16 things you only know if you have anxiety

(Picture: Newscast)

I’m going to get right to the point here: I suffer from anxiety.

My heart’s racing at the thought of writing this article.

I’m imagining all the things you might think of me – ‘You’re a terrible writer,’ ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about,’ ‘What qualifies you to write about anxiety?’

If catastrophizing were a GCSE, I’m sure I’d get an A*, right up there with heart palpitations and special achievements in insomnia.

And you might be there with me. You know you’ve got anxiety when:
1. You think those Keep Calm tee shirts are annoyingly patronising.

2. You tried deep breathing but it made you feel light headed so you felt anxious about it.

3. You practise mindfulness but keep getting up midway through to check the coffee machine/gas hob/iron isn’t on (it isn’t).

4. You still have exam nightmares despite taking them over 10 years ago. And in some of them you might be naked.

5. You check your phone every 30 seconds when you’re meant to meet your date just in case they’ve decided to ditch you.

Or their train is delayed (but the first one’s much more likely).

6. At night your mind is a constantly scrawling to-do list, keeping you awake remembering that you mustn’t forget things.

7. You forget things because you didn’t sleep well, because 6.

8. You get ready for a night out two hours early (just in case) then pace the room repeatedly asking, ‘Shall we get going, then?’

9. You strategically position yourself on the train platform exactly where the doors will open and you know you’ll get on first, then are horrified when the train doors stop two feet away from you. Hor.Ror.

10. You rush to get a seat on a train while subconsciously listing best to worst people to sit next to. (Worst is next to drunken chatty person eating kebab and pasty combo, who spills crumbs on you and tries to chat you up on the last train home. And then vomits.) 

11. You’ve left two hours early for an event (see 8) but the train stops between stations. Dread. Then the tannoy announcement is both inaudible and incomprehensible. Blind panic.

12. You’re so anxious on your night out, you completely forget what you’re saying mid-anecdote and start babbling incoherently while you scrabble around your frantic head trying to remember what you were saying.

13. You laugh maniacally hoping this will satisfy everyone (see 12) as the natural end to your story.

14. Before job interviews you practise your smile in the mirror, trying to replace the look of sheer terror with one of ‘competence and reliability’. Even resting bitch face would be an improvement at this point.

15. You’re two hours early for your interview (see 8 and 11) and have to keep replying ‘I’m fine, thanks,’ to offers of tea and biscuits when what you really want to do is run out of the building, all the way home.

16. You have a bath before bed when you get home as self-help 101 for anxiety, but all that happens is that you can’t sleep (see 6) but you now smell of lavender essential oil. And you’re clean. Bonus.

Metro UK

Lifestyle: Checkout Rare Inside Photos Of Aliko Dangote’s $30Million Home

Africa Cradle was granted rare access into Africa’s richest man’s home, which he is putting up for sale in northern Abuja. Mr. Dangote has called this place home for a good twelve years, and he said he is selling the property because he has just completed a new piece of real estate in the United Kingdom, where he is switching to after putting ink to paper on a deal to purchase the london based Arsenal Football Club. Mr. Dangote is actually an avid soccer supporter, contrary to many people’s expectations, and he said he was looking forward to watching all the Arsenal matches from the Emirates Stadium after closing the deal. “I have to be there! I have to be there.” He said, with a rare smile on his face.

“Television is an invention that permits you to be entertained in your living room by people you wouldn’t have in your home.” I love watching television. I watch a lot of business channels, such as Bloomberg TV, which is my favourite and many others. I look forward to the day when AFRICA will have quality media, which gives us good entertainment, and insightful information into African business trends and those from other parts of the world as well. But yeah, welcome, this is my living room.” We were awed by the sight of this room! Sometimes, you have no words, you only watch, and take photos of course. That’s what we were here to do.





This is where Mr. Dangote hosts most of his meetings with business associates and government officials. This room has the boardroom style works well if the group is reasonably small and will spend most of the time talking to each other or listening to one or two speakers who are not using a screen.



“They say that the kitchen is the heart of the home. It is where the meals are created – it fuels the bodies, minds and souls of friends and families all over the world. Some say that while life may be created in the bedroom, it is certainly lived in the kitchen, ” Aliko Dangote said. We had not expected the billionaire to be so philosophical, but to our surprise he was. It showed that how much thought and attention to detail he had put in the building of this house, to the extend that he has some deep thought about each and every one of its rooms. This is the place where most of the meals for the wealthiest African man are cooked for his nourishment.



Walking in and walking out of Mr. Dangote’s massive house. If it was not for security you would not want to leave this beautiful place, with all its heavenly clues. Our photojournalists were given this very rare access.



This is Aliko Dangote’s home office, where he does all the business if he is away from his office. “Whether you work from home fulltime or a few hours a week, setting up your home office properly is important for your comfort and productivity,” he said. “I have hosted a number of very important people here, including Bill Gates, President Goodluck Jonathan, and many others I am not inclined to mention. ”



And this is where the wealthiest man in Africa sleeps. “I feel bed to show you where I sleep, you know,” he said, showing us into the bedroom. “But here is where I sleep. My wife and I try the best we can to keep this place as serene and quite as possible.” “To tell you the truth, I spend less time here than I do in my office and elsewhere where I can work. I do value relaxation and unwinding, and I have read a lot of news articles and research studies that recommend eight to ten hours of sleep.” “But why should one sleep so much? To relax? Don’t get me wrong, relaxing is good, but if you love to sleep, poverty will be your portion. Well, this is my bedroom, let’s move on.



and this is where he takes his bath



Source: Africacadle.com

Nigeria: Power supply drops by 1,047MW

A power transmission facility.

Power supply to households and businesses in the country has fallen below the 4,000 megawatts mark as 1,047.3MW was lost in seven days, data obtained from the Presidential Task Force on Power showed on Tuesday.

Last week, electricity from the national grid hit a record high of 4,810.7MW, which was achieved at 8:45pm on August 25.

The Transmission Company of Nigeria had then said the new peak followed the record set the previous day, August 24, when 4,748MW was wheeled by its network.

But electricity generation stood at 3,843.16MW on Monday, August 31, while 3,763.40MW was sent out, according to the PTFP.

On Sunday, August 30, generation was 4,117.73MW, while 4,029.83MW was sent out, data from the Federal Ministry of Power showed.

The dip in power generation and supply followed the shutdown of both the Trans Niger Pipeline and Nembe Creek Trunkline late last week.

Shell Petroleum Development Company had last Thursday declared force majeure on the export of Bonny Light crude oil, one of Nigeria’s main export grades, effective August 27, 2015, following the shutdown of both the TNP and the NCTL.

The Manager, Corporate Media Relations of the SPDC, Mr. Precious Okolobo, had said a leak was reported on the TNP at Oloma in Rivers State, while the NCTL was shut down for the removal of crude theft points, adding that the SPDC was working to repair and reopen the two lines as quickly as possible.

The Trans Niger Pipeline transports about 180,000 barrels of crude oil per day to the Bonny Export Terminal and is part of the gas liquids evacuation infrastructure critical for continued domestic power generation at the Afam VI power plant and liquefied gas exports, Shell said in a statement on its website.

