Forbe Global Ranking: Here are the Top 100 Entertainers

Forbes has announced the 100 list of world highest entertainers in the world with many Nigerians who flaunt their wealth on social media missing.

Sean Diddy Combs is the highest paid entertainer

 

Rapper and music producer Sean “Diddy” Combs was named the world’s highest-paid entertainer on Monday, ousting pop singer Taylor Swift who fell to 49th place on the Forbes annual list.

Beyonce moved into the second spot with $105 million, courtesy of her best-selling “Lemonade” album and world tour, while British author J.K. Rowling ($95 million) moved back into the top three thanks largely to her “Harry Potter” spinoff movie franchise “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.”

Combs, 47, earned an estimated $130 million in the 12 months ended June 1, 2017, Forbes said. It attributed the big payout to his Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour, earnings from his Sean John clothing line, and his partnership with Ciroc vodka.

Last year, Combs came in 22nd on the list in a year when Swift bested all-comers with $170 million after her best-selling “1989” album and world tour.

This year, the 27-year-old country singer-turned-pop star, with no new album or tour, saw her paycheck dip to $44 million, Forbes estimated.

Newcomers in 2017 include model Kylie Jenner, the 19-year-old half-sister of reality TV star Kim Kardashian, who earned $41 million, and U.S. radio and television personality Steve Harvey with $42.5 million

Forbes compiles the list estimating pre-tax earnings, before deducting fees for managers, based on data from Nielsen, touring trade publication Pollstar, movie database IMDB.com, and interviews with industry experts and celebrities themselves.

The world’s top 100 celebrities earned a cumulative $5.1 billion – about the same as last year, Forbes said.

 

List of 100 World's Highest-Paid Entertainers

Rank, Name, Earnings (Category, Country)

 

1. Diddy, $130 million (Musician, U.S.)

 

2. Beyoncé, $105 million (Musician, U.S.)

 

3. J.K. Rowling, $95 million (Author, U.K.)

 

4. Drake, $94 million (Musician, U.S.)

 

5. Cristiano Ronaldo, $93 million (Athlete, Portugal)

 

6. The Weeknd, $92 million (Musician, Canada)

 

7. Howard Stern, $90 million (Personality, U.S.)

 

8. Coldplay, $88 million (Musicians, U.K.)

 

9. James Patterson, $87 million (Author, U.S.)

 

10. LeBron James, $86 million (Athlete, U.S.)

 

11. Guns N' Roses, $84 million (Musicians, U.S.)

 

11. Rush Limbaugh, $84 million (Personality, U.S.)

 

13. Justin Bieber, $83.5 million (Musician, Canada)

 

14. Lionel Messi, $80 million (Athlete, Argentina)

 

15. Dr. Phil McGraw, $79 million (Personality, U.S.)

 

16. Ellen DeGeneres, $77 million (Personality, U.S.)

 

17. Bruce Springsteen, $75 million (Musician, U.S.)

 

18. Adele, $69 million (Musician, U.K.)

 

18. Jerry Seinfeld, $69 million (Comedian, U.S.)

 

20. Mark Wahlberg, $68 million (Actor, U.S.)

 

21. Metallica, $66.5 million (Musicians, U.S.)

 

22. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, $65 million (Actor, U.S.)

 

23. Roger Federer, $64 million (Athlete, Switzerland)

 

24. David Copperfield, $61.5 million (Magician, U.S.)

 

25. Kevin Durant, $60.6 million (Athlete, U.S.)

 

26. Garth Brooks, $60 million (Musician, U.S.)

26. Elton John, $60 million (Musician, U.K.)

 

26. Gordon Ramsay, $60 million (Personality, U.K.)

 

29. Ryan Seacrest, $58 million (Personality, U.S.)

 

30. Chris Rock, $57 million (Comedian, U.S.)

 

31. Vin Diesel, $54.5 million (Actor, U.S.)

 

32. Paul McCartney, $54 million (Musician, U.K.)

 

32. Red Hot Chili Peppers, $54 million (Musicians, U.S.)

 

34. Louis C.K., $52 million (Comedian, U.S.)

 

35. Jimmy Buffett, $50.5 million (Musician, U.S.)

 

35. Adam Sandler, $50.5 million (Actor, U.S.)

 

37. Andrew Luck, $50 million (Athlete, U.S.)

 

37. Rory McIlroy, $50 million (Athlete, U.S.)

 

39. Jackie Chan, $49 million (Actor, China)

 

40. Calvin Harris, $48.5 million (Musician, U.K.)

 

41. Robert Downey, Jr., $48 million (Actor, U.S.)

 

42. Steph Curry, $47.3 million (Athlete U.S.)

 

43. Dave Chappelle, $47 million (Comedian, U.S.)

 

43. Judy Sheindlin, $47 million (Personality, U.S.)

 

45. James Harden, $46.6 million (Athlete, U.S.)

 

46. Lewis Hamilton, $46 million (Athlete, U.K.)

 

47. Kim Kardashian West, $45.5 million (Personality, U.S.)

 

48. Drew Brees, $45.3 million (Athlete, U.S.)

 

49. Taylor Swift, $44 million (Musician, U.S.)

 

50. Simon Cowell, $43.5 million (Personality, U.K.)

 

50. Phil Mickelson, $43.5 million (Athlete, U.S.)

 

52. Tom Cruise, $43 million (Actor, U.S.)

 

53. Kenny Chesney, $42.5 million (Musician, U.S.)

 

53. Steve Harvey, $42.5 million (Personality, U.S.)

 

55. Luke Bryan, $42 million (Musician, U.S.)

 

55. Celine Dion, $42 million (Musician, Canada)

 

55. Jay Z, $42 million (Musician, U.S.)

 

58. Sofia Vergara, $41 million (Actor, Colombia)

 

59. Kylie Jenner, $41 million (Personality, U.S.)

 

60. Bruno Mars, $39 million (Musician, U.S.)

60. Tiësto, $39 million (Musician, Netherlands)

 

62. Russell Westbrook, $38.6 million (Athlete, U.S.)

 

63. Sebastian Vettel, $38.5 million (Athlete, Germany)

 

