US Sex trafficking: Lifelong struggle of exploited children

In the US, poverty, deprivation and exploitation draws thousands of its own children down into a dark underworld that offers few ways out.

It is a world few Americans are aware of. But tens of thousands of American children are thought to be sexually exploited every year.

It's believed that every night hundreds are sold for sex.

The FBI says child sex abuse is almost at an epidemic level, despite the agency rescuing 600 children last year.

"Trafficking" often conjures images of people from other countries being smuggled over land and across the sea and then forced to work against their will in foreign lands. People are trafficked into America from Mexico, Central and South America. But the vast majority of children bought and sold for sex every night in the United States are American kids.

Source: BBC

Malaysia says almost certain debris found off Madagascar is from a Boeing 777

Malaysia is "almost certain" that plane debris found on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean is from a Boeing 777, the deputy transport minister said on Thursday, heightening the possibility it could be wreckage from missing Flight MH370.

Malaysia Airlines was operating a Boeing 777 on the ill-fated flight, which vanished without a trace in March last year while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in one of the biggest mysteries in aviation history. The plane was carrying 239 passengers and crew.

Search efforts led by Australia have focused on a broad expanse of the southern Indian Ocean off Australia, roughly 3,700 km (2,300 miles) from France's Reunion Island.

There have been four serious accidents involving 777s in the 20 years since the widebody jet came into service. Only MH370 is thought to have crashed south of the equator.

France's BEA air crash investigation agency said it was examining the debris, found washed up on Reunion Island east of Madagascar on Wednesday, in coordination with Malaysian and Australian authorities, but that it was too early to draw conclusions.

Source: Reuters

FIFA officials, including 2 VPs, arrested on corruption charges

No one at FIFA, including Sepp Blatter, knew that Swiss investigators would raid the soccer body's headquarters on Wednesday morning, FIFA Director of Communications and Public Affairs Walter De Gregorio said Wednesday.

5:30 a.m. ET: The 2018 World Cup will be played in Russia and 2022 in Qatar, De Gregorio said. in response to a question about whether a Swiss corruption probe will affect the global sports contests.

5:26 a.m. ET: : "Of course" the FIFA Congress scheduled for Friday will take place as planned, De Gregorio said.

5:13 a.m. ET: Swiss authorities have opened a separate criminal investigation into FIFA's operations, this one pertaining to the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids. FIFA awarded Russia and Qatar the World Cup in 2018 and 2022, respectively - decisions that have come under heavy criticism and scrutiny.

5:07 a.m. ET: A search warrant was being executed at the CONCACAF headquarters in Miami on Wednesday morning, U.S. officials said.

Source: CNN

illegal warehouses stocked with N319.9b fabrics unconvered in Kano

Comptroller-General of Customs, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko Inde declared in Kano, northwest Nigeria on Tuesday that Customs has identified about 75 warehouses where contraband textile materials worth about N319.9 billion were stored.

He also vowed to prosecute four Chinese nationals linked with the smuggling of the textile materials.

“We are investigating the suspects and in only one warehouse, the duty value of the goods in the warehouse we have checked is N4.2. You can imagine that this only one warehouse and we are talking about 75 warehouses. You can imagine such a huge amount and we said we are looking for money to run the affairs of government,” he said.

According to him, the operation was carried out by his office based on information from patriotic Nigerians who showed concern over the extent of damage done to the nation’s economy by those who smuggle textile materials into the country.

He, however, stated that while inspecting the seizures, “we have seen those that can be allowed to enter the market. For those that are allowed, I am going to give amnesty; but for those that are not allowed, I will never go against the law. We will block all the leakages.”

He noted that the Customs service has continued to devise means to curtail smuggling, adding that just recently, Comptrollers-General of Customs in West Africa met in Abuja to discuss ways through which Customs can effectively fight smuggling.

He also hinted that the Customs service has concluded plans to organise a forum whereby traders, local producers and the Customs meet from time to time in order to foster cordial relationship and stem smuggling of contraband goods into the country.

Also speaking Comptroller-General of Immigration, David Paradang, said the Immigration is collaborating with the Customs service to regulate illegal migration into the country, just as he tasked the public to divulge relevant information to the two agencies.

