Nokia Enables Companies in Africa to Capitalize on the Opportunities from the Internet of Things

Organizations across the world are investing in the digital transformation to remain relevant to their customers and survive disruption. The Internet of Things (IoT) is one element in this transformation journey and has the potential to transform every industry, even traditional ones.

According to Dr Muneer Zuhdi, Director of Solution Line Management in the Global Digital Economy Practice at Nokia, IoT brings huge opportunities to businesses in MENA, looking to reduce cost, generate new revenue opportunities and enhance customer experience.

“There are unlimited possibilities for the usage of IoT. IoT applications will define future cities and impact every aspect of people’s lives. These applications aim to make cities smart, safe, and sustainable. The goal is to improve the quality of people’s lives, enhance their safety from natural or man-made disasters, and maximise the efficiency of the utilisation of resources,” he says.

Nokia supports these IoT applications with a shared, secure, and scalable networks and platforms. “This enables our customers to minimise the incremental investment required to provide IoT applications, introduce new IoT applications without disruption to existing services, and ensure the end-to-end security for the new solutions.

” The IoT platform from Nokia, branded as IMPACT, comes pre-integrated with several use cases that improve people’s lives while making businesses and cities smart, safe, and sustainable. “Video analytics, for example, utilises an advanced machine learning algorithm for crowd and traffic management, which helps with public safety. Smart lighting and fleet management enhances the sustainability of natural and business or city resources. Finally, applications like smart parking achieve multiple goals in terms of making people work and live smarter by eliminating time waste, generating new revenues for businesses or cities, and reducing road congestions, pollution, and fuel waste,” says Dr Zuhdi.

He says IoT has been gaining great traction in Smart Cities and Nokia has been involved in multiple Smart City opportunities across the MENA region, each with their own challenges and priorities. “Nokia is in a unique position to be the trusted partner for our customers on this journey. It starts with being able to utilise the expertise of Bell Labs to consult with our customers and guide them on developing a strategy and plan that is tailored to their market.”

Nokia has all the building blocks for the Smart City end-to-end solution whether it is over fixed or mobile network. The solution is highlighted by the IMPACT IoT platform, which is a scalable, horizontal, and multi-tenant platform. It enables cities to securely host applications from multiple agencies in addition to their own applications. Nokia also provides the end to end security and services.

“Nokia has also been investing in building ecosystem of partners focusing on different IoT applications and performing technology and market trials. This enables us to evaluate concept and expedite the delivery of new applications and use cases while partnering with the most innovative companies. Nokia can really help in every phase of this journey, from strategic planning to ensuring that the network is built right first time and optimised for the smart city applications, to finally providing access to the most innovative use cases to cities and their businesses and residents,” says Dr Zuhdi.

Security always remains a grave concern, particularly in the wake of recent ransomware attacks. He says it is important to evaluate the end-to-end security for the entire IoT solution, including devices, network, platform, cloud, and application security. This is the approach for the Nokia security products which include end-points, gateway, DNS, and platform security, along with certificate management, security management, and identity & access management. “The IMPACT IoT platform allows secured and authenticated collection of IoT data, which is only distributed to authorised applications and end users. The NetGuard End-point Security provides a network-based anti-malware solution combining monitoring, detection, and mitigation for smart devices and IoT end-points. When the IMPACT IoT platform detects abnormal traffic, it sends a notification to the application or end user and has the capability to update the firmware to fix a security hole or instruct the network to stop the device from transmitting.”

From a security perspective, firmware upgrades are crucial, particularly as IoT devices are expected to be an operation for a long time. Nokia has helped operators and enterprises globally to provide over-the-air (OTA) firmware updates to end device, such as in connected cars, to proactively address any security concern.

“Companies across the entire value chain of the telecom sector have an excellent opportunity to not only participate in this transformation but even to lead it. Nokia has been extremely active in IoT by optimising our products to support IoT applications, investing in IoT technologies, acquiring innovative companies, collaborating with IoT technology leaders, and building IoT ecosystems to develop solutions covering different industries. This multi-prong approach enables Nokia to partner with our MENA customers in this IoT journey and provides them the most innovative end-to-end IoT solutions,” says Dr Zuhdi.

IoT and related technologies continue to evolve and Nokia has big plans. “The Nokia Worldwide IoT Network Grid (WING) will be available later this year and will offer both connectivity and managed services to businesses while enabling service providers to offer IoT services under their own brand.

We have also recently announced the launch of our award-winning IMPACT IoT platform with pre-integrated solutions such as video analytics, Smart Parking, Smart Lighting, and Fleet Management. The connectivity will also include both LoRA and the newly standardised NB-IoT. We continue to engage globally with service providers, cities, and enterprises on the specific requirements in their unique markets. Meanwhile, we are continuing to invest in critical IoT verticals such as Smart City, public safety, connected utilities, connected vehicles, connected health, and connected homes. These verticals will enable our customers to provide their customers applications that enhance the quality of their lives, and enhance their environment and business sustainability while making them safer,” he says. 

www.nokia.com


When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Sacked FBI Boss Accuses Trump Administration of Lies

The President of the United States of America, Donald Trump may be in serious trouble following latest accusations by former FBI boss, James Comey.

Former FBI boss James Comey

 

James Comey said on Thursday he was disturbed by President Donald Trump's bid to get him to drop a probe into the former national security adviser, but the FBI's fired former director would not say whether he thought the president sought to obstruct justice.

 

Comey told U.S. lawmakers in the most eagerly anticipated U.S. congressional hearing in years that the Trump administration had told lies and defamed him and the FBI after the president dismissed him on May 9.

