Milk, sugary foods increase risk of acne - Research

IT’S been a subject of debate for decades that some foods cause some individuals to have pimples, but the overview of research carried out over the past 50 years has found that eating foods with a high glycaemic index (GI) and drinking milk not only aggravated acne but, in some cases, triggered it.

Authors of the latest overview, published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, indicated that eating foods with high glycaemic, including bread, white rice, sugary fizzy drinks, cakes and pastries, had a direct effect on the severity of acne, because of the hormonal fluctuations that were triggered.

High GI foods are absorbed into the bloodstream quickly, causing a spike in hormone levels, including insulin, thought to instigate sebum production.

Dr Jennifer Burris from the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University, said ‘this change (in attitude) occurred largely because of the two important studies that are repeatedly cited in the literature and popular culture as evidence to refute the association between diet and acne.

“More recently, dermatologists and registered dieticians have revisited the diet-acne relationship and become increasingly interested in the role of medical nutritional therapy in acne treatment.”

Millions of adolescent and increasingly adults are affected by pimples, causing spots on the face, neck, chest and back.

While there is no danger from the spots, severe acne could scar as well as lead to anxiety, low self-esteem and depression.

Pimples is caused by a combination of the skin producing too much sebum and a build-up of dead skin cells which clogs the pores and leads to a localised infection or spot.

Since the late 19th century, research has linked diet to acne, with chocolate, sugar and fat singled out as the main culprits, but studies carried out from the 1960s onwards disassociated diet from the development of the condition.

Milk is thought to affect acne because of the hormones it contains, as a 2007 study carried out by Harvard School of Public Health found that there was a link between milk and pimples.

Pistorius shot girlfriend through door – Prosecutor

Late Reeva and Pistorius

“Blade Runner” Oscar Pistorius put on his artificial legs and walked across his bedroom before firing four shots through a locked toilet door, killing his cowering girlfriend in cold blood, prosecutors said on Tuesday.

Reeva Steenkamp, a 30-year-old law graduate and model, died after being hit by three rounds from a 9-mm pistol, prosecutor Gerrie Nel said.

Pistorius, 26, wept uncontrollably in court as Nel outlined details of a shooting that has stunned South Africa and the millions around the world who saw the double amputee’s track glory as an inspiring tale of triumph over adversity.

Later, in a dramatic affidavit read out by defense lawyer Barry Roux, Pistorius said he had been “deeply in love” with Steenkamp, whom he had been dating since November, and had no intention of killing her.

Having had previous death threats and break-ins, Pistorius said he slept with a 9-mm pistol under his bed in his plush Pretoria home in the heart of a well-secured gated community.

He and Steenkamp went to sleep on Wednesday night – the eve of Valentine’s Day – some time after 10 p.m., he said.

However, in the middle of the night, he awoke in pitch darkness and thought an intruder had climbed through a window and entered the toilet, Pistorius said.

Without putting on his prosthetic legs – contrary to the prosecution’s version of events – he moved on his stumps into the bathroom adjoining his bedroom and noticed the closed toilet door. He did not realize Steenkamp was behind it, he said.

He shouted for the intruder to get out of his house then fired several shots into the door, before calling to Steenkamp to phone the police.

When she did not respond, he grabbed a cricket bat to beat down the bathroom door and found her slumped on the floor, he said.

Why NJC sacked Justices Naron, Archibong

Nigeria’s  National Judicial Council has given reasons why it suspended two judges and commenced investigations on a third.

The suspended Justices are Justices C.E Archibong and T.D Naron  while Justice Abubakar Talba is being investigated.

In a statement signed by the NJC’s Acting Director of Information, Soji Oye, the Council announced that

, “Hon. Justice Archibong was recommended for compulsory retirement to President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, pursuant to the findings by the council on the following complaints leveled against him:

“That the judge dismissed the grievous charges against an accused (Erastus Akingbola) without taking his plea.

“That he refused to release the Certified True Copy of his ruling to the lawyers.

“That the judge issued a bench warrant on some officials of Peoples Democratic Party for contempt even when the counsel who was directed by the court to serve them an affidavit had not been able to serve the contempt application.

“That he made unfounded and caustic remarks on professional competence of some Senior Advocates of Nigeria.

“That there were glaring procedural irregularities which showed that Archibong did not have a full grasp of the law and procedure of the court.

“That he granted the leave sought in the originating summons that had no written address of the parties and without hearing both parties in the originating summons after he had earlier overruled the preliminary objection.”

 

On justice Naron, the statement said there were constant and regular voice calls and exchange of mms and sms (text) messages between the judge and one of the lead counsels during the election petititon tribunal sitting in Osun.

“(The communication was) for one of the parties to the suit in the Osun State Gubernatorial Election Tribunal.”

