December 28, 2013
Oscayn snubs contract from GETTY LINKS
Oscayn let's heat this club mp3
December 26, 2013
December 4, 2013
ASUU update: FG extends resumption deadline for lecturers to Dec 9th..
sky updates educational news....
As a mark of respect to the late
Prof Festus Iyayi, past president
of ASUU, whose funeral rites
begins tomorrow to Sat
December 7th, the Federal Govt
has decided to shift its deadline
for resumption of lecturers to
Monday December 9. This was
made known by the Executive
Secreatry of the Nigerian
University Commision, Prof
Julius Okojie while addressing
journalist in Abuja yesterday.
Prof Okojie in his briefing said
"Government decided to
shift the date of resumption
so as to allow lecturers
attend the funeral rites of
Late Prof Iyayi We just
received information that
the burial rites of Festus
Iyayi begins on
the December5 and would
last till December 7"
On the issue of salary arrears
been demanded by lecturers,
Prof Okojie said:
“You cannot pay someone
who has failed to resume
work. You are on strike and
you want to be paid. What if
some have already left the
system? Some of our very
bright lecturers may have
gotten jobs elsewhere
already,” he said
Posted via Blogaway
For failure to return to classroom, FUTO sacks all academic staff..
sky updates education news.
For failure to return to
classrooms, the Senate of the
Federal University of Technology
Owerri (FUTO) has sacked all
academic staff on its payroll with
immediate effect. The sack order
was made known by the Public
Relations Officers (PRO) of the
institution, Mr Chike Ezenwa,
while speaking with the Nigerian
Tribune in Owerri, through
telephone.
According to him, the senate of
the university had declared all
the positions of academic staff
in the institution, adding that
they would be advertised
starting from Monday, December
2.
The senate council, he explained,
had already compiled the list of
vacant positions in the school,
adding that who were willing to
resume would be adequately
protected. Continue...
Meanwhile, the FUTO branch of
ASUU has said any attempt to
break their ranks would be
strongly resisted by their
members.
This was contained in a
communiqué issued at the end o
their meeting held on Monday,
and signed by both the chairman
and secretary, Dr Ikenna
Nwachukwu and Dr F.M. Eke
respectively.
The communiqué urged
members to ignore the
resumption notice by FUTO
management, adding that the
branch would not engage in any
academic activities until the
Federal Government commited
itself to implementing the ASUU-
FGN agreement. Source linda ikeji
Posted via Blogaway
The Pope Has Been Sneaking Out Of The Vatican At Night To Do What??..Sky updates gossips!
Alright. It’s official. Pope Francis
is the coolest pope EVAH!!!
Not only has he kinda sorta stuck
up for gay rights AND made us
gush at his way with kids, his
latest move just upped his cool
factor by like, a million!
Turns out, the Pontiff has been
secretly sneaking out of the
Vatican at night in disguise!
Relax, he’s not heading out on the
streets of Rome to party his holy
ass off. He’s actually dressing as
a regular priest to meet and serve
the homeless!
ZOMG! How cool is that?!
Pope Francis tried his best to
keep his late-night volunteer work
under wraps because he’s not one
for publicity. In fact, he’s done
away with just about all of the
fanfare of his predecessor Pope
Benedict XVI!
No more fancy red leather loafers.
No more golden-threaded robes.
And instead of the ornate throne,
Pope Francis prefers to sit on a
simple wooden chair!
All of those changes have given
the Holy Father the nickname,
“The Pope of the Poor.”
We rather call him Pope Awesome
the First!...source oscayn silva news ™
Posted via Blogaway
Taylor Swift Thinks Men Are "Intimidated" By Her Fame!
Anyone she dates gets a song
written about them…
And that is, without a doubt, a lot
of pressure for any potential mate
of Taylor Swift !
In a new interview with Hello!
magazine, Swifty is finally coming
to terms with her struggle for true
lasting love, and Nancy Drew-ing
the shizzz out of her past
relationships!
The singer's qualms about dating
might come from the fact that
many men find her
unapproachable because she's
über famous!
The starlet admits:
"I suppose it might [be
intimidating]. It's not like I would
look at a guy and say, 'Hey, are
you intimidated by me?' I think
that would be highly uncool on my
part! I tend not to be the one to
start conversations with guys,
anyway. I'm a little more old-
fashioned than that."
Tay-tay's backseat approach
might not be helping—especially
since she just said guys find her
soooo intimidating!
But the 23-year-old reveals that
courage and a little confidence
could be the key to finding the
right person:
"I assume that if someone is
interested in me they will come up
and talk to me - and if they want
to call me up afterwards, then they
will. I try not to wishfully think my
way into relationships - or maybe
I should say I'm trying not to do
that anymore."
We have high hopes that one
special guy will look past the
stories and songs to fall hard for
this AH-mazing talent!
Hang in there girlie!
Posted via Blogaway
Taylor Swift Thinks Men Are "Intimidated" By Her Fame!
Anyone she dates gets a song
written about them…
And that is, without a doubt, a lot
of pressure for any potential mate
of Taylor Swift !
In a new interview with Hello!
magazine, Swifty is finally coming
to terms with her struggle for true
lasting love, and Nancy Drew-ing
the shizzz out of her past
relationships!
The singer's qualms about dating
might come from the fact that
many men find her
unapproachable because she's
über famous!
The starlet admits:
"I suppose it might [be
intimidating]. It's not like I would
look at a guy and say, 'Hey, are
you intimidated by me?' I think
that would be highly uncool on my
part! I tend not to be the one to
start conversations with guys,
anyway. I'm a little more old-
fashioned than that."
Tay-tay's backseat approach
might not be helping—especially
since she just said guys find her
soooo intimidating!
But the 23-year-old reveals that
courage and a little confidence
could be the key to finding the
right person:
"I assume that if someone is
interested in me they will come up
and talk to me - and if they want
to call me up afterwards, then they
will. I try not to wishfully think my
way into relationships - or maybe
I should say I'm trying not to do
that anymore."
We have high hopes that one
special guy will look past the
stories and songs to fall hard for
this AH-mazing talent!
Hang in there girlie!
Paul Walker Anonymously Bought $10K Wedding Ring For An Engaged War Veteran Before His Death!
This is enough to make you cry!
Since Paul Walker's unimaginably
tragic death, countless friends and
co-stars have spoken out about
the actor's quiet generosity and
immeasurable kindness .
It turns out they were not
exaggerating.
Over a decade ago the The Fast
and the Furious star found himself
shopping in a fancy jewelry store
at the same time as a young
couple, a veteran soldier who had
just returned from Iraq and his
fiancée.
What happened next will
absolutely melt your heart!
According to Irene King, an
employee who was there working
that day, the late actor did one of
the most wonderful things we've
ever heard!!!
