Dozens killed in Fresh attack in Nigeria

Dozens killed in Nigeria attacks
June 22, 2014 2:49 PM

Boko Haram wants to create an Islamic state in northern Nigeria
Dozens of villagers are feared dead after attacks by suspected Boko Haram Islamist militants in Nigeria's northeastern Borno state.

The raids on Saturday morning were close to Chibok, from where more than 200 schoolgirls were abducted in April.

Villagers said Boko Haram fighters spent six hours on a shooting spree, chasing fleeing residents into the bush and torching homes.

Boko Haram wants to create an Islamic state in northern Nigeria.

The latest attacks by the group appear to have centred on two villages - Kwarangilam and Koronginim.

Residents described how attackers wearing military uniforms arrived in sports utility vehicles and on motorbikes shouting "Allahu Akbar" and shooting everyone in sight.

Many were gunned down as they tried to hide in the bush.

Witnesses also described seeing Nigerian air force planes and soldiers taking part in a counter-offensive.

The bodies of Boko Haram fighters were also reported to have been found outside Kwarangilam along with burned-out vehicles.

Remote areas at risk

Hundreds of villagers have been killed in northern Nigeria in Boko Haram attacks in recent months.

In one attack near the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, at the beginning of June, 45 people were killed.

The attackers told villagers they had come to preach before firing on a crowd that gathered, survivors said.

Militants have frequently targeted remote areas since emergency rule was imposed a year ago in the north-east.

Nigeria's government has been facing growing pressure both at home and abroad to do more to tackle Boko Haram since the militants' kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls.

The BBC's Will Ross in Lagos says that civilians who have formed vigilante groups are calling on the government to arm them with better guns so they can be more effective against the group.

Who are Boko Haram?

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau has been designated a terrorist by the US government
• Founded in 2002

• Initially focused on opposing Western education - Boko Haram means "Western education is forbidden" in the Hausa language

• Launched military operations in 2009 to create Islamic state

• Thousands killed, mostly in north-eastern Nigeria - also attacked police and UN headquarters in capital, Abuja

• Some three million people affected

• Declared terrorist group by US in 2013

Source: BBC © 2014

US unlocks military aid to Egypt

 U.S unlocks military aid to Egypt
June 22, 2014 4:44 PM
US Secretary of State John Kerry; "We want to contribute to the success of Egypt"
The US has revealed it has released $575m (£338m) in military aid to Egypt that had been frozen since the ousting of President Mohammed Morsi last year.

The news came as Secretary of State John Kerry visited Cairo just two weeks after former army chief Abdul Fattah al-Sisi was sworn in as president.

After talks with the new leader, Mr Kerry stressed the importance of upholding the rights of all Egyptians.

Mr Sisi won May elections, vowing to tackle "terrorism" and bring security.

The retired field marshal overthrew Mr Morsi last July amid mass protests against his rule.

He has since been pursuing a crackdown on Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, which urged a boycott of the 26-28 May elections. Liberal and secular activists also shunned the poll in protest at the curtailing of civil rights.

'Difficult years of transition'

State department officials said the military aid was released to the authorities in Cairo about 10 days ago, after getting a green light from Congress.

The funds - from the annual $1.5bn of chiefly military aid - will mainly be used to pay existing defence contracts.

Android and windows add (kill switch)

Android and Windows add 'kill switch'
June 20, 2014 8:56 AM
Google and Microsoft will add a "kill-switch" feature to their Android and Windows phone operating systems.

The feature is a method of making a handset completely useless if it is stolen, rendering a theft pointless.

Authorities have been urging tech firms to take steps to help curb phone theft and argued that a kill-switch feature can help resolve the problem.

Apple and Samsung, two of the biggest phone makers, offer a similar feature on some of their devices.

The move by Google and Microsoft means that kill switches will now be a part of the three most popular phone operating systems in the world.

Growing problem

Smartphone theft has become a big problem across the world. According to a report by US authorities:

• Some 3.1 million mobile devices were stolen in the US in 2013, nearly double the number of devices stolen in 2012

• One in three Europeans experienced the theft or loss of a mobile device in 2013

• In South Korea mobile device theft increased five-fold between 2009 and 2012

• In Colombia criminals stole over one million devices in 2013

In an attempt to tackle the issue, policymakers have launched an initiative called Secure our Smart phones.

As part of it, they have urged technology firms to take steps to make it less attractive for robbers to steal mobile devices.

"An activated kill switch converts an easy-to-sell, high-value multimedia device into a jumble of plastic and glass, drastically reducing its street value," the report by New York Attorney General said.

Explainer: How a kill switch works

• A "hard" kill switch would render a stolen device permanently unusable and is favoured by legislators who want to give stolen devices the "value of a paperweight"

• A "soft" kill switch only make a phone unusable to "an unauthorised user"

• Some argue that the only way to permanently disable a phone is to physically damage it

• Experts worry that hackers could find a way to hijack a kill signal and turn off phones

• If a phone is turned off or put into aeroplane mode, it might not receive the kill signal at all, warn experts

Authorities claim that Apple's feature - dubbed Activation Lock - which it introduced on all
Iphones running the iOS 7 operating system in September last year, has helped reduce theft substantially.