64. Damian Lillard, $38.4 million (Athlete, U.S.)

 

65. Shah Rukh Khan, $38 million (Actor, India)

 

65. Jennifer Lopez, $38 million (Musician, U.S.)

 

65. The Chainsmokers, $38 million (Musician, U.S.)

 

68. Novak Djokovic, $37.6 million (Athlete, Serbia)

 

69. Amy Schumer, $37.5 million (Comedian, U.S.)

 

70. Tiger Woods, $37.1 million (Athlete, U.S.)

 

71. Salman Khan, $37 million (Actor, India)

 

71. Neymar, $37 million (Athlete, Brazil)

 

71. Bill O’Reilly, $37 million (Personality, U.S.)

 

71. Dolly Parton, $37 million (Musician, U.S.)

 

71. Ed Sheeran, $37 million (Musician, U.K.)

 

76. Dwayne Wade, $36.2 million (Athlete, U.S.)

 

77. Fernando Alonso, $36 million (Athlete, Spain)

 

77. Sean Hannity, $36 million (Personality, U.S.)

 

77. Rihanna, $36 million (Musician, Barbados)

 

80. Bon Jovi, $35.5 million (Musician, U.S.)

 

80. Akshay Kumar, $35.5 million (Actor, India)

 

82. Billy Joel, $35 million (Musician, U.S.)

 

83. Dr. Dre, $34.5 million (Musician, U.S.)

 

83. Florida Georgia Line, $34.5 million (Musician, U.S.)

 

83. Toby Keith, $34.5 million (Musician, U.S.)

 

83. Jordan Spieth, $34.5 million (Athlete, U.S.)

 

87. Derrick Rose, $34.2 million (Athlete, U.S.)

 

88. Usain Bolt, $34.2 million (Athlete, Jamaica)

 

89. Gareth Bale, $34 million (Athlete, U.K.)

 

89. Conor McGregor, $34 million (Athlete, Ireland)

 

89. Britney Spears, $34 million (Musician, U.S.)

 

92. Kei Nishikori, $33.9 million (Athlete, Japan)

 

93. Fletcher Cox, $33.4 million (Athlete, U.S.)

 

94. Clayton Kershaw, $33.4 million (Athlete, U.S.)

 

95. Chance The Rapper, $33 million (Musician, U.S.)

 

95. Katy Perry, $33 million (Musician, U.S.)

 

97. Carmelo Anthony, $32.6 million (Athlete, U.S.)

 

98. Jason Aldean, $32.5 million (Musician, U.S.)

 

98. Kevin Hart, $32.5 million (Comedian, U.S.)

 

100. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, $32 million (Athlete, U.S.).

 

Credit: Forbes

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

Declaration of Bishops of Cameroon Following the Tragic Death of Bishop of Bafia

Here below is a declaration of the Bishops of Cameroon following the tragic death of the Bishop of Bafia....
 

DECLARATION OF THE BISHOPS OF CAMEROON
Following the tragic death of His Exc. Mgr Jean Marie Benoît BALA,
Bishop of Bafia

1 / The Catholic Church in Cameroon experiences a difficult and delicate moment in its history and mission. Indeed, on the morning of Wednesday, May 31, 2017, the car of Monsignor Jean Marie Benoît BALA, Bishop of Bafia, was in an abnormal parking position on the Bridge of Childhood at the place Ebebda, in the direction of Bafia . The Bishop was reported missing.
2 / As soon as the Bishop disappears, the civil and religious authorities and the public authorities go to the scene. Oriented by a strange message found on the front seat of the car, next to his national identity card and other personal pieces, they ordered the Fire Brigade, to undertake the searches of the body From the Bishop to the bottom of the river. The search continues until the morning of Friday, June 2, 2017, when the remains of the Bishop were found by a fisherman a few kilometers from the Childhood Bridge at Tsang and brought back to the bank by the elements of Defense forces. The body was identified by Our Ladies Piero PIOPPO, Apostolic Nuncio in Cameroon, Samuel KLEDA, President of the Episcopal Conference, Jean MBARGA Archbishop of Yaounde, in the presence of the civil and administrative authorities, including the Governor of the Central Region. The mortal remains were taken to the Yaoundé General Hospital.
3 / On Saturday, June 3, 2017, a notice of death and a message of condolence were addressed to the sons and daughters of the diocese of Bafia and to the natural family of the deceased by the President of the Episcopal Conference and the Archbishop of Yaounde.
The Bishops of Cameroon met in extraordinary plenary session at the headquarters of the National Episcopal Conference in Mvolyé on Tuesday, June 13, 2017. At the end of this assembly, the Bishops declared:
4 / At present, the body is at the disposal of the judicial authorities with a view to investigating the circumstances, the exact causes and the perpetrators of this heinous and unacceptable crime.
5 / The tragic death of Bishop Jean Marie Benoît BALA shocked and upset the People of God, all Cameroonians and international opinion. Given the initial findings, We, the Bishops of Cameroon, affirm that Mons. Jean Marie Benoît BALA did not commit suicide; He was brutally murdered. This is one more murder, and one more.
6 / We have the sad recollection of several other prelates, members of the clergy and consecrated persons who have been murdered under conditions that have not been elucidated to this day. These include Monsignor Yves PLUMEY (Ngaoundéré - 1991), Abbé Joseph MBASSI (Yaoundé - 1988), Father Antony FONTEGH (Kumbo-1990), the Sisters of Djoum (in 1992), Father Engelbert MVENG To quote that.
We feel that the clergy in Cameroon are particularly persecuted by obscure and diabolical forces.
To the State of Cameroon,
7 / The Bishops demand that all the light be given on the circumstances and motives of the assassination of Bishop Jean Marie Benoît BALA.
That the culprits be identified and delivered to the Justice to be judged according to the law.
That the State should assume its duty to protect human life, especially the ecclesiastical authorities.
The Bishops also await the official conclusions of the inquiry.
To the murderers,
The Bishops pray for them and ask them to embark on a process of urgent and radical conversion.
* To media men and social networking users,
8 / The Bishops ask them to renounce defamation, lies, calumnies, and recommend them respect for the dignity of the human person, truth, modesty and discernment in the treatment of certain information.
To all those who have mobilized,
To the populations of Ebebda and its surroundings,
9 / The Bishops thanked them for their efforts to search for the body of the Bishop, often at the risk of their own lives.
To the faithful of the diocese of Bafia,
To the natural family of Bishop Jean Marie Benoît BALA,
To all the People of God,
10 / We say to you: keep courage, Christ has conquered the world (cf. Jn 16:33). Your Pastors carry with you the pain of this sad disappearance. Let not your faith fail. Draw the necessary forces in the Eucharistic celebrations, the prayers of your departed Pastors and also for peace and justice in our country.
11 / That the Virgin Mary, Queen of the Apostles, Our Lady of Sorrows, Patroness of Cameroon, accompanies us in this hard trial.
Done at Yaounde, on 13 June 2017
For the Bishops of Cameroon
† Samuel KLEDA
Archbishop of Douala
President of the NCPC

