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Saturday 14 May 2016

Barcelona win 24th La Liga title

Barcelona sealed their 24th La Liga title as LuisSuarez took his tally for the season to 59 goals with a hat-trick in a 3-0 win at Granada to hold off Real Madrid’s late-season surge.Real registered their 12th consecutive La Liga win 2-0 at Deportivola Coruna thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo’s double, but finished a point behind their bitter rivals.Suarez’s treble also sees him become the first player in seven years other than Ronaldo and teammate Lionel Messi to win the Pichichi award for La Liga’s top goalscorer with 40.

IMF says Brexit 'bad to very, very bad'

Christine Lagarde has warned that if Britain was to leave the European Union the impact would range from "pretty bad to very, very bad"

The International Monetary Fund chief has said a vote by the UK to leave the European Union would have "pretty bad, to very, very bad" consequences.

Christine Lagarde said she had "not seen anything that's positive" about Brexit and warned that it could "lead to a technical recession".

She echoed similar comments made on Thursday by Bank of England governor Mark Carney.

Vote Leave said the IMF had been wrong in the past and was "wrong now".

The IMF said in a report on the UK economy that a leave vote could have a "negative and substantial effect". It has previously said that such an outcome could lead to "severe regional and global damage".

The Fund said a Brexit vote would result in a "protracted period of heightened uncertainty" and could result in a sharp rise in interest rates, cause volatility on financial markets and damage London's status as a global financial centre.

Ms Lagarde said the IMF had a duty to assess the risks of Brexit. It has a mandate to oversee the international monetary and financial system.

The Fund is expected to publish detailed estimates of the economic impact of a vote to leave the EU in the week before the 23 June referendum, the timing of which has been criticised by leave campaigners.

It was not just a domestic issue but an international one as well, Ms Lagarde told a briefing at the Treasury attended by the Chancellor, George Osborne.

EU referendum issues guide: Explore the arguments

The UK's EU vote: All you need to know

EU referendum campaign latest

"I don't think that in the last six months I have visited a country anywhere in the world where I have not been asked 'what will be the economic consequences of Brexit?" she said.

'Heck no!'

Asked if the Treasury had had any input into the IMF's conclusions, Ms Lagarde responded: "Heck no! If you are suggesting that, you don't know the IMF."

Priti Patel MP, who is backing the leave campaign, said the IMF was "wrong then and they are wrong now. It appears the Chancellor is cashing in favours to Ms Lagarde in order to encourage the IMF to bully the British people."

Lord Lamont, a former chancellor, said: "This daily avalanche of institutional propaganda is becoming ludicrous and pitiful. Important institutions are being politicised and used to make blood-curdling forecasts.

"There are plenty of respected individual economists, plenty of respected professional investors, and plenty of entrepreneurs who take a very different view from Christine Lagarde and who have probably been better at foreseeing the future than the IMF."

Britain Stronger in Europe chairman Lord Rose said: "This is yet another economic expert that agrees Britain is stronger in Europe, adding to the comments of the Bank of England."

Former Treasury minister Lord Myners, who backs staying in the EU, added: "Every major independent economic institution, from the Bank of England to the IMF, has made it clear that leaving the EU would damage the UK economy. This is yet more evidence that leaving is a risk we cannot afford to take."

The Fund said it expected UK growth to fall below 2% for the full year in 2016 before returning to an average of 2.25% over the medium term.

However, the IMF said that this "broadly positive" forecast was subject to notable risks, the biggest of which was the EU referendum, but also the low level of household savings, high levels of household debt, a wide current account deficit and concerns that productivity growth will not rise significantly.

Priti Patel MP accused the IMF of 'bullying' UK voters

Concerns about a possible Brexit may have affected UK markets in recent months, according to the Fund.

It pointed to a 40% decline in the number of commercial real estate transactions in the first three months of the year.

Deciding whether to remain in the EU was a choice for voters to make, the IMF said, adding that "their decisions will reflect both economic and non-economic factors".

Magnetic Hyperloop pod unveiled at MIT

Christopher Merian, chief engineer, MIT Hyperloop, explains how the system works

By Dave Lee

North America technology reporter

A people-carrying pod designed to levitate and travel at extremely high speeds has been unveiled in Boston.

A 30-strong team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is one of several groups and companies working on making the Hyperloop concept a reality.

The idea, first envisioned by Tesla chief executive Elon Musk, is to create a transport system that propels pods through airtight tubes.

The MIT team said its pod design paved the way for "a mode of transportation that could change how we think about travel".