Afam VI power plant has a generation capacity of 624 MW.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Ambassador Godknows Igali, on Monday said electricity had been stable in the country lately because there was no case of gas pipeline vandalism.

He recalled that vandalism was the bane of electricity supply during the last administration.

He said things improved with the decision of the current administration to engage the communities through which the pipelines pass.

This, he said, led to increased gas supplies and improved power supply nationwide currently at 4,600MW.

INCREDIBLE!!! Nostradamus actually predicted most of Manchester United’s summer transfer activity 460 years ago

Nostradamus is as big on his philosophy as LVG… (Picture: Rex)

Virtually no-one predicted that Anthony Martial and David De Gea would be Manchester United players after the transfer window closed.

One man did, though, and his name was Nostradamus.

That’s right – despite the fact that he died approximately 449 years ago, Nostradamus actually managed to predict all of United’s major transfer business, from De Gea staying to Robin Van Persie leaving.

Sort of.
In Nostradamus’ famous book The Prophecies, which was first published in 1555, there are a number of references to United’s main deals, and while we were sceptical at first, this is more than just a little bit spooky.

And here they are:
Memphis Depay


The old roads will all be improved,

One will proceed on them to the modern Memphis:
The great Mercury of Hercules fleur-de-lis,

Causing to tremble lands, sea and country.

Yes, Nostradamus has done nothing more than just say the word Memphis, and yes, we can hear your scepticism from here too.

It gets better, trust us.

Bastian Schweinsteiger

After there will come from the outermost countries

A German prince, upon the golden throne

German princes, outermost countries…we told you it got better.

De Gea and Van Persie
Once the treacherous deed of Robin,

Shall cause Lords and a Great Prince much trouble,

Known as the End, his head shall be sliced off.

The feather in the wind, female friend to Spain,

The messenger trapped while in the country,

And the scribe shall throw himself into the waters.

This…this is weird. Treacherous deeds? Probably Van Persie leaving Arsenal for United. Head’s getting sliced off? Him being sent out to Fenerbahce presumably.

Something about someone being trapped in Spain while a scribe throws himself into water? Got to be De Gea not joining Madrid while he’s in Spain due to document problems right?

And to top it off, there’s even a mention of a female friend to Spain, which reminds us of the rumours that De Gea’s girlfriend Edurne Garcia had confirmed they were off to Madrid.

Romero and Martial
His army to enter the greatest depth,

Genoa and Monaco will drive back the red fleet

The Martial and Monaco bit doesn’t need explaining, and while some of you might be saying that Sergio Romero didn’t join from Genoa, get this – he had been playing at Sampdoria, which is in Genoa.

We’re scared.

Schneiderlin
The cardinal of France will arrive

Definitely about Morgan, right?

Darmian and Rafael
In Turin the first ones will be burned,

when Lyons will be transported with grief.

Matteo Darmian joined form Torino, while many United fans were more than a little bit emotional about Rafael’s departure to Lyon.

We don’t know about you, but we are seriously, seriously weirded out right now.

There’s also nothing in the book about Arsenal’s transfer activity – so we guess he got that pretty spot on as well.

Oh and, don’t worry, we didn’t pore over Nostradamus’ works to find all this out – that dubious honour goes to Reddit user GrabbingTheBrassRing.

Metro UK

Woman becomes first person to get compensation for being ‘allergic to WiFi’

But how does she check Facebook? HOW!? (Picture: Blaek Design Studio/EyeEm)

Rather than a Terminator-style battlefield, the war between robots and humans might be fought with… allergies.

A French woman has won a landmark court case which has resulted in the government paying her €800 (£588) a month in disability allowance for three years.

The reason? Martine Richard is apparently allergic to WiFi.

Richard claims she has been forced to quit her job and move to a rural farm with no internet connectivity due to suffering from headaches, nausea and dizziness for years.

Science claims that WiFi allergy (also known as electromagnetic hypersensitivity or EHS) doesn’t exist, but Richard is far from the first person to claim they suffer from it.

What makes this case different is that Richard is the first person to have her ‘allergy’ recognised as a disability by the government

The World Health Organisation (WHO) have said of the condition: ‘The majority of studies indicate that EHS individuals cannot detect EMF exposure any more accurately than non-EHS individuals.

‘Well controlled and conducted double-blind studies have shown that symptoms were not correlated with EMF exposure.’

Metro UK

Lopsided Appointments: Afenifere fumes; warns Buhari against treating Yoruba with disdain

Buhari

The Afenifere Renewal Group has criticized President Muhammadu Buhari for failing to make a strong “first impression” following anxious agitation across the country over recent presidential appointments.

The pan-Yoruba sociopolitical group, in a statement Tuesday, signed by its Publicity Secretary, Kunle Famoriyo, said the appointments have created many confusing interpretations, instead of galvanising the country towards an expected course to rebuild Nigeria as charted in APC’s manifesto.

“While we call for the continued support of our people for Buhari’s administration, we also want to remind Mr President that Yoruba people have never been a cannon fodder and will resist any such treatment,”‎ the group said.

“ARG demands therefore a reassuring response from the presidency, especially in subsequent presidential appointments and decisions, because if this scenario continues to play out, it will be difficult to retain the trust and expectation that drove what eventually brought to reality the current coalesced federal government.”

‎As the countdown to Mr. Buhari’s first 100 days in office continues, there has been a growing outrage over his appointment of some key officials into his administration.

Out of the 30 people appointed so far into, ‎only three are from the South West.

The Afenifere group called on the new administration to engender a harmonious relationship between nationalities amidst an increasing perception‎ that the president is slipping the stereotypical Northern hegemonist he was labelled as during the campaigns.

“ARG concluded that Nigeria was in deep crisis prior to the last election and that a new government was acutely required,” the group said.

“Therefore this administration must stop what appears to be the frittering away of the goodwill invested in this administration and not treat our people with disdain; as they have not forgotten that exactly this kind of insensitivity marked the point of derail for the last administration.”

The ARG also stated that it was concerned and embarrassed ‎that Yoruba political leaders and actors appear to be playing gods.

“The political stage seems to now be filled with actors that are appropriating victories of the last elections to their own prowess and therefore claiming positions as if sharing spoils of war. These acts are self-destructive, insensitive and must stop.

“The unheard but agitated voice on the street is that there is urgent need for unity amongst all Yoruba political leaders, which they henceforth must consciously work to sustain. It is therefore crucial for them to close ranks and work together if they must continue to earn their current recognition as leaders.

The ARG further called on President Buhari and the APC leaders to remember that the party is not just a political platform but a product of an ideological belief that aims to stabilise Nigeria and bring it to its full potential by nurturing the kind of union that produced the party

“Therefore, the party has a responsibility to all Nigerians, as custodian of that ideology, by ensuring that every policies and decisions of the federal government – including appointments to public offices – are done to promote development across all spectrum.”

Premium Times 

Waitress pays restaurant bill for cancer patient and leaves a heartwarming note

17-year-old waitress Daniela Bossi (Picture: Contributed photos)

Here’s your ‘well, that’s nice’ news of the day.

