Photo: Footballer Ashley Cole cuddles his new born son

The LA Galaxy footballer shared a photo of him and his sleeping son. He welcomed his son with his Italian model girlfriend, Sharon Canu this Sunday.

Terror in Turkey as Two female militants attack Istanbul riot police station with hand grenade and firearms

Two female militants armed with grenade and weapons attacked a Turkish police bus as it arrived at a station in an Istanbul suburb on Thursday.

The footage of the dramatic attack shows one of the women throw a grenade and the other opened fire with a machine gun as the riot police bus drove towards the station entrance in he Bayrampasa district of Turkey’s biggest city.

The police returned fire however the women fled the scene and were trapped in an apartment building. Special forces units were sent to the area and residents were evacuated as security forces prepared to carry out an operation.

In an update, local media reported that both women were killed. The Instanbul Governor Vasip Sahin told reporters that investigation to determine the identity of the two women and organization they belong to is ongoing. He said two police officers were wounded during the operation but they are in a stable condition.

Attacks on the security forces have increased as violence flares in the country’s predominantly Kurdish southeast, where a ceasefire between Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants and the state collapsed last July.

The PKK, considered a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, launched a separatist armed rebellion against Turkey more than three decades ago. See the dramatic footage below:

Mark Zuckerberg is now the 6th richest man in the world...from 16th in 2015

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is now the 6th richest man in the world, moving up 10 spots from last years Forbes' 2016 billionaires list of the world's richest people. According to Forbes, Mark made more than $11billion in one year, going from $33.4 billion in the 2015 ranking to $44.6 billion in the 2016 ranking. Bill Gates is still the richest man in the world. See top 20 after the cut...


From Forbes magazine...

Bill Gates remains the richest person in the world with a net worth of $75 billion, despite being $4.2 billion poorer than a year ago. He has been No. 1 one for 3 years in a row and topped the list 17 out of 22 years. (In the 30 years FORBES has tracked global wealth, only 5 people have held the title of richest person on planet; 3 of those 5 still rank among the 4 richest in the world including Warren Buffett and Carlos Slim.)

Also holding steady is Buffett at No. 3. Zara ’s Amancio Ortega moves up to No. 2 for the first time, displacing Mexico’s Carlos Slim, who slips to No. 4. Slim’s fortune fell $27.1 billion to $50 billion in the past year, as shares of his telecom business América Móvil tumbled.

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg had the best year of all billionaires. The 31-year-old added $11.2 billion to his fortune and moved up to No. 6 from 16. He and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos both make their first appearance in the top ten of FORBES’ annual ranking of the world’s wealthiest. Another first: A billionaire from China’s mainland, Wang Jianlin, whose company owns AMC Theaters and soon will own Legendary Pictures, has climbed into the top 20.

Fetty Wap finally claims Masika Kalysha’s unborn baby, drops $20k on bills & baby stuff

Months after vehemently denying Masika Kalysha’s baby, blasting her as a gold digger and a skank on social media, and also refusing to submit to a paternity test, Fetty Wap is suddenly owning up to being the father of Masika's baby. He recently dropped $20k on baby supplies for his little girl on the way and also invited Masika to hang with him at concert a few days ago.


TMZ report:

We're told Fetty dropped $20k on baby clothes, toys and furniture over the weekend while out shopping with the ex "Love and Hip Hop: Hollywood" star at fancy LA baby shop, Petit Tresor.

He's come a long way since Masika filed paternity docs 2 months ago when Fetty claimed he wasn't the father of her baby. Our sources say Fetty's now doing everything he can to help out, including taking care of Masika.

No word if they're rekindling the romance or if he's just playing nice with his baby mama, either way she seemed very pleased at Mastro's last weekend.

Underage girl releases press statement after Adam Johnson is found guilty of sexually touching her

The underage girl (then 15, now 16) has released a statement entailing the psychological trauma she passed through ever since the sexual allegations against Adam Johnson came out last year and says she is happy everything has ended now. The youngster expressed sympathy for Johnson’s ex-girlfriend Stacey Flounders, 26, the mother of his 13-month-old daughter Ayla Sofia.

The sacked Sunderland footballer is facing a 5-10 years imprisonment in the next two weeks after being granted bail but was put on house arrest by the judge. Read the girl's statement after the cut.

“I’ve had to face so much abuse after he claimed his innocence. I was made out to be a liar, if anything, I held things back because I didn’t want all of this to come out. “What happened in his car has turned my life upside down. “I have lost all of my confidence. My school work has suffered. “There are people out there who have made assumptions about me and that alone has been hard to deal with. “ I have been unable to defend myself publicly. The gossip on social media, hearing all the horrible names people have been calling me has been devastating to me, my friends and family. “The guilty verdict ‘showed everyone I was telling the truth.” “I feel sad for Stacey and what she has been through. I hope Adam realises the hurt and damage he has caused. I now want to put this awful experience behind me and begin to rebuild my life. “I hope I can move on and look to the future.” It took the jury nine hours 42 minutes to convict Adam Johnson yesterday. The 28 year old millionaire has now lost his job, his multi-million pounds endorsements deal with Adidas, his girlfriend and is set to lose his liberty when he gets his prison sentence.