Critics of Hyperloop say it is unlikely to succeed because of prohibitive costs.

A white paper by Mr Musk published in 2013 proposed a Hyperloop tube connection from San Francisco to Los Angeles. At speeds of around 700mph (1,127km/h), Mr Musk predicted the journey time would be around 30 minutes.

Right now, travellers face either a six-hour drive, or just under an hour of flying.

Magnets

Critics of the Hyperloop concept say it will prove to be prohibitively expensive to realise, while others say it may be uncomfortable for riders.

Through his SpaceX firm, Mr Musk will be funding a series of tests in tubes, expected to begin around August this year.

MIT's droplet-shaped pod uses magnets to lift itself off the aluminium track, reducing friction.

It is not currently big enough to carry a human being, but the team said once the full testing is complete it would be relatively straightforward to scale up to full size.

There are hurdles, however - the team said making the pod turn, even slightly, was a "huge problem".

Chief engineer Christopher Merian said while the team was confident with the levitation systems, the brakes needed "more testing".

MIT's unveiling took place in the same week another group developing the technology, a firm called Hyperloop One, tested its propulsion system in the Nevada desert.

Lightning kills 50 in Bangladesh

Experts say rising temperatures may be causing more frequent lightning

More than 50 people across Bangladesh have died after being struck by lightning in the past two days, police say.

Many of the dead were farmers who were killed as they worked in their paddy fields.

Bangladesh is prone to electrical storms but this year they have been particularly severe.

Experts suggest a general rise in temperatures and deforestation may be factors.

Other victims included two students in the capital, Dhaka, who were struck as they played football, and a teenage boy who died when he went to collect mangoes.

Storms have lashed parts of Bangladesh following a heatwave

About 90 people have been killed by lightning since March, compared to a total of 51 people in the whole of 2015, Voice of America (VoA) reported.

The head of Bangladesh's disaster management body Mohammad Riaz Ahmed told VoA he was "indeed concerned" by the rise in the number of deaths.

He said further thunderstorms were predicted for later this month.

Strong tropical storms regularly hit Bangladesh ahead of and during the monsoon season, which runs from June to September

Top Italian fertility doctor arrested

Dr Antinori has complained about curbs on his research

Well-known Italian fertility doctor Severino Antinori has been arrested after a woman said he had forcibly removed eggs from her at his clinic.

Dr Antinori has been placed under house arrest and banned from practising pending the police investigation.

The complaint, rejected by the doctor's lawyers, was made by a 24-year-old Spanish woman.

Dr Antinori shot to fame in the 1990s when he helped a woman give birth at 63, a first at the time.

The 70-year-old was arrested at Rome's Fiumicino airport and is now under house arrest in the Italian capital.

According to Italian investigators, the Spanish woman, who was temporarily working at Dr Antinori's Matris clinic in Milan, had her mobile phone taken and was forcibly immobilised and anaesthetised before her eggs were harvested.

The Italian gynaecologist became famous worldwide in 1994 when he gave fertility treatment to Rossana Della Corte, an Italian who at the time became the oldest woman to give birth.

He also helped Patricia Rashbrook, who became the UK's oldest mother in 2006.

In 2003, the controversial doctor said Italian authorities were persecuting him over his human cloning projects.

This followed his announcement that one of his patients would give birth to a cloned baby.

Egypt jails 51 over islands protests

Policeman fired tear gas at people protesting against the islands handover in April

Egypt has sentenced 51 people to two years each in prison for protesting against a decision last month to cede two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia.

There were 33 defendants present in the Cairo courtroom to hear the verdicts, while the rest were out on bail.

Family and friends of the defendants cried in shock outside the courthouse, reports said.

The decision to hand over the islands to Saudi Arabia sparked a backlash among many Egyptians.

It was made by Egyptian president Abdul Fattah al-Sisi during a rare visit by Saudi Arabia's King Salman, during which the Saudi king announced plans for aid and investment in Egypt.

Critics says President Sisi "sold" the uninhabited islands, Tiran and Sanafir, in return for the investments.

Tiran is the larger of the two islands which were ceded to Saudi Arabia

But the Egyptian government maintains that the islands always belonged to Saudi Arabia, and were only being looked after by Egypt since the 1950s.

Both secular and Islamist activists called for people to demonstrate against the transfer of the islands.

Police dispersed the protests in April, arresting dozens of people, many of whom were later charged with participation in illegal rallies.

