GONE TOO SOON! SINGER GEORGE MICHAEL DIES AGED 53.

The singer, who had a string of hits with the band Wham! in the 1980s, died peacefully at home, his publicist confirmed.

In a statement they added: ‘It is with great sadness that we can confirm our beloved son, brother and friend George passed away peacefully at home over the Christmas period.

‘The family would ask that their privacy be respected at this difficult and emotional time. There will be no further comment at this stage.’

Michael, real name Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, sold over 100million albums throughout his 40 year career.

The Last Christmas singer almost died from pneumonia in 2011 and had to postpone a series of concerts after being taken to hospital.

At the time he said it was ‘touch and go’ whether he lived.

Earlier this month, producer Naughty Boy revealed he would be working with Michael on new material. He called it ‘the most interesting collaboration’ he’d ever done.

He was also set to reissue his 90s album Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1. alongside a film featuring Stevie Wonder and Elton John.

George was meant to narrate the movie, with the working title Freedom: George Michael, and musicians Mary J Blige, Mark Ronson, Tony Bennett and Liam Gallagher were due to feature.

Listen Without Prejudice, featuring hits such as Praying For Time, Mother’s Pride and Cowboys And Angels, was his second solo album and was almost entirely written by Michael.

DOG EATS NEW BORN BABY ABANDONED AT A REFUSE DUMP IN BAUCHI STATE.

There was outrage, yesterday, at Gwallameji, the Federal Polytechnic Student Village, Bauchi State when a dog was found eating a new born baby abandoned at a refuse dump.

Reports are that several of such incidents have been recorded in the area with this coming less than four months after the lifeless body of a new born baby in a polythene bag was found at a refuse dump in the same area.

It was learnt that the incident attracted many people to the scene. An eye witness, who only gave his name as Isaiah, said: “I was coming back from church when I saw many people behind a house away from ours. I became curious and went to see what was happening there.

“What I saw there was disgusting and annoying. It was someone, who dumped a new born baby at a refuse dump and a dog was found eating it (the baby).

“From the look of things and from what I heard people say, the baby was abandoned alive but was killed by the dog.

“How can someone do this to an innocent child? How can a human life be treated with such levity? It’s so bad and inhumane.”

He said some of the onlookers dug a shallow pit and buried the remains of the baby just beside the refuse site.

Contacted on phone, the traditional Chief of Gwallameji, Hassan Ibrahim, confirmed the incident, saying he was not at the scene personally to see things.

He said: “I got a call from someone informing me of the incident but I told the person that I was not around. When I called the number back, I was told that Wakilin Sarkin Gwallameji (representative of the chief of Gwallameji), Sanusi Mohammed, was already there.

“Since he was there, I continued with what I was doing knowing that he would handle everything well. As I speak with you now, I haven’t met him yet for information on the incident.”

Efforts to get comment from the Police were fruitless as several calls put through to the mobile phone of the Acting Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Bauchi State Command, Haruna Mohammed, failed.

22-YEAR-OLD FRAUDSTER POSING AS GIRL ON INSTAGRAM ARRESTED BY RRS.

A 22-year-old part-time student of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Ogba, Lagos, Falope Oluwole Israel, who has been posing as a girl on Instagram to defraud unsuspecting people, was last week arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, of Lagos State Police Command.

Falope was reportedly arrested by officials of the RRS decoy team at a popular club in Ikeja City Mall last Thursday after trailing him for weeks. His arrest along with a colleague was sequel to series of monitoring by the officers and those that he was interacting with at the club.

It was gathered that the suspect recently celebrated his birthday at Hard & Rock, Lekki, Lagos, a week before his arrest, where he reportedly lavished over half a million naira on foods and drinks.

The suspect, a 100 level part time student, confessed to the crime, saying he had been in the business for more than two years.

The Police revealed that Falope’s activities on Instagram was placed under investigations following series of complaints about an Instagram handle @blackberbiedoll, used for criminal activities, which was later traced to him.

Apart from @blackberbiedoll, which he prominently used for fraudulent activities, he maintained @froshwhite007 and @froshwhite separately for same purpose.

THE VICTIMS' STORY
One of the complainants, simply identified as Bernard, stated that he got a friend request from @blackberbiedoll: “Apparently, the picture on the account was that of a lady. The lady in question messaged me on BBM. Honestly, I thought I was chatting with a woman, who claimed to be in Nigeria at the time.

“She lied to me that her father was a Nigerian and her mum, a Kenyan, and so we got talking. At a point, she lied that she was building a beauty outfit in Ikota Shopping Mall, VGC and that she was in need of some money to complete the mall.

“I had to transfer N1 million to her. Weeks later, I grew suspicious of the account name Olawole Israel Oluwaseun Falope. I ran a search on Google, and then discovered it was all scam.

“Immediately, I reported the incident to Instagram and that account was blocked and later suspended to prevent others from falling victim.”

Another victim, who preferred anonymity, explained how he paid N100, 000 into his account to support his bogus fashion outfit.

The suspect confessed that since he started the fraudulent act about two years ago, he had duped no fewer than 33 men pretending to be a lady on Instagram and that the least amount he received from any of them was N80,000.

He confessed: “When I started, much as I pretended to be a lady on phone, some men on the other side didn’t believe me. I then downloaded an app on Google which transformed my voice into that of a lady whenever I am having conversation.