Long-term couple Rick and Annette Lewallen decided to treat themselves to dinner out last week, heading to Brother’s Pizzeria in Hamilton New Jersey. They don’t often go out to restaurants as they like to keep things modest, especially with all the bills they’re facing due to Rick’s treatment for brain cancer.

They ordered a slice of pizza and a salad, and had a generally lovely time. But their meal out became something a little more special when the bill arrived.

They found that the 17-year-old waitress, Daniela Bossi, had used her tips to cover the cost of their meal, leaving a heartfelt note instead of the amount due.

It read: ‘For putting up the biggest fight… this one is on me.’

‘This one is on me’ (Picture: Contributed photos)

Bossi had only been working at the restaurant for two months, and explained to NJ.com that on the day Rick and Annette came into the restaurant, she’d already made enough tips to cover their meal.

She’s known the couple for years and says that she decided to treat them ‘because their family has always been there for [her] little sister.’

‘It was something so small,’ Bossi said. ‘I didn’t think it was any big deal.’

Rick and Annette (Picture: Contributed photos)

But Annette and Rick were touched and posted about the gesture on Facebook, writing that they are “overwhelmed” by Daniela’s kindness.

‘Proof that goodness exists in the world,’ wrote Annette. ‘Go Daniela, you set such a great example for the youth of today and for people in general.

‘The world is a better place because of people like you.’

Metro UK

Yes, it's a HOAX: 'Pregnant' French tourist is a paid actress - as friends reveal she has lived in Australia for years and tourism boss says he 'just wanted to put Mooloolaba on the map'

Story of a young French woman Natalie Amyot is a viral marketing stunt

She posted a video claiming she was pregnant to a Sunshine Coast man

A day later, it emerged it was a hoax set up by Sunny Coast Social Media 

Before the reveal, online sceptics claimed Ms Amyot, 26, was Alizee Michel

Former friend confirmed Ms Amyot was Ms Michel who lived in Mooloolaba

Jordan Foster said she had studied at University of the Sunshine Coast

The story of a pregnant young French woman, Natalie Amyot, has been revealed to be a viral marketing stunt set up by a Sunshine Coast-based social media company.

A day after Ms Amyot posted her video online, another clip was uploaded to her YouTube channel with the 26-year-old coming clean that it was a hoax set up by Sunny Coast Social Media in Queensland.

It opens with the brunette beauty announcing: 'I found him', before stepping aside for owner Andy Sellar.

Natalie Amyot was employed by Sunshine Coast-based company, Sunny Coast Social Media

It comes after doubts had been cast over the story of Ms Amyot, who was searching for a man she claimed got her pregnant on the last night of a three-month trip to Australia.

A former friend of the fictional Ms Amyot confirmed to Daily Mail Australia she was in fact Alizee Michel who is believed to have studied marketing and tourism.

Jordan Foster said Ms Michel had attended the University of the Sunshine Coast - north of Brisbane - for 'a few years'.

And on Wednesday, the truth was finally revealed by Mr Sellar in a YouTube video.

'This has been a viral video for Holiday Mooloolaba. My name is Andy Sellar and I own a company called Sunny Coast social media,' he said.

'We do viral videos for businesses. Now I know there is going to be a lot of you that are upset by this... maybe not too happy.

'But this young lady was just a volunteer in this. I did all the Facebook, the YouTube, I did all the answering. She had nothing to do with that, she literally was just an actress.'

Mr Sellar goes on to reveal why he had engaged in such a campaign.

'We just wanted to put Mooloolaba on the map because it's a wonderful place. So thank you for watching and we are going to do many, many more videos like this,' he explained.

Earlier on Wednesday, speculation was mounting about whether or not Ms Amyot was real and if her story was fake.

Mr Foster told Daily Mail Australia Ms Amyot was Alizee Michele who he went to university with.

'I was on campus of the Sunshine Coast for seven years and was friends with [her] and her friends for a few years because I ran most the functions on campus and off for the university accommodation and my events company that I put together while I was at uni,' he said.

Mr Foster also revealed Ms Michel had a long-term boyfriend who lived with her at Alexandra Headland - a suburb of Mooloolaba - during her time in Australia.

Mr Foster said as far as he knew the 26-year-old was still with her boyfriend last year.

'The story is definitely not true,' Mr Foster added.

Adding to the speculation was a photograph taken back in June 2014 identifying a woman who bore a remarkable resemblance to Ms Amyot as Ms Michel.

Online sceptics thought Ms Amyot was in fact former University of the Sunshine Coast student Alizee Michel (left)

In her Tuesday video, Ms Amyot claimed she had holidayed in Mooloolaba on Queensland's Sunshine Coast and spent her last night with a blue-eyed tanned man who she fell instantly in love with

In the picture, Ms Michel is posing with two other friends on the beach at Mooloolaba.

On social media, she was also tagged with a relative believed to be her cousin in Melbourne months before she claimed to have arrived in Australia for her extended trip.

A further search on Facebook lists a number of Ms Michel's relatives as living in the Victorian capital.

The 26-year-old made international headlines when she posted a video onto Facebook and YouTube claiming she had returned home only to discover six weeks later she was pregnant following their one-night stand.

Ms Amyot said she had spent 'a beautiful night' with a 'really cute' man and she fell instantly in love.

But her love story immediately drew skepticism from many viewers, with some questioning on social media why the lovestruck woman did not know more about the mystery man - like his name.

On Tuesday, she appeared to have second thoughts about whether the man will see her again after her video grabbed global headlines.

'I'm shaking now I'm in crying now......what if he doesn't want to see me now, maybe he is shy.... am so lonely right now [sic],' she tearfully wrote on Facebook on Tuesday night.

French tourist Natalie Amyot looking for father of unborn child


She claimed she had fallen pregnant after the one-night stand and even went on to keep up the ruse on her social media account, saying she would be at Mooloolaba's One Up Bar at 7pm on Wednesday

Here in this Facebook photograph Ms Michel is tagged in Melbourne with a relative thought to be her cousin

'Please .i didn't think it would be on news...i just want to see him again...sorry..i have nothing left if i don't find him ill go home...i just want to see ..if he says no then ok...is that wrong? [sic].'

Several people took to social media demanding for the man's name.

Hundreds of keen helpers expressed their concerns and support online while others questioned Ms Amyot whether her story was genuine or just an elaborate hoax.

But she hit back at critics, saying: 'If you don't want to help or are rude please just go back to you lives and don't judge me [sic].

'I said if he isn't interested ill go home and that is it....can i not try though? why is that so bad,' she wrote on Tuesday before the big reveal.

'Am sorry if i have upset anyone doing this...i am just going to go on esplanade tommorw and every day and see...i don't want to go not tv as he will scare by it.....am lost here.'

Posts on Ms Amyot's Facebook page, where she tearfully defended herself after being challenged on Facebook about her story, were done by Sunny Coast Social Media's Andy Sellar


Posing as Ms Amyot, Mr Sellar hit back at critics who accused her of faking the entire story

In the video Ms Amyot (above), she had 'an amazing time and met amazing people' before she went off with the 'really cute' Australian man


Hours after the video was posted, the lovestruck woman appeared to be doubting herself after her online appeal grabbed national headlines


Ms Amyot posted this photo of Mooloolaba (above) after returning to find the 'really cute' guy she spent the night with, but lost his number in her phone after returning to France where she found she was pregnant


Maintaining her online persona, Mr Sellar praised everyone's support as Ms Amyot as well as apologising to those who she had offended following her video

Ms Amyot's initial video claimed she had no family of her own and implored people to help her track down the father of her unborn child.

