Teens among 33 dead in Oakland warehouse fire, officials say

The death toll from a fire at a converted Oakland warehouse known as the "Ghost Ship" had risen to 33 and teenagers were among the victims, authorities said Sunday.

Officials estimated that between 35 and 40 percent of the partly collapsed structure's remains had been searched as of Sunday afternoon, and crews clearing debris were expected to find more bodies as they advanced, Alameda County Sheriff's Sgt. Ray Kelly said.

Late Sunday, officials said they had identified eight victims, one of whom was 17 years old. That person's name was not made public.

The seven other victims were identified as Cash Askew, 22, of Oakland; David Clines, 35, of Oakland; Nick Gomez-Hall, 25, of Coronado, Calif; Sara Hoda, 30, of Walnut Creek, Calif.; Travis Hough, 35, of Oakland; Donna Kellogg, 32, of Oakland; and Brandon Chase Wittenauer, 32, of Hayward, Calif.

OAKLAND-AREA SPORTS TEAMS DONATING TO FIRE VICTIMS

Sgt. Kelly said that some of the victims hailed from Europe and Asia. He also confirmed that one of the victims was the son of an Alameda County sheriff's deputy.

Anxious family members who feared the worst gathered at the sheriff's office to await word on their loved ones. They were told they may have to provide DNA samples to help identify remains.

The warehouse had been carved into artist studios and was an illegal home for a rotating cast of a dozen or more people, according to former denizens who said it was a cluttered death trap with few exits, piles of wood and a mess of snaking electric cords.

"If you were going there for a party, you wouldn't be aware of the maze that you have to go through to get out," said Danielle Boudreaux, a former friend of the couple who ran the warehouse.

As many as 100 people were there for a party Friday night when the fire broke out just before midnight. Fire officials were still investigating the cause of the blaze, but they said clutter fueled the flames, there were no sprinklers inside and few exits to escape.

Boudreaux identified the operators of the Satya Yuga collective as Derick Ion Almena and Micah Allison. She had a falling out with Almena when she convinced Allison's parents and sister about a year ago that the warehouse was a dangerous place for the couple's three children to live.

The couple rented out five recreational vehicles and other nooks on the ground floor as living spaces. A rickety makeshift staircase led to a second floor where concerts were held. Former residents said there frequently was no electricity or running water.

Oakland planning officials opened an investigation last month after repeated complaints from neighbors who said trash was piling up and people were illegally living in the building zoned as a warehouse. An inspector who went to the premises couldn't get inside, said Darin Ranelletti, of the Oakland Planning Department.

The city had not confirmed people lived there, but a former resident said she had been lured in part by reasonable rents in a region beset with a housing shortage and exorbitant leases driven by the tech boom.

Shelley Mack said she wasn't told the residence was illegal until after she moved in a couple years ago and stayed for four to five months, paying about $700 a month. She said she was instructed to tell visitors it was a 24-hour workspace for artists and when outsiders or inspectors planned to visit, residents would scurry to hide clothes and bedding.

"It's like a horror house. Just horrors in there," she said.

To a first-time visitor, though, the labyrinth of uniquely designed spaces was "stunning," said Alastair Boone, a University of California, Berkeley student who arrived at the party with five friends around 11 p.m.

Photographs from before the fire showed that the Bohemian community of musicians, painters, woodworkers, dancers and other artists had decorated the scene with Tibetan prayer flags, Christmas lights and scores of wooden statues of Buddha, the virgin Mary, Jesus Christ, elephants and dragons that sat atop pianos and turntables. Tapestries hung from the walls, mannequin legs and arms stuck out from the ceiling and a small wooden spot of floor was used for art performances.

"It was obvious to me everyone who lives there cared about each other and were invested in a space they made a home," Boone said.

Almena did not immediately respond to emails or phone numbers associated with him. Authorities declined to talk about the manager, saying they were focused on recovering the bodies and consoling families.

A man identified as Derick Ion posted a Facebook message early Saturday, saying, "Everything I worked so hard for is gone. Blessed that my children and Micah were at a hotel safe and sound." He drew rebukes online from others who said he was warned the building was unsafe.

Almena, 46, has lived in California since at least 1990, mostly in Los Angeles, where public records show he was evicted from a North Hollywood apartment in Los Angeles in 1993.

Allison, 40, spent much of her life residing in Northern California, although she had also lived in Southern California, where she filed for a fictitious business name, Sacred Image, at a Los Angeles address.

Online records listed the building's owner as Nar Siu Chor. The Associated Press could not locate a telephone number for her Saturday. Efforts to reach her at other Oakland addresses associated with her were not successful.

Boone said she had just received a tour of the property and stepped outside when someone yelled, "Fire!"

"In a couple of minutes there were flames coming out of the windows and black smoke was just billowing out of the house," she said.

Some of the people who got out were crying and others stood silently in shock as firefighters arrived to put the flames out.

"The people who lived there were clustered together, and they were just so sad," Boone said. "They were losing their loved ones, and there was nothing they could do."

Monica Kat was outside the warehouse Saturday and said she feared four of her friends are dead. "They're still not accounted for, and I can only think the worst at this point," she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Trump expands secretary of state search; more interviews this week

President-elect Donald Trump has widened his search for secretary of state beyond his short-list of Mitt Romney and three others, senior transition team adviser Kellyanne Conway said Sunday.

“It is true that [Trump] has broadened the search,” she told reporters at Trump Tower in New York City. “He continues to talk to different people. I think you've all seen the list before that already existed. I think there'll be additional interviews with other candidates.”

The transition team on Thursday officially confirmed Trump had narrowed the list to four. Then sources told Fox News the names were Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee; former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani; Tennessee GOP Sen. Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; and retired Gen. David Petraeus, also a former CIA director.

However, other names have surfaced, including John Bolton, a former U.S ambassador to the United Nations; Rex Tillerson, Exxon’s chief executive officer; and most recently John Huntsman, a former U.S. ambassador to China and Utah GOP governor whose daughter Abby is a Fox News general assignment reporter.

Conway on Sunday declined to speak directly to reporter questions specifically about Huntsman or others but acknowledged the list has grown beyond four candidates, with more interviews later this week.

“That list is expanding,” she said. “There is not a finite list of finalists. … More than four, but who knows how many finalists there will be. It's a big decision and nobody should rush through it.”

Conway, who joined Trump as a campaign manager late in the White House race, has been surprisingly public in her criticism of Romney as the next State Department leader. She has said grass-roots Trump supporters feel “betrayed” by Romney being in the running, considering he called Trump a “con man” and a “phony” during the campaign.

Trump has publicly said he was OK with Conway’s comments. And Conway told “Fox News Sunday” that she would fully support Trump picking Romney and would say the same to disgruntled supporters.

“I've spoken my piece on that,” she said. “I said publicly and will say here again: Whatever he chooses and whomever he chooses has my full support and backing. … I'm going to say to those Trump supporters … you have to accept his judgment.”

Vice President-elect Mike Pence on Sunday voiced strong support for Petraeus but declined to comment when asked to speculate on whether he’d pass Senate confirmation, considering a federal judge sentenced him to two years of probation as part of a plea agreement on mishandling classified information. 

“That will be up to the president-elect,” Pence said on NBC's "Meet the Press." “I think the president-elect will weigh that against the backdrop of an extraordinary career in military service, whether it's in the role of secretary of state or another role in this administration.”

Pence also said Bolton, Corker, Giuliani, Petraeus, Romney and others “bring extraordinary background and qualities.”

Rare weasel-like mammal makes a comeback in Washington state

MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK, Wash. –  The elusive weasel-like mammal poked its head out of the wooden crate, glanced around and quickly darted into the thick forest of Mount Rainier National Park — returning to a landscape where it had been missing for seven decades.

One by one, 10 Pacific fishers that had been trapped in British Columbia were set free at the park south of Seattle as part of a multiyear effort to reintroduce the native species to its historic range.

A large crowd gathered Friday to herald the return of the dark-brown member of the weasel family with its lush fur and bushy tail. They cheered, clapped and hooted, and First Nations and American Indian tribal members sang and drummed, as each crate door was lifted and a fisher streaked out of sight across the snowy ground.

