North Korea blocks access to Instagram

              

Warnings have started appearing on Instagram accounts in North Korea, with users being told that access to the popular photo-sharing app has been denied.

Opening the app using the North Korean carrier Koryolink results in the the following message in English: “Warning! You can’t connect to this website because it’s in blacklist site”. A similar notice in Korean says the site contains “harmful content”, not mentioned in the English version.

President Buhari orders removal of Military checkpoints

President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the immediate removal of all military checkpoints across the country.

The decision was reached during the President’s meeting with the Service Chiefs on Monday, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Aliyu Ismaila, confirmed the development.

He said, “The President has instructed the Chief of Defence Staff to get the Chief of Army Staff and Inspector-General of Police to remove all the military men along the roads across the country.”

The military checkpoints had been set up in the wake of Boko Haram activities in some parts of the country.

Ismaila added that Buhari challenged   the security chiefs to do more in the war against insurgency because of the leadership he was providing as a retired military officer.

Boko Haram teen female suicide bombers kill 30 near Nigeria mosque

Two girls blew themselves up on Monday near a crowded mosque in northeast Nigeria’s biggest city, killing about 30 people, witnesses said. It is the fourth suicide bombing in June in Maiduguri, which is the birthplace of the Boko Haram Islamic extremist group.
Fishmonger Idi Idrisa said one teenager exploded as she approached the mosque crowded with people from the nearby Baga Road fish market, performing afternoon prayers during the holy month of Ramadan.

New Zealand jails Nigerians 18 years for drugs smuggling

Four Nigerian and a New Zealander have received long jail terms for their roles in an international drug smuggling ring, the New Zealand Police said on Friday.

The Nigerians were jailed for terms of 15 to 18 years after being found guilty of importing and possessing methamphetamine for supply, while the New Zealander was jailed for nine years for the same offence.
A police statement said the sentences handed down at the Auckland High Court on Thursday marked a successful end to a combined police and customs operation that began in November 2013.

Children raped, castrated, thrown into fires in South Sudan – UN

Warring forces in South Sudan have carried out horrific crimes against children, including castration, rape and tying them together before slitting their throats, the UN has said.

“Survivors report that boys have been castrated and left to bleed to death… girls as young as eight have been gang raped and murdered,” UN children’s agency chief Anthony Lake said in a statement released earlier this week.

“Children have been tied together before their attackers slit their throats… others have been thrown into burning buildings.”

Tens of thousands are believed to have been killed in the 18-month war, although there is no clear toll. At least 129 children were killed in May in the northern state of Unity, scene of some of heaviest fighting in the civil war, Unicef added.

EU provides N4.7bn in aid for Boko Haram victims

The European Commission said on Thursday that it is providing N4.7 billion in aid to affected by the activities of Boko Haram insurgents.

This is contained in a statement issued by the European Union (EU) Secretariat in Abuja.

“The new EU funding will provide immediate support, including clean water, food, shelter, healthcare and protection to the displaced and the host communities in the north-east of Nigeria.

“It will also provide support to Nigerian refugees in the neighbouring countries.

“€12.5 million of this funding will be used to tackle the humanitarian challenges in Nigeria, and €8.5 million to support the refugees in Niger, Cameroon and Chad.

Lil Wayne Sets Release Date of 'Free Weezy Album'

Amid his feud with Cash Money and its boss Birdman, Lil Wayne has set a release date for "Free Weezy Album". During a concert at a club in Anaheim, California on Wednesday night, June 17, the rapper announced that the LP would arrive on Independence Day. 

"I got a new album coming out. It's called 'FWA'. It'll be out Fourth of July," Wayne told the crowd at the Heat Ultra Lounge OC during the show, which was a part of a tour to promote his latest mixtape "Sorry 4 the Wait 2".
Details about the album are still kept under wraps, but many speculate that it would be made available through Tidal which Tunechi now co-owns. When announcing he joined the streaming service earlier this month, he dropped a new song called "Glory" which presumably will make the cut to the record.

If "FWA" is released as scheduled, this will be his first full length since 2013's "I Am Not a Human Being II". His "Tha Carter V" which fans have heard about for more than a year now is still delayed by Cash Money and has yet to have a new release date.

Tyra Banks releases an unfiltered photo...???

Tyra Banks wants her fans to know the real her. The 41-year-old model took to Instagram to share an unfiltered photo with her followers. "Well, this morn, I decided to give you a taste of the really real me. I wanted to smooth out my dark circles so badly!!! But I was like, 'Naw, Ty. Show 'em the REAL you,'" she wrote. "So...here I am. Raw. And there YOU are...looking at me, studying this picture. Maybe you're thinking, 'Whoa, she looks ROUGH.' And if you are, great! You deserve to see the REAL me. The REALLY real me."

The Shooter from the Charleston Massacre has a Facebook Page and it Just Got It’s First Comment

Gospel singer who’s been shot 8 times responds to the killer from the Charleston massacre shooting in the most powerful way possible.
Dylann Roof was said to have killed 9 people Wednesday night at the closing of a service in a Charleston Church. Since his name has been released thousands have flooded the Facebook trying to find his page. His unsettling profile picture just got a comment that is going viral for God’s glory.

