RENEGADE THEATRE: IN THE SERVICE OF THE OLYMPICS

By Yemi Olakitan

When renowned UK based Theatre Company, Shakespeare Globe announced plans to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympics games with a unique multilingual Shakespeare project, few people realized that Nigeria’s Wole Oguntokun and his Renegade Theatre would be one of the 38 international theatre companies that would be chosen for the six weeks theatre fiesta. Renegade theater recently organized a public audition in preparation for the Globe theatre’s plans to host all the Shakespeare plays in a single season beginning on Shakespeare’s birthday, April 23rd, 2012. Renegade theater audition took place at its Yaba office. There was a large turn out at the audition. Over a hundred people attended and it is not finished yet. According to Oguntokun, Renegade theater will be performing at the Globe theatre alongside various companies from different parts of the world who will perform all of Shakespeare’s plays in different languages as part of the celebrations, marking the Olympics Games in London. ‘‘This project is perhaps, the most daring Shakespeare project ever attempted. It builds on multilingualism, a tradition of Shakespeare production in London and a celebration of the multi-cultural identity of the city of London.’’ Says Oguntokun.
While Shakespeare’s Globe project forms part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad and celebrates international cultural collaboration, the company will also celebrate its 15th birthday in at the same time. This is an example of artistic activities that have established the theatre as an indelible part of the national and international theatre landscape and welcomes hundreds of thousands of people a year from around the world to its annual summer season and a wide variety of educational projects on the theatre. Within the season, the theater company will stage one production, and leave the remaining 37 plays for the invited theatre companies from around the world. A production from one of the world’s greatest Shakespearean directors, Eimuntas Nekrošius will be staged In Lithuanian language. In Urdu language, Pakistani TV star Nadia Jamil will step on stage as Katherine in the Taming of the Shrew. In Greek, there will be a visit from the National Theatre of Greece with one of Shakespeare’s Mediterranean masterpieces. In Aboriginal languages, for the first time, a co-production of King Lear from the Malthouse Theatre and Bell Shakespeare Company will be staged.

In Maori, a new production of Troilus and Cressida starring Rawiri Paratene comes on stage. In Shona language, The Two Gentlemen of Verona will be presented by Zimbabwean actors, Denton Chikura and Tonderai Munyevu; In Turkish, a production from the immensely popular Istanbul theatre Oyun Atolyesi; In Spanish, the Madrid-based company Rakata, who specialize in work from the Spanish Golden Age will come with a production of Henry VIII; In Mandarin, a history play from the National Theatre of China; In Portuguese, the return of the celebrated Grupo Galpão from Brazil; In Italian, Cometa Off Theatre will be coming with a new production of Julius Caesar; In British Sign Language, a groundbreaking production of Love’s Labour’s Lost comes from Definitely Theatre; In Cantonese, Hong Kong director Tang Shu will be staging Titus Andronicus. In Arabic, a musical version of The Tempest emerges from Sabab Theatre. Oguntokun said, Renegade Theater is the only company that is invited from the West African sub-region. The company would stage Shakespeare’s the winter’s Tail in Yoruba language. The play, which was translated by Ayotade Ipadeola, will answer to the directorial skills of Oguntokun. ‘‘Every company will perform a play in one day. There are companies from South Africa, Indian, South Sudan, Germany, and many others. There are only five theatre companies from Africa and we are the only one from Nigeria. This is a great honour for all of us,’’ he said.
Oguntokun’s Renegade theatre began in1998 when he staged "Who's Afraid of Wole Soyinka?", which criticized the Nigerian Military in government.
He produced and directed the play at the University of Lagos' Arts Theatre. He was a pioneer of the "Theatre@Terra project which regularly stage Nigerian plays at the Terre Kulture arts center in Victoria Island, Lagos
Oguntokun is one of Nigeria's most consistent theatre activists with plays being produced every Sunday at the venue. He has produced and directed numerous plays by many of Nigeria's best-known playwrights including Wole Soyinka's (Kongi's Harvest, Madmen & Specialists, The Lion and the Jewel, The Swamp Dwellers, Death and the King's Horseman, The Strong Breed, Childe International, Cam wood on the Leaves, The Jero Plays); Femi Osofisan's Morountodun, Once Upon Four Robbers, The Engagement, The Inspector and the Hero; Professor Ola Rotimi's The Gods are not to Blame; Zulu Sofola's King Emene, Wedlock of the gods, Wizard of Law as well as Athol Fugard's Sizwe Banzi is Dead. Renegade theater will also be performing at FESTINA, the yearly festival of theatre, which is organized by National association of Theatre Arts Practitioners

Government must Do More To support the Fashion Industry- Fayemz

By Yemi Olakitan

Adebola Fayemi is the CEO of Fayemz, a fashion label that has become a household name in the Nigerian fashion industry. The fayemz fashion company is known locally and internationally as a top rated African fashion label. A graduate of Graphic Arts from the Federal Polytechnic, Ibadan, Fayemi has spent most of his life as a fashion designer, having invested more than 20 years in the sector. His designs cut across different age groups and he caters to the clothing needs of the average urban middle and upper class Nigerian. In this interview with Yemi Olakitan, he speaks on challenges facing the Nigerian fashion sector among other issues. Excerpts

The early Days
I worked with an advertising agency before I decided to start a fashion Company. I left the advertising industry because fashion has always intrigued me and I know that I can do some great things there. The reason why I went into advertising was because I studied Graphics Arts and that is the place where we are most needed. On the other hand, fashion was an entrepreneurial calling. One of the challenges of the early days was the high turn over of staff because a lot of young people are not always patient and relaxed enough to learn. They are always looking for greener pastures.

His fashion shows
We had a show focusing on children fashion recently. It was a fashion show hosted by a school. We were able to showcase some of our designs using children models. It was great. The children modeled throughout. I decided to pay some attention to children designs because I realize that even the kids need to look good. The parents and the kids had so much fun and everybody felt great. This day, it is no longer an uncommon thing for kids to participate in fashion shows. It looks good and it adds another perspective to the show. We are always creating new designs every now and then. We made clothes for children as well as adults and we are planning other shows very soon to build the Fayemz brand further. The children fashion show was meant to sensitize the public on the different styles and designs on the Fayemz fashion label. We have designs for everyone, both young and old but that show was targeting the kids.
However, fayemz will be having a fashion show that will showcase all our fashion designs before this year run out. We are gong to have another early next year as well. Preparations are in top gear. I assure you.

Challenges in the industry.
The major challenge that we face in the industry concerns the lack of basic infrastructure particularly inadequate power supply. The other one is the harsh economic realities. What affects me the most as a designer is power. I donate half of my income to power generation. We are on diesel all the time. We are sitting down now here in this office. Lights can go off at any time and we have to run the generator on diesel and this costs money. I mean, you have the consciousness that lights may go off in the next four or five minutes. I know that there are signs of improvement but one cannot rejoice yet because just when you are jubilating that things are getting better that’s when the lights go off. If the government must help the fashion industry, they must improve power supply.
This is what will benefit every entrepreneur and have a multiplier effects on the economy because there will be jobs. If entrepreneur do not spend their money on what can be provided by government, the cost of production will be greatly minimized. This is the major obstacle that most Nigerians face. You provide water, you provide light, you clean you surroundings, if government can take effective charge of power and provide adequate power supply. Then we can concentrate our creative efforts on other areas, which will contribute immensely to the growth of our national economy.
The way I see Nigeria and this includes everybody, is that I see a malnourish child who has tremendous potential but is not flourishing. Nigerians are very resourceful even with the situation Nigerians have shown that they can perform wonders; given a conducive environment. Look at the music industry for example; Nigerian music is being played in the UK and the United States.
The same goes for the fashion industry. Our designers are on the runway robbing shoulders with the best designers all over the world. I don’t think that anyone can ignore the Nigerian spirit of ingenuity and this spirit cannot be cowed by lack of infrastructure and harsh economic conditions. Nigerian designers and musicians are doing their work without any form of government support. Look at private initiative such as Arise fashion. This is commendable but the people that should be doing something like that are the Export Promotion Council but they are not doing it. They are the one that should be organizing trade shows and al that but we thank God for such private initiative like the Arise fashion show.
I travel a lot and part of the reason why I travel is to see other culture. I travel in other to look at the fashion trends there so that I can know what to inculcate into our designs here in Nigeria in order to further promote the fayemz brand and contribute to the development of the Nigerian fashion
Industry. If I don’t do that, the customers will get bored with our designs and begin to prefer foreign brands. I like to go to countries like Tokyo, Thailand, Indian and look at the styles and designs because these countries are very rich in culture and style. I do not limit myself to Europe and the United states.

Words of Advice to younger designers
The harsh economic situation will not affect designers if we are serious about creativity because no matter how bad things may be people will always want to look good. People still travel to see their families abroad and spend money on holidays. The people who don’t have and the people, who have, always have. There will always be demand for good clothes. We must define our brand. At Fayemz, the kinds of clothes we make are ethnic incline and we make clothes for urban, middle and upper class Nigerians. Therefore, we always have demand for our clothes. It also depends on proper positioning and good marketing strategy. There are people who make good clothes but do not know how to market them. If you have your factory in Sango, for example and you have your shop in the same locality, this will affect your sales and the caliber of people who patronize you. Therefore, a designer must know where to place his finished products so that he can get good patronage. You must take your products to the people who will put good value on them.

Government must Do More To support the Fashion Industry- Fayemz

Government must Do More To support the Fashion Industry- Fayemz
By Yemi Olakitan

PLAYHOUSE UNPLUGGED AT MUSON CENTER

By Yemi Olakitan

It was an evening of the best of musical theatre as the Musical Society of Nigeria, MUSON in association with the Playhouse Initiative staged, Unplugged, a collection of different genres of music performed with a mix of dramatic expressions. This was part of fresh plans aimed at reviving theatre culture at the MUSON Centre in line with the original vision of its founding fathers.
Speaking in an interview, Chief Executive Officer, Marian Akpata, said such a step was necessary since the centre was fast becoming a place for religious and social functions. She said the centre would return to the foundation, which was laid down, by Akintola Williams, Ayo Rosiji and all the great Nigerians who worked tirelessly to build the MUSON centre.
According to her, it is the only way to contribute to the development of theatre arts in Nigeria, saying, “This is why we are staging the musical, Unplugged, which is produced by the Playhouse Initiative. MUSON was built for the enjoyment of musical theatre in all its beauty and what we are doing is to keep that legacy alive”.
Unplugged was a combination of music, dance, and drama sketches. The evening became truly unplugged as the performance traveled through different musical forms. It was a theatrical rendition of about 27 different songs, which were rendered in dramatic fashion with some percussion and jazz instruments over a period of about one hour and forty minutes by members of the Playhouse consisting of young and talented Nigerian musicians. The performances were taken from Andrew Lyord Becham’s plays: Phantom of the Opera, Jesus Superstar, and Cat.
The performance paraded songs from Fela Anikulapo’s Afrobeat and highlife music as well as compositions by Michael Jackson and Bob Marley. The Playhouse group began the show with an opening sketch tagged: This is Playhouse. It started with songs such as ‘Little Innocent Lamb’ and ‘Redemption’ song by Bob Marley. The lead singer’ Bennett Ogbeiwi’ was in shackles as he interpreted the song. His acting blended well with the song as his masterful facial expressions gave emotional fillip to the performance.
The second sketch, ‘Magic of the Broadway’ had songs such as ‘Music of the Night’, ‘That’s all I ask of you’ and ‘Gethsemane’, ‘Could we meet again’, ‘Don’t cry for me Argentina’. The third sketch was ‘Lagos Na Wa’, with songs such as ‘Love wan tin tin’, ‘Lagos Baby’ and ‘Me I like my country’, which was rendered in the spirit of the Nigerian independence celebrations. According to Leye Adekunle, a theatre enthusiast who was at the show, ‘Playhouse’ was a highly creative brand of theatre group in Nigeria and everyone needed to see them in actual performance.
The Playhouse Initiative was formally established in 2007 as a non-profit organisation to mentor young adults, using music and drama as a medium for youth development by Uche Nwokedi, a lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria and his wife, Winifred Nwokedi, after many years of organising and producing musical plays for young people. The vision is to develop a positive way of impacting proper moral and social values to young people in a very special way. The playhouse is involved in some charity projects, all of which are aimed at encouraging young Nigerians to develop their God-given talents. The Playhouse hopes to foster a rainbow coalition of young people from diverse backgrounds through music and drama.
In the last seven years, the founders of the Playhouse have successfully produced several musical plays at the Agip Recital Hall, which include, ‘Joseph and the amazing Technicolor Dream Coat’, ‘Jesus Christ, Superstar’ and ‘The Vision’, all of which received critical acclaim. To date, the Playhouse group has presented a total of 21 performances at the MUSON Centre and other places. The Playhouse has also staged six musical productions as part of the Terra Kulture Theatre project with a standing choral group of about 30 young people and a choir of 16 voices dedicated to liturgical music called ‘The Lagos Schola Contorum’.
According to Executive Director of Playhouse Initiative, Winifred Nwokedi, “Unplugged is a revue; a concept that has its roots in popular American theatre. It is a successful amalgam of several theatre traditions that blends with different genre of music that is performed in one continuous fluid motion”, saying the inspiration to set up Playhouse came as a result of her early childhood experiences as a student in St. Louis Grammar School, Ibadan and St. Gregory College, in the 60s and 70s when arts and culture were a major curricular of the educational system and was a way of developing young people.
She said, “Unplugged is a pleasing musical experience. It is as exciting as it is fresh, a complete entertainment for the family. Playhouse is a call to the Nigerian people to return to the theatre culture.
“In terms of technology, sound engineering, theatre effects, lighting and scenic design, we are behind and we need to catch up. During the time of our theatre heroes such as Duro Ladipo, Hubert Ogunde, Kola Ogunmola, theatre was very vibrant and when these generations passed, there came a vacuum in the theatre that led to the emergence of the home video industry. We have not filled that vacuum yet. We do not have a purpose-built theatre. If you look at the National Arts Theatre and compared that to what is happening abroad, you would see that the world has moved ahead of us in terms of theatre technology and all. We need to move forward because this is our country. We have so much talent, so much human resources that need to be utilized, and so much to do”.
Programme Director of MUSON, Gushi Egbumine also lent his voice when he said, “Playhouse fascinates young and old Nigerians alike”, adding that anyone who loves musical theatre would appreciate the Playhouse performances. Speaking further he said the Muson Centre would always have something to offer on a regular basis, saying, “We are working towards an exciting show every weekend. This is just the beginning”.

Our Meditations

From Ernest Holmes, Thoughts to keep in mind

"We believe that the Mind of God governs all things. We believe that there is a Divine Intelligence governing and guiding, counseling and advising, and causing us to know what to do under every circumstance and at all times, if we will only trust it. We believe that at the center of every problem is its own solution."

"There is a Mind in us that knows what to do under every circumstance. God has no problems. God is the Presence and the Power that knows all things and can do all things. There is no thought of doubt or limitation. We should feel that the answer is established in our consciousness and will make itself known to our mind, right now, in our present experience. In this way we seek to receive the answer instead of the problem. This can be done only as we let go of the problem, as a problem, and definitely expect its answer."

Mediate and Pray

The Labour of the foolish wear them out because they know not how to go to the city-
The Bible

All our Dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them- Walt Disney

if we we must be honestly successful in this life we must have courage,we must have hope, we must sustain faith, we must work hard, not only that, we must work very hard.--- Yemi Olakitan

Fortitude

No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God . . . and it is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire and which will make us more like our Father and Mother in heaven."
— Orson F. Whitney

The Ingredients

The Ingredients of Success in Life are clear:
Determination
Hard work
Faith in God
Vision
Wisdom
Struggle (sometimes)
Team Work
Study
Discipline
Integrity
These are the attributes i strive to cultivate.
May God help me
Yemi Olakitan

About Life

It is not Life that Matters but the Courage we bring into it- Obafemi Awolowo

My Favourite Barack Obama Quotes

Purpose

“If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress.”


Potential

“Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it’s only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential.”

-Barack Obama

Finding Strength in Life

Many Times, Life throws you from side to sides
You don't know which side to turn and it seems that life is meaningless
And that you should get some pills to swallow and end it all
Have you not felt that way sometimes?
In the midst of trouble
Only then, we need to stop and think
Life is not all rosy
But in the midst of darkness, we can appreciate lights
I believe that if we have courage, and faith and if we paddle through with determination
we can embrace the light and become one with it
And the darkness will be overcome
We are all God's children
Our heavenly father cares, even in the midst of trouble
Pray

Osama bin Laden by David Johnson and Beth Rowen

Alleged U.S. Embassy terrorist Osama bin Laden. (Source/FBI)
On Sunday, May 1, 2011, U.S. troops and CIA operatives shot and killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan, a city of 500,000 people that houses a military base and a military academy. A gun battle broke out when the troops descended upon the building in which bin Laden was located, and bin Laden was shot in the head. News of bin Laden's death brought cheers and a sense of relief worldwide.

"For over two decades, Bin Laden has been Al Qaeda's leader and symbol," said President Barack Obama in a televised speech. "The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation's effort to defeat Al-Qaeda. But his death does not mark the end of our effort. There's no doubt that Al-Qaeda will continue to pursue attacks against us. We must and we will remain vigilant at home and abroad."

While Bin Laden's demise was greeted with triumph in the United States and around the world, analysts expressed concern that Al-Qaeda may seek retaliation. U.S. embassies throughout the world were put on high alert, and the U.S. State Department issued a warning for travelers visiting dangerous countries, instructing them "to limit their travel outside of their homes and hotels and avoid mass gatherings and demonstrations." Some Afghan officials expressed concern that bin Laden's death might prompt the U.S. to withdraw troops from Afghanistan and said the U.S. should maintain a presence there because terrorism continues to plague the country and the region.

"The killing of Osama should not be seen as mission accomplished," former interior minister Hanif Atmar told the New York Times. "Al Qaeda is much more than just Osama bin Laden." Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri, an Egyptian doctor who is al-Qaeda's theological leader, will likely succeed bin Laden.

The fact that bin Laden was hiding in Pakistan in a compound located in close proximity to a military base will likely strain the already distrustful relationship between the U.S. and Pakistan. Indeed, Pakistan has long denied that bin Laden was hiding within its borders, and the U.S. has provided Pakistan with about $1 billion each year to fight terrorism and to track down bin Laden.

Considered the world's foremost terrorist, Osama bin Laden was the leader of a terrorist organization known as Al-Qaeda, or "The Base." Bin Laden was the alleged perpetrator of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center, damaged part of the Pentagon, and resulted in a plane crash in Pennsylvania. At first he denied involvement in the attacks, referring to them, through an aid, as "punishment from Allah." In recent years he took responsibility for "inspiring" the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

Bin Laden has been implicated in a string of deadly attacks on the United States and its allies: the 1993 World Trade Center bombing; the 1998 bombings at the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania that killed more than 200; and the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen. Bin Laden also claimed responsibility for a 1993 gunfight that killed 18 U.S. troops in Somalia and the 1996 bombing of the Khobar military complex in Saudi Arabia that left 19 U.S. soldiers dead.

Born with a Silver Spoon

Bin Laden was born in Saudi Arabia around 1957 to a father of Yemeni origins and a Syrian mother. His father, Mohammed bin Laden, founded a construction company and with royal patronage became a billionaire. The company's connections won it such important commissions as rebuilding mosques in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

Mohammed bin Laden took numerous wives and fathered about 50 children. Osama was either the 17th son, or the 25th son, depending on various reports. Regardless, in a society where status within a family is highly important, bin Laden would have been of relatively low rank.

Bin Laden studied management and economics at King Abdul Aziz University in Jedda, Saudi Arabia, coming under the influence of religious teachers who introduced him to the wider world of Islamic politics.

USSR Invades Afghanistan
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Osama bin Laden is SEALed and Delivered

Remembering September 11

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Afghan War

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Cold War

Islam Primer

The 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan galvanized bin Laden. He supported the Afghan resistance, which became a jihad, or holy war. Ironically, the U.S. became a major supporter of the Afghan resistance, or mujahideen, working with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to set up Islamic schools in Pakistan for Afghan refugees. These schools later evolved into virtual training centers for Islamic radicals.

By the mid-1980s, bin Laden had moved to Afghanistan, where he established an organization, Maktab al-Khidimat (MAK), to recruit Islamic soldiers from around the world who later form the basis of an international network. The MAK maintained recruiting offices in Detroit and Brooklyn in the 1980s.

The Taliban, the former rulers of Afghanistan, arose from the religious schools set up during the mujahideen's war against the Soviet invasion. After the Soviet army withdrew in 1989, fighting erupted among mujahideen factions. In response to the chaos, the fundamentalist Taliban was formed and within two years it captured most of the country. The Taliban gave bin Laden sanctuary in 1996.

An International Network
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Most Wanted Terrorists

FBI's Ten Most Wanted

Chechnya Time Line

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Russia

Terrorism

Terrorism Around the World

After the Soviet withdrawal in 1989, bin Laden returned to Saudi Arabia and worked in his family's construction business. He founded an organization to help veterans of the Afghan war, many of whom went on to fight in Bosnia, Chechnya, Somalia, and the Philippines. Scholars have suggested these loosely connected bands of seasoned soldiers, ready to fight for Islamic causes, form the basis of bin Laden's current support.

In 1990, in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the Saudi government allowed American troops to be stationed in Saudi Arabia. Bin Laden was incensed that non-believers (American soldiers) were stationed in the birthplace of Islam. He also charged the Saudi regime with deviating from true Islam.

Bin Laden was expelled from Saudi Arabia in 1991 because of his anti-government activities. He eventually wound up in Sudan, where he worked with Egyptian radical groups in exile.

Anti-U.S. Attacks

In 1992 bin Laden claimed responsibility for attempting to bomb U.S. soldiers in Yemen and for attacking U.S. troops in Somalia the following year. In 1994 pressure from the U.S. and Saudi Arabia prompted Sudan to expel bin Laden, and he returned to Afghanistan.

In 1998 bin Laden called for all Americans and Jews, including children, to be killed. He has since been accused of increasing his terrorist activities, such as the 1998 bombings at the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. The date, Aug. 7, was the anniversary of the deployment of U.S. troops to Saudi Arabia.

U.S. cruise missile attacks against targets in the Sudan and Afghanistan in Aug. 1998 are not believed to have seriously hampered bin Laden's network. Bin Laden continues to call for the destruction of the U.S., Israel, and the Saudi monarchy, stating that with these obstacles removed, Islam's three holiest sites, Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem, would then be liberated.

International Terrorist Network

Yet, even as he is reviled in the West, bin Laden is a hero in parts of the Islamic world, according to intelligence reports. His organization is called al-Qaeda, "the Base," and has approximately 3,000 followers, which he funds with his estimated $250 million fortune. Experts have said that bin Laden could represent a new trend in terrorism—privatization. Until his emergence, most large-scale terrorist organizations are believed to have been connected to governments. With his money and disciplined followers, however, bin Laden is believed to have the ability to launch even more devastating terrorist attacks. He has not denied that he is seeking nuclear or chemical weapons, saying that it is a religious duty to defend Islam.

Bin Laden has been disowned by most of his family, including a brother, Sheik Bakr Mohammed bin Laden, who has established scholarship funds at Harvard Law School, and the Harvard School of Design. In 1991 his Saudi citizenship was revoked.

Wanted: Dead or Alive

After the Sept. 11 attacks, the U.S. issued an ultimatum to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan to turn over bin Laden—this was just the last of several such demands made by the U.S. and the UN after bin Laden was implicated in the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in East Africa (the U.S. also responded then by launching retaliatory missile attacks on Sudan and an al-Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan). Binding their fate to bin Laden's, the Taliban became the target of air strikes by the U.S. and Britain beginning in October 2002 that swiftly toppled the regime within two months. But Bin Laden, the object of the military campaign in Afghanistan, remained at large. He was believed to have fled to the mountainous region of Tora Bora, but the heavy U.S. bombing campaign that followed failed to vanquish him.

Since the attacks, Bin Laden has released several video tapes broadcast on Qatar's Al Jazeera network, the first of which praised the Sept. 11 hijackers, but stopped just short of claiming responsibility for them. In subsequent tapes, he threatened that more attacks against "the infidel" will occur and warned that "America will not live in peace." Bin Laden's whereabouts remain elusive, but he is thought to be somewhere in Afghanistan or Pakistan. The FBI has placed a $25 million bounty upon his head.


Read more: Osama bin Laden — Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/spot/osamabinladen.html#ixzz1Mcp0hwGP

Michael Jackson Doctor On Trial, by Harriet Ryan, Loss Angeles Times

A judge stripped Dr. Conrad Murray of his state medical license Tuesday after ruling that prosecutors have sufficient evidence to try him for manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor said testimony presented during a six-day hearing into Murray's treatment of the pop icon had convinced him that allowing the cardiologist to keep his license "would constitute an imminent danger to public safety."
Evidence presented by prosecutors, the judge said, showed "a direct nexus and connection between the acts and omissions of Dr. Murray and the homicide in this case," Pastor said.

The judge's decision to send the case to trial was widely expected, including by Murray's attorneys, but the defense had strongly contested the suspension of his license, with one of his lawyers calling it a "nuclear option" that could destroy the 57-year-old doctor's ability to support his family and mount a criminal defense.

Murray is licensed in California, Texas and Nevada, but does not practice in California, his attorney said. As part of his ruling, Pastor gave the doctor 24 hours to inform medical authorities in the two other states that the court had suspended his California license until the conclusion of the criminal case. The notifications could have repercussions on his practice in the other states, his attorney said.

The judge denied a request by prosecutors to raise Murray's bail from $75,000 to $300,000. Murray is to return to court for arraignment Jan. 25 and is expected to again plead not guilty.

Jackson died June 25, 2009, from an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol. Murray acknowledged to police that he had used the drug for two months to treat the 50-year-old singer's chronic insomnia, but insisted that on the day of Jackson's death he had only administered a small amount that should not have been fatal.

How lethal levels of propofol got into Jackson's system was the focus of the final day of testimony in the case. Through the testimony of 20 previous witnesses, including police officers, paramedics and the performer's household staff, the defense had hinted that Jackson might have given himself the fatal dose.

But with the last two witnesses — both medical experts — the defense delved directly into the issue, with a lawyer suggesting that Jackson either injected himself with propofol or drank it when Murray wasn't looking.

Remembering Zulu Sofola

Friday, March 19, 2010
Remembering Zulu Sofola: Great woman of theatre
By Yemi Olakitan
IN the 50 years of Nigerian independence, many theatre practitioners,
dramatists and playwrights came on the scene to develop Nigeria's theatre.
The late Professor Zulu Sofola, first female Professor of Theatre Arts in Africa
was one of them. In looking at 50 years of theatre in Nigeria, we will be looking
at the lives of those who have contributed immensely to the development of
the stage performance.
Zulu Sofola was perhaps, the most important female playwright in Africa during
her time. In a male dominated world where the voice of women seemed
unheard and under-appreciated, Zulu Sofola stepped forward and
distinguished herself as a literary icon and an excellent dramatist.
It was a dream that started from her parents. In those days, it was not
fashionable to send female children to school. There was the fear that
educating a girl-child might prevent her from getting a good husband. Zulu's
parents made a different choice from the norm and sent their beautiful
daughter to school not only in Nigeria but also in the United States of America.
Born in Isele Uku to the Okumabua family of Ogbeutu quarters, Zulu attended
secondary school at the Mary Mount College, Agbor, in Delta State before she
traveled to the United States for her university education. She studied at
Virginia Union Baptist Seminary and The Catholic University of America. It was
while she was in the US that she met her husband, the late Professor Adeyemi
Sofola.They both came back home to Nigeria and began their careers in
teaching at the University of Ibadan where she later obtained a PhD in Theatre
Arts.
Zulu Sofola was a woman with a strong passion for African Drama and
Literature and she used her privileged education to tell the story of her people
through her numerous works. She also projected the culture in such a way that
those that belong to other culture were able to appreciate her people. The
theatre scholar used her plays to address issues of justice and individual
freedom. She also used her talents as a playwright to explain the relevance of
culture and traditional practices and their boundaries and limitations in human
relationships and happiness.
In a chat with one of the directors of Zulu's plays, Abiodun Abe, the Technical
Director of the National Theatre of Nigeria, he said Sofola's plays are both
culturally entertaining and educative. ''They are largely traditional and
instructive and they tell tales of love and royalty through tragedies and the
various experiences of human life in such a way that readers and audience
alike are both entertained and informed in one scenario or the other.''
Abe began directing her plays in 1988. He directed Wedlock of the gods in
1988 and Wizard of Law in 1996, as well as King Emene in 1999. Other
directors who have worked on Zulu Sofola's plays include Yomi Adebamigbe
and Kunle Adewole who is the head of the Department of the Performing Arts
in Jalingo, Taraba State University. Till date Zulu Sofola's plays are being
performed in theatres in Europe and America.
Zulu used some of her plays to criticize the mistreatment of females, although
some of her critics have portrayed her as a liberal feminist. They however
acknowledged her status as a brilliant playwright.
In the play, Wedlock of the gods, the playwright questions the tradition that
reduces women to a piece of property that could be passed from one man to
another. This is aside addressing the issue of political savagery often exhibited
by dictators. In King Emene, for instance, she exploits the themes of anger,
jealousy and selfish ambition to mirror the evils of society.
She was the founding coordinator of the three arms of the Performing Arts
department at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State. Each of the departments
was headed by various professionals in their fields such a Dr. Bode Omojola
who headed the School of Music, Chris Ugholo who was the head of the
Dance School, while Professor Akanji Nasiru and Dr. Ayo Akinwale were both
senior lecturers alongside Zulu Sofola at the Drama School. She ran a
professionally bubbling theatre department that kept the university busy and
she was an inspiration to all.
Zulu's writing style was simple and her deep knowledge of the people's culture
reflected in her plays. In fact, her treatment of romantic love in her play is a
reflection of true-life experience, as her storyline seems to mirror society. In
Wedlock of the gods, Ogwoma falls in love with Uloko. The young stars
strongly held on to a belief that the gods have ordained their relationship from
the heaven and that they cannot part.
This story line seems to have a replay in Zulu's life when she met her husband
who was from another tribe. Adeyemi Sofola was a Yoruba man while she was
from Isele Uku in Delta State. There was opposition to the relationships by
both families but Zulu and Adeyemi stood their grounds and they got married.
Their strong love ended when Adeyemi died in 1996 after many years of
marriage. At the funeral service, Prof. Zulu Sofola repeatedly asked what she
was waiting for and in few months later she joined her husband. According to
Abiodun Abe, "it seems that her storyline and plot in Wedlock of the gods,
played out in her own life.
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