Immigration surge swells UK population

   LONDON The population of England and Wales swelled between 2001 and 2011 after an influx of 2.9 million people born abroad, while the number of Christians plunged, according to census data published Tuesday.
   The figures from the March 2011 census paint a picture of a changing population, with more foreign-born residents and fewer people of faith.
   The population of England and Wales was 56.1 million, an increase of 3.7 million or seven percent since 2001.
   The number of foreign-born residents rose by 63 percent from 4.6 million in 2001 to 7.5 million a decade later. They now account for 13 percent of the population, up from nine.
   White Britons now make up 80 percent of the population, at 45.1 million people, down from 87 percent in 2001. Some 2.5 percent are ethnic Indian, 2.0 percent ethnic Pakistani.
   Indians accounted for the biggest number of those born abroad, rising 52 percent to 694,000.
   The number of Poles saw a 10-fold increase from 58,000 in 2001 to 579,000 last year and they now make up one percent of the population.
   The Pakistani-born population rose by 56 percent to 482,000. Ireland, Germany, Bangladesh, Nigeria, South Africa, the United States and Jamaica made up the rest of the top 10.
   Forty percent of all foreign-born individuals arrived since 2004, when the European Union expanded to include eastern European countries.
   Foreign-born women have a higher birth rate and the percentage of total births to non-UK-born mothers rose from 18.3 percent in 2004 to 24.3 percent in 2011.
   "These statistics paint a picture of society and help us all plan for the future using accurate information at a local level," said census director Guy Goodwin from the Office for National Statistics.
   "This is just the tip of the iceberg of census statistics," he added.
   The percentage who identified themselves as Christian dropped from 72 percent to 59 percent, while atheists rose from 15 percent to a quarter of the population.
   The fastest-growing religion was Islam, which increased by 75 percent in 10 years to 2.7 million adherents, or 4.8 percent of the population.
   Some 1.5 percent of the population said they were Hindus, while 0.8 percent said they were Sikhs.
   In London, white Britons are no longer the majority. They now account for 3.7 million Londoners, or 44.9 percent of the capital's population.
   Other whites account for 14.8 percent of Londoners. Asians make up 16.9 percent, while people who identified themselves as black account for 11.2 percent.
   Some 61.1 percent of London residents were born in England, followed by 3.2 percent born in India, 1.9 percent in Poland and 1.6 percent in Ireland.
   Twenty-six percent (848,000) of London households contained a resident whose main language was not English.
   The percentage of married people dropped below 50 percent, from 50.9 to 46.6, while the percentage of people divorced rose from 8.2 to 9.0 percent.
   The wealth held by the richest 10 percent of households accounted for 44 percent of overall wealth. The entry bar was ?967,000 ($1.55 million, 1.2 million euros). That held by the poorest 50 percent of households accounted for 10 percent.
   Among the more curious statistics, around 177,000 people claimed to follow the Jedi religion from the "Star Wars" films. Some 6,242 identified their religion as heavy metal, while 1,893 claimed to be Satanists.
   Despite having two cathedrals and more medieval churches than anywhere north of the Alps, some 42.5 percent of people in Norwich, eastern England, said they had no religion, the highest proportion in the census.

Qatar Airways new global sponsor of Barcelona

FC Barcelona and Qatar Sports Investments announce that they have agreed, under the terms of their contract, that Qatar Airways will appear on the Club shirt from the 2013-2014 season as the new Main Global Sponsor.

Meanwhile, Qatar Sports Investments, in agreement with FC Barcelona, has designated Qatar Foundation as the Official Human Development Partner of FC Barcelona, which will allow the promotion of initiatives based on their shared values to continue.

Sandro Rosell, president of FC Barcelona, has welcomed Qatar Airways as, “an ambitious brand with global aspirations, always committed to achieving the utmost excellence in its field. These are objectives with which FC Barcelona fully identifies.”

The contract signed with QSI permits the possibility of including a new logo on the shirt from the third season of the agreement, as reported to the Assembly of Representatives in September 2011. The inclusion of sponsorship on the shirt was agreed at the Assembly of Representatives in August 2003.

Rosell also stressed, “After sharing two fantastic years with Qatar Foundation, we are delighted to be continuing our relationship by welcoming them as our official Human Development Partner.”

Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways, said, “We are delighted to form this alliance with FC Barcelona, the biggest football club in the world. Qatar Airways has been voted Best Airline in the World for two consecutive years (2011 and 2012) and will work with FC Barcelona on activities of benefit both to fans and passengers, offering tangible rewards to both organisations.”

A Qatar Foundation spokesperson added “when we started this fantastic journey with FC Barcelona, our objective was to work closely with the club, the team and the supporters to promote awareness of Qatar Foundation on an international scale. This has been a huge success. In fact, the first two years of the collaboration have surpassed our expectations and we are looking to deepen and strengthen our relationship with FC Barcelona and its supporters around the world in our continued role as a proud partner of the club.”

Qatar Sports Investments, Qatar Airways and Qatar Foundation are united in their commitment to the success of FC Barcelona.

Qatar Airways, which has been voted World’s Best Airline two years in a row (2011 and 2012), will work with FC Barcelona on joint activities that promise to benefit fans and passengers, offering tangible rewards for both entities.

Dutch police bust Nigerian fake wedding scam

   THE HAGUE Police in the Netherlands busted a wedding scam involving Dutch citizens being paid to go to Britain to marry illegal Nigerian immigrants so they can obtain residency there, prosecutors said on Friday.
   The gendarmerie, responsible for border security, "detained 16 women and seven men this week on the suspicion that they traveled to Britain to enter into fake marriages," it said in a statement.
   "They are almost all of Dutch Antillean origin and were flown to Britain to get married", mainly to Nigerian men and women, it added.
   Once married, the Nigerians would get legal residency in Britain and access to state welfare. In return, the Dutch collaborators would be paid 2500 euros ($3,100) to 3,500 euros.
Members of the Dutch Caribbean community were used so they could be used as look-alike for Nigerians' real partners, who would be brought into Britain after the "wedding" to make the swap complete, prosecution service spokesman Wim de Bruin said.
   Called Operation Dutch Conclusion, the two-year investigation involved Dutch and British law and border security agencies and continental policing agency Europol.
Some 81 people have been arrested over the last two years, De Bruin said, mainly in Britain, of whom 66 have already been sentenced to between a few months and six years on human trafficking charges.
    Those arrested in the Netherlands also face human trafficking charges, the statement added.

