‘We Will Find You’ : Obama Tells Boston Bombers

US President Barack Obama vowed Thursday that the Boston marathon bombers would be found and held “accountable” as investigators focused their efforts on two potential suspects.

“Yes, we will find you, and yes, you will face justice,” Obama told a special service in the city, three days after the two bombs killed three people and injured about 180 in a hail of nails and ball bearings.
“We will find you, we will hold you accountable,” he added in a keynote speech on a special visit to show national solidarity with what he called “one of the world’s great cities.”
“If they sought to intimidate us, to terrorize us,” Obama said, then “it should be pretty clear by now that they picked the wrong city to do it.”
The US leader was given several ovations by the 2,000-strong congregation in Boston’s Cathedral of the Holy Cross, which included relatives of the dead, rescuers who helped victims and political leaders.
Obama, who was to meet some victims with his wife Michelle, listened attentively to messages from representatives of all religions in the city.
Nasser Wedaddy, chief of the New England Interfaith Council, spoke for American Muslims and highlighted how the Koran says that killing one person “is like killing all mankind.”
Wedaddy told how he experienced a car bomb while living in Damascus as a child. “What happened on Monday has shocked and horrified us, but it has also brought us together,” he said in a message carefully prepared by Muslim community leaders who fear a backlash if the attackers are found to be militant Islamists.
The archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley, read a message from Pope Francis in which he said the people of the city should keep “working together to build an even more just, free and secure society.”
Acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma played with a choir of teenagers, some of whom fought back tears as they sang for the service.
Obama has vowed a relentless hunt for the attackers and authorities say they want to speak to individuals captured in surveillance camera images around the marathon finish line that was devastated by the pressure cooker bombs.
“There is some video that has raised the question of those that the FBI would like to speak with,” Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told a Congressional hearing. But she added that she would not call the men suspects.
No claim of responsibility and no arrests have been made in connection with the twin bombings that are the worst attack in the United States since the September 11, 2001 atrocities.
But media reports said authorities would later release images of two men who could have planted the bombs that sprayed nails, ball bearings and other metal fragments into the crowds.
“Authorities have clear video images of two separate suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings carrying black bags at each explosion site and are planning to release the images today,” the Boston Globe said, quoting an official.
The images were from surveillance cameras in Boylston Street in Boston where the marathon ended.
A law enforcement official confirmed to AFP on Tuesday that investigators have images of at least one potential suspect and are seeking “to locate and identify that individual.”
The suspects have not yet been identified though, reports said.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation says it has launched a “worldwide” hunt. But the FBI and political leaders have appealed for patience over the pace of the investigation.
The FBI released photographs of the mangled metal remnants of a pressure cooker believed to have been used for one of the bombs. The lid of one pressure cooker was found on the roof of a hotel near the marathon finish line.
More than 100 of the injured have left Boston hospitals, but about 10 remain in critical condition and some will require new operations.
At least 12 people have lost at least one of their legs because of the blast from the bombs, which fired the metal fragments at low level.
Doctors at Boston Medical Center said a second Chinese student caught in the blast had come out of a coma and was improving. The girl’s family was expected in Boston soon

Dino Accuses Police of Unprofessionalism in ‘Assassination Attempt’

A former Nigerian lawmaker, Dino Melaye, whose claim of an assassination attempt in Abuja was discredited by the police, has accused the force of unprofessionalism.

Mr. Melaye said he expected the reaction countering his claims from the police following his earlier assessment of their reaction to his complaints.

“I am not surprised at what the commissioner of police said,” he declared.

Mr. Melaye questioned how the police, who got to the scene of the incident 12 hours after the attack – expected to find evidence.

He accused the police of negligence saying they prepared a full report on the incident without admitting his statement and assessing damages on his car.

He agreed that his car windows are not bullet proof, as already stated by the police, but argued that they are double-placed-treated glasses only penetrable by close range shots.

He said the police have consistently ignored calls for protection following previous threats to his life.

“I wrote to them in January and September 2012 complaining of threats to my life and up till now, nothing happened,” he said.

