Seriake Dickson of the Peoples Democratic Party Wins Bayelsa Governorship Election

Mr Seriake Dickson has been declared winner of the Bayelsa State governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Mr Dickson polled 134,998 votes to emerge winner of the election. Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Timipre Sylva, scored 86,852 votes to place second.

“Henry Dickson Seriake, having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of votes, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected. This is signed by the returning officer dated this 10th day of January 2016,” the Returning Officer said.

INEC had revised its guidelines for the re-run of the governorship election in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

The Commission said all the parties had given their consent to the revised guidelines, which it believes would help to fast-track the exercise on Saturday, January 9.

According to the new document, accreditation and voting will go on simultaneously.

After taking results from four local government areas where governorship re-run election was held in Bayelsa State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) commenced the collation of the final results in the early hours of Sunday between 12:00am and 2:00am local time.

After the results from Ogbia were announced the electoral body said it would take a break and reconvene in the morning by 11:00am.

In the declared results, the All Progressives Congress (APC) scored 448 votes in Yenagoa LGA while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 839.

In Brass LGA, APC had 1,679 and the PDP got 5. In Sagbama LGA, APC scored 119 , PDP, 180 while APC had 139 in Ogbia LGA with PDP polling 1,290 votes.

On resumption, it was declared that in Ekeremor Local Government Area, the PDP polled a total of 2,695 votes, while the APC recorded 257 votes.

In Nembe, the PDP had 1,160 votes while the APC polled 1, 400 votes.

The result for Southern Ijaw was finally announced on Sunday evening around 7:00PM local time. The PDP scored a total of 23,081 votes, while APC scored 10,216.

The collation officer also reported that elections did not take place in Kolana Ward 17 because voting materials arrived very late and had to be returned.

“Severe Militant Activities”

The INEC had declared the Bayelsa election inconclusive after it rescheduled the governorship election in Southern Ijaw for January 9.

Professor Mustapha Leki announced the rescheduled election at the headquarters of INEC in Yenagoa, the capital of the State.

He said the INEC experienced major disturbances and challenges in a number of places, especially the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.

“These were occasioned as a result of severe militant activities. As a result of this development and working in conjunction with security agencies, our first concern is to take steps to stabilise the situation to ensure the safety of electoral officials and the security of materials,” he told reporters.

After INEC rescheduled the election, the major candidates – the incumbent Governor, Seriake Dickson of the Peoples Democratic Party and the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Timipre Sylva – expressed displeasure with the circumstance that led to the cancellation of election in the area.

While the incumbent governor said he had set up a judicial commission of enquiry to examine the alleged violence and thuggery during the governorship election, the APC candidate said the action of the election umpire was a rape on democracy that had denied the people of Bayelsa the right to choose their leaders.

Paul Scholes launched a fresh attack on Louis van Gaal's Manchester United

                                                             Photo: GETTY IMAGES

                          Paul Scholes has once again criticised Van Gaal's style of football 

Former Manchester United midfielder says he would be depressed playing under Louis van Gaal following their unimpressive FA Cup win over Sheffield United and claimed the players looked "bored"

Scholes has been critical of United's style of play under the Dutchman before and pulled no punches on Saturday after the 1-0 victory over Sheffield United.

United needed a stoppage-time Wayne Rooney penalty to overcome the League One side after producing another drab display that saw droves of home fans leave before the final whistle at Old Trafford.

Scholes said: "The players looked bored themselves. There's no spirit, there's nobody having a go at each other, there's no smiling, there's no entertainment. I think even Van Gaal on the bench looks bored, but he'll come out and say he's happy.

"It wasn't a great performance, will he [Van Gaal] be happy with it? I think he probably will be. I think that's the way he likes to play football."

Scholes added on BT Sport: "We haven't seen anything different now for the last six months, that's the way this team plays football and he'll be happy with the 1-0 win.

"We don't see anything else, and he constantly comes out and says he's happy with his team, he's happy with the way they've played. But they didn't create a chance, had to win a game against a League One side with a penalty in the 94th minute. In my eyes it's not good enough."

Former United midfielder Scholes feels there are too many "square pegs in round holes" in United's line-ups under Van Gaal, citing the likes of Marouane Fellaini, Juan Mata and Anthony Martial as players who are not being utilised in their best positions.

But he also believes United's players also need to do more to help the situation themselves.

He said: "As players sometimes you have to lift the crowd, whether it's a tackle, whether it's a shot on goal. You need to make something happen as a footballer at this club.

"To just to go through the motions like they did, people need digging out sometimes, it just seems to be accepted.

"I'd be depressed [after that game]. It would take me two or three days to get over that performance.

"You've just seen 90 minutes of boring, defensive....I've tried to defend this team now for the last two or three weeks, it's getting more and more difficult to do it because every time you come to Old Trafford this is what you see; negative football.

"I see square pegs in round holes with players in the team. There's so many question marks over the team.

"The only thing I can say is I'm glad I don't have to go to Sheffield a week on Tuesday."

Scholes did not go as far as to suggest United need to get rid of Van Gaal, but believes a change in approach needs to be taken with regards to tactics.

He said: "[It's] time for a change in style of football, pass the ball to Wayne Rooney. I think he had 34 touches today in the whole game. This is Wayne Rooney, get the ball to your best players.

"I truly believe he [Van Gaal] will be happy with that performance, but I'm not and I don't think there's many fans here [who will be]. How can you possibly be happy with that against a League One team?"

The former England midfielder added: "I'd never call for a manager to be sacked. He's got some really good players there. His style of football is not suited to Manchester United's football, but he's going to argue that they've got through, they are fifth in the Premier League and only nine points off the top. And he has got a case for that, but I think fans would rather see a bit more excitement rather than be in those positions."