Barack Obama's victory speech – full text

At a rally on Wednesday in his hometown of Chicago, Barack Obama delivers a victory speech 
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. (Sustained cheers, applause.)

 Tonight, more than 200 years after a former colony won the right to determine its own destiny, the task of perfecting our union moves forward. (Cheers, applause.)
It moves forward because of you. It moves forward because you reaffirmed the spirit that has triumphed over war and depression, the spirit that has lifted this country from the depths of despair to the great heights of hope, the belief that while each of us will pursue our own individual dreams, we are an American family, and we rise or fall together as one nation and as one people. (Cheers, applause.)
Tonight, in this election, you, the American people, reminded us that while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back, and we know in our hearts that for the United States of America, the best is yet to come.
(Cheers, applause.) I want to thank every American who participated in this election. (Cheers, applause.) Whether you voted for the very first time (cheers) or waited in line for a very long time (cheers) – by the way, we have to fix that – (cheers, applause) – whether you pounded the pavement or picked up the phone (cheers, applause), whether you held an Obama sign or a Romney sign, you made your voice heard and you made a difference. (Cheers, applause.)
I just spoke with Governor Romney and I congratulated him and Paul Ryan on a hard-fought campaign. (Cheers, applause.) We may have battled fiercely, but it's only because we love this country deeply and we care so strongly about its future. From George to Lenore to their son Mitt, the Romney family has chosen to give back to America through public service. And that is a legacy that we honour and applaud tonight. (Cheers, applause.) In the weeks ahead, I also look forward to sitting down with Governor Romney to talk about where we can work together to move this country forward.
(Cheers, applause.)
I want to thank my friend and partner of the last four years, America's happy warrior, the best vice-president anybody could ever hope for, Joe Biden. (Cheers, applause.)
And I wouldn't be the man I am today without the woman who agreed to marry me 20 years ago. (Cheers, applause.) Let me say this publicly. Michelle, I have never loved you more. (Cheers, applause.) I have never been prouder to watch the rest of America fall in love with you too as our nation's first lady. (Cheers, applause.)
Sasha and Malia – (cheers, applause) – before our very eyes, you're growing up to become two strong, smart, beautiful young women, just like your mom. (Cheers, applause.) And I am so proud of you guys. But I will say that, for now, one dog's probably enough. (Laughter.)
To the best campaign team and volunteers in the history of politics – (cheers, applause) – the best – the best ever – (cheers, applause) – some of you were new this time around, and some of you have been at my side since the very beginning.
(Cheers, applause.) But all of you are family. No matter what you do or where you go from here, you will carry the memory of the history we made together. (Cheers, applause.) And you will have the lifelong appreciation of a grateful president. Thank you for believing all the way – (cheers, applause) – to every hill, to every valley. (Cheers, applause.) You lifted me up the whole day, and I will always be grateful for everything that you've done and all the incredible work that you've put in. (Cheers, applause.)
I know that political campaigns can sometimes seem small, even silly. And that provides plenty of fodder for the cynics who tell us that politics is nothing more than a contest of egos or the domain of special interests. But if you ever get the chance to talk to folks who turned out at our rallies and crowded along a rope line in a high school gym or – or saw folks working late at a campaign office in some tiny county far away from home, you'll discover something else.
You'll hear the determination in the voice of a young field organiser who's working his way through college and wants to make sure every child has that same opportunity. (Cheers, applause.) You'll hear the pride in the voice of a volunteer who's going door to door because her brother was finally hired when the local auto plant added another shift. (Cheers, applause.)
You'll hear the deep patriotism in the voice of a military spouse who's working the phones late at night to make sure that no one who fights for this country ever has to fight for a job or a roof over their head when they come home. (Cheers, applause.)
That's why we do this. That's what politics can be. That's why elections matter. It's not small, it's big. It's important. Democracy in a nation of 300 million can be noisy and messy and complicated. We have our own opinions. Each of us has deeply held beliefs. And when we go through tough times, when we make big decisions as a country, it necessarily stirs passions, stirs up controversy. That won't change after tonight. And it shouldn't. These arguments we have are a mark of our liberty, and we can never forget that as we speak, people in distant nations are risking their lives right now just for a chance to argue about the issues that matter – (cheers, applause) – the chance to cast their ballots like we did today.
But despite all our differences, most of us share certain hopes for America's future.
We want our kids to grow up in a country where they have access to the best schools and the best teachers – (cheers, applause) – a country that lives up to its legacy as the global leader in technology and discovery and innovation – (scattered cheers, applause) – with all of the good jobs and new businesses that follow.
We want our children to live in an America that isn't burdened by debt, that isn't weakened up by inequality, that isn't threatened by the destructive power of a warming planet. (Cheers, applause.)
We want to pass on a country that's safe and respected and admired around the world, a nation that is defended by the strongest military on Earth and the best troops this – this world has ever known – (cheers, applause) – but also a country that moves with confidence beyond this time of war to shape a peace that is built on the promise of freedom and dignity for every human being.
We believe in a generous America, in a compassionate America, in a tolerant America open to the dreams of an immigrant's daughter who studies in our schools and pledges to our flag – (cheers, applause) – to the young boy on the south side of Chicago who sees a life beyond the nearest street corner – (cheers, applause) – to the furniture worker's child in North Carolina who wants to become a doctor or a scientist, an engineer or an entrepreneur, a diplomat or even a president.
That's the – (cheers, applause) – that's the future we hope for.
(Cheers, applause.) That's the vision we share. That's where we need to go – forward. (Cheers, applause.) That's where we need to go. (Cheers, applause.)
Now, we will disagree, sometimes fiercely, about how to get there. As it has for more than two centuries, progress will come in fits and starts. It's not always a straight line. It's not always a smooth path. By itself, the recognition that we have common hopes and dreams won't end all the gridlock, resolve all our problems or substitute for the painstaking work of building consensus and making the difficult compromises needed to move this country forward.
But that common bond is where we must begin. Our economy is recovering. A decade of war is ending. (Cheers, applause.) A long campaign is now over. (Cheers, applause.) And whether I earned your vote or not, I have listened to you. I have learned from you. And you've made me a better president. And with your stories and your struggles, I return to the White House more determined and more inspired than ever about the work there is to do and the future that lies ahead. (Cheers, applause.)
Tonight you voted for action, not politics as usual. (Cheers, applause.) You elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours.
And in the coming weeks and months, I am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties to meet the challenges we can only solve together – reducing our deficit, reforming our tax code, fixing our immigration system, freeing ourselves from foreign oil. We've got more work to do. (Cheers, applause.)
But that doesn't mean your work is done. The role of citizens in our democracy does not end with your vote. America's never been about what can be done for us; it's about what can be done by us together, through the hard and frustrating but necessary work of self-government. (Cheers, applause.) That's the principle we were founded on.
This country has more wealth than any nation, but that's not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military in history, but that's not what makes us strong. Our university, our culture are all the envy of the world, but that's not what keeps the world coming to our shores. What makes America exceptional are the bonds that hold together the most diverse nation on Earth, the belief that our destiny is shared – (cheers, applause) – that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations, so that the freedom which so many Americans have fought for and died for come with responsibilities as well as rights, and among those are love and charity and duty and patriotism. That's what makes America great. (Cheers, applause.)
I am hopeful tonight because I have seen this spirit at work in America. I've seen it in the family business whose owners would rather cut their own pay than lay off their neighbours and in the workers who would rather cut back their hours than see a friend lose a job. I've seen it in the soldiers who re-enlist after losing a limb and in those Seals who charged up the stairs into darkness and danger because they knew there was a buddy behind them watching their back. (Cheers, applause.) I've seen it on the shores of New Jersey and New York, where leaders from every party and level of government have swept aside their differences to help a community rebuild from the wreckage of a terrible storm. (Cheers, applause.)
And I saw it just the other day in Mentor, Ohio, where a father told the story of his eight-year-old daughter whose long battle with leukaemia nearly cost their family everything had it not been for healthcare reform passing just a few months before the insurance company was about to stop paying for her care. (Cheers, applause.) I had an opportunity to not just talk to the father but meet this incredible daughter of his. And when he spoke to the crowd, listening to that father's story, every parent in that room had tears in their eyes because we knew that little girl could be our own.
And I know that every American wants her future to be just as bright. That's who we are. That's the country I'm so proud to lead as your president. (Cheers, applause.)
And tonight, despite all the hardship we've been through, despite all the frustrations of Washington, I've never been more hopeful about our future. (Cheers, applause.) I have never been more hopeful about America. And I ask you to sustain that hope.
[Audience member: "We got your back, Mr President!"]
I'm not talking about blind optimism, the kind of hope that just ignores the enormity of the tasks ahead or the road blocks that stand in our path. I'm not talking about the wishful idealism that allows us to just sit on the sidelines or shirk from a fight. I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting. (Cheers, applause.)
America, I believe we can build on the progress we've made and continue to fight for new jobs and new opportunities and new security for the middle class. I believe we can keep the promise of our founding, the idea that if you're willing to work hard, it doesn't matter who you are or where you come from or what you look like or where you love. It doesn't matter whether you're black or white or Hispanic or Asian or Native American or young or old or rich or poor, abled, disabled, gay or straight. (Cheers, applause.) You can make it here in America if you're willing to try.
(Cheers, applause.)
I believe we can seize this future together because we are not as divided as our politics suggests. We're not as cynical as the pundits believe. We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. We are, and forever will be, the United States of America. (Cheers, applause.)
And together, with your help and God's grace, we will continue our journey forward and remind the world just why it is that we live in the greatest nation on earth. (Cheers, applause.) Thank you, America. (Cheers, applause.) God bless you. God bless these United States. (Cheers, applause.)