"We're correcting something that we mismanaged a long time ago before we knew enough to manage wildlife populations," said Jeffrey Lewis, a biologist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. "Now we can fix that because we know how to. We know we've got a lot of habitat here. All we were missing were the fishers."

Fishers historically were found throughout much of the forested areas of the West Coast. But they declined in numbers due to trapping in the 1800s and early 1900s, and the loss of forest habitats.

By the mid-1900s they were eliminated from Washington state. The solitary animal, which hunts snowshoe hares, rodents and small mammals, were listed as state endangered species in 1998. They're one of the few predators of porcupines and are found only in North America.

While common in the Northeast and Midwest, they're rare in the Northwest. Population estimates of West Coast fishers today are anywhere from a couple hundred to a few thousand, mostly in southern Oregon and Northern California. More recently, West Coast fishers have faced threats from illegal pesticide use by marijuana growers and other threats.

But they're slowly making a comeback in Washington through reintroduction efforts involving WDFW, Conservation Northwest, the National Park Service and other partners.

"These animals were here before us and so it's our duty to take care of them," Hanford McCloud, a Nisqually Indian Tribe council member, said during a ceremony before the fishers were released on park land designated for the tribe's use. Several First Nations people traveled with the fishers, some that were captured First Nations land in British Columbia.

The first fishers, about 90 in all, were reintroduced in Washington state in Olympic National Park starting in 2008. Those animals are reproducing and expanding its geographic range.

The second phase of the project involves relocating fishers from British Columbia into the southwest Cascade Mountains and later into the North Cascades. The goal is to reintroduce 80 fishers to each region.

"We feel like we're making headway and we're getting good positive results. It's too early to say that we're establishing a self-sustaining population but it sure is looking positive," said Lewis.

The recovery efforts, however, comes as conservation groups have sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, alleging the federal agency failed to consider the best scientific evidence when it decided not to provide the fisher protections under the Endangered Species Act.

Fish and Wildlife had proposed listing the forest-dwelling mammal as threatened in 2014 over concerns about logging practices, illegal pesticide use by marijuana growers and other threats.

In April, the agency acknowledged the creatures no longer occur in their historical ranges in Washington, Oregon and California but concluded they were not in danger of extinction. The agency said the best available science showed current threats aren't causing significant declines in West Coast populations. It also cited conservation measures such as reintroduction efforts in Washington.

"We're heartened by reintroduction efforts, but they alone are not going to be sufficient to save the fishers," said Tom Wheeler, Environmental Protection Information Center, one of the groups that sued. He said the animals need greater federal protections because they still face ongoing threats.

Tara Chestnut, a Mount Rainier park ecologist, said the return of fishers to the Cascade Mountains will restore biodiversity to the ecosystem.

"But there's also cultural significance," she said. "Fishers are part of our natural history and our natural heritage. There are also spiritual aspects of their return that are really important."

Scotland Yard to pursue new lead in disappearance of Madeleine McCann

Scotland Yard has been given money to investigate a new lead in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in what senior officials are calling “the last throw of the dice.”

According to The Sun, detectives are looking into a tip that traffickers from Europe kidnapped the then 3-year-old after taking photographs of her.

“This is an important new line of inquiry which could provide an explanation on whether Madeleine was abducted and transported away,” a source told the paper. “It raises hope that she could still be alive.”

Madeleine disappeared in 2007 while on vacation with her family in Portugal. She was snatched from a holiday apartment as her parents dined with friends nearby. One witness has claimed that the girl was photographed on the beach with her parents in the days before she vanished.

In 2011, police in Portugal smashed a trafficking ring snatching young women and underage girls in the Algarve and Aveiro sections, in the north of the country.

The latest information is being pursued as Scotland Yard has been given more money to look into what is being called an “important” new lead in Madeleine’s disappearance.

“There is specific information which is being investigated,” the source said.

The source added the investigative team is pushing forward to try to “confirm or disprove” the latest lead.

“At present, funding is due to run out next April when it will be reviewed again,” the source said.

Dylann Roof to judge: Let lawyers back on death penalty case

COLUMBIA, S.C. –  The white man charged with the shooting deaths of nine black parishioners at a South Carolina church asked a judge on Sunday if he could have his defense team back, at least temporarily.

In a handwritten request, Dylann Roof asked U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel to bring his defense team back on board for the guilt phase of his federal death penalty trial, which begins this week in Charleston.

"I would like to ask if my lawyers can represent me for the guilt phase of the trial only," Roof wrote. "Can you let me have them back for the guilt phase, and then let me represent myself for the sentencing phase of the trial? If you would allow that, then that is what I would like to do."

Death penalty cases are split into two parts: the guilt phase, and then a separate portion that focuses on whether or not the defendant will be sentenced to death or life in prison.

Roof, 22, faces dozens of federal charges, including hate crimes and obstruction of the practice of religion, for the June 2015 slayings at the end of a Bible study at Emanuel AME Church. Police said he hurled racial slurs during the shooting and left three people alive so they could tell the world the killings were because he hated black people.

The request comes a week after a federal judge allowed Roof to represent himself, a request that came as court convened last week to begin the process of qualifying a jury pool to hear Roof's case. Gergel, who had found Roof competent to stand trial a week earlier, said Roof had the constitutional right to act as his own attorney, a decision the judge called "very unwise."

Roof's former defense team has remained his legal advisers but has sought to play a larger role in his defense, expressing concern last week Roof may not present evidence that could sway a jury to spare his life — something that could violate the U.S. Constitution's ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

The lawyers said they didn't know why Roof wanted to represent himself but added that other capital defendants have fired their lawyers to avoid having embarrassing evidence revealed, writing that the "22-year-old ninth-grade dropout" might deliberately sabotage his own defense in order to get the death penalty.

There will be a hearing Monday for Roof and prosecutors to discuss pretrial motions, and opening statements are currently scheduled for Wednesday. If Roof's request isn't granted and he continues to represent himself, he'll be making those statements, as well as questioning witnesses at trial. That could include relatives of the shooting victims, some of whom said at Roof's initial court appearance that they forgave him and would pray for him.

Missing Alaska teen's remains found; another teen faces murder charge

The discovery of remains believed to be those of a missing Alaskan teen has led to the arrest of another teen on murder and kidnapping charges.

David Grunwald, 16, of Palmer, was last seen Nov. 13 after he drove his girlfriend home. Troopers on Friday found remains believed to be his a few miles from her Palmer house, the Alaska Dispatch News reports.

Erick Almandinger, 16, of Palmer, was arrested following an investigation, the paper reported.

Troopers said others involved in the disappearance and murder have been identified but have not been charged "as of yet."

KTUU-TV reported Saturday that three weeks ago Edith Grunwald said she heard her son may have been going to see a friend named Erick the night he disappeared and told troopers that.

“His girlfriend said that he had mentioned to her that he was going to stop by a friend Erick's house on the way home,” she told the station then.

She said her family didn't know Erick.

Troopers found Grunwald’s torched Ford Bronco on a remote trail north of Wasilla.

Baby Names: Find Out What Your British Name Would Be

Oscar Wilde once wrote that the English “have really everything in common with America nowadays, except, of course, language.” While it’s true that the British use dozens of alternate terms for common items, like “lorry” (truck) or “crisps” (potato chips), there is one difference that goes less documented: They also prefer different names.

That’s according to TIME’s comparison of the Social Security Administration’s U.S. baby name data with the official U.K. baby name tables, in which we matched names in one country with those of equal popularity across the pond. Try it yourself. You can either translate an American name into it’s British counterpart or go in the reverse direction by clicking “American” at the top of the interactive and entering a British name to be translated.


The U.K. data represents the volume of baby names in England and Wales since 1996, so the results of this exercise represent names that have been equally popular in each country over the past 20 years. For example, the choice of “Madison” for girls in the U.S., which surged in popularity in the early 2000s, has the same popularity as “Holly” in the U.K. Even less common names have their British equivalents. Like “Barack,” which briefly spiked in America after the 2008 election, the Polish name “Przemyslaw” surged in popularity in the U.K. at the same time. (The Polish population in the United Kingdom was rapidly growing.)

