Friday, 31 July 2015

Courting Chaos in Libya By Atlantic Council

Seif al-Islam Gadhafi, son of late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, attends a hearing behind bars in a courtroom in Zintan, Libya, May 25, 2014. He was sentenced to death by a court in Tripoli July 28. (Reuters)

The decision by a Tripoli court to sentence a son of late Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi to death by firing squad is the latest in a series of “self-defeating maneuvers” by authorities in Libya’s capital, says the Atlantic Council’s Karim Mezran.

The Federal Ministry of Education on Wednesday in Abuja honoured Dr Victor Olalusi who scored 5.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) in Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow (RNRMU) in 2013, arguably the first in the world.

Olalusi, who was the best graduating student in the whole Russian Federation in 2013, studied in RNRMU under the Russia-Nigeria Bilateral Education Agreement.

"Manopause" is a colloquial term. The male menopause is scientifically referred to as the andropause. And despite many years of research into the symptoms, causes and overall existence of the andropause, it is often dismissed as a made-up condition, like "man-flu".

THE ALARMING STATISTIC OF PATERNITY FRAUD IN NIGERIA – ARE YOU YOUR BABY’S DADDY?

Credit - Paternity Test Nigeria — Credit – Venture Africa.

In an article that recently resurfaced, originally published two years ago, a DNA expert said three out of 10 Nigerian men are not the biological fathers of their children. The article no doubt caught the attention of many. And though the authenticity of the statement remains in question, it certainly provoked a conversation, and surely, reactions. I am certain a good number of men began to question their paternity, and those who had prior suspicions must have gone ahead to take a paternity test. This information came right after the rumoured durex survey which alleged that Nigerian women are the most unfaithful in the world; the statement seemed to fan a flame. In his interview, the expert made reference to the survey, saying that the sexual recklessness of Nigerian women is the reason for the alarming statistics of paternity fraud in country.

President Buhari who is currently in Cameroon on an official visit was hosted to a state dinner by Cameroonian President, Paul Biya and his wife Mrs Chantal Biya at the Unity Palace in Yaounde yesterday, 30 July 2015. More pics after cut...

Caring4Girls and the Imbumba Foundation

Trek4Mandela

This expedition was established in 2012 when Richard Mabaso, Chief Executive Officer of the Imbumba Foundation, overheard a fearful conversation between his mom and niece about puberty. Richard invited his friend Sibusiso Vilane, the first black person in the world to conquer the Three Poles Challenge (reaching the South Pole, North Pole and Mount Everest), to lead him on his first expedition to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

EPA AFGHANISTAN MULLAH OMAR HUM PEOPLE AFG

(Photo: Handout, EPA)

Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar — confirmed dead by Afghanistan's main intelligence agency Wednesday — has been the United States' most sought after Taliban figure for 14 years.

Believed to have been born in 1960 in the village of Chah-i-Himmat, in Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan, Mullah Omar led the Taliban as it ruled Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, when U.S. forces invaded Afghanistan a month after the 9/11 attacks and toppled the Taliban regime for giving safe haven to al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, the mastermind of the U.S. attacks.

Image by: The Root.com

Five black women have perished while in custody in US jails this month.

On July 27, Raynetta Turner was found unresponsive in her prison cell after she was arrested for shoplifting in New York.

Quantifying South African Rape & Murder Since the Fall of Apartheid (2014-2015 South African Rape ) By European Knights Project.

Quantifying South African Rape & Murder Since the Fall of Apartheid (2014-2015 South African Rape Statistics)

Dear friends,

Before I present you with my latest findings on how virulent rape culture is in South Africa (useful Leftist term), I wanted to tell you about a bit of abuse I have been subjected to of late for trying to expose genocide in South Africa.

Remarkably it's come neither from the black ANC, the Jewish groups I've criticised for supporting them, Muslims or members of the antifascist crowd. In fact the abuse has originated from a small group of failed White Nationalists calling themselves the Renegade Tribune, and their emasculated leader, Kyle Hunt.