Messi receives Golden Boot as Europe's goals king

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi was presented with his second Golden Boot award on Monday in recognition for scoring the most goals in Europe's domestic leagues last season. The 25-year-old Messi scored a Spanish-league record 50 goals for Barcelona, edging out fellow Spanish league star Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid by four goals.

 Messi dedicated the award to his teammates, with Xavi Hernandez and Carles Puyol present for the ceremony in Barcelona.
 "It is a prize for scoring goals, but without my teammates I couldn't have scored them," Messi said. "I share this award with them as I always do.
 "I don't fight for individual awards, I fight for titles. My goals are reclaiming the league crown, winning the Copa del Rey and the winning the Champions League again. Those are my goals, team goals."
 The Argentina international won his first Golden Boot in 2010 for his 34 goals that helped Barcelona win the league title.
 Messi is among the favorites to win the 2012 Ballon d'Or for the world's best player.

 He scored an unprecedented 73 goals in all competitions for Barcelona last season, breaking the previous European club record of 67 goals set by Bayern Munich's Gerd Mueller in 1972-73 and the prior world club mark of 70 established by Archie Stark of Bethlehem Steel in the American Soccer League in 1924-25.

 In March, Messi passed Cesar Rodriguez's 57-year-old milestone of 232 goals to become Barcelona all-time leading scorer. He also scored a European Cup-record-tying 14 goals in the Champions League, where he netted a record five goals in one game.

 Messi has scored 17 goals in all competitions to start this season, and has his sights set on yet another milestone he is sure to reach very soon. He is just two goals away from equaling Brazil great Pele's feat of 75 goals for club and country in one calendar year, set in 1958.



Who do you think will win the 2012 Ballon d'Or ?

