Michael Jackson's son makes entertainment debut -- as reporter

By Ben Brumfield, CNN

Blanket Jackson, Paris Jackson and Prince Jackson attend the Los Angeles premiere of Michael Jackson 'THE IMMORTAL' World Tour at Staples Center in 2012.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Michael Jackson's children remained out of the public eye until his memorial service
• Prince Jackson has made some previous public appearances
• Entertainment Tonight will air his first interview in chunks throughout the week
• Prince is due to inherit millions but wants to make his own money

(CNN) -- As an heir to the King of Pop, Prince Michael Jackson should not have to work, but at age 16, he has taken a gig as a reporter for "Entertainment Tonight."

After receiving an on-camera coaching session on journalism techniques from ET's Brooke Anderson, Jackson recorded his first interview. The topic: an upcoming remake of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz."

ET will broadcast clips from the interview throughout this week.

Michael Jackson's three children -- Prince, Paris and Blanket -- were kept out of public view until they appeared at his memorial service, when Jackson died in 2009.

Family, fans mark Michael Jackson's death three years later

Since then, Prince, the oldest child, has made just a few public appearances, including at events to honor his father.

'Thriller' jacket helping Jackson tigers

Photos: Michael Jackson, King of Pop

In February 2010, at the age of 12, Prince Jackson accepted a Grammy for lifetime achievement on behalf of the iconic entertainer. In the fall of the following year, he autographed replicas of Michael Jackson's "Beat It" and "Thriller" leather jackets for a special sale on Amazon.com.

Though he will inherit millions from his father's estate, he is determined to make his own money, a lawyer for the Jackson family has said.

He wants to do it all, Prince Jackson told Anderson.

"I'm looking to become well-rounded as a producer, director, screenwriter and actor," he said.

But he has said that he can't sing or dance like his father.

Nigeria Hostage Crisis Differs From Algerian Drama

By CASSANDRA VINOGRAD Associated Press

LONDON

The kidnapping of seven foreign workers in Nigeria claimed by an Islamic extremist group has touched a nerve in Europe, coming just weeks after the tragic end of a hostage drama in Algeria in which 37 gas plant workers and 29 al Qaida-linked militants died. But analysts say the similarities probably end there and it's too early to know how this latest crisis will play itself out.
A group that calls itself Ansaru issued a short statement about the kidnapping in northern Nigeria over the weekend, hinting at political motivations for snatching what Nigerian authorities say are one British citizen, one Greek, one Italian, three Lebanese and one Filipino.
But Ansaru did not make any demands, and analysts warn that if recent history is any indication, the hostage situation probably will not be resolved in a flash.
"What is likely to happen is some kind of drawn-out period — weeks or months — on how to maneuver to safeguard the lives of these hostages while not giving in to ransom demands," said Mark Schroeder, vice president of Africa analysis at Stratfor, a U.S.-based private global intelligence firm.
Governments and analysts have long warned about the risk of kidnapping in northern Nigeria. More broadly, the Sahel region of Africa has seen scores of kidnappings involving foreigners — some held for years. On Tuesday, French officials said that seven French citizens, including four children, have been kidnapped in Cameroon and are believed to have been taken to Nigeria.

AP

Map locates kidnapping, Nigeria

The situation is very different in Algeria, where the army moved in after a standoff lasting just four days to end the crisis at the Ain Amenas complex.
Virginia Comolli, a research associate focused on extremism at London's International Institute for Strategic Studies, noted that Algeria wanted to "send a very strong message" to hostage takers and display a no-nonsense, hard-fisted approach.
"The Nigerians would not want to jeopardize the relationship they have with the Brits," Comolli said, pointing to the country's longstanding relationship with Britain on counterterrorism. "They want to be careful. If they were to act without consulting with their British counterparts it would definitely not go down well."
Western governments also might not have the confidence in local Nigerian security forces to carry out an advanced hostage rescue operation and will likely mobilize their own security forces and agents. But going in is expected to be a last resort — especially given recent operations that didn't end well.
A botched attempt by France's military to rescue a French intelligence officer held for more than three years by Somalia's al-Shabab militant group saw two French soldiers and 17 Somalis killed. The militant group later said they killed the hostage in retaliation.
Rescue operations are difficult and complex under the best of circumstances, let alone when intelligence is murky. In this case, it's still unclear who the hostage takers are given Ansaru's relative obscurity.
"If they're looking for a ransom then a discussion can be had," said Raffaello Pantucci, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London. "It's difficult to know what they would be willing to accept in exchange. If their conditions are 'get the hell out of Mali, that's a very difficult proposition for Western governments to deal with."
Still, Pantucci said it could be in Ansaru's interests to keep the hostages alive.

Nigeria charges Russian 'gun dealers'

Fifteen Russian sailors have been charged in a court in Nigeria's main city, Lagos, with illegally bringing weapons into the country.

The crew of the MV Myre Seadiver were denied bail by the High Court, pending a final ruling on Monday.
The Nigerian navy had seized the ship, owned by Moscow-based security firm Moran, last October.
Moran has said the ship had permission to carry arms and had stopped in Lagos to change crew.
The vessel had been travelling from Madagascar to Guinea when it was seized by the Nigerian navy, the company said at the time.
The cargo included 14 AK-47 rifles with 3,643 rounds of ammunition as well as 22 Benelli MR1 rifles with 4,955 rounds of ammunition.
The navy said the vessel was travelling under a Dutch flag while Moran says the boat had a Cook Islands flag.
'Diplomatic intervention' The ship had no permission to enter Nigerian waters or to carry arms, the navy said.
Arms smuggling is a flourishing enterprise in Nigeria, which is battling an Islamist insurgency in the north of the country, and oil thefts and piracy in the south-east.
Lagos High Court Judge Okechukwu Okeke temporarily denied the sailors bail, with a final ruling on their bail application set for 25 February, AFP news agency reports.
In December, Russia's foreign ministry said Nigeria had agreed to drop the case to maintain cordial relations between the two nations, it reports.
However, the deal, if it existed, appears to have been ignored, AFP adds.

