My Experience Filming The Lynching Of A 12-year-old Boy In Nigeria - Abimbola Ogunsanya

Filmmaker Abimbola Ogunsnya joined SaharaTV's, Adeola Fayehun in a discussion about mob killings in Nigeria. In 2005, Ogunsnya filmed the burning to death of a 12-Year-Old boy in Lagos Nigeria by an angry mob who accused the boy of kidnapping a baby.
Ogunsanya also got to speak with the boy before he was lynched. This year, Ogunsanya created a campaign "Don't Walk Away" aimed at ending mob violence in Nigeria.

|Culled from Saharareporters

Nelson Mandela hospital release reports 'incorrect'

Reports that former South African President Nelson Mandela has been discharged from hospital are incorrect, South Africa's presidency says.

The BBC and other news outlets earlier quoted sources close to Mr Mandela as saying he had returned home.
The presidency said in a statement that Mr Mandela was critical but stable, but at times his condition became unstable, prompting medical intervention.
The 95-year-old was admitted with a recurring lung

Nick Cannon Comes Out As Pro-Twerk, Saying It's Miley Cyrus' Right!

 

Hollywood seems to be engaged in a great Civil War over whether or not twerking can long endure!

Unlike Kelly Clarkson's objections, Cyndi Lauper's criticism, and

Justin Bieber Attacked During Night Out At Toronto Club! Find Out What Happened HERE!

Oh noes, Biebsy!
Our little man was put in some serious danger during a night out in Toronto!
Justin Bieber apparently stepped out for some innocent partying at the Canadian nightclub, but it soon turned into a hot mess when he left the VIP section to hang with the
nobodies

Lady confirms the viral photo of Robin Thicke's hand under her butt is real(See Photo)

Many were thinking it was a camera trick when I posted this photo yesterday.and tagged it(Why unfaithful men shouldnt take pics in front of mirrors) Its true afterall.Robin Thicke actually grabbed her butt at the VMA's after-party..He attended the Actual Awards with his wife below..The pic went viral after a Twitter user tweeted it to Robin's wife, Paula Patton,with the message: 'Look at the reflection girl.'

I don't fall inlove....BBA is my last reality show-Melvin Oduah

Ladies..we have a tough one here..Lol in this interview with Punch,Melvin says he doesnt fall inlove.He also addresses rumours that he's jinxed..Excerpts...

"I'm sorry for embarrassing Nigerians...The camera made it look like we had sex-Beverly Osu

During their presentation to the media at the Protea Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos last Thursday
 Beverly Osu said

#Ese Walter Scandal#-"I'm not a hater..it's high time we told the truth-Pastor J writes(Must Read)

Yes oh..Still on the ,matter.This is a piece written by a pastor about the Ese Walter scandal and I just had to share it with y'all..Why? Because its written by a pastor to Pastor Biodun the accused..Read ,assimilate and enjoy...below

(Photo)19 yr old Cheating girl swallows her cellphone so her boyfriend won't read her messages

Everyday a new weird story. According to reports, Adriana Andrade, a 19yr old Brazilian girl swallowed her cell phone because she was scared her boyfriend Renato would read her text messages from another man. Her boyfriend demanded to see the phone, she ran out and swallowed the phone as displayed inthe X-ray
 She had to undergo an operation to have it removed..

What ever happened to the delete button?

(Photo)Woman commits suicide in Ondo after her husband refused to buy her an Ipad

Ok today is officially a weird news day....

A 41-year-old woman, Mrs Catherine Sefunmi Urouna, on Saturday, committed suicide by drinking substance suspected to be chemical in protest of her husband's refusal to buy her a ipad device. The family of five were thrown into mourning, even as the neighbours were shocked that a woman who was happily married could take such a nasty decision to take her own life over an ipad. The police in Ondo State are, however, investigating the actual cause of her death.

The 41-year-old woman and mother of two boys and a girl was a senior executive accounting officer in Akure North local government council, Iju/Ita-Ogbolu of Ondo State. She was said to have threatened to kill herself a fortnight ago if the husband didn’t get her an ipad; even as the husband pleaded with her to continue using the Blackberry phone.

