Pope Francis visits with gay friend and partner at the Vatican

Yayo Grassi, an openly gay man, brought his partner, Iwan Bagus, as well several other friends to the Vatican Embassy on September 23 for a brief visit with the Pope.

The day before Pope Francis met anti-gay county clerk, Kim Davis in Washington last week, he held a private meeting with a longtime friend from Argentina who has been in a same-sex relationship for 19 years.

Yayo Grassi , an openly gay man, brought his partner, Iwan Bagus , as well several other friends to the Vatican Embassy on September 23 for a brief visit with the Pope. In an exclusive interview with CNN, Grassi declined to disclose details about the short visit, but said it was arranged personally with the Pope via email in the weeks ahead of Francis' highly anticipated visit to the United States.

"Three weeks before the trip, he called me on the phone and said he would love to give me a hug," Grassi said. The meeting between the Pope and gay couple adds another intriguing twist to the strange aftermath of Francis' first-ever trip to the United States.

Since news broke on Tuesday of Francis' meeting with Davis, conservatives have cheered the seemingly implicit endorsement, while liberals have questioned how much the Pope knew about her case. The two encounters, one with a gay couple and one with a government official who ardently opposes homosexuality, have left the Vatican scrambling to issue short explanatory statements that seek to de-politicize the Pope's meetings and agenda. On Friday afternoon, Vatican spokesman the Reverend Federico Lombardi said that Grassi had asked to present his mother and several friends to Francis in Washington.

"As noted in the past, the Pope, as pastor, has maintained many personal relationships with people in a spirit of kindness, welcome and dialogue," Lombardi said. Earlier on Friday, the Vatican said that the meeting with Davis was not intended as a show of support for her cause and "the only real audience granted by the Pope at the nunciature (embassy) was with one of his former students and his family."

"That was me," Grassi said. Grassi, who is 67, added that he is willing to talk about his private moment with the pontiff because he was upset about media coverage of the Pope's meeting with Davis.

"I want to show the truth of who Pope Francis is," he said.

Pope Francis taught Grassi in literature and psychology classes at Inmaculada Concepcion, a Catholic high school in Sante Fe, Argentina, from 1964-1965. Grassi said that he is now an atheist but the Pope has long known that he is gay, but has never condemned his sexuality or his same-sex relationship. "He has never been judgmental," Grassi said. "He has never said anything negative."

Greeting Bagus with a handshake last Wednesday, Francis says that he recalls meeting him in Rome, where they met in 2014, according to Grassi. Grassi said that he asked for the meeting in Washington because the friends he brought along have been through difficult times and wanted to receive of a blessing from the pontiff.

At the end the meeting, the Pope hugs both Grassi and Bagus and kisses them on the cheek. "Obviously he is the pastor of the church and he has to follow the church's teachings," Grassi added. "But as a human being he understands all kinds of situations, and he is open to all kinds of people, including those with different sexual characteristics."

While not changing church teaching, which considers same-sex relationships sinful, Pope Francis has often emphasized mercy over judgment. In 2013, for example, he famously said, "Who am I to judge" gay priests who seek to do God's will. He also reportedly met with a transgender man from Spain in January of this year.

Benue lawmakers give Dangote Cement 2 months to regularise its safety standards

The management of Dangote Cement has been given two months to regularise their safety rules or face trouble.

Members of the Benue State House of Assembly are not happy with the Dangote Cement Plc operating in the Gboko area of the state for allegedly flouting safety rules .

The lawmakers expressed their displeasure in the company's lack ‘an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report,' a prerequisite for the establishment of a company of such magnitude.

The House members also frowned at the Environmental Audit Report commissioned by the company without the involvement of National Environmental Standards Enforcement Agency (NESREA).

A report of an ad-hoc committee on the poor condition of federal roads in the state and other related matters submitted to the House by the Chairman of the Committee, Mrs. Nguan Addingi, and read on the floor of the House, it was established that despite the fact that Benue Cement Company (BCC), which was bought over by Dangote Cement, was established before the enactment of the EIA Decree No. 86 of 1992 Laws of Nigeria, the company had the mandate to obtain an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), from the federal Ministry of Environment.

