S.Africa convicts 20 for plotting to kill Nelson Mandela

PRETORIA  (AFP) – A South African court Monday convicted the last of 20 men accused of high treason for a plot to kill Nelson Mandela and drive blacks out of the country, in a trial that spanned nearly a decade.
The “Boeremag” organisation had planned a right-wing coup in 2002 to overthrow the post-apartheid government by creating chaos in the country.
Dozens of people were injured and one person killed in blasts that shook the Johannesburg township of Soweto in October 2002.
High Court Judge Eben Jordaan found that Kobus Pretorius was the group’s “master explosives manufacturer” and “took the lead in the production process” throughout the group’s bomb-making activity.
“He produced the bomb intended for president Mandela and explained to the others how it worked,” Jordaan said.
The Boeremag — Afrikaans for “Boer Force”, a reference to the descendants of the first Dutch colonisers — had planned to sow chaos through bomb blasts then take over military bases, replace the government with white military rule and chase all blacks and Indians from the country.
The trial took almost a decade and the verdict, read from July 26, almost a month to complete.
All 20 accused were convicted of treason, but only five of murder and the plot to kill Mandela, South Africa’s first black president.
Pretorius, the last to be convicted, apologised for his involvement.
“I was wrong and I want to ask forgiveness for every person who suffered loss and was disadvantaged by my actions. I am sorry,” he said after the trial.
Earlier Pretorius’ two brothers and father were convicted of treason as well as the plot to kill Mandela and the killing of a Soweto resident.
The woman died when a bomb explosion sent a piece of steel from a railway 400 metres (1,300 feet) through the air. It struck her in the head when it burst through her shack in 2002.
Pretorius distanced himself from his family in the later stages of the trial, saying he had come to new political insights.

Eid-el-Fitr Celebrations Disrupted By Gunshots In Kano And Plateau states

Eid-el-Fitr celebrations were disrupted in Kano and Plateau states on Sunday after gunshots were heard in Kano metropolis and in Farin Gada, North Jos Local Government, where 12 cars were also destroyed.
A policeman was reportedly injured when suspected Boko Haram members fired at a military roadblock along Maiduguri Road, Kano, while the police foiled a violent confrontation between Muslim youths and some residents of Farin Gada.
Trouble was said to have started when some Muslims youths, while returning from the Eid prayers  ground, allegedly hauled stones at residence of Farin Gada, Jos.
It was learnt the youth, who also allegedly brandished guns,  stopped at the Redeemed Christian  Church of God  at Farin Gada and allegedly destroyed no fewer than 12 cars parked on the church premises.
Their action angered youths of the predominantly Christian area, who poured out to revenge. It took the intervention of the Special Task Force who shot into the air to scare them away.
The Plateau State Police Command, in a  statement  by the Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Danjuma Azikiti,  condemned the act which it  described as “unfortunate”.
While confirming that no life was lost and no church or mosque was burned, the police  urged leaders of both Christians and Muslims to caution their members.
Army spokesman, Lt. Ikedichi Iweha, said the attack on the military checkpoint in Kano was repelled.
After shooting the policeman, the gunmen were said to have aimed at other security personnel who returned fire.
The gunmen resorted to shooting sporadically into the air before escaping into the Kundila Estate from where they said to have emerged from.
Immediately they  escaped, the entry and exit points of the estate as well as the neighbouring Daurawa Quarters were condoned off  by soldiers.
An eyewitness also told The PUNCH that the gunmen