“I got several pictures of Shayla, a pretty United States-based lady on my profile. Since then, men have been disturbing me and calling to request a date.

“What I do is that I assess people based on their appearance on Instagram, add them and thereafter open up conversations with them before I started bringing up all manners of stories in order to dupe them.

“At a point, I lied to most of them that I had an accident and I lost my ATM. I told them that I need some money. Some of them were generous enough to drop money into my account.

“I lied to them that I was putting up a boutique and saloon at Ikota, VGC and Lekki, and that I needed money to finish setting up.

“I know I made a mistake downloading Shayla’s pictures and used them for fraudulent purposes. I am telling you the truth, those that I have collected money from can’t be more than 33”, he explained.

Investigations, however, revealed that the owner of the profile pictures the suspect used, @Shayla, had complained to Instagram that some Nigerians were using her profile pictures to scam unsuspecting members of the public.

It was also disclosed that the suspect claimed to be a friend of Toke Makinwa, Tonto Dike, Don Jazzy, Peter Okoye, Toyin Aimakhu, Tee Y Mix, Oristsefemi, Timaya, Sean Tizzle, Dami Adenuga, Ramsey Noah among others.

“I know all of them. I attend lots of shows; I meet them, take photographs with them, even exchange numbers. Like sister Toke Makinwa, Tonto Dike, Uncle Ramsey Noah, these are the kind of celebrities I look up to and I want to be like them”, he stated.

But RRS investigators confirmed that he was following a lot of Nigerian celebrities on Instagram but at press time they could not confirm if any of them had fallen prey to Falope’s antics, as many of his Instagram chats with them got no response.

Confirming the development, the Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent Dolapo Badmos, warned Nigerians to be careful on the social media because scammers are on the prowl worldwide.

The suspect has been transferred to State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigations.

King Sunny Ade's Guitar Auctioned At N52m

A vintage fender guitar owned by legendary Nigerian musician, King Sunny Adé, was on Sunday auctioned at N52.1 million in Lagos.

The guitar which was auctiond by Dr. Jogun Onabanjo, Certified Auctioneer and Chief Executive of Onabanjo and Onabanjo & Co, is known to have been designed by Nigerian artist Victor Ehikamenor.

The glittering artistic piece was revealed at the King Sunny Ade‘s 70th birthday concert tagged Sunny on Sunday, which had an audience comprising of Nigeria’s richest and top celebrities.

The starting bid of nine million Naira was followed by a very competitive bid by the well-heeled audience consisting of influential businessmen such as Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Mr. Femi Otedola, and more closing at N52.1 million.

While the bid was in progress, the asking price for the guitar doubled to N17m under two minutes before exceeding the N50m benchmark in 15 minutes.

The winner of the auction is yet to be revealed.

The concert held at the Temple Balmoral Marquee, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Pics: WOMAN'S BODY COVERED IN ALMOST 6,000 TUMOURS.

A woman has revealed how her rare skin condition has left her with almost 6,000 tumours all over her body.

Libby Huffer from Fort Wayne in Indiana has suffered from a rare condition called Neurofibromatosis since she was five years old.

The rare skin disease causes non-cancerous lumps and she has already had ten operations.

She lived a normal life until her teens, when hundreds of bumps began rapidly developing all over her skin.

The first outbreak led to her being severely bullied – with people thinking she was contagious and cruelly labelling her ‘Lizard Breath’.

Things took a turn for the worst in 1993, when pregnancy hormones caused her tumours to multiply in the thousands.

Now suffering chronic pain – she has in excess of 5,500 bumps across her entire body.

Despite undergoing surgery to remove the lumps, many have grown back leaving Libby in chronic pain from her forehead to her feet.

Recently she braved showing her skin in public in the hope of trying to attract funding for specialist treatment, which she says is her last resort.

She said: ‘For the majority of my life I’ve covered up in long sleeved tops and trousers, but recently I’ve tried being brave by showing more of my skin.I try not to let it stop me.

‘Someday it would be wonderful not to have to worry about how I look, or what clothes will hide my bumps.’

Libby has started raising money for pioneering electrodessication surgery that will use an electric current to kill the neurofibroma tissue in her body.

The five-hour session costs almost £17,500 and could allow her a pain-free life without the stares and taunts from people for the first time in three decades.

She added: ‘My life would change so much if I had the surgery. I’m not contagious, I’m a human being too, all I want is to be adored and cared for like anyone else.’

MAN RAPED PARTNER WHILE SHE WAS IN LABOUR.

A woman was raped while she was in labour by her partner on her own bed, a court has heard. The woman began having severe contractions and tried to alleviate the pain by getting on her hands and knees.

But then her partner woke up, told her he was ‘feeling horny’ and allegedly started raping her despite her cries of pain and shouting for him to stop. After the attack he offered to run her a bath before she was taken to hospital to give birth four hours later.

Prosecutor Michael Greenhalgh told Hull Crown Court said the couple were in bed when the woman entered the advanced stages of labour around 11.30pm.

‘The defendant fell asleep but she did not. The contractions continued as did her discomfort,’ said Mr Greenhalgh.

‘She was in bed, naked as she normally would be. In order to try and relieve the pressure and the pain of the contractions, she got onto all fours because she had been told that was a way of relieving the pain. She was in that position when the defendant woke up.

‘He saw her naked on all fours and said “I feel horny”, to which she replied “are you serious?”. The defendant then got behind her and started having sex with her.’