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

Nollywood Gist: Popular Nigerian Actress, Stephanie Okereke Slammed with N100m Lawsuit

Nigerian actress, Stephanie Okereke might lose a fortune soon after being dragged to court for copyright infringement.

Nigerian actress, Stephanie Okereke

 

Nollywood actress, Stephanie Okereke, has been slammed with a N100m (about $318,000) lawsuit by an author identified as Daniella Madudu for alleged copyright infringement of her book titled: “Behind Her Veil.”

 In the law suit, Madudu claimed that major parts of her book were lifted and used without any form of acknowledgement to her in Stephanie Okereke’s movie – “Dry”

According to a DailyPost report, the author alleged that she gave the manuscripts of the book to one of her friends, Joy Ndidi, who later became Stephanie’s Personal Assistant, to edit; only for her to see major excerpts of her book revealed in Stephanie Okereke Linus’ movie, Dry.

But the actress in a statement maintained that her movie had been registered with the National Copyright Commission since 2012, while the book was officially published in 2014.

The actress also stated that the said book has never been registered with the NCC till date. She further said that her movie ‘DRY ‘was shot in a bid to lend her voice to the child not bride campaign.

However, the actress admitted receiving a letter from one Rafiu Bello acting on behalf of Daniella Madudu on May 19, accusing her of appropriation of an ‘original literary work’ that was allegedly stolen from her by Joy Ndidi.

Okereke Linus said that among many other things, the letter demanded that she credits Madudu with ownership of her work, pay the sum of N60,000,000 (about $190,000) and royalties, or face a ‘campaign of calumny.’

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

Here are the Medicinal Values of Bitter Kola

Bitter Kola might be small in size but its highly beneficial to the human body system as recommended by health specialists.

 

Bitter Kola

 

Garcinia kola or in simple terms, bitter kola originated from West and Central Africa. Signifying the importance of this second largest continent, it produces many healing wonders for us.

Garcinia kola belongs to the species of a tropical flowering plant. It produces brown, nut like seeds, similar looking to kidney beans.

Medicinal benefits

 

 Lungs, the internal organ carry one of the most critical functions of the body. It helps us to breath.

The considerate amount of regular consumption of the seed helps in strengthening the fibers and the lung tissue, stabilising any counter effects.

It further assists in maintaining a good respiratory track and treats chest colds. It has a favorably high antioxidant content for a healthy body.

So, if you are a smoker or even a passive smoker, definitely this is the ‘cure’.

 

Treating malaria

 

Kolaviron is an anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory phytochemical. Kolaviron is a major constituent of garcinia seed which helps in treating malaria.

No wonder, the traditional healers suggest this for an easy and free cure, straight from the mother nature.

There are no definite side effects of having this naturally occurring blissful plant. But, anything in excess or wrong proportion may show its evil side. On certain occasions, consumption of bitter kola is found to have some side effects.

Irregular heartbeat

 

Certain bodies might just prove allergic to the plant and develop certain reactions. In such cases, it is advisable to consult a doctor and stop use.

Now we know that bitter kola is not actually bitter and has a sweet side which is healthy for us.

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

Donald Trump Loses Again as US Appeal Court Uphold Block On His Travel Ban

The president of the United States of America has lost again as the US Appeal Court upholds the bloc on his travel ban.

Donald Trump

 

An American Appeals Court has on Monday left in place a block on President Donald Trump’s travel ban.

The ban which is targeting citizens from six Muslim majority nations, remains banned by the Appeal Court — the latest in a string of judicial blows for the controversial measure.

According to Agence France Presse, AFP, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit largely upheld an injunction on the ban issued by a lower court, but however said the government was within its right to review the vetting process for people entering the country.

“Immigration, even for the president, is not a one-person show,” the ruling said. “The president, in issuing the executive order, exceeded the scope of the authority delegated to him by Congress.”

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

What You Need to Know About Bitter Kola

Bitter Kola might be small in size but its highly beneficial to the human body system as recommended by health specialists.

 

Bitter Kola

Garcinia kola or in simple terms, bitter kola originated from West and Central Africa. Signifying the importance of this second largest continent, it produces many healing wonders for us.

Garcinia kola belongs to the species of a tropical flowering plant. It produces brown, nut like seeds, similar looking to kidney beans.

Medicinal benefits

 Lungs, the internal organ carry one of the most critical functions of the body. It helps us to breath.

The considerate amount of regular consumption of the seed helps in strengthening the fibers and the lung tissue, stabilising any counter effects.

It further assists in maintaining a good respiratory track and treats chest colds. It has a favorably high antioxidant content for a healthy body.

So, if you are a smoker or even a passive smoker, definitely this is the ‘cure’.

Treating malaria

Kolaviron is an anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory phytochemical. Kolaviron is a major constituent of garcinia seed which helps in treating malaria.

No wonder, the traditional healers suggest this for an easy and free cure, straight from the mother nature.

There are no definite side effects of having this naturally occurring blissful plant. But, anything in excess or wrong proportion may show its evil side. On certain occasions, consumption of bitter kola is found to have some side effects.

Irregular heartbeat

Certain bodies might just prove allergic to the plant and develop certain reactions. In such cases, it is advisable to consult a doctor and stop use.

Now we know that bitter kola is not actually bitter and has a sweet side which is healthy for us.

