectively.

12:18

President Goodluck Jonathan has set up an administrative panel consisting of 3 members for the purpose of investigating the armoured car scandal related to the aviation minister Stella Oduah.

It was made known by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati, in the course of the weekly meeting of the Executive Council of the Federation.

The body will be chaired by the immediate past Head of Service, Sali Bello.

According to the information provided, other members include the National Security Adviser Colonel Sambo Dasuki, and Air Vice Marshal Dik Iruenebere.

Mr. Abati also confirmed Jonathan had queried Mrs. Oduah asking her to provide explanations on the controversial purchase.

The new panel of enquiry should find out whether the purchase of the vehicles for about N255 million followed due process or not and also investigate the reasons for vehicles procurement.

Mr. Abati did not state if the minister would step aside while she is being investigated. Mrs. Oduah was conspicuously absent at Wednesday's FEC meeting.

It was mentioned that the panel was given two weeks to conclude its task and give the President the necessary recommendations regarding the issue.

12:17

Ayodeji 'Wizkid' Balogun has finally confirmed that he's the proud father of a two year boy named Boluwatife.

On August 21, 2011, when Nigerian Entertainment Today published an exclusive report that Wizkid has fathered a baby with an undergraduate named Oluwanishola Ogudugu, Wizkid denied the report. Days before, in an exclusive interview conducted in his Ogudu GRA home, Wizkid had laughed off the question, responding 'It sounds funny. Look at it 'Wizkid has a kid'. Doesn't that sound funny itself?'

His label and management remained more than silent on the issue and for years Wizkid and his team avoided questions concerning the 'rumours'. In an interview with The Punch in December 2012, Wizkid blatantly denied the baby-story.

12:12

From humble beginnings in Jos, Plateau State, Chocolate City's wonder kid, Panshak Zamani popularly known as Ice Prince has grown to be one of the hottest and most respected rappers in the country.

Thanks to his victory at the 2009 Hennessey Artistry where he came tops. And while it may all look rosy on the outside, Ice Prince has revealed that it's not been easy after his dad passed away, adding that just like any street kid, he's had his own fair share of ups and downs, and so fans should not be carried away by the glitz and glamour which has become his trade mark today.

Though, born to upper middle class parents, the Oleku singer insists he was not born with a silver spoon, he and his siblings had all they desired until his dad died in 1999 and life took a dramatic turn!

"I wasn't born with a silver spoon," Ice Prince told The Entertainer's TONY OGAGA ERHARIEFE in an exclusive chat backstage during the 8th edition of Julius Agwu's comedy show, Crack Ya Ribs held at Nicon Hilton, Abuja, recently.

Dressed in all white designer T-shirt and pants with a muffler dangling around his neck, Ice Prince peered at you from behind designer glasses crested with a fez cap which gave him that clean cut look of an American marine but for his goatee.

"My dad was not a billionaire, neither was he a pauper," he said arching his bushy eyebrows to drive home his point, "he sent us to good schools and we had vacations outside the country; we were okay but in 1999 I lost him!

14:43

PDP women leaders loyal to the seven aggrieved governors of the party may be in for a rough time.

There are indications that the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, may get them removed from plum positions for alleged disloyalty.

Sources said that already an evaluation of leaders of the various women organisations within the party has commenced nationwide.

The exercise, The Nation learnt, also involves the positions of women leaders and their deputies in all the states and local government areas of the country.

The idea is to scrutinise all women in leadership positions within the party and its various arms, groups and agencies with a view to establishing where their loyalty lies in view of the festering power tussle within the party.

A party source said the instruction from "above" is that the exercise should be taken very seriously as the presidency is interested in the outcome.

"The instruction is that the office of the party's Women Leader should evaluate the women in positions of leadership within the party nationwide and determine their allegiance in view of the ongoing crises within our party.

"The screening exercise is on and we are making progress. The modality is to first get in all the names of who is who in our women organisations.

"That is what we are still doing now. After that, we will examine their political affiliations and determine their loyalties.

"It is after that we will know what next. For now, I cannot tell you more than that," the source said.

However, loyalists of the new PDP leaders are alleging that the exercise is plot to ensure that all women leaders perceived to be loyal to the new PDP are screened out from their positions on flimsy excuses.

14:38

President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday promised reasonably stable power supply in the country by the middle of 2014.

The President made this promise while inaugurating the Phase II 500mw Omotosho National Integrated Power Project (NIPP) Plant in Ondo State. He added that the Federal Government was targeting 4,700mw from 10 NIPPs which he said would be completed before the end of the first quarter of 2014. According to him, the 10 NIPP projects will be handed over to the private sector next year after completion and inauguration.

He expressed optimism that the private sector, which had invested $3 billion into the nation's power sector, would do what it did in the banking and the

14:37

Miss Universe 2013 is going to take place in Russia already on Saturday 9th November 2013. One of 87 beauty queens around the world is going to win the "battle" for the crown and coveted title.

Check out the photos of 9 most gorgeous queens representing Africa.

Who do you think can win?