Call logs of Mr. Narons’s phone showed that he was in constant communication with Kunle Kalejaiye, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and lead counsel to the then Osun State Governor,Olagunsoye Oyinlola, while the judge presided over the election tribunal that would decide Mr. Oyinlola’s fate.

He later dismissed the petitioner’s claim and declared Mr. Oyinlola the validly elected winner of the 2007 governorship election in Osun. Mr. Oyinlola was, however, later sacked by the Court of Appeal which declared his opponent and incumbent Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, the authentic winner of the election.

The statement added that Mr. Naron’s action was contrary to the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officers vide Section 292 (1) (b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

“The National Judicial Council has in the exercise of its disciplinary powers under the 1999 Constitution suspended the two judges from office with immediate effect,” Mr. Oye said.

While the NJC has the power to suspend the judges, it can only recommend their sack or retirement to the appropriate executive. In the case of a federal judge like Mr. Archibong, the president has to approve, while in the case of a state judge like Mr. Naron, the state governor, in this case Jonah Jang of Plateau, has to approve.

The council also recommended that the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, discipline Mr. Kalejaiye for his role in the scandal as only the lawyers’ association can discipline its members found wanting.

 

Meanwhile, the NJC did sanction  Justice Abubakar Talba of the FCT High Court as we earlier reporterd but has set up a committee to investigate allegations against him in the police pension case of the EFCC vs. John Yusuf.

Mr. Talba had, on January 28, sentenced an Assistant Director, Police Pension Board, John Yusuf, to two years imprisonment for his role in the theft of N20 billion of pension funds. The accused had pleaded guilty to three counts of stealing over N3 billion of the money.

In his judgment, Mr. Talba ordered Mr. Yusuf to forfeit the sum of N325 million to the Federal Government.

Mr. Talba further said that the convict must forfeit a total of 32 of his properties to the government.

He also ordered Mr. Yusuf to remit a fine of N750, 000 to the Federal Government treasury, the amount being the total of the N250,000 fine imposed for each of the three count-charge.

“The convict has actually assisted the court by confessing to have taken N3 billion as his share from the N20 billion leading to this summary trial.

“This shows that the convict has a measure of virtue left in him. The court has in this regard found him guilty as charged,” Mr. Talba had ruled.

“John Yusuf, an Assistant Director with the Police Pension Board, being an accused arraigned in this court over N32.8 billion theft of pension funds is hereby sentenced to two years with a fine of N750,000.

“The convict’s properties, which the court had earlier ordered forfeited to the Federal Government, shall remain permanently so,” he added.

The convict promptly paid the fine and was set free; although he was later arrested for another crime by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The EFCC, however, accused the judge of violating a verbal agreement to ensure the accused served his two years in jail without an option of fine.

Mr. Talba’s ruling on the matter has drawn widespread criticism as Nigerians condemned it as a slap on the wrist in a country where petty thieves are jailed for years without option of fine.

Fire razes Abuja Furniture market

The market

A massive has engulfed  Kubo market, the largest furniture market in Abuja.

The cause of the fire is yet to be  determined at the time of writing this report.

However, emergency services are said to be moblising to contain the fire at the time of this report

Nike suspends contract with Oscar Pistorius

Oscar Pistorius

Things are going from bad to worse for the blade runner. Pistorius. Nike has frozen its contract with “Blade Runner” Oscar Pistorius on Thursday after he was charged with murdering his girlfriend, the latest in a series of scandals to hit athletes sponsored by the sportswear giant.

Criticised in the past for being slow to respond when its sporting heroes got into trouble, Nike distanced itself from Pistorius, the Paralympics champion accused of shooting dead model Reeva Steenkamp on Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day.

Jonathan, Clinton To Inspect Eko Atlantic City

President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to be in Lagos to meet with former US president Bill Clinton and inspect the Eko Atlantic City project before departing to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, to participate in the 3rd Summit of Heads of State and Government of Africa and South America.

The president is listed among the keynote speakers at the summit which has the objective of promoting political and economic cooperation between the two continents which will take place on Friday, February 22, 2013.

Other speakers include the Presidents of Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, former president of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, former president Lula da Silva of Brazil and the current chairman of the African Union.

A statement from the presidency says President Jonathan will be accompanied to the summit by the Minister of Transport, Alhaji Idris Umar, the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Edem Duke and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri. Dr. Jonathan is expected back in Abuja on Friday.

The Eko Atlantic City is a multi billion naira land reclamation project along the Bar Beach coastline in Victoria Island. It will be a new home to 250,000 people and the workplace of another 150,000.

The 10 square kilometre development will have waterfront areas, tree-lined streets, efficient transport systems and mixed-use plots that combine residential areas with leisure facilities, offices and shops.