Source: PM News

Kenyan Offers Cows To Wed Obama's Daughter

A Kenyan lawyer has reportedly offered an assortment of livestock to Barack Obama in exchange for his 16-year-old daughter Malia's hand in marriage.

Felix Kiprono told The Nairobian newspaper he was willing to present the US President with 50 cows, 70 sheep and 30 goats.

Mr Kiprono, whose age was not revealed in the report, said it has long been his dream to wed the President's oldest of two daughters.

"I got interested in her in 2008," he told the newspaper.

"As a matter of fact, I haven't dated anyone since and promise to be faithful to her."

Mr Kiprono planned to put his offer to Mr Obama when the President visits Kenya, the country where his father was born, in July.

"I am currently drafting a letter to Obama asking him to please have Malia accompany him for this trip," he said.

Mr Kiprono insisted that his love for Malia "is real" and that he is not after the family's money.

He told the newspaper he and Malia would lead a "simple life" as man and wife.

"I will teach Malia how to milk a cow, cook ugali (maize porridge) and prepare mursik (a traditional sour milk) like any other Kalenjin woman," he said.

Source: Sky News

Donald Sterling's wife, girlfriend to face off over money......hmmmmmm

The woman who was dating Donald Sterling when she recorded him making racially insensitive remarks that cost him ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers faces a fight with his estranged wife that could cost her the fortune he gave her.

Shelly Sterling is going after the $2.5 million in real estate and cars her husband lavished on V. Stiviano in a trial scheduled to begin Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Shelly Sterling accused Stiviano, 32, of befriending and seducing older, wealthy men into loaning her money, giving her gifts or cheating them out of their wealth. She claims the gifts were community property her husband of 58 years had no right to give away.

Hmmmm some girls self no send all this old men self.

Source: Yahoo News

Man shoots, kills California officer who was checking on him

A man threatening to commit suicide unleashed a barrage of gunfire on Northern California officers called to check on him, killing a 14-year veteran of the San Jose Police Department in what the mayor is calling the city's "darkest hour."

Scott Dunham, 57, fatally shot Officer Michael Johnson Tuesday night, launching an hourslong manhunt for the gunman and forcing nearby homes to be evacuated. The search ended when Dunham was found dead early Wednesday on his apartment balcony, San Jose police spokesman Albert Morales said.

LIL WAYNE & CHRISTINA MILIAN going Public

Lil Wayne did it big in Hollywood ... as in big PDA with Christina Milian -- the first public confirmation of the rumors they're banging. 

Weezy and Christina were leaving a movie set on Tuesday and he had a firm grip on her hand ... something we've never seen them do out in the open. In fact, other than an appearance at an award show, the couple's been kinda like a unicorn. 

Christina -- who's signed to Young Money -- has been mum about dating the boss, but this is clearly their coming out.

As for why Wayne was holding her hand so tightly -- just a guess, but Drake was spotted in town.

Now, if we could just get "Tha Carter V" to go public

Source: TMZ

Eat rice cold for fewer calories

Scientists say they have found a way to make rice less calorific - boil it with coconut oil and then refrigerate for half a day before eating.

According to the Sri Lankan researchers, treating rice in this way reduces its calories by up to 60%.

They told the American Chemical Society how the method made the starch in the rice less digestible so the body took on less fuel than it otherwise would.

UK nutrition experts cautioned there was no quick fix to losing weight. Hmmmmm with our light issues in Nigeria makes it out of the question.

Nigeria election: Borders closed

Nigeria has ordered the closure of all its land and sea borders ahead of Saturday's tightly contested elections.

Intelligence reports indicated that foreigners planned to cross into Nigeria to vote, Interior Minister Patrick Abba Moro told the BBC.

The presidential and parliamentary polls are expected to be the most tightly contested since military rule ended in 1999.

Nigeria is also battling an insurgency along its northern-eastern border.

Regional forces have been recapturing territory from the Boko Haram insurgents in the last six weeks.

A government statement said the borders would be shut from midnight on Wednesday to midnight on Saturday, local time, to ensure the vote went off peacefully.

Germanwings plane crash: Black box 'has usable data'

French investigators say usable data has been extracted from the cockpit voice recorder of Germanwings 4U 9525 but it has so far yielded no clues as to the cause of the plane's crash.

They said the plane hit the ground in the French Alps at great velocity, suggesting no explosion in flight.

