Man who shot ex-wife and son confesses on Facebook, says she deserved what she got

Earl Valentine had just critically injured his ex-wife and killed his
namesake son in North Carolina, authorities said. He was somewhere on a
dark road, possibly driving to Richmond to kill his former in-laws.

That’s when Valentine went on Facebook and started broadcasting live.

“She
lied on me, had warrants taken out on me,” he told the camera early
Tuesday, as he divided his gaze between the phone and the road. “She
drug me all the way down to nothing. I loved my wife, but she deserved
what she had coming.”

In his chilling Facebook livestream, which was later re-posted on YouTube, Valentine acknowledged that the violent chain of events he started could end in his own death.

“Pleasure
knowing all y’all,” he said. “I’ve been very sick for months. And this
is something that I could not help. So I don’t know if I’m gonna make it
where I’m going, but if I don’t, I wish all of you a good life.”

Police in
Norlina, a town of 1,100 people about an hour east of Raleigh, spent
Tuesday and Wednesday trying to unravel what caused Valentine allegedly
to kick in the door of his ex-wife’s single-story home and open fire —
and then admit to the crime on social media.

But more than anything, they want to find Earl Valentine.

Authorities
from the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service have joined local and
regional law enforcement agencies in a manhunt stretching from Virginia
to South Carolina, Norlina Police Chief Taylor Bartholomew told The
Washington Post.

Bartholomew said Valentine was carrying a pistol and a shotgun and is considered “extremely” dangerous.

He
said he talked to Valentine on the phone and described him as “cold and
callous,” saying he showed no remorse for the shootings.

“For
somebody that had just done something like that, he was calm but he was
aggressive,” Bartholomew said. “He was trying to pump me for
information. His main focus was to make sure his ex-wife was dead.”

Bartholomew
also quoted Valentine as saying that he wouldn’t be taken alive and
that he planned to kill his in-laws, then himself.

Keisha Valentine and her teenage son had moved to Norlina nearly nine
months ago to get away from her abusive ex-husband, Bartholomew said.

A
year-long domestic violence restraining order she was granted had
expired last month. But the police chief said there’s evidence that Earl
Valentine had exchanged heated words with his ex-wife’s family
on Facebook.

Still, it’s unclear what prompted Tuesday morning’s assault on Hyco Street.

About
1:30 a.m., Earl Valentine burst through the front door of the house and
marched to his ex-wife’s bedroom, Bartholomew said. Keisha Valentine
leaned against the door, trying to keep him out, but he managed to shoot
her anyway.

Their son, awakened by the commotion, confronted his father. But the teenager fell to the floor and was shot in the chest.

Before he died, he called police and told them what had happened.

Earl Valentine faces a first-degree murder charge in his son’s death, Bartholomew said.

Since
Facebook Live launched in April, millions have used the service to
offer a glimpse into the big moments and small details of their lives. 

The view isn’t always pretty.

Earl Valentine is the latest example of a person using Facebook Live to discuss a violent act — or to showcase the act itself.

In June, Larossi Abballa, a terrorism suspect accused of killing a French police captain and his partner in their home, broadcast the aftermath of the attack on Facebook Live. An
occasionally tearful Abballa, speaking a mix of French and Arabic,
swore allegiance to the Islamic State militant group and encouraged
others to follow his example and kill police.

A month later, a Georgia mother went on her daughter’s Facebook account to broadcast herself beating the teenager — punishment for posting sexually explicit pictures on the site.

“This
is my page now,” Shanavia Miller told the camera after she fixed her
hair. “Now I’m gonna need y’all to send this viral. Please share this
because I’m not done. More to come.”

A July shooting in Norfolk that injured three men was inadvertently captured on Facebook Live.
In the video, three men are sitting in a car, smoking and listening to
rap music. Five minutes into the video, there’s a series of 30 gunshots.

And after police in Minnesota fatally shot Philando Castile during a traffic stop in July, his girlfriend opened Facebook and began livestreaming the aftermath. The video was viewed millions of times, sparking outrage and widespread protests.

The
nascent live-streaming service is raising philosophical questions about
the power of unfiltered Internet video that can reach millions
instantly.