Dozens of people were arrested during the protests

Mr Sisi has faced increasing criticism in recent months on a range of issues, including Egypt's lacklustre economy.

The president, a former army general, previously enjoyed broad support after winning the election in 2014, but has faced increasing discontent.

Fifa audit chief resigns over reforms

Scala was elected as Fifa's audit and committee chairman in 2013

Domenico Scala, Fifa's head of auditing and compliance, has resigned in protest at reforms at the governing body of world football.

Scala is angry the new Fifa council will have the ability to appoint and sack those in charge of its committees, including auditing, ethics and finance.

The council replaced the Fifa executive committee in the aftermath of a corruption scandal at the organisation.

Committees had been "deprived of their independence", said Scala.

Fifa said the Swiss "has made unfounded claims which are baseless".

Scala says he is "consternated" by a decision that makes it possible for the council to "impede" investigations by either dismissing committee members or "through the threat of a dismissal".

This, he added, "undermines a central pillar of the good governance of Fifa and destroys a substantial achievement of the reforms".

"[This is] a wake-up call to those persons who genuinely advocated for implementing reforms," he said.

Fifa, which accepted Scala's resignation and installed his deputy Sindi Mabaso Koyana as acting chairman, insists the Swiss has "misinterpreted the purpose of the decision taken" by its congress.

It added in a statement: "The decision was made to permit the council to appoint members on an interim basis.

"In addition, the measure allows for the swift removal of members who have breached their obligations.

"The council fully respects the independence of the audit and compliance and the ethics committees, and any suggestions to the contrary are without merit."

Scala has played a key role in pushing through reforms after the scandals that prompted the departures of former Fifa president Sepp Blatter and Uefa counterpart Michel Platini.

Blatter, who had led Fifa since 1998, stood down last year and was later suspended from football for six years for breaching ethics guidelines.

Platini announced earlier this week he would be stepping down after failing to have a six-year ban from football overturned by a Court of Arbitration for Sport panel.

The first Fifa congress led by new president Gianni Infantino, who succeeded Blatter in February, took place in Mexico City on Thursday and Friday.

During the congress, Fifa elected its first female secretary general with the appointment of Senegal's Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura.

She succeeds Jerome Valcke, who in February was banned from football-related activity for 12 years.

Analysis

BBC sports editor Dan Roan

"This is the last thing Gianni Infantino needed less than three months into his presidency.

"Domenico Scala has established himself as the architect of Fifa's crucial reform programme and his decision to quit is a severe blow to the new leadership's attempts to show the organisation has learned from the corruption crisis that led to Infantino's election, and is finally serious about improving its governance.

"Scala is furious a surprise vote on Friday at the Fifa congress in Mexico City means he and other key corruption watchdogs who chair independent committees are now able to be sacked by the new-look Fifa council.

"This body was meant to be a less powerful version of the infamous executive committee it replaced, but the measure has actually given it even more clout than before.

"Some observers were already surprised at the way Infantino drove through the appointment of a new secretary general with little consultation. Now Scala's exit undermines the credibility of the entire Fifa reform process and raises the prospect that other resignations could follow.

"With US prosecutors continuing their investigations and watching on with interest, this could be very dangerous for the so-called 'new FIFA'."

Workers to strike next week over petrol price -unions

Nigerian unions on Saturday called for a national strike from next week to protest a 67 percent increase in the pump price of petrol in Africa’s largest crude producer. “If by midnight on Tuesday next week the government fails to reverse the price of petrol to 86.50 naira per litre, we will have no other option than to order workers to begin an indefinite strike from Wednesday,” Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) general secretary Peter Ozo-Eson told AFP. He said the decision was taken after a meeting of both the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) — the two umbrella organisations for Nigerian workers. “We have directed our affiliates and civil society allies to mobilise their members for the impending showdown with government over this anti-people policy,” he said. Ozo-Esson said the proposed strike was also to force government to reverse a recent hike in the electricity tariff in the energy-starved country which generates just around 4,000 megawatts for a population of more than 170 million people. The unions said businesses including banks, airports, seaports, markets and government offices would be shut during the strike. Nigeria raised the price of petrol to 145 naira ($0.73) per litre on Wednesday after months of fuel shortages caused by a foreign exchange shortage which left Africa’s biggest economy running on fumes. For months motorists have been waiting for petrol in queues kilometres long, while others were forced to buy fuel on the black market, sometimes for triple the previous official price of 86.50 naira. The government said the inability of oil importers to source foreign exchange at the official rate was to blame. Nigeria’s naira currency is trading at around 350 to the dollar in the black market, far above the official rate of 197-199. Despite being Africa’s No. 1 crude producer, Nigeria has to import petroleum products because of a lack of capacity at its four functioning domestic refineries. The government keeps prices at the pump low and pays the difference to fuel importers, who frequently hold the country ransom by refusing to distribute fuel over tardy subsidy payments. The oil sector accounts for 70 percent of government revenue but has been hit by the global fall in crude prices since mid-2014, weakening the naira currency and forcing up the cost of living. In January 2012, the government tried to end the fuel subsidies, causing petrol prices to more than double, but was forced to partially reinstate them after tens of thousands of people took to the streets in violent protests that left more than a dozen dead.