23 Year Old Man Denies Having S*x With Goat At Gwagwalada

A 23-year-old man, last Thursday at an Abuja Upper Area Court sitting Gwagwalada, denied having sex with a she-goat he admitted to have stolen from one Hyacinth Ugwu.
Ishaya Kaduna of Gwako village in Gwagwalada was charged with theft and unnatural offence, contrary to Section 287 and 284 of the Penal Code.
Police prosecutor, Inspector Martha Paul, told the court that on August 2, one Hyacinth Ugwu, of Gwako village, in Gwagwalada area council, reported at Gwagwalada police station that the accused stole his female goat valued at N7,000 and later had a sex with the goat.
When the charges were read to the accused, he admitted stealing the goat but denied having sex with it.
Judge Babangida Hassan sentenced the accused to three months imprisonment or to pay N15,000 fines for the offence of theft and adjourned the case of sex allegation to September 26 for hearing.
In another development, the police have also arraigned a 24 year-old man, Ojoh Paul, before the same court over alleged joint act, criminal force, assault and causing grievous hurt which are offences contrary to Sections 79,263,264 and 240 of the Penal Code.
Police prosecutor, Inspector Martha Paul, told the court that August 6, one Ahmed Paul of Giri village, in Gwagwalada area council, reported at Gwagwalada police station that the accused and others, now at large, jointly used force to inflict injuries on his ears with a cutlass.
He further informed the court that the complainant was later rushed to a hospital, where he received treatment for 12 days at the cost of N35,000, adding that the accused confessed to the crime during police investigation.
The accused denied the allegation when the charges were read to him, while his counsel, A. A Oluwa, made an oral application for his bail, which was not objected to by the prosecutor.
Judge Babangida Hassan granted the accused bail in the sum of N200,000 with a reasonable surety in like sum, who must be a civil servant not below grade level 08 and must be residing within the court's jurisdiction.
The case was adjourned to October 17 for hearing.

Atlantic Ocean’s Fatal Surge Into Lagos

A violent ocean surge yesterday killed 16 people in Lagos including a six year old girl. So far, 6 bodies have been recovered.
Last night the Atlantic ocean conquered the boundary between it and the Kuramo Beach, sweeping away 16 residents.

Bill Gates's Better Toilet: His Foundation Seeks

You might not want to pack a picnic lunch for this summer event.
Researchers from China, Switzerland, Britain, the Netherlands, Canada and California have flocked to Seattle this week for the "Reinvent the Toilet Fair," a two-day showcase hosted by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Forget the bathroom humor. This is serious sh*t.
In a YouTube video calling for a "toilet revolution," the foundation called for "new ideas to help reduce disease and find new ways to turn crap into valuable stuff, like fuel, fertilizer, and fresh water."
The problem was put succinctly by Bill Gates, the Microsoft founder and philanthropist, in a tweet this week: "4 out of 10 people don’t have a safe way to poop - that’s 2.6 billion!"
Gates took on the mission of building a better toilet a year ago. As he recently told the Times of India, 1.5 million children die each year due to severe diarrhea caused by poor sanitation because they lack the kind of toilets that affluent countries take for granted.
"Finding a new toilet design that is as good as the flush toilet should be possible. It does not exist now," Gates said. "That's why we have been putting in money asking people to design a new toilet."
And not just any kind of toilet. As All Things Digital explained, "The toilets have to be hygienic and sustainable, discharge no pollutants, generate energy, recover nutrients and only need a tiny amount of water. Oh yeah, and they also need to have a cost of operation of a nickel per person per day."
In other words, "Reinventing the Toilet" was no job for a plumber.
Last year, the Gates Foundation awarded $400,000 in grants to eight universities to help them develop a better way to go. On Tuesday, the grant recipients gathered to report their progress.
"Two-hundred years ago we had the invention of the flush toilet and we've really not done anything in the engineering of the toilet since then," Carl Hensman, who heads the foundation's water sanitation and hygiene program, told MyNorthwest.com. He described one suggested method called "hydrothermal carbonization."
That's "a really big term that really represents a pressure cooker," he said. "What you do is take the fecal material and the urine and you'll essentially cook it under pressure and the material you get out of that has an energy you can use to fuel your cooker or you can actually use it as a fertilizer as well."
A team at Cal Tech wants to use solar power to break down feces and urine into hydrogen gas that could then be used as a backup power source at night.
At Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, scientists have another idea: microwave human waste into electricity.
Hensman said he hopes the various ideas can be combined to find one ultimate solution that can be put into practice in the field.
"There are pieces of each of their technologies that can be combined,"he said. "That's what we're really looking for is how can we pull everybody together to sort the solution out."