The video starts with her sitting on a stretch of grass by Mooloolaba beach and speaking as someone films her.

'Hello I am Natalie and I'm from France and today I am making this video because I need your help,' she said.

'Three months ago I came to Mooloolaba, I had an amazing time, I met amazing people. On the last night we had a party.

'I met a really cute guy. For me it was love at first sight. And we had a beautiful night.'

Ms Amyot said she met the man at O'Malleys Irish bar in Mooloolaba and then they went on to the nearby Wharf Tavern before spending the night together.

'On the next morning I flew home to Paris and I lost my phone with his number on it, so I have no way to contact him,' she said.

Ms Amyot claimed she had spent the night with man after meeting him at O'Malley's pub in Mooloolaba

Kind Facebook readers wished Natalie Amyot luck in finding the father of her child which brought her to tears

'Six weeks later I found out that I am pregnant. So I have come back here and to try and find him.

'I have no family of my own. Please, please help me. Share this video, show your friends and hopefully he will receive this.

'I've started a Facebook page, so if anyone has anything please contact me on Facebook. Thank you so much.'

The mystery man was described as being 183 centimetres tall, with blue eyes, blond hair and a tan.

The Mail UK

Teen who 'pressured her boyfriend into suicide' to face trial in October

Michelle Carter, who was 17 when her boyfriend committed suicide, has been facing trial due to the texts she sent him before he died


The two were 17 and 18 when Conrad Roy took his own life Photo: Facebook

Texts from Michelle Carter have revealed her possible part in the tragic suicide of her boyfriend, Conrad Roy. The teen, who was 17 at the time of his death, has been accused of manipulating him into committing suicide.

She knew how her texts would look to prosecutors, and the family of her late boyfriend - texting her friend: “[If the police] read my messages with him I’m done. His family will hate me and I can go to jail,” after her partner, 18, took his own life.

Before he died, she pretended to her friends that he had gone missing, all the while exchanging hundreds of texts with him.

“You’re finally going to be happy in heaven. No more pain,” she told him in one message. “It’s okay to be scared and it’s normal. I mean, you’re about to die.”

Many of her messages to him seemed to imply that Roy, who had previously attempted suicide, would be better off dead.

If he wavered in his resolve to commit suicide, Carter replied forcefully. More texts read: “You always say you’re gonna do it, but you never do,” Carter complained. “I just want to make sure tonight is the real thing.”

“You can’t keep pushing it off, though. That’s all you keep doing.”

His grandmother told WBZ that although Roy was depressed he "seemed to be pulling out of it". She said when she heard of the texts: “I felt like the blood drained out of me. I don’t believe this, it’s too horrific.”

The district attorney's office said: “It is alleged that Ms. Carter had firsthand knowledge of Roy’s suicidal thoughts. Instead of attempting to assist him or notify his family or school officials, Ms. Carter is alleged to have strongly influenced his decision to take his own life, encouraged him to commit suicide and guided him in his engagement of activities which led to his death.”

The two met in 2012, and struck up a relationship that was mainly conducted online and by text message.

Carter researched how Roy could kill himself, and sent him details about different ways he could do so.

After his death, Carter became an advocate for mental health, writing on Facebook: “Even though I could not save my boyfriend’s life, I want to put myself out here to try to save as many other lives as possible,” and organising events in memory of her late boyfriend.

A judge will decide whether Carter will face charges for his death. She will appear in court again on the 2nd of October.

Telegraph

AppointmentsGate: The President Of Northern Nigeria? By Abiodun Ladepo

Hurray! It is September and Nigerians from the South can now expect to be called upon to serve their country as members of President Buhari’s cabinet. No, they are not going to be the National Security Adviser. They are not going to be Accountant-General of the Federation.

Biodun Ladepo

They are not going to head DSS, EFCC or INEC. They are not going to head the Nigerian Ports Authority or the Nigerian Maritime Administration, Safety and Security Agency (NIMASA). They are not going to head Customs or Immigrations. Listen; there is quite a long list of serious positions they are not going to have because those positions have gone to the North. In the infinite wisdom of President Muhammadu Buhari, after having searched the length and breadth of Nigeria looking for competent people who are also not tainted by the stain of corruption, these positions have already gone to the North where there is an abundance of incorruptible and competent Nigerians.

If we applied to the Obasanjo Third-Term saga or to the Goodluck Jonathan I-want-a-second-term saga the logic being espoused today by diehard Buharists as justification for the lopsidedness and apparent ethnocentric appointments he has made so far, Buhari would not be President today. This is because, as far as Obasanjo and Jonathan were concerned when they were in office, they were the best thing to happen to Nigeria since sliced bread, and so deserved to continue in office regardless of what Nigerians said. Some early-day Buhari sycophants are now telling us that competence and integrity are the only yardsticks by which Federal appointments are made in Nigeria. And if the President is only able to find every single appointee he needs in Katsina State…perhaps even just in Daura, as long as they are competent and without blemish, he should go ahead and make those appointments. They have also arrogated to Buhari the exclusive right to appoint people without consulting the party - a literal explanation of the powers vested in him by the Presidential system of government we are practicing in Nigeria.

Fortunately, in the room where these sycophants are conspiring and collaborating to feed poison to Buhari sit a couple of 1000 lbs gorillas – the gorillas of Nepotism, Sectionalism, Rank Discrimination and Marginalization. These people ignore those gorillas at their own perils. Buhari ignores those gorillas at his own peril. Some of us still remember what happened to Aguiyi Ironsi when he failed to recognize these same gorillas at the time. With over 250 ethnic groups and different languages, only a foolish leader will fail to treat Nigeria as a diverse entity of equal…EQUAL parts.

True, Buhari reserves the right to appoint whomever he wants (although in some cases, the Senate has a say), the President did not come from heaven. This President in particular…this President that we all so warmly welcomed back into our lives after Decree 4…that we so massively trooped out to elect…did not come from heaven. Before he became available for us to elect in the general election, he went through the APC primary. People…not some self-righteous labels called “competence” and “integrity” today…physically sat in blazing sun and heavy rains to help him win the primary. People…human beings…spent their time and personal resources (not everybody that spent money to get him elected is a thief) before he was able to defeat Atiku Abubakar. The support that many key party members and delegates gave him caused them permanent damage to their anti-Buhari friends in the party and throughout the rest of the country. And these people who bent over backwards to get Buhari to Aso Rock are not all from the North. They are all from all over the country. So, how come these “competence” and “integrity” criteria are only finding and qualifying folks in the North to the detriment of the Southern part of the country?