Shell Shuts Key Oil Pipeline

Shell has shut a key oil pipeline in southern Nigeria to repair damage caused by oil thieves, leading to a cut of around 150,000 barrels per day, the company said Wednesday in a statement.

The Nembe Creek Trunkline in Nigeria, Africa’s biggest oil producer with output at about two million barrels per day, will be closed for an undisclosed period.
“The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) shut down the Nembe Creek Trunkline (NCTL) on Monday (15th April) to remove crude oil theft connections and investigate suspected oil theft leaks,” it said.
“Production of some 150,000 barrels of oil per day has been deferred due to the shutdown. As a result, SPDC has declared force majeure on Bonny Light export,” the statement added.
SPDC is Nigerian subsidiary for the Anglo-Dutch firm.
The 97-kilometre (60 miles) NCTL pipeline has been closed several times as a result of crude oil theft leaks and fires between December 2011 and May 2012, it recalled.
Oil theft has been estimated as costing Nigeria some $6 billion (4.7 billion euros) per year.
The pipeline was shut for 10 days last month following a major leak of Bonny Light crude, one of the main grades of crude oil produced in Nigeria.
The company had then declared force majeure, a legal term releasing it from contractual obligations due to circumstances beyond its control.
The company removed 157 points of sabotage on its pipelines last year, but 90 points still exist, the company earlier said.
“We’re concerned that the NCTL has been targeted by crude oil thieves repeatedly since we installed the new line in 2010 at a cost of $1.1 billion,” said Managing Director of SPDC Mutiu Sunmonu in the statement.
“The current exercise aims to remove a significant number of oil theft connections and repair any leaks on the pipeline,” he said.
“Crude theft continues to affect people, the environment and the economy, and urgent action is needed by all stakeholders to tackle the problem,” Sunmonu saids.
Last month, he said that oil theft in Nigeria had reached unprecedented levels, rising to 60,000 barrels per day for Shell alone.
A 2009 amnesty deal led to a sharp decline in unrest in the oil-producing Niger Delta region, but criminal activity has since flourished.
While Shell blames most of the spills on sabotage, activists argue that the company does not do enough to prevent such incidents and effectively clean up the damage when they do occur.

“If Not For My Brother, Yomi Casual Will Be Nobody” -Top Celebrity Designer, Makun Omoniyi

If truly the number of celebrities that rock your outfit will determine how good you are, definitely Makun Omoniyi a.k.a Yomi Casual deserved a standing ovation as 80% of the artistes we have in Nigeria rock his wears. Meanwhile, what we have on the cool dude is far beyond his creativity but how he attributed his success story to his elder brother, Ayo Makun better known as AY.  In a brief chat, he said “If not for my brother, Yomi Casual will be nobody.  He gave me all the support that anybody can wish for. He would have given me money, he’s a big boy and he has money. He would have put me on a pay roll paying me 50k per month and I will be sorting myself. I would have been with him like a lazy boy.  But then, when he saw me, he knew I have passion for fashion and he didn’t want to kill that passion, he said Yomi: I will teach you how to fish. He said trust me, people that have handwork are the one making money in Lagos. So, instead of given you money, I will help you. He put my advert on TV for free. My advert was on AY Show on DSTV and other ten different stations in Lagos. At that point, my name was even bigger than me. When I tell people that, I’m Yomi Casual they will ask me if I’m okay because they expect to see a very big guy. So I hold the success to my big brother, AY.”

6 Reasons Beer Is Good For You

Beer lovers, rejoice! Not only does beer taste great, and make you feel “buzzed” on life, beer is also good for you!

As pints are poured in bars and restaurants across the country, know that drinking beer has real health benefits.

1. Decrease incidence of heart disease
There are more than 20 well-done, large international studies that all demonstrate the heart benefits of moderate alcohol consumption. One study, conducted by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) noted a 20-40% decrease in coronary artery disease in moderate alcohol drinkers. (1)

Now, that doesn't mean drinking more is better.
Drinking beer responsibly is drinking healthy. Moderate consumption of beer (alcohol) results in an increase in HDL (good Cholesterol) and a decrease in LDL (bad cholesterol), along with an improvement in both HDL and LDL particle size. (3).