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

Pope Francis Threatens to Sack Nigerian Priests

Pope Francis, the current Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, has scorned feuding factions in the Diocese of Ahiara crisis over tribalism.

Pope Francis with Nigerian Bishops's delegation to Vatican, Rome

 

Pope Francis has laid down an ultimatum to defiant Nigerian priests: lose your job if you don’t obey me and your bishop, Premium Times reports.

 

We had reported on Friday that Pope Francis on June 8, met a delegation from the Ahiara diocese, south-east Nigeria where priests have been refusing to accept the 2012 appointment by the then pontiff, Benedict XVI, of the local bishop.

 

The Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, reporting the pope’s unusually harsh order, said on Sunday that Francis was acting “for the good of the people of God” by threatening to suspend the priests from the ministry if they didn’t pledge in a letter, by July 9, “total obedience” to Francis and accept Bishop Peter Okpaleke’s appointment.

 

Pope Francis told the visiting delegation he was “very sad” about the priests’ refusal to obey and ruled out tribal loyalties as explaining the refusal.

 

Africa has been one of the continents where the Catholic church is growing. The faithful and clergy there often imbue their practices with local culture in dynamic contrast to more traditional routines in Europe or North America.

 

Francis’ move to end disobedience to the Vatican aims at ensuring the growing church there will be loyal to the pontiff.

 

His remarks to the visiting delegation indicated how dangerous he viewed any rebellion against papal authority.

 

Those priests opposing Mr. Okpaleke’s taking up of his office “want to destroy the church, which is not permitted,” the pope said in his address to the delegation.

 

He added: “the pope can’t be indifferent” to the rebellion.

 

He has often taken a conciliatory tone in resolving disputes, but in this one he was entertaining no diplomacy. He demanded that each priest in the diocese write to him asking forgiveness and “clearly manifest total obedience to the pope.”

 

They must also accept the bishop chosen by Rome. If, within a month, each priest doesn’t do so, he will be “ispo facto suspended,” such as from the celebration of the sacraments, and “will lose his current office,” Francis warned.

 

Francis acknowledged that his move “seems very harsh.” He added that he had even considered the extraordinary remedy of suppressing the entire diocese but didn’t, so as not to hurt rank-and-file faithful.

 

He said he thought the rebellious priests might have been manipulated from outside the diocese or even abroad, but named no culprits.

 

In 2015, the diocese served around 520,000 Catholics, out of a local population of about 675,000, and had 128 diocesan priests and seven other priests. It wasn’t immediately clear how many of the priests were involved in the rebellion against the bishop’s appointment.

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

Bristish Prime Minister Loses Election

It has been revealed that British Prime Minister, Theresa May wept uncontrollably after her party suffered massive loss in the UK election.

Bristish Prime Minister, Theresa May weeping

 

Reports have emerged how British Prime Minister Theresa May wept as the Conservatives’ election night horror unfolded. The humiliated Prime Minister cried before visiting the Queen having earlier welled-up while addressing party activists, it was revealed.

 

Mrs May was unprepared for the looming disaster – despite one of her top advisers warning her early in the campaign that risked flopping like US politician Sarah Palin in 2008. Ms Palin made a storming start after being picked as Presidential hopeful John McCain’s running mate.

 

But she quickly faltered, unable to carry on the momentum of a long, gruelling campaign. Mrs May listened to the awkward analysis but changed nothing, according to the Politico website.

 

Fast forward several weeks and Mrs May was in her constituency home in Maidenhead with husband Philip and aide Fiona Hill when the bombshell exit poll predicting a hung Parliament dropped at 10pm on Thursday.

 

The PM sat in “stony-faced silence”.

 

Realising she had squandered the Tories’ hard-won majority, the Tory leader took almost a minute to say anything.

 

Back in London, there was a “deathly silence” at Conservative Campaign Headquarters where activists blinked in disbelief, according to one account.

One worker is said to have gagged and “keeled over” as the full disaster became apparent, according to The Sunday Times.

 

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson had already downed a pint at Uxbridge Conservative Club when the news dropped.

 

“Hmmm; let’s see how this goes,” he said to a colleague, The Sunday Telegraph reported.

 

At CCHQ, campaign strategist Sir Lynton Crosby tried to ease early fears among loyal activists.

 

“He was like ‘what’s everyone doing? You can talk, you can smile’, one worker told Politico.

“Shaken” Mrs May arrived at Tory HQ in Westminster at 4.30a.m.

“When she came in it looked as if she was going to break down in tears,” one of those present said.

 

May told staff: “It’s not the result wanted but we will try to form a government.”

 

And she tried to ease officials’ misery, telling them: “You’ve all worked astonishingly hard, I’m incredibly grateful”.

 

She reassured staff the voters’ judgement was “not a verdict” on them.

 

And the PM even tried to crack a joke about the state of CCHQ food, saying: “You’ve had to eat too much cheesy pasta!”

 

Hours later, Mrs May again shed tears before her sobering audience with Her Majesty, it was reported.

 

“She was crying before she went to the palace,” a source said.

 

Returning from her meeting with the monarch, the ashen-faced PM addressed the nation from Downing Street and revealed her plan to plough on despite her polling day nightmare.

 

-Mirror/NAN

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

Meet The Only 10 Black Billionaires In The World

Three Nigerians made it to the list of the 10 only Black billionaires in the world.

Nigerian billionaire, Mike Adenuga

 

Of the 2,043 people who made it to the 2017 FORBES list of the World’s Billionaires, 10 of them are black, down from 12 a year ago.

 

Nigerian cement tycoon Aliko Dangote is still the richest black person in the world, with a fortune estimated at $12.2 billion. He is followed by Saudi-Ethiopian construction magnate Mohammed Al-Amoudi, who is worth $8.4 billion.

 

This year, two black moguls fall off the ranks of the richest black people on earth, and they are both Nigerian – oil tycoon Femi Otedola and cement mogul Abdulsamad Rabiu. While Otedola fell off the list as a result of the plunging share price of his oil company, Forte Oil, a devaluation of the Nigerian currency, the Naira, was responsible for Rabiu’s ousting. Angolan investor Isabel dos Santos, American media mogul Oprah Winfrey and

 

Nigerian oil woman Folorunsho Alakija are still the only black female billionaires on the FORBES billionaires list.