Governance is governance and politics is politics. They are separate and distinct fields. But in democracy, they are intertwined. A democratically-elected Executive cannot govern in a vacuum, completely removed from the influence of the party on whose platform he rode to power. And let me put this straight and clear: I have no problem with any of the appointments he has made so far. I trust his judgment in picking those people who are, by the way, Nigerians too. I trust his judgment in putting them in the specific offices he has put them. But the politics of governance requires that he manages those announcements in a better way. Why not delay some of these appointments that went to the North (while still keeping the slots for the specific individuals he has in mind) until after announcing some names for the rest of the country? I am sure that would not have generated the kind of controversy we have right now. The rest of the country will not feel sidelined even though they really are being sidelined. You see, just like in jurisprudence, it is not enough to be fair; you have to be seen to be fair. Right now, Buhari is not being seen as fair to the rest of Nigeria.

This is the point we are trying to make but his apologists are now telling us that as long as the country is being run well, it does not matter the ethnicity of the appointees. If this was true, how come there was the strident clamor for the Presidency to return to the North? If it didn’t matter where competent people came from, how come we didn’t get our Vice President too from the North? Couldn’t we have found a more qualified VP from Kano State? We as a people and our leaders in particular do not learn from the past, even the recent past. Not too long ago, bootlickers and sycophants egged Jonathan on when he started to brazenly appoint people to positions of import that were mostly from the South-South and the East. They told him to continue dancing; that they were watching his back. They told him it was the turn of the “minorities” and he better make good use of it because once power returned to the North, their people would be relegated to second-class citizenship again. Many people, especially from the North, joined the rest of us in the struggle to remove Jonathan from power because of that singular action…shutting the North out of key positions. His supporters patted him on the back for “putting those northerners in their place.”

When this latest round of appointments ignited the level of uproar Buhari did not expect and Buhari saw he was hemorrhaging a considerable amount of goodwill, he quickly dispatched his Media Adviser, Femi Adesina, to assuage the feelings of the aggrieved public by promising to “balance” future appointments – an indirect admission of the fact that the appointments so far were DELIBERATELY skewed in favor of the North. Why did he not make the North wait for “next appointments” if he was being fair to all of Nigeria? Are Southerners like Daura cows to be herded in September when he throws token ministerial appointments at them?

This self-inflicted wound allowed mischief makers to quickly remind those of us who supported Buhari as if our lives depended on it of what Buhari said when he was in the U.S:

“Going by election results, constituencies that gave me 97% cannot in all honesty be treated, on some issues, with constituencies that gave me 5%. I think these are political realities. While, certainly there will be justice for everybody but the people who voted, and made their votes count, they must feel the government has appreciated the effort they put in putting the government in place. I think this is really fair."

That unfortunate statement, which came from his heart and which his media team tried to downplay and walk back by claiming he was quoted out of context has now come to fruition. Buhari got more votes from the North; he is from the North. And so, his government must cater more to the interests of the North than those of Nigeria as a whole. In essence then, the man we all elected to the highly-esteemed position of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria…the man whom the North, by itself, failed to elect three times before… has demoted himself to President of Northern Nigeria.

A few ignorant people argue that appointees don’t necessarily benefit their ethnic regions or villages anyway; so why bother about where they come from at all. Such fallacy! Each head of the major organizations to which Buhari has appointed people gets to appoint scores (if not hundreds) of others; and they get to award contracts. If they too go by the Buhari doctrine of hiring mostly people from their region or only people they know personally, then we would really be in trouble in this country.

Some other ignorant people argue still that Buhari just started a four-year term and we should wait for about two more years before criticizing him. I think only in North Korea would you find a population in “unanimous support” of its leader from Day 1 until he dies. Not even Russia gives its leader carte blanche for two out of four years. We are not Daura cows, I repeat.

The most laughable argument is that which accuses Buhari critics of trying to micro-manage him. In fact, the Presidency frequently alludes to that charge by bragging that “those who know the President know he cannot be teleguided by anybody.” No reasonable person I know has asked Buhari to appoint X, Y, or Z into any specific position. That would be attempting to teleguide him. That would be trying to micro-managing him. But asking him to allow his appointments to reflect the character of the country we have is not too much. Sectional domination like this has caused many countries to go to war. Iraq is still boiling because of it. Where they don’t go to war, they stage coups such as the one IBB staged to remove…(guess who?)…Buhari from power in 1985.

In his coup speech, IBB said:
“The principles of discussions, consultation and co-operation which should have guided decision-making process of the Supreme Military Council and the Federal Executive Council were disregarded soon after the government settled down in 1984. Where some of us thought it appropriate to give a little more time, anticipating a conducive atmosphere that would develop, in which affairs of state could be attended to with greater sense of responsibility, it became increasingly clear that such expectations could not be fulfilled. ..Regrettably, it turned out that Major-General Muhammadu Buhari was too rigid and uncompromising in his attitudes to issues of national significance. Efforts to make him understand that a diverse polity like Nigeria required recognition and appreciation of differences in both cultural and individual perceptions, only served to aggravate these attitudes.” (Emphasis mine.)

Is Buhari consulting with those in his party who helped him win? I don’t know why it is so difficult to understand that Nigerians are not goats to be herded anyhow by anybody. I know the PDP (and especially Jonathan) messed things up so badly, but just because we want some meat, we are not going to prostrate before a cow. Buhari cannot say “oh, I am fighting corruption so well, therefore you must let me appoint ONLY my family members or my close friends to key positions.” This blatant, arrogant, in-your-face, and insensitive disposition will be his undoing. And it will damage APC to no end. Could he conceivably ask for votes in the South in 2019 with his record of appointments as it stands today? Granted he may not be seeking reelection, but what about the party? Does he want to damage the APC brand just because he has a chip on his shoulder? He cannot now become President and start acting as if he got there just by his good looks. If good looks alone could have done it, I would have been President by now. And OBJ would never have been President. Buhari rode the APC #Change horse to power. He cannot now govern as if the party does not exist. Those who are saying he has more than three years left to right this wrong are acting as if tomorrow is promised to anyone. If he dies today (God forbid), I am sure the epitaph on his headstone will read something like: “Here lies Muhammadu Buhari, the President of Northern Nigeria.” Is that what he wants?

Abiodun Ladepo

Ibadan, Nigeria,

Oluyole2@yahoo.com

Secret behind improved power supply in Nigeria

If you have been wondering what magic wand President Muhammadu Buhari has deployed in the Nigerian power sector that has accounted for the generally perceived improved power supply in the country, the answer may not be what you think.

It is not magic. It is simply that there has been zero vandalisation of the country’s pipeline of gas supplying the power stations, since Buhari came to power in May.

The Permanent Se‎cretary, Ministry of Power, Mr ‎Godknows Igali unveiled the secret while fielding questions from State House correspondents in Abuja on Monday.

He emphasized that no single case of gas pipeline vandalism has been recorded since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office.

The permanent secretary was reacting to questions on what has been responsible for the recent improvement in electricity supply across the country.

Igali recalled that vandalism of gas pipelines was common in the last days and months of the previous administration, and reached its peak on the May 26 when gas-generated electricity was completely grounded.

“The gas is now passing to the gas pipelines and I think that the government has been engaging the communities and the places where these gas infrastructures pass through.