Will Multinational Companies Save the Poor? By Lord Micheal Hasting

Reflections on the Financing for Development Conference
On the 13th - 16th July 2015 Heads of State met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to decide where the money will come from to end poverty and sustain our planet, aiming to fill an estimated USD2.5 trillion funding gap to meet the fifteen year Sustainable Development Goals which world leaders will agree in September. Addis Ababa was a fitting place to meet being the diplomatic capital of Africa set in a country which has averaged double digit growth for the last decade, also predicted to be the fastest growing economy in the world from 2014-2017. Looking out to the conference venue, surrounded by construction sites, was nonetheless a reminder that even in high growth economies there remains a long journey ahead.

In the Same City but in a Different Room
A record breaking eight hundred business representatives registered for the Conference - more than have attended any prior UN convened conference. Few were visible at the main conference venue. Instead, it was the surrounding hotels which were alive with the buzz of private sector energy.

Read President Buhari remarks below:

“From what I have seen so far, we need very patriotic Nigerians (to be ministers);

Nigerians that can work very hard with knowledgeable experience; committed

Nigerians to be in charge of ministries.

US President Barack Obama delivers remarks at the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia July 28, 2015. Image by: REUTERS

In a reference to the decision by Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza to seek a third term in violation of his country's constitution and African leaders‚ such as Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe‚ who have stayed in office for decades‚ Obama said leaders needed to respect the law or risk destabilising their countries.

President Buhari is presently in Cameroon on an official visit with regards to regional security and the on-going war against terrorism. President Buhari on arrival in Cameroon was received by the Cameroonian President, Paul Biya. More pics after cut...

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari traveled to neighboring Cameroon Wednesday to ease tensions and discuss the regional fight against the Boko Haram terror group. Buhari met with his Cameroonian counterpart, President Paul Biya, in the capital Yaoundé for talks aimed at building a stronger coalition to battle the Islamist militants, according to the Associated Press.

FILE - In this Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011 file photo, Seif al-Islam is seen after his capture in the custody of revolutionary fighters in Zintan. A court in the Libyan capital has sentenced Seif al-Islam to death over killings during the country's 2011 uprising.

Moammar Gadhafi's son and onetime heir apparent was convicted and sentenced to death on Tuesday by a court in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, on charges of murder and inciting genocide during the country's 2011 uprising.

Markets in the entire town has been closed down and social activities has seized while the people of the town awaits the arrival of the Ooni corpse from the United Kingdom where he died last night 28 July 2015. More pics after cut..

Reuben Abati "My Phone Nolonger Ring"

Reuben Abati- Former spokesman to Former President Jonathan.

As spokesman to President Goodluck Jonathan, my phones rang endlessly and became

more than personal navigators within the social space. They defined my entire life;

dusk to dawn, all year-round. The phones buzzed non-stop, my email was permanently

active; my twitter account received tons of messages per second. The worst moments

were those days when there was a Boko Haram attack virtually every Sunday.

Burundi’s controversial president has won a third term in an election international observers have described as “tainted” by government intimidation and violence.

Pierre Nkurunziza won 70 per cent of the vote, according to provisional results from the country’s electoral commission.

Jobberman is one of the simplest and most far-reaching job search engines for employment seekers in Nigeria.

Thousands of Nigerians flock to the internet on a daily basis in search of jobs. Despite the explosion of apps, websites and other tools for job applicants seeking to optimise their hunt for employment in Nigeria, many are still unable to use the technology available to its fullest potential.

There are however some startups that are making real strides in combating this dilemma. If you have your CV ready and are looking for the best free job portals, then look no further as Jovago.com, shares the details on the top 3 start-ups revolutionising job search in Nigeria.

Jobberman
Jobberman is one of the simplest and most far-reaching job search engines for employment seekers in Nigeria. It was co-founded in 2009 by Opeyemi Awoyemi, Ayodeji Adewunmi and Olalekan Olude and claims to be the “Nigeria’s No. 1 Jobs Website.”

President Barack Obama speaks during a joint news conference with Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, Monday, July 27, 2015, at the National Palace in Addis Ababa. Obama is the first sitting U.S. president to visit Ethiopia. (AP Photo)

President Barack Obama urged Ethiopia's leaders Monday to curb crackdowns on press freedom and political openness as he began a visit that human rights groups say legitimizes an oppressive government.

"When all voices are being heard, when people know they are being included in the political process, that makes a country more successful," Obama said during a news conference with Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn. More pics after cut..