So, don't worry about the medical terms; just know that a slightly “buzzed” heart is a happy heart!

2. Hops of vitamins
A Dutch study showed a 30% increase in Vitamin B6 in beer drinkers, which makes sense because hops are loaded with the vitamin. This is important because Vitamin B6 helps to battle heart disease.

Alcohol is also an antioxidant which may contribute in part to the decrease in heart disease.

So if you're looking for a boost in Vitamin B6, or just want a healthy dose of antioxidants, grab a cold one (or two) and cheers to your health!

3. Decrease in Kidney Stones
The Journal of Epidemiology revealed a 40% decrease in kidney stones among beer drinkers. This is most likely secondary to the hydration from the beer since we don't note a similar finding with other alcohol consumption.

So if you want to avoid the extreme pain associated with kidney stones, grab a couple brews and drink to stone-free days ahead…

4. Benefits for women
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition says beer helps prevent a decrease in bone density.

Beer is also high in flavonoids – from the hops- which acts as a natural hormone replacement.

The National Osteoporosis Risk Assessment followed over 200,000 females and found that drinking alcohol decreased the incidence of osteoporosis (7).

All of this leads to a decrease in hip fractures in elderly females, which is important because hip fractures after the age of 65 are associated with a significant increase in mortality.

So, women, if you're concerned about your bone health, don't just focus on calcium; add some beer to your diet for another way to protect your bone density.

5. Beer Makes Your Head Clear
That's right; drinking the right amount of beer is good for your mental health.

The New England Journal of Medicine reported a preservation of mental acuity, especially in elderly women, who drink alcohol moderately.

There are numerous studies that show that moderate alcohol consumption not only decreases the incidence of Alzheimer's but also improves memory, concentration and reasoning. (6)

6. Stroke Reduction
Multiple studies consistently show up to a 50% reduction in the risk of strokes in moderate alcohol drinkers. Most notable was a study in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) (4).

The American Stroke Association has stated that 2 alcoholic drinks per day can decrease your incidence of stroke (5).

So, the next time you crack open a cold one, know that you're doing more than just having a good time…you're drinking to your health! Cheers!!!

*The health benefits of drinking beer and alcohol in general are based on moderate consumption, which means two beers per day for an average size man and one beer a day for average size women. Many of the benefits described above are lost when alcohol is consumed excessively, and drinking alcohol excessively can have a serious negative effect on your health.

3 Men Deported For Being "Too Handsome" For Women

Three men were forcibly removed from an annual culture festival in Saudi Arabia and subsequently sent back to the UAE after it was deemed that women could find them irresistible.

The delegates from the UAE were in attendance at the Jenadrivah Heritage & Culture Festival in Riyadh, the Saudi capital when religious police officers stormed the stand and evicted the men because "they are too handsome," according to the Arabic language newspaper, Elaph.
"A festival official said the three Emiratis were taken out on the grounds they are too handsome and that the Commission members feared female visitors could fall for them," Elaph reported.
Saudi Arabia is a deeply religious and conservative society which forbids women from interacting with unrelated males.
Following the incident, Elaph said the festival’s management took swift action to deport the trio back to Abu Dhabi, capital of the Emirates.
The UAE released an official statement indicating that the religious police were anxious over the unexpected presence of an unnamed female artist in the pavilion.
"Her visit to the UAE stand was a coincidence as it was not included in the programme which we had already provided to the festival’s management," Saeed Al Kaabi, head of the UAE delegation to the festival, said in a statement.

WAEC Questions, Answers On Facebook Hours To Exams

Few days into the West Africa Examination Council Examinations, the rate of malpractice has taken a new dimension as questions with prepared answers are posted on social networking site, Facebook, for candidates to see hours to the examination.
A correspondent of Punch Newspapers visited the Facebook page and discovered one of the papers that was written a day before had been released about two hours to the exam by the operator of the page.
Two students of a senior secondary school in Yaba (names withheld) who were also writing the exams, told our correspondent that aside the Facebook page, their colleagues get SMS alerts of answers in the exam hall.

Source: Punch Nigeria