She revealed:
"[Paul] was shopping in the store
at the same time as a soldier who
had just finished up his first tour
of duty in Iraq. The soldier was
heading overseas again and was
shopping with his fiancée, looking
at engagement rings. She saw
something that she really, really
liked, but he said, ‘Honey, I can’t
afford that.' [Paul] called the
manager and he said, ‘Umm, the
ring that those people are looking
at – put it on my tab… Soon after
that, he just left.”
Wowwwwwww!
Paul Walker anonymously
purchased a $10K wedding ring
for a couple he had never even
met!!
That's incredible!!
Apparently the employees of that
store kept his secret for well over
a decade, too, but after the actor's
fatal car accident they decided it
was an inspirational story worth
sharing!
We agree!! We only hope all
celebrities aspire to be so kind
and generous!
Rest in peace, Paul — you are so
sorely missed !
Flo Rida Dedicates I Cry To Paul Walker! Watch The Video Of His Touching Tribute HERE!
Flo Rida Dedicates I Cry To Paul
Walker! Watch The Video Of His
Touching Tribute HERE!....
What an AH-Mazing moment this
was!
Flo Rida got emotional at last
night’s Jingle Ball concert in
Dallas during a dedication he
made to Paul Walker !
The rapper stopped in the middle
of the show to tell the crowd
about how the actor’s sudden
death was weighing on his mind.
Flo Rida announced:
"He was a rider himself. Much
love, god bless your family and
yourself, Paul Walker.”
We can’t think of any connection
these two might have had
professionally, but clearly Mr.
Walker had a big fan in Flo Rida!
Ch-ch-check out his touching
tribute below!
Posted via Blogaway
November 28, 2013
Kanye West Thinks Relationship With Kim Kardashian Is Making America A Better Place!
Since Kimmy K's uncovered
curves took the world by storm in
Yeezy's latest video, their high
profile relationship has been on
the tip of everyone's tongue!!
Even Kanye West himself seems
Bound 2 talking about it!
(See what we did there? Uh-huh,
honey!)
The ridiculously popular rapper
dropped by Washington D.C.
radiostation 95.5 WPGC and
praised Kim Kardashian and her
entire family's positive influence
on the world around them!
And he thinks their tendency to
date people of other ethnicities is
one of the biggest reasons why!!!
Kanye revealed:
“A lot of what the Kardashians do,
I don’t think they get enough
credit for what they do. They prep
America to accept interracial
relationships. I’m not talking
about me, I can hop on a plane. I
can date a white woman, I can
date a black woman, and no
matter what they say in the barber
shop don’t matter, because I don’t
get my haircut there.”
Wait, where does he go to cut his
hair?
Kanye continued:
“For the people that do, though,
there’s a white woman that’s
getting talked down to by her
friends because she’s dating a
black guy. Now you’ve got a point
of reference, that you can say,
‘Well, actually this couple right
here, that’s dope.’”
Other than his odd tangent about
dating women on planes, Kanye
actually makes a pretty good
point!
Keeping Up with the Kardashians
is a hugely popular show. Surely
Kim & Kanye and Khloe
Kardashian & Lamar Odom are
inspirations to many!
Way to go, love! Way to go!
Posted via Blogaway
Twincredible: Couple celebrate THIRD set of non-identical twins all conceived naturally...sky updates news
Colin Rodger thought his
pregnant wife was joking.
She just had to be pulling his
leg.
Already the mum of two sets
of twins, she went for the first
scan of her third pregnancy
and sent him the result in a
text: “There’s two!”
Says Colin: “I thought she
was having the biggest wind-
up she’d ever done.”
But it was true.
Colin and Karen Rodger had
defied odds of half a million-
to-one to become the parents
of three sets of non-identical
twins, all conceived naturally.
There are two sets of boys:
Lewis and Kyle, 14, plus Finn
and Jude, 12.
And now there are two five-
months-old girls: Isla and
Rowan.
Hanging up on their kitchen
wall is a plaque that says “We
are a normal family”.
But that’s not how the world
reacts. Now they can’t go
anywhere without people
stopping them in the street.
“Some people’s reactions are
hilarious,” says Karen, 42.
“Sometimes I think they’re
going to pass out.” sky updates news report said It’s no wonder the couple
need a nine-seater VW
Transporter to get around.
“A shopping trip is a task in
itself,” says Colin, 44. “It can
take us up to four hours to
get out of the house.”
Family life is run with military
precision. Karen plans meals
a month in advance and
organises a shower rota. A
giant planner in the kitchen
helps keep track of where
everyone is supposed to be.
And in a further attempt to
keep the chaos under control,
each boy has been assigned
a colour.
“Kyle’s green, Lewis is blue,
Finn is yellow and Jude is
red,” says Colin. Their towels,
toothbrushes and dressing
gowns all match their colour.
“It’s more for us than them,
to be quite honest,” he
admits. “When we found a
towel on the bathroom floor
we’d have no idea whose it
was. So now if there’s a
green towel I know who to go
to straight away. There’s
method in the madness.”
It is certainly not the family
life either parent envisaged
when they married 16 years
ago.
They were delighted to have
twins 15 months later and
when Lewis and Kyle were
just over a year old they
decided to try for another
baby to avoid a big age gap.
“We didn’t want the youngest
child to feel left out,” Karen
explains.
She quickly became pregnant
and couldn’t believe it when
the scan showed another set
of twins. “We had the same
sonographer as in my first
pregnancy and she was
gobsmacked as well,” says
Karen. “I started to laugh and
I think Colin nearly passed
out.”
Finn and Jude arrived in May
2001 and because Colin’s job
as an events manager often
takes him away from home in
Bearsden, East
Dumbartonshire, they hired a
nanny to help cope with four
children under two.
“She was an absolute
blessing to us,” says Karen.
“She was called Karen too so
we had Mummy Karen and
Nanny Karen.”
At that point the family’s
Vauxhall Corsa was traded up
for a seven-seater Safira.
“As well as the kids I had to
fit two double prams in the
boot,” says Karen. “I worried
where all the shopping would
go.”
When the youngest boys went
to nursery, Karen went back
to work as a dance lecturer at
Stow College in Glasgow.
The couple thought their
family was complete but
nearly a decade later Karen
had a change of heart.
“When I turned 40 I thought,
‘I don’t feel finished,’?” she
explains. Colin wasn’t so
keen at first. “He was worried
we’d have another set of
twins and I told him not to be
silly,” Karen adds. “There was
no way that was going to
happen...”
She worried she might not be
able to have more children at
her age but just a month later
she was pregnant.
Then, a few weeks in, she
feared she was miscarrying
and raced into hospital to
have a scan.
“Colin had a big meeting at
work so I told him not to
come because he had lots of
people relying on him,” she
recalls. “Everything was fine
but there was a big surprise
in store. When the girl said
there were two sacs, I was
speechless.”
Once Colin understood that
Karen was not joking, neither
of them wanted to break the
news to their four boys.
“We just didn’t know how
they would react,” says Karen.
“Colin lost the battle and he
had to do it.” In fact the boys
all had different reactions.