Green tone to mosque sermons

Imams across Qatar are using the UN Climate Change Conference to remind the community of their responsibility to care for the planet.

 

DOHA Faith leaders in Qatar are joining community efforts to become more involved in climate change action, as the COP18/CMP8 Conference, being held in Doha next month, draws near.

As part of the drive to raise awareness of environmental issues among the public, and to make the United Nations Climate Change Conference inclusive, more than 150 mosques in Qatar will be reminding the community of their responsibility to care for the planet.

The Holy Quran contains more than 1,500 verses that relate to the environment, and preachers in the country’s mosques will cite these and more in their effort to bring home the important role that everyone has in helping to save the planet.

According to Mohamad Al-Missifri, the administration affairs expert in the Minister’s Office at Qatar’s Ministry of Endowment and Islamic Affairs, verses from the Holy Quran will be used, as well as ‘sunnah’, or the words and actions of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), as imams urge people to abide by more environmentally friendly practices. These include urging people to use less water and not to fell trees.

On November 27, state mosques will host afternoon lectures about preserving the environment and natural resources, and limiting energy consumption. Mosques will host lectures on November 30 about climate change and preserving the environment. Advocacy groups will meet on December 4 to further convey the message.

 

The Ministry of Endowment and Islamic Affairs will also raise awareness among its employees, working at the same time to mitigate energy and water consumption internally and in Qatar’s mosques.

Evil Nigerian used witchcraft to terrify girls into sex slavery

LONDON Osezua Osolase, a 42-year old Nigerian described as an ‘evil’ people smuggler who used witchcraft rituals to force terrified children to work as sex slaves has been convicted of trafficking and rape at Canterbury Crown Court on Friday .

A detective inspector said after the case that Osolase was ‘evil’ and branded him a ‘predatory paedophile’. Osolase was convicted of five counts of human trafficking, rape and sexual activity with a child. He will be sentenced on Monday.

Osezua  wept as the jury returned its verdicts after deliberating for more than 14 hours – which included acquitting him on three further three rapes, one trafficking and one assault causing actual bodily harm charge. He had denied all the offences.

 Detectives discovered evidence that at least 28 victims were smuggled in and out of Britain by Osolase over a 14-month period, earning him up to £1.5million.

But the true figure could run into hundreds as the paedophile was overheard by one girl boasting he had been operating for 15 years as he tried to sell her for £60,000.

This was despite being deported back to Nigeria in 2007 after police caught him trying to use stolen credit cards.

Young victims were raped, sexually abused and subjected to voodoo-style rituals once in the clutches of the trafficking ring. One girl had hair cut from her armpits by a man wearing feathers. Others were slashed with knives, forced to drink foul-smelling potions and had blood taken with syringes to ‘cast a spell’ over them. The girls were told they would die or never bear children if they tried to escape or revealed what had happened to them.

The man responsible, Osezua Osolase was on the surface a recycling worker living in a terraced house in Gravesend, Kent. But he was in fact the British linchpin of a multi-million pound global child sex trafficking ring that used medieval ‘juju’ black magic to control its victims.

His home was a secret staging post for vulnerable teenage orphans as they were smuggled from Nigeria to several European countries.

The evil that men do lives with them….

Nigerian held for illegal stay in Pune

PUNE A Nigerian national was arrested for staying in the city of Pune, India on a forged passport and visa extension documents, police said on Wednesday.  
  Benjamin Babafemi was apprehended on Tuesday from a hotel in plush Koregaon park area in western Indian city of Pune after the hotel management found his visa details suspicious and informed the police.     An inquiry confirmed that Benjamin's passport was forged, police said.  
  The 38-year-old had procured forged visa documents after his business visa expired, they added.
Just wondering why a Nigerian would be holding a forged Nigerian passport?
 

Nigeria loses out on $29 bln on cut-price gas deals-report

ABUJA Nigeria lost out on tens of billions of dollars in oil and gas revenues over the last decade from cut price deals struck between multinational oil companies and government officials, according to a report.
A team headed by the former head of the anti-corruption agency Nuhu Ribadu produced the 146-page study on an oil ministry request. It covers the year 2002 to the present.
Nigeria is Africa's largest crude oil exporter, shipping more than 2 million barrels per day (bpd), and is also home to the world's ninth biggest gas reserves and one of its largest Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) export terminals.
The report provides new details on Nigeria's long history of corruption in the oil sector, which has enriched its elite and provided the oil majors with hefty profits while two thirds of people live in poverty.
Oil Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke said on Tuesday she had received the report last month but that it was a draft and the government was still supposed to give input. The one seen by Reuters was labelled "Final Report."
The report concluded that oil majors Shell, Total  and Eni made bumper profits from cut-price gas, while Nigerian oil ministers handed out licences at their own discretion. This, while not illegal, did not follow best
practice of using open bids. Hundreds of millions of dollars in signature bonuses on those deals were also missing, it said.
"We have not seen this report and are, therefore, unable to comment on the content, but we will study it if and when it is published," a Shell spokesman said.
The report alleges international oil traders sometimes buy crude without any formal contracts, and the state oil firm had short-changed the Nigerian treasury billions over the last 10 years by selling crude oil and gas to itself below market rates.
There was no suggestion that the oil majors or traders had done anything illegal, but the report highlighted a lack of transparency in their dealings in a nation rife with graft.
"It is a draft," Alison-Madueke said. "There will be some areas where the government ... may have a slightly different opinion ... (and) will put its point of view to the committee."
She said she expects the final report to be with President Goodluck Jonathan within two weeks.

DJ Jimmy Jatt Set To Thrill Ghana DJ Awards

Nigeria’s seasoned Disc Jockey (DJ), Jimmy Jatt  is expected to thrill music fans as well as stakeholders in the maiden edition of Ghana DJ Awards at the National Theatre in Accra on Friday October 26.