As The Post’s Caitlin Dewey wrote in July:

Facebook
Live, which launched globally in April, has quickly emerged as one of
the Internet’s dominant platforms for streaming unfiltered, real-time
video. As Facebook has learned in the past week, however, that status
comes with unique challenges.

Real-time video is exceedingly
difficult to moderate, as it reaches its largest audience
instantaneously and can be redacted only after that moment of impact.
That limits the power of even a dedicated, 24-7 moderation team, which
Facebook Live has. Despite growing concern that the tool could be abused
— several shootings, a police standoff and an accused jihadist’s confession
have streamed on Facebook already — the company has remained
intentionally (and characteristically) vague on the composition and
guidelines of its moderation team.

Study: Sex raises heart attack risk in older men

A new study has some unpleasant news for ageing men: Having lots of enjoyable sex may put them at a greater risk for heart complications.

The study, published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, looked at 2,204 people between the ages 57 to 85. The people were interviewed again five years later, in an effort to understand how sex impacts people’s health later in life.

The report authors found that men who reported having at least weekly sex were more likely to report experiencing heart problems when they were interviewed again a few years later, compared to men who were not sexually active.

“Older men who found sex with their partner extremely pleasurable or satisfying had higher risk of cardiovascular events than men who did not feel so,” said study author Hui Liu, an associate professor of sociology at Michigan State University in a statement.

Women, however, did not experience any increase in heart health problems with more sexual activity. In fact, women who reported feeling highly satisfied with their sex life had a lower risk of high blood pressure years later, compared to women who didn’t hold the same level of satisfaction.

The study had found a link between heart problems and sex, but it’s not definitive. More studies are needed to gain a clearer understanding of the benefits and risks of sex later in life, and whether the amount of sexual activity matters as people age.

Liu recommends men have conversations with their physicians about their health and sexuality.

Why might men have a higher risk for heart issues? While sex is shown to have health benefits, including better heart health, overdoing it late in life could be problematic, the study authors suggest.

Overall, older men tend to have more sexual complications compared to younger men, and Liu argues that the exertion to reach orgasm could be causing heart stress.

It’s also possible that medications men take to improve their sexual performance, like testosterone therapy, could be playing a role.

However, the researchers did not look at this connection in the study.

Market Fundamentals Still Support N135-N145 Pump Price, Says PPPRA, Marketers

The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) and key oil marketers in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector have said that the current fundamentals guiding the importation and sale of petrol in the country were still favourable for petrol to be sold within the government-approved pump prices of N135 to N145 per litre.

The PPPRA and marketers which include the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), and Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA) stated this after an emergency meeting with the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu in Abuja.

The meeting, according to a statement from PPPRA, was convened by Kachikwu as a response to recent news of a possible increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

It was attended by the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Dr. Maikanti Baru, the Acting Executive Secretary of PPPRA, Mrs. Sotonye Iyoyo, the Acting Executive Secretary of Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF), Ahmed Bobboi, as well as the Executive Secretary of MOMAN, Obafemi Olawore, and the Executive Secretary of DAPPMA, Olufemi Adewole.

The statement was however signed by the trio of Iyoyo, Olawore and Adewole, and it stated: “The meeting reviewed the state of the downstream sub-sector, especially as it relates to products supply, distribution, pricing and FOREX sourcing. The meeting also reviewed recent concerns expressed at certain quarters, on the sustainability of the current PMS price band.”

“After exhaustive deliberations, stakeholders present were in the affirmative that the speculations of an imminent upward price review of PMS was unfounded. This position is premised upon the fact that the current market fundamentals, as captured on the PPPRA pricing template for PMS, confirmed that the market is operating within the existing price band of N135-N145 per litre.

“The claim is therefore both unfounded and deceptive, as there is no basis for pricing speculations as being circulated within the last few days,” it added.

The PPPRA from this, assured that the country will continue to have an uninterrupted supply and distribution of petroleum products.

It said the promise was in line with its overall goal of facilitating a vibrant and robust downstream sector, and that Kachikwu has also assured of the federal government’s continued commitment to the welfare and well-being of all Nigerians.

