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Showing posts from June, 2016

President Uhuru Kenyatta Signs New Law Allowing Politicians To Merge Parties

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday assented to several Bills, among them the Political Parties (Amendment) Act and the Appropriations Act 2016. The head of state signed a Bill authorizing the national government to draw money from the Consolidated Fund to finance its operations for the balance of the last financial year.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Confirms Manchester United Move

So, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has finally put Manchester United fans out of their misery after weeks of speculation. The former PSG striker had previously refused to be drawn on his future until Sweden's Euro 2016 campaign had come to end.

13-year-Old Israeli Girl Stabbed To Death In Her Bedroom By A Palestinian

A 13-year-old Israeli girl was stabbed to death in her bedroom this morning by a Palestinian attacker who crept into her home. Hallel Yaffa Ariel was reportedly asleep in her bed when she was killed in her house in Kiryat Arba, an Israeli settlement near Hebron in the occupied West Bank. 

Michy Batshuayi Belgian/Marseille Player Passes Chelsea Medical

Batshuayi, who is currently away on international duty with Belgium at Euro 2016, has been linked with a host of Europe's top clubs after scoring 17 goals for Marseille in Ligue 1 last season. The 22-year-old was given special dispensation to leave the Belgium camp by head coach Marc Wilmots and was met by Chelsea's team doctor in Bordeaux ahead of a £33m move to Stamford Bridge.

Ibe Kachikwu Yesterday Signs $80bn Oil and Gas Infrastructure Deals in China

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with several Chinese firms for over $80 billion new investments, spanning five years, in the oil and gas industry covering pipelines, refineries, gas and power, facility refurbishments and upstream financing.

Nigerian Authorities Suspends West African Ventures from Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Industry

The federal government Of Nigeria has suspended West African Ventures (WAV) from participating in ongoing and future tenders in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry for violating the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development (NOGICD) Act of 2010, better known as the Nigerian Content Act.

Nigeria Counts Among World’s Most Unstable Countries

A non-governmental; non Profit, Research and Educational Institution Called The Fund for Peace, based in Washington D.C, has ranked Nigeria as one of the world’s most unstable countries. In its 12th annual Fragile States Index (FSI) released wednesday, Fund for Peace ranked Nigeria alongside war-torn Afghanistan, Haiti, Iraqi, Guinea, Pakistan, Burundi and Zimbabwe.

Nigerians Mourns Two Icons Former Minister, Ojo Maduekwe And Literary Icon, Elechi Amadi, As They Pass On

Family, friends and associates were thrown into mourning yesterday when Nigeria lost two renowned figures – former Minister of Foreign Affairs, lawyer and politician, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, and foremost literary icon, Captain Elechi Amadi (rtd), of “The Concubine” fame.                                                        Ojo Maduekwe Maduekwe, who was until his death the Secretary of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), died yesterday at the age of 71 shortly after taking ill after he returned from a trip to the United States. He was said to have passed away on his way to the hospital. lthough it could not be ascertained which hospital he was being rushed to, report gathered from close associates that he was to be taken to the National Hospital, Abuja, before he gave up the ghost. Maduekwe was born on May 6, 1945 in Ohafia, Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State. He graduated from the University of Nigeria, Nsuka with LL.B Honours in 1972, and wa

Ivory Coast Ex-First Lady In The News Again Accused Of Funding Militia

An ex-militia chief in Cote d’Ivoire said on Wednesday at the trial of Simone Gbagbo for crimes against humanity that the former first lady had financed the movement. She is accused over deadly violence following the 2010-2011 presidential election that her husband Laurent Gbagbo lost, and who is on trial for war crimes at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Amnesty And HRW Groups Want Saudis Off UN Human Rights Council

Two leading human rights groups urged UN member-states on Wednesday to suspend Saudi Arabia from the UN Human Rights Council over the killing of civilians in Yemen and repression at home. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said they would begin lobbying the UN General Assembly to hold a vote on suspending Saudi Arabia from the Geneva-based council, even though they admitted this was a long shot.

We’ll Bar Hate Leaders From Using Church For Political Gain Says Bishop

Evangelical churches in Kenya, have said they will bar politicians inciting Kenyans from attending services. They asked those facing hate speech charges to “repent” ahead of the 2017 elections. The churches also urged Kenyans not to vote for leaders spreading hatred.