1. Angola                                                                                      2. Botswana

    

14:47

Kawu Baraje-led faction of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been ordered to stop parading itself as a parallel faction of the party by an Abuja High Court on Friday. The court also recognised the Bamanga Tukur-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party as the authentic leadership of PDP.

Justice Evoh Chukwu said this in his judgment in a suit brought to it on September 6, by the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and 12 others.

He also restrained the respondents from operating secretariats of the "New PDP" at the national, state or local levels.

"I further order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to cancel the result of the Special Convention of the party organized on August 31 at the Eagles Square in Abuja. "I will not make any order as to cost,'' he said.

Tukur and other members of the NWC, who were elected at the Special National Convention on August 31, had filed a suit seeking to restrain Baraje and two others from parading themselves as executive members of the party. The others are the factional deputy National Chairman, Sam Jaja, and factional National Secretary, Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

A former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who is a member of the faction, was also joined in the suit.

The ruling by the court followed a High Court sitting in Lagos that had a week ago dismissed a suit filed by the Baraje faction against the Tukur-led leadership of PDP.

14:37

Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino has received a boost with the news that Lionel Messi is fit and back to form ahead of this weekend's clash with Osasuna.

The Argentina international was unavailable for the Champions League defeat of Celtic and the Liga win over Real Valladolid due to the thigh strain sustained in last month's trip to Almeria, while he was also absent for his country's World Cup qualifiers with Peru and Uruguay.

14:36

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo's mother Dolores Aveiro has claimed that the attacker was nicknamed 'crybaby' during his youth.


It had already been revealed that the 28-year-old Portugal international was known as 'Abelhinha' and 'Little Bee' a child, but his emotional reactions to disappointing performances also earned him a less flattering name.

"Cristiano was called 'Crybaby' back in the days," Ronaldo's mother told Clarin.

14:33

A young Chinese couple are facing criminal punishment for "selling" their infant daughter and using the proceeds to buy an Apple iPhone, state media said Friday.

Shanghai prosecutors have brought a case against them for human trafficking after they illegally put their third child up for adoption online and accepted money for the baby.

Investigators found the mother, whose full name was not given, used the money to buy an iPhone, high-end sports shoes and other goods, it said.

Apple's products are wildly popular in China, where a teenager sold his kidney and used the funds to buy an iPhone and iPad in an incident widely reported last year.

14:27

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has told Barcelona that they would be wasting their time in pursuing a move for goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

The Belgium international arrived at Stamford Bridge from Racing Genk in 2011 but is now in his third season on loan at Atletico Madrid, during which time he has blossomed into one of the best keepers in Europe.

14:26

Onitsha traders and small scale industrialists lost goods and properties worth millions of naira yesterday in Onitsha following an early morning fire that gutted the polythene dealers market, Nwaizu Estate, Awada.

Three businessmen, who could not withstand the enormity of their losses allegedly attempted suicide by jumping into the raging fire but they were later rescued by fellow traders.
Traders watched helplessly as nothing was recovered from the inferno.

14:25

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) on Friday barricaded the Asaba axis of the Niger Bridge for more than two hours.

The action, which was jointly carried out by some university students and their polytechnic counterparts was in protest of the protracted strike by ASUU.

The aggrieved students blocked the bridge at about 1 p.m., which resulted to a traffic gridlock that stretched from the bridge to Okwe junction about five kilometres to Asaba town.

They also lamented the recent decisions of polytechnic lecturers under the auspices of ASUP to also embark on a similar strike, saying it would further cripple the education sector and send a wrong signal to the international community.

NANS National Public Relations Officer, Victor Ola-Ogun, said that the students were tired of the strike and appealed to ASUU to call it off.

He said that the students had embarked on the peaceful protest and taken it to Kano and "now they are in Zone B, that is Delta and the Anambra area of the country.''

He said that if the lecturers refuse to call off the strike, the association would further move the protest to Zone C and D, comprising the middle Belt areas and South West of the country.

"We do not want a situation where our ladies will become prostitutes and the men armed robbers.

"We are always there to fight for the lecturers' welfare and now that the Federal Government has decided to meet some of their demands, they should consider for our sake and go back to work,'' Ola-Ogun said.

The students, which were drawn from different parts of the country, came in large number. They will leave Delta to their various destinations on Saturday.

14:23

A 19-year- old street trader, Emeka Chukwumuata, was on Friday sentenced to two months imprisonment by the Special Offences Court, Alausa, Ikeja, for selling a cassava-stuffed Nokia phone.

"I am usually lenient to young people but you have to go in for inflicting pain on people,'' the Magistrate, Mrs O. Kushanu said.

"It is unfortunate that it is the young people who are being brought to the court, the manufacturer should be raided and brought to court,'' she said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the accused was sentenced after he had pleaded guilty to the charge.

Chukwumuata, who resides in Ikeja area of Lagos, faced a charge of street trading.

The prosecutor, Mr Babatunde Sunmonu, said that the accused committed the offence at about 11:00 a.m. on Medical Road, Ikeja.

