Nigeria drops to 47th in FIFA ranking

Nigeria dropped by six spots in the February rankings of the Federation of International Football Associations to 47th in the world. This was in spite of the country’s third-place position at the just-concluded African Nations Championship held from Jan. 11 to Feb. 1 in South Africa. In the rankings table on the world football governing body’s website on Thursday, Nigeria dropped from 41st in the world, with 616 points. It had 710 points in the January rankings. The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that FIFA had stated after the January rankings that results from the 2014 CHAN would be taken into consideration in the February rankings. In the latest rankings, Nigeria dropped to the eighth position in Africa as against its January position of seventh in Africa and 41st in the world. Among African nations, Nigeria is currently placed behind Cote d’Ivoire, Algeria, Cape Verde Island, Ghana, Egypt, Tunisia and Cameroon, according to the rankings. Cote d’Ivoire, which leads the African countries with 841 points, is rated 23rd in the world, while Algeria, second in Africa with 819 points, is 26th in the world. The rankings showed that Cape Verde Island garnered 799 points to be third in Africa, Ghana, 799 points; Egypt, 733 points; Tunisia, 656 points; and Cameroon, 626 points. Libya, the 2014 CHAN champions, dropped by six spots to be 14th in Africa and 68th in the world. Ghana, runners-up to Libya in CHAN, dropped by 13 spots to become 37th in the world and fourth in Africa. However Zimbabwe, which was the fourth-placed team in CHAN, climbed by five spots in the ranking to become the 27th in Africa and 100th football nation in the world. The global ranking also showed that Spain, Germany and Argentina retained first, second and third positions respectively. Switzerland, now sixth, leapfrogged Uruguay which dropped to seventh position, while Italy is now in the eighth position. Portugal, now fourth in the world, swapped spots with Colombia which took the fifth position. Brazil went up by one spot to become the ninth football nation, while The Netherlands are 10th in the rankings. According to FIFA, 42 international ‘A’ matches were taken into account for the February rankings, 40 of which were friendly matches. NAN reports that the next FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings will be published on March 13, 2014.

Students vacate campus over Boko Haram threat letters

Yola – Students of the College of Education, Hong, Adamawa, have started vacating campus over alleged threat letters from members of Boko Haram asking them to leave. Some of the students who spoke to newsmen on the issue on Thursday, said it had caused tension in the school resulting in mass exodus of staff and students. The Provost of the College, Dr Johnson Pongri, who also confirmed the letter, said he was aware of five letters purportedly written by members of the group. He said that though he doubted the authenticity of the letters, he had, however, communicated the receipt of the letters to the security agencies. “I have also invited the local vigilante to beef up security in the school, ‘’ he said, adding that the number of students who had left the school was few. When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Yola, DSP Mohammed Ibrahim, confirmed that the command was informed of the threat. He said the matter was being investigated by the police. (NAN)

Students vacate campus over Boko Haram threat letters

Yola – Students of the College of Education, Hong, Adamawa, have started vacating campus over alleged threat letters from members of Boko Haram asking them to leave. Some of the students who spoke to newsmen on the issue on Thursday, said it had caused tension in the school resulting in mass exodus of staff and students. The Provost of the College, Dr Johnson Pongri, who also confirmed the letter, said he was aware of five letters purportedly written by members of the group. He said that though he doubted the authenticity of the letters, he had, however, communicated the receipt of the letters to the security agencies. “I have also invited the local vigilante to beef up security in the school, ‘’ he said, adding that the number of students who had left the school was few. When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Yola, DSP Mohammed Ibrahim, confirmed that the command was informed of the threat. He said the matter was being investigated by the police. (NAN)

Tom Brokaw reveals cancer diagnosis; doctors are 'optimistic'

Former NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw is being treated for cancer, but doctors are very encouraged by the progress he is making, NBC said Tuesday. Brokaw, 74, was "diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer affecting blood cells in the bone marrow, in August at the Mayo Clinic," the network said. "His doctors are optimistic about the outcome of the treatment he is receiving, and Brokaw said he remains 'the luckiest guy I know,'" it said. Brokaw sat in the anchor chair of the "NBC Nightly News" from 1982 until he stepped aside in 2004 to serve as a special correspondent for the network. He joined NBC as a reporter in 1966. "Throughout the treatment, Brokaw has continued to work on NBC News projects, including a two-hour documentary on the assassination of JFK, appearances on 'TODAY,' 'Nightly News with Brian Williams,' 'Meet the Press' and MSNBC," the announcement said. "He is also contributing to NBC Sports coverage of the Winter Olympics in Sochi." Brokaw: Risks and rewards from warzone reporting The NBC release included a personal quote from Brokaw. "With the exceptional support of my family, medical team and friends, I am very optimistic about the future and look forward to continuing my life, my work and adventures still to come," he said. "I remain the luckiest guy I know." Brokaw said in a 2012 interview with CNN that the death of ABC news anchor Peter Jennings from lung cancer in 2005 "really affirmed my decision" to retire. "The line that you don't know anybody near death who says 'Gee, I wish I had spent more time at the office,'" he said. "That's kind of how I felt. I wanted to be free to do things that I care about, and not worry about whether or not it was a rating period or I have to rush back to the studio to be on air."

The words and comedy of Sid Caesar

The words and comedy of Sid CaesarSid Caesar was a man of many words. The comic, writer and star of "Your Show of Shows" who died Wednesday knew his way around a punch line. Here are just a few of his pithy quotes and clips of some of his performances: "Comedy has to be based on truth. You take the truth and you put a little curlicue at the end." "The guy who invented the first wheel was an idiot. The guy who invented the other three, he was a genius." "If you listen to a language for 15 minutes, you know the rhythm and song." "When I did comedy I made fun of myself. If there was a buffoon, I played the buffoon." "There's a now, a was, and a gonna be. Now is now, and after now is a was. And what comes after the was is a gonna be. It hasn't happened yet. It's gonna happen as soon as the now is over. But if you have a good now, you're bound to have a good was and a good gonna be."

E-testing will stem malpractice in examination – JAMB

Kaduna – The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Thursday said its adoption of Computer Based Test (CBT) was to stem the menace of examination malpractice. The Kaduna State Coordinator of JAMB, Mr Matthew Audu said this in Kaduna at a one-day advocacy and sensitisation campaign on the the use of CBS during Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). Audu said the e-testing method would also facilitate faster release of examination results thereby cutting down on the time “candidates wait anxiously for results”. He said the computer testing would release a candidate’s score immediately after the completion and submission of answers. According to him, the board would phase-out the traditional paper pencil method of examination in 2015. “By 2015, no candidate will be allowed to write UTME through the traditional paper pencil method; it will strictly be computer based test.” The Coordinator, therefore, advised schools to ensure that their students were properly trained on the use of computer, to be able to write the UTME without stress. 100 students from 10 schools wrote a mock UTME during the sensitisation campaign, to enable them become familiar with the new method of examination. One of the students, Oluchi Okoli from FGC, Kaduna said the new system was more accurate and would eliminate cheating during examinations. Also, Favour Jonathan from Dambo International School described the e-testing as “transparent”. (NAN)

E-testing will stem malpractice in examination – JAMB

Kaduna – The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Thursday said its adoption of Computer Based Test (CBT) was to stem the menace of examination malpractice. The Kaduna State Coordinator of JAMB, Mr Matthew Audu said this in Kaduna at a one-day advocacy and sensitisation campaign on the the use of CBS during Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). Audu said the e-testing method would also facilitate faster release of examination results thereby cutting down on the time “candidates wait anxiously for results”. He said the computer testing would release a candidate’s score immediately after the completion and submission of answers. According to him, the board would phase-out the traditional paper pencil method of examination in 2015. “By 2015, no candidate will be allowed to write UTME through the traditional paper pencil method; it will strictly be computer based test.” The Coordinator, therefore, advised schools to ensure that their students were properly trained on the use of computer, to be able to write the UTME without stress. 100 students from 10 schools wrote a mock UTME during the sensitisation campaign, to enable them become familiar with the new method of examination. One of the students, Oluchi Okoli from FGC, Kaduna said the new system was more accurate and would eliminate cheating during examinations. Also, Favour Jonathan from Dambo International School described the e-testing as “transparent”. (NAN)

Pastor, 3 others paraded over alleged bank robbery

Lagos – The police in Lagos on Thursday paraded four suspected armed robbers, including a pastor, whose gang specialises in attacking banks. The Commissioner of Police, Mr Umar Manko, who paraded the suspects, also displayed 12 AK-47 rifles, two K2 rifles, 30 fully loaded AK-47 magazines and one pump action gun. Other items displayed include one police Walkie-Talkie, one hammer, one iron cutter, eight gas cylinders and one ATM card destroyed by the suspects during operation. Manko said that three other suspects, belonging to the gang were killed in gun battle with the police in different operations. He noted that the gang had attacked the Access Bank Branch at Ayobo, near Lagos on Nov. 16, 2013, killing three police officers attached to the Ayobo Divisional Police Office, carting away their rifles. The commissioner said the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) had an encounter with the gang on Nov. 20, 2013 at Ilasamaja, where two members of the gang were “fatally wounded and arms were recovered. “Diligent investigation and deployment of advanced technology-driven investigation by SARS led to the arrest of four king-pins. “On Feb. 2, SARS got information about the secret house rented by one of the killed suspects. Immediately the house was traced at Alimosho area and searched. “Seven AK-47 rifles, two K2 rifles, one pump action gun were found concealed in a plastic drum in the kitchen of the suspect. All the suspects arrested have confessed to the Ayobo Access Bank robbery. “They also confessed to have been involved in First Bank Idimu ATM robbery, Zenith Bank Malu Road, Ajegunle, robbery, Diamond Bank at Pen Cinema among others,’’ Manko said. (NAN)