Mix Feelings As Yobe Government Closes IDP Camp

While it was a thing of joy for the people
to go back home after the return of peace
in the troubled areas, especially for the
parents, the children were sad that their
educational development have been
truncated.
The area of concern in the return of the
IDPs was that it would greatly affect the
curriculum of children who have within the
period been enrolled into the educational
system at the camp being run by the Army
Education Corps.
The children, according to their teacher,
Oke Eke of the Army Education Corps,
have greatly improved over the period of
their stay but their return would deal a big
blow to their educational development.
Similarly, the President of the Yobe State
chapter of the National Council of Women
Society, Halima Joda, expressed sadness
over the return of the children to their
ancestral homes saying it would have
adverse effects on their education.
They called on government to make the
educational development of the children a
top priority by ensuring that as they return
to their villages, teachers also resume at
their duty posts to impact in them
knowledge for the growth and development
of the society.
The closure of the camp would affect 92
households where over 391 IDPs would
return to their ancestral homes at Gambir,
Malumti and Matirri villages.
Within the period of their stay at the camp,
totalling 333 days, the Executive Secretary
of SEMA, Idi Jidawa revealed that 35
million Naira was spent for establishing
the camp, feeding and general upkeep of
the displaced persons.
Each of the returning household, according
to him, would also be given a return
package to include; bags of rice, vegetable
oil, cooking pot among other household
equipment with 20,000 Naira cash.
Speaking on behalf of the returning IDPs,
one of the pupils, Kasim Shetima,
appreciated the contribution of the Yobe
State government, the Nigeria Army, donor
agencies and many others who contributed
in taking care of them.

Nigerians are at the centre developmental programmes - Sen Udoma


Senator Udoma said that in line with the
United Nations Development Program’s
2016 Human Security report, the present
administration had put Nigerians at the
centre of its development program to
mitigate the negative indices that
threatened the security of lives and
property.
He stated that the government had plans
to ensure a better standard of living for
the citizens which in turn would enhance
development and security in the country.
At the event were government officials,
diplomats, civil society groups and
activists.
Meeting Developmental Needs
Earlier, the Country Representative of the
United Nations Development Fund, Ms
Fatma Samoura, outlined the findings and
recommendations from the report.
According to her, the insecurity in Nigeria’s
northeast was a reflection of the level of
development in the nation, stressing that
there was therefore the need for a holistic
approach to mitigate the insecurity
challenges.
The consensus at the event was that the
issue of security must be reconceptualised
to go beyond the physical security to
meeting the developmental needs of the
citizenry.
Communities in Nigeria’s northeast,
especially in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe
State are in great need of reconstruction.
A terrorist group, Boko Haram, had in its
over six years push for an Islamic State
and an end to Western education in
northeast Nigeria, ravaged communities,
displaced over two million persons and
killed thousands.
Most schools and places of worship in the
region have been razed by the group that
are fleeing the region, in the midst of
heightened counter-terrorism operations by
Nigerian troops and a Joint Multinational
Task Force formed by Nigeria its
neighbours.

Lagos remains most attractive investment destination in Africa - Ambode


Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Friday emphasised the leadership status of the State as the most attractive location financially and socially for investment in Africa, just as he reiterated the commitment of his administration towards putting in place policies to attract investment and facilitate conducive atmosphere for businesses to thrive. 

 
Governor Ambode, who spoke in Lagos at the grand opening of CFAO Yamaha Showroom and Assembly Plant, said with a population in excess of 21 million, a significant proportion of which comprises of the mid-class with strong purchasing powers, he was convinced that the State has what every investor desires in investing in any city.

He said aside the fact that Lagos accounts for 60 per cent of Nigeria's industrial capacity, the State also attracts between 70 to 80 per cent of $6bn annual Foreign Direct Investment (DFI) into Nigeria, adding that measures are being taken to increase the figure by 50 per cent.

