Burundi Protest: What Your View?

20 May 2015

A woman holds her children during a protest against Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza and his bid for a third term in Bujumbura, Burundi

Nigeria: Edo Governor Marred Second Wife

It was glitz, glamour and a list of who-is-who in the country was in attendance as Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, Friday, exchanged marital vows with his heartthrob, former Miss Iara Fortes.

The governor and his bride signed the dotted lines at a private marriage registry attended only by family and a few friends at his Iyamho residence after which top dignitaries in the country were led by the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, to the wedding reception held at the People’s White Hall  in the governor’s country home. 

Among other top dignitaries who also graced the ceremony were the Vice President-elect, Prof Yemi Osinbajo and his wife Dolapo.

All Progressives Congress’ chieftains were led by its National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun; governors and governors-elect across the country, Senators Bukola Saraki, Domingo Obende and a host of others and Senators-elect from across the country were also in attendance.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal led members of the House of Representatives and incoming ones to the wedding reception.

Captains of Industry, who were led by to the ceremony by Aliko Dangote, included Jim Ovia, Femi Otedola, Noggie Meggisson, Hosa Okunbor,  among others.

Royal fathers were not left out as they attended the ceremony in their numbers.

The Oba of Benin was represented by high ranking palace chiefs who include David Edebiri, the Esogban of Benin Kingdom.

The Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, former Governors Kayode Fayemi, Oserheimen Osunbor, Senator Tunde Ogbeha; Osaigbovo Ogbemudia, Niyi Adebayo were also in attendance.

Top military brass, including Brigadier-General MJ Abel, Commandant, Nigerian Army School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Auchi, were also in attendance.

The Director-General of the State Security was represented by Joseph Oworuya, while Mr Bello Bakori, Director, SSS Edo State, was also at the ceremony.

Parents of the bride, Mr and Mrs Fortes flew in from their home in the Netherlands to attend the ceremony while the governor’s mother, Aishetu Oshiomhole, was also in attendance.

The governor’s children Steve, Adams, Jane and two of his grandchildren were also on hand to show love and support for their father and his wife.

The governor’s marriage is coming about five years after the painful death of his first wife, Clara, following a protracted battle with cancer.

Iara, a lawyer by profession and top model, is from the Cape Verde Islands. She is a former staff of Emirate Airlines, and is in her early thirties, aides of the governor say.

The chairman of the ceremony, former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, said the governor’s wife completes and complements him and he admonished the couple to show true love and have patience in their dealings with one another.

 

  

Burundi Generals Arrested As President Appears To Regain Control

Three generals have been arrested for their part in a failed coup to overthrow the sitting Burundi president, reports claim.

The desperately poor African nation has been thrown back into chaos after the aborted attempt to seize power from President Pierre Nkurunziza, currently attempting to run for his third - possibly unconstitutional - term.
Although three generals, including the former Minister of Defence Cyrille Ndayirukiye, have allegedly been arrested the leader of the failed coup Major General Godefroid Niyombare remains “on the run,” according to a government spokesperson.
It remains unclear where General Niyombare is after reports circulated that he had told an AFP reporter his forces had decided to surrender to government troops, but added: “I hope they won’t kill us.”
Five soldiers were killed in the capital Bujumbura yesterday.
International observers have watched events in Burundi with increasing concern after protesters took to the streets last month to demonstrate President Nkurunziza’s decision to seek a third term.
Opponents claim that his decision violates the constitution – established in 2005 after a particularly vicious civil war – and approximately 20 civilians have died in protests so far.
Following the announcement of the now unsuccessful coup, thousands apparently came back onto the streets to celebrate.
President Nkurunziza, who was in neighbouring Tanzania when the attempt unfolded, tweeted that he was now back in the country.
Reporters on the ground note that much of the capital city’s key institutions – including the airport and national state TV – appeared to be under the control of forces loyal to the government.
The president’s spokesperson, Gervais Abayeho, also confirmed that elections were still planned and that “The president is in a good mood, he doesn't see any problem at all."

BB King: Eight Facts About The Late Blues Guitar Legend

BB King sadly passed away after battling diabetes-related illness.