Laser bombardment yields energy milestone

STORY HIGHLIGHTS A fusion test produces more energy than it uses, but there's some fine print Fusion could produce abundant, clean power, but it's never been harnessed The results are "modest," but "closer than anyone's gotten before," scientist says (CNN)-- The event was over in a fraction of a scintilla of a blink of an eye and released a burst of energy that's not particularly impressive by most standards. But it's being hailed as a milestone in a decades-long quest to harness the power of nuclear fusion, the same process that powers the sun. For the first time, scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California say they produced more energy from a reaction in their fuel source than they put into the fuel, said Omar Hurricane, the physicist who led the experiment. "You're not going to power a car with it. You're not going to power a house with it," Hurricane told CNN. "It'll be a while before we address all the needed scientific challenges and then the engineering challenges to make it more practical, but we're excited. It's a great step forward scientifically." There is a bit of fine print. The implosion of a tiny pellet holding two hydrogen isotopes did produce more energy than it took to cause it -- about 17,000 joules, which Hurricane compared to the force of a downhill skier doing about 36 mph. However, the pellet received only about 1% of the total energy expended in the experiments, he said. But the reaction also produced a heating effect that appeared to boost the energy output -- a process dubbed "bootstrapping" by Hurricane's team at Livermore's laser fusion research center, the National Ignition Facility. And that may point scientists toward their ultimate goal of a controlled, sustainable fusion reaction that would provide abundant, safe power, he said. "We've assembled that stick of dynamite and we've gotten the fuse to light," he said. "If we can get that fuse to burn all the way to the dynamite, it's going to pack a wallop." The findings were published Wednesday in the scientific journal Nature. While humans have been producing uncontrolled fusion reactions since the 1950s through hydrogen bombs, harnessing nuclear fusion in a controlled setting has eluded scientists for decades. Solar lasers, ocean power and volcanoes: unusual energy sources of the future In a series of tests conducted at the NIF from September through November, scientists used a battery of 192 high-powered lasers to bombard a tiny pellet inside a gold chamber less than an inch long. Inside the pellet was a hair-thin layer of two hydrogen isotopes, deuterium and tritium, chilled to a temperature more than 400 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. The gold converts the laser light into a bath of X-rays, which cause the surface of the capsule to explode. That drives the capsule inward onto itself, an implosion that builds up pressure on the hydrogen isotopes. The pressure compresses the deuterium-tritium mix to a density more than double that found in the center of the sun, Hurricane said. Then the deuterium and tritium fuse into one, releasing neutrons and alpha particles -- helium atoms without the electrons circling them. And in a seventh of a billionth of a second, it's over. However, the most recent experiments produced more helium nuclei, which increased the reaction rate, which produced more alpha particles, Hurricane said. It's that "bootstrapping" that he said may lead scientists to eventually produce a reaction that yields more energy than it consumes. "It sounds very modest, and it is," he said. "But this is kind of closer than anyone's gotten before, and it is very unique to finally get as much energy out of the fuel as was put into the fuel."

South Korea spending $1.5 billion for '5G' network

STORY HIGHLIGHTS South Korea says they're spending $1.5 billion on a "5G" network The term is mostly a slogan for now, but the tech will come The nation's science ministry promises new network in 2020 Cellular networks in the U.S. likely will linger behind (CNN)-- Is the era of 5G connectivity upon us? The government in South Korea says so, and it's sinking $1.5 billion into upgrades it says will make mobile communications there 1,000 times faster than they are today. But not so fast. Literally, not so fast. As was the case when smartphones and other mobile devices first started having 4G slapped on them, the term 5G is as much a marketing slogan as anything else -- at this point, anyway. And if technophiles in the United States are hoping Korea's announcement means warp-speed data connections are coming their way in the near future, they're going to be disappointed. Regardless of the network's capabilities, any wireless carrier wanting to take advantage of them also would need costly upgrades to their systems. Users would have to purchase new devices that could access it. And even then, there's no guarantee that Netflix or similar companies would make their own data available at speeds that live up to the Korean government's tantalizing vision of an entire movie downloading in a single second. All that said, don't count Korea out. Arguably the most wired country in the world, South Korea has led in mobile adoption since the 1990s. "We helped fuel national growth with 2G services in the 1990s, 3G in the 2000s and 4G around 2010. Now it is time to take preemptive action to develop 5G," the nation's science ministry said. "Countries in Europe, China and the US are making aggressive efforts to develop 5G technology ... and we believe there will be fierce competition in this market in a few years." A worldwide high of 82.7% of South Koreans use the Internet, and 78.5% of the nation's population is on smartphones. Narrow that down to 18-24 year olds and it's dangerously close to full saturation -- 97.7%. The science ministry's plan is realistically measured. A trial 5G network is due to be rolled out in 2017, with full rollout in 2020. The country's telecom companies, as well as native mobile companies Samsung and LG, are on board and plan to be ready to take advantage of the network, according to the government statement. Eventually, of course, 5G will hit the U.S. and elsewhere. Remember, the difference between 3G and 4G and 5G is somewhat semantic. Significantly upgrade what we have now and you can add a number before the G. But we'll no doubt be behind. Korea's compact geography and existing wireless infrastructure mean that upgrades can happen faster and cheaper, and will reach more of the population than in geographically spread-out countries like the United States. The increasing number of smartphones and tablets used in the United States is already beginning to tax existing communications networks. Add an emerging wearable tech trend and connected appliances like smart thermostats, refrigerators and smoke detectors, and experts expect the U.S. will need a serious upgrade by 2020 as well. Each generation of network technologyhas enabled a new set of features: 2G was about voice, 3G was about data and 4G is about video. 5G is expected to be about creating intelligent networks that can handle those billions of connected devices.

Oil theft, govt spending, greatest challenges to economy – Sanusi

LAGOS — CENTRAL Bank of Nigeria, CBN governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has identified oil theft and increasing government spending as the greatest challenges facing the Nigerian economy. He stated this while delivering a keynote address at the Udo Udoma and Bello Osagie 30th anniversary lecture in Lagos. He said that the situation where some people successfully steal crude oil, refine and ship outside the country, and the fact that government spending is on a continuous upward trend, will continue to make it impossible for the economy to move at the desired rate. “We have a problem that is entirely home grown. Oil theft, increase in government spending are greatest challenges of the economy. And people who are investing in our markets are watching and when there is little panic, the economy may collapse. So we cannot take the stability that we currently have for granted. We should stop oil theft, leakage and build our reserves,” he said. The CBN governor, who used the opportunity to recount the efforts the apex bank has made under his leadership, noted that the bank’s monetary policies have made tremendous impacts on the exchange rates, especially in defence of the nation’s currency. According to him, “The CBN is not looking for strong or weak naira. We are instead, looking for a stable currency. This is because we understand how a weak currency impacts the lives of ordinary Nigerians. Our biggest problem remains the threat to the exchange rate, because we should be resisting appreciation and not fighting depreciation as currently is the reality.” Sanusi, who disclosed that the cost of managing the currency has dropped from N39 billion in 2009 to N34 billion in 2013, lamented the acute inefficiency in the value chain and explained that Nigeria needs to improve on that to drive the economy and make the banking industry lend more to the sector. “We have moved agriculture lending from 0 to 4 percent in two years and today, Nigerian banks have up to N500 billion in agriculture. This is because we can abuse the banks from now till tomorrow or employ all sorts of tricks to get the banks to lend to agriculture and they will not. So sometime ago, we invited Standard Chartered from Kenya and Standard Bank from South Africa to come and explain to us how their banks are lending to the agriculture sector and they said that the whole issue revolves around value chain, which is actually the answer to the problem of the entire economy.

M’United still hungry for EPL top four – Moyes

David Moyes maintains his Manchester United side are still up for the battle to make the top four of the Barclays Premier League after the goalless draw at Arsenal. Chances were at a premium between the two sides in a match which failed to live up to its hype. The result leaves Chelsea top of the table by a point. United could well have left north London with victory but for a brilliant save from Wojciech Szczesny, who pushed a header from Robin van Persie onto the crossbar. United, knocked out of the FA Cup in round three, now have a training break in Dubai before they resume Premier League action at Crystal Palace on February 22. “All I can do – and I keep saying it – is we will try and win the next game and pick it up,” said Moyes. “If there is one club in history who have been great at winning games in the second half of the season and putting pressure on the teams above it is Manchester United. We will continue to try and do that and make it work. “We can only do our job the best we can. We want to play better. We cannot bother about other teams. We can only put pressure on by winning our games.” Moyes added: “I believe the desire is still there in the squad. “I see them and they are great lads. They are fantastic with their training and their commitment is first class. “You saw how good Vida (Nemanja Vidic) was and how good Rio (Ferdinand) was when he came on. They are a great group of players and a very experienced group of players. They have been winners all of them. “They all have medals and when you have won you want to win more. They are all still hungry and determined to be successful.” Moyes felt on another night, United could have left north London with all three points and added: “I thought we did a lot of good things in the game. We had good shape and were nice and compact. We had some good moments in the game.

Katy Perry is the most followed on Twitter

Katy Perry ( @katyperry) recently became the most followed person on Twitter with more than 50 million followers. Her bio reads: "Let the light in. Prism. Out now!" See who leads the pack in a variety of categories as of February 1 according to Twitaholic.com Katy Perry is the most followed on Twitter STORY HIGHLIGHTS Perry has more than 50 million Twitter followers She surpassed Justin Bieber in November The singer tweeted about the milestone (CNN)-- Katy Perry is officially the queen of Twitter. The singer has reached more than 50 million followers on the social media site, making her the most followed person in the universe. Perry took the milestone in stride. "Oh yeah AND we grew to 50 million Katycats! Eh, regular day at the office," she tweeted (of course). Oh yeah AND we grew to 50 million Katycats! Eh, regular day at the office. — Katy Perry (@katyperry) February 1, 2014 Not that Perry doesn't have competition hot on her heels. Justin Bieber has about 49.4 million "beliebers" hanging on his every 140-character submission, while President Barack Obama has around 41.2 million followers. Lady Gaga has just over 41 million "little monsters." The video site YouTube, Taylor Swift, Britney Spears, Rihanna, Instagram, and Justin Timberlake round out the rest of the top 10 most-followed Twitter accounts. Perry snagged the Twitter throne from Bieber in November. He, in turn, had earlier toppled Gaga, who for two years was the most followed person. In October she told USA Todaythat felt felt like she had "learned how to tame that social media dragon."

