France Immortalises Zidane Headbutt With Statue

The infamous headbutt that French football legend Zinedine Zidane landed on Marco Materazzi during a World Cup final has been transformed into a giant statue and displayed in front of the Pompidou Centre in Paris. 

The bronze work of art, simply titled “Headbutt”, was Wednesday attracting crowds of tourists and locals who jostled to have their photos taken in front of the five-metre (16-foot) statue.

The sculpture is by Algerian artist Adel Abdessemed, subject of a retrospective exhibition in the Pompidou from October 3 until next January.

“This statue goes against the tradition of making statues in honour of certain victories. It is an ode to defeat,” said exhibition organiser Alain Michaud.

A much smaller version of the statue — which shows the two football players in the seconds after the headbutt, with the Italian player reeling after the attack — was previously exhibited by a New York art gallery.
Zidane, who holds legendary status in France as a member of the national teams that won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, was sent off in the 2006 World Cup final for headbutting Marco Materazzi in the chest.

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Top ten private jets owned by wealthy Nigerians: how much they cost

More exciting revelations have emerged that the penchant for private jets acquisition has cost wealthy Nigerians over N1 trillion in five years. The luxury trend actually rose by 650% between 2007 and 2012, this has increased the rate of private jet acquisition from 20 in 2007 to over 150 in 2012 which has placed Nigeria  and china as the fastest growing private jets markets in the world.

Top ten private jets by wealthy Nigerians.
Type                                                              Price                           Owner
1. Falcons 7X.                                          $51m(N8.2billion)           Mike Adenuga
2. Bombardier Global 6000                       $45.5m(N7.3billion)       Unknown
3. Bombardier Global Express 5000          $45m(N7.2billion)          Aliko Dangote
4. Gulfstream G550                                   $40m(N6.4billion)         Bishop Oyedepo
5. Gulfstream V                                       $30m(N4.8billion)        Bishop Oyedepo & Pastor Adeboye
6. Bombardier Challenger 604                $30m(N4.8b)             Mike Adenuga
7. Embracer Legacy 650                        $30m (N4.8b)            Ifeanyi Uba
8. Hawker 900XP                                 $20m(N3.2b)             Dr Kashim and Sir Aremu Johnson
9. Gulfstream G450                               $15m(N2.4b)              Bishop oyedepo
10. LearJet                                           $13.3m (N2.1b)          Bishop Oyedepo and Dr Kashim

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Man Throws Hot Water, Burning Stove On Wife

A middle-aged man identified as Oladimeji Fowowe has been arrested by the police at Iju  Police Station Red House, Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria, for allegedly setting his wife on fire, when he threw a burning stove and hot water on her.

Oluwakemi Fowowe battling for survival on hospital bed.

The suspect, who trailed his wife to Ijoko in Ogun State, southwest Nigeria where she had gone to assist her husband’s younger brother’s wife who had just put to bed a set of twins, was alleged to have committed the crime when his wife returned to Iju area of Ishaga, Lagos State from Ijoko

Speaking with P.M.NEWS on her hospital bed at Ogba, Lagos State, the victim,  Mrs. Oluwakemi Fowowe, said she left her husband and father of her three children, when his trouble and that of his mother became unbearable for her.

“I was at the passage facing outside not knowing that my husband had sneaked through the back door and the next thing I heard was a loud noise as he threw both the burning stove and a pot of hot water on me.

“My body caught fire and I ran outside, shouting for help before people assisted me in putting out the fire. I became unconscious before I was rushed to the hospital, where the doctors battled to revive me. I want all well-meaning Nigerians to come to my aid as I have no one to help me,’’she moaned in pains

Oladimeji was subsequently arrested and handed over to the police at Iju Police Station, where he was detained but he was later granted bail.

His wife’s family said he should not be sent to jail because of the three children his wife had for him. But he was advised to take care of the victim.

However, the wife’s family decided to press charges against him when he failed to honour  his side of the agreement, to take care of the victim. He allegedly  abandoned her in the hospital.

Oladimeji, who had earlier told the police that his action was the handiwork of the devil, has gone underground to evade arrest.   The victim is appealing to well-meaning Nigerians to come to her aid as she requires about N400,000 for the treatment of the burns.

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World's Most Inspirational People: Jessica Cox: became the first pilot with no arms, proving you don't need 'wings' to fly

Jessica Cox suffered a rare birth defect and was born without any arms. None of the prenatal tests her mother took showed there was anything wrong with her. And yet she was born with this rare congenital disease, but also with a great spirit.

 The psychology graduate can write, type, drive a car, brush her hair and talk on her phone simply using her feet. Ms Cox, from Tuscon, Arizona, USA, is also a former dancer and double black belt in Tai Kwon-Do. She has a no-restrictions driving license, she flies planes and she can type 25 words a minute.

The plane she is flying is called an Ercoupe and it is one of the few airplanes to be made and certified without pedals. Without rudder pedals Jessica is free to use her feet as hands. She took three years instead of the usual six months to complete her lightweight aircraft licence, had three flying instructors and practiced 89 hours of flying, becoming the first pilot with no arms.

Watch here video here;

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Boxing heavyweight Corrie Sanders murdered

Corrie Sanders - South Africa's former world boxing champion - was murdered in an armed robbery on Saturday, according to tweets by friends and the sports community. He was 46.

Sanders was shot and killed in an armed robbery at a restaurant.

The shooting took place in Brits, near Pretoria, at a 21st birthday function for a family member. Sanders was wounded in the stomach and hand. He was taken to hospital, where he died of his wounds.

Corrie Sanders' second-round TKO win against Vladimir Klitschko on March 8, 2003 is one of the best-ever performances by a South African boxer. Klitschko was considered the heir apparent to the great Lennox Lewis so Sanders' win was a great achievement, especially as Klitschko is back at the top again. Sports journalist Neal Collins says on his blog that Sanders was the victim of a random shooting when three armed men raided the restaurant at Thatch Haven Country Lodge, just off Carel de Wet Road near Brits outside Pretoria. He died after emergency surgery at Kalafong Hospital.

"Corrie didn't try anything heroic, he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. They shot him in the stomach. There was also a wound in his arm," an eyewitness told Collins. "We were at Thatch Haven near Brits to celebrate with Corrie’s brother Mike. His son, also Mike, is 21 next week.

"There were 48 people at the restaurant, it’s just off the main road. We arrived at around 4pm on Saturday. At about 6pm, as it was getting dark, Mike gave a speech. Then the grandfather stood up and offered a prayer.

"That’s when we heard three or four shots. At first we thought it was the kids playing around. Then we realised it was serious. "There were three of them. Armed with pistols. They were telling everyone to lie down and give them their wallets and mobile phones. They didn’t take much. They were working their way through the room when a car alarm went off outside and they panicked and ran.

"Corrie was the only one shot. He didn’t try anything heroic as far as I could see. He was just in the wrong place, by the entrance. They shot him through the stomach and I also saw a wound in his arm, it might have been from the same bullet, which went right through him."I think they shot him as a lesson to the rest of us, to say they were serious." Olympic swimming champion Roland Schoeman expressed his shock on Twitter, saying "Can't describe in words how sad I am to hear about the senseless murder of my friend Corrie Sanders. RIP".

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