“We hope it will be sustained because like I said there is a conscious engagement and is redoubled. Redouble means that there was effort and when there was effort and you put additional effort and additional effort, then, it means that you have redoubled your work and that is what is going on and at different levels the engagement of where the pipelines passed.

“We saw tremendous vandalism, especially before the handover. It has never been so bad. But, now for nearly three months not a single day have we had that kind of vandalism.It is our prayer that this will continue.”

According to him, the Federal Government has been engaging stakeholders where the pipelines pass through to allow peace to reign.

He said this action had resulted in increased gas supplies and improved power supply nationwide with about 4,600 megawatts.

Igali explained that ‎apart from President Muhammadu Buhari building on efforts of past government and tasking stakeholders to double efforts, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo had been holding almost daily meetings with power distribution companies (DISCOs) on ways of improving power supply to consumers.

“It is no miracle but a lot of work being directed by President Buhari and Vice-President Osinbajo, and people are working in more a concerted manner to achieve the prevailing results,” he said.

He dismissed the insinuation that power supply improved because of increased rains, saying that the hydro power stations in Kainji and Shiroro contributed “about 20 per cent of the entire electricity and no substantial additions come from there”.

TheNews Magazine

Oh Really? Nigeria donates 20 vehicles for Burkina Faso polls

Voters queue

Ouagadougou – The Federal Government has donated 20 Hilux vans to Burkina Faso to assist the country conduct its general elections scheduled for October.

Mr Bulus Lolo, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delivered the vehicles on Tuesday in Ouagadougou on behalf of Nigeria.

Mr Barthelemy Kere, President, Commission Electorate Nationale Independent of Burkina Faso received the vehicles on behalf of his country.

In his remark, Lolo said President Mohammadu Buhari sent a special envoy to deliver the vehicles in demonstration of Nigeria’s solidarity with the people of Burkina Faso.

He added that Buhari approved the delivery of the vehicles in fulfillment of the pledge made by Nigeria in March to assist Burkina Faso with logistics to conduct the elections.

“The gesture is to demonstrate to the people of Burkina Faso that Nigeria is solidly behind them,” he said.

The permanent secretary said the gesture was also to demonstrate Nigeria’s support and to let the Burkinabes know that democracy remained the key to stability in any country.

“No matter how difficult it is, democracy brings the expression and the will of the people to bear in governance.

“If it worked in Nigeria, it can work in Burkina Faso.

“It is important to include all the stakeholders, respect the rule of law, allow the electorate to cast their votes and let the votes count.

“All these will lead to the success of the elections,” he added.

Lolo appealed to stakeholders in the elections to eschew violence and work for its successful conduct.

Receiving the vehicles, Kere commended Nigeria for the gesture, stressing that the vehicles came at the right time.

Kere, who said that Nigeria was the first and the only African country to assist his country in the conduct of the polls, pledged judicious use of the vehicles.

“The availability of 20 brand new vehicles for the conduct of the October elections is very crucial and important to us.

“We appreciate the solidarity and support by Nigeria; Nigeria is the only African country that has so far provided assistance in this regard.

“We really need the vehicles to contribute to the success of our elections,’ he said.

Mr Lolo was accompanied by Alhaji Ismaila Aliyu his counterpart in the Ministry of Defence and the Nigerian Ambassador to Bukina Faso, Mr David Bala. (NAN)

BUHARI: In Your Face! By Michael Egbejumi-David

In the height of his very public fallout with then President Jonathan, Gen. Obasanjo wrote in an 18-page open letter that one of his grouse with Jonathan was that the latter had set up himself as the president of only the Ijaws. I wonder how Obasanjo is feeling this morning after Buhari unveiled a kitchen and store-room cabinet of 100% Northern males.

Muhammadu Buhari

As feared by some people, Buhari has quickly reverted to being a local champion, an unabashed sectional leader and not a broad-minded statesman President.

The true measure of a human being is what he or she does privately, when no one is looking. In other words, without the encumbrance of the dictate of the constitution that stipulates that Ministers must come from all States of the Federation, Buhari has chosen all his core appointments from the Northern part of Nigeria. He’s given a one-finger salute to the entire Southern Nigeria – including his APC mates. It would appear his vaunted Party supremacy only applies to Legislative officers.

For a president of a country to openly declare that he would favour only those that massively voted for him to the exclusion of others; you don’t need to look far to know what is really in his heart.

As a national politician, if people reject you, if they are not convinced by you, you should want to know why. Then you build bridges and begin to cultivate friendship, making necessary amends where possible. You do not go out of your way to emphasize parochialism, reinforcing their original fears.

What irks is that no attempt at all was made to even pretend to be inclusive. The core appointments that Buhari has to make without worrying about Federal Character, he made exclusively from his neck of the woods. The utter disdain shown to others is scary indeed. It is insensitivity taken too far.

When, before the election, some of us raised the issue of parochialism, nepotism and all the other negative isms that litter Buhari’s public record, we were told that the man is not discriminatory at all, that his drivers, cooks and gardeners were from the South. Well, the man is here to reprise that wonderful formula.

Take for instance the Nigerian Customs. The most senior Custom officer in line to be the Comptroller General of that service is a Yoruba fellow. Buhari completely ignored and bypassed him and brought in a retired (yes, Northern) Army officer to head Nigerian Customs.

How about that for gumption? The single mindedness and the determined manner these lopsided core appointments are being made and the utter disregard for others and their feelings is quite troubling. At this rate, it is only a matter of time before the current Police boss is replaced by another ‘trusted’ hand.

Right under all of our collective nose, while we were still yammering about APC-PDP dichotomy, we were dragged right back to the era where one region lords it over all others. As we childishly focus solely on the War Against Jonathan’s Corruption, power is being consolidated in just one place. And, wouldn’t you know, some of the folks that were shouting marginalisation less than a year ago have suddenly discovered the beauty of meritocracy.

One inelegant argument I heard was that because Yar’Adua appointed his people as Chief of Staff and as Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), and because Jonathan of the Southsouth appointed Ayim from the Southeast as SGF, it is alright for Buhari to put only his Northern brothers everywhere. My response is: I thought this was supposed to be a corrective government.

Some people say that Buhari has assembled a team he feels he can work with. I say why contest a national post if you can only work with folks from just your region. Others say we should be patient and watch the President assemble a team to rescue the nation. I ask; rescue Nigeria from what?

Yet some others insist that we should wait as Buhari still has about 5,000 appointments to fill. I don’t know from where they obtained that figure, but the important point to note is that the core appointments have all gone to Northern males. The fluff and space-fillers will be thrown as token to others. Is this where we should be as a Federation? Treating very sensitive matters with complete disregard for the notion of ‘one Nigeria?’

I can confidently predict that Buhari will only unhappily and grudgingly obey the constitution when it comes to appointing his Ministers. And even at that, the meatier Ministries will all be handed over to older Northern males. Why? Action speaks louder than campaign promises.

If you take social participation away from people, you make them slaves. Buhari must resist the temptation to continue treating sections of Nigeria like conquered territory. The President must not see some of his citizens as adversaries. He is president of all Nigerians and must always demonstrate that in all of his actions.