U2 to play Mandela song at Oscars

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Irish rock veterans U2 will play their Oscar-nominated song “Ordinary Love” from the movie “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” at this year’s Academy Awards, organizers announced Wednesday. The March 2 performance at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood will be the first time U2 has played the song live, said Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, producers of the 86th Academy Awards. The tune is among four nominees for best original song along with “Happy” from “Despicable Me 2,” “Let It Go” from Disney’s animated “Frozen” and “The Moon Song” from futuristic love story “Her.” The Academy had already announced that Tony-winning singer and actress Idina Menzel will sing “Let It Go” from “Frozen” — the frontrunner for best animated feature — at next month’s awards ceremony. A fifth song was originally nominated. But “Alone Not Yet Alone” from a low-budget film of the same name, was pulled because its author, an Academy member, had emailed voters about his tune, breaching the prestigious body’s strict rules. Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres will host this year’s Oscars show, which is a week later than usual, after the Winter Olympics. The Golden Globes were moved two weeks forward, to January 12, to avoid clashing with the Sochi games on television. The Oscars, the climax of Tinseltown’s annual awards season, are televised live in more than 225 countries and territories around the world. The theme of this year’s show is movie heroes, whether real-life ones like Gandhi, super heroes like Superman and Batman, or heroic stories such as animated film “The Incredibles” and literary tales like “To Kill a Mockingbird.

Could Justin Bieber be deported?

Justin Bieber walks on a beach in Panama on Saturday, January 25, two days after he was charged in Miami with drunken driving, resisting arrest and driving without a valid license. The pop star is accompanied by his new girlfriend, model Chantel Jeffries, who is wearing the orange bikini. http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/140126172948-justin-bieber-panama---restricted-horizontal-gallery.jpg STORY HIGHLIGHTS Immigration lawyers say it's unlikely Justin Bieber will face deportation If he's charged with and convicted of drug offenses, that could change the equation The 19-year-old Canadian citizen faces misdemeanor charges in Florida California authorities are weighing whether to charge him with felony vandalism (CNN)-- Are criminal charges just the beginning of Justin Bieber's legal troubles? Depending on how things play out, the Canadian citizen could also have an immigration case to worry about. #DeportBieber trended on Twitter last week, with critics pushing authorities to send the teen pop star north of the border after he was arrested in Miami Beach, Florida, on suspicion of drunk driving, resisting arrest and driving without a valid license. It's not likely Bieber will be kicked out of the United States, immigration law experts say. But even so, criminal charges could complicate things for the 19-year-old singer -- and if he's charged with and convicted of any drug offenses, that could change the equation.

Samsung Galaxy line to get edgy displays in 2014, report says

It looks as if Samsung plans to make good on a promise it made at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2013, according to one report. At last year's event, Samsung showed off a screen display that wraps around the edge of a smartphone. Now the Korea Herald is reportingthat Samsung has a Galaxy-branded "bent" smartphone slated for launch in 2014, citing people who claim to have knowledge of the company's plans. It's a distinctly different look from that of the Galaxy Round, which Samsung launched in 2013. The Round is slightly concave along the length of the phone, and as is standard in smartphone design, the display stops before it gets to the edges. The edgy design concept debuted at CES 2013 as part of Samsung's muscle-flexing of its OLED-based Youm display technologies, which aimed for the creation of displays that can be bent, rolled, and folded. Skeptical about a bent display? When Samsung showed off the design last year, it said that the bent screen creates more surface area to display information. The wrapped-edge display could even be used like a sidebar, showing information different than what is on the main screen. According to the Korea Herald, the company's Samsung Display unit is developing the bent screen. Samsung is using the bent smartphone to test the market to see if there's a demand for different screen designs. If so, it could push forward with a foldable displayin 2015, according to the Herald. CNET has contacted Samsung for comment on the report. We will update this story when we have more information.

Samsung Galaxy line to get edgy displays in 2014, report says

It looks as if Samsung plans to make good on a promise it made at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2013, according to one report. At last year's event, Samsung showed off a screen display that wraps around the edge of a smartphone. Now the Korea Herald is reportingthat Samsung has a Galaxy-branded "bent" smartphone slated for launch in 2014, citing people who claim to have knowledge of the company's plans. It's a distinctly different look from that of the Galaxy Round, which Samsung launched in 2013. The Round is slightly concave along the length of the phone, and as is standard in smartphone design, the display stops before it gets to the edges. The edgy design concept debuted at CES 2013 as part of Samsung's muscle-flexing of its OLED-based Youm display technologies, which aimed for the creation of displays that can be bent, rolled, and folded. Skeptical about a bent display? When Samsung showed off the design last year, it said that the bent screen creates more surface area to display information. The wrapped-edge display could even be used like a sidebar, showing information different than what is on the main screen. According to the Korea Herald, the company's Samsung Display unit is developing the bent screen. Samsung is using the bent smartphone to test the market to see if there's a demand for different screen designs. If so, it could push forward with a foldable displayin 2015, according to the Herald. CNET has contacted Samsung for comment on the report. We will update this story when we have more information.

Apple's iPhone 6 to sport 4.7-, 5.5-inch screens, report

Yet another rumor has cropped up on the Web suggesting that Apple has big plans for its the expected iPhone 6. Apple will launch two iPhones later this year featuring larger screen sizes than those currently available, the South China Morning Post reportedWednesday, citing industry sources. One version will come in at 4.7 inches, while the other will feature a 5.5-inch display. Both products will launch in September, the report claims. In addition to talking screen size, the report claimed that the iPhone 6's display would be made entirely of sapphire -- the same material used by Apple to cover its camera lens and TouchID button. As yet, there has been no official word from Apple about what's in store for the smartphone design that will follow on from the current high-end model, the iPhone 5S. It's also worth noting that the South China Morning Post is not known as a breaking news outlet, which means its report should be handled with some skepticism. Rumors have been swirling for months that Apple has plans to boost its screen size and use sapphire in the next version of the iPhone. The current models top out at 4 inches, making them markedly smaller than competing Android devices, like the Galaxy S4 and HTC One. Exactly what screen size the devices will offer, however, has been the subject of some debate. Some reports have suggested that the screens will measure 4.5 inches and 5 inches and not anything larger. Others have said that the screens will come in at 4.8 inches and 6 inches, respectively. For its part, Apple has, of course, ignored any chance to set the record straight, which means we'll have to wait until later this year to find out exactly what the company has planned.

Microsoft accused of censoring Chinese search results in US

Is Microsoft censoring searches of certain Chinese terms in the United States? One Web site is standing behind its original accusation. Microsoft's Bing allegedly delivers different results for English-language searches than for those in Chinese, The Guardian said on Tuesday. Run searches on such politically sensitive topics as the Dalai Lama, Falun Gong, and Tiananmen Square on Bing's English-language site and its Chinese-language site, and the results vary, the report claimed. The Guardian said the discrepancies were first noted by Chinese monitoring site GreatFire. In response to the initial charges of censorship from GreatFire, Microsoft attributed the problem to a system error, sharing the following statement with CNET: We've conducted an investigation of the claims raised by Greatfire.org. First, Bing does not apply China's legal requirements to searches conducted outside of China. Due to an error in our system, we triggered an incorrect results removal notification for some searches noted in the report but the results themselves are and were unaltered outside of China. Second, with regard to the freeweibo.comhomepage being absent from Bing search results, our investigation indicates that at some time in the past the page was marked as inappropriate due to low quality or adult. After review, we have determined the page is acceptable for inclusion in global search results. Bing aims to provide a robust set of high-quality, relevant search results to our users. In doing so, Bing has extremely high standards that respect human rights, privacy and freedom of expression. Microsoft is a signatory to the Global Network Initiative, which is an effort by a multi-stakeholder group of companies, civil society organizations (including human rights and press freedom groups), investors, and academics to protect and advance freedom of expression and privacy on the Internet. As part of our commitment to GNI, Microsoft follows a strict set of internal procedures for how we respond to specific demands from governments requiring us to block access to content. We apply these principles carefully and thoughtfully to our Bing version for the People's Republic of China. But GreatFire remains unconvinced. In a Wednesday update posted on its Web site, GreatFire said that Microsoft's claim that the search results are and were unaltered outside of China is simply not true. "Most results are partially censored and hard to detect if you don't read Chinese," GreatFire claimed. "But we selected a term that is completely censored so that even a non-Chinese reader can easily confirm that the censorship exists." As purported evidence, GreatFire pointed to a search for the word "Freegate" in Chinese on Bing's Chinese-language siteas one that triggers the message: "Due to legal obligations imposed by Chinese laws and regulations, we have removed the results for these search terms." GreatFire also chided Microsoft for failing to address its allegations of censorship on the international version of Bing in China. "For Microsoft, this is an enormous opportunity -- do the right thing and stand up to Chinese censorship now," GreatFire said. "It has damaged your credibility with customers and China's efforts to boost its image overseas."