Nokia Returns To Mobile Device Market By Acquiring Withings

Nokia has revealed a surprising return to the mobile device market with the purchase of one of the world’s largest digital health firms. The iconic Finnish manufacturer, previously best known for its mobile phones before its acquisition by Microsoft two years ago, will be acquiring French firm Withings for $191 million (£131 million).

Tata Wi-Fi+ Allows Mobile Operators Offload Over 21 Million Hotspots

Tata Communications claims its new ‘Wi-Fi+’ service will allow mobile operators to increase revenues and network quality by offloading traffic onto more than 21 million hotspots worldwide. The company says many mobile customers are frustrated by poor indoor cellular coverage and the high cost of roaming abroad.

1st 5G Standard To Be Set By 2018 As Nokia Shows Off Next Gen. Network

The final standards for the first 5G release will be set by 2018, the 3GPP has confirmed, paving the way for commercial networks to launch in 2020. Nokia, one of the network equipment manufacturers working on the development of the next generation cellular technology, is set to demonstrate a ‘5G ready’ network using commercially available platforms and infrastructure.

Office 365 Users Hit By Widespread Ransomware Attack

The warning, from security specialists Avanan comes after Office 365 celebrated its fifth birthday this week. That milestone prompted security experts to warn of the growing risks associated with the popular cloud service.

Bayern Munich Kick Off Title Defence Against Bremen

German champions Bayern Munich will open the Bundesliga season with a home game against Werder Bremen, after the fixtures for the 2016-17 campaign were released on Wednesday.

Four Al-Shabaab Terrorists Were Killed In Battle With Military Troops In Kenya

A soldier sustained injuries during the 9am incident at Milimani, near Baure, said Kenya Defence Force spokesman David Obonyo. Soldiers recovered a rocket-propelled grenade, four AK-47 assault rifles, an improvised explosive device and two hand grenades.

Large Deposit of Helium Worth Billions Of Dollars Discovered In Tanzania

A vast field of helium has been discovered in a section of the Great Rift Valley in Tanzania, scientists are reporting. The scarce gas, which is used in high-tech devices such as MRI medical scanners and radiation monitors, is currently priced at about $70 per 1000 cubic feet.

Two Thirds Can’t Tell If Public Wi-Fi Is Secure Or Not

Wi-Fi users are aware of the dangers of sharing personal information across public networks, but many place far more faith in the security of hotspots than they should – putting their credentials at risk. Research from Symantec found two thirds of respondents can’t tell the difference between secure and insecure Wi-Fi networks despite four fifths aware of the dangers.

Russia’s New Spy Law Calls For Metadata And Content To Be Stored, Plus Crypto Backdoors

Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, has approved a series of new online surveillance measures as part of a wide-ranging anti-terrorism law. In a tweet, Edward Snowden, currently living in Russia, wrote: "Russia's new Big Brother law is an unworkable, unjustifiable violation of rights that should never be signed."

Vincenzo Montella Appointed New AC Milan Coach

Sampdoria coach Vincenzo Montella was on Tuesday appointed as the new coach of AC Milan on a two year contract, the Serie A side announced. The 42-year-old Italian succeeds Cristian Brocchi, who has fulfilled the role as caretaker boss since Sinisa Mihajlovic was sacked in April.

36 killed in Istanbul Airport Bombings As Turkish PM Blames IS

A triple suicide bombing and gun attack at Istanbul's Ataturk airport has killed at least 36 people, including foreigners, with Turkey's prime minister saying early signs pointed to an assault by the Islamic State group.

Cisco Buys Cloud Security Vendor CloudLock

Cisco on Tuesday said it would acquire CloudLock, a cloud-based security provider, for $293 million (£219m) in cash and stock, as companies look for ways to protect documents and other content that is increasingly hosted in remote facilities.

Amazon Web Services Expands With First India Data Centres

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has expanded with a new region centred in Mumbai, India, building its first data centres in a country where it says it has about 75,000 customers. The move sees Amazon coming into more direct competition with the likes of Microsoft, IBM and NTT, all of which have local data centers supporting India’s rapidly growing cloud-services market.

