Obama to host anti-IS coalition summit

US President Barack Obama will host a summit in New York next month of leaders of the international coalition fighting Islamic State jihadists in Syria and Iraq, diplomats said.

The summit on countering violent extremism on September 29 comes one year after Obama vowed to crush IS during his United Nations speech.

Since then, the jihadists have captured territory in Syria and Iraq and gained a foothold in Libya, Yemen and elsewhere in the Middle East, with alliances as far afield as Nigeria’s Boko Haram.

On Wednesday, IS released a picture on Twitter of a Croatian hostage abducted in Egypt, who apparently was the latest victim of the group’s horrific beheadings.

The United States last year assembled a coalition of 50-plus countries to beat back Islamic State, which declared a caliphate in June 2014 after seizing the Iraqi city of Mosul.

Diplomats said the summit, to be held on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly meeting, will allow leaders to take stock and chart a way forward in the campaign to defeat Islamic State.

Obama last year hosted a Security Council meeting during which a resolution was adopted to curb the flow of foreign fighters joining IS extremists on the battlefields in Iraq and Syria.

But UN monitors report that the number of foreign jihadists has grown to at least 22,000 and there is no sign that the flow is abating.

Vanguard

Ooni of Ife to be buried on Friday

Adetokunbo Sijuwade, the son of the late Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, on Wednesday officially announced the death of the monarch, saying he would be buried on Friday.

Addressing newsmen at the Government Office in Osogbo, the younger Sijuwade said that the body of the late monarch would be flown in from London on Thursday and buried on Friday at 10 a.m.

Also speaking, Gov. Rauf Aregbesola said the “ late Ooni represented the Yoruba nation and has done a lot in uplifting the traditional institution in the state.”

Aregbesola, who read the last text message he received from the Ooni at the briefing, said the late monarch informed him of his frail health, adding that he was travelling to London for treatment.

He described the death of the Ooni as a great loss to the state and the Yoruba race, stressing, however, that a king could not die in Yorubaland.
Oba Solomon Omisakin, the Obalufe of Iromo and Vice Chairman of the Ife Traditional Council as well as High Chief Joseph Ijaodola, the Lowa of Ile-Ife, both corroborated what Sijuwade said.

They expressed gratitude to the people of Osun and prayed that God would provide another king who would excel as the late Ooni did.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the press briefing was also attended by the Ooni’s daughter, Mrs Aderounmu Fadeyi, and members of Ife Traditional Council.

Monarchs lead protests against blackout in Ekiti

The Alara of Aramoko Ekiti, Oba Olu Adeyemi, today led his subjects to lead protest against power cut by Benin Electricity Distribution Company.

The traditional ruler of Aramoko Ekiti, headquarters of Ekiti West Local Government Area of Ekiti State, lamented that the community had been thrown into darkness in the last sux months.

At a nearby town in Erio Ekiti, the regent of the community, Princess Adejoke Adetoyinbo Ojo, also led her subjects to the streets to protest blackout she also said had lasted for about six months.

The protesters blocked the busy Erio-Aramoko-Ijero-Ado Ekiti roads which led to gridlock for vehicles travelling from Ado and Ijero through Aramoko, as well as those coming into Ekiti State from Osun State.

Deputy Governor of the state, Dr. Kolapo Olubunmi Olushola, while addressing the protesters appealed to them to clear the barricades.

Oba Adeyemi lamented that the BEDC had disconnected the community from the national grid without the community’s knowledge, even though they were among the communities that pay their bills.

“The BEDC has not done well by disconnecting us without our knowledge. This unjust treatment is part of the insult and injury we are suffering in the hands of BEDC.

“Our request is direct: Fayose administration did it before, he connected us to Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), and we were enjoying it. We want him to return us to IBEDC. In terms of payment, we are among the communities that pay our bills.

“BEDC is cheating us. When they give us electricity for five minutes, they would have five hours in their record. We found that they haven’t got measuring rod in this area but they said they have a pool where they take the records from where they distribute the bills. How can we pay for services not rendered? That is one of the problems we have with them.”

While thanking the governor for promptly stepping into the problem, Princess Ojo said the communities had been meeting and debating what to do because our people are agitated.

- Punch

Four die, two missing in Lagos helicopter crash

Four bodies have been recovered from the wreckage of the helicopter that crashed into the Lagos Lagoon this afternoon.

Six persons were rescued alive from the crash and rushed to the Lagos State Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.

Two other persons are said to be missing among the 12 occupants of the ill-fated helicopter.

The helicopter was said to be on its way from Ikeja, Lagos, before it suddenly crashed into the swamp behind the Oworonshoki Police Station.

Policemen from the station and residents of the area told our correspondent that a loud noise was heard from the helicopter as it flew over the area before it crashed into the lagoon.