Madonna Sued for $10.5 Million by Anti-Gay Crusaders in Russia

•   lanis Morissette's Ne

Markus Schreiber, AP

Madonna has been sued for at least the second time on her MDNA world tour, NME reports. The latest legal action -- a $10.5 million lawsuit filed last week -- comes compliments of anti-gay activists in Russia, who didn't take kindly to the pop star's pro-LGBT statements earlier this month in St. Petersburg.

Performing on Aug. 9, Madonna stripped down to black bra and revealed the words "No fear!" scrawled across her back. She then urged fans to wave the pink wristbands they'd been given at the door as a show of support for gay rights.

"If you are with me, I wanna see your pink armband," Madonna said. "If you are with me, raise your arm and show your love and appreciation for the gay community. Are you with me?"

Among those not with her: the 10 members of the Union of Russian Citizens, New Great Russia party and People's Assembly who banded together to file the suit.

"We demand that she pay for moral damage suffered by St Petersburg residents as a result of her actions during the show on August 9," a spokeswoman for the Union of Russian Citizens said in a statement. "We must defend our right to normal cultural life without propaganda of values and views that contradict the Russian culture."

Anti-gay crusaders weren't the only Russian conservatives ticked off during Madonna's recent visit. The Queen of Pop also drew flack for throwing her support behind Pussy Riot, the female punk group that was then on trial for -- and subsequently convicted of -- speaking out against President Vladamir Putin.

Of course, Madge's troubles aren't limited to Russia. The St. Petersburg brouhaha comes roughly a month after France's far-right National Front party vowed to sue the singer over a concert video featuring a swastika superimposed on leader Marine Le Pen's forehead.

Police Arrest Special Adviser to Kogi State Governor Over Okene Killings

The Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Command, Mr. Muhammed Katsina, on Thursday confirmed the arrest of a Special Adviser to Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Karaku, in connection with the recent violence in Okene area of the state.

Karaku is a former Chairman of Okene Local Government Area.

The CP, during a media briefing in Lokoja, also said the command arrested a former Chairman of Okehi Local Government Area, Abubakar Adagu, in connection with the crisis.

Our correspondent learnt that the two former chairmen had been taken to Abuja for further interrogation.

Katsina stated that the command had identified the perpetrators of the shootings of the worshipers at the Deeper Life Church, Otite in Okene LGA , where 20 persons were killed.

Many other worshippers were also injured and are currently receiving treatment in hospitals.

The CP reassured the residents and relevant authorities of the determination of the police to get to the root of the matter.

He warned that anyone indicted in the ongoing investigation would be made to face the law no matter how highly placed.

He stated that only the security agents were empowered by the law to carry arms, warning that unauthorised persons found with arms and ammunition would be punished in accordance with the laws.

Katsina said a suspected armed robbery kingpin, Abdulrazaq Adama, aka Risky, who had been terrorising some parts of the state was arrested in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

He stated that 12 more suspects had been arrested for various crimes in the state, adding that they were already assisting the police in investigations.

It will be recalled that Katsina had, on Sunday, said 16 suspects had been arrested for the Okene shootings.

Three Killed As Car Runs Into Pedestrians On Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway

Three people lost their lives while two others were injured on Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway in Lagos on Thursday after a driver,  Oladimeji Olaniyi, lost control of his car, which rammed into the victims.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the incident occurred around Aluminium Village, inward Iyana-Ipaja, along the expressway.

An eyewitness alleged the driver of the vehicle, a red Peugeot 406 car with registration number, BM214EKY, was drunk and was on high speed when the accident occurred.

The driver reportedly hit and killed three people on the spot while two bystanders at a bus stop sustained injuries.

According to eyewitnesses, the driver suddenly lost control of the wheels and the car rammed into the victims who were on their way from the nearby timber market where they had gone to buy plywood.

Our correspondent also learnt that the vehicle plunged into a gutter after it had crushed the victims.

