Eagles, Bafana play for Mandela

The South African Senior Men’s National Team Bafana Bafana have lined up two international friendly matches in August to honor national hero and former South African State President, Dr Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.

Bafana Bafana will take on reigning African Champions Nigeria in the annual Nelson Mandela Challenge at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Wednesday, 14 August 2013 while the clash against Burkina Faso (who placed second in the 2013 AFCON) on the Nelson Mandela Sport & Culture Day will be played at the FNB Stadium on Saturday 17 August 2013.

The South African Football Association (SAFA) President Kirsten Nematandani who confirmed the dates and venues for both games said the body was excited to be associated with such a significant project for the selfless elder statesman.

“It is a great honour for us to be associated with such a huge and significant, and also highly important project for our former State President. When we got the invitation to be part of this venture, we did not hesitate as Madiba has made a selfless sacrifice for the nation..

“We are obviously mindful of the fact that the former President is not well in hospital. We can only wish him all the best for him to come out and be among us so he can continue to inspire us as he has done for many years. This event shows that no one can unite the country quite like he has, and we are proud to be taking part”. Nematandani is quoted on SAFA’s official facebook page.

Bafana Bafana Head Coach Gordon Igesund is expected to announce the squad for the two matches soon after his return from the COSAFA Cup tournament in Zambia.

Enter the Dragon actor Jim Kelly dies of cancer aged 67

US actor and karate expert Jim Kelly, who starred with Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon, has died at the age of 67.

Kelly became famed for his cool one-liners and fight scenes as the charismatic Williams in the 1973 martial arts classic.

His other films included Black Belt Jones, Three the Hard Way, Golden Needles and the Black Samurai.
Marilyn Dishman, Kelly's ex-wife,

Akure prison bombed

No fewer than 175 inmates of the Olokuta Maximum Security Prison in Akure, the Ondo State capital, have been set free in an unprecedented attack on the facility.
The attack, which took place at about 12.05 am, was launched by a gang of unknown gunmen.

The gunmen shot dead two civilians and used explosives to break into the prison.
They shot sporadically into the air to scare away prison officials before breaking the walls of the facility.

They reportedly entered the prison yard after breaking the keys.
“The unknown gunmen numbering over 20 came at about midnight into the Olokuta prison through the main gate after using dynamite,” Prison Comptroller

Obama 'humbled' to visit Mandela's Robben Island jail

Mr Obama wrote in the guest book: "The world is grateful for the heroes of Robben Island"

US President Barack Obama has toured Robben Island - the jail in which Nelson Mandela was kept for 18 years.

He said he and his family were "deeply humbled" to visit the prison once inhabited by Mr Mandela - who remains critically ill in hospital.
Mr Obama went on to give a speech at the University of Cape Town and launch a multi-billion-dollar electricity initiative.
The US leader did not visit Mr Mandela, but met the Mandela family in private.
Security is likely to have been strengthened during this final Cape Town leg of his time in South Africa, says the BBC's Karen Allen who is there, following clashes on Saturday between riot police and anti-Obama protesters in Soweto.

Marriage not a must for me–Funke Adesiyan

 By Wole Adepoju

Sexy and beautiful actress, Funke Adesiyan may not be one of the most celebrated in the movie world but she sure belongs to the league of the most talked about and especially in a  controversial manner. The tall and fashionable popular face in the course of this interview with The Entertainer opened up on a couple of interesting issues. Among the issues  are  her breast implant tale, her romance with socialite, Salawe and why she feels it’s not compulsory to get married.

How has Funke Adesiyan faired so far as an actress ?

I am grateful to God. God has been good to me. He has always been good to me and He has not ceased to be good to me. I thank God and everything is fine. I have not been an everyday actress, I am choosy with what I do,so that’s it.

What’s  your projection for the year and how far have you gone in fulfilling it?

I  like to do things properly and I scrutinize myself a lot. I am my own critic and it’s difficult for people to criticize me because before I bring anything out I would have checked it out to see where it’s lacking or lagging behind. So, there is something we are working on.