Mr Greenhalgh said the man, in his 40s, did not listen to his partner’s protests.

‘She made it clear to him that that was not something she wanted or something she was consenting to,’ he said.

‘How did she do that? Well, in the first place it was obvious, one might have thought, because she was crying in pain from the contractions, but she also told him to stop it and said to him “please don’t”.

‘The defendant didn’t listen to that and continued having sex with her.’

Mr Greenhalgh said, when the man had finished, he then ‘acted as if nothing had happened’.

Following the baby’s birth, the man’s partner went to stay with her mother because the heating at the couple’s property was broken. After returning home to him, though, she decided to report the alleged rape to her family and police.

Mr Greenhalgh said initial texts between the pair after their baby’s birth were of affection and excitement because of their child, but that the tone soon changed when she went back home.

‘The woman will note two things precipitated that change,’ he said.

‘Firstly, she was back in the bedroom where this happened, which is a stark and uncomfortable reminder to her. And, he behaved in an inappropriate way with the new baby.

‘The child is crying and he wouldn’t let her pick the child up and refers to it as a “spoilt little s***”. It was at that point she decided she couldn’t forget what has happened.’

The man is denying the pair had sex.

ALLEGED PAEDOPHILE DRAGGED OUT OF POLICE CELL AND HANGED FROM A TREE BY VIGILANTES.

An alleged paedophile accused of raping and killing a four-year-old girl has been dragged out of his cell and killed.

An angry mob stormed the police station where he was being held, hauled him along the street then hanged him from a tree.

Earlier this week a child was found dead in Reyes, Bolivia, while visiting the area with her parents for her grandmother’s funeral.

But she vanished and when her body was later found, investigators quickly realised the little girl had been raped and murdered.

Hours after the body was recovered, police arrested a suspect. But without waiting for a verdict in a court case or indeed to find out what the evidence was against the suspect, angry locals soon stormed the station and took the man out.

They started beating him and it was soon clear that someone in the crowd had brought a rope. The man was hung on the street just minutes later.

Police officers were powerless and outnumbered and could not do anything to stop the public lynching.

Ivan Zambrana, the department director of the Special Force for Crime Fighting, told local media: ‘The dead bodies, both the girl’s and the lynching victim’s, have been moved to Palos Blancos [near Bolivian capital La Paz], the case is under investigation.’

Nobody has been arrested for the lynching, but the police are currently questioning locals and using social media videos of the incident in tackling the case.

Man, 40, Arrested For Impregnating 15-Year-Old Stepdaughter...

A 40- year-old man, Victor Emafolomi, has been arrested by men of Ogun State Police Command for impregnating his 15-year-old step daughter. The suspect, who lives on Olokosusi Street, Java Agbado in Ifo Local Government Area of the state, was said to have been arrested following a complaint from his wife, who is the mother of the said girl.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state Abimbola Oyeyemi, in a statement, said: “The mother, Taiwo Emafolomi, who noticed that her daughter is pregnant, pressurised the girl and she eventually opened up to her mother about how her step-father had been making love, which resulted in the pregnancy.

“The DPO, Agbado Division, CSP Abioye Shittu, detailed detectives to get the man arrested after a pregnancy test had been conducted on the girl, which came out positive.

“The Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, has ordered that the case be transferred to Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Labour Unit of the Criminal Investigation and Intelligent Department, CIID, for further investigation.”

THE SATAN 2. Russia Unveils New Super Nuke Which Could Destroy Britain Twice Over...

A nuclear missile, powerful enough to wipe out an area twice the size of Britain, has been revealed as Russia’s newest – and largest ever – weapon.

And it looks absolutely terrifying It was no secret that Vladimir Putin was seeking to replace his deadly arsenal of SS-18 weapons, branded ‘the Satan’.

However the power of the new RS-28 missile, Satan 2, could in fact wipe out an area the size of France.

It is believed to have a top speed of four and a half miles a second.

The first images of the super-nuke were revealed today by Kremlin engineers.

Satan 2, which is currently undergoing tests near Miass, is set to be rolled out by 2018.

According to the Daily Star, experts have warned that Russia’s new nuclear weapon will make the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki look like ‘popguns’.

In a statement alongside the first image, creators said: ‘In accordance with the Decree of the Russian Government “On the State Defense Order for 2010 and the planning period 2012-2013”, the Makeyev Rocket Design Bureau was instructed to start design and development work on the Sarmat.

‘In June 2011, the Russian Ministry of Defense signed a state contract for the Sarmat’s development.

‘The prospective strategic missile system is being developed in order to create an assured and effective nuclear deterrent for Russia’s strategic forces.’

Cameroon Football Legend And Former Liverpool And West-Ham Star, Rigobert Song Fighting For Life After Stroke.

Former Liverpool and West Ham star Rigobert Song is fighting for his life after suffering a stroke. The 40-year-old, who is former Arsenal man Alex Song's uncle, was rushed to hospital in Cameroon after suffering from a brain aneurysm and is now in critical condition, report the Liverpool Echo.

Song joined Liverpool for £2.7m in January 1999, but played just 35 times for the Reds before leaving for West Ham United in November 2000.

He also played for Galatasaray, Koln, Lens, Metz and Trabzonspor, winning 137 caps for Cameroon, including a gold medal at the 2000 Olympics.