 

Comey has said Trump asked him in February to drop an FBI investigation of former national security adviser Michael Flynn as part of the probe into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

 

"I don't think it's for me to say whether the conversation I had with the president was an effort to obstruct. I took it as a very disturbing thing, very concerning," Comey told the Senate Intelligence Committee.

 

The Russia issue has dogged Trump's first months in office, distracting from Trump's policy agenda such as overhauling the U.S. healthcare system and making tax cuts.

 

Comey's accusations could further mire Trump's administration in legal difficulties, as special counsel Robert Mueller and several congressional committees investigate alleged Russian efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election and whether Trump's campaign colluded with Moscow.

 

Russia has denied such interference and the White House has denied any collusion.

 

Trump triggered a political firestorm when he dismissed Comey, and Democrats accused the president of trying to limit the Russia probe.

 

The former FBI head said Trump's administration had defamed him in comments made after his firing by saying that the bureau was in disarray and that the workforce had lost confidence in its leader.

"Those were lies, plain and simple," Comey said.

LOYALTY?

 

Comey said Trump did not attempt to get him to drop the overall Russia investigation, just the part of if that related to Flynn, who the president fired in February for misleading Vice President Mike Pence about the extent of his conversations last year with Russia's ambassador to the United States.

 

As Comey was testifying, a White House source said Trump disputes two key points in Comey's testimony: that he asked the FBI director to let go of the Flynn probe, and that he asked for Comey's loyalty.

 

Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. fired off a series of tweets attacking Comey but the president himself stayed off social media while the drama played out in Congress.

 

Trump critics say that any efforts by the president to hinder an FBI probe could amount to obstruction of justice.

 

Some legal experts said Comey's testimony could strengthen any impeachment case in Congress to remove Trump from office built on an allegation of obstruction of justice.

 

Laura Donohue, a professor at Georgetown University Law Center said Trump may have broken the law, adding, "If the president directed Comey to drop the investigation, with an improper purpose, then it is a violation of the law."

 

Alan Dershowitz, professor emeritus at Harvard Law School, said, "Nothing I've heard so far changes my view that the president did not obstruct justice."

 

While a sitting president is unlikely to face criminal prosecution, obstruction of justice is an offense that could trigger the impeachment process in Congress.

Stocks were little changed as Comey's testimony kicked off, as investors continued to see it as unlikely that Comey's testimony would lead to an end to Trump's presidency.

 

At one point in the hearing, Republican Senator James Risch pressed Comey on whether Trump had actually directed him to drop the Flynn investigation.

"He did not order you to let it go?" Risch asked.

 

"Again, those words are not an order," Comey said. "I took it as a direction. If it is the president of the United States, with me alone, saying 'I hope this' - I took it as 'this is what he wants me to do.' I didn't obey that, but that’s the way I took it," Comey said

 

When asked later on whether he took Trump's comments as a directive, Comey, "Yes."

 

Comey said he did not know if there are tapes of his conversations with Trump but said he hoped there were and that they should be made public. "Release all the tapes. I'm good with it," Comey said.

 

Comey testified that he kept notes after meeting with Trump because "I was honestly concerned that he might lie about the nature of our meeting, and so I thought it really important to document."

 

The White House has given shifting explanations on why Trump fired Comey. Trump has called Comey a "showboat" and a "grandstander" and said he was thinking of "this Russia thing" in dismissing him.

 

Reuters - Additional reporting by Jan Wolfe in New York, Doina Chiacu, Eric Walsh, Roberta Rampton and Susan Heavey in Washington; Writing by Alistair Bell; Editing by.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Your Sperm Can Tell If Your Partner is Cheating... See Details

Experts have revealed that a kind of sperm recently discovered can actually reveal if a woman is cheating on the partner.

*Photo used for illustrative purpose*

 

If you think your partner is cheating on you, your sperm is capable of letting you know for sure!

According to clinical sexologist, Dr. Lindsey Doe, up to 40 per cent of male ejaculate is made up of so-called ‘kamikaze’ or ‘fighter sperm’ designed to prevent another man’s sperm from fertilising the egg.

When a man suspects that his partner is being unfaithful, the number of these aggressive sperm increases to tackle the perceived threat.

Explaining the phenomenon, Doe says, “Researchers have looked into the microscope and seen that maybe we have what are called kamikaze sperm; killer sperm; fighter sperm.

“This is because 40 per cent of sperm that is in an ejaculate are actually designed to fight off another man’s sperm.”

This means the fighter sperm isn’t designed to fertilise the egg. Instead, it’s included purely to prevent another male’s sperm from doing so.

Dr. Doe describes this method of preventing other sperm from reaching the egg as ‘blocking.’

The fighter sperm use their tails as coils to set up traps by weaving them together to create walls and barricades.

Doe added that some fighter sperm would go and attack any sperm it sees as a threat in order to kill them.

These fighter sperm are referred to as ‘kamikaze sperm.’

When males suspect their partners are not being monogamous, Doe said, their body will produce more ‘fighter sperm’ as the threat is perceived to be greater. 

This does the job of increasing the level of protection against sperm from other males; but it can significantly reduce the number of sperm whose job it is to fertilise the egg and therefore reduce the chances of the female getting pregnant at all.

However, Dr. Doe did explain that this theory, known as sperm competition, is under debate and some deny happens at all.

 

-Culled from Punch.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

TB Joshua Tricked me in Nigeria - South Africa Snake Pastor Narrates

Popular South African pastor who has dehumanized his church members in unthinkable ways has accused Pastor T.B Joshua of cheap theatrics.