While some names might match differently if compared in earlier decades, comprehensive public data on baby names is not available for British newborns before 1996.

Methodology

The code for matching American and British names is available on Time Labs’ Github page. The data comprises 74,910 American names and 33,199 British names. Calculations were run on the 9,091 American names that show up at least 50 times in at least one year since 1996 and the 4,635 British names that show up at least 20 times in at least one year. Each name was compared to the entire database of names in the other country using a least squares calculation of the difference in percentage of popularity in one country versus the other. A name’s match is the corresponding name in the other country that has the smallest difference in popularity over the past 20 years.

Obamas Celebrated at Their Last Kennedy Center Honors

WASHINGTON (AP) — The longest, loudest standing ovation of the Kennedy Center Honors gala wasn’t reserved for Al Pacino, Mavis Staples or the Eagles. Instead, it went to the man sitting to their left, attending his eighth and most likely his last honors presentation: President Barack Obama.

While politics were absent from the tributes to the performers who were recognized for influencing American culture on Sunday night, the arts community’s affection for Obama — and its nervousness about President-elect Donald Trump — was palpable in the Kennedy Center Opera House.

The president and first lady Michelle Obama were introduced last, after Pacino and his fellow honorees: gospel singer Staples; pianist Martha Argerich; singer-songwriter James Taylor; and Don Henley, Timothy B. Schmidt and Joe Walsh, the surviving members of the Eagles.

After a sustained ovation, host Stephen Colbert greeted the crowd of Washington insiders as “endangered swamp-dwellers,” referencing Trump’s “drain the swamp” campaign pledge. He joked that Obama would need to receive the honor to attend again and that “unlike the Nobel Peace Prize, they don’t just give these away.”

The Kennedy Center Honors are in their 39th year, a period that has included six presidents — three Republicans, three Democrats — and all have taken time to welcome the recipients. But the 2016 election was noteworthy for the way A-list performers lined up behind Obama and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, while Trump had relatively few celebrity endorsements.

Although the president has no say in who receives the awards, Colbert joked that next year’s honorees would include Scott Baio, Gary Busey and Meat Loaf.

“For the past eight years, the White House has given us a leader who’s passionate, intelligent and dignified,” Colbert said, and the crowd rose for another prolonged ovation, prompting Obama to stand and wave.

“Sir, I don’t even know why you stood up. I was talking about Michelle,” Colbert said.

Earlier, at the White House, Obama welcomed the honorees at a reception and said participating in the gala was “one of the perks of the job.”

“The arts have always been part of life at the White House because the arts are always central to American life,” Obama said. “That’s why over the past eight years Michelle and I have invited some of the best writers, musicians, actors and dancers to share their gifts with the American people and to help tell the story of who we are.”

Kennedy Center chairman David Rubenstein also thanked the Obamas, noting that the president isn’t required to attend the honors or host a reception. He offered them a “golden ticket” good for free admission to any event at the center.

“Parking is extra,” Rubenstein said.

Another standing ovation went to Bill Clinton, who made a surprise appearance on stage to talk about how Taylor’s music resonated with him and the American public in times that tested the nation’s resolve.

“Our nation was reeling from the pain of Vietnam,” Clinton said. “James was there to satisfy our hunger for both intimacy and authenticity.”

Politics aside, the honors proceeded as usual, with musicians and actors taking the stage to pay tribute to the honorees, who stood on a balcony, waving and applauding as they wore the event’s signature rainbow-colored garlands. The ceremony will be broadcast Dec. 27 on CBS.

The tribute to Pacino included remarks by Sean Penn and recitations of Shakespeare by Laurence Fishburne and Lily Rabe. Chris O’Donnell and Gabrielle Anwar re-enacted the tango that Pacino danced with Anwar in “Scent of a Woman,” the 1992 movie that won Pacino his long-overdue Oscar.

Kevin Spacey gave a virtuoso tutorial on how to impersonate the actor whose passionate delivery has helped create some of the most memorable lines in American cinema. The keys are to look surprised and exhale loudly, Spacey said.

“Al seems to have a lot of air,” he said.

Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow and Darius Rucker performed medleys of Taylor’s music. Yitzhak Perlman played violin and Yuja Wang played piano to honor the Argentine-born Argerich.

Staples’ songs were performed by Elle King, Bonnie Raitt and Andra Day, and actor Don Cheadle spoke about the civil rights legacy of Staples and her family, who were close to Martin Luther King Jr. and performed at John F. Kennedy’s inauguration.

“She’s still fighting. She’s still singing freedom songs,” Cheadle said.

The Eagles were originally selected to be honored last year, but the band opted to delay participation because of founding member Glenn Frey’s poor health. Frey died in January at age 67, making the event a bittersweet one for the surviving Eagles, who were joined by Frey’s widow, Cindy Frey. Henley has said the band will never perform again. Bob Seger, Vince Gill and Kings of Leon performed the Eagles’ music on Sunday.

“I want to dedicate this evening to our brother Glenn,” Henley said as the band accepted its honors Saturday night at the State Department. “He was so much a part of our success. He was the driving force in this band. He believed in the American dream.”

The band’s longtime manager, Irving Azoff, sobbed as he raised a glass to Frey.

“For our Eagles family,” he said, “2016 couldn’t have had a harder beginning or a more appropriate ending.”

___

Associated Press writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report.

Oakland Ghost Ship Warehouse Was 'Death Trap': Former Tenant

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Shelley Mack says she didn’t know the converted Oakland warehouse known as the “Ghost Ship” was an illegal residence until after she moved in, when she was instructed to tell visitors it was a 24-hour workspace for artists.

The building was often freezing cold. Water and power were sometimes stolen from neighbors, who would get angry and shut them off. Once, a generator blew up, and residents quickly doused the flames, she said.

Mack, a 58-year-old tech sales worker and jewelry maker, lived in the warehouse for four or five months about two years ago. On Friday night, fire ripped through the cluttered space during a dance party, killing at least 33 people. Oakland officials say the death toll is expected to rise.

The building was crammed with rugs, old sofas and a garage-sale-like collection of pianos, paintings, turntables, statues and other items that quickly fed the flames.

Mack recalled a jumble of extension cords and heavy musical equipment.

“That place was just a death trap,” she said. “I didn’t think it was going to last this long before it went up or somebody shut it down.”

Mack found the rental in a Facebook ad and paid about $700 a month to live there, along with a security deposit of the same amount and a one-time contribution of about $700 to a fund meant to go toward improvements. She said none were ever made.

“It’s a good example of people taking advantage of people because they had no other options,” Mack said. “People make businesses off scamming people online when they’re looking for a place.”

When inspectors or other outsiders came to visit, she and other residents scurried to hide clothes, bedding and other evidence anyone was living there.

One doorway was blocked, Mack said, because it led to the property of a neighbor who’d been in a dispute with the operators, whom she and other former tenants and friends identified as 46-year-old Derick Ion and his 40-year-old wife, Micah Allison.

“They lure you in with all these promises about what they’re going to do with your deposit and your rent,” she said. “They don’t do any of it. They just party with it.”

Public records show Ion’s full name is Derick Ion Almena and that he has lived in California since at least 1990, mostly in Los Angeles, before moving to Oakland in 2006. Allison spent much of her life in Northern California.

The Satya Yuga Collective, one of two groups affiliated with the space, advertised it as a location for anyone with an open mind.

“Seeking all shamanic rattlesnake sexy jungle jazz hobo gunslingers looking for a space to house gear, use studio, develop next level Shaolin discipline after driving your taxi cab late at night, build fusion earth home bomb bunker spelunker shelters, and plant herbaceous colonies in the sun & air,” its Facebook page advertised.

Neither Almena nor Allison answered telephone calls placed to numbers associated with them. They did not respond to email messages from The Associated Press.