The event would witness performances from  DJ Hubert, DJ Mic Smith, DJ Young Joe, Kofi Dixon, DJ Mensa alongside  artistes including Vip, Okyeame Kwame, Asem, Kaakie, Tic Tac, Diamond Appiah, D3 (latest female group), RNM—winners of the maiden edition of the vodafone icon, Herty Borngreat and a host of other  international and local artistes.

Jimmy Jatt who has carved a niche for himself in the Nigerian showbiz industry is expected to thrill music fans as well as stakeholders in the music industry; he is the guest DJ for the Ghana DJ Awards after party at Club Invasion. The event would be hosted by Ghana’s untouchable DJ Mensa.

Born and bred in Obalende, Lagos Island, Jimmy Jatt, also known as Jimmy Amu came into the Nigerian music industry as a rapper, but the absence of a record label to sign him on made him reinvent himself.

Today, the award-winning DJ can be proud of what he has achieved in the Nigerian music industry as a professional DJ. He has groomed several talents like DJ Waxxy, DJ Funky J, DJ Oscar, DJ Tony Blaise, to mention a few.

The award is aimed at promoting, honouring and rewarding the best achieving Ghanaian radio, night club and “recognized” mobile disk jockeys (DJ). Produced by Merqury Republic Events, the event is expected to bring more excitement and add value to the DJ profession in Ghana. There are 21 categories covering major music genres in Ghana, from highlife to reggae, as well as scratch DJ of the year, popular DJ of the year, and artist DJ of the year amongst other exciting categories.

Ghana DJ Awards is sponsored by Globa, Stallion Ghana, and Scratch Studios and supported by Lynx Entertainment, Smooth Entertainment, Black Ink, Digital Gate, With YFm, Soundcity, 4syte TV, TV Africa, and Flex Newspaper as media partners.

Protesters shout slogans from inside Nigerian embassy in Berlin

Asylum seekers of Nigerian extraction in Germany were stunned on Monday as German police stormed the embassy premises in Berlin to arrest protesters.

Protesters were protesting against Nigeria's Government collaboration with German officials in deporting them.
 
The protesters shouted slogans from inside the Nigerian embassy. Police detained 14 protesters who briefly occupied the Nigerian embassy, a police spokesman reported on Monday.

"We protest against the Nigerian embassy's involvement in the deportation of refugees to countries that are not safe." one of the protesters said.

All of the detained men were asylum seekers, a representative of the refugees said

Nigeria's Independence Day Celebration in Qatar

Dear country people,

Are you contemplating where you'll be on October 11 (Thursday), look no further, Nigeria 52nd Independence Day celebration at Doha Marriot Hotel.

The important details are repeated below. To be in with a chance of winning this under-listed fantastic offers, all you have to do is buy QR10 raffle ticket at the gate to enter for the draws.

1.  Qatar Airways Economy Class return tickets to Lagos (2)

2. Fantastic nights stay & breakfast for two at Hilton Doha Hotel (2 nights for 2)

3. Luncheon vouchers from our host Doha Marriot Hotel (2)

Also you can pay the annual due & Independence Day levy at the gate.

                                        Independence Day Celebration!

Join us for the biggest Nigerian party of 2012! With live Naija music + Naija delicacies + DJ mixes of the latest Naija jams on October 11,  from 8pm-2am @Al Fayrouz Ballroom, Doha Marriot Hotel, Rass Abu Aboud Street.

(Main Nigerian delicacies on cue includes Pepper soup, Okro soup, Egusi soup and Jollof rice)

Special attractions to spice up the evening includes cultural performances and drama. 

Special performance from renowned music band 'BGYS MELODIUS'

Bring your dancing shoes and come to re-live the glory days in the company of Nigerians from across Qatar.

Admission is QR200 for couple and QR100  for single (Financial members)

(Non financial members) couple QR300 and QR200 for single.

Please pay promptly to any executive member or at the gate. 

Limited seats available! Avail yourself the opportunity.

Thank you

Ikoli Victor 

Nigerian man accused of using African Juju magic to lure Nigerian women to Europe

A NIGERIAN man used African black magic (Juju) to lure young women from Nigeria to be prostitutes in Europe, a court has heard. A jury at Canterbury Crown Court was told on Monday that Osezua Elvis Osolasi brought three teenagers into the UK in order to fly them into Europe for prostitution.
The girls were also sexually abused by 42-year-old Osolasi of Beaumont Drive, the court heard.
The victims were orphans from impoverished backgrounds, poorly educated, with a history of physical and sexual abuse.

Jury members heard the girls were subjected to Juju rituals - traditional West African customs used superstitiously in witchcraft and as spells to enforce contracts.
The first victim, then 16, was taken to a large house before flying to the UK where she thought she would receive an education, the court heard.
The alleged victim was also told that if she broke her Juju oath she would "not have children, go mad and die".
Osolasi denies six charges of trafficking for sexual exploitation, four of rape, and one each of sexual assault, false imprisonment, sexual activity with a 14-year-old child and assault.
The trial continues.

I'm world's 'most criticised' president: Goodluck Jonathan

Nigeria's Goodluck Jonathan said on Monday that he was "the most criticised president in the whole world", but pledged that, with time, he would be more appreciated.
   "I'm the most criticised president in the whole world. I can tell this noble audience that before I leave, I will also be the most praised president," Jonathan told a meeting of the Nigerian Bar Association.
   The president, who has faced cricitism over what has been characterised as a complacent approach to the job in the face of a deadly Islamist insurgency and other issues, said his critics were unfairly blaming him for Nigeria's woes.
   He touched on problems such as a lack of adequate electricity supply and other infrastructure issues which pre-date his tenure in the continent's largest oil producer.
   "Sometimes I ask, 'were there roads across this country and Jonathan brought floods to wipe out these roads?'" said the president, who took charge of Africa's most populous country in 2010 following the death of his predecessor and won 2011 elections.
   "Or, we have power and I brought hurricanes to bring down all infrastructure?" .
   "So, were there massive irrigation projects in the north where agriculture can thrive and massive farms, and Jonathan brought drought to wipe out these farms (in) under two years?" he said.
   The president's comments come amid an apparent effort by his office to hit back at critics.
   In a column published in several national newspapers on Sunday, Jonathan's spokesman Reuben Abati said the president was "not clueless", calling him "grossly misunderstood".
   Responding to unnamed critics who have suggested that "Mr. President drinks", Abati wrote, "alcohol is not served during official duties", adding "nobody gets drunk around here".