Former Group Managing Directors of the NNPC had last Saturday stated that the that the price cap of N145/litre on petrol was not consistent with the liberalisation policy of the government especially with the foreign exchange rate and other price determining components such as crude cost, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) charges, remaining uncapped. They thus suggested that the government’s cap on pump price be taken off to allow for market parity.

Man Told Court he was Involved in Rape Because his Wife Starved him of Sex

A middle-aged father, Ojo Adewole, on Wednesday told an Ikole Customary Court in Ekiti that he was involved in rape because his wife starved him of sex.

Adewole, who made this known when he testified in a divorce petition by his wife, Omotayo,35, admitted being involved in a rape case but blamed it on the wife.

He said, “Your honour, my wife had always starved me of sex. Instead of taking care of me and the house, she went about partying and making friends.

“My wife is simply wayward and the family had always supported her deeds.

“Your honour, I may not have the moral justification to ask for the preservation of the marriage, but I am praying the court to reduce my monthly financial obligation to my children to N5,000.”

“My prayer for the slashing of the upkeep money hinges on the fact that I have just been released from detention and I do not have any tangible source of livelihood at the moment.’’

Omotayo had told the court that Adewole had been “sexually unruly’’, adding that he had gambled out their collective property and money.

She said, “Your honour, my husband is so addicted to gambling to the extent of using my three cell phones, cooking stove and other house utensils to gamble.

“His habitual drunkenness made him to beat me so often.

“He is not also responsible for the upkeep of our five children as he evades paying their school fees. Your honour, I am tired of the marriage and I want it dissolved forthwith.”

She further said, “The father of my children does not have respect for her family members even though all of us stood by him when he was involved in a rape case.’’

The mother of five had sought for the custody of all the children and prayed the court to compel the respondent to assign some amount monthly for their upkeep.

In her Judgment, the President of the court, Mrs Yemisi Ojo, dissolve the 15-years-old marriage between Omotayo and Adewole for promiscuity and gambling lifestyle.

Ojo held that the petitioner’s request had merit and “in the light of the evidence before the court it is clear that the respondent’s lifestyle had put off the feelings the petitioner initially had for him.

“It is appropriate in the circumstance for parties to be allowed to go their separate ways.

“I, therefore, order that the custody of the children from the union would remain with the petitioner,’’ the president held.

Ojo said: “the respondent is ordered to give his ex-wife the sum of N10, 000 monthly for the upkeep of the children on monthly basis.’’

(NAN)

Man on trial for raping nine boys in Kano

A 28-year-old man, Alhassan Musa, on Wednesday appeared in a Magistrates’ Court sitting at Audu Bako Secretariat, Kano, for allegedly sexually abusing nine under-age boys.

Musa of Gwammaja Layin Jirgi, Kano, was charged with unnatural offence, contrary to Section 284 of the Penal Code.

Prosecutor Suleiman Danladi had told the court that parents of two of the abused minors, Ahmed Musbahu and Fatihu Hibbu, jointly reported the matter on July 24.

Danladi said that on July 18, the accused person lured the nine minors between the ages of 11 and 12 to defile them at separate times.

He said, “Your Worship, from our investigation, the accused lured the minor into his Shop at Gwammaja Layin Jirgi Quarters to have unlawful sex with each of them through their anus.

“He had his way at different occasions to perform the unlawful carnal knowledge of the children by offering them N100.”

The accused person pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Chief Magistrate, Muhammad Jibril, however, remanded the accused in prison custody, and adjourned the case till Sept. 29 for mention.

(NAN)

Is this love? A China man was publicly turned down by his love interest after staging an elaborate and creative proposal

A man in China staged a public proposal for his best friend, Mumu, using a great number of her favorite fruit. He laid out 999 pomelos in the shape of a heart, the fruits are a bit larger than grapes and in Mandarin, the word pomelo means "you". He even accompanied it with a one man show and a bunch of flowers singing:

“She is my idol. She likes eating pomelos, so I’ve bought a lot of them for my proposal.” But Mumu rejected him. 

“I don’t like you", she allegedly told the lovestruck fellow. I have been treating you as my best friend. But I’ll keep the pomelos.”