It was gathered that the driver of the vehicle was almost lynched by a mob but for the timely intervention of policemen attached to the Dopemu division.

He was   immediately  arrested and detained at the station. 

The sector Commander, Lagos Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Charles Akpabio, who confirmed the incident, said those injured had been taken to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.

He said the accident was caused by a burst tyre as well as high speed.

Akpabio said, “There was an accident involving a Peugeot 306 car with registration number DM 214 EKY around 1:25pm. Three people were killed while two others sustained injuries. The accident took place under Dopemu Bridge, around Ikeja/Iyana-Ipaja Road.

“The accident was caused by a burst tyre and high speed. The victims have been taken to LASUTH.”

The Deputy Police Public Relations Officer for the state command, Mr. Ozoanni Damasus, said it could not be immediately confirmed if the driver was drunk or not.

He however confirmed that the driver was in detention at Dopemu Division.

He said, “The driver, identified as Oladimeji Olaniyi, was coming from Oshodi, heading towards Iyana-Ipaja when he had the accident. He said his vehicle had a brake failure and skidded off the road, killing three pedestrians before plunging into a canal.

“One of the deceased has been identified simply as Tope and the police have transferred all the corpses to Isolo General Hospital Mortuary.

“It cannot be verified if the driver was drunk or not but he is in detention and investigations are ongoing.”

President Goodluck Jonathan Working To Prevent Attacks On Mosques, Churches During Sallah

A mosque in Maiduguri where five people were killed in bomb blast in 2011

Baring fears and uncertainties among thousands of Muslim faithful across the country on the celebration of Eid-el-Fitr and intelligence reports indicating that Mosques and other prayer grounds as well as Churches may be attacked by terrorist groups, President Goodluck Jonathan has directed the nation’s security chiefs to work around the clock during the celebrations to counter and prevent any attack.

Saturday Vanguard gathered that the Chief of Army staff, Lt. General Azubuike Ihejirika has directed the General Officers Commanding the Divisions to put their men on the alert to thwart any sinister plot while the commanders of the joint task forces in the north have received same directives from the Defence Headquarters.

On his part, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar yesterday summoned an emergency meeting involving the Commissioners of Police in charge of Counter Terrorist Unit at Force headquarters; the CP in charge MOPOL, CP Joseph Mbu; the CP Federal Operations; the CP Border Patrol and the CP in charge Federal Capital territory, Adenrele Shinaba whereby specific directives were given on ensuring watertight security across the country.

Disclosing that the Presidency and the security agencies were not taking the threats by the terrorist groups lightly, the source told Saturday Vanguard that both the General Officer Commanding the 1 division of the Nigerian Army, Kaduna, Major General Gani Wahab and the GOC 3 division, Jos, Major General Jack Nwaoga, were particularly tasked to ensure that perpetrators of any such terrorist acts, were taken out before they strike.

To this end, Saturday Vanguard gathered that the Army has deployed ‘specially trained Quick Intervention’ troops along the Kaduna-Kano Corridor while the Joint Task Force complement in Kogi state which is under his command are on red alert as the state is now assuming a notorious status for the manufacture and distribution of IEDS.

General Ihejirika was said to have drummed it into the ears of the GOCs and Corp Commanders that terrorists should never be allowed the space and time to unleash any more mayhem on innocent citizens thereby trying to hold the nation to ransom. Hence, it was time for the well trained, better equipped and visionary Nigerian Army personnel to put the terrorists where they belong.

On his part, the IG yesterday sent out a signal directing all Zonal AIG’s and State Command Commissioners of Police to take adequate measures to ensure the provision of water-tight security across the country before, during and after the celebration.

“Officers and men are to be deployed to ensure that the highways are effectively covered with motorized patrol teams. CPs are particularly mandated to personally ensure that all places of worship, recreation centres, resorts and other public places are adequately and effectively protected, to enable worshippers and the general public enjoy maximum fulfillment”, the signal said.