Oakland Warehouse Party Fire
Ajesh Shah—AP This 2014 photo provided by Ajesh Shah shows the interior of a portion of the ‘Ghost Ship’ warehouse, taken while he was on a tour as a potential tenant of the Oakland, Calif., building.
Danielle Boudreaux, a 40-year-old hairdresser, said she became fast friends with the couple when they met eight years ago before a falling out about a year ago over conditions at the warehouse.

Access to the second floor — where there was a room for concerts and a home for the couple and their children — was a rickety, homemade staircase, she said.

“Calling it a staircase gives you the idea that it was a set of stairs. It was not,” Boudreaux said. “It was random pieces of wood put together to create something that you could get up to the top floor on. But it was not what most people would consider a staircase. It was like a jimmy-rigged makeshift staircase. As soon as you stepped on it, it wobbled all over the place.”

Boudreaux said the couple was constantly trying to keep enough tenants to cover the warehouse rent, renting out recreational vehicles that were parked on the first floor as well as other living spaces, and charging for the parties that were held there.

But Alastair Boone, a 22-year-old University of California, Berkeley student who went to the party Friday night with five friends, described what she called a stunning scene that included a larger-than-life wood carving of a Thai god or goddess, when she walked in around 11 p.m.

“It was obvious to me everyone who lives there cared about each other and were invested in a space they made a home,” she said.

Boudreaux said she had a falling out with Almena after telling Allison’s parents and sister a year ago that the warehouse was a dangerous place for the couple’s three children to live.

“I had told her parents explicitly that the warehouse conditions were not safe,” Boudreaux said. “Half the time they didn’t even have running water, let alone heated water. They were using little electric heaters. There was cat (feces) everywhere. Piles and piles of random driftwood that had nails sticking out of it.”

She said Almena continually moved pieces of wood around the space.

“Two weeks later it could be a completely different configuration,” she said. “Even people who knew the building would have a hard time getting out.”

___

Associated Press writers Tim Reiterman, Olga Rodriguez and Juliet Williams in San Francisco contributed to this report.

Adam Disney broke bed having sex with female friend in former flat and admits criminal damage at Liverpool Magistrates' Court

A randy man was fined for breaking into his old flat and tearing down curtain drapes and BREAKING THE BED while in the throes of passion with his lover.

Horny Adam Disney 'got carried away' during the impromptu bonk with his partner and trashed the home in the process.

The bed collapsed as he had sex and the 28-year-old also damaged a window sill as he romped the night away.

Puzzled neighbours heard noises coming from the flat in Wavertree, Liverpool, and wondered what was going on September 3.

The home's landlady spotted Disney, from Solihull, leaning out the window smoking a cigarette.

Dan Lupton, defending at Liverpool Magistrates Court on Thursday said: “This is a curious case of the morning after the night before.

“They had been drinking and the couple were passionate in their interest to have sexual relations.

“On this occasion they were seeking to avail themselves rather quickly.”

He added: “The closest place for them to seek refuge, in an effort to avoid offending public decency, was his former flat.

“The window sill was loose and they hadn’t done a good job of securing the curtain rail. This was not a posh hotel room.”

Once inside the flat Mr Lupton said the couple were “carried away with the intensity of physical relations” and in the course of events the bed collapsed and drapes were pulled down.

He said the damage was not intentional but happened in the course of “sexual antics”.

Disney was fined #100 after admitting criminal damage in the 'shabby bedsit' after a charge of burglary with intent to cause damage was downgraded.

Chair of the bench Stan Golding also ordered him to pay costs of £85, £150 compensation and a victim surcharge of £20.

Adam Disney broke bed having sex with female friend in former flat and admits criminal damage at Liverpool Magistrates' Court

A randy man was fined for breaking into his old flat and tearing down curtain drapes and BREAKING THE BED while in the throes of passion with his lover.

Horny Adam Disney 'got carried away' during the impromptu bonk with his partner and trashed the home in the process.

The bed collapsed as he had sex and the 28-year-old also damaged a window sill as he romped the night away.

Puzzled neighbours heard noises coming from the flat in Wavertree, Liverpool, and wondered what was going on September 3.

The home's landlady spotted Disney, from Solihull, leaning out the window smoking a cigarette.

Dan Lupton, defending at Liverpool Magistrates Court on Thursday said: “This is a curious case of the morning after the night before.

“They had been drinking and the couple were passionate in their interest to have sexual relations.

“On this occasion they were seeking to avail themselves rather quickly.”

He added: “The closest place for them to seek refuge, in an effort to avoid offending public decency, was his former flat.

“The window sill was loose and they hadn’t done a good job of securing the curtain rail. This was not a posh hotel room.”

Once inside the flat Mr Lupton said the couple were “carried away with the intensity of physical relations” and in the course of events the bed collapsed and drapes were pulled down.

He said the damage was not intentional but happened in the course of “sexual antics”.

Disney was fined #100 after admitting criminal damage in the 'shabby bedsit' after a charge of burglary with intent to cause damage was downgraded.

Chair of the bench Stan Golding also ordered him to pay costs of £85, £150 compensation and a victim surcharge of £20.

Lady Beaten After Boyfriend Refuses To Pay For Her Hair

A Zimbabwean woman, identified as Nothando, got the embarrassment of her life when she was beaten after her boyfriend ditched her in a salon..

According to H-Metro, Nothando’s plot to escape after her lover left her in the salon foiled after she had gotten her hair done but couldn’t foot the bill..
She tried to escape from the Rich and Famous hair Salon but instead was beaten and the hairdresser identified as Pamela gave her a free hair cut..

David Beckham Set To Sell His N9BN Mansion Because It Is Too Small

England football legend David Beckham and his wife Victoria are set to sell their £24million LA mansion – because it is too small.

Posh and Becks bought the luxury 13,000-square-foot home in June 2007 for £14.2million after David landed a £128million deal at LA Galaxy but have now put the huge Italian-style villa on the market for almost double its original price tag..

The 1.25-acre property – nestled between Beverly Hills and Bel Air – boasts stunning views, nine bathrooms, palm trees and a swimming pool but it is understood they want to swap it for an even more lavish manor, with a bigger garden for sons Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz to play football.

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A source revealed to the Sun on Sunday:

“Victoria and David have both had concerns over the house for some time – especially about its size.

“The garden is too small for football and the boys have to go round their friend’s houses – usually either Gordon Ramsey or Elton John – to have a kick-about.

“The private driveway is also relatively small. The house has been on the market for a long time and David and Victoria are actively looking for a bigger place.”

Stephen Shapiro, one of America’s top real estate agents, confirmed last night that he had shown potential buyers around the address.

He said:

“It has been quietly on the market for a couple of years. It is a beautiful house. I remember there was an asking price of $30million (£24m).

New Report Claims MMM Will Crash In June 2017 – Daily Gossip

Barring any last minute change, viral ponzi scheme-MMM Nigeria may crash on June 7, 2017, a report has alleged.

The reported quoted by NAN stated that a Nigerian, who styled himself as Pastor Ernest Chigozie Mbanefo is the mastermind of the suspected Ponzi scheme known as MMM Nigeria.

Mbanefo is reportedly based in South Africa.

Nigerian Communications Week said Mbanefo registered the site MMM-Nigeria.net domain on June 7, 2016 about at about 5 pm Nigerian time.

NAN quoting NCW And Pageone report written as far back as September said Mbanefo made a single year domain payment. The domain will expire on June 7, 2017.

It was also revealed that MMM Nigeria is not part of MMM Global – a Russian company that was responsible for one of the world’s largest Ponzi schemes in the 1990s.

MMM Global was founded by Russian politician Sergei Mavrodi, his brother Vyacheslav Mavrodi and Olga Melnikova.

The name of the company was taken from the first letters of the three founders’ surnames (MMM) But like MMM Global, the Nigerian scheme is also a pyramid marketing scheme where an investor gets a 30 per cent return on investment.

Around the world, MMM is feared. In January 2016 the Chinese government banned MMM on the grounds that it is a pyramid scheme, (Ponzi scheme), and it is not registered in the country (and as a fraudulent scheme cannot be registered.