The report added that the poor handling of the company’s environmental and safety measures led to several injuries and deaths of many staff whose welfare were not handled satisfactorily. Addingi said that Dangote Cement has abandoned the BCC Football Club, staff school and hospitals which were operational before the takeover. Addingi noted that her committee discovered that out of a total of 1,710 kilometers of federal roads in the state, 80 per cent of them were constructed in 1983, with a carrying capacity of a maximum of 30 tonnes per vehicle. "But currently, loads weighing between 90 and 120 tonnes are being conveyed on the roads," Addingi noted.

The Speaker of the House, Hon. Terkimbi Ikyange , directed Dangote Cement to urgently liaise with NESREA and the Federal Ministry of Environment to carry out all processes leading to obtaining an Environmental Impact Statement within two months.

Nigeria's death toll rises to 75

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has given the latest death figure of Nigerians in last week's Hajj stampede as 75.

The chairman of the commission, Abdullahi Mohammed , disclosed this in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service on Friday, October 2. He said 54 out of 75 pilgrims who died in the stampede were from states’ delegation, while 20 were international pilgrims who used private tour operators.

“We can confirm that 75 persons is the latest figure, while 243 pilgrims are [still] missing,” he said. Mohammed said Sokoto State had the highest number of casualties.

The NAHCON chairman also noted that those missing could not be declared dead or injured yet, until confirmation comes from the committee set up to determine the status of all victims of the stampede. The commission said the dead pilgrims were from Bauchi , Borno , Cross Rivers , Jigawa , Kano , Katsina , Kebbi, and Nasarawa states, while others are from Niger , Ogun , Ondo, Sokoto , Taraba , Yobe and Zamfara states.

Former Minister of Petroleum Resources arrested

She was arrested for corruption related offences, and is currently being investigated by the UK National crime Agency.

Diezani Alison-Madueke , Minister of Petroleum Resources during the President Goodluck Jonathan's administration has been arrested in London on Friday, October 2, 2015.

According to Premium Times , She was arrested for corruption related offences, and is currently being investigated by the UK National crime Agency. However, The British High Commission have confirmed that some arrests have been made on basis of corruption, but are yet to reveal the identity of those involved. Joseph Abuku, Press and Public Affairs Officer of the The National Crime Agency said that 5 people between the ages of 21 and 60 have been arrested on suspicion of bribery and corruption offences but did not identity of those involved.

“ This morning, five people between the ages of 21 and 60 were arrested on suspicion of bribery and corruption offences. The crimes are being investigated by the National Crime Agency." Joseph said.

“The National Crime Agency does not confirm identity at arrest nor provide information that could be used to corroborate the identity of an arrested individual. ” he added.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Alison-Madueke has been out of the country since Buhari has been sworn in as president.

Bokoharam in Action as Multiple bomb blasts rock FCT

A twin bomb has exploded in the Kuje Prison area, a busy commercial centre in Abuja. Terror group, Boko Haram is believed to have carried out the attack. As at press time, there is little information as to the details of the blast, but it was gathered that the bombs went off around 10pm today, October 2.

It was gathered that the suspected terrorists also blew up a police station in Kuje. The first occurred in front of the police station, while the second went off at the Kuje main market - the explosions happened 15 minutes apart. The third blast was said to have occurred in Nyanya Bus Station, where two bombings in 2014 killed dozens of people.

The Commissioner of Police for the Federal Capital Territory, Wilson Inalegu , has confirmed the blasts but could not ascertain the number of casualities. Reports say many died in the attack and many more injured.

“I am already at the scene of the bomb blast but cannot tell you anything now,”

Inalegu who was at the scene of the blasts told Premium Times on the telephone.

"Nigeria Can't Employ All Her Citizens" – Bishop Kukah

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Mathew Kukah has said the federal government cannot employ more than five per cent of the country’s population.

According to him, no government in the world provides employment for all its citizens, so Nigeria can’t be an exception, Premium Times reports.