Mumu told local press that bystanders who'd witnessed the fruity exchange then proceeded to help themselves to the pomelos.

Edo guber: APC behind call to postpone Saturday’s election – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of allegedly sponsoring the call for the postponement of Saturday’s governorship election by some students ‎currently sitting the 2016 West African Senior School Certificate Examination in the state.

It described the call as a alleged ploy by the APC to delay the election because it was afraid of a defeat.

The state Chairman of the party, Chief Dan Orbih, who spoke on Tuesday in Benin, said, “I think this protest is being organised by the APC. I do not think they are prepared for the election. It is obvious that what is awaiting the APC come Saturday is defeat.

“So, they are now urging people to go to the streets to request the postponement of the election. What I must say hear is that if they hold the election on Saturday, APC will be defeated.

Orbih noted that the affected WASSCE candidates should have asked WAEC to postpone the examination rather than the election, which he said was long overdue.

He added “If through their organised protest, using thugs‎ to demonstrate that they are students that will be affected if we go ahead to do the election and, as a result, they decide to postpone the election, they will only delay the evil day.”

Efforts to reach the leadership of the APC in the state for comments were not successful.

However, the Commissioner ‎for Information, Kassim Afegbua, dismissed the allegation, adding that the APC had nothing to fear as the opposition party had long been decimated

According to Afegbua, the PDP had shown that it was less concerned about the education of the youths and did not understand its value.

The commissioner said, “How can? How possible is it that the ruling party will be afraid of rickety opposition party that has been decimated over the years?

“We pity them (PDP). They do not value education, so the issue of WASSCE does not bother them.”

Yaya Toure omission will see Man City fans in Africa support United - agent

Manchester City will lose fans across Africa because of the way Yaya Toure has been treated by Pep Guardiola, according to the Ivory Coast midfielder's agent.

Toure, 33, has since been left out of the squad for the Champions League group stage with UEFA rules forcing Guardiola to drop an overseas player with only 17 of his 18 foreign players eligible.

His adviser, Dimitri Seluk, believes the decision to omit the four-time African Player of the Year winner will not be popular on his home continent.

"They will lose a lot of millions of supporters from Africa because of this decision from Guardiola," Seluk told Sky Sports. "Now they will support Manchester United. A lot of people in Africa say they will never see any more matches of City on TV."

Toure has not featured in the starting lineup or even on the bench for any of City's three Premier League fixtures this season.

His only appearance came in the Champions League playoff second leg against Steaua Bucharest with the tie effectively over following City's 5-0 win in Romania.

Toure, who has been with City for six seasons winning two Premier League titles and three domestic cups, is in the final year of his contract at the Etihad.

He will be free to sign a pre-contract agreement with a club outside of England in January and Seluk believes that there will be plenty of interest from clubs in Europe and around the world.

"Yaya in January can sign a pre-contract agreement with clubs abroad," he added. "He will have many offers from clubs. China and America of course they want him but we will have a lot of offers from England and Europe.

"He is in very good shape, very good condition, I think he lost seven kilograms.

"Maybe that's not good enough for Guardiola, but then Zlatan Ibrahimovic wasn't good enough for him [at Barcelona]."

Toure is still eligible to play in the Premier League but is not expected to be recalled to the squad for Saturday's clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford despite the absence of suspended striker Sergio Aguero.

My wife is an ‘unrepentant adulterer’, man tells court

Adeshina, a 40-year-old, who resides at Ipinyewi, off Aroro Adamo Road in Ikorodu, told the court that his wife, Oluwatoyin, was an “unrepentant adulterer’’.

Worried by his wife’s adulterous acts, Mr Azeez Adeshina, on Wednesday approached the Ikorodu Customary Court in Lagos State to annul his 22-year-old marriage.

He asked the court to dissolve the union since the woman was no longer staying with him since 2007.

He said, “I caught her red-handed committing adultery.

“She incited some people to beat me almost to the point of death and the people confirmed this to me after carrying out her orders.

“I cannot imagine being associated with a person that is not under my roof and still bears my name.