Ranked the third-greatest guitarist of all time, King has been described by critics as "synonymous with the blues".
From how he learned guitar and the tragedies he overcame, to the extent of his staggering success, here's what you need to know.
Radio
As a disc jockey on a Memphis, Tennessee, radio station, Riley B. King became known as "The Beale Street Blues Boy," which was shortened to "Blues Boy" and eventually to "B.B."
Lucille!
King was playing a dance in Twist, Arkansas, when two men began fighting over a woman and accidentally set the dance hall ablaze. King had to dash back in to save his guitar, which he began calling Lucille, the name of the woman who inspired the fight.
Teacher
King's primary guitar teacher was his cousin, bluesman Bukka White.
Accolades
In 2003 Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time ranked King as No. 3, behind only Jimi Hendrix and Duane Allman.
Gigs
In 1956 King and his band performed 342 one-night stands.
Genres
King greatly expanded his fan base to jazz, folk and rock audiences in 1967, playing at the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Newport Folk Festival and the Fillmore West in San Francisco.
Sadness
King's 10,000th show came on April 17, 2006, at his namesake nightclub in New York. He performed despite having buried his son, who died of cancer, the day before.
TV
King appeared on the television shows Sanford and Son, The Young and the Restless, The Cosby Show, Married ... With Children, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Sesame Street.

'Dozens dead' and many escape in Iraq prison break 

• From the sectionMiddle East

The Islamic State (IS) militant group says it was behind the attack on the jail in Khalis, north-east of Baghdad.At least 30 prisoners and 10 guards have been killed in a prison break in Iraq, as more than 50 other inmates escaped, officials and police say.

But officials blame the incident on a prison riot in which inmates tried to seize weapons and managed to break out.

Iraq has seen a number of prison breaks. Many have been caused by militants seeking to free comrades.

Nine of the inmates who got away in the latest incident were being held on terrorism charges, including IS members. The rest, officials said, were common criminals.

Conflicting reports

Police officials said the trouble began when prisoners started fighting, and guards who intervened were attacked and had their weapons seized. The ministry said there had been no external assault.

A security official told the BBC that some of the prisoners had planned the escape.

Iraqi forces regained control of Diyala earlier this year, but sporadic IS attacks have continued

But the militant group has said it was behind the attack and managed to free "more than 30" fighters from the prison in a statement posted online.

"Fifteen IEDs (improvised explosive devices) were detonated against army and police convoys and vehicles around the prison," the statement added.

Some local sources also reported Islamic State militants using several vehicles to try to storm the prison and release its members inside.

The town of Khalis is located in Diyala province about 80km (50 miles) north of Baghdad.

Curfew imposed

A curfew is now in place in the city and in two of its suburbs as security services comb the area in search of the suspects, the mayor of Khalis told the BBC.

Grisly pictures have been circulating on social media, with some commentators suggesting a massacre took place at the prison.

At least seven civilians were killed in a bomb attack in Baghdad on Saturday

The Iraqi government is battling IS militants who have captured large parts of the country.

This is the third such jailbreak in Diyala since last June, when IS seized large territories in north and western Iraq as the regular army troops partly collapse.

Over 500 inmates, including leading Islamists, escaped from the Abu Ghraib prison west of Baghdad in 2013 after gunmen stormed the facility.

Separately on Saturday, a car bomb killed at least seven civilians and injured 14 others in Baghdad, police said. Shia pilgrims embarking on an annual march to a shrine in the capital were believed to have been the target.

At least four people have been killed in a military plane crash near Seville airport in Spain.

At least four people have been killed in a military plane crash near Seville airport in Spain.

The plane, a new Airbus A400M, reportedly developed a fault just after take-off on a test flight.

Local media say that those on board were Spanish Airbus employees. Two have also been seriously injured.

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has expressed his sorrow over the incident which took place about 1.6km (1 mile) away from San Pablo airport.

Local media say that the plane had signalled that there was a fault with its systems just before the crash.

One of the rescuers has said that some of the plane had been turned to "ash"

The plane reportedly hit an electric power line

The plane reportedly hit an electric power line as the pilots tried to make an emergency landing.