 

Penuel Mnguni

 

After allegedly seeking deliverance from prophet T.B Joshua, controversial cleric - Penuel Mnguni of End Times Disciples Ministries a.k.a 'snake pastor' has made a U-turn since his appearance on Emmanuel TV on Sunday.

 Mnguni visited TB Joshua’s Synagogue Church of all Nations in Nigeria on Sunday, and explained why he had fed his congregants live snakes. Mnguni, who described himself as an “overseer” of his church, said he had misinterpreted the Bible, and did what he thought was scriptural at the time.

It was after watching TB Joshua on TV that he realised what he was doing was wrong. He said he went to Nigeria to seek deliverance from the prophet.

 

 

Now he has come out saying he had to say all of that because he feared for his safety in Nigeria.

He told Daily Sun he did not know he would be “forced” to speak in front of people. Mnguni claimed he was invited to the church, and only went there for “worship” and not deliverance, but was shocked when on arrival, “those people” took his passport and ID and threatened not to give them back unless he did whatever they wanted.

 

 

“It was as if everything was planned before I even got there. If you listen to the video, I am not the one saying those words. There is a woman next to me who is forcefully telling me what to say,” Daily Sun quoted him as saying.

 While watching and listening to the video, a woman's voice could be heard telling the pastor what to say in front of the congregation.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Bishop Tells Buhari 'Interesting' Thing to Do If His Health Continues to Fail Him

The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Reverend Alfred Adewale Martins has given President Muhammadu Buhari an important advise on what step to take if his health crisis lingers.

President Muhammadu Buhari

 

The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Reverend Alfred Adewale Martins, has advised President Muhammdu Buhari to resign if his state of health would not allow him to live up to the expectations of the people.

 

According to a report by DailyPost, the advice was given by the Bishop during a press conference in Lagos to mark his 58th birthday.

According to him, it was only moral for Buhari to take a bow from office in order to ensure that his health condition did not jeopardize the progress of the nation

 

His words: “I believe that to resign is a function of the individual and doctors who are able to give us the true picture of the state of affairs of the health of the president.

“If the state of his health has gone so bad that it’s impossible to function then obviously the moral thing to do is to take the steps necessary to ensure that his health situation does not create a problem for the nation.

“But I think we need a lot more information in order to be able to call for resignation or not. As it were today we do not have any independent information about the true state of affair of his health and therefore I will find it difficult to either support or not support unless there are some indications of what the true state of health is.”

 

The archbishop called on the federal government to respect court orders on the release of those who are still in detention, arguing that it would be a reflection of the sanctity of court judgments and the independence of the judiciary than individuals concern.

 

He also asked the government to view the agitation of the Biafra as a wakeup call for necessary amendments in the country.

 

“Major restructuring of this country to ensure true federalism as both the name and the constitution of our country connote, is the right way to go.

“No meaningful progress can be expected as long as the current structure in which the constituent parts of the federation still subsists as if they were appendages of the federal government.

“Most of the states in the present configuration of the nation were a creation of military fiat and depend on Abuja for monthly allocations. I want to urge the federal government to do the needful before the expiration of its present tenure,” he said.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Forbes Ranking: Here is the List of 2017 Richest African Billionaires

A new list of Africa's richest billionaires 2017 published by Forbes has named Nigerian businessman, Aliko Dangote as the richest man in Africa.

Oil billionaire Folorunsho Alakija

 

According to Forbes' newest report of the richest African billionaires in 2017, two Nigerians have lost their status while three others made it to the list.

 

Read the full report below:

 

The number of billionaires in Africa--and the size of their fortunes--continues to drop. On this year's list, FORBES is only including African billionaires living in Africa, instead of featuring Africa's 50 richest people. There are 21 billionaires on this year’s list, worth a combined $70 billion. On the November 2015 Africa Rich List, there were 23 African billionaires worth a combined $79.8 billion. That in turn was down from 28 African billionaires in 2014.

 

Nigerian cement tycoon Aliko Dangote remains Africa’s richest person for the sixth year running with a $12.1 billion fortune, despite a nearly $5 billion drop in his net worth for the second year in a row. Dangote is joined by just two other Nigerian billionaires on this year’s list -- telecom tycoon Mike Adenuga, who is Africa’s third richest person with an estimated $5.8 billion fortune, and oil billionaire Folorunsho Alakija, who has an estimated net worth of $1.6 billion. Two Nigerians dropped off the Billionaires List this year--oil marketer Femi Otedola, whose net worth dropped from $1.6 billion in November 2015 to just $330 million today, and sugar billionaire Abdulsamad Rabiu, whose net worth dropped below $1 billion in the wake of a weakened Nigerian currency.

 

South Africa retains its dominance on the Africa List. While the country is tied with Egypt for the largest number of individual billionaires, South Africa’s six billionaires are worth a combined $22.7 billion -- $7 billion more than Egypt’s six billionaires. The richest South African billionaire and the continent’s second richest person is diamond magnate Nicky Oppenheimer, who has maintained a low profile since selling his family’s stake in diamond giant DeBeers to Anglo American for $5.1 billion in cash in 2012. Luxury goods tycoon Johann Rupert and retail magnate Christoffel Wiese are tied as South Africa’s second richest and Africa’s fourth richest billionaires, each with a $5.5 billion fortune. Wiese’s fortune has dropped $1 billion since the November 2015 Africa list, while Rupert’s net worth is down $800 million.

 

Egypt’s richest billionaire is Nassef Sawiris, whose $5.3 billion fortune is up $400 million since November 2015. Sawiris runs OCI, one of the world’s largest nitrogen fertilizers. The country’s next richest person is his brother Naguib Sawiris, who was Egypt’s biggest gainer on the list. His net worth increased $700 million to $3.7 billion. In December 2016, Naguib Sawiris announced that he would be stepping down as CEO of his telecom company, Orasom Telecom Media & Technology.