Italian writer held over murder of a Nigerian prostitute

ROME A 34-year Italian and philosophy graduate has been arrested over the murder of a Nigerian prostitute after police searching her apartment found a short story he wrote with close similarities to the killing.
  Police in the northern Italian city of Turin discovered the nine-page story entitled "The Rose and the Lion" among the belongings of Anthonia Egbuna, whose body was fished out of the river Po in February, a Carabinieri spokesman said on Wednesday. She had been stabbed to death.
 Police took some months to identify the body and then visited Egbuna's apartment last month.
 In the murder case, reminiscent of the 1992 Hollywood thriller film "Basic Instinct", aspiring author Daniele Ughetto Piampaschet was arrested last week because of likenesses between his short story and the real murder, the police said. He denies murder.
In "Basic Instinct", Sharon Stone's character Catherine Tramell had described in a novel she wrote a rock star's murder with an ice pick that was later committed in real life, making her the top suspect.
 After finding 34-year-old Ughetto Piampaschet's short story, police say they discovered he had been in a relationship with Egbuna, then 19, between February and August of last year.
 They alleged in a statement that he murdered her in November because their relationship was going badly and she refused to give up prostitution - in what appeared to be a link to the short story.
 "He loved her and he loved her more every day, but she did not want to leave the streets. All his efforts to convince her to change her life had failed. And for this reason she had become his torturer," reads an excerpt of the story quoted by police. In the short story, the murderer strangles the Nigerian prostitute and then commits suicide.
 "He wrote the story and gave it to her as a gift - to make himself look good," Ughetto Piampaschet's lawyer, Stefano Tizzani said. Tizzani said Ughetto Piampaschet had a "profound passion" for Africa and Nigeria, and saw Egbuna as an inspiration for his writing. "My client has declared his innocence and we are working to demonstrate it," Tizzani said.
  Ughetto Piampaschet told investigators after his arrest that his relationship with Egbuna changed after he started dating another Nigerian woman last August, though he remained in contact with her.
 His lawyer said his client stopped seeing Egbuna after he was threatened by people who control the Nigerian prostitution business in Turin.
 "He stopped calling her after he was threatened and intimidated and told not to see her anymore," said Tizzani.

Missing Cameroon Olympians say they were threatened

LONDON Five Cameroonian boxers who disappeared at the London Olympics said in an interview broadcast on Monday that they absconded because they had been threatened by officials in their delegation.
   The boxers, who went missing along with two other Cameroonian athletes more than a week ago, said they now wanted to stay in Britain to develop their careers.
   "We left the Olympic Village because we were threatened," boxer Blaise Yepmou Mendouo told BBC television in an interview at a secret location in London.
   Speaking in French, Yepmou Mendouo said officials had tried to confiscate some of his teammates' passports.
   He also claimed that Cameroonian officials had halved the boxers' agreed bonuses.
   "We were not happy with that," he told the broadcaster. "But we decided, the five of us, that as fighters we should fight -- because it's a matter of image."
   The BBC named the other boxers as Thomas Essomba, Christian Donfack Adjoufack, Abdon Mewoli and Serge Ambomo, and their missing teammates as swimmer Paul Ekane Edingue and female footballer Drusille Ngako.
   All seven have visas to stay in Britain until November, British Olympic officials said last week.
   Essomba told the BBC that the boxers were searching for a sponsor to help them become long-term British residents.

Peralta double stuns Brazil in men's football final

LONDON A goal in each half by Oribe Peralta helped Mexico to a shock 2-1 victory over tournament favourites Brazil in the men's Olympic football final at Wembley on Saturday.
 Peralto put Mexico ahead after just 29 seconds, taking advantage of a defensive error by Fabio to open the scoring with a firm strike from the edge of the area.
The 28-year-old netted his second of the game on 75 minutes, heading home a Marco Fabian free-kick.  Hulk reduced the deficit in additional time and Oscar even had a chance to equalise for Brazil but headed over to give Mexico its first men's Olympic title and leave the five-time world champions still in search of their first Olympic gold.
Mexico's previous best finish was fourth at Mexico City 1968 while Beijing 2008 bronze medallists Brazil took silver at Los Angeles 1984 and in Seoul four years later.
Poor Brazil...

Three-day funeral begins for Ghana's late leader

ACCRA A three-day state funeral for Ghana's president John Atta Mills began in Accra on Wednesday, with thousands of mourners taking to the streets and lamposts, trees and state buildings draped in black and red.  Mills died at age 68 last month, after a quiet battle against throat cancer. He had been expected to run for a second term in office in December.
 The casket, draped in the national colours of red, gold and green, was carried by members of the Air Force and placed in a hearse brimming with flowers.  It was to be taken to Accra's state house for public viewing, ahead of Friday's burial at a park adjacent to the city's main landmark, Independence Square.
 Up to 15 regional leaders, as well as US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, are expected to attend Friday's service for the man credited with transparently managing Ghana's new-found oil wealth.  They include Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan, President Yayi Boni of Benin and Ivory Coast's leader Alassane Ouattara.