In addition, all Zonal AIGs and CPs have also been advised to ensure the provision of 24hr security around all government installations, facilities and other related valuable targets. The IGP warned officers who will be deployed during the period, to ensure that they comport themselves within the confines of the law. They must be firm but polite, civil and professional in the discharge of their assigned roles, giving due regard and respect to the fundamental human rights of all Nigerians at all times.

The IG emphasized that his commitment and that of his Management Team towards reforming and repositioning the Nigeria Police Force for greater effectiveness and efficiency is irrevocable, adding that by God’s grace, the battle against crime and criminality will eventually be won.

On the circulation of threat SMS messages warning worshippers and picnickers to stay off such places, the CP urged worshippers and picnickers to ignore such messages saying the aim was to create fear and panic among the populace. He noted however that the Police will investigate the source of such messages and get to the root of the matter.

Shinaba then released three dedicated phone numbers through which the command can be reached in case of emergency and when suspicious movements of persons were discovered. They are 08061581938, 07057337653 and 08032003913.

Meanwhile, the Inspector-General of Police, has felicitated with Nigerians especially, Muslim faithful, on the occasion of this year’s Eid-el-fitr celebration coming on 20th and 21st of August, 2012. He specially congratulates all Muslim faithful for a most successful Ramadan period.

Man Kills Step-Daughter's Baby, Removes Heart For Ritual

A 39 year-old man, Akpotejere Osuna has been arrested by operatives of Delta State Police Command for allegedly killing the eight day-old daughter of his step-daughter for ritual.

The slaughtered baby was the daughter of the step daughter to Akpotejere who was visiting her mother for post-natal care.

Osuna has allegedly made confessional statement to the police that he killed her for ritual.

He confessed taking the baby away from the side of her mother while she was sleeping, took her to a nearby bush, where he allegedly slaughtered her. Luck, however, ran out on him when he was arrested by the police who made a follow up of reports on the suspicious move by the suspect.

Delta State Police Command spokesman, Charles Muka who spoke with us on phone, disclosed that the suspect who was arrested at Jese Town, allegedly killed the baby, opened her up and removed the heart, the tongue and other parts. Muka said the suspect would be charged to court as soon as courts in the state resume sitting.

“The suspect sneaked into the house of the mother of the baby, took the baby into the bush where he murdered the child, cut of the heart and the tongue, wrapped them in a polythene bag, pocketed them and melted into the bush.”

Mr. Muka disclosed that upon report, the suspect was traced into the bush where he was arrested, adding that “he confessed that he was taking the parts to Ghana where he was going to make use of it for money making ritual.”

Father Apprehended For Sleeping With Seven Year Old Daughter For Seven Years

A 45-year old bricklayer, Elijah Olusesi who has been having sex with his 14-year old daughter (name withheld) since she was  seven, has been apprehended by members of O’odua Peoples Congress, OPC.

Elijah and his family were subsequently banished from the community after he allegedly confessed to engaging in the despicable act with his daughter.

We reliably gathered that the man was exposed when the sexually assaulted girl ran out of their home unclad in the middle of the night and was held by the security men guarding the community.

Upon interrogation by the security men, she told them that she ran out unclad because her father wanted to kill her with sex, adding that she could no longer bear
his sexual assault on her.

Quote
“I ran out when my father wanted to kill me with sex. He has been having sexual intercourse with me since I was seven years old and my mother knew about it. My mother and I ran away from him to come and hide here but we don’t know how he was able to trace us down here,” she reportedly told the guards.

Shade Olusesi, Eljah’s wife who is also a nursery school teacher in the neighbourhood, when queried by the community, said that when she caught her husband in the act with their daughter and reported the incident to her in-laws, they begged her.

She said that her husband equally begged her and promised that he will not repeat the shameful act again. She said she believed him, adding that to her utmost surprise, Elijah still continued the act with their daughter whenever she is not at home.

She added that her husband was sleeping with both of them simultaneously without her knowledge.

