This days: David Beckham Has a Really Difficult Time Keeping His Clothes on in Ads.

We've been gawking at him since he first stepped onto the pitch 22 years ago. Not much has changed since. The footballer turned international star has commanded our attention with his athletic performances as well as his looks. And that doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon.

Since the decline of his career (which would ultimately lead to his retirement) the global star has been working commercialization, full press. Throughout his career Beckham has teamed up with Pepsi, Samsung, Adidas and Burger King. Who can forget those H&M ads? Most recently, the icon has hooked up with his pal Guy Ritchie (who also directed H&M) for the launch of the Haig Club Whisky campaign, a glitzy ad with gorgeous scenery.

Ben Bradlee, America's Most Iconic Newspaper Editor, Dies at 93

He became the face, voice and spirit of tough-talking, detail-obsessed newspaper editors when his team's coverage took down a president, and Ben Bradlee's legacy is sure to live on among generations of journalists who will never even see a printing press.

Benjamin C. Bradlee died of natural causes at his home. He was 93. He is survived by his wife, Sally Quinn, and son, Quinn Bradlee.

As managing editor and later executive editor of The Washington Post during its rapid rise to international prominence, Bradlee steered Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward's Pulitzer-winning coverage of Watergate, a political scandal that eventually helped unravel Richard Nixon's presidency.

Bradlee transformed a sleepy, city newspaper into a national powerhouse that went head-to-head with The New York Times. He was tapped in 1965 by Washington Post Co. president Katharine Graham to run the paper, moving over from Newsweek (also owned by the Post) to be the managing editor. Len Downie Jr. succeeded Bradlee as executive editor when Bradlee retired in 1991. Bradlee will perhaps best be remembered not as himself but instead as he was portrayed by Jason Robards in 1976's All the President's Men.

Bradlee also signed off on publication of the Pentagon Papers, the government's secret history of the Vietnam War. After a hard-fought legal battle, the Post and The New York Times won permission from the Supreme Court to reveal the documents.

Bradlee's tenure at the Post was marked by great success for the newspaper. Its readership and newsroom staff both doubled under his leadership, the Post obituary noted.

World-class Education That Costs You Nothing Established in Germany

If you want a world-class education without the hefty price tag it usually carries, it's time you pack your bags and head to Germany.

The country's federal state of Lower Saxony became the last region to scrap tuition fees in mid-October, which means that studying in Germany is now completely free even for international students.

So wherever you come from, doors of elite institutions like the University of Heidelberg and Technical University of Munich, both among the world's top 100 universities, are flung wide open if you're a gifted student.

"We don't want higher education which depends on the wealth of the parents," Gabriele Heinen-Kljajic, minister for science and culture of Lower Saxony told German Pulse.

Her Hamburg counterpart Dorothee Stapelfeldt, whose region abolished fees in 2012, called tuition fees socially unjust: "They particularly discourage young people who do not have a traditional academic family background from taking up studies. It is a core task of politics to ensure that young women and men can study with a high quality standard free of charge in Germany," she told Britain's The Times newspaper.

Low cost/high rank

Germany has had a long tradition of free education, introducing fees only in 2006 when the constitutional court ruled that moderate tuition fees were not at odds with the country's pledge for education for all. However, even at around $1,300 per year, significantly lower than $14,500 and $30,000 paid by UK and U.S. students respectively, the fees caused widespread backlash, with federal states dropping them one by one.

The funding gap was mainly bridged by the government, with the average worker in Germany facing a tax burden on labor income of 49.3% in 2013, the second highest rate out of 34 OECD member countries.

The country is already a major destination for international students, ranking third in the world after the U.S. and Great Britain, according to data from the OECD. Overseas students flock to the Germany's illustrious universities, attracted by the relatively low cost of living and a vibrant cultural scene and nightlife.

Lol, Kylie Is Still In Vogue To Mingle: Not Dating Rapper Tyga, Says Kris

Kylie Jenner is still on the market to mingle!

Despite various reports that the youngest of the Kardashian-Jenner clan is dating rapper Tyga, 24, Kris Jenner told Ryan Seacrest during KIIS FM's On Air with Ryan Seacrest that Kylie, 17, is single.

"Kylie isn't dating anybody," Kris told Seacrest Tuesday morning. "[Tyga is part of] this whole little group of kids who have been around forever – and I call them kids because relatively speaking, they kind of all travel as a pack and they enjoy each other's company."

Tyga is certainly close with the Kardashian clan regardless of whether or not he is romantically connected to Kylie. He attended Kim Kardashian's wedding with Kim's good friend Blac Chyna, who is his on-and-off girlfriend and the mother of his child. The rapper also happens to be neighbours with Khloe Kardashian.

