'World famous singer' abused 15-year-old girl after filming Top of the Pops for the BBC

A report has described the show as a ‘picking up opportunity’ and warned young audience members were in ‘moral danger’  

Jimmy Savile was at his most prolific during his time presenting the popular show Getty
The death of a 15-year-old girl reportedly abused by a "world famous singer" after filming Top of the Pops at the BBC  should be investigated, a friend of the teenager has said.

Claire McAlpine was apparently picked out of the show’s audience in 1971 and taken for dinner and to a hotel with an unnamed celebrity.

Kelly Gold, a friend of the girl and a fellow member of the show's young audience, told the Sunday Mirror: “Claire’s voice needs to be heard and her death fully investigated.

“Several people involved in abusing her are still alive. She would still be alive today if they [the BBC] had listened to her.”

The circumstances surrounding Claire’s death have resurfaced in recent days following claims Tony Blackburn was sacked by the BBC over suggestions he “seduced” the teenager.

The new allegations follow the discovery of new documents suggesting the veteran DJ had been interviewed regarding the incident in the 1970s, which he refutes.

Mr Blackburn, 73, has strenuously denied the claims and said he is being “scapegoated” by the broadcaster.

Nigerian helicopter crashes in Benin Republic

– A Nigerian registered helicopter crashed in Benin Republic
– The helicopter was owned by a yet to be named politician from the Niger Delta
– A source at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority confirmed the accident A Nigerian registered helicopter crashed in Benin Republic on Thursday, February 25, but no life was lost in the incident. The helicopter meant for private use was owned by a yet to be named politician from the Niger Delta. The Nation learnt that the chopper was contracted for commercial purposes by a presidential candidate in Benin Republic who wanted to use it for election campaigns before it crashed. When contacted, a source at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority confirmed the accident and said that the helicopter’s tail rotor clicked on an object and the pilot lost control of it.  “I can confirm that the helicopter was involved in an accident and it is beyond our jurisdiction because it happened outside Nigeria. But we are monitoring things, although I do not have much details yet. But the accident investigation body from that country will have to find out the cause of the accident and the extent of damage done to the aircraft,” the source said. On February 3, eleven people escaped death after a Bristow 5B BJQ Helicopter enroute Lagos from an off shore location in Port Harcourt ditched inside the Atlantic Ocean. Commenting on the incident, Cornelius Onuora, the media consultant to Bristow Helicopters, noted that the incident was not a crash but a controlled ditching, which was an emergency landing of a helicopter on water.

14 skills that everyone should learn in their 20s

Just because you're no longer in school doesn't mean you've got it all figured out.
You've still got plenty of important skills left to learn — but now you're on your own.

To help you navigate this confusing time, we reviewed several Quora threads on helpful skills and ways to spend time in your 20s and highlighted the most useful insights.
Here are the life skills every 20-something should master.

1. How to just be honest

When you're late to an appointment, it's tempting to pin the blame on gridlock or train delays.
Instead, says Quora user Michael Hoffman, "just apologize. You don't have to give details. 'I planned poorly' is a hundred times better than risking your integrity by inanely blaming traffic."

2. How to receive criticism

No one likes to be told they're wrong or even that they could be doing something more effectively. As Abhinav Gupta writes, it's easy to resent the person critiquing you or completely ignore them.

Nonetheless, Gupta says, "in order to succeed in life you should always accept criticism and always respond positively to it and never think ill of people who point out your mistakes."

3. How to start an interesting conversation

"Conversation-making is probably the most underrated skill," says Deepak Mehta, who admits that he's a shy person who's always found it difficult.
But experience has taught him that if you dare to strike up a discussion with the person next to you, you might very well end up with a new friend, a business connection, or some novel insights on an old topic.

4. How to ask for something you want

"The ability to ask is the easiest, most underutilized skill to catapult your career," writes an anonymous user.
But if you don't muster up the courage to request a raise, a promotion, or a bigger sales deal, you have no chance of getting it.
If the thought of requesting what you want makes you anxious, the user suggests practicing in non-work-related contexts. For example, you could ask a vendor at a farmer's market for a lower price on your vegetables.
"The more you put yourself in uncomfortable situations," the user writes, "the more likely you'll decide they're not that uncomfortable after all."

