The Curious Mind

A Long Island mother and her adult son and daughter were arrested and charged in connection with a string of armed robberies over the weekend, including a stick-up that occurred on Saturday, police said. Deborah Salvatore, 55, along with her son Rick Mascia, 25, and daughter Lauren Mascia, 31, were arrested on Saturday night, accused of robbing six businesses -- one of them twice -- over the past month, police said. The family, all of the Long Island area, was apprehended late Saturday after Rick Mascia allegedly entered a Dunkin Donuts in Coram, located about an hour east of Manhattan, with a knife and demanded money, according to a police statement The cashier reportedly opened the register and then ran toward the back of the store, according to the Suffolk County Police Department. Mascia then emptied the register and fled toward his mother, who was waiting for him in a getaway car parked outside, but police were already closing in on them by that point. The two w...

The eagerly awaited ceremony finally gets underway at 20:30 CET, which will be hosted by renowned British actor Idris Elba, while modern day rock and roll giants Kasabian will also be performing on the night. You won’t want to miss a second of the ceremony. Many have tipped Buffon for the best goal keeper award. What is your prediction?

Details of the recent averted plane crash involving the Presiding Bishop of the Winners Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo and his wife has been revealed by the pilot of the aircraft Captain Samuel Adegoga. Narrating how the accident happened , a pastor in the church, Adebisi read the report  from the aircraft’s pilot during a thanksgiving service on Friday. “The main malfunction we had in the Cyprus-Israel flight was a stabilizer twin-motor failure. During the said flight that we had the twin motor failure, the auto-pilot could no longer exert the desired pressure to keep the aircraft in the required altitude for stability flight. “The captain disconnected the auto-pilot, took and returned the aircraft to the required altitude for that phase of the flight. Because the aircraft was out of trim during this takeover, the aircraft abruptly pitched off with much pitch force. ” The captain counteracted it with a pitch down force. These counter forces caused turbulence and mo...

Days after the World Health Organization named President Robert Mugabe as a goodwill ambassador, a move that angered and stunned human rights activists, it rescinded the appointment. "I have listened carefully to all who have expressed their concerns, and heard the different issues that they have raised," WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. "It is my aim to build a worldwide movement for global health. This movement must work for everyone and include everyone." Tedros said he consulted the Zimbabwean government and concluded it's in the organization's best interests. The public health agency announced the appointment last week,  saying the African leader would focus on noncommunicable diseases  on the continent such as heart attacks and strokes. A public outcry ensued. Angry tweets took aim at Tedros and the public health agency. "The government of Robert Mugabe has brutalized human rights activists, crushed demo...

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has recovered a body believed to be that of 40-year old Mr Oluseyi Adekunle, who allegedly jumped off the Lekki-Ikoyi bridge into the Lagos lagoon, on Friday. The body which was said to have been found floating by the river bank around the Lekki-Ikoyi Bridge, was discovered by a local fisherman on Sunday morning at about 5.00am, after which the attention of the rescue agencies were called. The body was recovered from the lagoon by coordinated efforts of officials of the LASEMA, Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) Marine Police and handed over to the State Environmental Monitoring Unit (SEHMU). The body has been taken to the Lagos Mainland Hospital Mortuary for deposition. Mr Adekunle who according to eyewitnesses, appeared to be on his way to work on the fateful day, was said to have dropped his bag at the rails before taking the plunge in an apparent suicide bid. His ATM card and other items were recove...

Mourners filled a church in Florida on Saturday to honor a U.S. soldier whose combat death in Africa led to a political fight between President Donald Trump and a Florida congresswoman. The widow of Sgt. La David T. Johnson held the arm of an Army officer as she led her family, dressed in white, into the Christ the Rock Community Church in suburban Fort Lauderdale. The family asked that reporters remain outside. Johnson, 25, was one of four U.S. Special Forces troops killed Oct. 4 in an ambush in Niger in an attack by militants linked to the Islamic State group. Four soldiers from Niger also died. Debbie Valin and her teenage daughter, Michelle Shawn, held a U.S. flag outside the church in Cooper City more than an hour before the service. “We are here for the military. We are grateful for the people who serve,” said Valin, whose grandson just completed Marine boot camp. Fred Walker, a Marine veteran, planted small flags along the driveway into the church. “It...

A director in the Kogi State civil service, Mr Edward Soje has allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself on a tree in Lokoja, the state capital. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered on Saturday in Lokoja that the dangling body of Soje was found on a tree behind the mammy market at the Maigumeri barracks, the Nigeria Army Command Record. The 54-year-old civil servant decided to take his life barely 10 days after his wife of 17 years gave birth to a set of male triplets in a private hospital in Abuja. The couple had been childless before then. Soje, a Grade Level 16 Officer in the Kogi State Teaching Service Commission, was being owed 11 months’ salary arrears as at the time he took his life. He hailed from Ogori town in Ogori -Magongo Local Government area of the state. He had before killing himself travelled to Abuja and left a suicide note for the wife who also works in one of the federal ministries. “Psalm 121:3 God will not suffer your foot to be moved: He that k...