An online medium gave Mbanefo’s address as 1 ROYAL STREET, LINDBERG PARK, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA.

On the 15th of July, Mbanefo was awarded a certificate of completion of an online course titled ‘MMM Guiders School’.

The certificate was supposedly signed by Sergei Mavrodi himself. He has since given himself the nickname the ‘Super Guider of MMM’.

To share news and information about MMM, Ernest also operates a subdomain ‘news.mmm-nigeria.net. The site praises him and projects him as the leader of the Ponzi Scheme in Nigeria.

He is described as: “MMM Nigeria Super Guider; Pastor Ernest Mbanefo, has been selflessly helping thousands of MMM Nigeria Participants whether or not they fall under his downline structure. The brain behind the MMM NIGERIA REVOLUTION operation has been working selflessly and tirelessly towards the education, information and proper guidance for the MMM Nigeria Community’, NAN stated.

The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN has warned Nigerians not to participate in the scheme, saying it is not registered with relevant agencies.

First picture of dad, 54, in handcuffs after shooting dead NFL star Joe McKnight in 'road rage' incident

Ronald Gasser reportedly shot the running back, 28, then shouted: "I told you don't you f*** with me"


Ronald Gasser, 54, has been named by police as the man who shot McKnight dead (Photo: Handout)

Handcuffed and slumped against his car, this is the first image of a dad who shot dead an NFL star in a suspected road rage incident.

Running back Joe McKnight, 28, died at the scene after blasted a number of times in a suburb of New Orleans.

Ronald Gasser, a 54-year-old local father, has been named by police as the shooter.

He stayed at the scene and handed a gun to police before being arrested.

McKnight was driving his 4x4 alongside Gasser when witnesses said a dispute erupted at a set of traffic lights.


Joe McKnight when he played for the New York Jets (Photo: Getty)

It is not known whether either man got out the car, but one woman told the Times-Picayune Gasser shot McKnight then shouted: "I told you don't you f*** with me".

He then fired a second time.

McKnight, 28, played college football for USC, and then went on to play for the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff Newell Normand said: "The two vehicles came to stop at this location, side by side."

"The only thing that we know, at this point in time, and everything else would be conjecture, as we are interviewing a number of witnesses, as well as Mr Gasser, is that Mr Gasser did in fact shoot Mr McKnight.

"We will be releasing additional details as we get through these interviews."

McKnight was currently playing for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Canadian Football League.

Roughriders president and CEO Craig Reynolds issued a statement saying: "We are saddened to hear of the tragic loss of Joe McKnight.

"Losing a member of our Rider family this way is an unthinkable occurrence.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Joe’s family, teammates and coaches."

Prince Harry and Rihanna get HIV tests in Barbados

Prince Harry and Rihanna have taken HIV tests together in Barbados to raise awareness on World Aids Day.

The prince has been campaigning to encourage more people to be tested, and contacted the singer in the hope of reaching her fan base.

He hopes this will encourage others out there to taking the HIV test

Outrage after judge brands sex attack victim kidnapped on street as 'foolish' for drinking too much

Mr Justice Gilbart was criticised for 'blaming' the victim after saying there was no excuse for the attack but people had to take responsibility for their safety when on nights out


Judge Andrew Gilbart QC said the victim 'made herself very vulnerable' (Photo: Manchester Evening News)

A top judge is facing criticism after he 'blamed' a woman who was sexually assaulted and almost kidnapped off the street, labelling her 'foolish' for becoming very drunk and leaving herself open to an attack.

The 20-year-old victim was pounced on by teenager Yaqoob Alanezy, who put his arms around her, kissed her and then dragged her 30 yards down a street.

Mr Justice Gilbart caused outrage in sentencing Alanezy, saying there was no excuse for the attack but people had to take responsibility for their safety when on nights out, the Manchester Evening News reports.

The High Court judge said the victim only had a 'befuddled recollection of events' adding: "I’m sure it was a frightening incident. She got very, very drunk. It doesn’t excuse what happened, but people have to make sure they protect themselves and guard against this - she made herself very vulnerable.

"The law seeks to protect victims such as this from their own foolishness."


Yaqood Alanezy, 18, dragged the victim 30 yards down a street (Photo: Manchester Evening News)

He added: "(The complainant) had got herself drunk, was in a public place, unable to protect herself and the law must be seen to protect vulnerable people from being picked on by those who spot their vulnerability and choose to attack them."

Mr Justice Gilbart's comments were unnecessary and disturbing, according to Fay Maxted, chief executive of The Survivors Trust, which supports victims of sexual abuse.


She said: “This is something that has been going on for decades, this victim blaming as opposed to looking at the behaviour of the perpetrator.

"Research has shown time and time again that attitudes towards victims from judges and barristers can be really punishing.

Comments like the ones made in court can deter victims from coming forward, Ms Maxted added.

She said: “So much effort is put into encouraging people to report these crimes and so for one to get to court and to see the judge victim blaming is just disturbing.

"If you report a burglary people don’t criticise you for leaving the curtains open. It should not be happening.

"The person who is at fault is the one who has taken advantage of someone vulnerable.”


Alanezy, 18, was given 22 months in a young offenders institution after pleading guilty at Manchester Crown Court to sexual assault and kidnap - relating to the period where he dragged the woman along the road.

He attacked the victim after their paths crossed at in the Victoria Park area of south Manchester in the early hours of August 20. He dragged her down the street before they both fell to the floor.

The incident was stopped by a passer-by who saw the victim trying to push Alanezy off her as he lay on top of her in the street.

The concerned witness shouted 'oi' and ran over, prompting Alanezy to leave the scene.

Schoolboy kissed mum goodbye and said he loved her before being killed by speeding taxi

Amar Atwal was just 12 years old when he died after suffering internal injuries in the crash

The mum of a schoolboy killed by a speeding taxi driver told how he kissed her goodbye before he was killed in the horror smash.

Amar Atwal was just 12 years old when he died after suffering internal injuries in the crash in Hollyhedge Road, West Bromwich.

But even in death the much-loved Great Barr schoolboy helped others - with FIVE people benefiting from organ donations reports the Birmingham Mail .

Birmingham Crown Court heard the youngster, who attended Queen Mary’s Grammar School in Walsall, died in the crash last May. Two other relatives suffered horrific injuries.

Taxi driver Nadeem Hussain, 35, was jailed for six years after a jury found him guilty of causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

Schoolboy Amar Atwal who died in a car crash

She also revealed his kidneys, heart, liver and pancreas had been donated to help save five lives and said she was “really proud that other lives had been saved by her son.

“I love him dearly and always will. We are all heartbroken by his death. All that I can hope is that his death can help others have a life.”

Mrs Atwal, who has one other son, is now campaigning to ensure everybody understands the dangers of not wearing seat belts. She added: “I don’t want anybody else to go through what we have been through.”

EU Police Report Highlights Ongoing IS Threat to Europe

The Islamic State group is likely to carry out new attacks in the European Union in the near future, probably targeting countries that are members of the U.S.-led coalition fighting the extremist organization in Syria and Iraq, EU police agency Europol said in a report published Friday.

"Estimates from some intelligence services indicate several dozen people directed by IS may be currently present in Europe with a capability to commit terrorist attacks," according to the report, which draws on counterterrorism intelligence from around Europe and also cites media reports and previously publicized calls by IS leaders for attacks.

But IS also is adept at inspiring marginalized youths, some of whom may have mental health problems, and inciting them to carry out attacks.

The report also warns that tactics the group uses in Iraq and Syria — such as the use of car bombs — could also be deployed in Europe. It also said that past attacks such as those in France and Belgium over the last two years show that extremists acting in the name of IS can effectively plan complex attacks.

Europol also notes a shift in attacks from symbolic targets like police officers and military personnel to indiscriminate attacks on soft targets, such as the Paris attacks in 2015.

"Indiscriminate attacks have a very powerful effect on the public in general, which is one of the main goals of terrorism: to seriously intimidate a population," the report says, adding that the focus on so-called soft targets means that attacking critical infrastructure like power grids and nuclear facilities is "currently not a priority."