Matthew Kukah, current Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto said:

“ Many states in Nigeria with a population of about 6-7 million, employ between 30-60,000 civil servants, including ghost workers. So, it is clear that no government can employ its entire people .”

Bishop Kukah made this known during the opening ceremony of the Third National Mission Congress of Nigeria, in Abuja.

He advised Nigerians to be hard working and make meaningful contributions to the development of the country. The Sokoto Bishop called on the youths to help make the nation a better place, saying it was wrong for people to think you must either be president, governor, and local government chairman before exercising leadership.

For instance, out of 170 million Nigerians, only one can be president at a time. “So, the assumption that if you are not holding a public office, you cannot exercise leadership is wrong ,” he said. Also at speaking at the event, a former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Kanu Agabi said Nigeria has still exists because of the prayers of the people.

Kukah, who is a member of the Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar-led National Peace Committee is believed to be against the government’s move to investigate corrupt past government officials. In August, he had come under serious attack after his visit to Aso Rock, where he gave reasons why the immediate past president, Goodluck Jonathan and his administration should not be investigated.

Must Read: How Dangote Really Made His Billions

We found this message posted on Twitter and it gives a never before seen insight into how Dangote emerged the wealthiest Black man in the world all from an interesting encounter he had with popular pastor and evangelist, Benson Idahosa.

Hurry up and  Check it out:

Porsche Denies Reponsibility For Paul Walker Death

Porsche has denied responsibility for the fatal accident in which Fast & Furious star Paul Walker died in November 2013.
     The German sports car manufacturer released a statement in response to a lawsuit filed by the actor's daughter Meadow Rain Walker on Monday which argued that defects in the Porsche Carrera GT he was in meant he was trapped in the vehicle after the crash.

It said: "As we have said before, we are very sad whenever anyone is hurt in a Porsche vehicle, but we believe the authorities' reports in this case clearly establish that this tragic crash resulted from reckless driving and excessive speed."

Ms Walker, 16, is suing the company for unspecified damages and also claims the car lacked a proper stability control system, as well as safeguards to stop it catching fire after a crash. Meadow Rain Walker is suing Porsche over her father's death The actor was on a break from filming the seventh film in the Fast & Furious franchise when he was killed. He was a passenger in the Carrera GT driven by friend and
business associate Roger Rodas when the car spun out of control, struck three trees and burst into flames in Santa Clarita, California.

The 18-page lawsuit includes a detailed account of the crash and claims that the Porsche was travelling at between 63 and 71mph when it spun out of control.

It states: "Absent these defects in the Porsche Carrera GT, Paul Walker would be alive today."
Investigators have concluded the car was travelling much faster - at up to 94mph - when it crashed. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the California Highway Patrol concluded that it was unsafe speed, not mechanical problems, that caused the crash.
Porsche engineers evaluated the wreckage of the car as part of the investigation.

The lawsuit also alleges the car lacked proper
reinforcements in its doors and used rubber fuel lines that did not break free to prevent a fire in a crash. Similar allegations of design and safety defects were included in a wrongful death lawsuit made by Mr Rodas' widow, Kristine Rodas. That lawsuit remains pending in a
Los Angeles federal court. Mr Rodas, a father-of-two, was a trained race car driver
and was only driving 55mph, according to his wife's lawsuit.

Mr Walker co-owned the Always Evolving auto racing team with Mr Rodas. Meadow Walker is the sole heir of his estate. The actor's two brothers helped complete actions scenes
in Furious 7, which earned more than $1.5bn globally after it was released in April.

Doc Brown Comes Back To The Future Again

21 October, 2015, is a date Back To The Future fans have been waiting for since the 1980s and now the day is being made extra special.
Doc Brown appears to have found his way back from the Wild West to make an appearance in an exclusive short film.

   Christopher Lloyd reprises his role as the eccentric inventor for the film entitled Doc Brown Saves The World.
    A 45-second clip from the short shows Brown getting out of the famous DeLorean time machine car and then fiddling with something called "Auto Visual  Tracking".