 

FORBES counts only two female billionaires in Africa: Angola's  Isabel dos Santos  -Africa’s richest woman with a $3.2 billion fortune, and Nigeria’s Alakija. Dos Santos is the daughter of Angola’s president, who appointed her as head of Angola’s state oil firm Sonangol in June 2016. Alakija is the vice chair of Nigerian oil exploration company, Famfa Oil.

 

At 41, Tanzanian Mohammed Dewji is Africa’s youngest billionaire, well below the average age of 63. He is CEO of conglomerate METL, which his father founded in the 1970s. Eighty-six-year-old Onsi Sawiris of Egypt is the continent's oldest billionaire and the father of two other African billionaires -- Nassef and Naguib Sawiris.

 

Thirteen out of Africa’s 21 billionaires have self-made fortunes, while the other eight inherited their fortunes.  The 21 billionaires hail from 7 countries: South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco (which has 3 billionaires), Algeria ( 1 billionaire), Angola (1 billionaire) and Tanzania (1 billionaire).

 

Our list tracks the wealth of African billionaires who reside on the continent, thus excluding Sudanese-born billionaire Mo Ibrahim, who is a U.K. citizen, and billionaire London resident Mohamed Al-Fayed, an Egyptian citizen. This year's list includes only billionaires, rather than the 50 richest people in Africa. We calculated net worths using stock prices and currency exchange rates from the close of business on Thursday, January 5. To value privately-held businesses, we couple estimates of revenues or profits with prevailing price-to-sales or price-to-earnings ratios for similar public companies. 

 

We have purposely excluded dispersed family fortunes such as the Chandaria family of Kenya and the Madhvanis of Uganda, because the wealth is believed to be held by dozens of family members. We do include wealth belonging to a member’s immediate relatives if the wealth can be traced to one living individual; in that case, you’ll see “& family” on our list as an indication.

 

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Di Maria May Join Barcelona

There is the strong possibility that PSG player, Di Maria will be linking up with Messi in Spain as Barca seeks to bolster their squad.

 

 

Barcelona living legend, Lionel Messi, has reported giving his blessing for the signing of Angel Di Maria.

According to reports, the Blaugrana interested in bringing the former Real Madrid midfielder to the Camp Nou to replace Ardan Turan, who faces a potential move to the English Premier League.

Di Maria, 29, joined Manchester United from Real in 2014 but left for Paris Saint-Germain in 2015 after struggling to settle in Manchester. Reports said the Argentine was having similar problems in Paris.

Should the swift-footed playmaker sign for Barcelona, a hostile reception from supporters of bitter rivals, Real Madrid, is expected.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Wow Hilarious; See the World's First Railless Train Made in China (Photos)

China has unveiled its first railless train that runs on rubber tires instead rails which is part of the intelligent rail express system.

The world's first railless train

 

The world's first railless train, developed by the CRRC Zhuzhou Institute Co. Ltd, was unveiled in Central China's Hunan province on Friday. The 30-meter train, with three carriages, is part of the intelligent rail express system by the developer, and runs on rubber tires rather than rails.

 

 

The train can move at a speed of 70 km/h and can carry up to 500 passengers, offering new options for easing modern transport pressures. The train is also powered by electricity and can travel 40km per full charge. 

 

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Too Much Use of Mobile Phone Can Cause Eye Cancer - Experts

Experts have warned mobile phone users that regular use of cellphones could increase risk of contracting eye cancer.

Experts have revealed that regular use of cellphones could increase risk of contracting eye cancer

 

Mobile phones have been linked to a rare form of eye cancer. A German study suggests that regular use of cellphones could lead to an increased risk of contracting uveal melanoma, in which tumours form in the layer that makes up the iris and base of the retina.

 

The cancer affects just a few in every 100,000 people but the study comes on top of many other conflicting claims about the dangers of mobile phones.

 

A report commissioned by the British Government last year said that, despite the widespread fears, no conclusive links with cancer had been proven.

Conversely, because there was also no proof that the phones were safe, it recommended that use by children, at least, should be limited.

The German study, to be published this month in the journal Epidemiology, follows research among 118 patients with the eye cancer.

Dr Andreas Stang of the University of Essen, who led the team, cautioned that it needed confirmation.

The researchers were unable to measure how much radiation the study volunteers had been exposed to, limiting the significance that could be placed on the findings.

Critics claimed this meant the data was fundamentally flawed. Neverthless, it will still cause concern within the mobile phone industry which is currently facing multi-billion dollar lawsuits from customers in the U.S. who claim they have contracted brain tumours.

However, a new American study has found no evidence that the phones can trigger such tumours. Experts who questioned almost 500 people with brain cancers discovered they had not used mobiles any more frequently than a similar number who had remained healthy.

But they admitted the study could not answer the question of whether there is any risk from long-term use.

The scientists said further research was required as they were looking at people who has mostly used mobile phones for a relatively short period of time - two to three years.

Dr Joshua Muscat, an epidemiologist at the American Health Foundation, who led the study, said: 'The data showed no correlation between the use of cellphones and the development of brain cancer. In addition, there was no association between the amount of cellphone usage and brain cancer.'

New Department of Health leaflets advise potential phone buyers to consider the SAR rate - the rate at which radiation is absorbed into the body - when making their choice.

Children under 16 should be 'strongly' discouraged from using mobiles for non-essential calls and everyone should keep calls as short as possible.