Messi of Argentina dribbles past Onazi of Nigeria The Argentina FA has confirmed that the two-time World Champions will face Nigeria in a friendly in the Russian city of Krasnodar on 14 November. Three-time African champions Nigeria, who became the first African country to book a spot in Russia, are regarded as tough opposition  as Argentina prepare for their 2018 World Cup campaign. Both countries will meet for the eighth time at senior international level and for the first time since 2014,  when Argentina won 3-2 at the World Cup in Brazil. The Super Eagles famously defeated Argentina 4-1 in a friendly at home back in June 2011 but overall Argentina hold a 5-1 head-to-head record. The South Americans have beaten Nigeria four times at the World Cup, with the West Africans losing by the odd goal in each of the matches. Argentina edged Nigeria 2-1 in 1994, 1-0 in 2002 and 2010, as well as the thrilling 3-2 at the last World Cup tournament. They played out a g...

The Tanzanian government said Saturday it had suspended an NGO it had accused of promoting gay marriage in contravention of local “customs, traditions and laws”. The move followed a police raid on a Community Health Education Services and Advocacy (CHESA) centre, which is accused of being involved in “the promotion of marriage between people of the same sex”. The government said “marriages between people of the same sex are unacceptable in Tanzania as (they are) contrary to the customs, traditions and laws of the country”. CHESA stands accused of organising last Tuesday a workshop for gay couples in a hotel in Dar es Salaam, the country’s largest city. Police made 12 arrests Wednesday at the hotel, including two South Africans and a Ugandan, for presumed homosexuality. In a joint statement Friday CHESA and South Africa’s Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (ISLA), a fellow NGO, insisted they were merely coordinating a “legal consultation” to challenge a government...

Former Governor of Anambra state, Mr. Peter Obi, shared money to traders when he led PDP’s campaign for Anambra State Governorship election at the market on October 18. The Governor cheered the traders to vote for his candidate and former Secretary to the State Government, Oseloka Obaze. Oseloka Obaze would be looking to unseat Mr. Obiano as governor. Below are photos of Peter Obi’s at his market campaign:

Could it be true that Tiwa Savage is a smoker? If it's a lie, then what was the Marvin crew lady doing in this picture  on set for her new video... Pictures below: She really does it well or what do you think?

A woman, Chinyere James , has been arrested by the police in the Okokomaiko division, Lagos State, for allegedly torturing her nine  year  old cousin, Emmanuel. It was learnt  that the victim had been wrongly accused by the 28  year  old of defiling his three year old sister at their home on Akinberu Road , Okokomaiko. The aunt , without investigation , allegedly flogged him for hours, as his plea of innocence fell on deaf ears. A resident was said to have rescued him and reported the matter to the Lagos State Office of the Public Defender. An official of the agency , who did not want to be identified , said the case was reported to the police . She said , “The boy’ s mother , Joy , and the aunt, Chinyere , live in the same single  room apartment with their parents. Joy , who is 27 years old, had Emmanuel and the three year old for different men. “ Chinyere tortured the boy for an offence he didn’ t commit . Investigation showed that it was on...

North Korea has warned it will not be intimidated by Donald Trump’s threats in an “unprecedented” letter sent to other countries. “If Trump thinks that he would bring the DPRK, a nuclear power, to its knees through nuclear war threat, it will be a big miscalculation and an expression of ignorance,” the letter said. “Trump threatened to totally destroy the DPRK … it is an extreme act of threatening to totally destroy the whole world.” The document was published by the Sydney Morning Herald and has been verified by Australia’s foreign ministry. Australia’s prime minister dismissed it as a “rant”, while the country’s foreign minister said it showed diplomatic pressure from the international community was working. It comes amid rising tensions between North Korea and the US, with Kim Jong Un’s regime carrying out a number of ballistic missile and nuclear tests. Mr Trump has threatened to “totally destroy” the country if need be, describing Kim as “rocket man” on a suicide ...

Proceedings have been opened following an alleged incident during the Champions League tie at Stamford Bridge Roma face action from UEFA after European football's governing body opened disciplinary proceedings over alleged racist chanting during the Serie A side's 3-3 Champions League draw at Chelsea on Wednesday. An absorbing clash at Stamford Bridge was marred when a section of supporters were heard targeting defender Antonio Rudiger, who left Roma for Chelsea in the transfer window. Visiting fans have been accused of making "monkey chants" after the Germany international shielded the ball out of play while under pressure from forward Stephan El Shaarawy. UEFA confirmed the case will be examined by its Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body on November 16, a little over two weeks after the return fixture takes place at the Stadio Olimpico. Spartak Moscow were charged over a similar offence relating to a Youth League match against Liverpool on September 26...

