Inter Milan: Roberto Mancini returns for second spell as boss

Former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has returned to Inter Milan for his second spell as boss.

The 49-year-old, who replaces the sacked Walter Mazzarri has been out of work since he left Turkish club Galatasaray in June.

Mancini won three successive Serie A titles with Inter during his four-year reign between 2004 and 2008, before he was replaced by Jose Mourinho.

He went on to manage City, helping them win the Premier League in 2012.

Inter president Erick Thohir said: "His track record both at Inter and elsewhere speaks for itself.
"His international experience and hunger for success will I know drive the team to the next level."

Mancini has won a total of 10 trophies at five different clubs he has managed; and aside from the three league titles at Inter, he also helped them win two Italian Cups.

Despite a successful first reign, he was dismissed by the Italian giants because of comments that followed a Champions League defeat by Liverpool when he announced he was going to quit the club.

12 convicted soldiers don’t deserve to die –Poll

Convicted Soldiers.

The 12 soldiers sentenced to death by the Nigerian Army on September 14, 2014 for their roles in an attack on the General Officer Commanding, Maj. Gen Ahmed Mohammed, do not deserve to die.

Nigerians and other online readers believe that in a democratic dispensation, the Army should not bring back the sad memories of the dark periods of military rule.

This is the outcome of a poll conducted by PUNCH ONLINE.
The online poll, which opened on September 17, 2014 and ended on September 24, 2014, presented respondents with the question: ‘Do you think the Army is justified to have sentenced to death, soldiers, who attacked their GOC over poor welfare and inadequate weapons?’

One thousand and one respondents took part in the online poll, choosing either ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ in response to the poll question.

Eight hundred and fifty nine respondents, representing 86 per cent, are of the opinion that the military’s position is not justified in sentencing the soldiers to death by firing squad.
One hundred and forty two respondents, representing 14 per cent are of the view that the soldiers deserve to be killed.

The soldiers had on May 14, 2014 attacked the GOC in Maiduguri, Borno State, protesting what they believed was his complicity in events that led to the killing of some of their senior colleagues, who died while returning from a battleground, after being ambushed by Boko Haram militants.
The military, citing its codes, described the troops’ action as mutiny, a serious offence in the military.
Eighteen soldiers were court martialled. Out of which 12 were sentenced to death by firing squad, five were discharged and acquitted while the remaining one was jailed for 28 days with hard labour.
The judgment by the President of the Court Martial, Maj. Gen. C.C. Okonkwo, has generated mixed feelings among the populace.

Respondents, who voted ‘Yes’, must have hinged their response on the fact that mutiny anywhere in the world is a grave offence, and such mutineers fit to be killed, as their action is a violation of military etiquettes. 

On the other hand, respondents who voted ‘No’ might have aligned with the position of the Nigeria Labour Congress, which has called on the leadership of the Armed Forces to commute the death sentence on the soldiers to lighter sentences.

Acting President of the NLC, Chief Promise Adewusi, said, “If the Court Martial functioned as a mechanical clock, we expect the Army Council or the appropriate authority, whose responsibility it is to review the sentences of this nature, to commute this sentence to a more tolerable or acceptable one.
“Our appeal is hinged on the fact that the brutal execution of the twelve will not restore discipline by fiat.

“Rather, it could sow the seed of a major security problem in the Armed Forces since the problem of corruption, poor kitting, equipping and treachery are said to be common to virtually all the military units or formations in the conflict area.

“In the light of the foregoing, we are urging the military authorities to commute the death sentence on the twelve to a lighter sentence.”

Be Proud of that Grey-Hair

Of all the unwelcome milestones, The First Nose Hair must be the worst. When you feel the need to trim, that's when it really hits home that your body's ageing and doing peculiar things off its own bat. And don't think it's only men who suffer from body hair gone rogue – this morning, dear reader, I snipped my first white nose hair. I am disproportionately upset about this. More so than the long white curly eyebrow hair, or the solitary white whisker that lies flat under my chin and then suddenly pings out and gets tweezered. I'm SO not ready for the full walrus, not yet. Happily I'm not at all angsty about my greying roots (probably because hair on my head stays on my head and doesn't mysteriously move about) and in any case this year white and grey hair became a "thing".

I've flirted with the idea of embracing my inner grey but it doesn't suit everyone and my hairdresser insists it won't suit me. I can see the reasoning behind this. I'm one of those people who should avoid too much of a blue tinge in lipstick and employing that logic I think my naturally grey hair is too much "blue" to look good on me. I've been platinum blonde in the past and that did suit me so maybe 

I should just go from light russet to white in one leap – only then there is maintenance. It's not as simple as thinking "sod it" and giving up your normal hair care, because properly glorious and head-turning white/grey hair needs just as much attention as you give it now (I hope), and there are – of course there are – special products too. On this occasion I think it is worthwhile investing, because hair ages too and it's one of those things that matters, both to our appearance and to how we feel inside.

Frustratingly, it's a tad difficult to find mainstream specialist shampoos and other products. I don't know about you but I really don't want to buy anything with a picture of granny on the packaging. (How many more times do I have to say this, advertising people? Go out and find yourself some properly stylish older women – there are plenty of us about.) Thank heavens then for the recently launched White Hot Hair, which is whooshing up the image no end. Jayne Mayled, the founder, was also unhappy at what was available, or rather what wasn't, and has arrived at a simple capsule collection of products designed for use specifically on older grey hair. As Jayne says in her piece on the website: "This is not the white flag of surrender, I'm just choosing a new colour and it happens to be grey." I've seen the results of this range and you can forget about lank, ratty old lady hair – this is about body and shine and oomph. I won't normally recommend anything I haven't tried myself, but White Hot Hair is an exception I'm happy to make.

A Tragic Demise Of A Hero

Freedom fighter, prisoner, moral compass and South Africa's symbol of the struggle against racial oppression.

That was Nelson Mandela who emerged from prison after 27 years to lead his country out of decades of apartheid.

He died Thursday night at age 95

His message of reconciliation, not vengeance, inspired the world after he negotiated a peaceful end to segregation and urged forgiveness for the white government that imprisoned him.

"As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison," Mandela said after he was freed in 1990.

Mandela, a former president, battled health issues in recent years, including a recurring lung infection that led to numerous hospitalizations.

Despite rare public appearances, he held a special place in the consciousness of the nation and the world.

"Our nation has lost its greatest son. Our people have lost a father," South African President Jacob Zuma said. "What made Nelson Mandela great was precisely what made him human. We saw in him what we seek in ourselves."

His U.S. counterpart, Barack Obama, echoed the same sentiment.

"We've lost one of the most influential, courageous and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time with on this Earth," Obama said. "He no longer belongs to us -- he belongs to the ages."