The Governor lauded the collaboration between CFAO of France and Yamaha of Japan to bring about the joint venture in Lagos Nigeria, saying the partnership was good news for Lagos economy and a boost to the efforts of his administration in bringing investment to the State.

"The significance of locating this Assembly Plant in Lagos is very clear. Lagos remains the most attractive location financially and socially for investment in Africa. I have come to assure you that you have made the right decision to locate your business here," he said.

He said the take off of the CFAO Yamaha Plant in Lagos brings the number of assembly plants located in Lagos to over 10, adding that the State still has the capacity to accommodate more plants.

Besides, Governor Ambode recalled how his administration, upon inception, prioritized the issue of making Lagos the first choice destination for foreign investment.

While stating that the State is open for business and serious investors, Governor Ambode assured investors and would-be investors that government would continue to invest in security, job opportunity and infrastructure which are the tripod upon which his administration was built.

He said: "We will therefore continue to invest in the critical infrastructure and security to guaranty safety and good return on investment. As a government, we will continue to explore ways to create an enabling environment to make your business thrive. We are committed to introducing new incentives for businesses in Lagos to enable them grow, support the society and take more of our youths off the street.

"The ease of doing business is of concern to us and as a result, we are working to improve the indices of doing business in Lagos while we continue in our commitment to carry out judicial and security sector reforms."

Earlier, Chairman of CFAO Yamaha Motor Nigeria Limited, Mr. Gbenga Oyebode thanked Governor Ambode for making out time not only to personally attend the event, but also arriving on time, saying the development was an eloquent testimony of the Governor's commitment to encourage investment in the State.

Also, Managing Director of the company, Mr. Olivier Levigne said the vision of the firm is to be the grand company and a great organisation that is an open enterprise and a leader in its chosen field.

The CFAO Yamaha Showroom and Assembly Plant has the capacity to produce 70, 000 Motorbikes annually

Brazil's white male cabinet criticised


Acting Brazil President Michel Temer: "Trust in me"

Brazil's suspended President, Dilma Rousseff, has criticised the new interim government created by her former Vice-President, Michel Temer, for being entirely made up of white male politicians.

It is the first cabinet with no women in Brazil since 1979.

Ms Rousseff said it did not represent the country - one of the world's most ethnically diverse nations.

Her government had seven women among its 31 ministers.

Ms Rousseff is facing trial after the Senate on Thursday voted to impeach and suspend her.

She is accused of illegally manipulating finances to hide a growing public deficit ahead of her re-election in 2014, which she denies.

The new government's chief-of-staff said they had been unable to find any women for the cabinet.

Eliseu Padilha said the cabinet had been formed on a tight schedule.

"We tried to seek women but for reasons that we don't need to bring up here, we discussed it and it was not possible," he said.

Eliseu Padilha (left) appeared with other new cabinet ministers at a news conference on Friday

"We will bring women into the government, in posts that used to be ministries, and that now will have the same functions but under a different name."

The new government will be in stark contrast to the administration of Ms Rousseff who had called herself in Portuguese "presidenta" instead of the gender neutral "presidente", and who had spoken of citizens as being "Brazilian women and men."

During the impeachment process she had frequently explained the criticism of herself and the government as being related to her being a woman.

"Black people and women are fundamental if you truly want to construct an inclusive country," Ms Rousseff said on Friday to journalists at the presidential palace, where she will continue to live during her impeachment trial.

"I think the government is clearly showing that it is going to be neo-liberal in the economy and extremely conservative on the social and cultural side."

In his first speech to the nation after the Senate voted to impeach Ms Rousseff, interim President Michel Temer stressed that "economic vitality" was his key task.

He added: "It is essential to rebuild the credibility of the country at home and abroad to attract new investments and get the economy growing again."

He said Brazil was still a poor nation and that he would protect and expand social programmes.

He named a business-friendly cabinet that includes respected former central bank chief Henrique Meirelles as finance minster.

Males identifying as white made up 22% of Brazil's population in 2013 according to the government's economic research institute, IPEA.

Women made up 51% of the population in the same year.

Ms Rousseff told journalists on Friday her opponents had "turned her life inside out" trying to find grounds to impeach her.

She again denied the allegations against her and said she had committed no crime.

She said she would continue to speak out against impeachment proceedings she has denounced as a "farce" and "sabotage".

She now has 20 days to present her first defence before the Senate and the trial can last up to six months.

Who is stand-in President Michel Temer?