Colin reveals: “Kyle was
gobsmacked and started
laughing. Lewis said, ‘Oh my
God, I can’t believe you two
have had sex. All my friends
are going to know you’ve had
sex’. Kyle suddenly stopped
laughing and asked if he was
ever going to get his own
room.
“Finn was over the moon and
Jude said he was happy
because it meant he’d no
longer be the baby of the
family.”
As Karen’s pregnancy went
on, doctors remained baffled
by the coincidence.
Colin says: “The only
examples that they could give
us were a tribe in Africa who
produce lots of twins. They
eat yams that are very high in
oestrogen and it’s unusual
for them to have single
children.”
Medics now think Karen has
“sticky” eggs that clump
together so more than one is
released at a time. This
increases the chance of
having non-identical twins,
which happens when two
separate eggs are fertilised. Rowan and Isla were born by
caesarean section in May at
Glasgow’s Southern General
Hospital. As with their first
two pregnancies, Karen and
Colin didn’t want to know
their sex in advance.
“When the doctor pulled out
the first one I thought there
was something wrong,”
recalls Colin. “It took me
about 15 seconds to realise it
was because it was a girl. I
was delighted for Karen
because, although she
wouldn’t admit it, she really
wanted girls.”
Now the boys have now taken
to calling their mum “The
Ark”. Karen explains: “I asked
them why and they said
because the animals went in
two by two!”
Now she’s amazed at how
much her sons have matured
since their little sisters
arrived. There’s no nanny this
time and the boys often help
to change nappies.
Colin says: “There’s definitely
a team approach. Somebody
joked the other day that they
have turned into mini-dads
and that’s what they’ve
become.
“As long as we follow
routines it’s great. I get up in
the morning and do a bit of
ironing before getting the kids
up. That’s to let Karen sleep
and it’s also so we don’t end
up with a huge mountain of
washing.”
The eldest boys sometimes
take it in turns to swap beds
with Colin to give Karen and
the babies a better night’s
sleep.
“Dad’s snoring keeps them
awake,” explains young Lewis.
“Me or Kyle will go and sleep
with them. They’ve quietened
down now so they don’t cry
as much.”
Karen says that despite all the
practical difficulties, she feels
blessed to have had her three
sets of twins.
“I think they have just slotted
into our mad chaotic life quite
well,” she says. “They are an
absolute joy to have in the
house. They’re great little
bundles of joy. I couldn’t
imagine our lives without
them.”
But they are both adamant
they will not be having any
more children.
“No more, we’re done,” says
Karen. “We’ve tied a big pink
bow on it!”
...by sky updates
Posted via Blogaway
Kanye West's Next Album Is Coming!>>> sky updates news
Kanye West's Next Album Is Coming!.
We're still getting over Bound 2 (and the
parody), but the self-proclaimed god is
already promising some fresh eargasmic
sounds!!!!
It's true! He's just revealed that he plans on
having his sixth studio album done as soon
as "next summer."
While he has yet to decide on a title, the
seriously unpredictable rapper explained:
"I haven't named my next album but I have
started on it. I'd like to put out more product."
EXCELLENT!
The question is: could it get any better than
Yeezus??! What's next??! Fondling Kim
Kardashian on a unicorn?! LOLz!
We'll just have to wait and see!
..by sky updates
November 27, 2013
Lamar Odom Reportedly Wants $10 MILLION From Khloe Kardashian Divorce — (sky updates news)
Lamar Odom is allegedly NOT f***ing around
when it comes to what he wants from a
divorce from Khloe Kardashian — if one
happens! Though, we're not entirely sure he'll
just get whatever he demands!..
He wants $10 MILLION plus the $875,000
engagement ring he gave her, according to
sources!!
Here's what the alleged insider said:
“Kris and Khloe are very worried about Lamar.
He’s a loose cannon, and he has a lot of dirt
on the family and nothing to lose. He knows
all about their extreme surgery procedures —
when, how often and how much — and the
pressure put on the younger girls to follow
suit.”
Not only that, but apparently he has a sex
tape they made!
So, Kris is trying to get a confidentiality
agreement in place, but might have to bend to
his demands… even though he's the one who
cheated and did all those drugs!
The source continues:
“Lamar is also prepared to destroy Khloe’s
reputation by discussing their sex tape, and
how she targeted him and tore his family
apart. Kris is insisting on a confidentiality
agreement to ensure Lamar can never discuss
his life with the Kardashians either in print or
verbally. He’s not signing anything until they
cough up the dough."
Woooooow.
If this is true, it's pretty in-tense! Though,
since it's all alleged at this point, we need to
keep a sense of skepticism!
Until we hear from MULTIPLE sources, or even
the family, then things might not be what they
seem!..
November 26, 2013
Khloe, Kendall, Kylie and Kris Jenner pose with Nicki Minaj and Snoop Dogg backstage at Drake concert - but Scott Disick is left out
The Kardashian Klan was out in
full force to watch Drake in
concert on Monday night where
they joined a host of celebrities in
the VIP area.
Khloe and half-sisters Kylie and
Kendall enjoyed all access
alongside momager Kris Jenner
and they made sure they
documented their experience for
their fans to see.
In several filtered Instagram
snaps, the Klan can be seen
posing with Nicki Minaj and Snoop
Dogg, more recently known as
Snoop Lion, at the Staples centre
in LA.
One Direction Spills North American Tour Deets! See The Official Announcement & Full List Of Dates HERE!..sky updates
The fab five are coming, which
makes today The Best Song Ever
the best day ever!....
One Direction
announced on GMA ,
Tuesday, they'll kick off the North
American leg of their Where We
Are tour on August 1, 2014!
The concert series starts in
Toronto, Ontario, and continues
until October 5th, when the boys
wraps up at Sun Life Stadium in
Miami, Florida!
Niall Horan
couldn't help but
share his excitement during the
Good Morning America interview,
confessing:
"We simply can't wait to be back
in North America touring and to
see our fans. It's going to be
absolutely huge!"
Tickets go on sale Saturday
December 7th and pre-sale begins
December 3rd—available only to
Citi card members who RSVP via
Facebook !
We know you're all ready to make
some serious Midnight Memories
with these cuties when they hit
your hometowns!
See the band's official
announcement and FULL list of
tour dates for their Where We Are
tour…
…AFTER THE JUMP!!!
August 1: Rogers Center in
Toronto, ON
August 4: MetLife Stadium in East
Rutherford, NJ
August 7: Gillette Stadium in
Foxboro, MA
August 11: Nationals Park in
Washington, DC
August 13: Lincoln Financial Field
in Philadelphia, PA
August 16: Ford Field in Detroit,
MI
August 19: LP Field in Nashville,
TN
August 22: Reliant Stadium in
Houston, TX
August 27: Edward Jones Dome in
St. Louis, MO
August 29: Soldier Field in
Chicago, IL
September 12: Rose Bowl in
Pasadena, CA
September 16: University of
Phoenix Stadium in Phoenix, AZ
September 19: Sun Bowl Stadium
in El Paso, TX
September 21: Alamodome in San
Antonio, TX
September 23: BOK Center in
Tulsa, OK
September 25: Mercedes-Benz
Superdome in New Orleans, LA
September 27: PNC Music Pavilion
in Charlotte, NC
October 1: Georgia Dome in
Atlanta, GA
October 3: Raymond James
Stadium in Tampa, FL
October 5: Sun Life Stadium in
Miami, FL
Lily Allen Wants To Team Up With Miley Cyrus, Musically!!