5. How to keep your promises

Maybe you told a friend you'd show up to his birthday party, or maybe you agreed to finish an extra assignment for your boss. Whatever the situation, you should make good on your word.
"Break [your promise] and people lose trust and faith in you, which, over time, is very hard to mend," Hoffman says.

6. How to communicate effectively

No matter your career field, you can always improve the way you speak and write.
"Think about ways to challenge yourself and tweak how you write an email or behave in a meeting," the anonymous user suggests.
Here's an example: "During your next team meeting, resist talking about your idea or opinion right off the bat. Instead, count to five, and if you still feel like you have something relevant to contribute, speak up. On the flip side, if you're shy, challenge yourself to say what you're thinking, instead of remaining silent."

7. How to be resilient

The rest of your life is bound to include setbacks, sadness, and frustration (in addition to joy and excitement!). Carolyn Cho says you should use your early adulthood to figure out how to recover from mishaps:
"Your 20s [are] a time when most are relatively free of the responsibilities that will increase into your 30s and 40s. This is a great time to experiment, fail, and bounce back. Learn how to ride out failure and persevere.
Life is full of challenges. The 20s are a great time to toughen up and start teaching yourself how to be emotionally and mentally resilient enough to weather both the joys and hardships to come."

8. How to demonstrate good table manners

"A lot of interviews take place over meals," writes Drew Pavilonis.
"Chewing loudly, or eating with your mouth open, licking fingers and utensils (yes, I've seen it), elbows on the table, just shows a lack of manners and social skills."

9. How to manage your anger

Syed Muswair Abbas Rizvi argues that you can channel your rage and frustration in positive directions instead of lashing out at the people around you. For example, research suggests that anger can stimulate creativity, at least temporarily.
"Your anger can empower you to do the unthinkable and unimaginable things, if you just learn the art to master and manage your anger."

10. How to live within your means

Cho advises young adults to think carefully about all their expenditures:
"Luxuries are a wonderful thing only if you can truly afford them. Don't be a slave to funding a lifestyle that will not last. Learn to live modestly and save up, and then you will have earned the right to purchase yourself some treats, in moderation."

11. How to deal with rejection

Many people use their 20s to try new experiences, jobs, and romantic partners. Some of those attempts will work out, and some won't.
According to Joe Choi, it's a good opportunity to learn how to deal with rejection, whether it's from a dream employer or a date: "It's a tough pill to swallow but realize that rejection is quite normal. It's hardly ever personal and most importantly it's not the end of the world. Don't dwell on it. Kep your head high and keep trucking along."

12. How to learn without a textbook

Studying should not be limited to your time in school. It "can be anywhere, anytime, and with anyone," writes Lenny Kho. "Keep your mind wide open."
You should always be seeking out new ways to expand your mind. Read books, practice speaking foreign languages, or take music lessons — whatever excites you most.

13. How to accept the possibility of change

Research by psychologist Dan Gilbert suggests that we have a hard time imagining how much we'll change in the future.
So it makes sense that Choi says, "It's near impossible to plan where you'll be a few years from now."
Choi uses his own trajectory as an example. During college he studied engineering, and he never imagined he'd move to rural Eastern Europe to harvest corn afterward — but he did. While living in Europe, he never thought he'd later move to a fancy building in New York City — but that's exactly what happened.
Expect to be surprised (hopefully pleasantly) by the way your life unfolds.

14. How to be patient

There's no question that it's important to be ambitious and to work hard to achieve your goals — whether they include landing a spot in the C-suite or buying a house.
But try not to get frustrated if, at 25, you still haven't scored a promotion or saved up enough for a down payment.
Take a tip from Steve Kobrin: "Good things simply do not happen overnight. They take time to nurture and cultivate. They take a lot of work. A lot of thought. A lot of trial and error, and learning from your mistakes."