“My estranged wife does not care about her image as a wife; she takes pleasure in living outside my home so that she can continue with her adulterous acts.

“I need to move on in life and regain my sanity and that is why I want to divorce her,’’ he told the court.”

The petitioner, a bricklayer, also said he wanted to be separated from Oluwatoyin because she had been endangering the lives of their four children.

Adeshina added: “I have always told her that I do not want her to cross highways with my children where there is a pedestrian bridge but she refused.

“I do not love her again and I do not want her to bear my name any longer.’’

Meanwhile, the respondent, Oluwatoyin who is also 40 years old, accused the petitioner of failing to pay her dowry.

`She said, “Azeez is not a caring person and he finds it difficult to care for me and the children.

“He abandoned me after an accident I had and asked my father to care of me instead.

“Any claim of his that I kidnapped two of our children and harassed him is false.”

She said she moved out of his house because the husband was making life unbearable for her.

In his ruling, the court’s President, Mrs Abiola Omolara, ordered the couple to maintain peace pending when the case would be disposed off.

She said, “I want the two of you to continue to ensure that the children remain in school because you should not allow your misunderstanding to affect their education.

“I will further urge the two of you to discuss the way forward to resolve this crisis and let the court know your resolutions.”

The case has been adjourned to Sept. 18 for continuation of trial.

(NAN)

‘We don’t give businessmen, entertainers Police protection’

Niger State Police Command on Wednesday confirmed that businessmen and entertainers are not constitutionally entitled to private Police protection in the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, in an interview with our correspondent in Minna, said that the primary role of the Police is to protect lives and property of the people. “We are not part of anything short of that,” he said.

Elkana said, “If you look at the bulk of our men, they are being deployed on patrol duties. We don’t even have enough, not to talk of giving businessmen and entertainers private police protection.”

He, however, said that there are classes of individuals who, by virtue of their positions, are entitled to Police protection.

Such classes include governors and tehir deputies, chief judge of states, high court
judges, Speakers Houses of Assembly, local government chairmen, and former heads of State.

SSS releases wanted journalist, Ahmad Salkida

A Nigerian journalist, Ahmad Salkida, who was taken into custody on Monday, weeks after being declared wanted by the army, has been released.
Some sources reported that Mr. Salkida was released on Tuesday evening by the state security service (SSS), more than a day after he was arrested at the airport in Abuja.
Mr. Salkida was declared wanted on August 14 alongside two others. The two turned themselves in the second day and were subsequently granted administrative bail.
The journalist was accused of aiding Boko Haram. Authorities also raised issues about the way he was sourcing video recordings from the sect. He, however, denied the allegations when quizzed by SSS officials.
Mr. Salkida was released without conditions while all documents and devices confiscated from him were returned.

Panama Papers: Denmark buys leaked data to use in tax evasion inquiries

Denmark has become the first country in the world to buy data from the Panama Papers leak, and now plans to investigate whether 500-600 Danes who feature in the leaked offshore archive may have evaded tax.

Denmark’s tax minister, Karsten Lauritzen, said he has paid DKK9m (£1m) for the information, which comes from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca. He said an anonymous source approached the Danish government over the summer.

The source sent over an initial sample of documents and the government reviewed them. After concluding they were genuine, it secretly negotiated support for the controversial deal from political parties in parliament, the minister said.

“Everything suggests that it is useful information. We owe it to all Danish taxpayers who faithfully pay their taxes,” Lauritzen said, admitting that he had originally been “very wary”. He added: “The material contains relevant and valid information about several hundred Danish taxpayers.”

The Panama Papers, published in April, were the biggest leak in history. The archive includes 12.7m documents. There are details of offshore companies – half of them incorporated in the British Virgin Islands, a UK tax haven – as well as of secret “beneficial owners”.

An anonymous source, “John Doe”, gave the archive to the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung. An international consortium of journalists from 180 media organisations including the Guardian examined the leaked files, which featured several heads of state and politicians.

It is unclear if John Doe is the same source who sold information to the Danes. Lauritzen said he did not know who the source was. The government communicated with him – or her – via encrypted channels, he said, after being put in touch by a tax authority in another country.