Prostitutes beat up policemen in Akure during sanitation

 

Uneasy calm pervaded Lao area of Akure metropolis yesterday, as prostitutes and their clients beat the security operatives attached to the Environmental Task Force monitoring the monthly environmental sanitation exercise.

 

Beaten black and blue, the security officials had their uniforms torn into shreds and sustained various degrees of injury during the attack

The Task Force led by the Commissioner for the Environment, Chief Sola Ebiseeni, had set out as early as 8 am to ensure strict compliance with the monthly environmental exercise.

 

While on visit of some towns and villages, some people were arrested for violating the environmental laws. Trouble, however, started when the team got to Inner Circle Hotel at Oke padi, off Lao street in Akure, and met the prostitutes with their clients. They were said to be drinking and dancing when the Task Force took a swoop on them. In the ensuing encounter, some Civil Defence officials and one other security personnel were beaten mercilessly, as the prostitutes resisted their arrest.

 

A female Civil Defence officer had her uniform torn into shreds by the irate women of easy virtue.

 

When it was obvious that the prostitutes and their clients had overpowered the team, they put a distress call to the police and SSS headquarters for reinforcement. It took the intervention of additional security men comprising of mobile policemen, State Security Service official and Civil Defence before the security men could be rescued in the hands of their attackers.

 

When the Commissioner for Environment got to the scene, he ordered the hotel premises to be sealed off. Ebiseeni who was feasibly angered with the prostitutes’ action, asked the prostitutes and their clients to be arrested and taken to police station for interrogation. He said the offenders aside from facing environmental court would also be prosecuted for assault on government’s officials.

 

Briefing reporters at the end of this month’s edition of the environmental exercise, Ebiseeni said 22 persons caught violating environmental law were arrested and taken to court immediately.

 

He warned that government would take over any uncompleted building that is constituting nuisance to the public as from Monday.

Police confirm abduction of corps members in Rivers

The Rivers Police Command on Saturday in Port Harcourt confirmed the abduction of three members of the National Youth Service Corps serving with Abua/Odual local government council of the state.

Mrs. Angela Agabe, the command’s Public Relations Officer, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that two male and one female youth corps members were abducted.

 

She said they were seized by armed men in the early hours of Saturday.

Agabe, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said the motive behind the kidnapping was however still unknown.

 

The police PRO said the command’s anti-kidnapping unit, had since commenced a search for the missing corps members.

 

“Reports received by the command indicate that the corps members went to Ogomokon jetty, near the council headquarters, where three armed men abducted them early on Saturday.

 

“So far, no group has claimed responsibility and no ransom has been demanded. The police had commenced investigation into the incident.

 

“As we speak, our anti-kidnapping unit is on top of the situation. The unit had already commenced work to free the corps members,’’ she said.

Avril Lavigne Marries Nickelback Frontman Chad Kroeger

Wedding bells are ringing! Avril Lavigne married Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger on Saturday, June 29, in Cannes, France, a source confirms to Us Weekly.

 

Described as a "very intimate affair" by an insider, the "Here's To Never Growing Up" singer wore a Johanna Johnson custom-made dress with her gay best friend serving as her maid of honor. 

 

During a Nylon Magazine event on June 11, the 28-year-old told Us that their wedding song would be a new track that they wrote together. "We'll have to release it after," she explained.

 

As for wedding planning, the singer said she was the one taking control -- which her fellow Canadian beau, 38, didn't mind at all.

 

"I've been doing it, I'm the girl," she laughed. "I'm the one who has the crazy vision and he's letting me be me. It's a lot and I just want to make sure I really enjoy this amazing time."

 

She added, "I want all the guests who come to have this once in a lifetime experience and I want everyone to say 'Wow!' and for it to be special for everyone, not just us." Of the wedding location in Cannes, Lavigne spilled that "it's out of control!"

 

The couple announced their engagement in August 2012. This will be Kroeger's first marriage and Lavigne's second. She filed for divorce from Sum 41's Deryck Whibley in October 2009 after three years of marriage.