Youngsters are thought to be particularly at risk from any potential health hazards because they have thinner skulls and their immune system is still developing.

 

Source: Dailymail

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Miraculous: 5 Records Cristiano Ronaldo Broke After Champions League Final

Portuguese forward, Cristiano Ronaldo has continued to smash records with his stunning performance at the Champions league financial encounter against the Italian giants in Cardiff. 

 

Cristiano Ronaldo

 

Football star, Cristiano Ronaldo whose name is written into just about every football record book there is, has on Saturday night added more to the growing list with Real Madrid’s victory against Juventus.

Below are five records he added just in one night: 

 

1. He became the first player to score in three Champions League finals.

 

2. He beat Lionel Messi to finish as the top scorer in this season’s Champions League. He has now been top scorer in more Champions League campaigns than anyone else.

 

3. He scored the 600th goal of his career (for club and country combined. He also scored Real Madrid’s 500th Champions league goal.

 

4. He became the 20th player in history to win four or more European Cups.

 

5. Ronaldo drew level with Raul on 144 Champions League appearances, putting him joint fourth on the all-time list.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

4 Things a Woman Must Not Tell a Man in Bed

When a woman falls for a man, she expects him to love her totally. However, in a bid to warm up, there are things you should refrain from telling a man about yourself!

 

Sex & Relationship Expert, Dr Pam Spurr, warns that there are some things you should really keep to yourself if you don’t want to ruin the moment or lose your man.

 

Check out the following list.

• Don’t discuss ex-boyfriend’s p*nis size with a new man! The fact that you couldn’t have sex for a week after being with a man of larger penis size is something he doesn’t want to know. If you think telling him you were in pain for that week proves you aren’t a size queen, it doesn’t. He’ll start worrying he doesn’t measure up.

• Don’t disclose how many men you’ve had s*x with! You’ve just had great sex and tell him that of all 10, 20 or 30 guys you’ve slept with, he’s the best. Ugh!? Until you trust that he’s not the judgemental type, keep the numbers to yourself. After all, it’s none of his business.

• Don’t discuss your monthly moans. Jokingly announcing to him that he’s lucky he just missed the time of the month when you turn into a bit of a monster might cause him some anxiety. Men are usually embarrassed to talk about monthly moans with a new girlfriend.

• Avoid nerve-wracking pillow talk. One sex survey found that over two thirds of women worry about what to say after having sex with a new guy. New sex can be scorching hot, plus you love the post-coital cuddles. But you don’t want to mess up the bedroom bliss by saying the wrong thing!

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

At 93, Mugabe Kickstarts Nationwide Campaign Tour Ahead 2018 Presidential Election

It appears the controversial President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe is set to take the presidential seat to his grave as he has refused to step down despite his old age.

 

Robert Mugabe and wife

The 93-year-old Zimbabwean President, Mr. Robert Mugabe, has launched a nationwide 10-venue speaking tour aimed at drumming up support ahead of elections next year when he plans to seek office again.
Mugabe, who appeared in better health than at some recent public appearances, spoke for an hour and a half at a rally outside Harare attended by several thousand ZANU-PF supporters.
The ruling ZANU-PF party is widely seen as divided over Mugabe’s successor, while opposition parties are in talks to unite to try to oust him in the election.
“We want our party to remain united and not divided. If you are a real ZANU-PF member, be true to your party,” Mugabe said at the rally in Marondera.
He urged those seeking to succeed him to “be at peace”.
“The time will come,” he said. “It’s certainly coming.”
ZANU-PF officials say Mugabe is focusing on youth issues at the series of “interface rallies” in each of Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces. Mugabe has slurred his words in interviews this year and struggled to walk in public, but he stood up throughout his long speech on Friday.
He wore a jacket in the party colours, and arrived at the open-air venue standing on the back of a police truck and waving at cheering supporters.
“President Robert Mugabe is our sole candidate for 2018. We declare you our life president,” Kelvin Mutsvairo, a provincial youth party leader, said in his speech.
A banner at the rally called Mugabe “the father of youth empowerment” and urged young people to register to vote in the elections. Mugabe has ruled since independence in 1980, and ZANU-PF are often accused of election rigging and voter intimidation.
The strong man was born 21st February, 1924, who has been President since 1987.

He previously led Zimbabwe as Prime Minister from 1980 to 1987.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

South African Snake Pastor Receives 'Deliverance' at TB Joshua's Church

A certain South African pastor notorious for dehumanizing his members by making them do weird act has reportedly undergone a spiritual deliverance exercise at the Synagogue Church of All Nations in Lagos.

 

'Pastor' Penuel Mnguni

 

Pictures showing Pastor Penuel Mnguni, popularly known as the ‘Snake Pastor’, feeding snakes to his members in South Africa as a purported demonstration of God’s power went viral across the globe, making headlines in newspapers and online media worldwide.

However, Pastor Mnguni of the ‘End Time Disciples Ministries’, did not stop there. He went further by driving a car over some of his members, feeding parts of a live rat to congregants, locking another in a deep freezer for over thirty minutes and causing yet more to strip off their clothes during his wild church services.

Pastor Mnguni was arrested for his activities and faced backlash from both human and animal rights groups but despite the global outrage sparked by his actions, he vowed to continue unperturbed.

Thus, when Pastor Mnguni somberly came forward during The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) service, it was a shock to many. Mnguni told the congregation that he had read certain Scriptures such as Mark 16:17-18 which led him to believe he could feed his congregants with strange items to prove the power of God.

However, he admitted that after discovering Emmanuel TV and beginning to listen to Prophet T.B. Joshua’s teachings, he realised his activities were “not scriptural”.