Ansaru fighters claim Nigeria abductions

Jama'atu Ansarul Muslimina fi Biladis Sudan, also known as Ansaru, abducted a French national in December [AFP]

A little-known Nigerian armed group, allegedly linked to al-Qaeda, has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of seven foreigners in a deadly weekend raid on a construction site in the country's north. The attack in Bauchi state late on Saturday was one of the worst incidents targeting foreigners in northern Nigeria, a region that has seen waves of violence by armed groups, but relatively few kidnappings. Ansaru, also known as Jamaatul Ansarul Muslimina fi Biladin Sudan, which means, "The group that dedicates itself to helping Muslims in Africa", is considered a group with a rising profile after it claimed the abduction of a French national in December. Some view it as being directly linked to Boko Haram, the group blamed for killing hundreds of people in northern Nigeria since 2009. "...the transgressions and atrocities done to the religion of Allah... by the European countries in many places such as Afghanistan and Mali" - Ansaru statement explaining its actions In an email statement sent to journalists, Ansaru said it has "the custody of seven persons, which include Lebanese and their European counterparts working with Setraco", the Lebanese-owned company targeted in the attack. Police in Bauchi said four Lebanese, one Briton, a Greek citizen and an Italian were among those taken hostage by gunmen who stormed the site in the town of Jama'are in Bauchi state. The assailants shot dead a security guard. Ansaru's two-paragraph statement cited "the transgressions and atrocities done to the religion of Allah... by the European countries in many places such as Afghanistan and Mali". The group previously listed French support for the military offensive against rebels in Mali as a justification for the December kidnapping. The document was written in English, like some past statements, but others have been written in Hausa, a language used widely across West Africa. Multiple abductions The governments of Greece and Italy have confirmed that their citizens were among those taken hostage. Beirut has acknowledged that two Lebanese nationals were seized, but has not matched the police figure of four. William Hague, the British foreign secretary, said Monday that London was in touch with Nigerian authorities but did not confirm reports that a Briton was among the hostages. Aside from the French national kidnapped in December whose whereabouts remain unknown, the three other Westerners kidnapped in the north since 2011 have all been killed. They include a German engineer abducted last year as well as a Briton and an Italian seized in 2011, in an attack the British government linked to Ansaru. In November, Britain declared the group a "terrorist organisation". Some experts say that Ansaru's leader who goes under the pseudonym of Abu Usamatul Ansar may be Khalid al-Barnawi - one of three Nigerian fighters labelled a "global terrorist" by the United States last year. The US state department described Barnawi as tied to Boko Haram, "with close links to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb", al-Qaeda's North Africa branch.

Goldie Confirmed Dead!

Her label Kennis Music release official statement

Statement from the CEO of Kennis Music, Kenny Ogungbe pictured above with the late singer

“With a deep sense of loss, we announce the shocking death of our darling music star, Goldie Harvey. Goldie, 31, died on Thursday after she complained of a severe headache shortly after her arrival from the United States where she went to witness the Grammy Award. She was rushed from her Park View, Ikoyi, Lagos residence to her official hospital, Reddington, Victoria Island, Lagos, where doctors pronounced her dead on arrival at exactly 7:30pm in the evening.

We consider this period a gloomy moment for us and the entire Nigerian music industry in view of the circumstance in which she passed away; the abundance of talent she exhibited in her short but eventful music career and the various opportunities her trip to the United States of America would have availed her. She is survived by her father, step- mother, brothers and sisters. We deeply sympathise with her family and fans all over the world and very grateful to all and sundry, especially, the vibrant Nigerian media for their concern and prompt reportage. We shall keep everybody informed as events unfold as we are devastated by the sudden loss.”

Her remains has been deposited at the mortuary.

What a lost! MAY HER SOUL REST IN PEACE, AMEN.

Mozambique Floods

The United Nations says the death toll from the flooding in Mozambique has risen by seven to at least 55 people.
The U.N. said Thursday that heavy rains in northern and central Mozambique have displaced 19,000 more people, raising the total number of displaced by floods the past two weeks to nearly 170,000.
The Mozambican government said there is a shortage of food for flood victims in southern Mozambique. Luis Nhala, a health official, said that residents are eating food that has mixed with contaminated flood water, which is resulting in cases of diarrhoea and vomiting.
Mozambican state television showed children in need of food and water. One man held an empty plate and told the camera: "Look, we are starving. The government must do something."

Dr. SID Goes His Own Way

Dr SID

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Nigerian singer/songwriter Sidney Onoriode Esiri, otherwise known as Dr. SID was born into a family of achievers. His mother was a successful fashion designer and he used to watch his father, actor Justice Esiri, in local Nollywood productions while growing up. Esiri’s clout at both local and national level was enough of a reminder that he needed to work hard. Esiri had long been a national hero when his son considered venturing into music. SID, a 2011 winner of the Hiphop World Awards World Revelation of the Year, set out to make a name of his own, something he could gladly hold on to as his, and not being tagged as “Esiri’s son”.