VAN GOGH PAINTINGS STOLEN FROM AMSTERDAM FOUND IN ITALY

Italian police have recovered two Van Gogh paintings stolen during a dramatic raid on an Amsterdam museum in 2002.
The works were recovered from the Naples mafia, they said.
The Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam said the works were found during a "massive, continuing investigation" by Italian prosecutors and organised crime officials.
The paintings were taken when thieves used a ladder and sledgehammers to break into the museum.
They were eventually found wrapped in cloth in a safe in a house in the picturesque seaside town of Castellammare di Stabia, near Pompeii.



The works were among assets worth millions of euros seized from a Camorra organised crime group linked to cocaine trafficking, Italian reports said.
Months earlier, police had arrested several suspected drug traffickers who had invested their proceeds in Dubai, Spain and the Isle of Man. They were reportedly linked to one of the biggest mafia clans in the Scampia area of northern Naples.
Among those arrested in January were suspected drugs gang leader Raffaele Imperiale and Mario Cerrone. It was Mr Cerrone who apparently told investigators about the two paintings.


 
Image caption
Van Gogh's father was a minister at the Reformed Church in Nuenen
The theft of the two works, valued by investigators at $100m (£77m; €89m), led to criticism of security at the world's major art museums.
The thieves broke into the museum through the roof during the night of 6-7 December 2002 and used sledgehammers to break a first-floor window.
They took the paintings off the walls of the main exhibition hall. Experts were baffled at the time of the theft because guards had been on patrol and infra-red security systems were in place.
Neither work was insured at the time, and both were on loan to the Van Gogh museum from the Dutch government. Two Dutch citizens were jailed for theft but always maintained their innocence.
The museum said it was so far unclear when the works would be returned to Amsterdam but in a statement it said they appeared to be in "relatively good condition".
Dutch and Italian ministers were overjoyed by the news, and praised Italian investigators.
Why are the paintings significant?
Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) is widely considered the greatest Dutch artist after Rembrandt.
Seascape at Scheveningen was one of only two seascapes he painted while he lived in the Netherlands.


 
Image caption
Van Gogh painted Seascape at Scheveningen on a gusty day and grains of sand were embedded in the wet paint
It shows a foaming, stormy sea and thundery sky, and was painted in 1882 while he was staying in The Hague.
Congregation Leaving the Reformed Church at Nuenen (1884) was painted for Van Gogh's mother, but also partly for his father, who had become a pastor at the church in 1882. When his father died in 1884, Van Gogh added churchgoers, including a few women wearing shawls used for mourning.
Van Gogh committed suicide in France in 1890.
Recovering stolen masterpieces
The 2002 Van Gogh museum raid was one of a series of thefts that shocked the art world.


 
Image caption
Munch's 1893 work The Scream was found two years after it was torn from a museum wall in Oslo in 2004
Two years later, two Edvard Munch masterpieces, The Scream and Madonna, were seized by armed men who raided the Munch museum in Oslo.
Several men were jailed and the paintings later recovered after painstaking detective work in 2006.
Another version of The Scream was stolen from the National Art Museum in Oslo in 1994 and that too was later recovered in a sting operation by UK detectives.
Earlier this year, four paintings out of a haul of 24 stolen from a Dutch gallery in 2005 were recovered in Ukraine

OKOROCHA REWARDS PARALYMPICS ATHLETES IN IMO STATES.

The Governor made good his pledge on Thursday as he rewarded the athletes with the sum of one million Naira each, a piece of land and a brand new car.
The Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr Uche Nwosu, presented the gift on behalf of the Governor to the beneficiaries at the Government House in Owerri, the Imo State capital in southeast Nigeria.
He commended the athletes for achieving such feat at the Olympic Games, saying they have made Nigeria proud and not only Imo state.
The reward was also extended to the coaches of the celebrated athletes.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, a gold medalist, Josephine Orji, thanked the Imo State government for the kind gesture.

GENDER EQUALITY BILL PASSES SECOND READING AT SENATE.

The bill is a proposal which seeks to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women in Nigeria.
It suffered a humiliating fate at its first introduction a few months earlier as some male lawmakers strongly opposed the bill.
They noted that enacting a law to accord women equal rights with men was in conflict with the country’s religious and cultural beliefs.
However, the bill was sponsored on Thursday by a member of the chamber from Ekiti State, Senator Biodun Olujimi, at the National Assembly.
Senator Olujimi expressed hope that the bill, when passed, would ensure the elimination of discrimination against women in education, employment, profession and occupation.
She added that it would also prohibit all forms of violence against women irrespective of their religion or ethnicity.
The lawmaker stated that Section 4 of the bill prohibits all forms of discrimination against any person on account of gender, age and disability through spoken words, acts, rules, customs and practices by any person or institution.
She expressed hope that it would receive favorable responses from her colleagues as her Lagos counterpart, Oluremi Tinubu, supported the move.
Contributing to the debate, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, advised the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters to examine the bill closely to make sure its provisions do not conflict with existing laws.
However, the Chief Whip, Senator Olusola Adeyeye, disagreed with the Deputy Senate President.
The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for further legislative work.
The committee has been directed to present a report on the bill in four weeks.