In the meantime, I hope that Vice President Osinbajo has enrolled himself in a suitably accelerated Hausa language lesson...

demdem@hotmail.co.uk

Twitter: demdemdem1

Julian Assange: Fancy dress plan to escape embassy

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange pictured on August 21, 2015 with Reverend Jesse Jackson on a balcony at the Ecuadorian embassy in London Picture: PA/Yui Mok

Staff at the Ecuadorian embassy, where the WikiLeaks founder fled more than three years ago, drew up elaborate plans to help him escape

The embassy in London where Julian Assange has chosen to remain for more than three years considered getting rid of their long-term guest by helping him flee in fancy dress, it has emerged.

Leaked documents showed Ecuadorian diplomats were becoming increasingly concerned about Mr Assange’s behaviour and drew up a number of bizarre plans to allow him to leave the building without being arrested by waiting police officers.

Ecuador's foreign minister Ricardo Patino (left) with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in the embassy in August last year John Stillwell/PA

Mr Assange, founder of the WikiLeaks website, claimed asylum from Ecuador in June 2012 to avoid being extradited to avoid questioning over rape and sexual assault allegations in Sweden. He has not left the building since. 

One option set out by diplomatic staff was to help Mr Assange make a rooftop flit to a nearby helipad.

Other proposals included dressing him in a disguise so he could walk unrecognised out of the building in Knightsbridge, west London, or dash out and becoming lost in crowds of shoppers at Harrods department store just yards away.

“Assange could leave in fancy dress or try a discreet exit,” said one document.

“He can try to reach a nearby helipad across the rooftops, or he could get lost among the people in Harrods.”

It was already known that police had anticipated another possible exit-strategy, of concealing Mr Assange in a diplomatic bag.

Police outside the embassy in Knightsbridge WILL OLIVER/AFP/Getty Images

The papers disclosed that was ruled out by embassy officials because Scotland Yard deployed body heat scanners outside the embassy.

The documents, reported by the Ecuadorian journalist Fernando Villavicencio and the Buzzfeed website, also showed how several incidents involving Mr Assange’s behaviour inside the embassy caused his hosts concern.

In September 2012 he was discovered in the security control room, which was off-limits, and was said to have been tampering with equipment.

Julian Assange addresses supporters and media from a balcony at the Ecuadorian embassy in London in August 2012 Julian Simmonds/The Telegraph

The papers were said to detail a security guard’s allegation that Mr Assange then punched over a computer screen and grabbed him by the shirt.

However, Mr Assange’s contradictory account blamed the security guard for accosting him.

It led to a meeting of embassy officials, who describe Mr Assange as “Mr Guest”, which set out how he should know his limits within the building.

In January 2013 another incident occurred in which a loud crash was heard from inside Mr Assange’s quarters in the embassy just after 6am.

A security guard asked the WikiLeaks chief if he was in difficulty, at which point Mr Assange took his laptop into a bathroom where he remained for some time.

The guard took photographs of a tall bookcase which was lying face-down in the room.

Mr Assange told embassy staff later that the bookcase had fallen over of its own accord.

Julian Assange: wanted for questioning over rape allegations AP

The dossier of leaked information also revealed staff were concerned about Mr Assange’s “evident anger” and “feelings of superiority”.

It continued that his behaviour was causing stress to those around him, “especially the personnel who work in the embassy, mainly women”.

Amid concern for Mr Assange’s wellbeing, the documents said that officials in the building should “control access to alcohol”.

Mr Assange’s lawyers contends that if he was sent to Sweden he would subsequently be at risk of being extradited to the US, where he believes he would face political persecution for WikiLeaks’ disclosures of sensitive information.

Mr Assange, 44, was alleged to have raped a woman known as SW, then aged 26, and committed other sexual offences against AA, a 31-year-old woman.

The lesser sexual allegations have now lapsed because of the Swedish statute of limitations, or the maximum time within which criminal charges must be brought, but the rape allegation could see charges brought as late as 2020.

The bill for policing the embassy, in order to arrest Mr Assange if he emerges, has reached an estimated cost of up to £11 million.

A Scotland Yard spokesman refused to comment

Inside the UK's worst detention centre: 'Hell must be better than that place'

A female detainee complains about conditions in Yarl's Wood

Yarl's Wood has been called a 'place of national concern' in a report by the prison watchdog. In the second of a new series, Radhika Sanghani hears from a 22-year-old female detainee about how bad life really is inside

Efie* had been in the UK for several months, volunteering with a learning disabilities charity. When her placement came to an end she went back to her native country of Ghana.

She expected a happy reunion with her family. Instead, she was taken to meet the man her father had arranged for her to marry - without her knowledge.

Efie was just 22, but the man was 57. He already had three wives and she was expected to be his fourth.

Her family tried to force her into the union, but Efie escaped. With the help of the Belfast-based charity she’d been working with, she managed to flee and come back to the UK.

“I didn’t know what to do,” she tells me, now aged 24. “I didn’t want to be forced into the marriage. But when I got here, I still wanted a relationship with my family so I was trying to speak to them. At my age it’s hard to lose your family and I was alone.

“I tried to communicate with them but it didn’t work. My father started to threaten me in emails. He said you’d better kill yourself before I kill you. I thought I’m going to lose my life if I go home. I really do think they would kill me.”

At that point Efie decided to claim asylum in the UK. She made the appropriate appointments with the Home Office and began reporting-in every month.

Until one day, in September last year, when she went for her regular meeting and was told she was going to be deported.

A security guard stands at the gates of the the Yarl's Wood Immigration Centre near Bedford Getty Images

“I was terrified. They drove me to the airport but it was stopped last minute,” she explains. “So I was taken to Yarl’s Wood.”

Yarl’s Wood detention centre is a facility that mainly houses female immigrants and asylum seekers. It has a reputation for being one of the worst centres in Britain – to the point where the chief inspector of prisons recently called it ‘a place of national concern’.

“Hell must be better than that place,” says Efie. “You’re not a criminal but you’re treated like one. I was just there because I came to the UK to save my life. I hadn’t done anything wrong. I hated it there.”

Efie has long suffered from mental health problems. She was diagnosed with depression before going into Yarl’s Wood and was on antidepressants when she was sent there. She says her condition seriously deteriorated inside the detention centre.

“I didn’t get any help. I didn’t see a counsellor. I just didn’t know what life was anymore. Most of the time I hit myself. It was all just too much for me.”

After being inside the centre for several weeks, she tried to kill herself.

“I jumped down the stairs. I couldn’t take it anymore. There was no reason for me to live if I was going to die when I got home. It’s better to die here. At least they’d bury me here. At home no one will take my dead body.”

Thankfully she survived the fall, and was not seriously injured. But a psychiatrist told her she needed urgent counselling.

Efie ended up staying in Yarl’s Wood for another five months, only leaving in February this year.

The counselling never materialised.

Instead she was put on suicide watch, meaning guards followed her around constantly. Female guards would come into the bathroom with her; while male guards would come into her room, at hourly intervals, throughout the night.

“I didn’t have any privacy,” she says. “Sometimes they’d shout and could be very aggressive. It all made me feel worse.”

She says that the healthcare system was awful – for other medical problems, too.