Song is currently the manager of the Chad national team.

Former Liverpool team-mates Jamie Carragher and Robbie Fowler paid tribute to Song on Twitter, with Carragher tweeting: “Hope everything ends up okay”.

Fowler added: “Thoughts with Rigobert Song and family... hope he pulls through.”

Kim Kardashian West Robbed At Gunpoint By Men Disguised As Police In Paris.

Kim Kardashian West has been  robbed at gunpoint in a private residence in Paris by assailants disguised as police who made off with millions of pounds worth of jewellery. A spokeswoman for the reality TV star said she was “badly shaken but physically unharmed” after masked men dressed as police officers tied her up in the flat’s bathroom before fleeing the scene.

A Paris police official told the Associated Press that five armed men, who were still at large, stole a jewellery box containing valuables worth €6m (£5.2m) as well as a ring worth €4m. Police said the robbers escaped on bikes. Franceinfo reported that Kardashian West’s bodyguard had been handcuffed during the incident.

Kardashian West has been in Paris since last week for fashion week and had attended the Balenciaga show earlier on Sunday. The reality star had then sat in the front row at the Givenchy show, with her sister Kourtney and their mother, Kris Jenner, in a show of support of their sister, Kendall Jenner, who was modelling in the presentation.

The family has been uncharacteristically silent on social media since the report involving Kardashian West.

Her husband, Kanye West, had abruptly ended his performance at the Meadows music and arts festival at Citi Field in New York on Sunday night. He stopped midway through his performance of Heartless, citing a “family emergency”.

This was confirmed by the Meadows on Twitter.

Kardashian West is a prolific user of Twitter and Snapchat but, at the time of writing, she had not posted about the incident on social media. However, her name was trending on Twitter and Facebook as the report of the robbery spread, with many initially casting doubt on the story.

The Carpool Karaoke host, James Corden, reminded those making fun of the reality star that she was a “mother, a daughter, a wife, a friend”.

In a separate incident in Paris on Wednesday, Kardashian West was rushed by a man while getting out of her vehicle, prompting her security team to step in. A self-described “entertainment Hollywood reporter” from Ukraine had attempted to grab the model Gigi Hadid in Milan days earlier.

Kardashian West tweeted after the incident: “My security [Pascal Duvier] is a G.”

On Sunday, before the incident reportedly took place, she had joked about Duvier crashing her paparazzi shots.

IRANIAN PARA-CYCLIST DIES AFTER CRASH AT RIO PARALYMPICS

An Iranian para-cyclist died Saturday after a crash during a race at the Rio Paralympics. 

Bahman Golbarnezhad, 48, was involved in a crash in a mountainous part of his race's course. He received treatment at the side of the road and was on his way to the Paralympics' athlete hospital when he went into cardiac arrest, the International Paralympic Committee said. He was rushed to a Rio hospital where he died soon after arriving. 

“This is truly heartbreaking news and the thoughts and condolences of the whole Paralympic Movement are with Bahman’s family, friends, and teammates as well as the whole of the National Paralympic Committee of Iran," IPC President Philip Craven said in a statement. 

The Iranian flag was lowered to half mast in the Paralympic Village and there will be a moment of silence during closing ceremonies on Sunday. 

The International Paralympic Committee also said it would launch an investigation into the circumstances of the crash. 

Golbarnezhad also competed in the 2012 Paralympics in London. 

Golbarnezhad's death was the first during competition at any Olympics Games since 1960, when Danish cyclist Knud Enemark Jensen died during the 100km team time trial in Rome, BBC reported. 

The race Saturday took place on circuits also used in the Rio Olympics. 

RUSSIAN HACKERS LEAK CONFIDENTIAL MEDICAL FILES OF RIO OLYMPIC ATHLETES.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said Tuesday it had been the victim of an attack by Russian hackers who accessed athlete data related to the Rio Olympic Games.

A "Russian cyber espionage group operator by the name of Tsar Team (APT28)" gained access to WADA's Anti-Doping Administration and Management System (ADAMS), the agency said. They got in via an International Olympic Committee account for the Rio games.

Tsar Team, which has also been named Fancy Bear by cybersecurity company CrowdStrike, is widely believed to be behind the Democratic Party hacks in June. 

The information the group seized includes confidential medical data, for example Therapeutic Use Exemptions that permit athletes to use certain prohibited drugs if they have an illness or condition that requires that medicine.

The hackers have released some information into the public domain and have said more will follow.

The investigation into the breach is ongoing, but WADA believes spear phishing was the technique of choice and that other ADAMS data is unaffected.

Athletes affected include Serena Williams and Simone Biles. Medical reports listing drugs they were cleared to use are posted on the website of the hackers.

"WADA deeply regrets this situation and is very conscious of the threat that it represents to athletes whose confidential information has been divulged through this criminal act," said Olivier Niggli, the director general of WADA.

"WADA condemns these ongoing cyber-attacks that are being carried out in an attempt to undermine WADA and the global anti-doping system," he added. "WADA has been informed by law enforcement authorities that these attacks are originating out of Russia. 

"Let it be known that these criminal acts are greatly compromising the effort by the global anti-doping community to re-establish trust in Russia further to the outcomes of the Agency's independent McLaren Investigation Report."

Travis T. Tygart, the CEO of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, said the "cyber-bullying of innocent athletes... is cowardly and despicable."