The National Emergency Management Agency, the Police, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency and firefighters are involved in rescue operation.

Three persons were initially pulled out of the wreckage while one more body was pulled out a couple of minutes later.

The Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Ranti Adebule, visited the crash site but said it was too early to guess the cause of the crash.

Meanwhile, security agencies have condoned off the area as residents and visitors, who heard about the crash immediately swarmed the crash area.

The news of the crash has equally created a heavy traffic gridlock on the Third Mainland Bridge, which overlooks the site of the crash.

Miss Pennsylvania fakes cancer, raises thousands of dollars

Beauty pageant queens typically stand for things like, beauty, poise and intelligence.

Press them just a bit and they'll talk about world peace and the need to feed starving children.

Authorities accuse Brandi Lee Weaver-Gates, Miss Pennsylvania U.S. International, of casting aside those attributes and faking cancer in an elaborate scheme that raised thousands of dollars.

Weaver-Gates lead everyone to believe that she had been diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in March 2013.

In the years since, she took part in fundraisers to pay for her treatment. Police told CNN affiliate WJAC the most recent event was held in April and raised $14,000.

A police investigation found no evidence that Weaver-Gates had ever been under a doctor's care for cancer.

State Police Trooper Thomas Stock called her efforts to make people believe she had cancer "an elaborate scheme," telling WJAC that Weaver-Gates would have relatives drive her to Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore.

They would wait in the lobby for hours for her return, while she went to another part of the hospital.

An anonymous letter to police tipped them off to the scheme.

"When confronted with what the investigation revealed the accused advised that she did not want to incriminate herself and invoked her right to an attorney," police said in a release.

Weaver-Gates is being held in the Centre County Correctional Facility after she was charged with felony counts of theft by deception and receiving stolen property.

She is due in court next week.

The pageant is taking the news seriously too, pulling her Miss Pennsylvania U.S. International title.

"When you deceive the public and take people's money that is under the pretense of fraud, we will not tolerate those actions," said a statement fromButler's Beauties, pageant organizers.

"Ms. Weaver-Gates will be required to return her crown and sash upon her release from being detained."

CNN

Woman dies during fight with another lady over boyfriend

 A woman identified as Iklima Alhassan, has died as during a fight with another lady over her boyfriend identified as Nasiru Usman Banki in Bauchi State.

The 28-year-old deceased lady who hails from Bukuru village in Plateau State, had gone to visit her boyfriend at Rafin Makaranta area, behind Awala Hotel in the state.

She was shocked when she met another lady identified as 22-year-old Fatima Baba Isa, from Makera ward in his apartment, which suggested that her boyfriend was probably cheating on her.

A fight reportedly ensued between the two rivals and Alhassan fell unconscious along the line before she was taken to a hospital where the doctors confirmed her dead.

Confirming the incident to journalists, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Haruna Mohammed said: “On August 9, at about 12:50a.m., an uncon-scious young lady was found along Maiduguri by-pass, near Awalah Roundabout, Bauchi.

“The police patrol team attached to Tafawa Balewa Housing Estate Division visited the scene and rushed the victim to ATBU Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, were she was certified dead on arrival by a medical doctor and the corpse was deposited in the mortuary for post-mortem examination.”

The duo of Banki and Isa have been arrested and are currently helping the police with useful information which would help them determine what actually killed the deceased.

‘I Am Richer Than Bill Gates’ – Pastor Adeboye

According to a report by Leadership Newspaper, The General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor E.A. Adeboye, stated that he is ‘Richer Than Bill Gates,’ while speaking about his spiritual endowment.

Teaching the worshipers in the mission during the church’s 63rd Annual Convention on Saturday shortly before the Holy Communion Service on the topic; ‘Overflowing Cup,’ Pastor Adeboye said that if Bill Gates needed shoes, he would have to go to the market to buy them, but that if he should announce that he needs shoes at the Redemption Camp, where the convention took place, the auditorium might not contain the shoes people would donate to him.

“I have houses in at least 188 countries of the world, where we have our churches, so I am richer than Bill Gates. Each time I visit these countries, my children would be struggling and saying ‘daddy, come and stay with me.’

If I announce here that tomorrow morning, I need a car to travel to the new auditorium, how many cars do you think would be made available to me by you my children? Those of you that do not have a car of your own, very soon, God will give you your own cars. So, I am appealing to you to become an incurable soul winner before you leave this convention ground and your cup will overflow,” Adeboye said.

From The quotes, The Houses he Has meant RCCG is stationed in at least 188 countries of the world, and the quote ‘Richer Than Bill Gates’ isn’t referring to his personal net worth but in the context of the church’s growth and development all over the world.