Michel Temer became interim president as soon as Ms Rousseff was suspended.

• The 75-year-old law professor of Lebanese origin was Ms Rousseff's vice-president and was a key figure in the recent upheaval

• Up until now, he's been the kingmaker, but never the king, having helped form coalitions with every president in the past two decades

• He is president of Brazil's largest party, the PMDB, which abandoned the coalition in March

• In recent months, his role has become even more influential; in a WhatsApp recording leaked in April, he outlined how Brazil needed a "government to save the country".

What happens next?

The 180 days allocated for the trial to take place expire on 8 November.

Boko Haram links to IS alarm UN

Boko Haram has sworn allegiance to Islamic State and often displays its trademark black flag

The UN Security Council has said it is alarmed by ties between Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamist militants and the Islamic State (IS) group.

In a statement, it said Boko Haram - which pledged allegiance to IS in 2015 - continued to "undermine the peace and stability" in West and Central Africa.

Meanwhile, a senior US official said there were reports of Boko Haram fighters joining IS in Libya.

Nigeria is to host a summit on Saturday on fighting Boko Haram.

President Muhammadu Buhari will welcome counterparts from Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger for the gathering in Abuja, along with French President Francois Hollande, UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

'More contacts'

In the statement, the 15-member UN Security Council expressed "alarm at Boko Haram's linkages with the Islamic State".

French President Francois Hollande (C) was received by Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama (L) on arrival in Abuja on Friday night

It also voiced its support for Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari's "crucial initiative" to hold the security summit in Abuja.

Meanwhile, Mr Blinken - who is already in Nigeria - said he was concerned by reports that Boko Haram militants were going to Libya, where IS influence has grown in recent months.

"We've seen that Boko Haram's ability to communicate has become more effective," he said.

"They seem to have benefited from assistance from Daesh [IS]."

Mr Blinken added: "So these are all elements that suggests that there are more contacts and more co-operation, and this is again something that we are looking at very carefully because we want to cut it off."

At the same time, he declined to comment on whether the US would agree to a Nigerian request to sell it American war planes to fight Boko Haram.

Boko Haram at a glance

• Founded in 2002, initially focused on opposing Western-style education - Boko Haram means "Western education is forbidden" in the Hausa language

• Launched military operations in 2009

• Thousands killed, mostly in north-eastern Nigeria, hundreds abducted, including at least 200 schoolgirls

• Joined so-called Islamic State, now calls itself IS's "West African province"

• Seized large area in north-east, where it declared caliphate

• Regional force has retaken most territory this year

Boko Haram militants have been attacking civilian targets as the Nigerian military seeks to wrest territory from their control.

The Islamist group's seven-year insurgency has killed some 20,000 people and driven more than two million people from their homes.

Fuel price hike: TMG calls for mass action against FG


The Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), weekend, called on Nigerians to resist in totality the recent hike in price of petrol by the Federal Government, describing it as insensitive to the plights of the masses. . To this end, the group made up of over 400 civil organisations called for the resignation of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resourses, Ibe Kachikwu, saying he lacked capacity to manage the sector. The Chairman of TMG, Com. Ibrahim Zikirullahi, in a statement in Abuja, said “TMG stoutly rejects the N145 pump price of petrol imposed by Federal Government. To say the least, this imposition portrays the government as insensitive, and out of touch with the daily unbearable plight of the ordinary Nigerian. “Coming at a time when the implementation of the recently signed 2016 Budget, is yet to take off, the hike in the face of groaning and pains, is ill-timed and badly advised. “It is tantamount to killing a willing horse to ask the Nigerian people, who are already carrying the heavy burden of the failure of governance over the years, to take on one more load of extreme economic hardship, as represented by the imposed price of petrol.”

PMS price hike: NLC to begin nationwide strike Wednesday

BEARING any last minute alteration, organised labour and its civil society allies have resolved to shut down Nigeria from Wednesday, May 18, over the hike in the pump price of petrol announced by the federal government last Wednesday. Recall the Federal Government on Wednesday announced a new regime of price that took the pump price of petrol to N145 per liter from N86.50. Vanguard gathered that labour leaders will not later than Sunday send a letter to government demanding a total reversal to the N86.50 pump price of petrol before 12 am on Wednesday, falling which all economic and others would be shut from Wednesday.

Rio's new metro line opening delayed

Line 4 will link the south of the city to the main Olympic park

A new metro line in Rio de Janeiro promised for the 2016 Olympics will open just days before the event and will not open to the public until after the Games, officials have said.