STATES HOUSE ARREST DOCTORS OVER DRUG THEFT.

State House Health Services Monitoring Unit and the police in Mpigi District have arrested a medical officer and records assistant of Bukasa Health Centre III in Kituntu Sub-county over theft of government drugs.

The duo was picked up from the health centre by security personnel led by Superintendent of PoliceCollins Karugaba on Wednesday evening.

“We stormed the health centre and neither found drugs nor staff on duty. We shall not allow this bad behaviour in our health sector. So, they will be punished accordingly,” Mr Karugaba said.

Mpigi District Police commander Ahmed Kimera Sseguya told Daily Monitor that both officials were detained at Mpigi Central Police Station.

“It is true we have them in our custody. Very soon, they will be arraigned before the magistrate to face the law,” he said.

Mr Vincent Kayiwa, a resident, told this newspaper they have been complaining to Mpigi District health authorities and their local leaders about drug shortage and mismanagement of lower health units but nothing was done.

“We have welcomed their arrest but we also appeal to the government to improve on health standards through renovating the dilapidated health infrastructures and punishing the nurses who abuse and solicit bribe from patients,” Mr Kayiwa added.

LAGOS STATES GOVERNOR AKINWUNMI AMBODE CONGRATULATES OBASEKI FOR WINNING THE EDO STATES ELECTION.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Thursday congratulated the candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki for his victory at the just concluded gubernatorial election, saying that the people of the State have made the right choice.
Obaseki, who was declared winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), defeated his closest rival, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with 319,483 votes to 253,173 votes.
  
Governor Ambode, in a congratulatory message signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Habib Aruna, said the development was not just a victory for democracy but the people who he said would experience continuity in terms of dividends of democracy.
The Governor, who was the Chairman, APC National Campaign Committee for the election, said the people of Edo have voted for continuity of people-friendly policies and programmes, and urged all the relevant stakeholders in the affairs of the State to accept the verdict of the people and work with Obaseki to move the State forward.
“Like I said during the grand rally of our great party – APC, at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin some few weeks back, Edo State, being the heartbeat of the South-South region, has all it takes to become another Lagos, and the decision of the people to speak with their votes in support of Obaseki is a signpost of their readiness for greatness and a testament to the monumental successes recorded in the last seven and half years by the incumbent Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
“We are enjoying the dividends of democracy in Lagos today because of the decision of the people to vote for continuity of good governance and I am glad that the people of Edo have also toed that path and the result will definitely translate to improved social services and welfare of the people,” Governor Ambode said.
The Governor said judging by the antecedents of Obaseki, he was certain that Edo State is set for transformation and consolidation of the achievements of the outgoing administration in the State.
According to him, “Governor Oshiomhole has laid the right foundation for progressive governance. He has been responsive, progressive and totally committed to the needs of the people. With the decision to vote Mr Obaseki who is equally people-friendly, reliable, trustworthy, and has the fear of God, the people have made the right choice and I can only urge them to continue to support him to deliver on the campaign promises.
He also congratulated the people of Edo State for comporting themselves peacefully throughout the period of the election, while urging those aggrieved with the result to channel their grievances to the appropriate quarters rather than resort to self help.

EDO STATES GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION: PDP CLAIMS OSHIOMHOLE, INEC PLAN TO RIG AT COLLATION CENTRE.

The opposition party said that the delay by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to begin ward results announcement at the collation centre was a sign of the plan.
Governor Oshiomhole is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
A statement by the spokesman for the party in Edo State, Chris Nehikhare, pointed out that voting stopped at 2:00pm and votes were counted immediately at the unit levels.
A NO-NO
“From results made available to us we are in a very comfortable lead.
“We are however shocked that till now no ward result has been declared.
“We are aware that the APC and INEC plan to change the result at the collation centre and we wish to warn that any change to the result we are already aware of will be met with stiff resistance,” the opposition party said.
It further urged the INEC to tell Governor Oshiomhole that the changing and swapping of results at the collation centre was a no-no.
“Even worse is the attempt to prevent our agents into the collation centres.
“We, however, advise our supporters and members to remain calm. In a few more hours, the liberation of Edo will be official,” the statement further read.
Earlier, the candidate of the PDP, Mr Osagie Ize-Iyamu, said there were attempts to smuggle in results at the ward and the LGA collation.
He told reporters that the party was confident that the plan would not work.
The Statement by the PDP came after the candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, Osaro Onaiwu, called for total cancellation of the election, saying there were irregularities.
The election wa said to be peaceful, but there were cases of ballot box snatching.