Biafra, SCNC Might Join Forces to Achieve Independence

UK-based global security expert recommends referendum to avert possible armed conflict that could facilitate Boko Haram’s extension southward

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IBTimes UK, has reported that Biafrans who are currently seeking independence from the Federal Republic of Nigeria would join forces with the SCNC, Southern Cameroons National Council, which is seeking same from the Cameroon republic.

Going by the report published online, February 25, 2016 by the International Business Times, which is published in four different languages, SCNC and Biafra officials have both confirmed a possible union between the two peoples who are currently protesting against marginalization.

International Business Times spoke with human rights activist and former political prisoner Ebenezer Akwanga on the struggle for independence in Southern Cameroons. Akwanga alleged that human right abuses against pro-independence activists in Southern Cameroons are common.

In 1997, Akwanga was imprisoned and tortured in Cameroon for six years due to his political activism. He is now the President of the Southern Cameroons Youth League.

The digital news network reported that Akwanga believes his people might ally with pro-Biafrans in south-eastern Nigeria, who are also fighting to gain independence. “Political sequences took place which affected our culture, language, traditions, everything that makes us a people,” he is quoted as saying.

“Around 1984 the Cameroon Anglophone Movement started. It was first looking for a return to a federal system of governance and later on became the Southern Cameroon Restoration Movement. “The Southern Cameroons Youth League was born and our goal was simple: We wanted the total and unconditional independence of the Southern Cameroons.”

A coordinator of Ipob in Nigeria’s Anambra state, who spoke to IBtimes UK on condition of anonymity, confirmed pro-Biafrans and people in Southern Cameroons might come together. He said: “IPOB is ready to work or join forces with any group seeking for independence from slavery and persecution. And our people in Southern Cameroon are not any different.”

David Otto, CEO of UK-based global security provider TGS Intelligence Consultants, told IBTimes UK that a union between the two groups is very likely and could further destabilize the region.

“Although the Southern Cameroon National Council, SCNC is purely a peaceful movement, they could be tempted to join forces with the Biafra movement, which has been vocal in their willingness to use arms against the Nigerian government,” said Otto.

“The Biafran movement will prefer to use their affiliation with members of the SCNC to secure a safe haven in Cameroon or perhaps use Cameroon as a point to launch attacks against the Nigerian government.

“The entire region will be in chaos from both ends and it will be easier for Boko Haram terrorists to hijack the opportunity and extend southwards in Cameroon and Nigeria.”

Otto also said that a holistic approach is required to resolve issues of self-determination and independence and called on both governments to organise a referendum on independence.

“There is no need for government to wait until arms and violence becomes the only option. Self-determination referendums have been successfully done in many countries including Ethiopia, UK, Canada, Spain, etc. In a democratic setting, let the people decide their destiny.”

The government of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, according to IBTimes UK, has always maintained that Nigeria’s unity is a priority for the country and that although peaceful pro-Biafra protests are welcome; demanding the breakaway of the Biafran territories is against the constitution.

The Nigerian government the award winning news platform that it does not consider the separatist movement a threat to the current leadership, and said pro-Biafrans is an “insignificant number of frustrated people who are not a threat to the existence of Nigeria.”

In several interviews with IBTimes UK, the army and the police denied allegations of violence during pro-Biafran protests, arguing that security forces had to intervene as pro-Biafrans “were armed and disrupted peace in the state.”
The Cameroonian embassy in London has not replied to a request for comment.

When contacted by IBTimes UK, the UK government said: “The position of the UK government during the Biafran War is a matter of historical record. The UK government’s position, which reflected the Charter of the Organisation of African Unity, was to recognise the borders laid down at Independence.

“The Biafran War caused great suffering and the UK supported the reconciliation work that followed the conflict. The UK supports the territorial integrity of Nigeria and President Buhari’s commitment to work for a secure and prosperous Nigeria for all Nigerians.”

IBTimes UK also suggested that the UK recognises the 1961 annexion of southern Cameroons to Cameroon as legitimate. The UK government also encourages all political groups in Cameroon to engage constructively and respect the democratic process for bringing their political ideology before the people of Cameroon.

An earlier report by African Spotlight, said the leader of the Biafra Nations Youth League, BNYL, Prince Chimezie Obuka, said some members of a community demanding independence from Cameroon was backing similar plans in Nigeria.

Obuka said this after a recent meeting with delegates from the Former British Southern Cameroon; the meeting, African Spotlight said, was in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. He reportedly said he will not reveal the identities of the delegates from so-called Southern Cameroons.