According to a report by the New York State Attorney General, in the first five months of 2014 the theft of Apple devices fell by 17% in New York City.

Meanwhile iPhone robberies fell 24% in London and 38% in San Francisco in the six months after Apple introduced the feature, compared to the previous six months.

"During the same period, thefts of other popular mobile devices increased," the report says.

Manoj Menon, managing director of consulting firm Frost & Sullivan said the move was a step in the right direction.

"This is a fantastic move and will go a long way in helping authorities come one step closer to realising a vision of zero theft of mobile phone," he told the BBC.

But he added that it was "not a foolproof system" as thieves "will find a way to monetise the accessories and parts of a phone".

However, he said the market for parts and accessories was relatively small and the kill switch "does substantially reduce the financial incentive of stealing a device".

Source: BBC © 2014

World cup latest update

2-2 Ghana: Klose moves level with Ronaldo to salvage late draw

The veteran is now just one goal shy of becoming the leading goalscorer in World Cup history after coming off the bench to spare his nation's blushes.

Jun 21, 2014 4:56:00 PM
Miroslav Klose scored his 15th World Cup goal to salvage a late 2-2 draw with Ghana in Fortaleza.

 Source goal.com

Tinsel fans mourn the death of Fred Ade William

Fans of the MNet TV series, Tinsel, are mourning the death of the character, Fred Ade Williams.
The character, played by Victor Olaotan, was killed by an unknown gunman in an episode that aired on Wednesday, May 21, 2014.
His death shocked countless fans who have taken to twitter to express their grief, ‘So Fred Ade-Williamseventually died on Tinsel? Wow. I’ve missed out on a whole lot of episodes, @phemmow wrote. ‘R.I.P Fred Ade Williams, Tinsel is so gonna miss u.. Me too’ @callmehardams added, while @ezerosemary wroteFred Ade Williams is gone… I’m so gonna miss your resoundinq voice on tinsel… Rip kefee, God knows best‘.
Oluwatoyin Winful-Ojo asked on Facebook, Really what is left of Tinsel with Fred dead?
Fred Ade Williams was one of the few who has starred in the series since it started in August 2008.
The series’ plot revolved around his film production company, Reel Studios and a rival company, Odyssey Pictures, owned by Brenda Nana Mensah as played by Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi.
Other characters that have ended their ‘Tinsel race’ in previous episodes are Reginald played by Omar Captain Sherif, Ziggy played by Kunle Coker and Kwame, played by Chris Attoh.      
Source: nairaland.com

SEE MIKEL'S EXCUSE FOR NIGERIAS GOALESS DRAW TO IRAN

John Obi Mikel has accused Iran of parking the bus after Nigeria drew 0-0 with the World Cup minnows in their World Cup opener on Monday.

In a dire affair that produced the first goalless draw of the competition, the Super Eagles struggled for any sort of attacking fluency, with their star men anonymous. Mikel, who operated in an unfamiliar No.10 role, in stark contrast to his deep-lying midfield position at Chelsea, was handed the man-of-the-match award for attempting to at least stamp some authority on proceedings.


After the game, the Chelsea man admitted his side had come up short in the final third and said they will need to be sharper in front of goal if they are to reach the knockout stages.
He said:

 “We are very disappointed because the opening match is very important. We looked for the win, but Iran knew what we wanted to do and put 11 men behind the ball. They managed to stop us from playing our game. We’ll have to create more chances in our next match and be sharp in front of goal.”

Source: WS BLOG

WIZKID POSTS YET ANOTHER PHOTO WITH CHRIS BROWN

This pic was posted by Nigerian music star wizkid at the early hours of today with the caption
"Cooling with the brother!. One word for this dude: Simply Amazing.. thumbs up guy.

SUSPECTED MILITARY KIT SMUGGLER HAS BEEN HANDED OVER TO DMI - NIGERIAN CUSTOMS SERVICE

 
The Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, says the suspect  who was caught attempting to smuggle military camouflage and boots among other goods into country has now been handed over to the Directorate of Military Intelligence, DMI.

The Custom Area Controller, Port and Terminal MultiService Limited Command, Folorunsho Adegoke, made this......
known to journalists on Friday in Lagos.
Mr. Adegoke said the NCS handed over the suspect to the DMI when the State Security Service, SSS, which had earlier taken custody the suspect on Wednesday, returned him to the command.
The suspect was arrested by the Customs on Monday and handed over to the SSS on Wednesday.
Mr. Adegoke said the SSS returned the suspect on Friday and urged the command to hand him over to the DMI for further investigation.
He said that the SSS officials told the command that the DMI was in a better position to investigate the case.
Items found with the suspect include military uniforms, bullet proof jackets, boots, ear protectors, hand gloves, chemical protectors and helmets.
Others are jack knives, belts, water bottles, weapon service equipment, face masks, communication radio gadgets, and raincoats.