She said further that she stopped him from sleeping with her immediately she discovered he was having carnal knowledge of their daughter, adding that she had to run away with the girl from their former home to Adiyan in Ogun State.

She told the community that she did not know how her husband was able to trace them down to the remote village.

The Ekiti State-born bricklayer allegedly confessed to the crime after the OPC members took him round the community, and was banished from the community afterwards.

116 contestants for Miss World pageant in China desert city

ORDOS, China (AFP) – Global beauty queens dressed in shimmering ball gowns competed Saturday for the coveted tile of Miss World in the unlikely setting of a Chinese mining city on the edge of the Gobi desert.

Miss World contestant, Nicaragua’s Lauren Gabrielle Lawson Guerrero, waits backstage prior to a rehearsal for the final ceremony at the Ordos Stadium Arena in the inner Mongolian city of Ordos on August 17, 2012. More than 100 beauty queens from around the globe have descended on the northern Chinese mining city of Ordos on the edge of the Gobi desert ahead of the Miss World final on August 18. /AFP PHOTO

A total of 116 contestants — the highest number ever — took to the stage after a dance by a troupe dressed as Mongolian warriors at the start of the contest, watched annually by about a billion people around the globe.
This year it takes place on the arid and sparsely populated steppes of Inner Mongolia, where Ordos, around 700 kilometres (440 miles) from the nearest beach, makes an unusual venue for the world’s biggest beauty pageant.
Reigning Miss World Ivian Sarcos of Venezuela will hand over her crown in the futuristic Dongsheng stadium, which is surrounded by swathes of empty or unfinished apartment blocks.
Contestants made last minute preparations to their hair and make-up before the contest started. The smell of perfume permeated the red carpeted area, where an excited Miss Nicaragua was seen in a red ball gown, her high-heels making thudding sounds on the carpet.
Besides the traditional swimsuits and evening gowns, participants were also scheduled to don outlandish costumes, with some dressed as belly dancers and one, Miss Fiji, set to appear in an owl get-up.
The beauty queens have been in China rehearsing for nearly a month, soaking up traditional Mongolian culture by churning yoghurt in a nomad’s yurt and donning local attire to climb a sand dune.
The city, which has a vast town square dedicated to the mighty Mongolian warrior Genghis Khan, has grown rich over the last decade on the back of a coal mining boom that has transformed it from a sandstorm-afflicted backwater into one of the wealthiest places in China.
The boom triggered a frenzy of building in the city, but the local government has been unable to fill the vast tower blocks that have sprung up, earning it the title of China’s biggest ghost town.
Enthusiastic competitors seemed unfazed, expressing optimism that with the help of the pageant, the city could leave that reputation behind and take its place alongside other global centres of glitz and glamour.
“Ordos could be the next Dubai,” said Marielle Wilkie, representing the Caribbean nation of Barbados.
Albanian contestant Floriana Garo chimed in with her own bold prediction.
“In ten years, this city will be booming,” she said.
Architecture in Ordos — where the city museum is shaped like an undulating blob — is “world class”, added Markysa O’Loughlin, representing St. Kitts and Nevis, also in the Caribbean.
Contestants vying for this year’s title include a Kazakh doctor and a Peruvian medical student, but the bookmakers are tipping Miss Mexico, 20-year-old Mariana Reynoso, for the crown.
Other leading contenders are thought to be Miss China and Miss Nepal.
While the popularity of the contest, first held in 1951, has waned in the West, continued interest in Asian countries ensures that the final rakes in a huge global television audience.
Sweden’s Kiki Hakansson was the first Miss World, while Oscar-winning US actress Halle Berry was a finalist in 1986 and Bollywood star Aishwarya Rai took the crown in 1994.
Venezuela has produced the most Miss Worlds, with six winners, while India and Britain claim five titles each.
China has already hosted the competition five times, most recently in 2010 on the tropical southern island of Hainan.
In 2002, the pageant was moved from Nigeria to Britain after more than 200 people died in clashes sparked when a newspaper suggested the Prophet Mohammed would have chosen a wife from among the contestants had he been alive.