Microsoft accused of censoring Chinese search results in US

Is Microsoft censoring searches of certain Chinese terms in the United States? One Web site is standing behind its original accusation. Microsoft's Bing allegedly delivers different results for English-language searches than for those in Chinese, The Guardian said on Tuesday. Run searches on such politically sensitive topics as the Dalai Lama, Falun Gong, and Tiananmen Square on Bing's English-language site and its Chinese-language site, and the results vary, the report claimed. The Guardian said the discrepancies were first noted by Chinese monitoring site GreatFire. In response to the initial charges of censorship from GreatFire, Microsoft attributed the problem to a system error, sharing the following statement with CNET: We've conducted an investigation of the claims raised by Greatfire.org. First, Bing does not apply China's legal requirements to searches conducted outside of China. Due to an error in our system, we triggered an incorrect results removal notification for some searches noted in the report but the results themselves are and were unaltered outside of China. Second, with regard to the freeweibo.comhomepage being absent from Bing search results, our investigation indicates that at some time in the past the page was marked as inappropriate due to low quality or adult. After review, we have determined the page is acceptable for inclusion in global search results. Bing aims to provide a robust set of high-quality, relevant search results to our users. In doing so, Bing has extremely high standards that respect human rights, privacy and freedom of expression. Microsoft is a signatory to the Global Network Initiative, which is an effort by a multi-stakeholder group of companies, civil society organizations (including human rights and press freedom groups), investors, and academics to protect and advance freedom of expression and privacy on the Internet. As part of our commitment to GNI, Microsoft follows a strict set of internal procedures for how we respond to specific demands from governments requiring us to block access to content. We apply these principles carefully and thoughtfully to our Bing version for the People's Republic of China. But GreatFire remains unconvinced. In a Wednesday update posted on its Web site, GreatFire said that Microsoft's claim that the search results are and were unaltered outside of China is simply not true. "Most results are partially censored and hard to detect if you don't read Chinese," GreatFire claimed. "But we selected a term that is completely censored so that even a non-Chinese reader can easily confirm that the censorship exists." As purported evidence, GreatFire pointed to a search for the word "Freegate" in Chinese on Bing's Chinese-language siteas one that triggers the message: "Due to legal obligations imposed by Chinese laws and regulations, we have removed the results for these search terms." GreatFire also chided Microsoft for failing to address its allegations of censorship on the international version of Bing in China. "For Microsoft, this is an enormous opportunity -- do the right thing and stand up to Chinese censorship now," GreatFire said. "It has damaged your credibility with customers and China's efforts to boost its image overseas."

Finally, here come the 64-bit Windows 8.1 tablets

At least one major PC maker is expected to show an Intel "Bay Trail" tablet running 64-bit Windows 8.1 at Mobile World Congress, according to a source familiar with upcoming plans for those tablets. Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Lenovo, and Samsung are some of the most prominent PC makers to offer Windows 8.1 tablets running on Intel's Bay Trail chip. To date, Windows tablets based on Intel's newest -- and redesigned -- quad-core Atom processor have run in 32-bit mode. One of the most oft-cited reasons for going 64-bit is to address more memory, beyond the 4GB limit that's typical for 32-bit applications. But there are other reasons too. "The pressure for 64-bit, even in tablets that might not have 4GB of DRAM, is pretty strong because IT organizations want to standardize on 64-bit images and 64-bit apps," said Nathan Brookwood, principal analyst at Insight 64. "And they can't do that with (the current) Bay Trail tablets." Brookwood added that the "next wave" of Bay Trail tablets will include those that are more targeted at business customers. "Intel tended to characterize the first generation of (32-bit) Bay Trail tablets as consumer-oriented," he said. Dell will roll out updated Venue tablets for 64-bit. "Dell will offer 64-bit OS support for its Venue 8 Pro and Venue 11 Pro tablets running Bay Trail (Atom) later this year," a Dell spokesperson told CNET. Though two of Dell's Venue 11 Pro modelssupport 64-bit Windows, this is only possible by squeezing in a Haswell processor -- more typically used in laptops -- into a chassis that's thicker and heavier than the Venue 11 Pro model using a Bay Trail chip. This is similar to what Microsoft has done with the laptop-like Surface Pro 2. The handful of Haswell-based tablets on the market tend to be priced hundreds of dollars more than the more numerous Bay Trail tablets. For example, Dell's Bay Trail-based Venue 11 Pro starts at $500. Its Haswell-based models start at $800. Microsoft also expects 64-bit tablets running on top of Bay Trail. "In the coming months, there will be Windows 8.1 devices running 64 bit on Atom," Microsoft said to CNET in a statement. And why the long wait for 64-bit Windows on Atom? It's not entirely clear, but Brookwood knows one of the reasons. "Sixty-four-bit connected standby drivers were prioritized toward the end of the list last year with other things that were going inside Intel and Microsoft. That was the main sticking point," he said. "A tablet without connected standby has some pretty awful consequences on battery life," he added. The race to 64-bit in mobile devices has taken on new urgency after Apple announced the 64-bit A7 processor powering its iPhone 5S, iPad Air, and iPad Mini Retina last year. According to Brookwood, Intel also made the comment at the company's analyst day last year about supporting 64-bit on Windows and Android. One of the burning questions, he said, is: "Who's going to be the first 64-bit Android platform?"

Box Coverts Beer Waste to Bio-Gas

A shipping container-size reactor uses microbes to convert dissolved carbon in industrial wastewater into biogas. People have long known there is energy in wastewater; extracting it economically is the problem. Startup Cambrian Innovationclaims its technology can do it and a brewery and a winery are now using it to clean their wastewater while producing energy. The company's EcoVolt machine is a shipping container-size reactor that uses microbes to convert dissolved carbon in industrial wastewater into biogas, which can be burned on site for electricity or heat. Its first demonstration unit is running at the Clos du Boiswinery in Sonoma county, and last month nearby Bear Republic Breweryin Cloverdale, Calif. flipped the switch on the second system. How Poop Will Power The World Is poop the future of green energy? Maybe! Trace explains this stinky solution to our power woes. Typically, food and beverage businesses remove the organic material in wastewater -- measured as biological oxygen demand (BOD) -- by aerating water with pumps. But that can be an energy-intensive process. The Bear Republic Brewery expects it will be able to eliminate 80 percent to 90 percent of the BOD of its wastewater with the EcoVolt and reuse 10 percent of its water. By burning the biogas, the brewery thinks it can cover 50 percent of its electricity needs. The return on investment for the brewery is about four years in reduced energy costs, says Cambrian Innovation CEO Matthew Silver who I spoke to at the company’s headquarters in a South Boston startup incubator space. Silver had planned to work in aerospace but became fascinated by advances in biotech and genetic engineering while a research scientist at MIT. Under a NASA grant, he led research into how bioelectric systems could be used to manage water in space. In doing that, he saw the potential for using electrochemically active microbes to clean water in industry. There's plenty of need: About three percent of the U.S. electricity is consumed treating wastewater, and producing one bottle of beer typically results in up to ten times as much in wastewater. Making biogas from waste has been done for years and is not necessarily high tech. Industrial anaerobic digesters, which often look like farm silos, use naturally occurring bacteria to consume organic material to make biogas, which is siphoned off. Cambrian Innovation's EcoVolt achieves a similar result but with a different anaerobic process. Its reactor has microbes that consume organic matter as food and deposit electronsdirectly on a metal electrode. Found in soil, these microbes, sometimes called exoelectrogens or anode-respiring bacteria, are the active component in some types of microbial fuel cells. The EcoVolt system uses these microbes to produce a flow of electrons from a bacterial-film-covered anode to a cathode. They do this by breaking down organic molecules into hydrogen and carbon dioxide. At the cathode, another set of microbes, with the aid of the electric current, convert the CO2and hydrogen from the first reaction to methane. A byproduct of that reaction is clean water.

X-Ray Glasses Help Surgeons See Cancer

As augmented reality glasses start to emerge upon the medical field, we’ve told you about doctors using wearable technologyto help find hard-to-locate veins. However, the latest in wearable medical tech is tackling a more serious problem, the second-leading cause of death in the U.S. A team of researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a pair of high-tech glasses that could help surgeons visualize cancer cells. The glasses contain custom video technology, a head-mounted display and targeted molecular agent that binds to cancer cells. When viewed from behind the glasses, the cancer cells glow blue. Even when magnified to a high degree, cancer cells are notoriously difficult to see. The glasses are designed to help surgeons more easily differentiate between healthy cells and cancer cells so no tumor cells are overlooked during surgery. The glasses were used during surgery for the first time earlier this week at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and the Washington University School of Medicine. Julie Margenthaler, the breast surgeon who performed the operation, said about 20 to 25 percent of breast cancer patients who have lumps removed return for a second surgery because current technology can’t adequately display the extent of the disease. Her hope is that this new technology could reduce or ultimately eliminate the need for second surgeries. “We’re in the early stages of this technology, and more development and testing will be done, but we’re certainly encouraged by the potential benefits to patients,” Margenthaler, an associate professor of surgery at Washington University, said in a press release. “Imagine what it would mean if these glasses eliminated the need for follow-up surgery and the associated pain, inconvenience and anxiety.”

Storm brings Britain to all but a standstill

Winds of more than 100mph swept the country yesterday as Britain was all but brought to a standstill by one of the worst storms in living memory. The hurricane force winds accompanied by torrential rain and hail brought flooding to areas that had yet to be affected and fresh misery to those that had. The wind whipped up waves across the Somerset Levels where water levels have risen at least 12 inches in the past few days. The Met Office is forecasting that 70mm (2.75 inches) of rain will fall by Friday, the average rainfall for the entire month of February. The strongest gust of more than 108mph was recorded at Aberdaron on the Llyn Peninsula in north west Wales but conditions were hardly better further south.

Two teenage boys charged in US ‘satanic’ ritual murder

Two teenage boys have been charged in the US with the sexual assault and ritual murder of a 15-year-old girl. Jose E Reyes, 17, and a 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, are accused of the killing of Corriann Cervantes. Prosecutors in Texas said the pair believed they were doing a deal with “the devil” when they killed the girl. They are also accused of disfiguring the girl’s body, including carving an upside down crucifix on her stomach. Officials say that the boys lured Miss Cervantes to an empty apartment in Houston, Texas, on 5 February. Corriann Cervantes’ body was found in an empty flat in a block in Houston Harris County prosecutor John Jordan said the younger boy had heard Reyes say that he had sold his soul to the devil and the 16-year-old wanted to do the same. He added: “The juvenile inquired… that if he committed a murder, would that basically initiate him into being able to sell his soul to the devil, of which Mr. Reyes said, ‘Yes.’ “What happened in that vacant apartment was sadistic. What will eventually happen in the… courtroom will be justice”. Authorities are still trying to determine how Cervantes died, he said. Police said the Miss Cervantes’ body was discovered early Saturday when someone who lived in the block of flats noticed the door to the empty apartment was open. ‘Devil worship’ Jose Reyes, who was arrested Sunday, made a brief court appearance on Tuesday. He is being held without bond in the Harris County Jail. His lawyer, Jerald Graber, said he could not comment on the case because he had just been appointed by the court and knew few of the details related to the charges. The 16-year-old boy is in being held in a juvenile detention facility. Prosecutors say Jose Reyes’ family first went to authorities after the 17-year-old made “some admissions” to them about what had happened. “They did the right thing. Clearly they were offended by his conduct,” Mr Jordan said. There was evidence of “devil worship and things of that nature” at the Reyes family home, he added. No decisions have been made by prosecutors on whether the 16-year-old will be tried as an adult.