Europol also says that the consensus among intelligence agencies in EU member states is that "the cyber capabilities of terrorist groups are still relatively low," but adds that "the possibility of terrorist-affiliated cyber groups engaging in cyber warfare sponsored by Nation States - those with capacities to engage in this type of attacks - should not be discounted."

Meanwhile, a police raid in Morocco in February may have thwarted a possible attack by an IS cell using chemical or biological weapons, raising the specter that such weapons also could be used in Europe, though the report says automatic firearms, knives and vehicles are more easily available and that "The effectiveness, ease of use and access of these weapons will continue to be relevant."

American football player charged with murdering cheerleader ex-girlfriend posted Twitter tribute before arrest

A teenager from Tennessee charged with killing his 16-year-old cheerleader ex-girlfriend posted a tribute to her on Twitter just before he was arrested.

William Riley Gaul, 18, allegedly shot Emma Jean Walker while she slept.

Walker's family said she had broken off the relationship, and Gaul "refused to accept it".

A teenager from Tennessee charged with killing his 16-year-old cheerleader ex-girlfriend posted a tribute to her on Twitter just before he was arrested. William Riley Gaul, 18, allegedly shot Emma Jean Walker while she slept. Walker's family said she had broken off the relationship, and Gaul "refused to accept it".

Walker was found dead early on Monday morning, and Gaul, who played American football at Maryville College, was arrested the following night.

Earlier on Tuesday evening he professed his love for her on Twitter.

"To think that every memory we have, every happy special moment we shared, can't ever be relived. I love you Emma Jane Walker," he wrote.

"The amount of pain your family, me, the community are in because of this is insurmountable. Every time we held hands, kissed, hugged, to imagine that I'll never have that ever again hasn't quite yet hit me yet.

Emma Walker

"I'll never forget those times we talked about our future and what kind of dog we'd get and how awesome our family would be. I'll never forget sitting on the couch, watching Dr. Pimple Popper and making popcorn and laughing and holding you," he continued.

As friends and family gathered for a memorial service on Tuesday, Gaul posted another message.

"I love you Emma, I can't be around any of that yet, it's too soon. I know you know I'm dying to be there but understand I can't. I love you," he wrote.

Gaul's social media profiles are filled with pictures of Walker.

Jenny Weldon, Walker's aunt told the Knoxville News Sentinel that she had "chosen to move on" but that Gaul "chose not to accept her wishes".

Chloe Kennedy, a spokeswoman for Maryville College, said on Wednesday that Gaul has been dismissed from the football team.

William Riley Gaul CREDIT: TWITTER

Michael Reynolds, principal at Central High School, where Walker was a student, released a statement calling her a "wonderful young lady".

"At this time, our hearts and thoughts and prayers are with the family as they go through this grieving process. We thank everyone in our community for their tremendous support," he said.

'Don't mention Donald Trump!': Americans tread Thanksgiving minefield after US election

President-elect

Arguing with the in-laws is a time-honoured holiday tradition the world over - but with passions running high after Donald Trump's election, many Americans will be navigating a minefield as they celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday.

Thankfully, the internet has stepped up with a host of tips for taking the peril out of the occasion - starting with a list of arguments to divert from an unwanted foray into politics.

Things that are OK to spar over, as listed by CNN, include: How to cook the turkey, roast, grill or deep-fry? And the stuffing, inside the bird or on the side? Cranberry sauce, canned or freshly made? What to do before you eat - crash out in front of the TV or build your appetite with a walk?


The President-elect

The Atlantic offers a similar list of - disputed - Thanksgiving-themed statements to be rolled out in an emergency: Pie is better than cake, pecan pie is better than pumpkin, apple pie is better than pecan, etc etc.

Etiquette expert Daniel Post Senning offered CNN the following advice on keeping things civil at Thanksgiving: stick to non-threatening topics - think weather, sport, kids - do your best to keep an open mind, and if things start to take a nasty turn, don't take the bait.

The subject at hand is no trivial matter: according to an online poll by ABC News and SSRS, 45 percent of Americans expect a side of politics with their turkey this year - and 38 percent are stressed by the prospect.


One woman from Arlington, Virginia, who asked not to be identified lest her in-laws see the article on Facebook, said her therapist had advised her to plan "exit ramps" if holiday conversations turn ugly.

"I brought my adult coloring books, Christmas cards to address and plenty of reading material," the woman told AFP.

"I may be spending a lot of time in my bedroom - with the door shut."

Israel blames arsonists for sparking half of wildfires sweeping the country, as 60,000 forced to flee homes

Israel’s government has accused arsonists of sparking half of a wave of wildfires that has paralysed parts of the country and forced 60,000 people to evacuate from their homes.

The flames began on Tuesday but have grown more powerful because of dry weather and strong winds and by Thursday fires were raging inside the port city of Haifa.

No one has been killed by the fires but several dozen people were taken to hospital and eight neighbourhoods were evacuated inside Haifa, a city of 270,000 people.


“We’re in a state of war,” a Haifa fire brigade spokesman said as flames threatened to consume several of the city’s tower blocks.

Gilad Erdan, the public security minister, said half of the roughly 200 fires has been “deliberately set”. Police said they were investigating several potential arson sites but that their main focus was on putting out the fires and carrying out evacuations.

Within the febrile context of the Middle East, the fires quickly became politicised.

The hashtag “Israel is burning” began to trend in several neighbouring Arab countries like Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon.


Some Twitter users suggested the flames were divine retribution for a proposed Israeli law that would prevent mosques from making the call to prayer with loudspeakers.

Israeli commentators meanwhile referred to the flames as the “Fire Intifada”, suggesting that Palestinians or members of Israel’s Arab minority had started the flames as a way of attacking the Jewish state.

Naftali Bennett, a government minister and the leader of Right-wing political party, wrote on Twitter: “Only those to whom the land doesn't belong are able to burn it.”

Four people were arrested outside Jerusalem on suspicion of arson yesterday but were released while investigations continue, a police spokesman said.

Trump's Thanksgiving message | Full Transcript

We are very blessed to call this nation our home. And that is what America is: it is our home. It’s where we raise our families, care for our loved ones, look out for our neighbors, and live out our dreams.

It is my prayer, that on this Thanksgiving, we begin to heal our divisions and move forward as one country, strengthened by a shared purpose and very, very common resolve.

In declaring this national holiday, President Lincoln called upon Americans to speak with “one voice and one heart.” That’s just what we have to do.

We have just finished a long and bruising political campaign. Emotions are raw and tensions just don’t heal overnight. It doesn’t go quickly, unfortunately, but we have before us the chance now to make history together to bring real change to Washington, real safety to our cities, and real prosperity to our communities, including our inner cities. So important to me, and so important to our country. But to succeed, we must enlist the effort of our entire nation.

This historic political campaign is now over. Now begins a great national campaign to rebuild our country and to restore the full promise of America for all of our people.

I am asking you to join me in this effort. It is time to restore the bonds of trust between citizens. Because when America is unified, there is nothing beyond our reach, and I mean absolutely nothing.

Let us give thanks for all that we have, and let us boldly face the exciting new frontiers that lie ahead.

Thank you. God Bless You and God Bless America.

President-elect Donald Trump urges unity in Thanksgiving message

US President-elect Donald Trump acknowledged that a "long and bruising" presidential campaign had left emotions raw and tensions high on Wednesday but urged America to come together on its Thanksgiving holiday.

In a video address from his Florida golf resort, the 70-year-old tycoon said: "It is my prayer, that on this Thanksgiving, we begin to heal our divisions and move forward as one country, strengthened by a shared purpose and very, very common resolve."


Mr Trump will spend Thursday's holiday with part of his family in the Mar-a-Lago resort outside Palm Beach before returning to the job of picking nominees for the new US administration taking over on January 20.
Some of his earlier choices have fed existing concerns among minority groups and the Republican's liberal opponents he will lead a divisive government, concerned only with his white conservative base.

"We have just finished a long and bruising political campaign. Emotions are raw and tensions just don't heal overnight," Mr Trump admitted.