ADAMS was also targeted in August, WADA noted on Tuesday, when hackers obtained the password of Yuliya Stepanova, the WADA whistleblower who helped expose systemic Russian doping.

Drake Buys His Neighbor's House, So Now They Can't Complain About The Noise...

“I’ll buy the neighbors house if they complain about the noise," claimed Drake on "Where Ya At" in 2015. 

In 2016, he followed through. According to Trulia, Drake purchased the $2.85 million home next to his mansion in Calabasas to create a sprawling compound. 

The ranch-style home has five bedrooms and a guest room to help Drake accommodate his really big team. It boasts several fireplaces for when turtleneck season finally comes to Los Angeles. 

The man who gets to touch Rihanna purchased his first home on the block in 2012 for $7.7 million. Kanye West, who Drake alleges has a smaller pool than him, lives a few doors down should Drizzy need to borrow a cup of sugar or make a joint album. 

Heartbreaking Picture Of Newborn Baby Saying Goodbye To His Twin.

A newborn baby hugging his severely sick twin for the first time since they were born.

The tiny twins, Hawk and Mason captured the nation with their adorable eyes and smiles – but their story ends in sadness.

Earlier this week, Hawk Buchmeyer passed away from a rare condition called Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH).

His parents, Brandy Guettler and Tommy Buchmeyer, knew his condition was life-threatening but urged people to pray for their little baby.

But on Wednesday, the family were forced to announce that their ‘sweet little man was called home to be with Jesus.’

They added: ‘He went very peacefully and we know he’s no longer suffering. Please give us some time to grieve and try to start the healing process.’

The picture of the two boys hugging went viral after the parents posted the photo so friends and family could see how the twins were doing, as they were far from their home in Fort Pierce, Florida.

Speaking to WPEC about the picture last week, Brandy said although Hawk was undergoing treatment for a rare birth defect, it was actually Mason who needed comfort from his brother.

Brandy said: ‘He was actually getting really fussy. And the nurse said, “Why don’t you try laying him down next to Hawk?” I said, “Can you do that?”

‘So we laid him there and all of a sudden as soon as he felt Hawk, he reached his arm out and grabbed him and just started to smile. The two of them knew they were there for each other.’

The family now hope the picture will raise awareness about the fatal condition which claimed the life of their baby.

'IRANIANS ARE NOT MUSLIMS', Says Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti.

Saudi Arabia's top cleric has declared that Iran's leaders are not Muslims and regard Sunni Muslims as their enemy.

Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul-Aziz ibn Abdullah Al ash-Sheikh was responding to Iran's supreme leader, who denounced Saudi Arabia's handling of the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.

The Grand Mufti said the claims of the Iranian Ayatollah were "not surprising" and accused Iran's leaders of being Zoroastrians, an ancient pre-Islamic Iranian religion.

Saudi Arabia's population is nearly 90 per cent Sunni and has long been at odds with the 95 per cent Shia Iran - two denominations that have been in conflict since the 7th century.

In remarks published on Wednesday, Sheikh Abdul-Aziz Al ash-Sheikh said: "We must understand these are not Muslims.

"They are the son of the Magi and their hostility towards Muslims is an old one, especially with the People of the Tradition [Sunnis]."

Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused the Saudis on Monday of "murdering" pilgrims caught up in the stampede during last year's Hajj.

Man Exchanges Two Siblings For Bags Of Rice.

An unidentified middle-aged man, Wednesday, abducted two siblings, who were returning from extra-moral class in Satellite area of Lagos. Thereafter, he exchanged them for two bags of rice in a shop at 63, Marwa Road, near Chemist Bus Stop. The children are aged eight and 13.

It was gathered that at the shop, the abductor told the sales girl that he would like to take two bags of rice to the mother of the children, whom he claimed owned a restaurant close-by, to ascertain whether the rice was the brand she needed.

The owner of the shop, Mrs Silverline, explained that “he (the abductor) told my sales girl that the mother of the children needed Indian rice, but my sales girl told him that what we had was Brazilian rice and that it was good.

“Thereafter, he made a phone call to someone he claimed was the mother of the children and at the end said he would like to take the bags of rice to the woman. But my girl insisted on following him to collect the money for the bags (N40,000) should the woman agree to buy them.

“The stranger said he would ride on a motorcycle with the bags of rice, while my girl followed with the children on foot. But on reaching the purported restaurant, the owner said she never saw any one with bags of rice, neither did she admit knowing the children.

“They walked to Ijegun end of Satellite without any sight of the abductor. When we asked the children about him, they said that the abductor was not their father.”

An eyewitness, Ifeoma John, said that immediately the abductor left with the bags of rice, a man who claimed to be the biological father of the children, arrived, alleging that his children could have been hypnotised by the abductor.

He contacted policemen from Satellite Division, who took everyone involved to the station, from where the children were released to their parents.

Chris Brown Arrested Following 11-Hour Standoff With Police After 'Pointing Gun At Beauty Queen'.

Pop star Chris Brown has been arrested at his home following a tense 11-hour stand-off with police, authorities have confirmed. The singer was held on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, Los Angeles Police said.

LAPD Lieutenant Chris Ramirez said: "He is being transported to robbery homicide, where he will be arrested for assault with a deadly weapon."

Ramirez declined to elaborate on the charges against Brown, saying that the investigation was still under way.