Lily Allen Wants To Team Up With
Miley Cyrus, Musically!!(sky updates)>>>
Now that
would be an interesting
collaboration to hear! After their
very first meeting way back when
Miley Cyrus bleached her
eyebrows, Lily Allen admitted she
likes the Wrecking Ball singer!
And why shouldn't she? The two
are quite like each other, in the
sense that they're bitches! In…
Miley Cyrus Twerks And Raps While will.i.am Feels Himself! Watch Raunchy New Music Video HERE!
Miley Cyrus Twerks And Raps
While will.i.am Feels Himself!
Watch Raunchy New Music Video
HERE!(sky updates)>>>
It's finally here!
Ever since we first heard Miley
Cyrus rapping on will.i.am 's
Feelin' Myself , we've been waiting
to see it for ourselves!
Not only does Mileybird go tweet
tweet tweet off about clubbing and
"poppin' molly", gurl also brings
back the twerk!
Ch-ch-check out the video
(above) to see the raunchy Feelin'
Myself featuring French Montana
and Wiz Khalifa!
November 24, 2013
Mother, long-lost son finally meet more than 30 years later-sky updates
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Mother tell her long-lost son:
"I love you and ... and I'm not
going to let you go."
Her son, now 37, tells her in
Spanish: "I love you and I
missed you a lot."
David Amaya Barrick was taken
from Chicago to Mexico as a
boy by his father
He is discovered to be a U.S.
citizen while illegally crossing
the U.S.-Mexico border...
San Diego, California (sky updates) -- At
last, a Wisconsin mother and her
long-lost son met Saturday for the
first time since her estranged
husband spirited him away to
Mexico more than 30 years ago.
It was an emotional reunion in the
San Diego airport, heightened by
the fact that the mother speaks
only English and her 37-year-old
son only Spanish.
David Amaya Barrick, whose father
took him across the border at
about age 2 from Chicago, was
biting his nails just before his
mother, Kathy Amaya, now 60,
appeared before him in the
airport.
They embraced, hugged and
kissed -- the first time they've
laid eyes on each other in about
35 years.
The son spoke in Spanish: "I love
you and I missed you a lot. I
welcome you into my life."
Kathy Amaya's husband took their
son David to Mexico when he was
2.
The mother declared to her son: "I
love you and I'm very happy to
see you and I'm not going to let
you go."
Later, the son told reporters that
he was at a loss of words.
The mother remarked: "He's all
grown up."
Abducted son reunites with father
after 13 years
The mother and son will spend a
few days in San Diego getting to
know each other again. They will
do so during long strolls along the
beach, they said.
Then they will travel Tuesday to
her home in Chippewa Falls,
Wisconsin, where they will enjoy
Thanksgiving together. Kathy
Amaya, an assistant housekeeper
at a hotel, has four adult children
who are half-siblings to David
Amaya. Two of those adult
children live with Kathy Amaya.
Saturday's journey to see her son
also marked another milestone in
Kathy Amaya's life: It was the first
time she ever flew in a plane.
The separation between mother
and son spanned 1,800 miles and
lasted more than 30 years. The
mother counts the absence as 35
years, the son as 34 years -- an
exact figure to be certainly figured
out while they get reacquainted.
The family saga then took a
dramatic turn by how David Amaya
was discovered: He was arrested
illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico
border at Imperial Beach,
California, on October 30. The U.S.
Border Patrol thought he and a
Mexican national were smugglers
because they were in the
company of six Romanian
nationals.
They were all arrested after
crossing a flood control tunnel
frequented by intravenous drug
users and polluted by human
waste. Bandits had earlier robbed
David Amaya of his money and
cell phone, leaving him only the
clothes he was wearing.
David Amaya didn't even have any
identification cards on him. At
first, he said he was a Mexican
national, and then, as if he
summoned a distant memory, he
told Border Patrol agents that he
was a U.S. citizen born in
Chicago.
Freed Iranian journalist, 'proud'
son dream of a reunion
Border Patrol agents checked out
his story and indeed found his
birth certificate -- as well as his
mother, in Wisconsin.
Complicating the drama are the
conflicting parental accounts
about the son's relocation to San
Luis Potosi, Mexico, where he was
raised by paternal grandparents.
Kathy Amaya said her estranged
husband took the boy to Mexico
without her permission and
wouldn't return him. She mailed
letters to the grandparents in San
Luis Potosi, but those notes were
never answered, she said.
More recently, she searched for
her son under the name "David
Amaya" for years on social media,
but she never knew that he was
using her maiden name -- Barrick
-- as part of his full name, a
common practice in Latin America.
Her estranged husband, who
hasn't made himself available for
comment, told their son that his
mother abandoned him at an
orphanage because she didn't
love him, David Amaya said. But
after the father put the boy in the
grandparents' care, "he almost
never spent time with me," David
Amaya said.
At one point, the mother nearly
lost all hope of ever seeing her
son again, unable to make contact
with him, she said.
When the couple divorced in
1986, they didn't settle on child
custody, so police were unable to
help her, she said.
David Amaya will spend the
holidays with his mother in
Wisconsin for a month, and he
hopes to speak with his father
about what really happened to him
when he was 2 or 3 years old.
Then David Amaya will return to
San Diego to build a new life. He
was a drummer in a band in
Mexico and now likes San Diego's
proximity to Mexico and its
cultural atmosphere. Moreover,
he's taken a liking to a local
church pastor, Freddy Rivas, who
has helped Amaya with food and
shelter since the Border Patrol
released him this month. Amaya
was recently baptized at the
church.
While in Mexico, he married and
divorced, and his ex-wife and their
two children live in Mexico City.
As he makes a new home in San
Diego, he says he will recount his
life by writing a book.
November 22, 2013
Rihanna Tweet Sparks Thailand Sex Show Arrest
The singer went to the show and
tweeted racy comments about one
of the live acts, saying: "I'm
traumatized!!!"...
Rihanna's tweets have led to
another arrest in Thailand - this
time the owner of a live sex show.
The singer went to the show on
the party island of Phuket and
tweeted racy comments about one
of the female acts.
"I'm traumatized!!!" she told her 32
million Twitter followers
afterwards, adding: "Only in #
Thailand."
Thai police were alerted by the
tweets and charged a bar owner in
connection with the lewd
performance, local district chief
Veera Kerdsirimongkol said.
"It was the result of the visit by
Rihanna. The authorities will be
more strict towards inappropriate
shows or wildlife attractions," he
said.