King USAIN Bolt retains 100m title in style

   LONDON Jamaica's Usain Bolt sealed his status as the greatest sprinter of all time after retaining the men's Olympic 100m title with an electrifying display on Sunday.
   The world record holder turned on the after-burners at 60m to clock an Olympic record of 9.63sec, the second fastest time in history.
   "I executed and that was the key," Bolt said. "When it comes to the championships, it's all about business for me and I brought it."
   Jamaican compatriot and training partner Yohan Blake, long tipped as Bolt's successor as the fastest man in the world, claimed silver after equaling his personal best of 9.75sec.
   American 2004 Olympic gold medallist Justin Gatlin completed his remarkable comeback from a four-year doping ban by taking the bronze medal in a personal best of 9.79sec.
   The 2007 double world champion Tyson Gay came in fourth, one hundredth of a second off his teammate Gatlin in 9.80sec, with a third American, Ryan Bailey, fifth in 9.88.
   The sell-out 80,000-capacity crowd at the Olympic Stadium were on their feet when the eight finalists, including the four fastest men in the world - Bolt, Gay, Blake and Asafa Powell - lined up.
   As the television cameras picked out each racer, the excitement mounted as they reached Bolt in lane seven, dressed in black shorts and the yellow and green singlet of the Jamaican team.
   The 25-year-old showed no signs of nerves as he bid to replicate his gold medal showing in the Beijing Games in 2008.
   To mass delight, he practised his DJ mixing skills, one hand raised to his ear, and then drew laughter after drawing pretend pistols and re-holstering them after pointing them down the track.
   As the starter called them to the blocks, Bolt put a finger to his lips to hush the excitable crowd, briefly crossing himself and looking skywards as the television zoomed in and his picture was broadcast on the big stadium screen.
   As silence descended, the gun went and Bolt's reaction time from the blocks saw him rocket away, but Gatlin had the edge on his left.
   Bolt, however, pushed his huge frame through his renowned drive and transition phase after 50 metres.
   Teeth gritted and long legs pumping, Bolt completed what turned out to be a remarkably comfortable victory given the quality and strength of the field.
   After Bolt crossed the line, he immediately set off on a lap of victory, a Jamaican flag draped over his shoulders and Blake in tow.
   He stopped to perform his customary "bow and arrow" pose at various points, to chants of "Usain, Usain!" ringing around the stadium.
  

Nigerian player dies after collapsing in Romania

BUCHAREST Nigerian striker Henry Ihelwere Chinonso died on Sunday after collapsing during a match for Romanian second-division side Delta Tulcea, Mediafax news agency reported.
Chinonso, 21, was playing in a friendly against Balotesti when he collapsed during the second half.
 Doctors were unable to resuscitate the player, the report said.  The cause of death was not immediately known, Chinonso was reported to have had no previous health problems.
 The match in Balotesti near Bucharest was played in temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius.


Below is a translated statement (Romanian to English) from the doctor that pronounced him dead.
"We found a patient aged 21 years, cardiopulmonary arrest. Maneuvers were initiated by our crew resuscitate first aid, the crew continued the doctor. After maneuvers, cardiac-respiratory arrest was irreversible . Unfortunately, I said death. I can not say what caused the entry into cardiopulmonary arrest. All the time the patient was in cardiopulmonary arrest, when he reached the first aid crew to declare death, 12 : 05 to 1:12 p.m., when I said death. first aid crew arrived soon enough to call 112, in 3-4 minutes after the call, "Tanase said Dr. John.
The case is forensic, several assumptions were considered: myocardial infarction, stroke, aneurysm rupture, inappropriate medication or adverse effects.
The body will be transported to the IML, to be diagnosed.

 "Am găsit un pacient în vârstă de 21 de ani, în stop cardio-respirator. S-au iniţiat manevre de resucitare de către echipajul nostru de prim ajutor, continuate de echipajul cu medic. În urma manevrelor, stopul cardio-respirator a fost ireversibil. Din păcate, am declarat decesul. Nu pot spune care a fost cauza intrării în stop cardio-respirator. Tot timpul pacientul a fost în stop cardio-respirator, de când a ajuns echipajul de prim-ajutor până la declararea decesului, de la 12:05 până la 13:12, când am declarat decesul. Echipajul de prim-ajutor a ajuns destul de repede de la apelul la 112, în 3-4 minute de la apel", a declarat medicul Tănase Ioana.
Cazul este unul medico-legal, mai multe ipoteze fiind luate în calcul: infarct miocardic, accident vascular cerebral, ruptura unui anevrism, medicație inadecvată sau cu efecte adverse.
Cadavrul va fi transportat la IML, pentru a fi stabilit diagnosticul.

Suicide bomber in Nigeria kills at least 5 soldiers

   KANO A suicide bomber rammed his car into a military patrol on Sunday in the northeastern Nigerian city of Damaturu, killing at least five soldiers, a security source said.
   "The attacker died in the explosion and five soldiers were also killed," the source said on condition of anonymity. The state police commissioner confirmed the explosion and that there were military casualties without providing a figure.

Two sailors killed, four kidnapped in ship attacks off Niger Delta

ABUJA Two Nigerian sailors were killed on Saturday by gunmen who attacked two ships off the coast of the Niger Delta, authorities said.
 Navy spokesman Kabir Aliyu said four foreigners were kidnapped in the attack, but did not give their nationalities. The attack happened about 35 nautical miles off the coast of the Niger Delta, a region once beset by militant and criminal attacks that has seen relative calm following a government-sponsored amnesty deal in 2008. Aliyu said a helicopter and a ship had been deployed into the area to help search and rescue efforts.
 Navy officials say the affected ships belong to the Sea Trucks Group, an oil and gas contractor with offices in the Dutch city of Rotterdam.  Attacks of this nature and kidnappings were a common occurrence in the Niger Delta before the militants embraced the amnesty deal.
 The oil-rich region, which accounts for more than 70 per cent of Nigeria's revenue, is characterised by poor infrastructure, poverty and pollution.

How much are Olympic medals worth?

LONDON Athletes competing in Olympics are not usually paid for their participation, but most competitors who come out on top are rewarded in cash by their national Olympic Committee. Most times, the real money is in promotional contracts: Some of the most stellar athletes bring in millions with marketing deals and endorsement.

After eight days of the summer Games we have seen athletes being distinguished the best of the best. Summer Olympians are breaking records and winning medals. You might think that the joy of winning a medal is enough, but a lot of athletes get an extra incentive: a lump sum of cash for their winning efforts.