Officers surrounded the singer's home on Tuesday following a pre-dawn 911 call from a woman - later named as beauty queen Baylee Curran - who claimed he had pointed a gun at her.

Brown, 27, denies any wrongdoing and said on Instagram posts that he had woken up to find police outside and that they would need a warrant to enter the Tarzana property.

Lieutenant Ramirez said earlier: "This morning, around three o'clock, officers responded to a radio call for a woman requiring assistance.

"The incident involved the residence of Mr Chris Brown, where officers responded and met with that person."

Police spent hours waiting outside Brown's home before obtaining a search warrant and beginning a search of the sprawling premises in the early afternoon.

The singer's entourage began to emerge at around 12:40pm, before they were interviewed by police.

The singer himself followed two hours later, leaving the building at around 2:38pm wearing a white t-shirt, black jeans and a red hat.

He looked in good spirits as he spoke to law enforcement and a second person, believed to be his lawyer Mark Geragos.

A huge police presence had been at the mansion since early this morning, with the first time arriving at around 3am following reports he threatened Curran with a gun.

It was reported on Tuesday by TMZ that the singer was being investigated on an allegation of criminal assault, after Curran claimed he threatened her with a gun while at an LA residence, prompting her to call 911.

It was previously reported that authorities were waiting for a search warrant to be granted and were expecting the singer to "surrender" himself.

Brown's lawyer, Mark Geragos, is believed to have gone into the home at 12:30pm [PDT].

Several people have been seen leaving the property and coming out to the gate, where they've spoken to officers.

Police were called to Chris Brown's house in Los Angeles, CA
From inside the house, Brown posted a string of videos on Instagram, venting his frustration over the situation.

Soon after images of police outside Brown's house were posted to social media, with the singer then insisting he had done nothing wrong in an expletive laden Instagram video.

The woman at the centre of the drama was quickly identified as beauty queen Curran.

She revealed she had "partied" with Brown in the past and said he had always been "nice".

On Monday night she claims to have gone to his Tarzana mansion where they hungout in a hot tub and were having fun, until she admired a piece of jewellery worn by a member of Brown's crew.

Brown's team have yet to comment publicly on events. Mirror Celeb has contacted his rep for comment.

Four Men Stabbed On First Day Of Notting Hill Carnival 2016

Four men have stabbed on the first day which is the children's day of the Notting Hill Carnival 2016, with one victim left fighting for his life in hospital in London, U.K.

Thousands of partygoers flocked to the first day of the Notting Hill Carnival in a surge of colour and music, but one reveller has been left in hospital.

The vibrant street party’s 50th anniversary was a day of hard work for the emergency services.

London Ambulance Service said it had treated 345 patients and taken 43 to hospital by 7pm.

The man left fighting for his life was the victim of one of four reported knife attacks.

Scotland Yard said it had arrested 71 people over the same time for a variety of alleged offences.

These included two alleged sexual offences, 50 drugs offences, 20 counts of possession of offensive weapons, four counts of actual bodily harm, two of grievous bodily harm, one alleged theft and one public disorder.

At least 60 bands will perform and 38 sound systems will be in place over the two-day event, which continues over the bank holiday.

The carnival will end with its Grand Finale day on Monday.

A heavy police presence will continue into Monday as the Met has introduced advanced security measures, including a facial recognition system.

German Chancellor, Angela Merkel Escapes Assassination Attempt.

Police have made one arrested after a suspected assassination attempt on Angela Merkel was foiled.

An armed man in a black Mercedes 4×4 has been detained after he allegedly tried to infiltrate Angela Merkel’s motorcade during her trip to Prague.

Czech police spokesperson Josef Bocan said: ‘The perpetrator has been detained.

‘He is suspected of attempting to cause a crime – specifically an attempt to use violence against an official.’

Merkel was in Prague for a one-day visit to meet with Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka.

She was greeted with a hostile reception, including lines of protesters.

The suspicious vehicle appeared while her motorcade was approaching the outskirts of the city, after heading from the airport.

Bocan added: ‘The driver of the Mercedes refused to obey orders coming from police cars accompanying the German chancellor.

‘He tried to join the procession at all costs, cutting off a police vehicle that was trying to stop him. He only stopped and got out of the vehicle after police warned him that they were going to shoot.

‘Thanks to the professional actions of officers, Angela Merkel’s life was not in danger.

‘The incident is currently being investigated by Prague detectives.’

WhatsApp Is About To Share Your Data With Facebook – Here’s What You Should Know...

WhatsApp have shaken up their terms and privacy policy for the first time in four years.

Earlier we reported how the move opens doors for businesses to contact you via the app, but there’s a few other changes too. WhatsApp will now share your phone number with Facebook.

The people at WhatsApp were quick to point out that your encrypted messages will stay private, meaning you’re the only person that can read them.

But by sharing your data with the social media site, it will slightly change your Facebook experience.

You’re likely to see more people you recognise or have some form of communication with in the ‘People You May Know’ section.

And the ads are more likely to be from firms you already have an account with, rather than a company you’ve never heard of.

A statement from WhatsApp explains: ‘We plan to share some information with Facebook and the Facebook family of companies that will allow us to coordinate more, such as to fight spam and abuse, and improve experiences across our services and those of Facebook and the Facebook family.’

Adding: ‘Nothing you share on WhatsApp, including your messages, photos, and account information, will be shared onto Facebook or any of the Facebook family of apps for others to see.