The star was on a break from her
Diamonds World Tour when she
visited the "ping-pong show" last
month.
As FIFA extend the vote for this year's Ballon d'Or player award - who would YOU would choose?..Ronaldo or messi
An incredible Cristiano Ronaldo
hat-trick against Sweden last
night, could he yet beat Lionel
Messi to this year's Ballon d'Or
win?....
Cristiano Ronaldo could yet
triumph in this year's Ballon D'or
vote after an exceptional hat-trick
last night - and an extension of
the voting process.
FIFA have been forced to push
back the deadline because of low
turnout by coaches, captains and
media voters - giving the
Portuguese a huge chance of
success.
No Englishman
features on this
year's Ballon d'Or shortlist
- but there's plenty of Premier
League interest.
Luis Suarez, who has
started the
season with a flourish at
Liverpool
, stars along with Robin van Persie
who triumphed in his first season
at Manchester United.
Eden Hazard, Mesut Ozil and Yaya
Toure have also been named on
the 23-man list.
And the only Brit who has made
the cut is the world's most
expensive footballer Gareth Bale
after his excellent season with
Tottenham.
But who do YOU think should
win? Can Ronaldo beat Messi to
this year's award? Have your say
here in our poll.
Who would be your Ballon d'Or
winner?
Mesut Ozil (Arsenal/Germany)
Andres Iniesta (Barcelona/Spain)
Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich/
Germany)
Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich/
France)
Radamel Falcao (Monaco/
Colombia)
Gareth Bale (Real Madrid/Wales)
Robin van Persie (Manchester
United/Netherlands)
Thiago Silva (Paris St Germain/
Brazil)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid/
Portugal)
Andrea Pirlo (Juventus/Italy)
Yaya Toure (Manchester City/
Ivory Coast)
Edinson Cavani (Paris St Germain/
Uruguay)
Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern
Munich/Germany)
Xavi (Barcelona/Spain)
Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich/
Germany)
Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich/
Netherlands)
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris St
Germain/Sweden)
Luis Suarez (Liverpool/Uruguay)
Neymar (Barcelona/Brazil)
Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich/
Germany)
Eden Hazard (Chelsea/Belgium)
Lionel Messi (Barcelona/
Argentina)
Robert Lewandowski (Borussia
Dortmund/Poland)
Justin Bieber: I don't give a f**k what they say, I'm happy with the man I'm becoming...
The singer insists he is happy with
how he's doing in life and with the
way he is heading....
We can basically say whatever we
like about Justin Bieber, because
he “doesn’t give a f***”. So we
can say he’s an untalented,
arrogant little runt if we like.
“I don’t give a f***,” Bieber would
respond, as he does in his first
interview for nine months. “Not ‘I
don’t give a f***’ to just be
reckless and do whatever,” he
explains. “But ‘I don’t give a f***
what they say.’
“I know who I am and what I’m
doing in my life and what I’ve
accomplished and continue to
accomplish as a performer, as a
writer, as an artist, as a person, as
a human being.
“I’m happy with the man I’m
becoming.”
At least someone is. During this
month’s scandal-rocked trip to
South America we’ve seen Biebs,
18, sneaking out of a brothel
and daubing graffiti on a hotel
wall in Rio.
He then had to apologise to the
President of Mexico after falsely
claiming they hung out at a gig.
Earlier this year, he turned up two
hours late to a concert, lunged at
a pap and, after being caught
shadow boxing in the Anne Frank
Museum in Amsterdam, wrote that
the Holocaust victim would
probably have been a “Belieber” in
the visitors’ book. He adds that he
has learned “you shouldn’t trust
anybody”, although he has a few
close allies.
Manager Scooter Braun defends
the Canadian child’s antics and
reveals that A-lister Will Smith
makes weekly phone calls to keep
the star in check.
“Scientology is never mentioned,”
the Hollywood Reporter helpfully
clarifies.
But while ticket sales flounder
ahead of Justin’s Australian tour,
with prices slashed by up to 50%,
according to reports, the Bieber
remains confident about his
marketability.
“People can get taken advantage
of in the music industry, but then
we can also take advantage of the
music industry,” he says.
Only for so long, kid.
Jay Z parties with beauty queen in nightclub and tells her Antwerp girls are "the prettiest" in the world
Jay Z is said to have bought
drinks for a beauty queen amid
rumours about his marriage to
Beyonce.
The rapper spent more than
£5,000 on champagne while
partying with gorgeous model
Claudia Scheelen in Antwerp’s
Magic nightclub last month.
Claudia, 27, told the Mirror: “I was
with my girlfriends and he sent
over a drink to us – he had this
huge bottle of Ace of Spades
champagne, it must have been six
or ten litres.
“He told me ‘I’ve been all over the
entire world, but the girls in
Antwerp are the prettiest girls.’”
Jay Z’s security tried to ban VIP
guests from taking pictures - but
Claudia discreetly snapped the
43-year-old relaxing with a glass
of expensive bubbly after his gig
at the Sportpaleis arena.
Claudia says Jay Z didn’t talk
about his wife or one-year-old
daughter when they met.
“He didn’t mention Beyoncé or
Blue once,” she added.
His partying behaviour comes as
US magazine Star report the
showbiz couple are at
loggerheads over his lifestyle.
The magazine reported that
Beyoncé “hates that Jay goes
clubbing so often and thinks he
uses touring as an excuse to go
out practically every night.”
It is understood the couple - who
tied the knot in April 2008 - will
spend Christmas together as a
family.
The pair - who both feature on
each other’s songs including hits
Bonnie & Clyde and Crazy In Love
- have an estimated fortune of $
100 million according to Forbes.
Beyoncé previously said of her
marriage: “People just think, ‘Oh
how glamorous, two celebrities
are together.’
“No, first of all, a relationship
takes a lot of work, but you have
to work on yourself - you have to
make yourself happy.”
A spokesman for Jay Z and
Beyoncé declined to comment on
the story.
November 21, 2013
Egypt: 27 killed in train crash...
STORY HIGHLIGHTS:
More than 25 other people are
injured
The cause of the crash is not
clear
Deadly train crashes are not
uncommon in Egypt...
Sku updates -- At least 27 people were
killed Sunday night when a cargo
train slammed into two cars south
of Cairo, the state-run Egynews
media outlet reported, citing Giza
Gov. Ali Abdulrahman.
More than 25 other people were
injured, Egypt's head of
emergency services told Egynews.
It was not immediately clear what
led up to the crash.
Deadly train crashes are not
uncommon in Egypt.
In January, train cars filled with
Egyptian security force recruits
hopped the tracks and crashed in
Giza, killing at least 19 people and
injuring about 107 others.
In November 2012, 51 died and 17
were injured when a train
slammed into a bus in Assiut, a
city about 320 kilometers (about
200 miles) south of Cairo.