Aliko Dangote wants to buy Arsenal Football Club

Africa's richest man Aliko Dangote has caused a stir by announcing he would like to buy Arsenal. Dangote may not be well-known to English fans but he certainly has the money to achieve his dream should the current majority shareholder Stan Kroenke give him any encouragement. Sportsmail takes a closer look at the billionaire with ambitions to join the Premier League elite.
He's a 57-year-old Nigerian who has amassed a fortune by becoming majority shareholder in giant cement, flour and sugar companies. Dangote Sugar supplies 90 per cent of Nigeria's 170million population - that is a lot of sales. He is also building a private oil refinery in one of the country's jungle swamps which is due for completion in 2018.

Google Releases “My Ramadan Companion” To Assist Muslims During The Holy Month.

Google has just released a tool called “My Ramadan Companion,” primarily for the 1.6 billion Muslims observing the holy month of Ramadan. The personal hub will provide customized information throughout Ramadan for Muslims, including sunrise and sunset timings around the world, relevant content on YouTube, culinary lectures, a calendar organizer, and traffic status.

North Korea says it faces worst drought in a century

North Korea says it is facing its worst drought in a century, sparking fears of worsening food shortages.

State news agency KCNA said main rice-growing provinces had been badly affected and more than 30% of rice paddies were "parching up".

Hundreds of thousands of North Koreans are believed to have died during a widespread famine in the 1990s.

This drought is unlikely to be as deadly because of recent agricultural reforms, correspondents say.

The United Nations World Food Programme says North Korea regularly faces significant food shortages and currently about a third of children in the country are malnourished

Singer Teyana Taylor gets naked in new photoshoot

More photos after the cut

Escaped Tiger in Tbilisi Killed Man Before Being Caught and Put Down

A tiger that escaped from the Tbilisi Zoo during flooding in the Georgian capital killed a man before being captured and killed, news agencies reported on Wednesday.

          

       Residents in Tbilisi were warned on Sunday to keep off the streets, because of fears that they were at risk of being mauled by frightened lions, tigers, bears and other beasts that were roaming the city after torrential rains allowed the animals to leave their enclosures at the zoo.

US 'Big Brother' to feature first transgender contestant

"Big Brother" will feature its first transgender houseguest on this summer's upcoming season. 

Audrey Middleton, 25, who was born Adam, will compete in the 17th season of the reality show, reported Variety online. 

"Audrey Middleton is a 'Big Brother' super fan who applied online, like many other hopeful houseguests, and was open about her transition in the application process," a CBS spokesperson said. 

ADVERTISING

"It is customary for 'Big Brother' houseguests to share personal news inside the house, and Audrey plans to discuss her story with the houseguests in her own words during the premiere episode on Wednesday, June 24." the spokesperson added. 

Middleton, a digital media consultant, hails from a small Georgia town. 

According to her biodata on CBS' website, she is a former competitive swimmer and MMA Ring Girl who loves to dress up and "look fabulous head-to-toe, but also isn't afraid to get dirty." 

"I think that I'm bringing in a very versatile perspective of a character that hasn't been brought before," Middleton said in her introduction video for the show. 

When asked how she'll be perceived by America during the new season, she added, "I think there's a chance I could be a misunderstood hero, but I'm going to be a hero.

Wiz Khalifa Pleads Guilty to Possessing Pot Paraphernalia

      Rapper Wiz Khalifa, real name Cameron Jibril Thomaz, has reduced his jail time after pleading guilty to possession of drug paraphernalia, Philly reports.
        He was arrested last year at the El Paso International Airport after authoriries found drugs in his possessions. KVIA said the charge was decreased to a Class C misdemeanor and a $500 fine.

In May 24, 2014, Wiz Khalifa performed at El Paso's Neon Desert Music Festival. The next morning, he was found with 0.5 grams of marijuana as he passed through the El Paso International Airport's TSA checkpoint. He was arrested and taken to the airport's holding cell. This is when he took a selfie that caused an internal investigation in the area, said E! Online.

Boko Haram bombs kill 13, injure 45 in northern Nigeria

Bombs found at an abandoned stronghold of Boko Haram Islamists exploded, killing at least 13 people and injuring 45 others in northeast Nigeria, locals and a hospital source said.

At least two of the devices went off as people were taking them past a market to be defused at a military base on Tuesday afternoon, locals told Reuters.

Nigerian Idol: Checkout Who Bags 7.5M Grand Prize

The fifth edition of the ‘Nigerian Idol’ has come to an end with Kunle Ogunrombi (K-Peace) emerging winner.

K-Peace’ beat Dolu to emerge the winner. Her victory came along with a cash prize of N7.5 million, SUV car, and a recording deal with Universal Music Company.

Njoku gets N640,000 fine, three-match suspension

Nigeria defender Ugo Njoku has been suspended for three matches and fined 641,349.27 Naira by FIFA after being found guilty of elbowing Australia striker Sam Kerr in their last match.

The substitute escaped the referee’s sanction for the action in the second half but has now been punished after a post-match video assessment.

The Australian striker suffered a broken jaw from the incident.