"We all live in the same neighbourhood," Kris explained to Seacrest. "[Tyga] used to live across the street for a long time, and now he lives next door to Khloe. Khloe and Kourtney just moved in up the street, so we have all of us ? us four and Scott and all the kids are in the same neighborhood, which is really wonderful because all the cousins get to grow up together. Little Miss Kendall moved across town, Kylie lives upstairs, Rob lives with Khloe. So I've kind of got tabs on it right now and it's kind of exciting."

Brazilian man confesses to 39 murders

A Brazilian man nicknamed "handsome" nabbed serial killer has confessed to 39 murders. It's serious, when he's not in an abattoir... 

Multiple shooters reported in Canada attack

The Canadian government has informed the United States that one shooter is dead in Ottawa, a senior U.S. official said. So far, there is "no indication the shooter has ties to violent Islamic extremism," but it is still extremely early in the investigation, the source said.

In response to the ongoing situation at Canada's Parliament, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, has increased its alert posture, CNN has learned. That means that it has increased the number of planes on a higher alert status ready to respond if needed. NORAD and Canadian authorities are in contact, an official told CNN.

Previous story,

A Canadian soldier was shot as he and another soldier stood guard at Canada's Parliament war memorial Wednesday. Details are emerging as authorities try to secure the government building in Ottawa.

The violence is not confined to Parliament. Police say that there could be multiple shooters and shooting incidents in the capital.

At least one shooter is dead, Parliament member Bob Zimmer tweeted.

Parliament remains on lockdown.

No one was hurt in the shooting near Ottawa's Rideau Centre, Marc Soucy of the Ottawa Police Service told CNN. It was one of three shootings, he said. The other two were at the National War Memorial and Parliament Hill.

Shots rang out at Parliament around 10 a.m. ET as Parliament members, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper, prepared for caucus. Some members tweeted that they heard many shots.

United States Limits Entry of West African Travelers to 5 Airports

The US Department of Homeland Security yesterday announced that travelers from West African countries where the Ebola Outbreak is present can only enter the US through one of five airports specially equipped for Ebola screening.

Countries affected by this policy are: Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea, according to Sahara Reporters.

Starting from today, Wednesday October 22nd, all travelers from the aforementioned countries will have to enter the US via the following airports only: New York’s John F. Kennedy, Washington’s Dulles, Chicago’s O’Hare, New Jersey’s Newark airport or Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson airports.

$9.3 Arms Deal: Group Drags Nigerian Govt. To International Criminal Court

  

President Goodluck Jonathan and members of his cabinet may be forced to a trial at the International Criminal Court, ICC, for ‘complicity’ in the Boko Haram narrative following a non-profit group’s application demanding a United Nations probe.

The United State-based Nigerian group, #NigeriaUnite, in a petition sent to the UN Secretary General on September 25, demanded that the United Nations step in to investigate and ultimately prosecute Nigerian state actors for involvement in the shady $9.3 million arms deal with an unlicensed South African gun runner.

The money is currently held by the South African government on suspicion it was laundered.

The group also wants the ICC to investigate Nigerian politicians who have been named as sponsors of the Boko Haram sect, as well as human rights violations by state actors battling the insurgents in northern Nigeria – the Nigerian security forces have also been indicted by international organisations for violating rights of citizens while claiming terror war.

“The United Nations, as a global body for peace and security must take urgent and holistic measures to investigate these issues for the peace and security of a population that is unjustifiably placed under siege and indiscriminately attacked and displaced,” the group’s petition which has been acknowledged by the UN read in part.

Since Boko Haram began its deadly insurgency in 2010, more than 10,000 Nigerians – mostly civilians, women and children – have been murdered while hundreds of thousands have been displaced.

The group alleges that the Nigerian government have been “lacklustre” in confronting the insurgents, and has in most cases denied the gravity of the challenge, leaving many communities in agony, trauma and devastation.

No trust

A leading member of the group, Solomon Dalung, told PREMIUM TIMES they petitioned the United Nations because of the Jonathan’s administration low trust quotient.

“We can no longer trust the government to investigate and deliver justice,” Mr. Dalung, also a member of the Northern Elder’s forum said. “We are convinced that there is something sinister going on in the government.”

He argued that government’s complicity in the Boko Haram narrative is emphasized by the President’s inability to act on a report by its Boko Haram negotiator, Stephen Davies, that indicted a top member of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, Ali Modu Sheriff, and a former Chief of Army Staff, Azubuike Ihejirika, as sponsors of the sect.

The Rome Statute – the treaty establishing the International Criminal Court – stipulates that the ICC can step in to investigate and prosecute crimes bordering on genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression if a government is unwilling or unable to investigate.