The survivors have been taken to hospital by helicopter. A Spanish interior ministry spokesman told The Associated press news agency that one person had been conscious when they were taken out of the wreckage.

Mr Rajoy said the government was ready to support the families of all of those involved in the accident.

The accident took place in a field just north of San Pablo airport. According to local media, the crash site is close to the Airbus manufacturing plant which assembles the planes.

The Airbus A400M plane model is not yet used by the Spanish military. It is a large transport aircraft that has been ordered by eight countries including Spain to replace a fleet of ageing Hercules aircraft.

The survivors have been taken to hospital by helicopter

Airbus has said that the plane that crashed had been ordered by Turkey.

Local media report that the Spanish government has also agreed to buy 27 of the planes, with the first one due to be delivered to the military next year.

The British Ministry of Defence has temporarily suspended use of its two A400M aircraft, as a precaution.

Macedonia police fight an 'armed terrorist group 

• From the sectionEurope

Police have been fighting gunmen armed with bombs and automatic rifles

Police in Macedonia have been fighting an armed group from an unidentified neighbouring state, say officials.

Some 20 officers have reportedly been injured in clashes in the northern town of Kumanovo, close to the borders with Kosovo and Serbia.

Interior ministry spokesman Ivo Kotevski said that the "terrorist group" were armed with bombs and automatic rifles.

He added that they had been planning attacks on state institutions.

Mr Kotevski said that the "well-trained" group were putting up a violent resistance and that the operation against them was ongoing.

"This is a risky operation because it is an area with narrow streets and police need to perform house-to-house searches very carefully," he told AFP news agency.

Witnesses say they have heard intense shooting in the area

Smoke can be seen rising from several houses in Kumanovo

Police armoured vehicles have reportedly helped seal off a suburb of the town which lies some 40km (25 miles) north of the capital, Skopje.

Witnesses have reported hearing intense shooting there since early on Saturday.

Helicopters are reported to be still circling the town and smoke can be seen rising from several houses.

Several police officers have been taken to hospital with serious injuries, according to MIA news agency.

Mr Kotevski said that some residents of the Diva Naselba neighbourhood had been sheltering the armed group which had entered the country illegally.

The mayor of the town, Zoran Damjanovski, has urged local people to remain calm.

Police have been evacuating residents

Macedonia's President Gjorge Ivanov is returning from Moscow to deal with the incident

Local media say that the area of Kumanovo at the centre of the fighting mainly inhabited by ethnic Albanians.

In 2001, rebels demanding greater rights for the ethnic Albanian minority launched an uprising against the government.

Further conflict was averted by a peace agreement, which guaranteed ethnic Albanians greater recognition, but tensions have continued to simmer.

Macedonia's President Gjorge Ivanov has cut short a visit to Moscow and is returning to Macedonia to deal with the incident.

The government is already under pressure over claims of illegal wire-tapping and the alleged cover-up of the death of a man in 2011.

Thousands of protesters clashed with riot police in the capital on Wednesday.

Macedonia's political crisis dates back to last year's elections, when an opposition party made allegations of electoral fraud, denounced the government as a dictatorship, and boycotted parliament.

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The David Cameron story

By Brian Wheeler

• From the sectionElection 2015

David Cameron has proved the doubters in his own party and beyond wrong by winning a majority of his own at the 2015 general election.

When he was elected Conservative leader in 2005, he was seen as the party's answer to Tony Blair, a young, modern leader, who would shake off the party's "nasty" image and turn it back into the election winning machine that had dominated much of 20th century British politics.

But despite big advances at the 2010 election, he was forced to form a coalition with the Liberal Democrats, handing ammunition to those on the right of the party who hated his brand of "Liberal Conservatism" and yearned for a more traditional Tory programme.

Mr Cameron's presentational skills were never in doubt.

His easy charm and ability to appear "prime ministerial" at news conferences and summits helped ensure his personal poll ratings remained well ahead of the Conservative Party's ratings.

But critics complained that it was difficult to pin down what he actually believed in.

Russia stages massive WW2 parade despite Western boycott

Europe

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Media captionThe parade is a chance for Russia to show her continuing military might, as Lyse Doucet reports

Russia has staged its biggest military parade, marking 70 years since victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two.