One of the most outstanding endorsements so far is Qatar Telecommunication’s (Qtel) identification with Nasser Saleh al Attiyah’s bronze medal feat in the men’s skeet (rifle shooting) event. The company has promised to provide him with a special Shahry Line with unlimited SMS, mobile, internet, local and international calling for life.  

Though no confirmation of any financial reward from the Qatar Olympic Committee, one can be rest assured that for putting Qatar on the world map with its historic achievement, Qatar’s sporting excellence in rewarding its own will be monumental.

While we are still celebrating Nasser’s feat, not all countries participating in the Olympics offer cash reward. Athletes from the host nation, Great Britain, aren't getting any money for their efforts as the British Olympic Committee (BOC) believes that the medals and efforts are enough.

Gold medalist from Team GB at this year's home Olympics will be immortalised in the national memory.  According to Daily Mail, for Team GB stars the rewards are far less tangible. From the moment any take gold; the Royal Mail will begin designing a stamp bearing their image and deliver them to 500 post offices for sale the following day. The champions' stamps will be available in books of six for £3.60 or individually for 60p - to be immortalised forever among philatelists.

But for competitors from some other nations, prestige isn't the only thing driving them

For Americans a gold medal is worth $25,000. Silver and bronze are worth payouts of $15,000 and $10,000, respectively. The 29 medals won thus far have a total bonus value of $510,000. It’s a nice bonus for America’s unpaid athletes, though the payout values have not increased for a decade.

The United States is also far from the top of the payout list. The biggest medal bonus is offered by Italy, which will pay more than $182,000 for a gold medal. Russia’s medal rewards are also quite rich, and the nation’s gold medal winners will collect $135,000. The bronze medalists will take home $54, 400, more. Neighboring Ukraine has been considering an increase to its already rich payout scale: $100,000 for gold, $75,000 for silver and $50,000 for bronze.

African nation, Ghana has offered $20,000 for each gold medalist.

South Africa's Olympic body, Sascoc, will reward all medal winners competing in the London Olympic Games, having set aside R6-million ($721,542) for the stars of both the Olympics and Paralympics.

According to Sascoc, gold medallists will receive R400 000 ($48,000) and their coaches R100 000 ($12, 000. Olympic silver medallists will receive R200000 ($24,000) and their coaches R50000 ($6,000), whereas bronze medallists will be given R80000 ($9,600) and their coaches R20000 ($2,400).

In Armenia, its National Olympic Committee announced reward in cash for his/her medal hopefuls.

A gold medal will be worth $100,000; silver, $75,000; and bronze, $50,000.

National Olympic Committee president Gagik Tsarukyan has said he will personally pay $700,000 to any athlete who scores gold for Armenia.

Mexicans who wins a gold medal in individual event would receive 500,000 pesos (about $37,000); silver medal, 250,000 pesos ($18,000); and bronze medal, 125,000 pesos ($10,000).

Winning a gold medal in team sports would be awarded three million pesos (about $223,000); silver medal, two million pesos ($149,000); and bronze medal, one million pesos ($74,500).

In Malaysia, a gold medal could be worth more than $600,000. Andrew Kam, owner of a Kuala Lumpur gold mine, has offered a gold bar valued at two million Malaysian ringgit, or about $640,000, to any Malaysian badminton player able to win a gold medal. If multiple players take home gold, they will split the bar’s value.

Swimming Australia, which oversees the nation’s top swimmers, implemented a new funding deal this year that will pay more than $36,000 to gold medal winners in individual events; those involved with relays that win gold will share more than $63,000. Those payouts are in addition to the nation’s base medal bonuses, worth about $20,000 for gold, $13,000 for silver and $10,000 for bronze.

For Team Nigeria, its National Sports Commission promised to give N1.5 million ($100,000) to any athlete who wins a gold medal while silver and bronze medalists are to get N1,000,000 and N500,000 respectively. 

Australian, Nigerian may face death penalty for drugs

Muhammad Shafee Abdullah (right) and Tania Scivetti (left), lawyers for Emma Louise L'aiguille speak during a press conference at the High Court, in Kuar Lumpur, on Tuesday

KUALA LUMPUR  A Nigerian man and an  Australian nurse face the possibility of death by hanging after a Malaysian court on Tuesday charged them with trafficking methamphetamines.
Anthony Esikalam Ndidi  was charged in a Kuala Lumpur rcourt along with  34- year old Emma Louise L'Aiguille, two weeks after police said both were arrested in possession of one kilogramme (2.2 pounds) of methamphetamine.
  L'Aiguille entered the court in tears and spoke briefly to Australian High Commission officials before sitting in the dock, hunched over in distress, for the hearing.
No plea was recorded but the Australian's lawyer said she was innocent and was slapped once by a Malaysian police officer during interrogations.
   Drug trafficking carries a mandatory death sentence by hanging in Malaysia, where hundreds of people are on death row, mostly for drug offenses.
   Anyone found to be in possession of at least 50 grams of methamphetamine is considered a trafficker.
   L'Aiguille, from Melbourne, was in a car with her co-defendant when police arrested them, attorney Muhammad Shafee Abdullah told reporters after the court appearance.
   Police told L'Aiguille, who had been driving, that drugs were later found in the car, he said.
   Muhammad Shafee said two other Nigerians -- L'Aiguille's boyfriend and another man -- had also been in the car but had left the vehicle just prior to the arrests. Police are currently searching for the boyfriend, he added.   "She is completely depressed. She just does not understand how all this could happen to her. She was just driving the car," Muhammad Shafee said.
   He said L'Aiguille was a nurse who was in Malaysia as a tourist and had visited the country several times over the past two years. He complained that defense lawyers were only allowed one ten-minute meeting with her before the court appearance.
   The next court appearance was set for October 1. Pleas are not normally heard at the time defendants are charged.
   No further details were immediately available on the Nigerian defendant as he was not represented by legal counsel or the Nigerian High Commission at the hearing.
    Since 1960, more than 440 people have been executed in Malaysia, including two Australians put to death in 1986 for heroin trafficking that made headlines as they were the first Westerners to be executed under tough new anti-drug laws.


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