The 16km (10-mile) extension to Line 4 will operate at half its capacity during the the 5-21 August event.

Only Olympic officials, ticket-holders and supporting personnel will be able to use it.

The line will be open to the general public after September's Paralympics.

"This is a small adjustment, and you can't call it a delay," Rio de Janeiro State Transport Secretary Rodrigo Goulart said.

The authorities had initially planned to open the line in July.

The new line for the Olympics was one of the key promises made by the authorities, but building works still continue

At half capacity, Line 4 will be able to carry about 11,000 people each day

Pfizer acts over lethal injections

America's prisons have found it increasingly difficult in recent years to obtain the drugs needed to carry out executions

It has emerged that the largest US pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, recently took steps to prevent its drugs being used in lethal injections.

"We strongly object to the use of any of our products in the lethal injection process for capital punishment," the company said.

It stressed that its products were meant to save the lives of patients.

The move reportedly shuts off the last remaining open market source of drugs used in executions in the US.

America's most common form of execution: David Willis, BBC News, Los Angeles

Lethal injection has long been the most common form of execution in the US.

Traditionally states relied upon a combination of drugs to put the inmate to sleep and restrict his breathing, leading to a cardiac arrest.

A European Union ban on the export of such drugs in 2011 prompted American drug manufacturers to follow suit, leaving officials in search of new drug cocktails by which the lethal injection could be achieved.

Two years ago an Oklahoma inmate - Clayton Lockett - took 43 minutes to die after being administered an untested mixture of drugs.

The decision follows similar moves by more than 20 US and global drug-makers, according to a New York Times report.

In a statement published on its website last month, Pfizer said seven of its drugs would only be sold to purchasers on condition that they would not resell them to correctional institutions.

Pfizer said it offered the products because they saved or improved lives, and marketed them solely for use as indicated in the product labelling.

"Pfizer makes its products solely to enhance and save the lives of the patients we serve," it said.

"We are committed to ensuring that our products remain available and accessible to the medical professionals and patients who rely upon them every day."

Human rights groups have long campaigned against using medicines for the purpose of capital punishment.