Saudi beheads Pakistani for drug trafficking

Saudi Arabia on Wednesday beheaded by the sword a Pakistani man convicted of drug trafficking, the interior ministry said.

Aqeel Khan Mohammed Riyad was convicted of attempting to smuggle heroin into the ultra-conservative Muslim kingdom, the ministry said in a statement carried by state news agency SPA.

He was beheaded in the capital.

His execution brings to 15 the number of people beheaded in Saudi Arabia so far this year.

In 2012, the kingdom executed 76 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. The US-based Human Rights Watch put the number at 69.

Rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking are all punishable by death under Saudi Arabia’s strict version of sharia, or Islamic law.

Hundreds Flee As Clash Between Herdsmen And Community Kills 2 In Delta

Two persons were feared dead in a clash that happened on Wednesday in Ohoror-Uwheru community in Ughelli-North local government area of Delta state, South-South Nigeria.

Reports said a group of herdsmen invaded the community at the Bomadi junction axis on the east-west road.

Channels Television’s correspondent, Henry Ogunjimi, who was travelling through the community, said hundreds of people are already fleeing the community for fear of reprisal attacks.

He also, noted that security personnel were seen moving into the community possibly to prevent the situation from escalating reprisal attacks.

According to the residents in the community, the herdsmen had attacked the community after they were challenged for allowing their cattle destroy farms owned by the villagers.

Judicial council recommends Pension thief judge, 2 other controversial judges for sack

Justice Talba, controversial pension plea bargain judge and two other judges have been recommended for compulsory retirement on ethical grounds.

The National Judicial Council in a on Wednesday  in Abuja  recommended the immediate compulsory retirement of three controversial judges . They are Justices  Abubakar Talba, Thomas Naron, and Charles Archibong.

The meeting which  was  presided over by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mariam Mukhtar, at the Supreme Court complex in Abuja, the NJC called for the immediate compulsory retirement of the judges on ethical grounds. The recommendations  are to be sent to President Goodluck Jonathan  for approval.

Justice  Talba was the judge who sentenced a self confessed pension thief, Yakubu Yusufu, to two years in prison each on a three-count charge with an option of fine of N250, 000 on each charge.

Mr. Yusufu had pleaded guilty to stealing N2 billion of about N30 billion he was charged with by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. He promptly paid the fine and was set free though later arrested and tried on another charge by the commission.

EFCC accuse  Talba of  reneging  on a verbal agreement it had with the Yusufu and the judge that the convict be jailed without an option of fine.

Justice Naron, was investigated by the NJC for the scandalous ruling he led three other judges to give as the first election petition tribunal in Osun State after the  general 2007 elections.

Mr. Naron and the other judges were accused of being  compromised by Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, government of the then governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

Call records later showed that Mr. Naron and Mr. Oyinlola’s lawyer, Kunle Kaleijaye, were having secret discussions prior to the controversial ruling.

Mr. Oyinlola was to later be sacked by the Court of Appeal.

Mr. Kalejaiye, a lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria has been reported by the NJC  to the Nigeria Bar Association for punishment for his role in the scandal.

Justice Archibong the third of the Justices recommended for retirement  presided over the case of Erastus Akingbola in a manner the council deems scandalous.

Family of 7 kidnapped in Cameroon, near Nigeria

Seven French tourists, members of the same family—three adults and four children, were kidnapped Tuesday by unidentified men in northern Cameroon, near the border with Nigeria, a source close to the French embassy in Yaounde said.

President Francois Hollande of France believed the Nigerian Ansaru terror group, the same group that kidnapped seven foreigners at a construction site, run by SETRACO in Jama’are, Bauchi state of Nigeria, was behind the latest abduction.

“Seven French tourists were captured today by men, apparently on motorbikes, in the Cameroonian locality of Dadanga on the frontier with Nigeria,” the source said. “Clearly the tourists were returning from the Waza natural park.”

Ansaru group; another abduction?

A security source in the area told AFP the kidnapping “involved three adults and four children,” adding that security forces were hunting for the kidnappers the length of the border with Nigeria.

An anonymous source in Waza park said the tourists went to visit the park yesterday. “They slept in the park’s tourist camp where they left this morning,” the source said.

It’s the first time that Western tourists have been kidnapped in Cameroon, although hostage taking frequently occurs off the Cameroonian coast, the last incident dating back to February 8.

President Francois Hollande confirmed that seven French tourists from one family, including four children, were kidnapped Tuesday in northern Cameroon and said he suspected a Nigeria group was responsible.

“What is most probable is they were taken to Nigeria,” Hollande said, adding that they were seized by a Nigeria-based “terrorist group that we know well”.