The group argues that Boko Haram’s trajectory is a crime against humanity and that the Nigerian government’s “refusal” to investigate and prosecute sponsors of the group leaves justice in the hands of ICC.

The petition will be subjected to hearings and investigations before the ICC presses charges.

The Kenyan president, Uhuru Kenyatta, is currently facing charges including genocide and crimes against humanity at the ICC.

The Nigerian president’s office could not be reached for comments. Telephone calls to his spokesman, Reuben Abati, were neither answered nor returned.

U.S. drug war in Afghanistan failing so unthinkably

America's drug war in Afghanistan is failing badly, a U.S. government watchdog says in a new report.

Afghan farmers are growing bumper crops of opium poppies -- an unprecedented 209,000 hectares in 2013 -- even though U.S. agencies spent $7.6 billion to stop narcotics production in the nation.

Afghanistan is the source of 80% of the world's illegal opium, the U.S. government says, yielding $3 billion in sales in 2013, up from $2 billion from the previous year.

U.S. authorities say a big chunk of that money funds Afghanistan's insurgency and terrorism.

As NATO winds down its war effort in the nation, the trend would appear to bode ill. Since 2002, the chief factors that appear to have caused temporary drops in poppy production were crop disease and high prices for wheat, an alternative crop for farmers, according to the report by the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction.

"The recent record-high level of poppy cultivation calls into question the long-term effectiveness and sustainability of those prior efforts," the report says. "Given the severity of the opium problem and its potential to undermine U.S. objectives in Afghanistan, I strongly suggest that your departments consider the trends in opium cultivation and the effectiveness of past counternarcotics efforts when planning future initiatives."

The report says last year's 209,000-hectare record surpasses the previous high of 193,000 hectares of opium poppies grown in 2007. The report relies on figures from the United Nations Office on Drugs on Crime.

The report says that areas that were once models for successful counterinsurgency and counternarcotics efforts are now booming poppy producers.

The report cites Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan, which the United Nations declared "poppy-free" in 2008 but saw a fourfold increase in opium poppy production between 2012 and 2013.

The inspector general sent the report to the State, Defense and Justice departments, which fund anti-drug efforts in Afghanistan.

Stolen 15 Billion Naira: EFCC Witness Testifies Against Former Afribank Boss

A prosecution witness, Emmanuel Al-Hassan, in the ongoing trial of a former Managing Director of the defunct Afribank Plc, Sebastian Adigwe and six others have told a Lagos State High Court sitting in Igbosere how the bankers plotted to cover-up over 15 billion Naira (about $93.7 million) allegedly stolen from the bank.

Al-Hassan, who led a team of investigators from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the alleged crime, told the trial judge, Justice Olabisi Akinlade, on Tuesday, that the accused persons concocted various documents to mask the fact that the money was diverted to companies they had links with.

The former Afribank boss, Adigwe was arraigned alongside Osa Osunde, Jibrin Isah, Isa Zailani, Chinedu Onyia, Henry Arogundade and Peter Ololo before the court by the EFCC on a 36-count charge of conspiracy, stealing and receiving stolen property.

Fraudulently Converted

While being cross-examined by Adigwe’s counsel, Mr Anthony Idigbe, Al-Hassan said that the stolen money was fraudulently converted to the use of AIL Securities Limited, Asset Management Nominees Holding Limited and Falcons Securities Limited allegedly belonging to the defendants.

The witness Said: “Though I am not a banker or a stockbroker, but during the course of investigation we discovered that Adigwe and other directors of the defunct bank transferred 15 billion Naira in favour of another Rehoboth Asset Limited.

“Also, during investigation, the team discovered a document showing that the money was granted as a loan facility to buy shares from another party other than from the floor of the Nigerian stock Exchange”.

Documents Contrived

Al-Hassan further informed the court that in the course of their investigation, they obtained various documents after the exits of the defendants from the bank that explained what transpired and led to 11.5 billion Naira being transferred to Spring Capital limited.

The witness stated that when the alleged stealing was committed, documents were contrived to cover-up the stealing. He explained that some of the exhibits before the court were part of the documentations made to cover up the alleged fraud.

Al-Hassan said the Managing Director of ACL told his team that she was instructed by the Adigwe to transfer the money to Spring Capital limited.

He also maintained that Afribank granted 15 billion Naira loan to AIL Securities Limited without a formal letter requesting for the facility.

Al-Hassan further alleged that another bank account was opened in Falcon Securities’ name with “zero Naira” for the purposes of transferring the 15 billion Naira credit facility.

The witness also informed the court that additional 15 billion Naira was given to Falcon Securities as loan for the purchase of stocks of blue chip companies on the floor of the NSE.

The trial has been adjourned till January 26 and 28 for continuation of cross-examination of the witness.