He therefore requested for prayers from Prophet T.B. Joshua for deliverance from the spirit that pushed him to engage in such bizarre, inhumane actions.

 

See more images:

 

 

 

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Eto'o Establishes another Historical Milestone for Antalyaspor

After playing 62 games scoring 38 goals, 18 of them in 30 games Eto'o Fils Samuel has established another record by permitting  his team to finish 5th in the Super Lig table, which itself is another historical milestone for Antalyaspor. He ended this season as second highest goal scorer in Super Lig.

Super Lig Top Scorers

RANK	NAME	TEAM	GS	MP
1	Vágner Love	Alanyaspor	23	28
2	Samuel ETOO	Antalyaspor	18	30
3	Cenk TOSUN	Besiktas	18	32
4	Riad Bajic	Atiker Konyaspor	17	31
5	Leonard KWEUKE	Çaykur Rizespor	14	27
6	Anderson Talisca	Besiktas	13	22
7	Serdar Gurler	Gençlerbirligi	13	31
8	Moussa SOW	Fenerbahçe	12	24
9	Welliton	Kayserispor	12	28
10	Vincent ABOUBAKAR	Besiktas	11	26
11	Bruma	Galatasaray	11	29
12	Deniz Türüc	Kayserispor	11	31
12	Ricardo Vaz Te	Akhisar Belediyespor	11	31
14	Yasin OZTEKIN	Galatasaray	10	27
15	Deniz Kadah	Antalyaspor	10	29

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Germany, France, Italy Tell Trump Paris Agreement is not Renegotiable

June 2 (UPI) -- Germany, France and Italy said the 2015 Paris climate change agreement "cannot be renegotiated" after U.S. President Donald Trump said he would withdraw from the deal.

Trump announced his decision to leave the accord Thursday. He has previously called climate change a "hoax" and indicated he was leaving the agreement, saying it's a "bad deal" for the U.S. economy.

"We're getting out, but we will start to negotiate and see if we can make a deal that's fair," Trump said. "If we can, great -- if we can't, that's fine."

Trump cited a study by the National Economic Research Associates -- funded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Council for Capital Formation -- which said the accord would cost 2.7 million jobs and a loss of nearly $3 trillion in gross domestic product. That study was based on a scenario in which the United States would cut 26 percent to 28 percent of emissions by 2025, and did not factor in the possible benefits of battling climate change.

But three world leaders -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni -- released a joint statement rejecting Trump's claim that the deal can be renegotiated.

"We deem the momentum generated in Paris in December 2015 irreversible and we firmly believe that the Paris Agreement cannot be renegotiated, since it is a vital instrument for our planet, societies and economies," the leaders wrote.

World leaders from a number countries have reacted with disappointment to Trump's decision to withdraw from the agreement. In 2015, 195 countries, including the United States, adopted the Paris agreement.

In a televised address, Macron said Trump "committed an error for the interests of his country, his people and a mistake for the future of our planet."

"I tell you firmly tonight: We will not renegotiate a less ambitious accord. There is no way," Macron said. "Don't be mistaken on climate; there is no plan B because there is no planet B."

The Vatican said Trump's withdrawal was a "huge slap in the face" for Pope Francis and a "disaster for everyone".

The British government issued a statement indicating Prime Minister Theresa May expressed her "disappointment" to Trump over his decision.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his disappointment to Trump in a telephone call but Trudeau said he has been inspired by "growing momentum around the world to combat climate change and transition to clean growth economies".

The Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's administration was committed to the Paris agreement.

"The Turnbull government is disappointed that the United States has notified that it will withdraw from this important international agreement," the ministry said in a statement.

Japan's foreign ministry said the Trump administration decision "is regrettable," while Japanese environment minister Koichi Yamamoto said: "It's as if they've turned their back on the wisdom of humanity."

"In addition to being disappointed, I'm also angry," Yamamoto said.

Within the Trump administration, though, there was praise for Trump's decision. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt thanked Trump for his "courage and commitment" after the announcement.

"Your decision today to exit the Paris Accord reflects your unflinching commitment to put America First. And by exiting, you are fulfilling yet one more campaign promise to the American people," Pruitt said. "America finally has a leader who answers only to the people -- not the special interests who have had their way for much too long. In everything you do, you are fighting for the forgotten men and women of America. You are the champion for hardworking citizens all across this land who just want a government that puts their needs first."

"Our efforts should be on exporting our technology and innovation to nations who seek to reduce their CO2 footprint -- to learn from us. That should be our focus versus agreeing to unachievable targets that harm our economy and the American people," Pruitt added.

While at last week's G7 conference in Italy, the leaders of France, Japan, Canada, Britain and Italy all urged the United States to remain in the climate deal.

Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the EU's European Commission said he attempted to persuade Trump to remain in the accord during the recent G7 meeting in Italy.

"Our commitment to the Paris Agreement is unshakeable. We will continue to lead the fight against climate change," Juncker said in a statement. "Deeply disappointed by U.S. decision, despite our efforts at G7. Against what we stand for, contrary to what the world expects."

The United States is the world's second-largest carbon polluter, following China. The agreement attempts to curb global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. The other two countries not currently supporting the deal are Nicaragua and Syria.

The deal is partly legally binding and partly voluntary. All countries will be required to take some action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, regardless of economic development, by 2020.

Key points in the agreement include peaking greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible and achieving a balance between sources of energy in the second half of this century. The process will be reviewed every five years and a $100 billion a year climate finance fund for developing countries is expected to be established by 2020 with further financing in the future.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Google Unveils Plans For Its New 1 Billion Pounds London Based Headquarters #PhotoNews

The new office of Google Inc has been likened to a giant playground for staff and has a half Olympic sized swimming pool, 'wellness and fitness centre' with a gym and a large indoor sports hall for games of basketball and football.