This raises the prospect that other European countries may discreetly be buying data on their own citizens. In 2014, German tax officials paid about €1m (£850,000) for files from a much smaller Mossack Fonseca leak. They carried out raids on customers of Commerzbank, suspected of evading tax.

Source: The Guardian UK

National Assembly to reconvene Sept. 20

The National Assembly Management on Tuesday announced the postponement of resumption date for Senate and House of Representatives from Sept. 13 to Sept. 20.

Clerk to the National Assembly, Sani Omolori, in a statement, requested all lawmakers to resume sitting on the rescheduled date.

The National Assembly had on July 21 proceeded on a seven-week recess to resume on Sept. 13.

“This is to inform all Distinguished Senators and Honourable Members of the National Assembly that resumption date of both Houses in plenary has been rescheduled from Sept. 13, 2016 to Sept. 20, 2016.

“All distinguished Senators and Honourable Members are by this notice, requested to resume sitting in plenary on Tuesday,” the statement said.

'Empire' is coming back! Mariah Carey hits the studio

Mariah Carey is set to guest-star on Empire after years of rumors. Good friend (and Precious director) Lee Daniels has been teasing a Carey cameo since the first season and decided enough was enough. “I said, ‘It’s time to put Mariah on the show because I am going to be a liar to the world and to her,’” says the show’s co-creator and EP with a laugh.

Carey will portray Kitty, a singer brought in by Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) to duet with Jamal (Jussie Smollett). The Lyon matriarch thinks working with a star as big as Kitty will help her son deal with his PTSD and stage fright after being shot near the end of last season. “She’s the one that sees everybody’s always telling Jamal what to do,” says Smollett. “From Lucious to Cookie to the media to his fans. Kitty is a person who’s a much bigger star than Jamal and she’s there to kind of be like, ‘Stop. He’s human.’”

An unabashed Carey fan, Smollett says it was a surreal experience. “I’m just like, ‘Yo, that’s Mariah Carey talking to me, telling me how to sing something on a duet with her,’” he says excitedly. “Get the f—k up out of here!”

While Carey is currently slated only for the Oct. 5 episode, Daniels says he hopes Kitty will return and promises her Empire wardrobe is appropriately dramatic. Teases Daniels, “Lots of hair and fishnets and stilettos!”

Empire returns on Sept. 21 at 9 p.m. ET on Fox.

#BlackLivesMatter shut down London City Airport for 5+ hours

A gang of protesters shut down a London airport on Tuesday after exposing astonishing security lapses that sparked terror fears.

Passengers faced major delays after Left-wing activists imitating the US ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement invaded London City Airport.

Nine campaigners appear to have used an inflatable dinghy to row to the airport where they breached security. They set up camp on the runway with a wooden tripod to which they chained themselves.

Experts fear the ease with which the group were able to storm the sensitive site could inspire jihadists intent on a fresh atrocity.

On Tuesday night, the airport faced serious questions about its security regime after it was revealed that only a waterway and a small fence stood in their way.

Despite the security alert caused by the morning’s protest, a Daily Mail journalist was still able to walk to within 20ft of the runway, with just a narrow stretch of water blocking their path.

Officials tried to play down the threat by pointing out the site was closed when the breach took place but said it will be “thoroughly investigated”.

The protest is the latest in a series by a British group copying the US campaign against the killing of black people by police.

Last month campaigners chanted “no justice, no peace” during similar short-lived blockades which caused chaos at Heathrow and Birmingham airports.

Tuesday’s protest at London City Airport was undertaken by an all-white group who insisted other white people must “take responsibility” as they are “privileged through racism”.

The mayhem began at 5.40am when the nine protesters chained themselves to a tripod in the middle of the tarmac to campaign against the UK’s “racist climate change”. They are believed to have accessed the site by rowing an inflatable rubber dinghy across part of the Royal Docks, which surround the runway and are fed by the Thames.

Officials admitted that while police patrol the perimeter 24 hours-a-day, security staff are only present when the airport is open.

The protest caused the cancellation of dozens of flights to destinations across Europe and severe delays to others. Some arrivals were diverted to Southend and Gatwick.