“Even for other problems when you say you have pains, they tell you you’re lying and making it up because of your immigration status.”

She says she once went to the healthcare specialist on site after finding it painful to urinate. “I had stomach pains and I would pee blood. They found the blood in my pee, did tests and said I needed a scan.

An image of the bedrooms in Yarl's Wood. Photo: yarlswood.co.uk

“But they said they didn’t have enough escorts to take me to the hospital, so I had to wait. The scan never happened. I just stopped drinking water, so I didn’t pee.”

A Home Office spokesman said: "Working with our partners, we want to make sure standards in the centre improve, especially regarding the provision and delivery of healthcare.

"We are committed to treating all detainees with dignity and respect. We aim to protect the health and wellbeing of those we are detaining at all times, so we are pleased that this report finds that 80 percent of detainees surveyed said staff treated them with respect."

He added they will review the report of Yarl's Wood, and take action where appropriate.

Efie is finally out of Yarl’s Wood and living in Belfast. But she has no idea what will happen to her in the future and is still dealing with her depression. Her suicidal urges have passed now she’s not being detained, and she is hoping to get professional help.

“I just hope for the best. I don’t really even care that much anymore because there’s no life for me. I don’t want to get close to my family because I don’t know what they’ll do to me next. But hopefully, I don’t know, something good will happen.”

*Efie's name has been changed to protect her identity

Telegraph UK

I’m willing to have sex for the first time on national TV

"Bachelor in Paradise" beauty Ashley Iaconetti is ready to give up her virginity on reality TV. Photo: Getty Images

Ashley Iaconetti is ready to lose it — her virginity, that is.

After weeks of pining (and serial stalking) “Bachelorette” alum Jared Haibon on this season’s “Bachelor in Paradise,” the ballsy brunette wants to take their relationship to the next level — and needs host Chris Harrison’s help to do so.

But following her arrival, Jaclyn Swartz, Paradise’s latest visitor, makes an immediate play for Jared, much to the dismay of Ashley I.

“I’m not going to let her take Jared away from me,” seethes Ashley. “I’m winning him over. Tonight is literally do or die.”

While Jaclyn sinks her claws into an unsuspecting Jared (better known as Kaitlyn Bristowe’s “reject”), Ashley channels her inner Sherlock Holmes to hunt down Harrison. As luck would have it, the “Bachelor” patriarch happens to be lurking nearby.

“I want time alone together with Jared without any cameras, so I would like a date that would lead to the Fantasy Suite,” protests the New Jersey native. “I want an overnight date with Jared, because there is just no more time left.”

Feeling generous, Santa Harrison gifts Ashley an early Christmas present.

Just as Jaclyn asks baby-faced Jared out on a date, Ashley leaps back to the Mexican compound with a seductive offer of her own, sparking the brown-eyed cutie’s fancy as he agrees to a sexy sleepover.

“I am so happy. I’m really nervous, but I’m also excited,” Ashley exclaims like a giddy schoolgirl. “This is one of the biggest nights of my life.”


Ashley I. invites Jared to spend the night with her in the Fantasy Suite.Photo: Getty Images

As Jared chugs what’s left of his cocktail, Ashley primps and preps in her bungalow — fantasizing about what lies ahead.

“Tonight’s a huge night. I feel like it’s the turning point for my relationship with Jared,” the self-proclaimed virgin professes as she dabs her lips with sultry red gloss. “The Fantasy Suiteusually goes along with thoughts of sex. I am physically attracted to Jared enough that I am fine with the thought of doing anything.”

Rocking a Taylor Swift-inspired crop top with black skinny jeans, Ashley takes Jared by the hand as she gets ready to go behind closed doors today.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen tonight,” she says, “but I may not be a virgin tomorrow.”

Metro UK

Julian Assange 'told Edward Snowden not to seek asylum in Latin America'

WikiLeaks founder says he told the NSA whistleblower he could be kidnapped or killed, and that he was better off sheltering in Russia despite ‘negative PR’

Julian Assange also accused US officials of breaking the law in their pursuit of him and his whistleblowing organisation. Photograph: Yui Mok/PA

Julian Assange has said he advised the NSA whistleblower Edward Snowdenagainst seeking asylum in Latin America because he could have been kidnapped and possibly killed there.

The WikiLeaks editor-in-chief said he told Snowden to ignore concerns about the “negative PR consequences” of sheltering in Russia because it was one of the few places in the world where the CIA’s influence did not reach.

In a wide-ranging interview with the Times, Assange also said he feared he would be assassinated if he was ever able to leave the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he sought asylum in 2012 to avoid extradition.

He accused US officials of breaking the law in their pursuit of him and his whistleblowing organisation, and in subjecting his connections to a campaign of harassment.

WikiLeaks was intimately involved in the operation to help Snowden evade the US authorities in 2013 after he leaked his cache of intelligence documents to Glenn Greenwald, then a journalist with the Guardian.

Assange sent one of his most senior staff members, Sarah Harrison, to be at Snowden’s side in Hong Kong, and helped to engineer his escape to Russia – despite his discomfort with the idea of fleeing to one of the US’s most powerful enemies.

“Snowden was well aware of the spin that would be put on it if he took asylum in Russia,” Assange told the Times.

“He preferred Latin America, but my advice was that he should take asylum in Russia despite the negative PR consequences, because my assessment is that he had a significant risk he could be kidnapped from Latin America on CIA orders. Kidnapped or possibly killed.”

However, Assange’s story appears to be at odds with reports from the time, which detail a plan hatched to whisk Snowden from Russia, where he was stuck in the transit area of Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport after his US passport was revoked, and into political asylum in Ecuador.

In a statement issued as the drama unfolded, WikiLeaks said of Snowden: “He is bound for the republic of Ecuador via a safe route for the purposes of asylum, and is being escorted by diplomats and legal advisers from WikiLeaks.”

But the plan unravelled after Ecuador’s president, Rafael Correa, declared invalid a temporary travel document issued by his London consul – in collaboration with Assange – after other Ecuadorean diplomats said in leaked correspondence that the Wikileaks founder could be perceived as “running the show”.

Correa went on to criticise the consul, Fidel Narvaez, telling the Associated Press that to have issued the document – which was thought to have been used by Snowden to travel from Hong Kong to Moscow – without consulting Quito was a serious error.

In his Times interview, Assange also outlined his own fears of being targeted. He said that even venturing out on to the balcony of Ecuador’s embassy in Knightsbridge posed security risks in the light of bomb and assassination threats by what he called “unstable people”.

He said he thought it was unlikely he would be shot, but that he worried that if he was freed he could be kidnapped by the CIA.

“I’m a white guy,” Assange said. “Unless I convert to Islam it’s not that likely that I’ll be droned, but we have seen things creeping towards that.”

Ecuador granted the Australian political asylum in 2012 under the 1951 refugee convention.

He believed he risked extradition to the US from the UK and Sweden, where he is under investigation for his involvement with WikiLeaks. He also faces extradition to Sweden for an investigation into an alleged rape.

He has remained in the embassy for nearly three years, with a round-the-clock police guard thought to have cost more than £11m. Assange believes his situation will be resolved in the next two years.