Sunmonu said that the offence committed contravened Section 10(1)(a) of the Street Trading and Illegal Market Prohibition Law 2003.

14:23

Lecturers of Benue State University (BSU) on Friday expressed their discontent with the non-payment of their September salary. At the same time, they remain adamant over their demands which led to their current strike.

Talking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Makurdi, the Chairman of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in BSU, Dr Samuel Ikoni, said the non-payment of the September was worrisome and caused some hardship to the lecturers.

14:21

Nigeria's Aviation Ministry may have decided to go after its official that allegedly leaked the information of the purchase of two armoured vehicles for the minister, Stella Oduah.

This was hinted by Folayele Akinkuotu, the Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, at a press conference at the ministry's headquarters in Abuja.

Mr. Akinkuotu said Nicholas Edwards, a staff of the ministry who allegedly leaked the information to journalists, is now on the run. He also condemned the leak that exposed the purchase of the two armoured cars for N225 million.

He said the two vehicles, purchased for N225 million, are meant to serve both the Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah, and aviation-related foreign dignitaries.

The minister has come under attack by Nigerians and civil society organisations with many calling for her sack.

Reports say Mrs. Oduah compelled the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, an agency under her supervision, in a presumed case of corruption, conflict of interest, and abuse of office, to procure the cars for her with public funds.

Documents show that the transaction to procure the cars started last June. Things were then sped up with the cars delivered on 15.

14:17

An asteroid that could hit Earth with the power of 2,500 nuclear bombs flew close to the planet on September 16.

Last night, Ukrainian astronomers said there is a chance it could come even closer and strike our planet on August 26, 2032.

Nasa has attempted to calm nerves by issuing a 'a reality check', which highlights that the probability of an Earth impact is only one in 63,000.

That means astronomers are 99.9984 per cent certain that it will miss Earth's orbit. Crimean Astrophysical Observatory found the massive asteroid, called 2013 TV135, last weekend and the international scientific community has already rated it as one of the two most dangerous asteroids ever recorded.

The asteroid is initially estimated to be about 1,300 feet (400 meters) in size and its orbit carries it as far out as about three quarters of the distance to Jupiter's orbit and as close to the sun as Earth's orbit.

Massive: The asteroid would strike with 2,500megatons of explosive force, enough to create damage within a 100,000 square-mile radius. (Blast location for illustrative purposes only)

As of October 14, asteroid 2013 TV135 is one of 10,332 near-Earth objects that have been discovered. Scientists have given it a danger rating of 1 out of 10 on the Torino Scale. Only one other asteroid has been given a rating of 1.

The risk for all others has been judged 0, negligible. The effects of an impact would be catastrophic, especially if it struck a populated area. If 2013 TV135 were to collide with Earth, it is estimated to impact with 2,500 megatons of explosive power.

12:33

The National Strike Coordinating Committee, NSCC, comprising of principal officers and Zonal Coordinators of Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU will be meeting Saturday to take stock of the ongoing strike embarked by the union that is entering the fourth months.

Meantime, ASUU said that it was not under any pressure to call-off the strike despite what it called sponsored protests and rallies against the union, stressing that before the union decided to embark on the strike, it holistically took objective assessment of the situation.

One of the branch Chairmen of ASUU and member of NSCC who spoke exclusively to Saturday Vanguard on the condition of anonymity said that the meeting will take place in Ondo state and that there would be a situation report including the meeting representatives of ASUU had with the Federal government last week's Friday.

He said,"We are meeting tomorrow, National Strike Coordinating Committee. Tomorrow is arrival. Our Principal officers and Zonal Coordinators met with government last week Friday, one week today, so we want to discuss the outcome of the meeting, after that we will now meet."

Commenting on the plethora of protests by different groups over the strike which could be mounting pressure on the union to call off the strike, he said that "There is no pressure on us. We look at things objectively and remember that even me as I am talking we cannot suspend the strike.

"We have to get inputs from the branches that is why our strike is always very tight, because before we declared the strike, we have collected inputs from all branch officers in the universities in Nigeria, we collated it, discussed it extensively for two days before we declared the strike.

"And if there is any offer made by government, we have to look at it, that is the principal officers ten of them in number, the zonal coordinators who take over functions of NEC during the strike, so, they will look at what government has offered, brief us the branch chair persons then it is at this point we will now know whether to convene an emergency NEC to look at it holistically.

12:04

The new iPhones have been on sale for less than a month but investors and fans alike are already looking ahead to next year's model: the iPhone6.

Largely because Apple makes major changes in its top-selling phone only every other year.

For 2013, the iPhone 5S stuck with the same screen and case design as the prior year's iPhone 5. Next year, however, will likely bring a whole new iPhone.

Apple did introduce two upgraded models in 2013, though the iPhone 5C was simply last year's model dressed up in a pretty plastic coating.

Apple said it sold 9 million iPhones in the first weekend of sales but has not released figures for the 5C alone. The 5S and 5C both have screens that measure four inches diagonally with a ratio of 1,136 by 640 pixels.

11:57