"It doesn't go quickly, unfortunately, but we have before us the chance now to make history together to bring real change to Washington, real safety to our cities, and real prosperity to our communities, including our inner cities."

On Wednesday, Mr Trump also announced that he selected Nikki Haley, a former critic, to serve as his ambassador to the United Nations.

The choice of Haley, the first non-white nominee to his cabinet, was seen as an effort by Mr Trump to deflect allegations of divisiveness and sexism that dogged his campaign.

Egypt ancient city unearthed by archaeologists

Archaeologists in Egypt have unearthed what they describe as a city that dates back more than 5,000 years, containing houses, tools, pottery and huge graves.

It lies by the River Nile, close to the Temple of Seti the First in Abydos.

Experts say the size of the 15 newly discovered graves indicates the high social standing of those buried.

It is believed the city was home to important officials and tomb builders and would have flourished during early-era ancient Egyptian times.

The discovery comes at a time when the country is trying re-energise its tourism industry, which has suffered amid militant violence since President Hosni Mubarak was overthrown in 2011.


Archaeologists have made a range of finds in the newly-discovered city including buildings, shards of pottery and tools.


Getty image

It is believed that this location was home to important officials and tomb builders who may have been engaged in the construction of royal graves in the nearby sacred city of Abydos - a place of many temples, and a capital in an early period of ancient Egyptian history.
The area is in the southern province of Sohag, in Upper Egypt, home also to the city of Luxor, one of the country's most popular tourist sites.

"About a mile behind where this material is said to be we have the necropolis with royal tombs going from before history to the period where we start getting royal names, we start getting identifiable kings," Prof Chris Eyre, an Egyptologist based at the University of Liverpool,

"So, this appears to be the town, the capital at the very beginning of Egyptian history."

The discovery was made by an archaeological mission that belongs to the country's Antiquities Ministry, and not a foreign group

Kenyan couple commit suicide on the same day

A Kenyan couple have shocked their family and friends by committing suicide on the same day, leaving behind a suicide note.

Couple commit suicide after leaving suicide note
The residents of Githurai 44 area in Nairobi, Kenya, were surprised to find out that a woman identified as Esther Muthoni and her husband Simon Maina Kiarie, had committed suicide inside their house.

According to reports, the couple had written suicide notes, asking to be buried on the same day, before hanging themselves on Tuesday, November 22

Esther was said to have died first, before her husband followed several hours later. Simon had reportedly called his brother to inform him of his wife’s death just before his own body was found hanging beside hers.

The OCPD in charge of Kiambu police station, Duncan Ngutu, said:

“After calling his brother he committed suicide, by the time his brother arrived at the house, he found his body hanging next to that of the wife.”

Neighbours however doubt Esther could have killed herself, as they said the couple were always fighting and chances are Simon could have killed her first before hanging himself.

Supreme Court rules in Jegede's favour

The Supreme Court has struck out stay of execution motions filed by Biyi Poroye and ordered the Appeal court to go ahead with ruling on the case between Eyitayo Jegede and Jimoh Ibrahim.

The Supreme Court said there was no way it could stop the second panel from ruling on the case between Jegede and Jimoh Ibrahim after the first panel stepped down.


Factional PDP candidate Eyitayo Jegede in supreme courtroom with Dr. Bode Olanipekun SAN and his father, Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN

Supreme Court justice Walter Onnoghen told Poroye’s counsel Beluolisa Nwofor :   

“Tell us where in the constitution why we should punish those justices. You can’t box the lower court into a corner and be asking the Supreme Court for withdrawal of motions.”

“Will angels come down to adjudicate your case after you blackmailed the first panel and also raised eyebrow against the second panel?” Justice Mohammed Ibrahim Tanko said.

Justice Onnoghen, the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, who presided over the proceedings dismissed Poroye’s motions and awarded a cost of N250,000 against him.

Recall that the Appeal Court had adjourned indefinitely its ruling on the case of Jegede’s appeal to reclaim the candidacy of the PDP in the upcoming Ondo election, but with this ruling, the Appeal Court can now continue with the ruling on the case between the two candidates of the PDP factions.

3 fast ways to get your husband in the mood

A marriage is one of the longest relationships we have as humans. The bond is meant to be till death separates the couples so this means they will be together for a long time.

After the honeymoon phase will come the reality and couples can get bored or stuck in a rut. All the sex positions ma have been exhausted and sex will then become like a chore.

To switch it up, women could try different things that will get their husband excited again. Once you try on of these things, he can never say no to your sex call.

Here are three fast and sure ways to put your husband in the mood:

1. New lingerie

Your husband may have seen your body a thousand times but the packaging can make it more exciting. New and sexy lingerie will excite him and his body won’t be able to resist.

2. Try a new routine

To get out of your rut, try something new. It may be watching porn together or role playing but switch things up and find which excites him more. You will be surprised how your husband will go back to being a lion in bed.

3. Make sex more delicious

They say a way to a man’s heart is through food right? Luckily for us, sex and food mix very well. There are fruits that eget you in the mood, flavoured lubricants and also edible underwear.

Your will satisfy your man’s appetite and sex appetite all at once when you introduce foods that go well with sex.

Shocking! Man’s penis moves to his knee after sex with married woman (photos)

An unidentified man has experienced the worst after sleeping with another man’s wife.

Men be careful while dealing with other men's wives you never know what you are getting into.

According to Tuko, the man came out to beg for forgiveness after sleeping with a Luo man’s wife in Kenya. He had to publicly do that because his manhood shifted to his kneels after he had sex with another man’s wife. Many believe the man put a curse on his wife after finding out she was cheating.

Emmanuela Crowned princess of Comedy in Australia

Little Emmanuella

Nigerian Comedienne, Emmanuella has been honoured by the Australian Government with an award for her outstanding comedy shows.

Emmanuella was crowned the Princess of Comedy by the Australian Government while Uncle Mark Angel himself was also Honoured with a leadership Award.

She has become the the youngest recipients of the Afro-Australia Music & Movie Awards (AAMMA). The event took place in Sydney, Australia. She won 2 awards – Best new comedienne & Princess of Comedy.

The AAMMA AWARDS was established by Scrim Entertainment (owned by Daniel Okoduwa) to celebrate Artists of African origin irrespective of borders or National identities.

Other recipients in the past includes Hollywood icon Vivica A Fox, Ramsey Nouah, Anne Kansiime, Desmond Elliot, Pascal Atuma, TUFACE Idibia, John Dumelo, Mercy Johnson, Monalisa Chinda, Awilo Longomba, Emerson Bockarie, Jimmy B, Ejike Asiegbu and many others . The organisers described the talent of Emmanuella as simply phenomenal.

Mark Angel Comedy Won Best Subsaharan Channel In The Just Concluded Youtube Awards.

Nigeria fail to beat very determined Ghanaian side

Asisat oshoala

AWCON: Determined Black Queens force Falcons to a draw

The Super Falcons of Nigeria were forced to a 1 – 1 draw by a very determined Black Queens of Ghana

The Nigerian ladies who defeated Mali 6 – 0 in their opening group game at the ongoing 2016 African Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) in Cameroon faced a strong opposition in the Black Queens who entertained the crowd inside a nearly full stadium.

The game which had a scrappy start laws enlivened in the 10th minute an intelligent pass from Nigeria’s Wogu almost set up Oshoala, but the effort was too much for the Arsenal lady.

The Super Falcons of Nigeria were forced to a 1 – 1 draw by a very determined Black Queens of Ghana.

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Asisat Oshoala appears to be frustrated
The Nigerian ladies who defeated Mali 6 – 0 in their opening group game at the ongoing 2016 African Women Cup of Nations (AWCON) in Cameroon faced a strong opposition in the Black Queens who entertained the crowd inside a nearly full stadium.

The game which had a scrappy start laws enlivened in the 10th minute an intelligent pass from Nigeria’s Wogu almost set up Oshoala, but the effort was too much for the Arsenal lady.