 

1. Aliko Dangote, $12.2 billion

Nigerian, Sugar, Cement, Flour

Aliko Dangote is not only Africa’s richest man; he’s also the richest black person in the world. Dangote built his fortune trading in cement, sugar and flour but subsequently ventured into manufacturing these commodities. His Dangote Cement is the largest cement producer in Africa with operations in several African countries. In January he announced plans to establish a $100 million truck manufacturing facility in Lagos in partnership with SINOTRUK, a Chinese firm.

 

2. Mohammed Al-Amoudi, $8.4billion

Saudi Arabian, Oil

Mohammed Al-Amoudi is one of the richest men in the Arab world, but he has deep Ethiopian roots. His mother was Ethiopian and he has been investing heavily in the African country for many years. In Ethiopia, his Midroc Ethiopia Technology Investment Group has investments in gold mining, leather production, agro processing, transport and construction. Outside Ethiopia, he owns oil refineries in Morocco and Sweden and oil fields off West Africa.

 

3. Mike Adenuga, $6.1 billion

Nigerian, Oil

In October last year, Nigerian billionaire Mike Adenuga was conferred with the Ghanaian national award of ‘Companion Of The Star of Ghana’, the highest national honors in Ghana on account of his extensive investments in the West African country. Adenuga is one of the largest owners of residential and commercial property in Ghana. His mobile telecom company, Globacom, also has operations in Ghana. Adenuga built his fortune in oil and mobile telecoms. His Conoil Producing was the first indigenous Nigerian oil exploration company to strike oil in commercial quantities in Nigeria. His mobile telecoms company, Globacom, is the second largest operator in Nigeria.

 

4. Isabel Dos Santos, $3.1 billion

Angolan, Investments

The oldest daughter of Angola’s outgoing president and Africa’s richest woman owns a significant stake in Unitel, the country's largest mobile phone network, and a stake in Banco BIC. Outside Angola, she owns nearly 6% of oil and gas firm Galp Energia (alongside Portuguese billionaire Americo Amorim), and nearly 19% of Banco BPI, the country's fourth-largest bank. She is also a controlling shareholder of Portuguese cable TV and telecom firm Nos SGPS (formerly called Zon).

 

5. Oprah Winfrey, $3 billion

American, Television

Oprah, once the queen of daytime TV, is still the richest African-American person in the world. Her once struggling cable channel, OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) is now cash flow positive and is enjoying soaring ratings on the back of a series of successful sitcom and drama collaborations with director Tyler Perry.

 

6. Robert Smith, $2.5 billion

Smith is the founder of private equity shop, Vista Equity Partners, an Austin, Texas firm that is best known for fixing up enterprise software outfits. He is married to 2010 Playboy Playmate of the Year Hope Dworaczyk.

 

7. Patrice Motsepe, $1.81 billion

South African, Mining

After making a fortune in mining through his African Rainbow Minerals, South Africa's first black billionaire, Patrice Motsepe, is now reinvesting via private equity. In the last year, his new investment company, African Rainbow Capital, has made a series of investments in leading South African financial services companies. He is also the president and owner of the Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club.

 

8. Folorunsho Alakija, $1.61 billion

Nigerian, Oil

Nigeria’s only female billionaire is the founder of Famfa Oil, a Nigerian company that owns a substantial participating interest in OML 127, a lucrative oil block on the Agbami deep-water oilfield in Nigeria. Alakija started off as a secretary in a Nigerian merchant bank in the 1970s, then quit her job to study fashion design in England. Upon her return, she founded a Nigerian fashion label that catered to upscale clientele, including Maryam Babangida, wife to Nigeria’s former military president Ibrahim Babangida.

 

9. Michael Jordan, $1.31 billion

American, Basketball

Basketball's greatest player is the majority shareholder of Charlotte Bobcats and enjoys lucrative deals with the likes of Gatorade, Hanes and Upper Deck. His biggest pile comes from Brand Jordan, a $1 billion (sales) sportswear partnership with Nike.

 

10. Mohammed Ibrahim, $1.14 billion

British, Mobile Telecoms, Investments

Mo Ibrahim made his initial fortune as the founder of Celtel, an African mobile phone company, which he sold to MTC of Kuwait for $3.4 billion in 2005. He now reinvests through Satya Capital, a U.K-based, African focused private equity firm.

 

-Forbes/Mfonobong Nsehe

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

Popular Hollywood Actor 'Batman' Star Dies in Los Angeles

Popular hollywood actor best known as the star of the 1960s hit TV series 'Batman', has died peacefully in Los Angeles after a brief battle with leukaemia.

 

Adam West, the actor best known for playing Batman in the 1960s television series, has died aged 88 of leukaemia.

 

He is remembered by fans for his kooky, exaggerated portrayal of the superhero in the ABC show, which ran for three seasons from 1966 to 1968.

 

West once said that he played Batman “for laughs, but in order to do [that], one had to never think it was funny. You just had to pull on that cowl and believe that no one would recognise you.”

 

In a statement, his family said: “Our dad always saw himself as the Bright Knight and aspired to make a positive impact on his fans’ lives. He was and always will be our hero.” 

 

The family later posted the following tweet from West’s official Twitter account:

 

"Our beloved AW passed away last night. He was the greatest. We'll miss him like crazy. We know you'll miss him too - West Family."

 

His tongue-in-cheek portrayal of Batman and the superhero's alter ego Bruce Wayne won a cult following. However, West later struggled to find acting work.

 

He most recently played a character in the animated comedy Family Guy.

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

How Kenyans Rob Foreign Tourists in the Name of Love

Activities of some citizens of Kenya who dare to rob foreign tourists from time to time in the name of love, have been exposed.

File photo: A Kenyan with a tourist

 

When you look the Kenyan coast, the place is full of foreign tourists. Some fall in love with the ambience, food and people, so much that they never return to their countries of origin. The few who do, remain regular visitors.

But in their endeavour to find love among locals, some end up regretting ever setting foot in Kenya. They end up with experiences characterised by betrayal, court battles over property, nasty separations or divorce cases and in extreme cases murder.