Giant CCTV Camera Botnet Highlights IoT Security Threats

Researchers have uncovered an unusual botnet made up entirely of Internet-connected CCTV cameras, in the latest sign of the security risks posed by the “Internet of Things” (IoT). The incident recalls a similar case last autumn in which a computer security firm found that a botnet made up of 900 CCTV cameras was launching an attack on an unnamed cloud services provider.

Google Announce Project Bloks As A Physical Coding System For Children

Google has created an open hardware platform called Project Bloks that aims to help children learn to code by offering a ‘tangible’ programming experience. The idea is that because children are ‘inherently’ playful and social, they learn better naturally and by using their hands. By offering them something physical to program with, rather than learning lines from a textbook or a computer screen, Google hopes teaching will become more effective.

Touchscreen HP Chromebook 11 G5 Is Android-Ready

HP claims its first ever 11.6-inch Chromebook with a touchscreen, will allow users to take full advantage of Android app compatibility while still enjoying up to 11 hours of battery life. The HP Chromebook 11 G5 is set for release in October and is powered by ChromeOS and an Intel Celeron N2060 processor. The idea is that cloud-based applications can be loaded quickly without the need for significant local storage.

American Woman Wins $10,000 After Windows 10 Forced Upgrade

A Californian woman has won a $10,000 (£7,600) court case after suing Microsoft for damage caused to her PC by an unwanted Windows 10 download. The case illustrates the problems users and industry observers say Microsoft has caused with what they call an overly aggressive and at times “deceitful” campaign to get Windows 10 out to users ahead of an upgrade deadline next month.

ECOWAS Court Expressed Concern Over Non Implementation Of Its Judgment By Members’ States

The Vice President of the Court, Justice Micah Wright told newmen in Abuja that only three out of 15 member states had put in place mechanism to execute the court’s decision. “The court has experienced a couple of hardships or impediments as you say in the dispensation of its work, for example, notably in the execution of the judgment of the court.

Nigerian Army Cartaway My Symbol Of Authority Tompolo Cries Out To PMB

FORMER militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, complained to President Muhammadu Buhari, Tuesday, that the military had not returned his symbol of authority as the chief priest of Egbesu Shrine, Oporoza, Gbaramatu Kingdom, removed from the traditional temple about a month ago. 

78-year Old Man Arrested For Marrying 13-year Old Girl In Uganda

Police in Amudat district in Karamoja sub region in the north eastern Uganda has arrested a 78-year-old man for marrying a 13-year-old girl. Mr Lowuse Angatemong who is married to three other women was arrested on Sunday after paying 40 heads of cattle to the father of the teenage girl. They are all residents of Nagulet village in Loro Sub County in Amudat district.

Thousands Flee South Sudan Fighting

More than 40 people died in days of fighting in a South Sudan town, the government said Tuesday, with aid agencies warning of dire conditions for over 10,000 people sheltering at a UN base. At least 39 civilians and four policemen were killed in the town of Wau, some 650 kilometres northwest of Juba, since violence broke out on June 24, Information Minister Michael Makuei told reporters.

African Union Troops In Somalia Not Paid For Six Months

The allowances for African troops fighting al-Qaeda-linked militants in Somalia have not been paid for at least six months. The 22,000-strong African Union force (Amisom) fighting the Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab is funded by the EU.

Governor Of Benue State Said He Will Not Surrender His State To Fulani Herdsmen

Following unending attacks on Benue communities by herdsmen. The Governor who lamented that the activities of the herdsmen were hindering farming in the state said the government would not give out its land to herdsmen for open grazing. Ortom who spoke in Makurdi, at the end of the Town Hall Meeting he held with stakeholders in the three senatorial zones of the state, said the government would continue to support those who were prepared to ranch their cattle in the state. 

Uber Vulnerabilities Leak Rider Details And Journey History

A Portuguese security company has found eight security vulnerabilities in Uber’s cab-hailing platform, some of which could allow hackers to identify individual drivers and download passenger journey history. Uber opened its public bug bounty programme in March, and during a three-week test, Portugal-based penetration tester Integrity found that its researchers were also able to get free ride vouchers using brute force attacks.

Google Is Working On Its Own Flagship Android Smartphone

Google is preparing to launch its own flagship smartphone in a bid to capture more of the high-end market for its Android operating system, according to reports.