Igbo group reacts to Rev King death sentence

Following the Supreme Court approval of the death sentence handed the convicted General-Overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly, Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, a.k.a Rev. King to die by hanging, Ndigbo Cultural Society of Nigeria (NCSN) has begged the Federal Government not to make haste in executing the death sentence, PM news reports. READ ALSO: Reverend King to know fate of death sentence today In a unanimous judgment by a seven-man panel of Justices led by Justice Walter Onnoghen, ‎ on February 26 upheld the death sentence that was earlier handed to Ezeugo by the Lagos state High Court in 2007, presided over by Justice Joseph Oyewole. The apex court in a lead judgment delivered by Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, dismissed the appeal filed by Rev. King for lacking in merit and held that the facts of the case were “like what you see in a horror movie.” Reacting to the development, the leader of the Igbo group, chief Udo Udeogaranya in a statement issued on February 26, urged President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government to “commute the sentence and grant him pardon as Nigeria stands to gain nothing by shedding blood. “This plea is premised on the ground that many Nigerians still hold Rev. Ezeugo as their spiritual leader even in various prisons and that the initial trial in Lagos as purportedly put forward by his lawyer Mr. Olalekan Ojo and published by national dailies was a miscarriage of justice in which the lawyer made certain points that demanded a second thought. “Ojo argued that his client did not commit the crime and was not at the scene of the incident. He insisted that the deceased, Ann Uzoh, had in two statements she made after the incident and before her death, stated that she got burnt in a generator accident and that the cleric was not responsible for her injuries. “Ojo said the Investigating Police Officer, IPO, had tendered statements which stated that Ezeugo was not responsible for the burns that led to Uzoh’s death. He alleged that the trial Judge refused to admit in evidence, the statements he said exonerated Ezeugo of the crime. “The lawyer further contended had those ‘vital exhibits’ been admitted rather than expunged by the trial judge, they would have operated to cast serious doubt on the case of the prosecution. He maintained that Justice Oyewole’s refusal to admit the exhibits in evidence ‘occasioned a great miscarriage of justice’ against his client,” the statement reads. READ ALSO: Supreme Court To Rule On Rev King’s Death Sentence The Lagos state government has lauded the Supreme Court for upholding the judgment of the state’s High Court that sentenced Rev. King to death by hanging. Rev. King was sentenced to death by a Lagos High Court, Ikeja, on January 11, 2007, for the murder of one of his church members, Ann Uzoh. He appealed the judgment through his lawyer asking the apex court to upturn the High Court’s judgement.

Afghan Woman Undergoes Surgery After Husband Cuts Off Her Nose

 

TURKEY— Reza Gul, whose husband cut off her nose last month and drew international attention to domestic abuse in Afghanistan, has undergone reconstructive surgery in Turkey.
Gul, 20, and her husband live in the Taliban-controlled Ghormach district of northern Faryab province in Afghanistan.
Gul told reporters, including VOA's Pashto service, that she had been forcibly married in her teens and suffered six years of domestic violence.
"He used to beat me all day," Gul said. "No one would protect me."
In January, Gul and her husband, Muhammad Khan, fought after he announced that he had taken the 6- or 7-year-old daughter of his uncle as a fiancée.
Gul said that she, along with her young daughter, left her home in the dark of night and sought refuge at her father's house.
Gul unwillingly agreed to reconcile after her in-laws reached out to her family and elders in the village and requested their mediation. Her husband cut off her nose when she was being escorted back to her home.
"Shall I kill you or cut off your nose?" Gul said her knife-wielding husband asked. "I told him to kill me instead of cutting off my nose."
Gul said she asked her husband why he would do such a thing when she had done nothing wrong. She added that her husband tried to shoot her, but his pistol did not go off.
"He then took his knife and cut off my nose," she said.
After the incident, Gul was taken to a local health clinic in Ghormach and later admitted at the Faryab public hospital, where doctors said she was in very critical condition, having lost a lot of blood. She was transported to a hospital in Kabul and from there was flown to Turkey for treatment.
Gul said she is satisfied with her treatment in Turkey, which included several surgeries.
She ruled out any reconciliation with her husband, who is still at large.
"May somebody cut off his nose, too," she said.
Gul asked all Afghans to pray for her recovery. She hopes to remarry and raise her daughter.