Several Nigerians are reacting on twitter over Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha's billboard of his shaking hands with President Obama during President Buhari's official visit to the United States. Do you share their views on this. Tweets after cut.

Whitney Houston and Bobbi Kristina Brown
Image by: Bang Showbiz

The 22-year-old aspiring singer passed away yesterday (26.07.15) evening - almost six months after she was found unconscious in a bath - and she will reportedly be remembered with a funeral service in Atlanta, Georgia, this week, before her body is flown to New Jersey to be laid to rest alongside the I Will Always Love You singer, Entertainment Tonight reports.

Hope for a new chapter in U.S.- Nigeria relations : The Washington Post

THIS WEEK, Washington rolled out the red carpet for President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria. Mr. Buhari’s invitation to the White House came shortly after his historic victory in the polls over embattled former president Goodluck Jonathan in March. Not only were the polls largely peaceful despite fears of terrorism and electoral violence, but also Mr. Buhari’s election represents the first time since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999 that a member of an opposition party has unseated an incumbent candidate.

Is Africa getting more or less democratic?

Why have so many countries become stuck in a murky middle ground between democracy and authoritarianism?

How can we design democracy so that it better fits African realities?

Academia, researchers and media commentators all give different answers to these questions. Some would give up on democracy in Africa, seeing it as a dangerous experiment that too often goes wrong. Others believe that the early signs are promising and that if we keep up the struggle for another generation, democracy will become entrenched within African societies.

Berhanu Nega: Eritrea's cannon fodder or Ethiopia's big hope? By Teshome M Borago

Dr Berhanu Nega

Many Ethiopians had diverse reaction to the latest news that Dr Berhanu Nega has gone to Eritrea to lead the armed struggle against the Ethiopian regime.
I first met Dr. Berhanu Nega in New York city in 2007. After his release from prison in Ethiopia, he came to a research college at 5th avenue downtown Manhattan at 13street. Berhanu spoke passionately about all the problems in Ethiopia, sweating aggressively as he concluded his list of main points. He told the mostly non-Ethiopian audience that there will never be change in ethiopia peacefully. After his presentation, i spoke with him for a few minutes and discussed various topics.

Citizens of Burundi awoke to the sounds of gunshots Tuesday morning, signaling the start of Election Day. In most democratic nations, elections often offer hope. They promise an opportunity for change, for the chance to start over with a new leader. But not in Burundi. For citizens there, they knew who would win the 2015 presidential election, and they feared the potential violent consequences that could occur. Another pic and video after cut...

Muslims pray during Eid-al-Fitr prayers in an open field, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, in Lagos July 17, 2015.REUTERS

Since taking office a little over a month ago, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buharihas made the war against terror in his country his top priority, meeting with leaders of neighboring countries affected by the brutal Boko Haram insurgency; relocating his military command center away from the capital Abuja to the northeast city of Maiduguri, the heart of the insurgency; and attending a Group of Seven meeting with a detailed wish list to take on the violent Islamist extremists.

Interview: Destruction and Rape in South Sudan

Girls waiting in line for water in the UNMISS camp near Bentiu. As of the end of June, the camp had registered about 81,000 inhabitants, including at least 28,000 new arrivals in April and May who now reside in mostly cramped and unsanitary conditions.

Four years after South Sudan became the world’s newest country, its civil war has reached horrific levels of violence. Between April and June, government forces, together with Bul Nuer militia, carried out an aggressive offensive in Unity State. Despite meeting little resistance in many areas – only women, children, and the elderly remained in most villages – troops killed civilians, torched homes, and beat, raped, and abducted women. At least 100,000 people have been displaced and untold numbers are left suffering. South Sudan researcher Skye Wheeler speaks with Amy Braunschweiger about the report, “They Burned it All,” and this horrible new phase in South Sudan’s civil war.

A woman runs along a road during an air strike by the Sudanese Air Force in Rubkona near Bentiu, South Sudan, on April 23, 2012. (Photo: Reuters)

A chilling description of violence in South Sudan that left as many as 129 children dead in May comes from UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake, and serves as a plea to the world:

“Survivors report that boys have been castrated and left to bleed to death…. Girls as young as 8 have been gang raped and murdered…. Children have been tied together before their attackers slit their throats.... Others have been thrown into burning buildings.”