Omg!!Virgin Mary Statue 'Weeps Oil' In Israel

Thousands of people have gathered in a small town in northern Israel to see a statue of the Virgin Mary that a family claims is "weeping oil". http://web.orange.co.uk/p/news/video?provider=Sky%20News&uid=1210161

At last, Jonathan sacks aviation minister, Oduah, three others

President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday finally sacked the embattled Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah. Others affected were Caleb Olubolade (Police Affairs); Godsday Orubebe (Niger Delta); and Yerima Ngama (State, Finance). “They were dropped, they did not resign,” a cabinet source told our correspondent. Oduah’s approval for the purchase of two bullet-proof cars for N255m caused public outrage in the country with many Nigerians calling for her removal and prosecution.

17-yr-old nabbed for sleeping with own mother, raping 4 children

ABAKALIKI – THE Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in Ebonyi State, yesterday, arrested a serial rapist and homosexual, Chibuike Maduka, who allegedly raped four children of different parents at Ndibe in Afikpo North Local Government Area of the state. The suspect who blamed his strange sexual escapades on his mother, Mrs. Idam Augustina Josephine, confessed to have had sexual intercourse with his mother on several occasions and that he doesn’t know what usually compel him to have sex with children in the area. Parading the suspect at the Command headquarters in Abakaliki, the state Commandant of NSCDC, Mrs. Ego Echendu, said the suspect was arrested after a tip-off by an indigene of the area, adding that the suspect had in a confessional statement disclosed that he had sexual intercourse with his mother. He said: ”We got a tip-off and sent some of our men to follow up the information concerning an adolescent male who has been in the business of raping children. “We continued to monitor the suspect and fortunately at about 3 p.m yesterday, our divisional office at Afikpo North Local Government Area was able to locate him and his mother who, we reliably gathered, was also a key player in the son’s sexual escapades. ”The suspect confessed to have been having sexual intercourse with the biological mother and we asked to know when it started and he said last year and also claimed that the mother usually encouraged him to sleep with children of tender ages. ”Because this case involves women and children of these age bracket, we want to transfer this case to the Ministry of Women Affairs in the state for them to take it from there. “He sleeps with his own biological mother who is in our custody now; and again he also told us that he is a homosexual, he sleeps with other male friends. “From my analysis, I think he has some sought of brain disorder.” Vanguard gathered that the suspect, who hailed from Amangu village in Nkpohoro, began raping young children since 2008 and a Senior Secondary School, SSS, 1 student of Oziza Secondary School, Afikpo North Local Government Area of the state. My mother used me for ritual —Suspect According to the suspect, “I’m here because of my mother. She used me for ritual. I don’t know what I’m doing. If I see a little child I will rape her; this act started in 2008; it is not my fault but that of my mother. “I have raped my mother and four children. My father is late. I don’t know myself again. I had homosexual activities with one Emmanuel three times at Amangu in Afikpo North Local Government Area.” His mum denies allegations Reacting, the mother of the suspect, Mrs. Idam Augustina Josephine, 45, denied having any sexual involvement with his son, insisting that he doesn’t know what was happening to his son. She said: “I am 45 years and the mother of Chibuike Maduka. How can I teach my child to rape little children? I’m here because my son raped some children; he is telling a lie, he never had any sexual relationship with me.”

Man beats girl-friend to death

Onitsha – The police in Anambra on Tuesday confirmed the arrest of a 27-year-old man suspected to have beaten his girl-friend to death in Onitsha. The commands Public Relations Officer, Mr Emeka Chukwuemeka, said that the suspect was arrested while attempting to run away after the incident. “A full scale investigation has commenced on the matter to unravel what really happened,’’ Chukwuemeka said. A resident of No. 46 Old Market Road, where the incident happened, on condition of anonymity said that the suspect was in the habit of beating his girl friend even though the girl refused to let go of the relationship. “It happened last night when we started hearing the usual beating and cry from their corner. “At a time, it appeared that he noticed that his lover was no longer responding, so, with the help of his mother and some neigbours, they rushed her to a hospital where she was confirmed dead,’’ the witness said. The incident reportedly happened around 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Following the development, some residents of the compound left their homes for fear of arrest. (NAN)

Comatose Schumacher treated for pneumonia

Michael Schumacher has contracted pneumonia while still in a coma in hospital following his ski accident, it emerged today. The 45-year-old retired Formula One star had the lung infection diagnosed last week and is being treated with antibiotics, according to Bild newspaper in Germany. Schumacher has not emerged from the coma induced by doctors after he smashed his head on a rock in a fall while skiing off-piste in the French Alps on December 29. Despite wearing a helmet, which broke in the accident, he suffered serious swelling of the brain and has had at least two operations to relieve the pressure. He was sedated to allow him time to recover. An infection as serious as pneumonia could explain why Schumacher has been left unconscious despite confirmation from his manager on January 30 that the waking-up process had begun.

Gunmen kill 9 anti-Taliban volunteers in Pakistan

PESHAWAR (AFP) – Militants killed nine men in a raid on a house of anti-Taliban activists in northwest Pakistan on Wednesday, the latest violence to hit fledgling peace talks. The attack came as Taliban and government negotiators try to start meaningful talks to end a seven-year Islamist insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives. A government negotiator told AFP Wednesday the Taliban had agreed to enter direct dialogue without intermediaries if their safety could be guaranteed. Around two dozen fighters were involved Wednesday’s attack in Mashukhel neighbourhood of Peshawar, close to the lawless Khyber tribal district, where Taliban and Islamist groups are active. Taliban and other militant groups have been targeting locals who support the security forces or have formed vigilante groups against them. “At least nine men were shot dead by militants who stormed into a house around 4:30 am firing with automatic weapons and exploding hand grenades,” senior police official Fazal-e-Wahid told AFP. Furious residents blocked the main highway linking Peshawar with the garrison town of Kohat for some time to protest against the killings, Tilla Khan, a local peace committee member, told AFP. The attack came a day after 13 people were killed by a triple grenade attack on a Peshawar cinema which was showing pornography. Earlier in the month a separate cinema in the city was also hit by grenades, killing four and wounding 31. Wahid said the militant group involved in Wednesday’s attack separated adult males of the family, shot them and later fled. A man of the same family who served in the community police was killed in an armed attack some 18 months ago, Wahid added. Najib-ur-Rehman, another senior police official, confirmed the incident and said the gunmen had targeted the family because of their affiliations with a local peace committee. Khyber straddles the NATO supply line into Afghanistan, used by US-led troops to evacuate military equipment as they withdraw by the end of this year.

Police use stun grenades on ANC, opposition supporters

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – South Africa’s heated election campaign escalated into violence Wednesday, forcing Johannesburg police to fire rubber bullets and stun grenades to separate armed supporters of the ruling ANC from an opposition rally. African National Congress militants brandished sticks and hurled Molotov cocktails and bricks at members of the Democratic Alliance holding a march near the ANC’s headquarters to highlight vast unemployment in the country. Police responded with force, rounding up stone-throwing youths, while forming a human barrier between supporters of the rival parties. DA supporter Mellisa Cohen said the march had intended to be peaceful. “We are here to make our voice heard and we are met with violence. It’s not right, especially in a democratic country,” she said. “We all have a right to express ourselves. This is barbaric.” The ANC had called the march a reckless provocation and a declaration of war against the party’s headquarters. After failing to have the march banned in court, the ruling party set the stage for the standoff by bussing in thousands of its own supporters to the city centre for a rival rally. Gripping a brick painted with the letters “DA” 20-year-old ANC supporter Kamogelo promised violence as the DA march approached. “These people must use bricks today, they must use it,” he said. “There’s no toyi toyi (demonstration) without violence. There’s a lot to happen here, there’s a lot. We are ready for DA.” South Africans will go to the polls on May 7 to vote in the country’s fifth democratic election since the end of Apartheid in 1994. The run-up to the vote has been overshadowed by violent demonstrations about the lack of basic services and jobs. Out of a working age population of 35 million only 15.2 million South Africans are actually employed. Both major parties have made a promise to create jobs a key plank of their manifestos. The ANC is widely expected to extend its 20 years in government during the election, but the Democratic Alliance hopes to chisel away at its support and perhaps win control of key provinces and wards

New Single: PSquare drops ‘taste the money’

http://community.vanguardngr.com/video/p-square-taste-the-money-february-2014

20 African innovators emerge in Google’s Africa Connected competition

No fewer than 20 innovative, entrepreneurial web adopters from across sub-Saharan Africa have scaled through to the semi-finals of Google’s Africa Connected competition. The 20 semi-finalists were selected from initial entries to take part in an interview and to produce a short promotional video. A judging panel, made up of Googlers and external judges, will now determine the 10 finalists. The 5 winners, in whose lives the web and Google have played a pivotal role, will then be selected by the online voting public. The winners will be announced on 1st April at an event in Nairobi, Kenya. Out of the 20 innovators that made the semi=finalists list, three Nigerians including Eric Obuh, a social crusader, Eseoghene Odiete, a fashion designer, Mayowa Adegbile, a philanthropist were shortlisted. It would be recalled that the competition was launched in August last year with a call on entrepreneurs, creatives, innovators and web-lovers to share their stories of how the web has transformed their lives and work. Accordingly, the semi-finalists were selected from over 2,200 entries from 35 countries. Five successful winners will win $25,000 each in addition to having the opportunity to work with a Google sponsor over a six-month period to further their online business success. The competition categories included Education; Entertainment/Arts/Sports; Technology; Community and NGOs; and Small Businesses. “We received over 2,200 entries from a diverse set of 35 countries across the continent, ranging from Mali to Uganda to Namibia. Each of them demonstrated how people are using the web and technology to overcome challenges, do extraordinary things, and be successful, not only for themselves but also for others in their communities. “ The projects include everything from using YouTube to learn about eco-friendly building techniques, to an award-winning blog on mental health. Selecting the 20 semi-finalists was tough, but we were really impressed with their initiatives, and wish them the best in the next round,” Affiong Osuchukwu, Google Lead for the Africa Connected initiative, said. For Juliet Ehimuan, Country Manager, Google Nigeria, “We’re excited to see good Nigerian representation, as we have 3 out of 20, among the semifinalists. We see the stories of these three lives of Eric Obuh a.k.a. Vocal Slender, Eseoghene Odiete, and Mayowa Adegbile, as representative of the resilient nature of Nigerians to achieve their dreams. We can only wish them well in the competition.”