Leadership.Ng

Beverly Osu says she didn't have sex with Angelo in the BBA House

We all saw what we saw but Beverly Osu says we saw wrong, that she never had sex with Angelo in the Big Brother Africa house. She tells  Punch

"Angelo and I never had sex.I didn’t have sex in the house. I never had sex in the house.

Syrian crisis: Latest developments

Syria warned the United States on Friday that it was prepared to confront any aggression against the war-torn nation.

The challenge came as Western powers were debating the use of military force against Syria's government to counter a chemical weapons attack in Damascus' suburbs last week.

Opinion: For the U.S., Syria is a problem from hell

On Wednesday, U.S. President Barack Obama said there's no doubt that Syria launched chemical weapons attacks against its own people. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime has blamed the August 21 attack on rebels.

THE ASUU/GOVERNMENT FACE –OFF

Though right, ASUU should go back to work in the interest of the students
For the umpteenth time the academic calendar of the nation’s university education system has been brought to a halt due to the industrial action embarked upon since July 1 by members of the Academic Staff Union of the Universities (ASUU). This time it is over the inability of the Federal Government to implement the 2009 joint agreement reached by both parties. ASUU claims that the university lecturers are owed some N87 billion. While the federal authorities do not dispute the claim, they have put on the table the sum of N30 billion, in addition to another N400 billion set aside for infrastructural development in the universities. The government has also promised to start disbursing the money as from next month and has in fact released a N100 billion intervention fund to the implementation committee of the Universities’ Needs Assessment Report, headed by the Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswam.

9-month-old baby burnt to death in Sapele

SAPELE — A nine-month-old baby locked up in a house by her parents has been reported burnt to death.

Man, 22, docked over attempt to rape 80-yr-old blind woman

GOMBE — Officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, have arrested 22-year-old Mohammed Inuwa of Herwagana quarters in Gombe for attempting to rape an 80-year-old blind woman, Malama Hannutu Baba.

3 docked for alleged kidnap, raping of undergraduate

LAGOS — Three persons were, yesterday, docked before Tinubu Magistrate’s court, for alleged kidnap, raping and posting a female student of University of Lagos, Akokas nude photographs on the internet.
The female undergraduate (names withheld) told Vanguard that she was kidnapped and raped for turning down love advances from one Babatunde Bashorun three months ago,at 1, Ajose Street, Enu-Owa area of Lagos Island.
Babajide and two others,  Aje Olumayowa, 20, and Babajide  Ajayi, 21, were yesterday charged before the Lagos Magistrate Court, sitting at Tinubu Square, for alleged kidnap and rape.
The suspects who are facing an  eight-count charge of conspiracy, kidnap, rape, assault, taking of nude photographs and pasting same on the internet and attempted murder, were docked before Magistrate   S. K. Matepo.

Strike: NLC Wades into FG-ASUU Impasse

Worried by the turn of events in the lingering crises between the federal government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said it would convince ASUU to return to the negotiation table and seek a permanent solution to the crises.

Negotiations between the union and the government had been deadlocked with the union accusing the government of insincerity and the government accusing the union of deliberately frustrating peace moves.

Terrorism Will Soon be Over

The Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro

The federal government has again assured Nigerians that the war against terrorism in the country will soon be over as the designated leaders of the Boko Haram sect are now dead and most members in disarray.

The Minister of Interior, Mr. Abba Moro, stated this thursday in Abuja, while playing host to the members of the National Association of Benue Students (NUBES), Ahamadu Bello University chapter, who paid him a courtesy visit in his office.
"The war against terror is gradually coming to an end as designated leaders of the group have been killed or in disarray, and in a short while terrorism, killings and bombings will be a thing of the past," Moro said.

PDP Suspends Uba Brothers, Others over Anambra Primary

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has suspended Senator Andy Uba, his younger brother, Chief Chris Uba, the factional chairman of the party in the state, Chief Ejike Oguebego, and three other party chieftains who were accused of conducting a parallel state congress for the nomination of a governorship candidate in Anambra State last Saturday.
A letter in this regard was dispatched to the affected party chieftains yesterday by the acting National Secretary of PDP, Dr. Charles Aderemi Akitoye, who wrote to inform them of the decision of the party for snubbing the NWC, which had invited them to explain the role they played at the parallel congress.