Wizkid, Cassper Nyovest, Alikiba, Olamide, and Black Coffee have been nominated for Best African Act at MTV Europe Music Awards 2016.

Wizkid, Cassper Nyovest, Alikiba, Olamide, and Black Coffee have been nominated for Best African Act at MTV Europe Music Awards 2016.
The event will be taking place on Sunday November 6 at the Ahoy Rotterdam in Rotterdam, The Netherlands by 22:00 Central African Time (CAT).
Senior Vice President & Managing Director, Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) Africa Alex Okosi commented saying , “ It is wonderful to see African artists nominated at the 2016 MTV EMAs on the same platform as global superstars of the calibre of Rihanna, Beyoncé, Drake, Kanye West and more.”
In other categories, cultural icons Beyoncé and Justin Bieber led the pack with five nominations each. Superstar Adele followed closely behind with four nods, alongside Best Rock nominees Coldplay , Best New Act nominee Lukas Graham and Best Male candidate Shawn Mendes. Rihanna and Drake earned three nods each, including a Best Song nomination for their hit collaboration ‘Work’. Adele’s record-shattering hit ‘Hello’, Justin Bieber’s electronic pop track ‘Sorry,’ Lukas Graham’s soul-pop ballad ‘7 Years’ and the Seeb remix of Mike Posner’s dance smash song ‘I Took A Pill In Ibiza’ also earned nominations for Best Song.

See below for the full list of nominees:

BEST AFRICAN ACT
Alikiba
Black Coffee
Cassper Nyovest
Olamide
Wizkid

BEST SONG
Adele - Hello
Justin Bieber - Sorry
Lukas Graham - 7 Years
Mike Posner - I Took A Pill In Ibiza (Seeb Remix)
Rihanna ft. Drake - Work

BEST VIDEO
Beyoncé - Formation
Coldplay - Up&Up
Kanye West - Famous
Tame Impala - The Less I Know the Better
The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk - Starboy

BEST FEMALE
Adele
Beyoncé
Lady Gaga
Rihanna
Sia

BEST MALE
Calvin Harris
Drake
Justin Bieber
Shawn Mendes
The Weeknd

BEST LIVE
Adele
Beyoncé
Coldplay
Green Day
twenty one pilots

BEST NEW
Bebe Rexha
DNCE
Lukas Graham
The Chainsmokers
Zara Larsson

BEST POP
Ariana Grande
Fifth Harmony
Justin Bieber
Rihanna
Selena Gomez
Shawn Mendes

BEST ROCK
Coldplay
Green Day
Metallica
Muse
Red Hot Chili Peppers

BEST ALTERNATIVE
Kings of Leon
Radiohead
Tame Impala
The 1975
twenty one pilots

BEST HIP HOP
Drake
Future
G-Eazy
Kanye West
Wiz Khalifa

BEST ELECTRONIC
Afrojack
Calvin Harris
David Guetta
Major Lazer
Martin Garrix

BEST PUSH
Alessia Cara
Anne-Marie
Bebe Rexha
Blossoms
Charlie Puth
DNCE
Dua Lipa
Elle King
Halsey
Jack Garratt
Jonas Blue
Lukas Graham

BIGGEST FANS
Ariana Grande
Beyoncé
Justin Bieber
Lady Gaga
Shawn Mendes

BEST WORLD STAGE
Duran Duran - Piazza Del Duomo, Milan (2015)
Ellie Goulding - Piazza Del Duomo, Milan (2015)
Jess Glynne - Isle of MTV, Malta (2016)
Martin Garrix - Isle of MTV, Malta (2015)
One Republic - MTV Evolution, Philippines (2016)
Tinie Tempah - MTV Crashes, Plymouth (2015)
Tomorrowland - Belgium (2016)
Wiz Khalifa - Isle of MTV, Malta (2016)
Voting for the nominated artists, including the Best African Act nominees is now live at » mtvema.com until November 6 at 00:59 CAT.
Social voting categories Biggest Fans and Best Look will go live at a later date, with full details and voting procedures to be announced.

Nigeria Singer Wizkid is dating US singer Justine Skye?