Nigeria will end sugar importation in 2018 – Dangote

Nigerian leading Industrialist Aliko Dangote says Nigeria will stop sugar importation by 2018 as President Goodluck Jonathan launches Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan in Abuja. Dangote who spoke on Tuesday at the launch of the NIRP and the National Enterprise Development Programme, described the launch as a giant stride because stakeholders were carried along in their conception. He said that with the enabling environment, right policies and political will of the Jonathan’s administration, the sugar sub-sector would witness the same turnaround as cement. Specifically, he said with the backward integration policy introduced in the sub-sector, Nigeria would cease to be a net importer of sugar in the next four years. He recalled that from the net annual production of two million tonnes of cement few years back, which was not adequate for local consumption in 2013 the country for the first time exported cement with a net production of more than 29 million tonnes. Dangote hailed the Jonathan administration’s efforts to bring down bank interest rate to manufacturers to single digit. He said that while his company was constructing the Obajana cement factory in Kogi, he borrowed at 4 per cent interest rate with short term of 90 days. On his ongoing refinery and petrochemical project, Dangote said that at completion in 2014, 65 per cent of its capacity would provide the needed gasoline, diesel and kerosene in the country. He said the factory would also have the capacity to produce 900,000 tonnes of polyethylene for the production of plastics and tiles. The National President of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Chief Kola Jamodu said the launch of the two programmes was a landmark initiative. Jamodu said if properly and faithfully implemented, NIRP and NEDEP would launch the country into industrial revolution. The National President of NASME, Mr Godswill Nnebong, said more 17 million small and medium scale entrepreneurs had benefitted from fund and training by SMEDAN. Nnebong commended the Federal Government for the launch of NIRP and NEDEP.

We’ll pressure Nigeria to change same-sex law – US

The US, on Tuesday insisted that it would continue to put pressure on Nigeria to change the law banning same-sex marriage and shows of public same-sex affection in the country. The US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Ms Linda Thomas-Greenfield, made this known in online interactive session with journalists on US foreign policy in sub-Saharan Africa. Thomas-Greenfield argued that it was a US policy to strongly support the human rights of all people and oppose any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation. “As a policy we will continue to press the government of Nigeria and other governments and the legislature to change this laws and provide human rights to all Nigerians regardless of their sexual orientation,’’ she said. On the fight against insurgency, Thomas-Greenfield denied suggestions that Boko Haram had become more daring since the U.S. government designated the group a foreign terrorist organisation. She reiterated the support of the U.S. to the Federal Government’s efforts to combat violent extremism and the fight against insurgency. “We think that to address extremism there has to be a multifaceted approach, one that brings in not only security and military elements, but also civilian elements to deal with issues of the people in the area.’’ The U.S. top envoy for Africa also confirmed that President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe had not been invited to U.S.-Africa summit scheduled for August in Washington D.C. President Barack Obama had invited 47 African Heads of State and Governments to the summit aimed at enhancing trade and investment to the continent. On the exclusion of Mugabe, Thomas-Greenfield said: “we invited all of the countries that were in good standing with the AU and good standing with the U.S. government. “That’s the reason invitation went out to certain countries and did not go to other countries.’’ The U.S. diplomat, who was part of high-level delegation that attended the just ended 22nd AU summit in Addis Ababa, pledged U.S. commitment to strengthen its relationship with the continental body. She said the U.S. would continue to cooperate with the AU, which elected President Mohammed Ould Abdelaziz of Mauritania, as its Chairman during the last summit. “It is our hope along with the AU leadership that we can work together to build the capacity of the AU to respond to the crisis that are occurring in Africa. “But more importantly, we want the AU to be a voice of reason on the continent as the AU looks to how Africa with its immense resources can contribute to the peace and prosperity of the people in the countries that are members of the AU,’’ she said.

New evidence suggests there is flowing water on Mars

The mysterious streaks on the side of some Martian slopes have intrigued scientists ever since they were first spotted three years ago. Now they have just got more intriguing: it seems they get longer when it is hotter. And the best explanation Nasa can think of is they contain liquid water. Known as recurring slope lineae (RSL), these striations were identified in 2011 by scientists looking at pictures sent back by the Mars Orbiter. With the goal of much Mars exploration to identify surface water, considered by some a prerequisite for life, the RSL seemed sufficiently interesting to merit further

PDP reclaims majority in House of Reps

ABUJA – FIVE All Progressives Congress, (APC) legislators Tuesday, defected to Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The five lawmakers are from Kano, Zamfara and Sokoto States. The lawmakers that defected are Reps Lawal Shehu Bichi ,Kano, Abdulsalam Adamu ,Kano, Sani Umar ,Zamfara, Ibrahim Shehu Gusau ,Zamfara, and Umar Bature ,Sokoto. But reports that Bature was one of the 37 PDP lawmakers who defected to the APC on December 18 last year, but he decided to rejoin the PDP along with the other four lawmakers. However, a PDP lawmaker from Kaduna State Rep Isa Mohammed Ashiru moved to the APC. Following announcement of the defection by Speaker Aminu Waziri Tabuwal, the floor of the House was thrown into a rowdy session for some minutes with some PDP lawmakers shouting “PDP, power! APC, shame!” At a point, minority leader Femi Gbajabiamila stood up to talk, but he was shouted down by PDP lawmakers. This development further widens the margin between the PDP and the APC. The ruling party which hitherto had 174 lawmakers in the House now has 178, while APC’s initial 172 has been reduced to 168. The two lawmakers from Kano who defected to the PDP are believed to be loyalists of former governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, who had defected to the PDP a fortnight ago, following leadership tussle between him and the current governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. They were part of the 11 members from the legacy parties in Kano State that merged to form the APC. They had addressed a press conference, distancing themselves from Shekarau’s defection. But sources told Vanguard that they had to reconsider their earlier stand based on their belief in Shekarau. Rep Gusau’s defection to the PDP, a source said, was part of plans to realize his ambition of becoming Zamfara State governor come 2015 following his fall out with the state governor, Abdulaziz Yari, and the political godfather in the state, Senator Ahmed Sani Yarima.

Suicide bombers and teacher blown up at Iraq training camp

An entire class of jihadist recruits learning to make suicide bombs at a camp in Iraq were killed yesterday after their instructor accidentally detonated a car packed with explosive. The instructor and 21 of his students were killed in the blast at a training camp north of Baghdad run by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, the terror network’s one-time affiliate in Iraq. Al-Qaeda’s central command broke ties with the group last week amid infighting between rival Islamist rebel groups in Syria. The network had previously ordered the group to return to the battlefield in Iraq, leaving Syria to

Train chops off passenger’s hand in Lagos

LAGOS— Tragedy struck in Lagos, yesterday, when a passenger hanging on a train coach had his hand chopped off by the moving train. According to eye witnesses, the incident occurred at Oshodi around 9 a.m. when the victim, who was simply identified as Ernest, allegedly fell from the moving train which had a hitch in movement. An eye witness, Mr Olu Atoyebi, said Ernest fell from the moving train while his hand was stuck in between the coaches resulting to the hand being chopped off. His shout for help was said to have attracted sympathisers who rushed to the scene to offer assistance. Ernest who was said to be conscious at that time, asked the sympathisers to reach out for his phone and invite his relations to take him to the hospital. Atoyebi blamed the victim for the tragedy, saying there have been campaigns by the government against such act. ‘’The government had been campaigning against hanging on the coach but many passengers are adamant and they will have themselves to blame in case of eventuality,’’ he said.

India lifts hunting ban after tiger kills ten

The authorities used paw prints to identify the killer animal An ageing tigress that has gained a taste for human flesh is being blamed for the worst spate of attacks on people in India for 50 years. The latest victim, Ram Charan, a 45-year-old labourer, was attacked and partly eaten on Sunday. He had left his vehicle and walked into a forest to relieve himself near the village of Kalagarh, close to the Jim Corbett National Park in northern India. Colleagues rushed to help, but by the time they reached him he was dead. The animal had eaten parts of his leg and abdomen. Hundreds of forest officials fanned out.

Dog Mauls Baby Girl To Death In Blackburn

An 11-month-old girl has died after she was mauled by a dog in Blackburn, prompting the arrest of two people. A spokesman for Lancashire Police said officers were called to a house in Emily Street at around 11pm on Monday. The baby was taken to the Royal Blackburn Hospital but died a short time after her arrival. A 24-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman have been arrested in connection with the incident, as police continue to investigate what happened. Detective Superintendent Simon Giles, of Lancashire Police, said: "This is a tragic incident, and specially trained officers are offering support to the wider family and full investigation is underway." The relationship between the baby and those arrested has not been confirmed. It is believed the girl was not at her home address at the time of the incident. Nobody else was injured during the attack.