Thousands of troops marched across Red Square in Moscow, and new armour was displayed for the first time.

Many foreign dignitaries were present, but most Western leaders stayed awaybecause of Russia's role in Ukraine.

President Vladimir Putin said global co-operation had been put at risk in recent years. His Ukrainian counterpart accused him of justifying aggression.

Russia denies claims by the West that it is arming rebels in eastern Ukraine. More than 6,000 people have been killed since fighting began in April 2014 in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

As it happened: Moscow parade

Show of strength

In his opening speech, President Putin paid tribute to the sacrifices of Soviet troops during World War Two. He also thanked "the people of Great Britain, France and the United States for their contribution to victory".

But he added: "In recent decades the basic principles of international co-operation have been ignored ever more frequently. We see how a military-bloc mentality is gaining momentum."

The remarks echo previous complaints by Mr Putin about what he says are efforts by the US and its Nato allies to encircle Russia militarily.

Meanwhile, at a wreath-laying ceremony in Kiev, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko condemned Russia's portrayal of his government as fascist over the past year.

"Obviously this is done with one aim alone - to justify... the Russian aggression against Ukraine."

A spectacular fly-by featured more that 100 warplanes, including long-range bombers

Intercontinental ballistic missile were also on show

President Putin (centre) sat alongside the presidents of China (third left) and Kazakhstan (far right)

The victory parade in Moscow started at 10:00 local time (07:00 GMT). Chinese President Xi Jinping, President Pranab Mukherjee of India and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon were among more than 20 world leaders watching the event.

Military units from across Russia - some dressed in WW2-era uniforms - marched, and more than 100 aircraft flew over Red Square.

Kim Kardashian, J.Lo, Beyoncé: Bare, Beauties, & Booties

If there’s one thing on everyone’s minds right now, it’s the booty. Songs about bootys, people’s bootys, summer bootys. At the Met Gala tonight, three queens — Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian, and Beyoncé — showed off their famous bootys (and then some) in weirdly matching gowns. 

J.Lo, original queen of the revealing gown, trusted Versace to once more make a statement, and a statement she made in a sheer dress with a dragon appliquéd that wrapped all around her body (giving us major Bai Ling at the MTV Movie Awards vibes). 

Mrs. West, meanwhile, wowed with a sheer dress — inspired by the QUEEN of sheer dresses, Cher — fully decked out with white feathers, the first dress from designer Peter Dundas’ new post as Roberto Cavalli creative director. But while the designer pulled from the archive for his inspiration, many on social media are instead insinuating it’s very much Beyoncé at the Met Gala in 2012 wearing custom Givenchy by Ricardo Tisci. What goes around comes around, I suppose?  

And Beyoncé, who arrived at the Met late because she reportedly got in a fender-bender (talk about a fashionably late entrance), was in a custom sheer Givenchy gown yet again with strategically placed embroidered flowers throughout. 

These babes love their bodies, and we love their bodies too! There’s definitely room for everyone at this party but still, we can’t help but ask: Who wore it best?

Nepal Earthquake: 101-Year-Old Pulled From Rubble

 

A 101-year-old man was rescued from the rubble of his home in one of the countless villages that were devastated in the earthquake that hit Nepal last week, killing more than 7,000 people.

Nepal's National Emergency Operation Center said the rescue occurred in Kimtang village, in the Nuwakot district, about 50 miles northwest of Kathmandu.

Britain: The Newborn Daughter Of Prince William And Duchess Of Cambridge

From Prince Charles to the bettors at the corner store, everyone in Britain was hoping for a girl.

The Duchess of Cambridge delighted her nation and royal enthusiasts around the world Saturday by delivering one such princess. The royal birth was greeted with cheers and elated cries of "Hip, hip, hooray!" outside St. Mary's Hospital, where fans and the world's media have waited for days in central London.

The baby — Prince William and Kate's second child — was born Saturday morning and weighed 8 pounds 3 ounces (3.7 kilograms), officials said. She is fourth in line to the throne, and the fifth great-grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II, 89.