21 October, 2015 is the date which Marty McFly and his girlfriend Jennifer travel back to in Robert Zemeckis' 1985 and 1989 films. It is not known if Marty, played by Michael J Fox, features in the film.
    Doc Brown Saves The World will be included on the 30th anniversary re-issue of the Back To The Future trilogy which goes on sale on 21 October. Two episodes of the short-lived animated spin-off will also feature on the DVDs.
Lloyd also reprised his iconic role earlier this year when he appeared in a teaser for the video game Lego Dimensions.
       However, fans should not expect a new feature film or a reboot of the originals any time soon. In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Zemeckis said "Oh God no" at the prospect of another film, 30 years after the original. "That can't happen until both Bob (Gale, co-writer) and I are dead. And then I'm sure they'll do it, unless there's a way our estates can stop it."

Glamorous Photos From DJ Exclusive’s Wedding

DJ Exclusive whose real name is Rotimi Alakija is currently married to his heartthrob, Tinuke Ogundero. The couple have been dating for a while now and got engaged months ago.

Check out images below...

Ferguson Was Right, I Wasn't World-Class - Beckham

The former England captain David Beckham recently reacted to Sir Alex Ferguson’s evaluation that he was not a “World Class” player during his playing days.

  Despite being the only English player to win league titles in four countries, England, Spain, the United States and France, Beckham was a notable absentee from former Manchester United coach Sir Alex Ferguson ‘s list of “World Class” players. In his latest autobiography, Ferguson said he managed only four players deserving of that description during his long Old Trafford reign.

The four players include: Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Eric Cantona.

However, when asked if he was felt insulted by his omission from Ferguson’s list, Beckham told BBC News: “I don’t feel insulted, I played for the greatest manager of all time for the amount of time that I did, I was lucky to play with the players I did and be successful with the club that I loved and still love.

“I tend to agree with the manager. There’s certain
players that you can call world-class, thankfully I played with many of them.

“I’m proud as a Manchester United player that we were successful and I’m proud as a Manchester United player that we have the best players come to our team.”

In his 9 years at Old Trafford, Beckham played 265 games scoring 62 goals. He won 19 major trophies in his 19 years career. Another Man Utd legend Wayne Rooney was also a notable absentee from Sir Alex Ferguson ‘s list of “World Class” players.

I Would Have Stopped Singing If I Didn’t Win – Jeff

Jeffrey Ufedo Akor, 18-year old winner of the MTN Project Fame West Africa season 8 shares his success story and other issues.

in this exclusive interview.

-How do you see yourself compared to previous
winners?
“I will be myself and make sure I do good music. I intend to do music that will last, not for a week, or a year, but
evergreen.”

-What was your most challenging moment in the competition?
“The day I was on probation and I had to perform again. It was the only day I cried. I cried because after I finished performing, Uncle Ben said ‘West Africa, what is Jeff doing on probation!’ That really touched me, and I’m grateful because the Faculty saved me that day.”

-What female co-contestant did you have a crush on?
“All the ladies are beautiful. I didn’t have a crush on any of them. We were all focused, and we had our gaze on the prize.”

-What is your status on social media now that you are winner of the competition?
“Wow! I’ve been overwhelmed with congratulatory messages from people. I’ve been expressing my appreciation to them all.”

-What artistes will you like to work with?
“I’d like to work with Yemi Alade again. She is a great artiste, she’s free spirited, and has good energy too. I’d also like to work with Praiz, Cobhams, Timi Dakolo, and so many others. We have very amazing artistes in this country. If I could work with all of them, I would.”

-Why do you think West Africa voted for you?
“I think it was just God’s favour upon me. I don’t think it was just because of my singing.”

-Run us through your educational background
“I did a one year training in Sound Engineering at the SAE institute in Cape Town. But I still intend to go further by getting a Bsc in Sound Engineering.”

-Which is your favourite football club?
“I’m a big fan of Manchester United FC.”

-What would have happened if you didn’t win the competition?
“I would have been very disappointed. I participated in a competition with my brother when I was just 13 years old, and everyone thought we were going to win. In the
end we didn’t get anything. So when I registered for Project Fame, my sister told me to be careful because she was sure if the first thing that happened to me occurred again, then I would just give music a break for a while. And it is true.”