9 year old , pregnant after been raped by 10 ISIS militants

5 ways Isis terrorises women

They are forbidden to leave the house without a male relative, threatened with punishment if they don't wear 'appropriate' clothing and regularly denied their rights

 

 In Isis-controlled areas of Iraq and Syria, women are treated as property. They are beaten, whipped and killed as punishment for a range of crimes.
They are forbidden to leave the house without a male relative, threatened with punishment if they don't wear "appropriate" clothing and regularly denied their rights. Those deemed to be pagans, such as the Yazidis, are bought and sold as slaves.
Writing from Iraq, Patrick Cockburn reported on descriptions of "the Biter" or "Clipper" - a mental instrument introduced by Isis officials to punish women whose clothes they claim to not completely conceal their body.
Reports from those inside areas controlled by Isis and others who have escaped expose the terror group's brutal treatment of women. 

In December, Isis issued a fatwa detailing how and when its fighters can rape female sex slaves - "one of the inevitable consequences of jihad".
The document lists 15 rulings, which go into explicit detail prohibiting discourse if a slave is menstruating or is pregnant, and banning forced abortions.
Many of the injunctions deal with rape within families, or the "sharing" of slave children.
Some 2,000 Yazidi women were captured and forced into sexual slavery when Isis raided Mount Sinjar in 2014.
One nine-year-old Yazidi girl became pregnant after she was taken as a sex slave and raped by 10 militants.

Isis released a pamphlet providing its followers with guidelines on how to capture, keep and sexually abuse female slaves.
It says it is "permissible" to take non-Muslims captive, making particular mention of "People of the Book" - Jews and Christians.
The pamphlet says "unbelief" in Islam is all that is required to make someone a slave.
One rule says it is "permissible" to rape a female slave "immediately after taking possession of her" and that it is "permissible to have intercourse with the female slave who hasn't reached puberty if she is fit for intercourse.
In another assault on the rights of women, Isis ordered the closure of all women's clinics supervised by male doctors in its Syrian heartlands.
The terror group drastically restricted the work of male gynaecologists in accordance with its leaders' belief that men and women should be kept separate at all costs.

Public whipping and stoning

Since Isis forces stormed Mosul in June, life in the city has rapidly deteriorated with fear and anger commonplace, according to the many refugees who have fled into Kurdish-controlled Irbil

Women are sentenced to being whipped in public for various offences, such as breast feeding in public or not being fully veiled.
Others are sentenced to death by stoning, often as a punishment for adultery.
Kurdish activists have speculated that some women have been stoned to death after being raped by Isis fighters themselves.
Sources described the "the Biter" or "clipper" an instrument causing agonising pain by ripping off pieces of flesh. Other witnesses described it as operating like an animal trap, or a metal jaw with teeth that cut into the flesh.
Isis insists women are fully veiled, wear loose or baggy trousers, socks and gloves. They also say women must be accompanied by a male relative whenever they step outside their homes.

5 year old boy's dream comes true, finally gets to meet his favourite footballer Lionel Messi

A young boy from Afghanistan who was pictured wearing a football shirt made from a plastic bag penned with the name "Messi" has now been given the real thing.
Footballer Lionel Messi sent the signed shirt to five-year-old Murtaza Ahmadi on Thursday. The little boy said: “I love Messi and my shirt says Messi loves me.”
It comes after a heart-warming image of Murtaza wearing a homemade shirt, fashioned out of a blue and white striped carrier bag to resemble the jersey worn by his idol, emerged earlier this year. It went viral on social media and was seen by the Argentinian footballer himself.
Mr Messi, who plays for Barcelona and the Argentina national team, decided he wanted to give his young fan a real shirt, which sparked a worldwide search for the boy.
Although it was initially thought he was an Iraqi Kurd, the claim turned out to be false. After more searching, the boy in the photo was tracked down to Jaghori District in the eastern province of Ghazni in Afghanistan. Mr Messi, who is a Goodwill Ambassador for Unicef, asked the charity's branch in Afghanistan to confirm the identity of Murtaza.
Murtaza's father, Arif Ahmadi, told the BBC previously: “This little kid really loves Messi and football.
“It is not possible for us to buy [a jersey] for him. Because I am a simple farmer. So the kids decided to use the plastic.”

Murtaza playing football in his homemade shirt

He now has a real one to wear while he plays

A football and two shirts were given to Murtaza on Thursday at the Unicef offices in Afghanistan. Both were signed by the footballer with the words "con mucho cariño, Leo”, which translates to "with much love, Leo”.
Denise Shepherd-Johnson, chief of communication at Unicef Afghanistan said: "[The charity] believes in the child's right to play and the transforming power of sport in children's lives."