BBA House Winner: I Wanted to be There for Five Weeks

Namibia’s Dillish Mathews emerged winner of the Big Brother: The Chase last Sunday after 91 days in the Big Brother house to scoop the $300,000. She spoke with journalists immediately she was announced winner. Mary Ekah was in South Africa to witness the show

You got nominated five times for eviction; at what point did you think that you were okay for the game?
I think probably the second time I was saved from eviction, I got the feelings that I was okay for the game sort of. You know you just have the instinct that tells you everything is going to be okay.

Did you ever believe Africans would believe in you and were going to vote for you?
Yes, definitely, I did because there is always somebody that you know out there would appreciate you and cares about you because I have been watching the show and there is this feeling that I had towards it and I gave a bit of chance to everybody in the show and so I just knew there is someone out there working.

Lagos Ranked 4th Worst City In The World

Economist Intelligence Unit, EIU, an independent forecasting and advisory business within the Economist Group has said Lagos is the fourth worst city in the world.

Up there on the top worst cities in the world with Lagos is Port Moresby, in Papua New Guinea on 38.9 per cent, which shares Lagos’ 137 positions.

Xclusive: Bianca Ojukwu Opens Up About Her Intimate Relationship With Femi Fani-Kayode

Fani-Kayode had in his article, entitled: “Neither a tribalist nor a hater,” published in the social media and some segments of the national dailies, claimed to have met with Bianca when she was Miss Bianca Onoh at the Cambridge College and had “intimate” relationship with her together with two other Igbo ladies.

Rihanna shades the heck out of Karrueche Tran...lol

So last night Rihanna and her cousin LeLe had a field day mocking Karruche Tran's new look...

It all started when Karrueche posted a picture of herself wearing braids with the caption 'These braids and my peanut head lol." (pictured right). See what happened next after the cut.

Teenage stowaway, Daniel Oikhena, offered scholarship

A group called De Raufs' Volunteer Group - a group of supporters of Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, has offered 14 year old Daniel Oikhena, the boy who flew an Arik plane from Benin to Lagos hidden in the plane's undercarriage, a scholarship.

The Director-General of the group, Amitolu Shittu, in a statement released yesterday said the group is ready to give scholarship to Daniel up to university level and also help him achieve his target of travelling through the air.

Jealous 19 year old OSPOLY student(Girl) bathes boyfriend with hot water

A 19 year old female student of Science Laboratory Technology (SLT) Department of Osun State Polytechnic (OSPOLY) has been arrested for allegedly pouring hot water on her boyfriend shortly after his birthday at Miracle Hall, BHS area in Iree last Saturday.

North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, publicly executes ex-girlfriend

On August 8th, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was in the audience to applaud his ex-girlfriend Hyon Song- wol (right), a singer with the Unhasu National Orchestra. 9 days later a group of artists were arrested for allegedly making a sex tape. His ex was one of them. They were publicly executed by firing squad on August 20th, while their families were condemned to a labor camp.

From Asia News

Look Veteran actress, Ngozi Nwosu birthday party photos

Veteran actress, Ngozi Nwosu who recently turned 50 had a 3-in-1 Birthday Party organized for by BON and she wasted no time grooving on the dance floor and having fun.

Beverly Osu Is One In A Million – Angelo

The just concluded Big Brother Housemates Angelo has defended Beverly Osu stating she inspired him to reading the Bible.

The love bird Angelo revealed that Beverly is a good person and changed some part of him.

In related news: Beverly was said to have sustained an ankle injury during the last phase of the show, Bev was practically limping during the house party.

Beverly who returned on Tuesday night was admitted on Wednesday at FaithCity Hospital, and is responding to treatment.

New Music: Eveedenz – Take It Low Featuring Skales

Upcoming singer, Eveedenz, born Evans Peterson, has released two new singles, Take It Low, featuring E.M.E signee, Skales.
The dance track, ‘Take it low’ was produced by J Smith.

About Eveedenz
He started singing at a very young age but as his passion grew, he took to dancing as well – honing his craft as an entertainer. He later joined a dance group that grew to prominence in Lagos, Sons of Liberty.
He was admitted to the University of Benin shortly after to study Medical Physiology where he was also forced to take a break from a budding professional career. He released his first studio single titled ‘Na me she want’ in 2011 and he has been busy recording since then.