‘This means, for example, although some information will be shared with Facebook (such as your phone number), that information will not be seen by other people on Facebook.

‘In addition, when you and your contacts use the latest version of our app, your messages are end-to-end encrypted by default. When your messages are end-to-end encrypted, only the people you are messaging with can read them – not WhatsApp, Facebook, or anyone else.’

Usain Bolt & Kasi Bennett Wedding Plans Off After Rio Olympic Cheating Scandal.

Usain Bolt’s alleged cheating scandal with a 20-year-old woman in Rio might have cost him a wedding to his beautiful girlfriend of two years, Kasi Bennett.

“Usain loves Kasi but he’s not in any rush to get married. His sister put that out there that he was getting engaged, but don’t count on that happening anytime soon. Especially with all the love and adoration Usain is getting now after the Olympics,”

He’s getting plenty of that adoration in the form of female attention in London, where he has been kicking back and partying after his triple gold medaling performance at the Rio games.

He was happily photographed leaving clubs with beautiful scantily clad women both Aug. 22 and 23, and marriage is something that looked pretty far from his mind. He even brought them back to his hotel later on to keep the party rolling and had a giant grin on his face in all the pics. “He loves the spotlight and everything that comes with it,”

It’s pretty clear he’s having the time of this life right now after his big wins in Rio. Since he won’t be competing in any more Olympic games, we’re sure he’s basking in all his glory now and things like marriage can wait until all of the excitement surrounding his wins dies down.

While Kasi has thrown shade at Usain for appearing in bed with 20-year-old student Jady Duarte via a WhatsApp video, she apparently is still not breaking up with him over it. After all, the nine time gold medalist doesn’t seem to mind coming across as a ladies man and even seemed showed little regard for monogamy in an interview before the Olympics. He told the U.K.’s Telegraph in July that, “Every culture is different. Jamaican culture is different, when you look at women and men having more than one…It’s different. I’ve noticed that in Britain, every famous person, as soon as they get famous, they have to get married – like, it’s a rule. And I’m like, that’s not fair!” Yikes, if that’s how he really feels about marriage, Kasi could be waiting a very long time to come.

Borno State Attorney-General Calls For Alimodu Sherif’s Arrest Over Boko-Haram.

Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Borno state, Hon Kaka Shehu Lawan has accused former governor of the state, Alhaji Ali Modu Sherif of being responsible for the growth of the dreaded Islamic terrorist group, Boko Haram, saying he should be arrested and prosecuted.

Lawan who spoke Tuesday at one of the sessions at the ongoing annual conference of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, in Port Harcourt said arrest of Sherif over his alleged role in the emergence of Boko Haram will assuage the feelings of millions that have been dislocated by the terrorist actions of the dreaded Islamic group in one way or the other. ,

The Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Hon Lawan alleged that Sherif who was a former governor of Borno state for two terms allegedly encouraged spread of the Islamic terrorist group.

Woman Pictured In Bed With Usain Bolt Said She Is ‘Dying Of Shame’.

The woman who apparently posted pictures of herself in bed with Usain Bolt has said she is ‘dying of shame’ after the images went public.

It has also emerged that student, Jady Duarte, is the widow of Rio’s most dangerous gangster, Douglas Donato Pereira.

WhatsApp pictures emerged today showing the gold medallist topless in bed with the mother-of-two.

Usain, who has a girlfriend of two years, appears to be kissing and cuddling the woman.

Talking to local newspaper Extra, Duarte said the response from the public has been ‘very negative’.

She said: ‘I never wanted to be famous, I’m dying of shame.’

The woman claimed she did not realise Usain Bolt was famous and described the night they spent together as a ‘normal’ encounter.

‘It was not a big deal. It was normal. I’d rather not talk about it – in order not to complicate matters. Like I said, it was normal,’ she added.

Duarte said she was at the club All In in the West Zone of Rio with friends when Bolt allegedly spotted her.

The sprinter, who turned 30 on Sunday, was pictured partying at the nightclub until the early hours.

A video, posted on Twitter, showed him dancing with another woman on the night.

Woman Drops Suicide Note And Disappears Due To Economic Recession

The whereabouts of a mother of three, Olubunmi Uko, said to have walked out of her Fola Agoro home in Somolu area of the state with one of her sons after leaving a suicide note, was still unknown at press time.

She had complained to a relative that her business had gone bad due to the exchange rate and that her debts had risen beyond redemption.

Uko, a businesswoman, reportedly walked out of her home last Friday evening with her last child, identified as Seun. She reportedly woke up her other children and informed them that she was going to visit someone.

The older children, Iyiola and Toni, allegedly woke up later to find a suicide note written by their mother.

A relative, who simply gave his name as Folu, told Reporters: “She addressed the suicide note to her children, her mother and to any other person concerned. She said nobody should bother to look for her, that she was going to jump into the river and end it all.

“She said she was tired of life. She also said that by the time the letter would be seen, she would have ended inside the belly of a shark.

“She had always complained of dwindling business due to high exchange rate. At a point, she complained that she owed people and had no means to pay back. She also said that she borrowed half a million naira to offset the loan, but decided to use it on her business with the hope to realise some gain, but that the money ended up sinking in the business.”

It was gathered that prayer sessions are ongoing at different prayer centres for her safe return.