Julia Roberts' Half-Sister Found Dead In LA

The half-sister of actress Julia Roberts has been found dead in Los Angeles from a suspected drug overdose. The body of Nancy Motes, 37, was found inside a bathtub full of water at a friend's home on Sunday afternoon, where she had been dog-sitting. LA County Coroner spokesman John Kades said prescription drugs had been found at the residence. He said indications of a suicide note had also been found, but the exact cause of death had not been determined. Lieutenant Larry Dietz, of the LA County coroner's office, said a post-mortem examination had yet to be performed. Ms Motes was the half-sister of Oscar-winner Roberts and her brother, Eric Roberts, also an actor. She was born to their mother. In a statement to People magazine, the Roberts family said they were "shocked and devastated" by Ms Motes' death. "It is with deep sadness that the family of Nancy Motes ... confirms that she was found dead in Los Angeles yesterday of an apparent drug overdose," the family said. Julia Roberts, 46, who is currently nominated for a best supporting actress Oscar for her role in August: Osage County, did not attend a nominees luncheon hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences on Monday.

Facebook's Zuckerberg Donates $1bn To Charity

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg gave almost $1bn (£609m) to charity last year, making him the largest donor on the US public record for 2013. Mr Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan donated 18 million Facebook shares, valued at more than $970m (£591m). The shares were given to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, which specialises in the investment and management of charitable funds. The donation was revealed by The Chronicle of Philanthropy magazine, which publishes an annual list of the 50 most generous Americans. The magazine reported that the top 50 donors made contributions in 2013 worth $7.7bn (£4.7bn), plus further pledges of $2.9bn (£1.7bn). Some of the nation's biggest givers do not appear on the 2013 list, as their donations for the year were listed as pledges in previous years. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda gave their foundation slightly more than $181.3m (£101.4m) last year. They were also paying off a pledge of about $3.3bn (£2bn), which was made in 2004. CNN-founder Ted Turner and Berkshire Hathaway chairman Warren Buffett also made large gifts toward previous pledges. The magazine's editor, Stacy Palmer, said the most significant fact about this year's list was the amount of money coming from living donors. Donations from living contributors totalled about the same amount as the two previous years combined. "It's a sure sign that the economy is getting better and people are getting a lot less cautious," Ms Palmer said. Most donors on the list were prominent people who have given generously in the past. But Ms Palmer said some donors were a surprise, including Seattle lawyer Jack MacDonald, who gave $139m (£85m) to three non-profit organisations upon his death. :

D’banj takes to farming, encourages youths in agriculture

Lagos – Dapo Oyebanjo, a.k.a D’banj, on Monday said he would take to farming to encourage youths to embrace agriculture and fight poverty. D’banj said in an interview with in Ikeja, during the launch of “ONE’s Year of Agriculture’ Campaign” that his action was to explore another area of opportunities. “ONE’’ is an international, non-partisan, non-profit, advocacy and campaigning organisation aimed at eradicating poverty and preventable diseases in the world through public awareness. *D’banj D’banj said that during his meeting with the “ONE Organisation” in South Africa, he was convinced that agriculture was the only way forward for Nigeria and Africa. “They told me about how many potentials that we’re missing out on. “They told about how if we focus on agriculture in the next five, six, seven, 10 years, Africa can actually be feeding the rest of the world. “They told me about how much the small scale farmers don’t even have any support and they are the larger percentage of people that are giving us what to eat. “Agriculture is actually everything that we live; food is life; agriculture is life. “They said we would like you to champion this move where we go across Africa and we tell our youths, create that awareness for them, let them know. “So, for me, I will be doing everything in my power to make sure that the youth, my generation, they see what I have seen and they get informed as I have. “That if we focus on agriculture, not only would we be able to feed the rest of the world, but we would be a power house and we would not need anybody to give us anything. “We would create our wealth ourselves, so you can call me a farmer now. “My role is to get involved and like a joke I’m getting involved fully. “Maybe I’m going to have my own farm so that when I’m talking to youths and saying listen I am a farmer as well. “So, everything we would be doing to just let them know that “oh boy’’ you can wear a Rolex and still be a farmer.’’

Men with multiple sexual partners prone to prostate cancer – Expert

Ibadan – A Consultant at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Dr Taiwo Soyinka , says Nigerian men who have multiple sexual partners are more prone to prostate cancer. Soyinka told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Tuesday, in Ibadan that prostate cancer is the abnormal growth of cells within the prostate gland. The consultant said the ailment was common in men who are over 60 years of age, adding that those who had more than one sexual partner were mostly affected. She advised Nigerian men to be alert to certain body pains, saying this might be early signs of cancer. “Some of the cancer symptoms in men are specific and they involve certain body parts and may even point directly to the possibility of cancer. “A mass in the scrotum or testicles may point to a cancer of that part of the body. “ But not all pains in parts of the private parts lead to cancer but the possibility should not be ruled out,” she said. The consultant advised men to look for signs of prostate cancer early so as to reduce the high risk factor. “I will advise men to look for a dull persistent pain in the lower back and the pelvic area. This is the most common sign of prostate cancer, ‘’ she said. Soyinka said spotting signs of any type of cancer early could lead to about 80 percent survival rate, adding that the survival rate of prostate cancer had doubled in the country in the last 10 years compared to the 1970s. She also said there were more reasons for hope as there were better drugs as well as more advanced treatment options for cancer. The consultant further advised men to live a healthy sexual life at all times as well as learn to look for signs and symptoms of cancer early. (NAN)

Man, 27, remanded over rape of 2-yr-old girl

OSOGBO — An Osogbo magistrate’s court has ordered a 27-year-old man, Akeeb Ibrahim, to be remanded in Ilesa prison for allegedly raping a two-year-old girl. Ibrahim was alleged to have raped the girl (name withheld) in his room at his house located at Isale‑Afo area of Ikirun, headquarters of Ifelodun Local Government Area of Osun state. According to the charge sheet read in court, the accused person lured the girl into his room at about 1.00 p.m. when her parents had left for their shops. The Police prosecutor, Abiodun Fagboyinbo, an inspector, told the court that the accused unlawfully had carnal knowledge of the girl. He explained that the accused person had through his action committed rape, an offence which he said was contrary to Sections 218 and 222 of the criminal code, cap 34 vol 11, laws of Osun state, Nigeria 2003 and 2007 respectively. The accused person, however, pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge of rape and assault levelled against him. Counsel to the accused person, Mr. Amaechi Ngwu, prayed the court to grant his client bail in the most liberal terms, stressing that the accused person should be presumed innocent until the contrary is proved. In his ruling, Magistrate Olusola Aluko turned down the oral application of the counsel to the accused person and ordered the accused to be remanded in Ilesa prison custody pending a formal application by his counsel. He adjourned the case till March 3, 2014 for mention.

Woman arraigned for allegedly biting off neighbour’s ear

A 32-year-old woman, Bilikisu Okanlawon, was on Monday arraigned at a Tinubu Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, for allegedly biting off the ear of her neighbour. Okanlawon, who resides at Ajegunle St., Lakowe, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, was alleged to have bitten off the left ear of one Christy Edo, during a brawl between them. The police prosecutor, Austin Orji, told the court that the accused committed the offence at about 4 pm on Feb. 7, 2013, at their Ajegunle St., Ibeju-Lekki residence. Orji said that the fight between both women was sequel to a disagreement over N500, adding that Edo was rushed to the hospital for treatment by passers-by, who stopped to intervene. He said that the offence of assault, which the accused was charged with, contravened Section 243 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011. The section prescribes that “any person who unlawfully does grievous harm to another, is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for seven years.” The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. The Magistrate, Mrs S.K. Matepo, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N20, 000, with one surety in like sum. Matepo adjourned the case to March 24

Oghiadomhe resigned to pursue political ambition – Presidency

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, has confirmed the resignation of the Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe. Abati, in an interview with State House correspondents, said Oghiadomhe resigned to pursue his political ambition in line with President Goodluck Jonathan’s recent directive to members of the Federal Executive Council who have political ambitions to resign. THE PUNCH had reported exclusively on January 28 that government officials with political ambitions should resign latest by February. It will however be recalled that there will be no governorship election in Edo State where the erstwhile Chief of Staff hails from till 2017 since Governor Adams Oshiomhole started his second term last year. It is however not clear if Oghiadomhe is planning to contest National Assembly election. ————————————— There is uncertainty currently in Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday as news filtered to the workers that the Chief of Staff to President Goodluck Jonathan, Chief Mike Oghiadome, had been sacked. Though, Oghiadome’s sacking had not been officially confirmed, our correspondent observed that the Chief of Staff was not in his office while none of his aides was ready to disclose his whereabouts. Some Villa workers also gathered in groups to discuss the reported removal of the former deputy governor of Edo State. None of Jonathan’s information management’s team could volunteer to confirm the sacking of Oghiadome as most of them said they had not been mandated to confirm or issue a statement on the development.

213 die in auto crashes in Osun

The FRSC in Osun on Monday said 213 deaths were recorded from road traffic crashes in the state between January and December 2013. The figure was disclosed by the state Sector Commander, Mr Muhammed Husaini, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Osogbo. According to Husaini, 288 crashes occurred in the state within the period under review while 1,341 persons were involved. He attributed the crashes to over speeding and the poor condition of roads, adding that the state government was redressing the situation through road construction and rehabilitation. The FRSC boss, however, called on motorists to observe road safety rules, saying the commission was determined to secure lives on the roads. He vowed that any one caught violating road traffic rules would be apprehended and prosecuted. (NAN)