Among the flights scrapped were those to Geneva, Milan, Luxembourg, Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Zurich, Mallorca and Malaga.

Dozens of police officers were called to the scene before entering into protracted negotiations with the group. Eventually cutting equipment, ladders, a set of aircraft steps and even crash helmets were brought in to free the activists safely.

After six hours all the protesters were successfully removed and arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass, being unlawfully airside and breaching local bylaws.

Later, in inflammatory online messages, the group tried to justify their actions claiming it was “white allyship under black leadership”.

Spokesperson Jacob Oti, 22, attempted to link the protest to global warming, saying: “It’s about 200 million climate refugees by 2050.”

In a further statement the group claimed black people are “28 percent more likely to suffer air pollution” and that the airport was allowing a “wealthy elite” to fly around the world.

Passengers were furious. Joy Lindsay, 84, who was heading to Palma in Mallorca, said: “The people on the runway should have been plopped in a dumper truck and dragged off.

“Imagine if it was a group like Islamic State. If these protesters can carry a pole they could easily have smuggled a small rucksack containing a bomb or anything like that.

“Why do these protesters think people will be sympathetic towards them after they have caused this mayhem for no good reason?”

Counter-terrorism expert and ex-Scotland Yard officer Chris Phillips branded the protest “highly irresponsible”. He said: “They are putting themselves in danger of being shot by police who have to be prepared to deal with terrorists trying to bring planes down.”

Responding to criticism of the airport’s security, a spokesman said: “The runway is surrounded by water which provides a natural first barrier to access.

“Our operations team are mobilised at all times while the airport is open, patrolling the airfield to ensure it is safe and secure.

“In addition, a dedicated police team carry out 24 hour patrols of the perimeter. The protesters accessed the runway while the airport was closed and therefore did not pose a threat to passengers. However, the matter will be thoroughly investigated and any necessary action taken.”

After 3 Months Together, Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston Break Up

Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston have broken up after three months together, PEOPLE confirms.

"It was an amicable split," a source tells PEOPLE.

The breakup comes after Swift and Hiddleston haven't been photographed together in over a month. On July 27, the couple hit up the restaurant Hillstone in Santa Monica for a date night.

Shortly after, the pair were separated by the Pacific Ocean for a spell while the English actor filmed the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok in Australia. Then, PEOPLE last reported on the couple reuniting in mid-August when they "enjoyed a quiet weekend at her Rhode Island home. Taylor sent her plane to pick up Tom before the weekend." 

The relationship between the pop star, 26, and Avengers actor, 35, went public on June 15, when photos of the couple frolicking on the beach in Rhode Island hit the Internet.

A whirlwind romance followed next. Within weeks, the pair met each other's parents, celebrated July 4th together at Swift's annual star-studded bash and jet set around the world, enjoying PDA-filled trips to Italy, Australia and everything in between.  

From the beginning, Swift and Hiddleston remained mostly mum about their budding romance – but in July, The Night Manager star did address pop culture conspiracy theorists questioning the authenticity of their relationship.

"Look, the truth is that Taylor Swift and I are together, and we're very happy," Hiddleston told The Hollywood Reporter, finally confirming their relationship. "That's the truth. It's not a publicity stunt." 

Swift and Hiddleston were first seen getting flirty at the Met Gala in New York in May, after an Instagram video of them dancing together to T.I.'s 2004 hit "Bring 'Em Out" went viral.

At the time of the Met Gala, Swift was still dating ex Calvin Harris; PEOPLE exclusively broke the news of Swift and Harris' split on June 1, and multiple sources told PEOPLE there was no cheating involved. 

 (PEOPLE)

Father dies minutes after dancing with daughter at her wedding

Tim Buchanan, 54, veteran detective with the York County Sheriff's Department in Rock Hill, South Carolina, attended his daughter's wedding in Costa Rica on Saturday had a heart attack just minutes after his father-daughter dance but didn't survive. His wife, Jeni Buchanan who is also a photographer and the mother of the bride, took to her Facebook page to announce the death of her husband and asked people to let her grieve. She wrote:

You never know when the last time will be the last time! Tim came into my life at a time when I was broken to the core and held me up and built me into a strong person. Over the years we raised four amazing children, cared for my little brothers when they needed us the most and had even had the honor of a beautiful grandchild.