Man Arrested For Raping 3 Year Old Girl

The Niger State Police Command has arrested a 25 year old man, Saliu Lawal over allegations of forcefully having carnal knowledge of a 3-year old Girl, at Angwan Daji, in Chanchaga Local Government Area of the State

The incident was said to have occurred on Friday 23rd August, 2013. The suspect, who is a next door neighbor of the victim, lured the little girl into the premises of Nuru Islam Primary School, in the neighborhood community, tore her pant and forcefully had sex with her.
The suspect has been apprehended and handed over to the Chanchaga Divisional Police Headquarters.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Niger state Police Command, Richard Oguche  while confirming

Barclays Premiere League August 31st-September 1st Fixture

Barclays Premier League Fixtures

Wayne Rooney not planning Man Utd transfer request

 Manchester United's Wayne Rooney has no plans to force a move to Chelsea by handing in a transfer request.

On Monday, Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho gave the 27-year-old 48 hours to decide whether he wants to join the Blues.

Willian: Chelsea sign Brazil midfielder on five-year contract

Willian

Full name: Willian Borges da Silva
    Born: 9 August 1988, Ribeirao Pires, Brazil
    Began his career in his homeland with Corinthians, moving to Ukraine with Shakhtar Donetsk in 2007
    Won four Ukrainian Premier League titles with Shakhtar, plus the 2009 Uefa Cup
    Was part of the Brazil Under-20s side who won the 2007 South American Youth Championships
    Made senior Brazil debut against Gabon in November 2011

World Cup Qualifying European

World Cup Qualifying European

Football: Arsenal Confirms Flamini Return

Mathieu Flamini: Midfielder returns to Arsenal on free transfer

Former Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini has returned to Emirates Stadium on a free transfer.

Iceprince’s Son Jamal Poses With Daddy’s Bentley (SEE PHOTO)

Awww, cute!
Iceprince says Jamal has been  singing ‘when u see me drive by’, holla at your boii’ *hhehehe*
Like father like son, his swag is unbeatable..
what do you think of him ?    see photo below

How My Dad Broke My Virginity & Continue To Sleep With Me –Female Student Reveals

After allowing her dad sleep with her for about 9 months out of fear, she has finally broken her silence:
“At the age of 16, I had not slept with any boy or man, but my father returned from Spain last December and started having sex with me.”

BREAKING NEWS: Beverly Osu Hospitalized (See It)

Many do not know, but Nigeria’s Big Brother Africa, BBA, representative in the 2013 edition of the reality show, Beverly Osu has not been feeling well since the last day of the show in South Africa.
As you read this, Beverly Osu has been admitted into a hospital:
According to NET, Beverly was said to have sustained an ankle injury on the finale of the reality show while climbing the stage and I hear the situation was getting more serious than she had thought.
Beverly Osu who returned on Tuesday night was admitted on Wednesday at FaithCity Hospital, Oju Olobun Close, off Bishop Oluwole Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
She is said to be responding to treatment. Fellow housemate Melvin and Uti Nwachukwu were some of the first people to visit her in the hospital.

Eco Bank Staff Dies After Having Sex With 21yrs Old Lover In Abakaliki

A banker with EcoBank, Abakaliki branch, Mr. Boniface Ndukaku, was found dead in a hotel after having sex with his 21-year-old girlfriend.
According to Telegraphng, Ebonyi State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) DSP Sylvester Igbo, confirmed that the deceased was in the hotel for an extra-marital affair, and that his 21-year-old escort was now in police custody helping them in the investigation of the matter.
Mr. Ndukaku (45), a family man, was a resident of the Army Cantonment in Abakaliki and had taken a 21-year old lady from Mgbowo in Agwu Local government area of Enugu State to a hotel.

PHOTO: “I Continued Prostitution Even After Getting Married” – Nigerian Singer, Maheeda

Singer, Caroline Sam,  popularly known as Maheeda became an orphan at age 13 and with no one to help her turned to prostitution.

                                                                                                                                   

South African Public sex Partei........PG

South african girls fuck people outside

This is very unbelievable

Will Smith Shocked At Miley's VMA Performance? Not So Fast!

Debunking the drama: Will, Jaden and Willow Smith weren't even watching Miley ... they were checking out Lady Gaga.