Deficits in power generation, bane of rapid development — Angbazo

The Chief Executive Officer, General Electric (GE) Nigeria, Mr. Lazarus Angbazo has decried the deficit in power generation in Nigeria, describing it as the bane of rapid development of critical sectors of the economy. Black out as charactriesed characterised by lack of effective power supply in Nigeria Angbazo, who made the remarks at the Standard Bank Investor’s Conference in Lagos, stated that, though Nigeria is

growing at amazing 7%, the country is doing so with almost no power compared to other rapidly advancing nations. “Nigeria’s deficit in power generation is the bane of rapid economic development, industrialisation, and job creation is probably over flogged, but for good reason too. “Today our consistent power generation output stands at about 4000 megawatts for a country of over 170 million people with power generation needs in excess of 200,000 megawatts. Let’s put it in proper perspective. South Africa with a population of about 50 million people, which is less than a third of Nigeria’s population, generates over 45,000 megawatts of electricity. “Texas alone generates over 34,000 megawatts of electricity –nearly 10 times more electricity than the whole of Nigeria.The city of New York with a population of 8 million people consumes 200,000 megawatts of electricity every day, 50 times more than we presently generate for 170 million people,” he said. Nevertheless, Angbazo sees light at the end of the tunnel for Nigerian power sector as being driven by the various efforts of the government to turn around the sector. “As primitive as the present situation appears, nearly everyone can now see light at the end of the tunnel due to a combination of factors. Fundamentally, a “well-thought-out” power sector reform is being implemented by the Nigerian government. Our confidence is buoyed by the fact that the right steps are being taken in the right direction. As you are aware, the Power sector is capital intensive and the financial and technical resources required to rescue Nigeria from this dismal and unacceptable condition are clearly beyond the government’s capabilities. The Chief Executive Officer, General Electric (GE) Nigeria, Mr. Lazarus Angbazo has decried the deficit in power generation in Nigeria, describing it as the bane of rapid development of critical sectors of the economy. Black out as charactriesed characterised by lack of effective power supply in Nigeria Angbazo, who made the remarks at the Standard Bank Investor’s Conference in Lagos, stated that, though Nigeria is growing at amazing 7%, the country is doing so with almost no power compared to other rapidly advancing nations. “Nigeria’s deficit in power generation is the bane of rapid economic development, industrialisation, and job creation is probably over flogged, but for good reason too. “Today our consistent power generation output stands at about 4000 megawatts for a country of over 170 million people with power generation needs in excess of 200,000 megawatts. Let’s put it in proper perspective. South Africa with a population of about 50 million people, which is less than a third of Nigeria’s population, generates over 45,000 megawatts of electricity. “Texas alone generates over 34,000 megawatts of electricity –nearly 10 times more electricity than the whole of Nigeria.The city of New York with a population of 8 million people consumes 200,000 megawatts of electricity every day, 50 times more than we presently generate for 170 million people,” he said. Nevertheless, Angbazo sees light at the end of the tunnel for Nigerian power sector as being driven by the various efforts of the government to turn around the sector. “As primitive as the present situation appears, nearly everyone can now see light at the end of the tunnel due to a combination of factors. Fundamentally, a “well-thought-out” power sector reform is being implemented by the Nigerian government. Our confidence is buoyed by the fact that the right steps are being taken in the right direction. As you are aware, the Power sector is capital intensive and the financial and technical resources required to rescue Nigeria from this dismal and unacceptable condition are clearly beyond the government’s capabilities.

APC Membership Registration: One feared dead in Rivers

LAGOS—THE All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday, continued its nationwide registration of members with pockets of violence in a few locations, which reportedly led to the death of a youth in Rivers State. Unknown gunmen allegedly stormed a registration point in Degema area of Rivers opened fire and killed a youth on the spot. APC-toon Violence was also allegedly witnessed in some other parts of the state. While condemning the pockets of alleged attack on members of the party in several parts of the state, Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari said it was shocking that this could happen during mere registration of party members. According to her, a former Chairman of Rivers State Civil Service Commission, Mr. Ben Orugbani was allegedly attack by some youths in his Bakana hometown ahead of the registration exercise. The Commissioner said Mr. Orugbani’s house was riddled with bullets, adding that he escaped death by the whiskers. Continuing, she said Mr. Orugbani is the Coordinator of APC registration in the area, noting that his attackers fired several volleys of gun shots into his house. She also alleged that a councillor in Ward 6, Okrika local government area was allegedly beaten by thugs on the orders of the rival Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the state, stressing that similar attacks were witnessed in several parts of the state. Mrs. Semenitari blamed the PDP and the Grassroots Development Initiative, GDI, a pro-PDP group in the state for the alleged attack. Edo State The APC registration continued yesterday in Edo State amid tension following the fracas that erupted in some local councils, Wednesday. The Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, Samson Osagie and the political adviser to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, Charles Idahosa, described the exercise as a huge success and urged the INEC to learn from the APC’s exercise. Osagie said: “It is expected that there will be some disagreements in any exercise such as this but we have recorded huge success. This is hundred per cent better than what INEC did in Anambra State and that is why I will advise INEC to learn from what we are doing. I am very happy things are going well for the APC. Those who thought this exercise will divide us are hiding their heads in shame today.” Thugs disrupt exercise in Abi, Cross River State In Cross River State, APC registration officials embarked on door-to-door drive to register members. The exercise was meant to be carried out at designated polling units but no official was seen at those centres particularly in Calabar, the state capital. Vanguard on Monday and Tuesday tried to locate registration centres in the city but could not come across any. Rather some registration officials were seen knocking on doors of residents to get people registered. A registration official, Okon Hanson told Vanguard that they were combing the nooks and crannies of the city to get people registered and the response had been encouraging. He said: “We know that if we stayed on one spot people would not come out to register so we have to take the cards to them in their homes and shops.” Saraki hails exercise in Kwara In Kwara, people turned up in large numbers for the exercise. Registration papers had been exhausted in many centres visited by Vanguard in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. As of 12pm yesterday, registration materials had been exhausted at centres at Opo Malu, Unity Road and Stadium Road among others. Immediate past governor of the state, Senator Bukola Saraki, who arrived at Agbaji in Ajikobi Ward in Ilorin West Local Government Area of the state for registration at about 3.30pm, expressed satisfaction with the turn out of people for the exercise, saying it was a strong indication that the party would record landslide victories in forthcoming elections. He said: “Today I am here to register as a bonafide member of APC. It is of great joy that this journey has got to this place. In all the polling units, the initial number of 100 per polling unit has already been utilised in 1,894 polling units. You can do the arithmetic yourself, it means by now we are already having 189,400 votes in our kitty in just two days!” Crisis rocks Gombe APC In Gombe State, the APC is currently grappling with an internal crisis as the party commenced its membership registration yesterday. The member representing Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency, Khamisu Mailantarki, told reporters that the party had been hijacked by defectors from the PDP. The lawmaker said the APC guidelines stated that each of the merging parties must be considered in the constitution of leadership at the state and local levels, which he said had not been done. He said a complaint had been sent to the party’s national secretariat on the development but nothing was done about it. Mailantarki appealed to the national leaders of the party to intervene and make the party in the state to abide by the guidelines and include everybody in the scheme of things.

5 tech innovations only for under developed economies

Apart from court houses and really backward organizations, in Nigeria, the machine called the typewriter, now, belongs to the museum. Its Pri-Pra sound is now thankfully becoming a distant echo. Besides the typewriter, there are still about five technologies that still hang around to continually brand us ‘underdeveloped’. You can’t see them in any developed economy and here in Nigeria, people believe they have overstayed their welcome. The Generator: As a result of erratic electricity all over the country, this necessary evil has permeated every sphere of Nigerian life. From the I better pass my neighbor small generators, to the giant sized power generators that are the life blood of any business, Nigerians spend N3.5 trn on generators annually. This is excluding petrol or diesel and the endless maintenance bills that come with this package. Apart from those who make money directly from this industry, Nigerians are tired of power generators; their noise, smoke, and cost. We just want constant electricity! Pumping machines: If you want constant water supply in this country, you must dig your own borehole, and manage it for the rest of your life. Many Nigerians wish for a miracle just like Moses’, where they can speak to the rock and cause water to come forth! Nigerians really need these machines, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed for a time when we won’t! Some modes of transportation: If we had a choice, we would do away with ninety percent of danfo buses, canoes and trains. Many of these vehicle models are so backward, and their maintenance so terrible, that they make it difficult for us to remember that at a time in history, inventions in transportation where the height of civilization. Airport final check point: The screening section just before you enter the boarding area of any Nigerian airport is a really humbling experience. At that point, the rich and the poor, the young and the old, the celebrity and the commoner all take off their shoes, belts and jewel, and walk on their bare feet for at least five minutes. Not a very attractive picture! Cooking fuels: Tired of kerosene and cooking gas? You’re not alone. There are many Nigerians like you who hunger for a time when we can do away with cooking fuels altogether and enter into the realm of constant electricity. Honestly, doing away with these five, means an economy removing the toga of underdeveloped into a developed status. Will this happen soon in Nigeria, time will tell! Apart from court houses and really backward organizations, in Nigeria, the machine called the typewriter, now, belongs to the museum. Its Pri-Pra sound is now thankfully becoming a distant echo. Besides the typewriter, there are still about five technologies that still hang around to continually brand us ‘underdeveloped’. You can’t see them in any developed economy and here in Nigeria, people believe they have overstayed their welcome. The Generator: As a result of erratic electricity all over the country, this necessary evil has permeated every sphere of Nigerian life. From the I better pass my neighbor small generators, to the giant sized power generators that are the life blood of any business, Nigerians spend N3.5 trn on generators annually. This is excluding petrol or diesel and the endless maintenance bills that come with this package. Apart from those who make money directly from this industry, Nigerians are tired of power generators; their noise, smoke, and cost. We just want constant electricity! Pumping machines: If you want constant water supply in this country, you must dig your own borehole, and manage it for the rest of your life. Many Nigerians wish for a miracle just like Moses’, where they can speak to the rock and cause water to come forth! Nigerians really need these machines, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed for a time when we won’t! Some modes of transportation: If we had a choice, we would do away with ninety percent of danfo buses, canoes and trains. Many of these vehicle models are so backward, and their maintenance so terrible, that they make it difficult for us to remember that at a time in history, inventions in transportation where the height of civilization. Airport final check point: The screening section just before you enter the boarding area of any Nigerian airport is a really humbling experience. At that point, the rich and the poor, the young and the old, the celebrity and the commoner all take off their shoes, belts and jewel, and walk on their bare feet for at least five minutes. Not a very attractive picture! Cooking fuels: Tired of kerosene and cooking gas? You’re not alone. There are many Nigerians like you who hunger for a time when we can do away with cooking fuels altogether and enter into the realm of constant electricity. Honestly, doing away with these five, means an economy removing the toga of underdeveloped into a developed status. Will this happen soon in Nigeria, time will tell! -