A perfect case in point is a certain Petre, a German national, who fell victim to the 'Mombasa raha' frenzy and ended up losing millions of shillings and now lives like a pauper.

He first visited Ukunda in 1996 for holiday and stayed in luxury hotels and cottages in Diani. Petre now lives in a single-roomed makuti shack. "I stayed at Neptune Beach Hotel for one month. I liked the place and the beaches. I fell in love with Mombasa and I decided to make it an annual visit," says Petre.

He later opted to holiday twice every year in Mombasa. How then did his fortunes crumble?

"In 2003, I came for my holiday as usual. I had a local girlfriend who was staying in Mtopanga, Kisauni. I would sometimes stay at her house but used to shuttle back and forth to the cottages in Ukunda," he explains.

He somehow spent his entire pension on her — and other local women. He is now penniless and spends most of his time at the beaches in Ukunda, acting as a tour-guide in exchange for money from German tourists.

Forced to live like a majority of locals, Petre's life is a far cry from what it was some time back. His life's savings, after retiring from the German fashion industry, evaporated in the coastal heat.

Now he pays Sh400 rent for the room, the beach hotel he so loved is now forgotten. "These days I eat sima (ugali) and sukuma wiki, maharagwe (beans) and mchicha. I like it!" he discloses, adding that he has now embraced the local culture and frequents mnazi (local brew) dens once in a while to unwind.

Born 56 years ago, Petre has been registered as an alien and is learning Kiswahili. Despite the pauper life, he says he will never go back to his country where he left a wife and two children.

Petre is in good company. Another victim is a German woman in her mid-50s who visited the Kenyan Coast, probably to enjoy her twilight years in the serenity of the gateway to East Africa.

Unfortunately, she found herself in the sin city of Mtwapa where readily available sex and a good life awaited. She met a Kenyan man and was immediately struck by his youthfulness and virility — he was in his early 30s and wore dreadlocks. They became lovers.

And because she was 'loaded' and in 'love', she was transparent with her lover boy. She gave him everything money could buy. He knew where the money was and even had access to her bank account.

The two were deeply in love, or so she thought. They bought a house and started a business. But after about a year, she started noticing changes.

"He started spending money without my knowledge and when I asked him about it, he would get angry and threaten to leave me. And because I was in love, I kept quiet," she recalls.

Not long after, she sold a piece of land they had acquired together. "I later realised that the land was registered in his name because the transactions were carried out in his mother tongue in my presence. Upon questioning him, he became so furious that he frightened me into silence," she explains. That marked the end of their relationship.

Another victim of manipulative beach boys and girls has been seen in Mtwapa in the North Coast roasting maize after losing all his fortunes to Kenyan women.

He had gotten himself a string of Kenyan lasses who spent all his fortune, leaving him a pauper. Nowadays, he unwinds at the Uwanja wa Mbuzi area, infamous for its numerous mnazi dens and cheap prostitutes.

The Bombolulu area of Mombasa County is where a number of the fleeced tourists have made home. Starting with the one who got conned within months of arrival, the area has seen an influx of bankrupt wazungu, who can be seen strolling around in bathroom slippers and dirty clothes. Occasionally, they ask for handouts from matatu operators and vegetable sellers.

"We are used to them here (Bombolulu). They even bargain for fare. One was beaten the other day for trying to snatch a woman's bag," says a matatu operator.

Kimberly, another female tourist had to seek legal counsel after her local husband swindled her. The two, who got married at the Attorney General's office in Mombasa, bought a piece of land in Kikambala area of Kilifi County, only for the title deed to appear in his name.

The man, who already had a Kenyan wife, even changed the logbooks of the family cars to his name without her knowledge before vanishing into thin air.

When nosing around for related anecdotes, locals told this writer that some would-be victims have been lucky to escape narrowly.

A local gives an example of Rose, who came five years ago to the country and settled at the Kenyan South Coast. She met and married a local man, but called it quits after weeks when his demands became crazy.

"The Kenyan man demanded that she buys him a car and house while they were still on honeymoon at a villa in South Coast. But because all she wanted was real love and romance, she got so frustrated and ditched him," Philip explains.

The locals have been known to do whatever it takes to net old and moneyed tourists.

In most cases, the beach boys are mostly school dropouts married to local women. Interestingly, their wives have full knowledge of what their men do, but conveniently choose to ignore the philandering for the bigger picture — wealth and a good life.

With the high poverty levels along the Coast, the practice is not only appreciated but also highly encouraged as a 'business enterprise'.

One such man in Mtwapa has amassed wealth after three relationships with white women spanning more than ten years with his wife's knowledge. In one of his 'relationships', his white lover nearly committed suicide after her fortunes ran dry. She had to book the next flight back home upon realising the man was happily married and quite the leech.

"All you have to do is learn a few English, Italian or German words and you are in business," said one beach boy that we interviewed for this story, "then be patient and wait for the opportunity to come."

And as they say, good things come to all those who wait, especially when tourist love insists on being blind. 

 

***

Via SDE

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

AFCON 2019: Cameroon Wins Morocco, while Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Zambia All Lost at Home

Cameroon took on Morocco in the Africa Nations Cup qualifier in Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo stadium, Yaounde this Saturday, June 10, 2016. Final score after 90 minutes of play: Cameroon: 1, Morroco: 0. The lone goal was scored by Vincent Aboubakar at the 29th minute. However, fans and supporters let the stadium disappointed as Ambriose Oyongo Bitolo suffered an injury. Oyongo may likely miss the confederation cup in Russia. 

 Meanwhile former African champions Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Zambia all lost at home Saturday on a day of upsets in the first qualifying round for the 2019 Cup of Nations.

Three–time champions Nigeria lost a competitive game against South Africa for the first time when they fell 2-0 in the southern Nigerian town of Uyo in Group E.

While in Group H the Ivory Coast, who had vowed to win in memory of former team-mate Cheick Tiote, who collapsed and died in China this week, slumped 3-2 to fellow west Africans Guinea in Bouake. Zambia, champions in 2012, fell 1-0 at home to a daring Mozambican side in Group K.