There have been fierce clashes between Kurdish and Iraqi troops north of Kirkuk city, days after the Iraqi army took control of disputed areas. A BBC correspondent at the scene said there had been rocket, artillery and machine-gun fire in Alton Kupri. The district is the last area in Kirkuk province still held by Kurdish Peshmerga fighters. Iraqi forces have this week taken over swathes of territory which had been held by the Kurds since 2014. Army and allied militia launched an operation which saw Kurdish forces pushed back into the officially recognised autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). The oil-rich province of Kirkuk, which includes ethnically mixed Kirkuk city, is claimed by both the central government in Baghdad and the KRI.  Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered military action after the Kurdish government held a referendum which overwhelmingly backed independence. Mr Abadi had declared the vote illegitimate. BBC

Over the past 25 years, the world has made significant progress in saving young children’s lives. The rate of child mortality fell 62 per cent from 1990–2016, with under-five deaths dropping from 12.7 million to 5.6 million. But this progress has not been universal.  A new report from UNICEF and its partners in the Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (IGME), Levels and Trends in Child Mortality: Report 2017, shows the full scope of child and newborn mortality across the world. In addition to global estimates for under-five, infant and newborn mortality, the report for the first time contains estimates on mortality among children aged 5-14. The data reveal that the rate of newborn deaths is not decreasing as quickly as that of children aged one to five. As a result, newborns account for a growing proportion of child deaths with each passing year. In 2016 alone, 7,000 newborn babies died every day. Newborn deaths made up 46 per cent of all child deaths, an incre...

The Kebbi State Government on Monday suspended the polio immunisation exercise meant to commence across the 225 wards of its 21 local government areas due to lack of marker pens. The National Polio Immunisation ( NPI ) Manager for Birnin-Kebbi Local Government, Alhaji Bello Umar, confirmed the suspension in an interview with newsmen after the flag-off of the exercise at the Deputy Governor’s residence in Kebbi. Umar said that the commencement of the exercise had been shifted to Thursday, Oct. 19. “We are likely to receive the marker pens probably by Tuesday. “If it comes, we will commence the distribution of the vaccines on Wednesday while immunization proper will kick-off on Thursday this week. “However, all necessary materials to embark on the polio immunisation exercise are on ground, it is only the maker pens that are not available.” The Commissioner of Health, Alhaji Umar Kambaza, who also confirmed the suspension of the exercise, said that the markers would be avail...

President Jacob Zuma You could recall that he is notorious in this kind of act. Remember the 600 million naira Christmas tree?  T he many cakes and then the money  splash for his birthday celebration? give it up for this man called Rochas Okorocha. 600m christmas tree Rochas cakes

Coach Gernot Rohr of Nigeria Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr has warned his players that their performances at next year’s World Cup will be affected if there is any repeat of protests over pay and bonuses. At the last finals in Brazil three years ago, the Super Eagles deliberately missed a training session in protest at the non-payment of a bonus for qualifying. That forced the country’s then sports minister to charter a private jet and fly to South America with nearly $4m in cash. Rohr said he is convinced that Nigeria can go beyond the last 16 for the first time by preparing well in advance. But he told reporters: “The issue of bonuses and allowances, which are the usual African problem we see during the World Cup, must be avoided. “Such issue will be bad for our preparation. I have told my officials and the federation president that all (such issues) be cleared before the start of the competition.”

Huawei The Shenzhen-based group’s new Mate 10 phone appears just weeks after Apple unveiled its top-of-the-line iPhone X, a timing choice many industry observers have read as a direct challenge to the California tech titan. Huawei has become a fixture in listings of the top three smartphone makers by worldwide unit sales in recent years, investing heavily in technology and design to vault beyond the low- and mid-range devices that still round out its range. Like rivals Apple and Samsung, it has built AI features directly into the processor at the heart of its latest phone, allowing the device to help users translate between languages, choose the most appropriate camera settings or take over busywork like organising files and photos. Ideally, AI can help shift such everyday tinkering into the background, saving people time and minimising annoyance. “This phone is designed for ultimate performance, that’s the most important thing,” Huawei consumer electronics chief Richard...

The law firm of Fein & DelValle PLLC has announced that it, “is drafting a criminal indictment against Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari and Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusfu Buratai, for genocide and crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.” The firm said in a statement issued at the weekend in Washington, D.C. USA, that it is pursuing the case, “on behalf of Biafrans who covet justice – the dead, the living, and those yet to be born”. According to the statement signed by renowned Attorney, Mr. Bruce Fein, and his Partner, Mr. W. Bruce DelValle, “Buhari and Buratai are criminally culpable because of their command responsibility over security forces operating under their direction or control and who are terrorising tens of millions of Biafrans specifically because of their Christianity and ethnicity.” The crimes include extrajudicial killings, torture, and sister unspeakable horrors. They are the grisly...