UN Aid Chief Warns of 'Devastating' Toll in South Sudan War

United Nations' Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O'Brien visits the Protection of Civilians site for internally displaced people in Juba on July 22, 2015. (AFP Photo)

UN aid chief Stephen O'Brien warned today of the "devastating" toll on civilians in South Sudan, as he witnessed the impact of 19 months of a civil war marked by atrocities.

O'Brien is on a four-day visit to see "first-hand the humanitarian consequences of the conflict, and efforts by aid organizations to respond to escalating needs," according to a UN statement which warned hunger levels were rising.

Amid spat with ICC, Chad's former dictator, Habre trial raises hope for African justice : Reuters

The start of the trial of Hissene Habre on Monday concludes a 15-year battle by victims and rights campaigners to bring the former strongman to justice in Senegal, where he fled after being toppled in a 1990 coup.

Habre, backed by Washington as a bulwark against Libya's Muammar Gaddafi in the 1980s, is blamed by rights groups for widespread torture and the killing of up to 40,000 people during the eight years he ruled his impoverished central African nation.

Video: President Buhari's Interview With CNN Amanpour

In an exclusive interview during his visit to America, President Muhammadu Buhari speaks with Christiane Amanpour about terrorism, corruption, and his meetings with Obama. The president also said it was too early for Nigerians to judge him.

President Buhari To President Obama "Sodomy is against our culture And a crime in Nigeria"

President Buhari rejected Gay rights. More tweets after cut...

President Barack Obama waves as he boards Air Force One just before departing John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Tuesday, July 21, 2015. (AP Photo)

Dear President Obama,

As you prepare for your upcoming trip to Africa, we the undersigned 19 organizations, urge you to use this important opportunity to press for a solution to the ongoing crisis in South Sudan and stress the need for greater regional cooperation to pressure the warring parties to make the necessary concessions for a sustainable peace in South Sudan. A central component of this agenda should be combating the culture of impunity that surrounds the conflict to help forge an enabling environment for peace negotiations.

Video: Urine-Powered Generator Invented by Girls in Nigeria

A group of four high school teenage girls solved one of Nigeria’s gravest electrical challenge by inventing a system that uses urine to power generator. This came after years of reported cases of deaths resulting from carbon monoxide poisoning that emanates from power generator fumes.

Wheelchairs for Nigeria: getting polio survivors on the move

Polio survivor Clementina Kuptong climbs into her new wheelchair at the Beautiful Gate Handicapped People's Centre in Jos, northcentral Nigeria Plateau State, on July 16, 2015

Six new wheelchairs are lined up near the entrance of the Beautiful Gate Handicapped People's Centre in the central Nigerian city of Jos.

The chairs' new owners -- all of them polio survivors -- crawl one by one to the three-wheeled machines with flip-flops on their hands, dragging atrophied, twisted legs and feet behind them.

This month, the world moved a step closer to the defeat of Boko Haram, the jihadist group that has terrorized hundreds of thousands in the northern states of Nigeria. In one of my first acts since taking office as president six weeks ago, I have replaced the heads of Nigeria’s army, navy and air force. Our new military leadership has not been chosen because of their familiarity with those in government, as was too often the case in the past, but on their track records and qualifications alone.

Mama Zimbi: The woman who helps Ghana's widows who are forced to sleep with husbands' corpses as part of humiliating ritual : The Independent

In most parts of the world, becoming a widow elicits sympathy. Not so among some communities in Ghana, where women are sometimes blamed for their husbands’ deaths, kicked out of the family homes or forced to undergo humiliating “widowhood” rituals.

Burundi’s president, Pierre Nkurunziza, at independence celebrations in Bujumbura on Wednesday. On the same day six people were killed in post-election violence in the capital. Photograph: AFP

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari's meeting with President Barack Obama in Washington on July 20 is an important symbol of the significance of an unprecedented peaceful, democratic transfer of power from a defeated ruling party to the opposition in Nigeria. That symbolism matters for the development of genuine democracy in Africa.

President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the immediate ban of 113 crude oil vessels from doing business in any of the 27 oil terminals within the length and breadth of the Nigerian territorial waters.

The ban followed a directive contained in a memo dated July 15, 2015 by the Group General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Gbenga Komolafe, to all terminal operators.