He was the most beautiful soul I have ever known and I will never be the same without him. I know he loved me and our family. I am so very grateful for this image of us that our dear friends Kelly Rae Stewart and her husband snuck during our daughter's wedding yesterday. Little did I know just a few hours later we would lose him.

****Please no phone calls right now.**** I am still in Costa Rica and on top of that I just can't deal with much right now. Once we have plans settled, someone will update or announce them. For now, just pray. He was always the one to make us feel better when things went wrong and so we need all the prayers we can get.

Sheriff Bruce Bryant told PEOPLE magazine..

"All of our hearts are saddened about the loss of this great law enforcement officer. Tim dedicated almost 19 years to this profession as an outstanding Deputy, Forensics Investigator and most recently Detective in Computer Crimes. His talents will be sorely missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family in this difficult time.”

Source: PEOPLE

Photos: 11 year old Nigerian female Tennis star, Marylove Edwards emerges No.3 in Africa

Nigerian Tennis youngster, Marylove Edwards is on the way to etching her name among world Tennis greats after emerging third at the 2016 ITF/CAT 12 & Under Talent Identification Programme in Morocco.
She beat her Kenyan opponent 6-1, 6-1 in the third-place match after losing 7-5, 6-7, 4-6 to her Moroccan opponent in the semi-final. The tennis competition which held between August 26 to 28 recorded participants of over 80 players from 25 countries.

Marylove who is being managed by creative talent agency, Temple Management Company was sponsored on the trip by Zenith Bank PLC.

Edwards who was born on March 18, 2005, Edwards started playing tennis at age four under the guidance of her father, Eddy Edwards and was coached by Nigeria junior tennis head coach, Mohammed Ubale.

Before her trip to Morocco, the Ishan, Edo State-born champion won last year’s U-14 CBN Junior Tennis Championship and the NNPC Junior Tennis Masters. Alongside Barakat Quadri, Edwards saw off Anna Lumengo and Manuella Eloundou of Cameroun 6-3, 6-4 to win the 2016 ITF/CAT West and Central Africa Junior Championships holding in Abuja U-14 girls category.
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 (LIB)

Herbalist, alfa arrested in Ogun for killing 16-year-old

Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested a herbalist,  Tunde Banjo, and an alfa, Nurudeen Adeniyi for allegedly killing a 16-year-old-girl, identified only as Olayinka.

They were reportedly arrested in Ijebu  Igbo, Ijebu North Local Government Area of the state.

It is reported that the police also arrested 19-year-old Tobi Ogunkoya, who was suspected to have lured Olayinka into the hands of Banjo and Adeniyi.

The trio were said to have been arrested by policemen from the Ago Iwoye and Ijebu Igbo divisions on Tuesday.

A source said Olayinka’s breasts were severed  by her killers.

The state acting Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed the incident, said at about 2.30pm,  one Serifat Adebanjo reported Olayinka’s abduction to the police in Ago Iwoye station, alleging that Ogunkoya was a suspect in the abduction.

Oyeyemi added that acting on the information, the police stormed a house in Imosan community and apprehended Ogunkoya, who confessed that Olayinka was in the custody of Banjo in Ijebu Igbo.

Oyeyemi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, added that upon his arrest, Tobi took policemen to the home of Banjo in Ijebu  Igbo, where they met him with the alfa, and they were arrested.

He said two fresh human hearts and a live tortoise were allegedly found in their possession.

Oyeyemi said Banjo confessed to the police that the girl had been killed, her breasts and other vital organs severed, while her remains were thrown into the Ogbere River, in the Ijebu East Local Government area of the state.

He said, “The Police have arrested Banjo,  a herbalist, and Adeniyi, an alfa in Ijebu Igbo. Banjo said they have killed the girl and body dumped inside the Ogbere River. The police are working to retrieve the corpse. Two human hearts and one live tortoise were a recovered from the suspects.”

Oyeyemi said the suspects would be soon be transferred to the homicide section of  the command’s headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta.