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An Alabama Crimson Tide fan convicted of poisoning famed oak trees at in-state rival Auburn University nearly a decade ago failed to attend a court hearing Wednesday on why he hasn't paid court-ordered restitution. Lee County Judge Jacob Walker will decide at a later date whether to grant prosecutors' request to order the arrest of Harvey Updyke, 71, a retired Texas state trooper who lives in Louisiana. Walker gave prosecutors a month to review a letter from Updyke's doctor saying he isn't well enough to travel to court. COURT DOCUMENTS: AUBURN TREE POISONER HARVEY UPDYKE HAS PAID $99 TOWARD SIX-FIGURE RESTITUTION Harvey Updyke, left, leaves the Lee County Justice Center in Opelika, Ala., with his bail bondsman and his attorney in this 2013 photo. (AP Photo/Dave Martin, File) The letter said Updyke suffered from several ailments, including coronary disease, congestive heart fai...

“Mom, can I wear a princess costume this Halloween?” As a parent, I’m rarely at a loss for encouraging words, but standing in the limbo between question and answer, I’m silent. I’m envisioning this last-minute costume change and wondering if we can use any of the Indiana Jones get-up we’ve already assembled together; maybe we could add glitter to the fedora. I feel my shoulders tense against this new idea, but not because I think it’s a crummy suggestion. Personally, I’m in love with this sparkly new plan, but experience has shown me whenever my little boy pushes the boundaries of established male stereotypes, I’m the only one cheering. When it comes to Halloween, my 6-year-old has always loved dressing up and parading around the neighborhood. Each year, my husband and I support every adorable idea and elaborate costume concept, because Halloween is my son’s time to celebrate his inner bumblebee or secret superhero. No matter what my kid chooses, we applaud the options he g...

                                     Duncan Mighty has written an open letter to former Imo State governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, claiming his life is being threatened because of money paid to him by the politician to record a song with one of his boys. The singer shared the open letter on Instagram and revealed he has been invited by the police. He added that he is willing to return the money to the politician to secure his life and "avoid further embarrassment to his person."Read the open letter below.                                      

A hotel in Shimawa (a Lagos-Ogun border community) which uses underage girls as commercial sex workers was uncovered on Wednesday October 23, by detectives attached to the Federal Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCIID) Alagbon in Ikoyi.     Two men were arrested alongside 14 girls said to come from Akwa Ibom, Kogi, Enugu and Imo states. The girls who claimed they were lured to the facility by friends from their respective villages are forced to pay their boss N1,000 daily for the accommodation, and they are forced to sleep with a minimum of four men daily at a fee ranging between N500 and N1,000 per client to achieve this. Asides sleeping with clients for money, it was also learnt that the men also slept with them any time they want.     Those arrested at the hotel include its owner Gbenga Olayinka, his nephew Adekunle Oshineye, 28, three adult commercial sex workers- Happiness Daniel, Favour Nkume and Glory Ewelike- as well as nine unde...

The Fulani socio-cultural group, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, has apologised to Governor Samuel Ortom for the numerous herdsmen attacks and killings recorded in Benue State. The state has recorded the highest number of clash between farmers and herdsmen resulting in the death of many residents in the state.     According to Channels TV,  the National Secretary of the association, Saleh Alhassan, tendered the apology at an event in Makurdi, the state capital, today Saturday October 26th. He said Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore regretted the killings in Benue and pledged to ensure peaceful coexistence between herdsmen and farmers in the state going forward.     Alhassan described Governor Ortom as a peace-loving man who stood firmly for the emancipation of his people. He gave assurance that members of the association would embrace the peace initiatives put forward by the governor.     While accepting Alhassan's apology, Governor Ortom said the Ope...

                                   In Conversation with Nigerian Filmmaker Nadine Ibrahim: 'The local stories matter the most.' The filmmaker talks about the art of the short film and the evolution of Nollywood as an industry. Nadine Ibrahim is a rising Nigerian filmmaker who is passionate about telling what she feels are the "real" stories of ordinary Nigerian people. In a country (as is the case with many African countries) where it's expected that one becomes a doctor, a lawyer or an architect, Ibrahim already knew that she was not interested in academics. After she was introduced to media, she soon realized that she was drawn to telling stories, and soon after, her filmmaking journey began. Her two recent short films, I Am Not Corrupt and Marked, have respectively explored the political landscape between citizen and politician as well as the traditional scarification practices in various states...

Kenyans are celebrating the news and pushing for a proper burial for the revolutionary.  The remains and burial site of Dedan Kimathi, the Kenyan revolutionary who led the Mau Mau Uprising against British colonial rule, have reportedly been identified after a 62-year search.  Kimathi, the military and spiritual leader of the Kenyan Land and Freedom Army (also known as the Mau Mau), was captured by British colonial forces in 1956 and executed the following year by hanging. He is considered a revolutionary hero of the colonial struggle by many Kenyans, who have advocated for the government to locate his remains since his death.  His grave site was located at Kamiti Maximum Security Prison, according to a statement shared online from the Dedan Kimathi Foundation. The news has been trending on Twitter, with several Kenyans celebrating his body finally being found after more than six long decades, using the hashtag #KimathiGraveIdentified.  The statement from the foundati...

The ruling Botswana Democratic Party, which has been in power since the country obtained independence in 1966, won 51 percent of the vote.  On Wednesday, the Batswana people headed to the polls to cast their votes for both national parliament and local government councils. At least 931 000 reportedly turned up to the polls to vote in what was described as a highly contested election primarily between the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), under the leadership of President Mokgweetsi Masisi, and the coalition of opposition parties termed the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC). News24 reports that the votes have been counted and the BDP secured the minimum 29 seats in parliament required to form a government. While counting is still underway to determine who will secure the remaining 28 seats, Botswana's Chief Justice Terrence Rannowane announced that there were "sufficient results" to announce President Masisi as the winner.  According to The South African, oppositi...

The South African music duo delivers a love story about an African 'Romeo and Juliet'. Beloved music duo Mafikizolo is back with another Afro-soul anthem that will tug at your heartstrings. After close to two decades of serenading South Africans and the broader continent, the talented Theo Kgosinkwe and Nhlanhla Nciza have given us timeless hits including "Emlanjeni", "Udakwa Njalo" and more recently "Khona" and "Love Potion". Their new single "Ngeke Balunge" is a beautiful love song that sees them returning to the sound that first catapulted them to mainstream success in the early 2000s.  Singing "Ngeke balunge, Ngeke bas'qede" the duo describe how those around them will never succeed in coming between their love for one another because they will always find their way back to each other—just as with Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.  The mid-tempo track, which was written and produced by the talented Mondli Ngco...

We talk to the Nairobi R&B founder about her journey to becoming an event producer and the importance of mental health.  It's safe to say that Faiza Hersi has caught the attention of many people in the past years.  A story of the path less travelled, this law graduate turned artist manager, restaurant owner, concert producer and philanthropist has her eyes set on the East African music landscape and is ready to usher in R&B music as the next sound to come out of the continent.  Her brand Nairobi R&B has hosted the likes of Masego, KAMAUU and Will Gittens in Nairobi just in the last year, with plans to create similar R&B hubs across Africa. Her work has earned her a South African Star QT award nomination for Best Media Personality and three recent Kenya's Top Women in Business award nominations.  We met with Faiza to discuss her vision of music, connectedness and production of these top tier R&B experiences.   You started out studying law...

                          Jidenna tells us why he partnered with OkayAfrica to design his official tour T-shirt and what style does to a person's psychology. When  Jidenna  asked OkayAfrica to design official merch for the ongoing "85 to Africa" tour, we had to create clothing suitable for the Classic Man himself. The result is a collection reflecting the ambitious mission of his new album—to forge a universal African identity across the diaspora. We reached out to Jidenna, on the road between gigs, to hear about the tour and to find out more about the different pieces in the collection. "85 TO AFRICA" TOUR T-SHIRT "I really love the actual tour shirt because it looks like this vintage late nineties wrestler or rapper shirt, which people love, "Jidenna tells us. "I think that that's why that shirt is doing so well. They'll remember the tour every time they see that shirt. So I love that."  Find the official ...