There were no shortage of truly epic audience reaction shots during last night's MTV Video Music Awards — here's a supercut of some of the best — though, in the hours following the show, one truly managed to stand out from all the rest: Will Smith, and his kids, Jaden and Willow's shocked reaction to Miley Cyrus' twerk-tastic performance
But here's the thing: Despite what your favorite blog may have told you, it turns out that the Smiths weren't responding to Miley's over-the-top antics ... they were watching Lady Gaga's show-opening performance of "Applause." And it seems they liked what they saw.

Afrocandy offers Beverly Osu a role in her soft porn movie

I'm sure Afrocandy doesn't need any introductions...but just in case you've never heard of her, she's soft porn actress and movie producer...Google her to see her in action. Beverly biko ignore! :-)

Peter Okoye and his crew hit the strip clubs in Toronto, Canada

P-Square is on their US/Canada tour. After a performance in Chicago and Texas, they moved to Canada yesterday and hit the strip clubs last night. It's allowed! :-D

Chris Brown and Karrueche Tran cuddle up on the beach in Hawaii

 

Sorry Rihanna but this dude seems really happy with Karrueche Tran. The on-again couple were photographed on the beach in Hawaii yesterday looking pleased to be in each other's company as Chris filmed his latest music video. Despite other ladies being on set, Chris was said to only have eyes for Karrueche and rushed to her side whenever he took a break.

Gov Suntai's letter to Taraba Assembly; Femi Falana demands police investigation

Senior lawyer and political activist, Femi Falana (SAN), yesterday sent a petition to the Inspector General of Police demanding a detailed investigation of the letter purportedly sent to the Taraba State House of Assembly by Governor Danbaba Suntai yesterday indicating he is ready to resume office.

KWAM 1's daughter Honey B shows off her sexy body on stage

Nigerian Fuji maestro, King Wasiu Ayinde's daughter Honey-B took to the stage at the Nottinghill Carnival Nigerian corner and showed off her banging body in that racy outfit. OMG! The look on comedian Gbenga Adeyinka's face is priceless. Lol. Another pic and the video after the cut...

Police hold female suspect after boy's eyes gouged out

A 6-year-old boy was recovering in hospital in China's Shanxi province on Wednesday after his eyes were gouged out in an attack that has left him permanently blind, according to state media reports.

Local police said a female suspect had gouged out the boy's eyes on Saturday evening, but ruled out the possibility that organ traffickers had carried out the attack.

Earlier state media reports said the boy, named as Xiao Binbin from Fenxi County in Shanxi Province, was found four hours after he went missing in a drugged state and missing his eyeballs, China Central Television said on its Sina Weibo account.

The reports claimed the boy's eyes were found nearby with the corneas missing, which local police have since denied, according to state media.

State media pictures on CCTV news Weibo showed pictures of a boy with bandages over his eyes recovering in hospital while his stricken relatives cried at his bedside.

China has traditionally relied on executed criminals to harvest transplant organs in a country where few people donate organs. In 2008, just 36 people donated organs out of a population of 1.3 billion people. A government donation program run by the Red Cross Society has had just under 3,000 donations the past three years, according to Xinhua.

In 2007, China introduced new regulations that banned organ trading and trafficking, and cracked down on "transplant tourism" by non-Chinese nationals. China's Supreme Court also introduced new rules the same year to reduce the number of executions, making the present transplant system unsustainable. China plans to phase out involuntary organ donations of executed prisoner by 2014, state media reported.

About 300,000 patients have organ failure each year, but only about 10,000 transplants are done each year due to donor shortages, Xinhua reported.

On September 1, national health officials will launch a computerized system to match organs to patients among the 165 hospitals permitted to carry out transplants.

By Peter Shadbolt

Indian child Roona Begum recovering after hydrocephalus surgery

 The pictures may be difficult to look at, but 18-month-old Roona Begum's story of survival is remarkable.

Soon after she was born in a remote village in northeastern India, Roona was diagnosed with an extreme form of hydrocephalus -- a disorder causing cerebral fluid to build up in the brain.

Doctors had given Roona just a few months to live.

"Day-by-day, her head started growing bigger, she stopped wanting to eat, she would just lie in bed, it became very difficult for us to carry her and take her anywhere," says Roona's father Abdul Rehman says.