And in October 2009, at least 15
were killed when two trains
collided in Al-Ayyat, about 70
kilometers (about 43 miles) south
of the capital.
Facebook sues 'spammer' over faked Bieber sex tape links
Facebook launches legal action
against an alleged spammer
suspected of posting fake links to
a supposed sex tape of Justin
Bieber and Selena Gomez.
Court papers filed in the US allege
Christopher Peter Tarquini was
behind the faked Facebook
messages.
Users who clicked the link in the
posts were redirected to sites that
allegedly paid Mr Tarquini for hits.
In addition, clicking led to the
posts being automatically shared
with users' Facebook friends.
In its legal complaints, Facebook
calls Mr Tarquini, of New Jersey, a
"recidivist" spammer who has
spent much of the past five years
crafting computer programs that
put "deceptive messages, images
and links" on the site's pages.
One of the most notorious of the
programs involved faked images
purporting to take people to a
video of actress Selena Gomez
with her partner, singer Justin
Bieber. Instead the link led to a
pop-up message asking for
access to a Facebook account
that then let an app take control
and spam the message out to a
person's friends.
Mr Tarquini persisted in targeting
the social network even after he
was told that his actions violated
Facebook's terms - his account
was shut down and he was told
never to use the site again, the
papers state.
Facebook said it had a confession
from Mr Tarquini that he had
written the program that took over
accounts and posted faked links.
Now it says it wants to be
reimbursed for the cost of
clearing up after Mr Tarquini and
for the work it has done to track
him down. In addition, it wants
him banned from ever using
Facebook again.
Mr Tarquini has yet to file any
legal response to Facebook's
claims.
The action against the alleged
spammer is the latest in a series
of steps Facebook has taken to
stem the flow of junk messages
passing through the network.
In September, Facebook won a $
3m (£1.8m) settlement against a
spam company that sent tens of
thousands of messages to users.
In addition, in 2009 Facebook was
awarded $711m after winning a
lawsuit against spammer Sanford
Wallace.
US plane lands at wrong airport
A Boeing 747 Dreamlifter cargo
plane will attempt to take off from
a minor airport in Kansas after it
landed there by mistake.
The giant cargo jet was heading
for McConnell air force base in
Wichita but instead touched down
at nearby Colonel James Jabara
airport.
Airport officials believe the plane
will be able to depart despite the
much shorter runway at Jabara.
An attempt is scheduled for noon
local time (18:00 GMT) on
Thursday.
The aircraft normally needs a
runway of 2,780m (9,119ft) to get
airborne at maximum weight;
Jabara's runway is only 1,860m
long.
A tug was dispatched to the
airport to turn around the giant
cargo plane.
Brad Christopher of the Wichita
Airport Authority told the
Associated Press news agency the
company that operates the aircraft
had "assured us they've run all
the engineering calculation and
performance and the aircraft is
very safe for a normal departure
at its current weight and
conditions here".
The Dreamlifter, which landed at
Jabara on Wednesday evening, is
a modified 747-400 passenger
aeroplane, which can carry more
cargo by volume than any
aeroplane in the world, according
to Boeing.
The aerospace company uses its
fleet of four Dreamlifters to
transport large assembled
components of its 787 Dreamliner
from suppliers around the world
to the final assembly location in
Washington state.
The City of Wichita tweeted that
no-one was injured and no
property damage occurred when
the plane landed.
Egyptian troops die in Sinai bomb attack...
Eleven Egyptian military personnel
have been killed and dozens more
wounded in a car bomb attack
near the North Sinai city of el-
Arish.
Al-Masri al-Youm newspaper said
a convoy of buses carrying
infantry soldiers was hit by a
roadside bomb as it moved
through the Kharouba area.
Attacks on security forces in the
Sinai have increased since
Islamist President Mohammed
Morsi was ousted in July.
No group has yet admitted
carrying out Wednesday's
bombing.
The peninsula has grown
increasingly unstable in recent
years, triggered by the fall of
President Hosni Mubarak.
His overthrow in February 2011
left the northern Sinai vulnerable
to groups of jihadists, some with
links to the Gaza Strip.
In September security forces
launched an offensive against
Islamist militants in the Sinai, but
have suffered a spate of deadly
bombings. In recent months some
100 members of the security
forces have been killed.
Wednesday's attack, which took
place at around 07:45 local time
(05:45 GMT) on the road from
Rafah to el-Arish, is thought to be
the bloodiest against the military
since Mr Morsi was deposed.
All 11 who died and the 37
reported injured were serving
military personnel.
The attack is said to have targeted
Egypt's Second Field Army, which
has been deployed in Sinai and
has been involved in an operation
to destroy tunnels along Egypt's
border with Gaza.
The soldiers were on their way
back to Cairo on leave, reports
said. Some of the most seriously
wounded victims were being
airlifted to hospital in the capital.
Communications with the area
were cut as military helicopters
circled over the area, searching
for the attackers, BBC Cairo
correspondent Orla Guerin reports.
'Black terrorism'
Interim Prime Minister Hazem
Beblawi condemned the attack
and said the government was
looking at "all the alternatives to
deal with the ongoing terrorist
incidents".
Egypt's military spokesman
expressed his condolences and
said the armed forces would
continue to fight "black terrorism".
A local source said the bombing
was in revenge for the army
offensive which had destroyed
militant hideouts and arms caches
in Sinai.
Meanwhile, a Sinai-based jihadist
group linked to al-Qaeda has
admitted killing a high-ranking
member of Egypt's National
Security Agency outside his home
in eastern Cairo this week.
Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis said it had
shot dead Col Mohammed Mabruk,
who had been due to testify
against ex-President Morsi.
The colonel was believed to have
helped uncover a network of
Muslim Brotherhood members that
had tried to help leaders of the
movement flee the country after
Mr Morsi was ousted. The former
president is part of the
Brotherhood.
In a separate incident in Cairo on
Wednesday, at least three people
were hurt in an attack on a police
checkpoint. An explosive device
was thrown and shots were fired
at the checkpoint, reports said. It
was not clear who was behind the
incident.
The army deposed Mohammed
Morsi on 3 July after days of mass
protests and a military ultimatum
to resolve the political crisis that
had evolved between his Islamist
supporters and opponents.
Mr Morsi and thousands of
Brotherhood leaders and members
have since been arrested.
Hundreds of Morsi supporters
died when two protest camps
were violently broken up by the
military in August.
Obama pledge as Afghan pact debated US President Barack Obama writes a letter vowing to respect Afghanistan's sovereignty, as Afghan elders debate a crucial post-2014 security pact.
US President Barack Obama has
sent a letter to Afghanistan's
leader Hamid Karzai vowing to
respect his nation's sovereignty,
as Afghan elders debate a crucial
post-2014 security pact.
Mr Obama vows US forces will not
enter Afghan homes except for
"extraordinary circumstances" - a
key point of debate.
Mr Karzai urged the 2,000 elders
to back the deal, which could see
15,000 foreign troops remain after
2014.
But he said it would not be signed
until after elections next year.