 

Part of the proposed office

 

Google has unveiled final plans for its luxury £1billion UK super headquarters with sleep pods, sports pitches and a rooftop 'field' with 200 metre running track to ensure 'wellness' for up to 7,000 staff.

 

The tech giant's 870,000 sq ft building planned for Kings Cross in London will be the first office it has designed for itself outside California.

 

Described as a 'groundscraper' because the building will be as long as the Shard is tall - designers say when completed it will be one of the best places to work in the world. 

 

The new office has been likened to a giant playground for staff and has a half Olympic sized swimming pool, 'wellness and fitness centre' with a gym and a large indoor sports hall for games of basketball and football. 

 

 

 

 

Its breathtaking 300 metre long landscaped roof terrace will have 'fields, gardens and meadows' and a large rooftop cafe providing free food and drink to allow 'Googlers' to 'escape from work' and 'relax'. 

 

Inside the open plan office there are 'pause areas' surrounded by plants, trees and 'living walls' of greenery - and sleeping pods if staff need a nap or stay overnight after a long day. 

 

Google has submitted plans to Camden Council for approval around two years after boss Larry Page ordered previous extravagant proposals be ripped up because they were too boring. 

 

 

 

 

 

Google – which employs 4,000 people in the UK but has plans to employ up to 3,000 more – has commissioned a new 11-storey building with a floor space equivalent to more than ten football pitches.

It has already committed to a further two buildings on the King's Cross Estate, which will eventually house 7,000 workers across three offices. 

Joe Borrett, director of real estate and construction, said: 'We are excited to be able to bring our London Googlers together in one campus, with a new purpose-built building that we've developed from the ground up.

'Our offices and facilities play a key part in shaping the Google culture, which is one of the reasons we are known for being amongst the best places to work in the industry'.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is being designed by Heatherwick Studio and Bjarke Ingels Group. Bjarke Ingels, Founding Partner at Bjarke Ingels Group, joint architect of Google's new building, said: 'Our design for the new Google Campus at King's Cross is rooted in the local character of the area, taking advantage of the contextually defined building envelope while creating continuously cascading work environments that will connect Googlers across multiple floors. 

'By opening up the ground floor and activating the roofscape, the light and airy workspaces are sandwiched between the terraced gardens on the roof - and market halls, auditoria and shops on the ground.' 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 2015 Larry Page, who co-founded the American technology giant, ordered the UK team to go back to the drawing board. Google originally hoped that the £1billion development would be ready in 2016.

It is known for its unusual offices around the world, which often feel more like a playground than a work space. The sprawling Mountainview site boasts an on-site bowling alley, a volleyball court, yurt-shaped meetings rooms and 'pods' for staff who want to sleep, not to mention 19 free restaurants and 60 snack kitchens.

Google's offices in London's Victoria - one of two in the capital - includes a room stocked with musical instruments, like a teenage boy's fantasy bedroom.

The latest office plans look more like a luxury hotel in places. 

Thomas Heatherwick, Founder of Heatherwick Studio, who jointly designed the new building, said: 'As my home and the home of my studio for more than 15 years, I have a close relationship with King's Cross. 

'The area is a fascinating collision of diverse building types and spaces and I can't help but love this mix of massive railway stations, roads, canals and other infrastructure all layered up into the most connected point in London'. So what will become of Google's existing quirky chintz-covered, pub-themed 'hubs'? 

 

Before its super-HQ is finished, Google's three main offices are in central London - two close to Victoria station and the other near Covent Garden - and has another in London for its artificial intelligence arm, known as DeepMind.

 

 

 

Its main building is Central St Giles, a typical London tower block painted bright colours and filled with typical Google quirks. Based over five floors its strange rooms and spaces include a 'Granny's Flat' with chintzy furniture and wallpaper as well as padded meeting rooms with airlock doors, including one decked out like an old London pub.

 

It has a kooky 'Lala library' with a comfy furniture and a large library for staff to use to relax and contemplate their work, while for major meetings there is the Flower Power boardroom.

 

Outside there is a grand and green roof terrace and a 'Hedge Your Bets' secret garden - complete with powerful WiFi allowing people to work from there.

Employees can plant and grow things at the building's allotments but are thrown off if their work is not up to standard.

 

This competitive edge runs through all Google's work because staff are encouraged to just take work off others if they believe they can do it better.

Those working there are served breakfast at their desks and have kitchens packed with free food and drink, while on a Friday the canteen, where food is also free, is converted into a free bar.

 

Describing life there Lee Penson, founder of its PENSON designers said: 'It's all about human beings and that's it. Think sunken snugs, comfort, fun, comfy slippers, squishy carpets, cushions, daybeds, nice fresh food, gardening, vegetables, health, visual stimulation, relaxation, exercise, fresh air and you'll get what it's all about as a HQ.'.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Alert to Farmers: Bird Flu Breaks Out Reported in 7 States in Nigeria

Reports from Nigeria say the Director of Veterinary and Pest Control Services of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, has alerted the general public on the recent outbreak of bird flu.

File photo

 

According to NAN report, the Federal Government on Friday alerted the public to the outbreak of Avian Influenza or Bird Flu in seven states of Nigeria.

 

The Director of Veterinary and Pest Control Services, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Gideon Mshelbwala, stated this at a meeting with state Commissioners of Agriculture in Abuja on Friday.

 

Mshelbwala listed the states affected by the outbreak to include Bauchi, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Nasarawa, Plateau, FCT and lastly Kaduna, which reported a case on May 30.