Roona's head grew to a circumference of 94 centimeters, almost triple the size of a normal baby.

There were ten liters of excess fluid inside her brain. Her head was so heavy she could barely move.

Hydrocephalus is more common among infants and older adults. The condition is caused by overproduction, obstruction or lack of absorption of the cerebral fluid in the brain.

The skin of her head has stretched so far, it pulled her eyelids over her eyes, making it impossible for Roona to see.

Her mother, Fatima Begum, would draw eyebrows on Roona with black kohl everyday just to try and make her look more normal.

 

Her head started growing bigger, she stopped wanting to eat, she would just lie in bed, it became very difficult for us to carry her and take her anywhere.
Abdul Rehman, Roona's father

"She had such a big head, it was scary for people to see her," Fatima explains.

Roona may be Abdul and Fatima's only child, but they couldn't afford to treat her. Roona's 18-year-old father works at a brick kiln earning less than $3 a day. For more than a year and a half, they took care of Roona in their two-room mud hut, with little knowledge or means of doing much else.

In April this year, a journalist took photos of Roona and soon people all over the world including two Norwegian students Natalie Krantz and Jonas Borchgrevink were moved by her condition.

Krantz and Borchgrevink put Roona's photo on a crowd funding website, hoping to raise $1,600 to cover her shunt surgery. In two months, they raised double that amount, and by August 2013, they raised more than $60,000.

They've transferred half of this amount to the charity arm of Fortis Hospital in New Delhi for her treatment. The hospital covered the remaining half of the expenses. The students plan to send the remaining amount for Roona's aftercare.

When Roona arrived at Fortis, her condition shocked even chief neurosurgeon Sandeep Vaishya, who has treated hundreds of children with hydrocephalus.

"We had never seen anything like that and we were completely clueless as to how we'd go about treating her. There was no precedent of treating a child with such an extreme case of hydrocephalus. We learned as we went," Vaishya says.

We had never seen anything like that and we were completely clueless as to how we'd go about treating her.
Sandeep Vaishya, neurosurgeon

Initially, Vaishya wasn't hopeful about the surgery. Roona was malnourished, she had major infections on the back of her head from the pressure of lying down all day, and her skin was very thin and delicate.

Cerebral shunt is the standard treatment for hydrocephalus. It's a simple procedure which involves inserting a drainage tube to keep the fluids flowing at the proper rate. But due to the size of Roona's head and her small, frail body, Roona's treatment was particularly challenging.

Vaishya says the surgery posed a huge risk to her life, and at one point they almost lost her.

Much to the relief of her parents and her doctors, Roona has pulled through.

After five surgeries, Roona's head is now down to a circumference of 58 centimeters, still larger than the average 38 to 48 centimeters, but small enough to allow her to live a reasonably normal life.

She constantly moves her head around, she is playful and most importantly, she can now see. She is finally getting the chance to be the baby she really is.

"It feels really good to see her now, she looks beautiful and happy," Fatima says.

Back in her village, Roona has become the center of attention. It's still painful for her to sit up but she smiles a lot, and her eyes, now visible, keep wandering in a frenzied pace.

"We want Roona to read and write once she grows up. Both of us (mother and father) are illiterate so we don't want her to be like us. We want her to have a bright future," Fatima says.

It's too early to tell if Roona will ever be completely normal in her appearance as several operations still lie ahead, but the signs thus far are promising.

Tripura, India  cnn

U.S. envoy to visit North Korea over jailed American

In April, Bae was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor after North Korea's Supreme Court convicted him of state subversion. The court said Bae, 45, used his tourism business to form groups aimed at overthrowing the government.
Bae was detained in November as he led a tour group through the northern region of the country. His sentencing came amid acrimonious relations between Pyongyang and Washington over the reclusive state's nuclear program.
Bae's sister, Terri Chung, told Reuters on August 10 that her brother had been held at a prison for foreigners and put to work plowing and planting fields.
He was transferred to a state hospital because he suffered from a range of health problems, including an enlarged heart, chronic diabetes as well as back and leg pain, she said.
Reports last month that former U.S. President Jimmy Carter was set to visit North Korea to negotiate for Bae were denied.
In an Internet petition urging President Barack Obama to secure "special amnesty" for his father, Jonathan Bae wrote: "We have been distraught by my father's deteriorating health and his sentence of hard labor. However, we have not given up hope because we have faith in our government to represent and protect American citizens here and abroad."