Flight 4U 9525 from Barcelona to Duesseldorf crashed after an eight-minute rapid descent on Tuesday.

The French, German and Spanish leaders visited the crash site on Wednesday.

Remi Jouty, the director of the French aviation investigative agency, said there were sounds and voices on the cockpit voice recorder but that it was too early to draw any conclusions.

Top Gear Main Man Story Jeremy Clarkson

Jeremy Clarkson will not have his contract at the BBC renewed, in the wake of allegedly punching a producer. But how did he get to where he is now?

"In the competition between fame and fortune, you'd take fortune every day of the week," Jeremy Clarkson once said. "Fame is almost constant pain."

But the 54-year-old has made a career from being publicly controversial. The Top Gear host has managed to offend Argentines, Germans, Mexicans, Romanians and a host of others. Known for a fashion-proof love of tight denim, he's a friend of Prime Minister David Cameron and writes columns for two national newspapers.

Born Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, on 11 April 1960, to art teacher Shirley and travelling salesman Eddie, the star has described his early family life in a 400-year-old farmhouse as happy.

Charles Taylor to stay in UK prison

Ex-Liberian President Charles Taylor has been ordered to serve the rest of his jail term in the UK, after losing a request to be transferred to Rwanda.

He had argued that he was being denied his rights to a family life, because his wife and children had not been granted UK visas.

The judges rejected this argument, saying they had not properly applied.

A UN-backed court convicted him of war crimes over his support for rebels who committed atrocities in Sierra Leone.

The Special Court for Sierra Leone trial was held at The Hague on the agreement that he was jailed elsewhere.

The overseas venue for the court case was chosen in case the trial sparked renewed unrest in West Africa.

An act of parliament was passed to allow for Taylor to serve his sentence in the UK, at the cost of the British government, following his conviction.

Taylor was sentenced in 2012 and arrived in the UK last October, having unsuccessfully challenged the decision to be detained there.

Source: bbc

Zimbabwe expelled from 2018 World Cup

Zimbabwe have been expelled from 2018 World Cup qualifying for failing to pay former coach Jose Claudinei Georgini.

Football's world governing body Fifa said in a statement  it had taken the action "as a result of the non-payment of an outstanding debt".

Fifa added that Zimbabwe's Football Association (Zifa) failed to make the payments despite a grace period.

Zifa communications manager Xolisani Gwesela told BBC Sport that the body would appeal against the ruling.

"We have already started to engage authorities in Zurich," he said. "In any process you can appeal - just because a ruling has been declared, it doesn't mean the door has been closed."

IS 'accepts' Boko Haram's allegiance pledge

Islamic State (IS) has accepted a pledge of allegiance from Nigeria's militant group Boko Haram, according to an audio message.

In the tape, which has not been verified, an IS spokesman says the aim of establishing a caliphate has now been expanded to West Africa.

Last week, Boko Haram posted a message saying it wanted to join ranks with IS.

Boko Haram began a military campaign to impose Islamist rule in northern Nigeria in 2009.

The conflict has since spread to neighbouring states.

Growing influence

In the tape, a man - who describes himself as IS spokesman Mohammed al-Adnani - says: "We announce to you to the good news of the expansion of the caliphate to West Africa because the caliph... has accepted the allegiance of our brothers of the Sunni group for preaching and the jihad."

The spokesman also urges Muslims to join militants in West Africa, rejecting suggestions that Iraqi forces and the US-led coalition have recently had a series of victories against IS in Iraq and Syria.

The audio tape has not been independently verified.

IS aims to establish a caliphate, a state ruled by a single political and religious leader according to Islamic law, or Sharia.

Its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, is known to his followers as Caliph Ibrahim.

In the audio message posted on Saturday, the Boko Haram leader purportedly said: "We announce our allegiance to the caliph... and will hear and obey in times of difficulty and prosperity.

"We call on Muslims everywhere to pledge allegiance to the caliph."

IS has forged links with other militant groups across North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

In November, Abu-Bakr al-Baghdadi accepted pledges of allegiance from jihadists in Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

IS seized large swathes of Iraq and Syria last year. It still controls the key Iraqi cities of Tikrit and Mosul, despite a major ongoing Iraqi offensive on Tikrit.

IS jihadists have attracted condemnation worldwide for its brutal tactics - including mass killings and the beheadings of soldiers and journalists.