 

He said that the disease had spread across 26 states of the federation and the FCT since it started in 2008 affecting 800 farms in no fewer than 123 local government areas.

 

Mshelbwala, who said that there were no scientifically proven vaccines for bird flu, noted that the Federal Government was adopting quarantine, movement control, stamping out, decontamination and bio-security measures to curb the spread.

 

The director expressed regret over the poor bio-security practices by some poultry farmers, adding that it was the major reason for the continuous spread of the disease.

 

According to him, the Federal Government has paid over N674m in compensations to 269 farmers across the affected states.

“Our national action plan encourages proper regulation of the poultry industry and enforcement of annual registration of all actors along the poultry value chain including farmers, traders, egg merchants and feed millers.

“It also encourages the creation of veterinary extension services to facilitate the control and proper inspection of poultry and poultry products,’’ he said.

 

Mshelbwala said that the way forward to the containment of the disease was to ban importation of poultry and products, quarantine and bio-security measures, among others.

 

He, however, warned poultry farmers against illegal vaccination of birds, saying that it was a deadly alternative to the control of the disease.

 

-NAN

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

2 Chibok Schoolgirls Graduate from US High School (Photo)

Two Chibok schoolgirls who escaped Boko Haram from the northeast have graduated from High School in the United State of America.

One of the Chibok girls at the graduation ceremony in Washington DC

 

Two Chibok schoolgirls, who escaped from Boko Haram militants have graduated from a high school in Washington D.C..

The two girls known simply by their first names Debbie and Grace graduated after completing junior year (11th grade) and senior year (12 grade) at a private school in the Washington metro area in America.

Debbie and Grace were part of the 57 girls who escaped from Boko Haram terrorists after the mass abduction of almost 275 schoolgirls in April 2014. Unlike most of their colleagues who jumped out of the trucks en route, the two were taken all the way to the terrorists camp in Sambisa before they escaped and made it back home in a terrifying journey that took about a week with their captors in hot pursuit.

They were the last to escape Boko Haram until last year’s escape of Amina Ali after two years in captivity.

The two schoolgirls were among a dozen Nigerian girls sponsored to school abroad by a Nigerian NGO Education Must Continue Initiative with the help of US based international human rights lawyer Emmanuel Ogebe.

EMC helps victims overcome the impact of the insurgency by the world’s deadliest terror group Boko Haram which has destroyed hundreds of schools and killed thousands.

By this graduation, Debbie and Grace became the first escaped Chibok girls to graduate from an American high school with diplomas after completing and meeting academic standards.

This comes three years after terrorists interrupted their education during their final year in school in northeast Nigeria.

Several other girls had dropped out of EMC’s school abroad project after managing to graduate from middle school (8th grade) last year and are now attempting to take the GED exam (external GCE equivalent).

On hand to witness the graduation of the two Chibok girls in the class of 2017 were a delegation from Nigeria which included the founders and directors of Education Must Continue Initiative Mr and Mrs Paul Gadzama and the parent of one of the girls who traveled all the way from Chibok in northeast Nigeria.

The only Chibok girl currently pursuing a degree program in an American university, cut short her summer vacation in Nigeria to return for the graduation of her colleagues.

The girls’ American host families and Barrister Emmanuel Ogebe and his family were among the audience who witnessed the historic graduation.

The class of 2017 was the 50th graduation of the school which was the first high school in America to win a prestigious President’s award last year. The Chibok girls were among only 21 students who graduated as a few international students were unable to graduate.

In remarks during a celebratory reception, the Chibok girls thanked their host families, the NGO volunteers from EMC for supporting them to achieve their dreams. They particularly appreciated them for driving the girls daily to and fro from school for two years.

Also speaking, the parent visiting from Nigeria stated that he had personally seen that the team had done more for his daughter in America than he could have done for them in Nigeria and thanked them for their love.

Recounting the story of how he conceived the project by divine favour, human rights lawyer Emmanuel Ogebe described how he first brought the orphan of a pastor murdered by Boko Haram to school in the US in 2013.

The following year, Boko Haram attacked her village and abducted 275 girls. Consequently because he had helped an orphan from Chibok before, he was able to help these ones as well.

 He appreciated the sacrifice of EMC founders Mr and Mrs Gadzama who flew at their own expense to witness the girls’ graduation after missing their own daughter’s graduation with a Masters in Public Health (MPH) in Michigan just a few weeks earlier.

 He also thanked EMC’s American volunteer Education Adviser Deanna who helped obtain admission and scholarships to the exclusive $35,000 per year school for her role after their former school tried to take advantage of them.

 The girls had to repeat 11th grade after their initial school failed to meet up to its obligations.

 A church Thanksgiving is planned for the girls who are exploring their future endeavours following graduation. Among several awards won by them was an award for “Most hard working student in English as Second Language 3”.

 “This is an outstanding feat for Chibok girls especially given the fact that in Nigeria, most continue to speak in Hausa to the consternation of many Nigerians.

“This shows that our education model of immersion – placing the students in American homes – was immensely successful as they are now able to engage confidently, communicate effectively and blossom generally,” says Emmanuel Ogebe the International Program Director.

“This is why the girls in EMC’s US program are the most articulate Chibok girls anywhere in the world.”

 Confirming this, host parents including lawyers, doctors and accountants narrated tales of how Americanized the girls have become, with one of them being quoted as saying “mum, the weather is gross” while on another occasion explaining to her host mum, an American doctor, how Uber, the app-based taxi service, operates.

 With this graduation, EMC has no more students in high school in the US.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)