Jun Young Su, an American citizen detained in North Korea on unspecified charges for six months, was released during a May 2011 visit by King to assess its pleas for food aid.

Jun was arrested and admitted committing a crime "against the state" following an investigation, North Korea's official KCNA news agency reported. Media reports said the California businessman had been doing missionary work in North Korea, which said he would be released on "humanitarian grounds."
Two American journalists arrested in 2009 by North Korea were held until former President Bill Clinton traveled there to negotiate their release.
The United States will send its North Korean human rights envoy to Pyongyang this week to seek the release of an imprisoned U.S. Christian missionary, the State Department said on Tuesday.
Robert King, special envoy for North Korean human rights issues, will travel to Pyongyang on Friday at the invitation of the government on a "humanitarian mission focused on securing the release of U.S. citizen Kenneth Bae," the department said in a statement.
King will ask North Korea to "pardon Mr. Bae and grant him special amnesty on humanitarian grounds so that he can be reunited with his family and seek medical treatment," it added.
The White House urged North Korea on Tuesday to grant Bae clemency and allow him to return to the United States.
The release of Bae, which would remove an irritant in U.S. relations with North Korea, also would fit into a recent pattern of conciliatory steps by Pyongyang toward its neighbors.

(Reuters edited by Mix)

Tobacco Ctrl launches social media campaign with flash mob & game app

Tobacco Control Nigeria is a public health and policy change campaign project using Social Media to advance tobacco control and support the passage of a comprehensive Tobacco Control (TC) law compliant with the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

On Saturday August 17th 2013, with the use of dance and drama performed by university students and a music artist named Vocal Slender, the group began the launch activities of its social media campaign holding crowds bound with its message on the streets of Ajegunle in Lagos. Continue...

New York Times, Twitter hacked by Syrian group

Media companies including the New York Times, Twitter and the Huffington Post lost control of some of their websites Tuesday after hackers supporting the Syrian government breached the Australian Internet company that manages many major site addresses.
The Syrian Electronic Army, a hacker group that has previously attacked media organizations that it considers hostile to the regime of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, claimed credit for the Twitter and Huffington Post hacks in a series of Twitter messages.
Security experts said electronic records showed that NYTimes.com, the only site with an hours-long outage, redirected visitors to a server controlled by the Syrian group before it went dark.
New York Times Co NYT.N spokeswoman Eileen Murphy tweeted the "issue is most likely the result of a malicious external attack", based on an initial assessment.
The Huffington Post attack was limited to the blogging platform's U.K. web address. Twitter said the hack led to availability issues for an hour and a half but that no user information was compromised.
The attacks came as the Obama administration considers taking action against the Syrian government, which has been locked for more than two years in an increasingly bloody struggle against rebels.
In August, hackers promoting the Syrian Electronic Army simultaneously targeted websites belonging to CNN, Time and the Washington Post by breaching a third party service used by those sites.
The Syrian Electronic Army, or SEA, managed to gain control of the sites by penetrating MelbourneIT, an Australian Internet service provider that sells and manages domain names including Twitter.com and NYTimes.
Officials at The New York Times, which identified MelbourneIT as its domain name registrar and the primary hacking victim, warned its employees to stop sending sensitive e-mails from their corporate accounts.
MebourneIT spokesman Tony Smith said that login credentials from one of its resellers had been used improperly.
Once MelbourneIT was notified, he said, the company restored the correct domain name settings, changed the password on the compromised account, and locked the records to prevent further alterations.
"We are currently reviewing our logs to see if we can obtain information on the identity of the party that has used the reseller credentials, and we will share this information with the reseller and any relevant law enforcement bodies," Smith said. "We will also review additional layers of security that we can add to our reseller accounts."
Twitter did not respond to requests for comment. In a blog post, the company said "it appears DNS (domain name system) records for various organizations were modified, including one of Twitter's domains used for image serving, Twimg.com. Viewing of images and photos was sporadically impacted."
(Editing by Michael Perry and Eric Walsh)