Another relative, Mimnimah Uko, who identified the missing woman as her cousin-in-law, wondered why she would allow herself to be overwhelmed by the issues of life to the extent of taking such decision as solution.

The relative said: “Our prayer is for God to have mercy by ensuring her safe return and that of her son, Seun. We are imploring Nige-rians to please join us to pray.”

Crazed Cat Attacks Seven Pitbulls And Puts Dog Walker In Hospital.

It's usually dogs who chase after nI cats, but one feline turned that habit on its head in one bloody assault

A cat has caused massive injuries to seven Pitbulls in a bizarre animal attack.

The fighting feline been reported at the centre of a cat-dog role reversal as it went for the mutts - leaving one pooch and its owner requiring medical attention.

Kyla Grover was with the walking group called Pit Bulls of Victoria in Canada's British Columbia when she says cat sprang out of garden in Gordon Head.

“The dogs were walking by, completely minding their own business,” she told The Vancouver Sun.

“The cat just goes at all of the dogs, not backing down.”

"The pitbulls and pitbull crosses were leashed and none of them fought back," Grover said.

"They just began barking after the attack began."

Del Thompson said the sight of all the dogs would have been intimidating for his cat, Baby.

“She’s a watchdog and doesn’t know it,” he said. “Cats and dogs don’t get along too well sometimes.”

Grover said the dogs didn’t know how to react.

“The cat is swiping at them and latched onto one of the dog’s faces ,” she said. “I got bit and scratched in the process of trying to separate them.

“I spent the whole night at emergency because cat bites are nasty.”

Thompson and his wife agreed to pay the $222 veterinarian bill for the dog with the injured face, Bandida.

Bandida’s owner, Javiera Rodriguez, handed them the bill Tuesday and they wrote her a cheque. Bandida had several wounds, Grover said.

“The vet hospital thought it was a raccoon that attacked her. She’s on antibiotics.”

Rodriguez said she was relieved her pet didn’t lose an eye.

The attack isn’t the sort of behaviour people expect from a cat, Grover said.

“That’s not normal for a cat, cats are pretty skittish, especially when there’s seven dogs there.”

Both she and Rodriguez think the cat should be kept inside.

The incident shows that pitbulls don’t deserve the bad reputation they are sometimes stuck with, Grover said.

“Pitbulls are just like any other dog. They’re great family pets and they didn’t stand up for themselves at all, even when a cat was attacking them.”

Del Thompson’s wife Betty Jean, 78, said she is mystified by the public interest in the incident.

Thompson said she was tending her garden when a group of women walking seven large dogs approached on the sidewalk and one of the dogs showed a friendly interest in her.

Beside her lay Baby, the stray, cream-coloured cat that adopted the Thompsons almost 16 years ago.

“She’s kind of a slow sort of thinking cat, but one thing is she is very protective of me,” said Thompson.

Thompson said the dog crossed the lawn. She said she warned the woman walking three of the animals that a cat was nearby, and the walker immediately tried to tug her pet back toward the sidewalk.

Thompson agreed that her cat “set on” one of the pit bulls that was on the property, but she says the cat did not leap out of bushes to attack the dog.

“There is no ambush about it,” she exclaimed. “Somebody is blowing this all up.”

Beyonce Just Jumped Off A 30ft Yacht To Get The Most Epic Instagram Photo.

I am of the opinion that Beyonce is going for the most liked photo on Instagram after she jumped off a 30ft yacht – with Jay Z capturing the moment on camera.

The singer, who is currently in Sardinia taking a break from her Formation World Tour, was papped as she pencil dived off the super yacht.

Jay was on Instagram husband duties in a smaller boat underneath ready to snap her in action and we can’t wait until she posts the final image.

Footballer Dies After Being Shot With Police Taser

A former Aston Villa striker has died after he was Tasered by police.

The 48-year-old, named locally as Dalian Atkinson, died around 90 minutes after he was hit by a stun gun in Meadow Close in the Trench area of Telford, Shropshire, at around 1.30am on Monday.

A neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: ‘I had known him since he was a little boy, he was a famous footballer at one time. He was friendly, he had no trouble that I know of.’

West Mercia Police said officers were called amid concerns ‘for the safety of an individual’ and deployed Taser.

Mr Atkinson’s father, thought to be in his 80s, lives in Meadow Close and the footballer was believed to have been visiting him when police were called.

Neighbours said the retired star, who drives a Porsche, was well-known among people in the street, making frequent visits to the short cul-de-sac.

Speaking at a cordon set up by police to prevent people entering the street, local residents Matthew and Tina Bothwell said they were deeply shocked at Mr Atkinson’s death.

Mr Bothwell, 43, told reporters: ‘Every time he would come he would have crowds around him. It’s close-knit community.

‘I just can’t bear to think what his family are going through.’

Mrs Bothwell added: ‘He was loving, caring and got on with everybody in the street. He always got on with the kids because they absolutely loved his car.’

Local resident Paula Quinn said Mr Atkinson appeared to be ‘almost staggering’ in the street before he was Tasered.

Miss Quinn, who lives in a first-floor flat above a barber’s shop, claimed Mr Atkinson went down ‘like a lead balloon’ after being hit by the Taser.

The witness added: ‘I heard shouting and something smashing, which is what alerted me to look out of the window.

‘I am feeling a bit sick knowing that the poor lad has passed. I don’t care what anybody has done. Nobody deserves to die as a result of something like that.’