Intel Looks To Sell Off Security Unit

Intel is considering selling its computer security unit, according to reports. The chip maker bought McAfee for $7.7bn (£4.9bn) nearly six years ago and remained the division Intel Security in 2014. The acquisition was made with the intention of integrating McAfee’s technology into its processors, but Intel has been talking to bankers about a possible sale of the unit, according to the Financial Times.

Security Alert; Bart Ransomware Bypasses Corporate Firewalls

A new ransomware variant has emerged that’s similar to widespread threats such as Dridex 220 and Locky Affid=3, but uses a security-evading technique that may allow it to attack organisations protected from other malware, according to computer security researchers. Ransomware has spread quickly in the last few months, as a number of payouts have attracted cyber-criminals to the technique.

Security Tool Strengthens Tor And ‘Foils’ FBI Attacks

A group of computer security researchers have developed a tool they say could make it significantly more difficult to hack the privacy-oriented Tor Browser – and which could also be used to protect other types of programs. The tool, called Selfrando, is specifically aimed at protecting the customised browser provided as an easy way to access the Tor network, which anonymises traffic passing between a computer and an Internet server,

England Eliminated And Manager Roy Hodgson resigns

Wayne Rooney gave Roy Hodgson's side a fourth-minute lead from the penalty spot at the Allianz Riviera on Monday, but two goals in 12 minutes turned the match in Iceland's favour, setting up a quarter-final clash against France.

Court Grants Saraki, Ekweremadu,Two others Bail For Forgery Charge

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) high court, has granted bail to Senate President, Bukola Saraki, his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu and two other accused persons; Salisu Maikasuwa, former clerk of the national assembly, and Benedict Efeturi, deputy clerk of the legislature. Ekweremadu and others were docked before Justice Yusuf Haliru over their alleged complicity in forgery of the Senate Standing Rules, 2015. 

Pope Francis Asks Christians To Apologise To Gay People

Pope Francis said Sunday that Christians and the Roman Catholic Church should apologise to gay people and seek their forgiveness for the way they have been treated. Speaking to reporters at he flew back to Rome from Armenia, the Pope was asked if he agreed with comments by German Cardinal Reinhard Marx that the Church needed to say sorry for the way it has treated the gay community.

Acting Police IG Inform Presidency About Immediate Retirement of 30 Senior Officers

The officers who are of the rank of Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of police, were said to have been penned down for immediate retirement. The reason for his move might not be far fetched. Even though they are all coursemates, they are his senior in terms of promotion.

Dr. Nwankwo Nwaezeigwe Drags Present Top Nigerian Leaders To Court For Alleged Islamization Of The Country

President Muhammad Buhari, Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki and Speaker of House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, have been dragged to the Federal High Court, Asaba, Delta State, over allegation of attempting to Islamize the country.

A Junior Police officer shoots and kills OCS in Kenya

A junior officer Sunday evening shot and killed an officer commanding police Station (OCS) in Kigumo, Murang'a County before fleeing. The Muthithi Police Station boss, who was on duty, was shot five times by the police officer based in the same station.

Griezmann Fires Hosts France Into Euro quarters With A 2 - 1 Win

Antoine Griezmann scored twice in four minutes as Euro 2016 hosts France came from behind to claim a 2-1 win over ten-man Republic of Ireland on Sunday. Victory in the last 16 clash in Lyon means France face either England or Iceland in the Stade de France quarter-final next Sunday.

Belgium Thrash Hungary 4 - 0 To Reach Euro 2016 Quarters

Eden Hazard scored his first goal of Euro 2016 as Belgium cruised into the quarter-finals with a 4-0 win to end Hungary's fairytale campaign. Belgium go into the European Championship quarter-finals for the first time since losing the 1980 final. They were dominant throughout at Stadium de Toulouse after Toby Alderweireld headed them into a 10th minute lead.

Lionel Messi quits Argentina national team following failure To Champion At Copa America

Lionel Messi broke down in tears Sunday night as Argentina suffered another tournament heartbreak to Chile at Metlife stadium.

Chile Stun Argentina to Win Copa America Centenario

Holders Chile stunned Argentina to win the Copa America Centenario in a penalty shoot-out on Sunday as Lionel Messi's title curse struck again. Messi blazed a penalty over the bar in the shoot-out before Lucas Biglia missed to leave Chile's Francisco Silva with the task of stroking home the winning spot-kick at the MetLife Stadium.