New South Africa coach Stuart Baxter labelled his team the underdogs going by their poor head-to-head record against Nigeria.

But goals by Tokelo Rantie and substitute Percy Tau in the second half sunk the home team and the visitors were unlucky not to have scored more goals in the Group E clash.

“My young team tried their best, there was a mistake for the first goal and the second goal was a gift,” admitted Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr.

Libya top Group E after a 5-1 spanking of Seychelles on Friday in Cairo, Egypt.

In Bouake, the Elephants of Ivory Coast went down to Guinea despite a brace by Seydou Doumbia.

Germany-based striker Naby Keita fired the winner for Guinea in the 79th minute.

 Stanley Ratifo grabbed the last-gasp match winner when he stabbed home a low cross.

Before then, Chipolopolo goalkeeper and captain Kennedy Mweene had to pull off a point-blank save to deny the visitors.

Guinea-Bissau, shock qualifiers for the 2017 Cup of Nations, edged past Namibia thanks to a Jerson goal on 24 minutes in the other Group K fixture.

Cameroon and Malawi both won in Group B. Reigning champions Cameroon pipped Morocco 1-0 in Yaounde while Malawi beat the Comoros by the same scoreline in Blantyre.

In Group I, the Zebras of Botswana lost 1-0 to Mauritania in front of their fans in Francistown after they failed to put away many chances.

This gutsy contest was decided on 78 minutes when substitute Abdoulaye Soudani controlled a long ball before firing past the Botswana goalkeeper.

Hosts Burkina Faso won the other Group I tie against Angola 3-1 with big striker Aristide Bance bagging a brace.

Burundi beat South Sudan 3-0 in Group C with Mali fought back from a goal down to beat Gabon 2-1 in Bamako in the other group game.

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

Cameroon Benefits FCFA 262 Billion World Bank Loan to Develop Livestock, Electricity Sectors

The two loans granted by the World Bank worth CFA 262 billion to Cameroon is intended to use for the development of its livestock and electricity sectors. According to AP, the first funding agreement involving CFA 60 billion, is intended to improve and modernize the Livestock Development Project (PRODEL) for a six-year period.

The country needs to strengthen its production and marketing capacities in the livestock sector, not only to ensure domestic food self-sufficiency in livestock production, but also to enable it to export its products to the Central Africa sub-region and neighboring Nigeria where the demand is very high.

The second financing agreement, amounting to CFA 202 billion, is aimed at strengthening, extending, rehabilitating and modernizing infrastructure in the electricity sector which for some years now has been epileptic with rampant power cuts.  .

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

Football: Messi or Ronaldo, Who Is Really The Best?

Argument has gone on over many years about who is a better footballer between Ronaldo and Messi. Fan Ndubuoke wades into the much discussed matter.

Messi and Ronaldo

 

In 1991, I was in Sheffield, England, to cover the World University Games for my organization then, Champion Newspapers, the leader in sports reportage at the time. We were everywhere.
At the Heathrow airport on my way back, two video cassettes at the duty free shop caught my attention. One, ‘Who’s the greatest’, the other ‘The Power of the Orange’. I bought both.
‘Who’s the greatest’ compared legendary footballers of equal exploits. First, two English greats, John Barnes with George Best, then Pele with Maradona. Each player had his own accomplishments spelt out, making it difficult for you to make a choice. In some cases, the choice was clear.
The other cassette, The Power of the Orange, was about the growing influence of The Dutch in world football, both in the quality and avalanche of players and coaches across the globe at the time.
Orange is the official team colour for the Netherlands. Remember Johan Cruyff and the three musketeers, Ruud Gullit, Marco Van Basten and Frank Rijkaard. These Dutch soccer stars were at their peak at the time.
Great coaches like Dick Advocaat, Guus Hiddink, Louis Van Gaal etc were also on top of their game. Even the achievements of Clemence Westerhof and Bonfrere Jo with Nigeria were equally highlighted. Very educative cassettes. I wish I could locate their where about in my house.
However, our focus here is not on the cassettes that may have gone forever, but on the ranging supremacy battle between today’s two world football super stars, Lionel Andres Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, otherwise known as Messi and Ronaldo . Between the two players, who do you think is a better player, or better still, the world’s best today. This contest is not likely to produce winners or losers. It’s a journey worthy of our time all the same.
How do we even conduct this exercise without ignoring some basic principles in research methodology. Whether you approach it qualitatively or quantitatively, you are likely to be accused of bias.
In attempting this onerous task, Stewart Coggin, a football expert had adopted the following criteria: Team play, Dribbling and Control, Physical Prowess , Finishing with head and feet, Free kicks, Skill and Technique, Goals scored and Assists. Even at that, it’s still a hard nut to crack.
Here is the case for Messi: Born 24th June, 1987, in Rosario Argentina. By the age of 12, his enormous talent in the round leather game was already glaring despite an abnormal hormone that tended to retard his growth. But that did not deter Spainish giants, Barcelona FC from snatching him from his boyhood team, Newwell, Old Boys at the age of 13. Since then, little Messi took the world by storm. In summary, he has emerged world footballer of the year five times, the Ballon d’Or, four of them consecutively. First player to win three European Golden Shoes. The Argentine has won 29 trophies with Barcelona FC, eight La Liga titles, four UEFA Champions League, five Copas de Rey, U-20 World Cup and an Olympic gold medal. In 700 appearances in all competitions , magical Messi has scored 565 goals, with 231 assists. If you think this is incredible, then Cristiano Ronaldo is simply phenomenal.
Ronaldo: BORN on 5th February, 1985 in Funchal Madeira, Portugal, he started his march towards stardom with Sporting Lisbon before moving to Manchester United at age 18. His career blossomed under legendary Alex Ferguson, and was rewarded with the world footballer of the year. In 2009, Ronaldo broke the world record in transfer fees, Real Madrid lured him over with whopping $131 price money. He has since emerged world best Four times, just one behind Messi, and with his exploits since the European championship last year which his country won, UEFA and La Liga titles this year, he looks unstoppable for his fifth Ballon d’Or. In his 855 appearances in all competitions, Ronaldo has scored 600 goals, with 195 assists. He has also garnered two La Liga, two Copa del Rey and four UEFA champions league titles in his blistering career. He is the first player to score ten or more goals in six consecutive UEFA Champions League campaigns.
This is the dilemma in any attempt to compare these two extraordinary talents who have erected and dismantled world records with reckless abandon. Let’s go back to Stewart Coggin’s yardsticks for comparative analysis.
Finishing with feet and head, Messi has slight advantage with his feet while Ronaldo is a clear favourite with the head in my opinion.
In free kicks;very difficult to separate the two, but I think the Portuguese has a slight edge. Dribbling and Control; Messi is my clear winner here. Skill and Technique; give it to Messi too. Team play also goes to Messi as CR7 has often been accused by his teammates of being selfish in front of goal.
In physical Prowess, Ronaldo has my vote. Messi is more creative and skillful, a game changer. But CR7 remains one of the most marketable athletes, the ladies delight and one of the richest according to Forbes. Over all, I still stand with those who think Ronaldo is the best player in the world, while Messi is a spirit from another planet.