They should not be regarded as separatists or secessionists because their land (Ambazonia) was annexed, subjugated by La Republic du Cameroun and it’s only an independent Biafran State that will force the artificial government out from Ambazonia including Bakassi Peninsula,” said Obuka.

EXLUSIVE: Biya Sanctions Revision of Constitution, High Stake Session of Parliament Called for March 10

Looking sick and frail, President Paul Biya of Cameroon, 4th longest serving leader in the world.

The March session of Parliament convened by a bureau order signed by the National Assembly Speaker on Monday February 29, would be stormy and would be unlike others in recent times.
We have been reliably informed that the session, convened for Thursday, March 10, would traditionally begin with the constitution of the assembly bureau before serious business intended to change the democratic shape of the country is introduced.

Our source hinted that the exercise of reconstituting bureau members is likely to see the injection of some new blood towards changing the geo-political balance of power in the country.

Our informant suggested that Cavayé Yéguié Djibril, who has been speaker of the house for more than 20 years, could lose the position to a much younger and dynamic Member of Parliament, while 82-year-old Senate President, Marcel Niat Njifenji, who has reportedly not been in a good state of health lately, may be dropped altogether.
President Paul Biya who has been out of the country since February 23, is reported as holding high level consultations with some political bigwigs of the system to have their input on the options he has planned.

One of such personalities is the Sultan of Foumban, who’s also CPDM senator, Ibrahim Mbombo Njoya. He is reported to have left the country on the same day as Biya and some media reports say both met recently in Paris, France. They allegedly discussed the upcoming changes to take place in Parliament and Senate.

Our source hinted that even though Biya may not be back in the country before the March parliament opens, the 83-year-old leader has already endorsed the tabling of a bill that will amend the constitution of Cameroon. 
Our source also hinted that there will come a sweeping cabinet reshuffle once the session ends and the constitution is amended.

It should be noted that a revision of the constitution in 2008 triggered bloody clashes in major cities across the country. That revision scrapped presidential term limits which is what we learn this session of parliament would be expected to re-introduce.

Going by our presidential source, the bill would seek to amend article 6 (3) of the constitution to give the President powers to call early presidential polls. This, our informant said will take place before the women’s Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, holding in Cameroon, beginning November 19, this year.

As soon as that is done, President Biya, we learnt, would go ahead to announce the precise date for a precipitated election by October 2016.

The bill to amend the constitution expected to be tabled in parliament would also touch on the reduction of mandates from the current seven years unlimited terms, to five years with the precision, “renewable once.” 
The introduction of a single ballot for all the candidates in presidential elections, the widely-clamoured two-round voting system practiced in most democracies around the world and the re-introduction of the post of Vice President, which is highly believed to be a bait to placate Anglophones, are also expected to be part of the constitution revision project.

Information we gathered also indicates that there are serious considerations about revising the sections of the constitution and the electoral code which fix voting age in Cameroon at 20. According to our sources, the amendment would aim to step down voting age to 18 years.

The planned re-introduction of the office of vice president, The Journal learnt, is to appease Anglophones. According to sources, the development would mean that should Biya finally give in to ‘pressure’ to seek re-election at the next presidential election as calls for him to do so galore, his running mate would be an Anglophone. Details about what will become of the post of Prime Minister are still sketchy.

Already, there are growing speculations that the decision by the Biya regime to call early presidential polls have been prompted by fears that a new French president, expected to emerge after the April 2017 presidential election may prove hostile to another term for the Cameroon leader who by 2017 would have clocked 35 long years in power.

Orlando Bloom & Katy Perry confirm relationship with romantic holiday to Hawaii

The latest Hollywood A-listers couple, who began dating after meeting at the Golden Globes after-party last month confirmed they were really together as they held hands while on a romantic getaway to Hawaii last week. After they returned from their trip, a smitten Orlando, 39, is reported to have flown to New York to be with his lady love, Katy, 31, at her show at Radio City Music Hall in NYC on Wednesday, a fund-raiser for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. More pics after the cut

Eddie Murphy and his pregnant girlfriend take a stroll (photos)

The comedy/acting icon is expecting his 9th child from his 5th baby mama. He's king, mehn. He was pictured taking a stroll with his pregnant girlfriend, Paige Butcher in LA yesterday. The couple announced they were expecting back in November, so Paige is about 6 months along. See more pics after the cut..

Man throws dog to a polar bear to save woman under attack, animal activists come for him

 

A man who saw a polar bear attacking a woman at a coastal facility in the Russian Arctic approached a dog close to the scene of the attack, picked the live dog and threw it at the polar bear in a bid to distract the animal from attacking a woman.

 The scene was recorded and shared online which caused an outrage and fuelled demands for retribution, as the bear attacked the yelping dog.

 A screaming woman off camera appears to encourage the man to throw the dog to what seems to be certain death.

There were calls for an investigation by animal rights groups and for the man to be severely punished.

 The woman fortunately escaped, they think the dog may have escaped as well, nobody was really sure.