Nigeria opened the scoring in the 20th minute after a set-piece by Asisat Oshoala was turned-in by an opponent in an own-goal situation.

The Ghanaians leveled the scoring when Addo converted from the penalty spot  in the 42nd after she was fouled in Nigeria’s danger area.

Things then changed in the second half as the Black Queens settled and took control of proceedings in the midfield. The side’s goal scored Addo who was obviously the best player on the pitch continued to torment the Nigerian defence.

Also, lanky Dadson dazzled and was through on goal but Nigeria’s goalkeeper Alaba Jonathan was on hand to save the situation.

The Super Falcons had a couple of chance to win it at the dearth, but referee waved play-on in the last second when Oshoala was brough down in the area.

In ended: Nigeria 1 – 1 Ghana.

The Super Falcons must now win their final group game against Kenya on Saturday, November 26 in their bid to reach the semi-final.

BREAKING: Fix the mess and stop complaining, Obasanjo attacks Buhari

Olusegun Obasanjo says it is tiring to hear the complaints of the Buhari administration when it was voted in to change the mistakes of the past

– Obasanjo says the president also does not need the $30billion foreign loan to turn Nigeria’s economic fortunes around

Former president Olusegun Obasanjo says President Buhari should stop complaining and fix the mess
Former president Olusegun Obasanjo has attacked President Muhammadu Buhari for dwelling too much on the past and failing to turn around the fortunes of the country.

Premium Times reports that while delivering the keynote address at the First Akintola Williams Annual Lecture in Lagos on Wednesday, November 23, Obasanjo lashed at the Buhari administration for accusing all previous administrations of mis-governance.

He advised that since Buhari was elected to change the country, he should concentrate on clearing the mess he inherited.

“Now that we have had change because the actors and the situation needed to be changed, let us move forward to have progress through a comprehensive economic policy and programme that is intellectually, strategically and philosophically based,” Mr. Obasanjo said.

“It is easier to win an election than to right the wrongs of a badly fouled situation. When you are outside, what you see and know are nothing compared with the reality.

“And yet once you are on seat, you have to clear the mess and put the nation on the path of rectitude, development and progress leaving no group or section out of your plan, programme and policy and efforts. The longer it takes, the more intractable the problem may become.”

Obasanjo also wondered why President Buhari needed about $30billion loan to fix the economy.

“I am sure that such a comprehensive policy and programme (that will move Nigeria forward) will not support borrowing US$30 billion in less than three years. It will give us the short-, medium- and long-term picture.

“Adhocry is not the answer but cold, hard headed planning that evinces confidence and trust is the answer. Economy neither obeys orders nor does it work according to wishes. It must be worked upon with all factors considered and most stakeholders involved.

“The investors, domestic and foreign, are no fools and they know what is going on with the management of the economy including the foreign exchange and they are not amused. The Central Bank must be restored to its independence and integrity. We must be careful and watchful of the danger of shortermism.

“Short-term may be the enemy of medium- and long-term. We must also make allowance for the lessons that most of us in democratic dispensation have learned and which the present administration seems to be just learning.”

The former president used to be a staunch supporter of President Buhari but all that seems to have changed.

Obasanjo also did not forget to mention that the national assembly is a cesspool of corruption that stinks to the high heavens.

This is not the first time he has come after the federal lawmakers of the 8th assembly who also do not have any love lost for him.

‘How I caught my father having sex with my sister’

A young lady has told a startling story about her father’s sexual involvement with her own sister in their home.

According to her, she had noticed her father’s closeness to her sister but didn’t know it has gone as far as sex. Read how she shared the story below:

”I have always sensed that my father was too close to my elder sister. The man was just too fond of her and obviously so. Over the years, I even grew jealous considering the attention he gave her to my own expense. Me and my sister are my parents only two children. I used to tell my mother about what I felt about my father but she always waved me off.

“It’s just in your imagination. Your father loves you all equally” she would say.

”Still I felt sidelined by my father and this caused some friction in the relationship between me and my sister though we still got along pretty well. Well, I got admission to study Accounting in Benue State Univerity last year but my sister is still seeking admission. So I came home last week on a short visit and that was when I made the most shocking discovery of my life.

”I walked into the house quietly to surprise my family since they didn’t I was coming and I saw my father on top of my sister having s*x with her on a couch. I screamed and ran outside. I sat down under a tree in front of our house badly shaken. I just picked my small bag and began to go back to school. I couldn’t handle it. Now, I don’t even know what to do; whether to tell my mother or just keep quiet about it.”

What will you advise her to do?

Mark Angel Among YouTube Awarded Creators

Mark Angel Comedy featuring six-year-old Emmanuella Samuel, Nigeria’s Channels Television and IbakaTV/Nollywood have emerged winners at the inaugural Sub-Saharan African (SSA) YouTube Awards, an official said on Sunday.

According to Susan Wojcicki, the Chief Executive Officer of YouTube, the SSA YouTube Award was Google’s way of celebrating African creators.

She said “the YouTube Awards celebrates the talent and creativity of YouTube community while serving as platform that shares Africa’s creativity with the rest of the world.

“By holding our first-ever YouTube Africa Awards, we hope to celebrate incredible achievements like Olympic medallist Julius Yego show, while also demonstrating our long-term commitment to the continent,” Ms. Wojcicki said.

She said YouTube Awards were handed out to 25 creators across 23 categories and nominees were chosen based on subscriber numbers.

She added that users had to have a minimum of 50,000 subscribers to qualify and must be based and currently residing in one of eight launched countries in SSA.

The YouTube boss said that the top non-broadcaster channels were picked from each launched country, describing a launched country as one in which monetisation had been enabled as it was not enabled in all countries globally.

Ms. Wojcicki listed the eight launched countries in sub-Saharan Africa as Tanzania, Ghana, Uganda, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal, adding that over 70 channels from launched SSA countries had reached over 100,000 subscribers.

Teju Ajani of YouTube Partnerships, SSA, said YouTube was about people having opportunities to express themselves.

He said “creators across Africa are using YouTube to find their voice, connect with audiences around the world and build channels while earning revenue from it.

“The number of hours of video content being uploaded in Africa has doubled in the past two years and the audience has grown with it.

“Watch time on mobile phones is growing 120 per cent year over year,” he said.

He added that creators like Hakima Raymond who taught himself to conduct an orchestra using YouTube videos had gained international fame on the show “An African City.”

Ajani said that the show, which recently hit international headlines for its portrayal of women in Accra, Ghana, was an example of the talent that reside in Africa and was now reaching the world through YouTube.

He listed the YouTube content creators to include Nigeria’s Mark Angel Comedy which features six-year-old Emmanuella Samuel, Nigeria’s Channels Television, South African vlogger Suzelle DIY and South African music channel, Yellow Brick Cinema.

The full list of winners are Broadcaster; Channels Television, Comedy; Kansiime Anne, Comic; Ramscomics/Supastrikas, Education – Retutpro – Photography and Photoshop Tutorials, Entertainment – NdaniTV; Fitness; Six Pack Factory; Games, Slushy AJ.

Others are Makeup and Fashion, Kangai Mwiti; Music, Yellow Brick Cinema; News and politics, Millard Ayo; Nonprofit, Jim Nduruchi; People and Blogs, Suzelle DIY; Pets and animals, Earth Touch.

The Top Subscribed Creator category in Uganda was Kansiime Anne; Ghana, OfficialSarkodie; Kenya, Churchill Show; Nigeria, Mark Angel Comedy; Senegal, Prince Arts; South Africa, Yellow Brick Cinema; and Tanzania, DiamondPlatnumz.

Other top subscribed creators are in Zimbabwe, Mufti Menk; and Top Subscribed Nollywood Channel, IbakaTV/Nollywood.

Mr. Ajani said that for special mention, Yellow Brick Cinema which recently reached one million subscribers, was awarded a YouTube Gold Play Button in recognition of the achievement.

(NAN)

Kylie Jenner Looking So Calm in latest picture

Kylie jenner posted a picture of herself looking calm and beautiful with her beautiful makeup touch, letting down her beautiful blond hair. She looks just perfect.