The presidential polls will be held
in less than six months' time, and
Mr Karzai has served two terms
so cannot stand again.
His office could not confirm to the
BBC whether Mr Karzai - or his
successor - would sign the pact.
'Sanctity and dignity'
The BBC's Karen Allen in Kabul
says the issue of US raids on
Afghan homes has been a key
stumbling block in a deal that has
taken months to hammer out.
But a draft of the deal was
released by Kabul shortly before
the grand assembly of elders - or
Loya Jirga - started on Thursday.
Our correspondent says that in a
dramatic moment as he delivered
his speech to the meeting, Mr
Karzai produced the letter from Mr
Obama which gives an assurance
on US raids.
The letter reads : "US forces shall
not enter Afghan homes for the
purposes of military operations,
except under extraordinary
circumstances involving urgent
risk to life and limb of US
nationals.
"We will continue to make every
effort to respect the sanctity and
dignity of Afghans in their homes
and in their daily lives, just as we
do for our own citizens."
It continues: "The US commitment
to Afghanistan's independence,
territorial integrity, and national
unity, as enshrined in our
Strategic Partnership Agreement,
is enduring, as is our respect for
Afghan sovereignty."
The Loya Jirga can amend or
reject clauses in the agreement,
though its decisions are not
binding. The deal will also have to
be approved by parliament.
Mr Karzai's statement on the
timing of the signature of the
document appears to be a new
condition, our correspondent says.
The US had wanted the deal to be
agreed quickly.
Indeed Mr Obama's letter says:
"We look forward to concluding
this agreement promptly."
Hamid Karzai urged the gathering
to accept the deal
One protester said the deal was
selling out the country
The US would have to take into
account any amendments that are
put forward, and would still have
the option of pulling out
altogether.
Another key sticking point that Mr
Karzai appears to have conceded
concerns the jurisdiction for the
prosecution of US troops.
The US insistence on immunity
from Afghan prosecution for
troops has been central to
Washington's demands.
The failure to resolve a similar
legal issue in Iraq led to a total
withdrawal of US forces.
The US-Afghan draft says:
"Afghanistan authorises the United
States to hold trial in such cases,
or take other disciplinary action,
as appropriate, in the territory of
Afghanistan."
According to the draft, the deal
will remain in force "until the end
of 2024 and beyond".
Currently the multinational Nato
force is due to pull out of
Afghanistan from 2014.
Taliban rejection
Opening the four-day Loya Jirga,
President Karzai said the only
issue on the table was whether
the security agreement would be
signed.
A woman delegate shouted from
the floor that US troops had spilt
too much Afghan blood and
should be stopped.
Mr Karzai acknowledged there
were difficult issues involved but
advised delegates to accept the
agreement.
He said that a number of world
leaders - including from Russia,
China, and India - were backing
the deal, and that it would provide
the security Afghanistan needed,
as well as the foundation for
forces from other Nato countries
who were assisting Afghan troops.
But Mr Karzai also admitted there
was a lack of trust between him
and the Americans.
He said: "I don't trust them and
they don't trust me, the last 10
years has shown this to me. I
have had fights with them and
they have had propaganda against
me."
The Loya Jirga delegates will now
meet in smaller closed-door
groups to look at the deal in
detail.
Security is tight for the meeting
after a suicide bombing last
weekend near the huge tent where
it is being held.
The Taliban has branded the
meeting a US-designed plot, and
has vowed to pursue and punish
its delegates as traitors if they
approve the deal.
Prayers are said ahead of the
debate
Isaf commander General Joseph
Dunford attended the Loya Jirga
There was intense security outside
the gathering
November 20, 2013
Nicki Minaj Slings The Diss Back At Kendrick Lamar After Being Left Off His List Of Talented Rappers!
If you're going to come at Nicki
Minaj , you better not expect her to
be silent!
The boobalicious babe is bringing
her bada** side out to respond to
a leeettle diss tossed her way,
courtesy of Kendrick Lamar!
The rapper recently released a
song Control where he lists other
talented rapper he's "tryin' to
murder." And while Pusha T , Meek
Mill , A$AP Rocky, Drake, Big Sean
and many more make the list,
sweet lil' Nicki is left off of it.
But she isn't feeling hurt over it
because she's got him all figured
out. She explained to Power
105.1's Breakfast Club:
"He may be one of those
respectful gentlemen that
probably felt like, 'I don’t want to
say a female’s name.' Or maybe
he just don’t think the kid is ill.
But the kid knows the kid is ill, so
I don’t need to be on nobody’s
d**k."
DAYUM, gurl!
But if that response is too fierce
for you then don't read the next
diss she hit Kendrick hard with.
She added:
"I’m the Queen of New York; I’m
the King of New York. Let me tell
you why: platinum albums.
Albums. Plural. Number one in
five motherf**king countries.
Don’t play with me. You better
respect my motherf**king gangsta,
b**ch. When you got an album
that goes number one in Japan,
the UK, Australia, America and
Canada at the same motherf**king
time, then you can speak my
motherf**king name."
We're pretty sure Kendrick just got
serrrrved!
But in classic diss style, Nicki
then clarified her little diss on
Twitter . And she threw in a
compliment, but NOT to Kendrick:
Lol. I'm going to post the full
interview. It was all in fun. For the
record, Hov is the king of NY in
my eyes.
— IG: @NickiMinaj (@NICKIMINAJ)
November 3, 2013
We're sure Jay-Z and most of the
world would agree .
But then…wouldn't that make
Beyoncé, not Nicki, the Queen of
New York??
Nicki Minaj Hits The Ground Running With Her New Album!
Can we just say this album is
definitely overdue?
We want more Minajesty!!!
It has been a little over a year
since Nicki Minaj released Pink
Friday: Roman Reloaded and we
are just antsy with anticipation on
her next album!!
The Pink Friday singer revealed to
a radio station in the Big Apple:
"I've already started… 2014
definitely!"
Next year?! But no actual date!
You're such a tease, Nicki!!
Maybe no date, but the voluptuous
artist continued to spill the deets
on her next album:
"It's very different from anything
I've done, which I'm surprised
about. I'm not feeling like I did
this. I feel like this is next level."
We have a feeling it'll be
AMAZEBALLS!
Wonder who will be collaborating
with Nicki on her new album…
It's probably safe to say that
Kendrick Lamar won't be making
an appearance, but maybe Miley
Cyrus will??
They were supposed to record a
duet after all…it could still
happen !!
The 10 Coolest Things Queen Beyonce Knowles Has Ever Done
As Anderson Cooper once said,
"This is Beyonce's world, and
we're just living in it."
On top of bringing us the "Uh Oh"
dance and being one of the most
dedicated and passionate
performers the music industry has
ever seen, she manages to be
about as humble as any celebrity
in the history of the illuminati.
Just in case you need more
reasons to bow down to the
queen, here are 10 of the coolest
things Bey has ever done:
Forbes List Of The World's 25 Highest-Paid Musicians 2013...