Where do you stand?
Till next, keep attacking.

 

*****

Written by Fan Ndubuoke

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

British PM Loses Majority, Faces Pressure to Resign

Theresa May who is currently battling with the exit of the United Kingdom from Brexit as well as terrorism might be vacating her seat after her party lost parliamentary majority.

 

Theresa May

 

British Prime Minister Theresa May faced pressure to resign on Friday after losing her parliamentary majority, plunging the country into uncertainty as Brexit talks loom.

The pound fell sharply amid fears the Conservative leader will be unable to form a government and could even be forced out of office after a troubled campaign overshadowed by two terror attacks.

After being re-elected with an increased majority in the London commuter seat of Maidenhead, May said Britain “needs a period of stability” as it prepares for the complicated process of withdrawing from the European Union.

She said that while the full results had yet to emerge, her party seemed to have won the most seats and “it would be incumbent on us to ensure we have that period of stability”.

But Leftist opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn, whose Labour party surged from 20 points behind, urged May to quit, saying she had “lost votes, lost support and lost confidence”.

Former Conservative minister Anna Soubry, who just held onto her seat, said May was “in a very difficult place” following a “dreadful campaign”.

With a handful of seats still to be declared, the Conservatives were predicted to win 319 seats, down from 331 in 2015 — yet another upset in a turbulent year since the EU referendum in June 2016.

They were mathematically unable to reach the 326 mark that would give them a majority, meaning they will have to form an informal or formal alliance to forward their agenda.

Labour are expected to increase their share from 229 to 260 seats, resulting in a hung parliament. May, a 60-year-old vicar’s daughter, is now facing questions over her judgement in calling the election three years early and risking her party’s slim but stable majority of 17.

“It is exactly the opposite of why she held the election and she then has to go and negotiate Brexit in that weakened position,” said Professor Tony Travers of the London School of Economics.

Sterling fell nearly two percent against the dollar on the back of the exit poll, as investors questioned who was now going to control the Brexit process.

Early newspaper editions reflected the drama, with headlines such as “Britain on a knife edge”, “Mayhem” and “Hanging by a thread”.

In a night that threatened to redraw the political landscape once again, the UK Independence Party (UKIP), which won 12.5 percent of the vote two years ago and was a driving force behind the Brexit vote, was all but wiped out, hovering around two percent.

The pro-European Liberal Democrats, who have campaigned for a second EU referendum, increased their number of seats from nine, but their former leader Nick Clegg lost his seat.

Meanwhile the Scottish National Party of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, which has dominated politics north of the border for a decade and called for a new independence vote after Brexit, was tipped to lose around 21 of its 54 seats.

Deputy leader Angus Robertson, one of the strongest SNP performers in the House of Commons, was an early casualty.

 

– ‘Pressure to resign’ –

 

May, who took over after last year’s Brexit referendum, began the formal two-year process of leaving the EU on March 29, promising to take Britain out of the single market and cut immigration.

Seeking to capitalise on sky-high popularity ratings, she called the election a few weeks later, urging voters to give her a stronger mandate to go into Brexit talks that are expected to begin as early as June 19.

Officials in Brussels were hopeful the election would allow her to make compromises, but this has been thrown into question by the prospect of a hung parliament.

“It creates another layer of uncertainty ahead of the Brexit negotiations,” said Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at OANDA currency traders.

Despite campaigning against Brexit, Labour has accepted the result but promised to avoid a “hard Brexit”, focusing on maintaining economic ties with the bloc.

Barely a month ago, the centre-left party seemed doomed to lose the election, plagued by internal divisions over its direction under veteran socialist Corbyn.

But May’s botched announcement of a reform in funding for elderly care, a strong grassroots campaign by Corbyn and the terror attacks, which increased scrutiny of her time as interior minister, changed the game.

“Even if she manages to get just enough seats it will be seen as a failure and she may indeed be under pressure to resign as leader quite quickly,” said Paula Surridge, senior lecturer at the University of Bristol.

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

Transfers, Redeployment of Teachers Spark Controversy at MINMIDT

Gbwaboubou Ernest

An atmosphere of dissatisfaction now looms in the ministry of Mines, Industry and Technological Development where GBWABOUBOU Ernest is Minister. This is so following a decision by Gbwaboubou Ernest to send away all teachers back to their ministry of origin. Popular opinion holds that the minister’s transfer decision is archaic and biased given that the minister himself is just a “butterfly who thinks himself a bird” in that ministry. Teachers, we gathered are aghast that they have been victimized by the minister’s decision who himself is a former Divisional Officer and not expert miner. Expressionists have expressed disgust over the recent transfers in that ministry which many say has added salt and pepper to the unfortunate teacher crisis. The Eye is aware that over 70 teachers serving in that ministry have been redeployed to their ministry of origin. He is quoted to have called teachers “strangers”. This statement sources say has sparked anger amongst the teachers who have served in that ministry for years. Many have described Gbwaboubou’s statement as discriminatory and a huge abyss in administration.

It should be recalled that on June 2, 2017 Gbwaboubou Ernest signed a ministerial text sending back all teachers to their ministry of origin. Those who have been affected by this decision include mostly Regional, Divisional Delegates and others in the central administration.  

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

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)