President Buhari is presently in the United States on an official visit to discuss issues relating to the war against terrorism, economic and diplomatic affairs. The President entourage includes, Governors such as Rochas Okorocha of Imo state, former Rivers state government Rotimi Amaechi and Permanent Secretaries of Federal Ministries, members of the press and diplomatic corps. More pics after cut....

Breaking the circle of violence By Sudeep Chakravarti

Photo: Satish Bate/HT

A ghoulish anniversary was marked this week in the ongoing story of Chhattisgarh and the Maoist rebellion that has thus far escaped conflict resolution. (Imagine the headline: Peace breaks out!)

Four auxiliary policemen, state-sponsored vigilantes by another name, were abducted by Maoists in southern Chhattisgarh on 13 July. Their bodies were found strewn across a road, near Kutru in Bijapur district, two days later.

A Man of the People. Sai Buhari.

Burundi facing mass atrocities unless UN acts swiftly, experts warn: Guardian.

Dozens of people have died in protests in Burundi in recent months ... a young Intore dancer during 53rd independence day celebrations in Bujumbura on 1 July 2015.

Independence day celebrations in the Burundian capital Bujumbura were overshadowed by continuing electoral violence. Photograph: Getty Images

The UN security council must intervene in Burundi to prevent mass atrocities and the risk of a regional conflict, seven independent UN human rights investigatorssaid just days ahead of a controversial presidential election that has alreadytriggered a failed coup and caused dozens of deaths.

The investigators warned that the 21 July poll, at the heart of a political crisis in the east African country, was likely to trigger major instability and clashes that could spread across its borders.

Blood Timber: International Logging Firms Worked With Brutal CAR Militias, Says Report

French, Chinese, and Lebanese logging companies operating in the Central African Republic have paid millions of euros to brutal militias during the civil war there, fueling atrocities including mass murder and rape, according to a report released today.

The timber felled during a civil war that has cost thousands of lives and displaced tens of thousands of people since 2012 was sold to European markets, where unlike diamonds, wood sourced from countries riven by conflict is not subject to trade restrictions.

Nelson Mandela Day is a global movement to honour his life's work and to act to change the world for the better. Several countries worldwide participate in the movement by dedicating 67 minutes of their time to helping others.

Here are some of the activities that various countries will be embarking on today to celebrate the life and work of the former South African president.

Watch: Exclusive Premiere | Shaun Martin - Madiba

Snarky Puppy keyboardist Shaun Martin recently released a fantastic new album, Seven Summers, via Ropeadope. The crown jewel of the album, "Madiba," features driving rhythm, powerful horns and dramatic jazz with a casual touch of fusion.

"Madiba" is dedicated to late South African president Nelson Mandela who would be celebrating his birthday tomorrow had he not passed away in 2013. In honor of Mandela we're pleased to premiere an in-studio performance of the riveting "Madiba." Martin is backed by Keith Taylor on bass, Robert “Sput” Searight on drums, Frank Moka on percussion, Jason Davis on tenor sax, Alcedrick Todd on trumpet and strings from Maurice Herd and the Soulchestra,

Watch Shaun Martin's live performance of "Madiba":

Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has declared that even if Nigeria wins the war against Boko Haram sect on the military front, it still needs proper education of the masses to sustain the victory.

The ex-president said Nigeria must give education the priority it deserves or the dream of having a great nation would remain a pipe dream.

Nigeria and the US: A new era of cooperation? DW

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is to meet President Obama in Washington to discuss the fight against Boko Haram. Nigeria's new head of state will be seeking to convey the message that he is a reliable partner.

"Nigeria is potentially Washington's most important African ally," Peter Pham of the Atlantic Council told DW. "I say potentially," he added "because that potential has not yet been realized."

But one thing that can’t be disputed is his important and influential role in the history of South Africa.

Together with the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the South African Book Fair 2015 are proud to present Revisiting Mandela’s Legacy.

Pages

Friday, 31 July 2015

Thursday, 30 July 2015

Caring4Girls and the Imbumba Foundation

Trek4Mandela

Five black women have perished while in custody in US jails this month.

Wednesday, 29 July 2015

Monday, 27 July 2015

Friday, 24 July 2015

Thursday, 23 July 2015

Wednesday, 22 July 2015

Monday, 20 July 2015

Saturday, 18 July 2015