The list of the 2013 highest paid
musicians in the world has been
released by Forbes and Madonna
reigns supreme. The 'Material Girl'
surpassed singer Lady Gaga and
veteran rockers Bon Jovi as the
highest-paid musician in 2013.
See the top 10 highest paid (from
June 2012-June 2013) below..
1. Madonna - $125 million
2. Lady Gaga - $80 million
3. Bon Jovi - $79 million
4. Toby Keith - $65 million
5. Coldplay - $64 million.
6. Justin Bieber - $58 million
7. Taylor Swift - $55 million
8. Elton John - $54 million
9. Kenny Chesney - $53 million
9. Beyonce - $53 million (tie)
See the rest after the cut....
11. Sean "Diddy" Combs - $50
million
12. Sir Paul McCartney - $47
million
13. Calvin Harris - $46 million
14. Jennifer Lopez - $45 million
15. Roger Waters - $44 million
16. Muse - $43 million (tie)
16. Rihanna - $43 million (tie)
18. Jay Z - $42 million
18. One Direction - $42 million
(tie)
20. Dr. Dre - $40 million
20. Red Hot Chili Peppers ($40
million, tie)
22. Rolling Stones - $39 million
(tie)
22. Katy Perry - $39 million (tie)
24. Tim McGraw - $33 million (tie)
25. Pink - $32 million (tie)
25. Tiësto - $32 million (tie)
SIX cyclists dead in TWO WEEKS - so why do so many still risk their lives cycling in the dark with no lights?
Sky updates' investigation found riders
dicing with death by not using
lights or helmets and wearing
earphones and dark clothing
Cyclists up and down the country
are breaking the law – and dicing
with death – by pedalling around
in the dark without lights.
A Mirror investigation found riders
flouting road rules before sunrise
and after sundown in six cities.
Many were also risking their lives
by riding without helmets and
wearing headphones and dark-
coloured clothing.
One photographer who watched
after sundown at a roundabout at
Bow, East London, where three
cyclists have been killed in two
years, said: “In a 40-minute
period I saw six or seven cyclists
without lights. Many more were
not wearing helmets or high-vis
clothing or had headphones on.”
Our investigation was launched in
the wake of the deaths of six
cyclists in London in the past two
weeks.
Only two were killed in darkness
and there are no indications that
any of them were breaking the
law, but the tragedies have led to
calls for greater care to be taken
by cyclists.
Road safety charity Brake’s senior
campaigns officer Ellen Booth
said: “It’s vital cyclists do
everything they can to protect
themselves on roads.
“This includes wearing high-vis
clothing and the correct
equipment, including a helmet.
And at night they must have lights
on their bikes. When it gets darker
at this time of year drivers must
be aware of cyclists.”
She added: “We urge local
authorities to ensure they
consider the safety of cyclists
during highway planning.”
Under the 1989 Road Vehicles
Lighting Regulations, all cyclists
using public roads must have a
front and rear light, and a rear
reflector between sunset and
sunrise.
Chris Juden, of national cycling
charity CTC, said: “People like to
criticise cyclists, so don’t give
them the chance. Play safe, get
some lights. It is as simple as
that.”
Greater Manchester Police has
this week been stopping law-
breaking cyclists and making them
either watch a safety video or pay
a £60 fine.
Police in London are set to station
traffic officers on major streets
and notorious junctions issuing
£30 fixed penalty notices for
unsafe riding.
London mayor Boris Johnson’s
cycling commissioner Andrew
Gilligan said: “This is a huge
escalation to the checks we are
doing already. We must act as a
result of the recent spate of
appalling accidents.”
Metropolitan Police Chief Supt
Glyn Jones added: “We will be
focusing on people driving
carelessly or recklessly, whether
they are drivers or cyclists.”
Cyclists warned to ride safely
Lights and wrongs: What the law
says
The Road Vehicles Lighting
Regulations 1989 state it is illegal
to cycle on a public road between
sunset and sunrise without lights
and reflectors.
They must be clean and working
properly.
They are not required when the
bike is stationary or being pushed
along.
The recent death toll on London's
roads
Monday, 18 November
A male cyclist died after colliding
with a lorry on Camberwell Road
in South East London at 12.07am.
The man, in his early 60s, suffered
serious injuries and was
pronounced dead at the scene 30
minutes later.
The male lorry driver stopped at
the scene, but was not arrested.
Wednesday, 13 November
A male cyclist died after a
collision with a double-decker
bus at around 11.30pm at the
junction of Whitechapel Road and
Commercial Road.
He was taken to hospital but was
died at around 4am today.
The male driver of bus was treated
at the scene for shock. There
have been no arrests.
Wednesday, 13 November
Russian national Venera
Minakhmetova, 24. was killed in a
collision with a lorry on the Bow
roundabout in East London.
It is believed the lorry was
travelling west along the A11,
entering the roundabout to turn
south towards the Blackwall
Tunnel.
Venera is believed to have been
cycling west along the A11 when
the collision occurred at 8.47am.
The male driver of the lorry
stopped at the scene and spoke to
officers - there have been no
arrests.
Tuesday, 12 November
43-year-old IT consultant Roger
William De Klerk, of Forest Hill,
died following a collision with a
bus outside East Croydon railway
station.
The cyclist was treated at the
scene and taken to St George's
Hospital where he was
pronounced dead at 1:22pm.
The bus stopped at the scene and
the driver was not arrested.
Tuesday, 5 November
Architect Francis Golding, 69, died
after a collision with a coach in
Southampton Row, central
London, at around 6.45pm.
He was taken to St Mary's
Hospital for treatment where he
died three days later on the Friday
evening.
The coach stopped at the scene.
The driver was not arrested.
Tuesday, 5 November
Hospital porter Brian Holt, 62, died
at the scene after a collision with
a tipper lorry on Mile End Road at
around 4.40pm.
Police believe the collision
occurred as the lorry moved off
from stationary traffic - the lorry
was not turning at the time of the
collision.
The driver of the lorry stopped at
the scene and has been
interviewed by officers under
caution. He has not been arrested.
Four dead in house fire horror: Two children and two adults killed in early morning blaze
Four people, including two
children, have been killed in a
house fire early this morning.
A third child is being treated in
hospital for minor injuries after
the fire at around 5am in North
Wingfield, near Chesterfield.
Firefighters from across north
Derbyshire attended the blaze,
with the first appliance arriving at
the scene eight minutes after the
emergency call was received.
A police spokesman said officers
were conducting a joint inquiry
with the fire service into the cause
of the blaze.
He said: "Two adults and two
children have died as a result of
the fire. Williamthorpe Road will be
closed for several hours and local
diversions are in operation."
A fire service spokesman said: "A
joint fire investigation is currently
under way in conjunction with
Derbyshire Police and further
details will be released in due
course."
Anyone with information which
could assist the inquiry into the
fire is asked to contact Derbyshire
Constabulary on 101.