Owen Hargreaves, another former United midfielder, added: "The performance wasn't what they expected but they got the performance they needed.

"It was a really poor performance from Manchester United, lacking in attacking intent and Sheffield United were very unlucky not to get a replay.

"I think they'll all be disappointed, they only positive was the result. Only two shots on target, I think everyone will realise that's not good enough."

A mountain lion had teeth growing from forehead

                                                                                                             AP

The lion was legally shot dead by a hunter on 30 December.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game says the teeth could be the remnants of a conjoined twin which died in the womb, or possibly a kind of tumour.

Biologists in the region have never seen anything like this particular deformity before, it says.

The lion was hunted after it attacked a dog near the town of Weston, Idaho. The dog survived, but a hunter set off in pursuit and killed the big cat a few hours later.

A conservation officer checked the lion's body, as required by law, and found the set of teeth, as well as what appeared to be a set of whiskers on the left side of the animal's forehead.

Mountain lions, a native species of big cat, are relatively common in Idaho. They are elusive animals which seldom come into contact with humans.

They are territorial and require large swathes of wilderness to thrive, according to the US National Wildlife Federation.

In winter, their prey species, such as deer and turkeys, move down from the mountains to escape colder temperatures, often gathering at the edges of villages or towns.

This can put predatory mountain lions into conflict with people, livestock and pets, says the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.

Dumper truck driver goes on two hour rampage after row over air conditioning

                                                                                Photo: Archant Norfolk

A drug fuelled dumper truck driver left a 37-mile trial of destruction in a two hour rampage after rowing with his bosses over the air conditioning in his cab, according to The Telegraph.

Nicholas Churchill, 40, wrecked three police cars and smashed in to road signs across Norfolk after going berserk in his huge 30-tonne vehicle.

He was chased by six police cars and a helicopter as he caused more than £26,000 worth of damage along the busy A11 from Norwich to Brandon last summer, a court heard.

Churchill went crazy after rowing with his bosses because his cabin was too hot but was told to get on with his job, Norwich magistrates' court heard.

Shoppers fled as his truck careered down a high street and over a pedestrianised square before coming to a halt near his home.

                                                                                                Photo: Archant

He admitted being under the influence of drugs at the time when police finally stopped and arrested him.

Churchill, of Brandon, Suffolk, also admitted aggravated vehicle taking and dangerous driving, driving dangerously, and criminal damage.

Norfolk Police were left to pick up a repair bill of £26,572.36 while the truck suffered around £1,500 worth of damage.

Fergus Harold, prosecuting, said: "The vehicle he was driving that day attracted a significant police pursuit and caused a large amount of damage to the vehicles involved.

"It started off as a case that had little justification.

"The defendant was at work driving his vehicle and had taken issue with his employers about the air conditioning in his cab."

                                                                                          Photo: Archant

Mr Harold added: "He was told to get on with his job.

"But instead he has taken his vehicle onto the highway, and there followed a lengthy pursuit with a number of police cars and the helicopter dispatched."

Churchill was convicted of drink-driving eight years ago, the court heard.

Jeremy Kendall, defending, said there was "significant personal mitigation".

Churchill was given an interim driving ban and remanded on bail to be sentenced at Norwich Crown Court on February 5, when he could face jail.

Rolling Stone magazine publishes interview conducted late last year as Mexico weighs drug kingpin's extradition to US.

The interview between Guzman and Penn was purportedly held in late 2015 in a hideout in Mexico [Rolling Stone]

A secret interview given by Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the recaptured Mexican drug kingpin, to the American actor Sean Penn helped authorities locate his whereabouts, according to a Mexican law-enforcement official,.

The interview between Guzman and Penn, purportedly held in late 2015 in a hideout in Mexico, appeared on Saturday on the  website   of Rolling Stone magazine.

An anonymous Mexican official said it was the Penn interview that led authorities to Guzman in a rural part of Durango state in October.

News of Penn's secret meeting came as Mexican officials weighed the possibility of extraditing Guzman to the US, something they had ruled out earlier.

Authorities aborted an earlier raid because Guzman was with two women and a child. But they were able to track him to Los Mochis, Sinaloa, where he was captured on Friday.

He was arrested after a shootout in Los Mochis, six months after he escaped Mexico's most-secure prison. Five people were killed during the operation that caught Guzman, who has twice escaped from prison.

Arely Gomez, Mexico attorney general, said on Friday that Guzman's contact with actors and producers for a possible biopic helped give law enforcement a new lead.

In the Rolling Stone's interview, when Penn asks Guzman about whether he is responsible for the high level of drug addiction in the world, he responds: "No, that is false, because the day I don't exist, it's not going to decrease in any way at all. Drug trafficking? That's false."

Rolling Stone says the meeting was brokered by Mexican actress Kate del Castillo.

Asked about who is to blame for drug trafficking, Guzman says: "If there was no consumption, there would be no sales. It is true that consumption, day after day, becomes bigger and bigger. So it sells and sells."

Earlier on Saturday, a federal law-enforcement official said that Mexico was willing to extradite Guzman to the US - a sharp reversal from the official position after his last capture in 2014.

"Mexico is ready. There are plans to cooperate with the US," said the Mexican official, who spoke on condition anonymity because he was not authorised to comment.

Top officials in the party of President Enrique Pena Nieto also floated the idea of extradition.

"He has a lot of outstanding debts to pay in Mexico, but if it's necessary, he can pay them in other places," said Manlio Fabio Beltrones, president of Pena Nieto's Institutional Revolutionary Party.