Nigeria Singer Wizkid is dating Justine Skye
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Pop star Wizkid shared a photo of him embracing his rumoured girlfriend US singer Justine Skye on his Instagram page on September 11, 2016.
After posting a photo of him and Justine Skye, Wizkid went on to disable the comments which he knows would be filled with relationship talk and chatter.
Justine Skye recently dropped a new single featuring Wizzy a.k.a Young Pablo and before that there have been intense rumours that the ‘Ojuelegba’ singer is Skye’s lover boy.

Sirboby ft. Damjek - Jeje(omowumi)

Sirboby ft. Damjek -Jeje(omowumi)

Its MADE GANG yet again! Yeah Straight to the matter Guys, this is Afro pop laced with well structured Rap lyrics to get you out of that Sober mood with a blend of sweet melody that;ll keep ringing in your head. Enjoy this one as SIRBOBY comes through with a wonderful track featuring DAMJEK. He Calls this one JEJE. I assure you this is Good music.
Produced by Damjek, mixed by Braynezee,
Listen & Enjoy

Ff IG @eminisirboby @damjek
Ff twitter @eminisirboby @iamdamjek

Click here to DOWNLOAD

Genuine Confession by Tuface Idibia's Baby Mama, Sumbo Ajaba Adeoye.

Genuine Confession by Tuface Idibia's Baby Mama, Sumbo Ajaba Adeoye. 

I wound up having two youngsters for 2face Idibia on the grounds that we were seeing eachother

I met Tuface when I was an understudy of Yaba College of Technology. I had recently lost my father and my mum was living in America. For somebody who was a daddy's young lady, I needed love. This was the main individual that was demonstrating me love around then. 

I feel I had that experience so that other young girls would not make the same mistake. I was 24 when I fell pregnant the first time. I approached the pastor of the church I was attending then and he brought me out before the church and judged me. I was asked to go and bring the father of my unborn child so we could be joined together. 

I brought a different person and we got married at the registry. Everything fell apart when I had a child who looked nothing like him and my mum came back from America to ask who gave my hand out in marriage because she was not a part of it.

I had to walk out of the marriage which I arranged by myself. I moved back home and by age 25 I was already a single mum and a divorcee. There was so much shame and reproach. 

It got to a point in my life that I felt that the Devil you know is better than the angel you don’t know, so I went back to my baby daddy and his mum talked me into living with him so he won’t have more women and babies. We lived together for three years and that was how the second pregnancy happened.

It was not a bed of roses while I was there because I was trying to put together what was not supposed to be. I think we broke up in 2009 after I had the second baby. There were other women who were also going to have babies for him around that time. 

I came to my senses like the prodigal son and I was so broken. I think my baby daddy was out of the country that fateful day when I returned from work and I packed all my things plus that of my children, and I went back to my parents’ home.” 

Obasanjo Under Fire For Telling Alimodu Sheriff To Prepare For PDP Burial

Obasanjo Under Fire For Telling Alimodu Sheriff To Prepare For PDP Burial 

Ex Minister of Transport Chief Ebenezer Babatope and some other leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have expressed angst over statements reportedly made by former president Olusegun Obasanjo describing the party as a dying baby that should be in intensive care.

The former president is said to have made the statement at the weekend when he played host to former Borno State governor and factional National Chairman of the PDP, Senator Ali Modu Sherif , who visited him at his home in Abeokuta.

In a telephone interview with Daily Sun, Babatope said it was uncharitable for the ex President to have made such a comment about the PDP, a political party that provided him the platform to govern the country for two terms.

The former Minister said if anybody should be blamed for the challenges confronting the opposition party presently, that person should be Chief Obasanjo.

Similarly, Deji Adeyanju, PDP director for New Media, said no matter the grudges the former president may have against the party, it was unfair of him to describe the party in the manner he did, especially as he has benefited immensely from the PDP.

Adeyanju added that it was wrong for Obasanjo to ask the same people trying to kill the party to bury it completely.

“The truth is that Obasanjo is one of the leaders we the youth look up to. No matter what the party has done to him, there are certain things he should not say as he has benefited from the PDP. Because he has problem with the former president does not mean he has problem with everybody. Those who want to bury the party, Obasanjo should not go asking them to bury it, ” he said.

Another chieftain of the party Chief Chyna Iwuanyanwu said he is not surprised by the comments made by the former president. He said that all along Chief Obasanjo has made it clear that he prefers a one­party state, noting that all through his tenure, the former president worked assiduously to undermine opposition political parties.

He said Obasanjo and others wishing the PDP dead should know that without the opposition party, there would be no democracy in Nigeria.