Man who wears only agbada in Europe: Israel made me drop the Bible


Engr. Jacob Imade Iyamu has been living in Germany since the early 80s although he left the shores of Nigeria in the late 70s.  But unlike many people living in Europe and Americas, he could count the number of times he has won suits just as he has never won jeans in his life no matter how cold it is in winter or how warm in summer.
The Edo state Nigeria born brewing engineer is the Brew Master at Binding, one of Germany’s largest breweries based in Frankfurt where he has worked for many years. In this chat, the President of Edo state Union in state of Hessen,   Germany speaks about his odyssey to Europe and his challenges and achievements so far plus his unflinching love for Nigeria Coming to Europe I left Nigeria a long time ago..in 1979 to be precise. I first went to Israel in 1979 before setting foot in Germany in 1981. I studied Brewery Technology at Munich, Germany as well as Micro electronics and Information Tech. Before then I had taught at a secondary school after leaving secondary school in 1975. I then went to work with Barclays Bank, Benin where I encountered several expatriates from Ireland, Germany and other countries who were working with the Guinness Breweries in Benin at that time. They often came to the bank to remit their salaries back to their countries. Some of these people were fond of me inviting me to social gatherings in their clubs after work. I won’t forget Mr. Zimmermann who worked with Guinness who often warned me not to die in the banking hall. He told me to go to school and improve on my life. Then in 1977, graduate bankers were earning N204 monthly while we took home N256. In every society, bankers are well paid so I was apparently enjoying the work until Mr Zimmermann started his inspiration. I won’t also forget one Mrs. Akpata, one of our customers then. She also told me that she would even contribute to my education if I got admission. Mrs. Akpata went further to give me the address of a school in Cyprus. I applied to study at the Cyprus College of Technology and was given admission two months after. Off to Cyprus I had bought a return air ticket for N606 for the trip. Several of my friends gave me support to travel. The Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion also bought me the travel box with which I traveled. One was permitted to travel with N1000 BTA. I went to the Italian Embassy to get a Visa. Even Turkey also granted me visa so I traveled with Zambian Airlines to Cyprus. At Cyprus, I discovered that it was not the kind of place I wanted to be so I started to think of changing base. Turkey and Israel came to my mind until I made up my mind on Israel. Adventures in Israel My brother, it was in Israel that I dropped my Bible. I use to be a member of the Scripture Union in those days but my stay in Israel was all that changed my views. I had left Cyprus with two Nigerians I had met, Moses and Benjamin. It was a twelve hour sail from Cyprus to Haifa where we landed early in the morning. We then journeyed to Jerusalem. My aged mum would tease us as kids by saying ‘If you ran from Jerusalem to Jericho, I will find you’ so I wished to see those places that my mother would always yell about. We stayed for a while in Jerusalem, then visited Jericho, Sea of Galilee and Bethlehem, My account was fast depleting as my two friends were basically under my care. We headed to Tel Aviv where I met face to face with Jews who showed the biggest discrimination I have ever seen in my life time. You are either born a Jew or not. We heard of the Kibut while exploring Golan and Tel Kasia and volunteered to join. It was a group that helped students with info and jobs and other forms of assistance. We were shocked that at a Christmas party they did not invite us even when we were members of same grouping. We were the only blacks . It was another movement to Tel Aviv where I met one Bini man like me, Whyte Eguakum who was then working in a restaurant in Tel Aviv. We decided to trail further into the Red Sea regions of Elat where the sea enters Egypt. We got a job at Neptune Hotels then moved to Red Rock. After about a month, or two, I started with the Jewish language because communication is key. Yet it was too difficult to work and school in Israel. My two other friends returned to Cyprus and Turkey but I slugged it out in Israel for the next two years before returning to Nigeria to replenish my account by my parents to move again. I got $1000. About this time, I had given my world wide ticket to one Igbinovia and he flew with it to the US. During that return to Nigeria, I started having other views. I had agreed with my friends Godwin and Fred that we would travel to Germany so I returned to Israel. I went to the German Embassy to seek advice and they linked me up with the Goethe Institute. Landing in Germany I felt a different aura in Germany as compared with all the other countries I had visited. I landed in Munich and asked myself what I had been doing perambulating in Israel, Turkey and Cyprus. It was on April 1981 that I landed but by May,   1, I had started language course which took a period of six months. I was also seeking answers about my career but saw no one to ask my questions. I knew I was a science student. Then someone advised I attend a brewery school so I did enter Munich Akademy Grefenfing, a teaching and research institute where I did six months of practical work while also doing theories. I completed the studies in 1984. Change of mind After the course, I started feeling a bit indifferent about brewing and making beer. Again, I didn’t want to return to Nigeria yet or marry a German wife so I enrolled again to do Micro electronics after which I went to work in IT for Siemens at Karlsurhe. From Siemens, I moved on to Osborne Computers which then promised heaven on earth but later closed down. It was then I dusted up my brew tech certificates and went to work for Sparten Breweries, then to Hassia und Luisen, the water and soft drinks manufacturer. They bottle Pepsi and many other brands of juices. Me and my work It was in February, 1992 that I wrote an application and posted that I wanted to work for the Radebager Group with two breweries in Frankfurt. They replied and called me for an interview which was done in the evening on the day. And since the last 24 years since 1992, I have never been late to work except only once neither have I reported sick. As Brewmeister at Binding Breweries, my work is general quality control to taste, bottling and all for the brewery that bottles over 31 products with seven machines each corking 80,000 bottles in one hour. Nigerian to the bone I feel sad when I hear bad stories about my country Nigeria. I love my country Nigeria to the bone. It is my beloved country. Despite all I have seen worldwide, I have not seen a country like Naija. I have never felt like changing my identity and my nationality. I don’t carry a German passport even though several people like me do.   I see myself as a good Nigerian living in Germany. I sing Sonny Okosuns all the time; Nigeria…. My Papa’s land. It is this deep sense of patriotism that compelled me whenever I was on leave while working for Hassia, to spend it in Nigeria. I would go to Bendel Breweries to seek to work for free but they won’t allow me in. They were producing Crystal and Henningar then. It was disappointing though. I still spend my leave in Nigeria every year. We must get something good out of our country no matter what. I have been wearing agbada and other forms of traditional wears since I left Nigeria in 1979 whether it is summer or winter. It gives me the identity of whom I am and where I am coming from. Few times I have won suits. I could make a count of the times I have won suits and it was mainly those days at the bank when it was a requirement for work. I have never won jeans in my life.

'Jihadists' killed Hezbollah commander


Mustafa Amine Badreddine was involved in Hezbollah military operations for years

Hezbollah's top military commander in Syria, Mustafa Amine Badreddine, was killed in artillery fire by jihadists, the Lebanese group says.

Badreddine's death near Damascus airport was announced on Friday and initially blamed on Israel, Hezbollah's chief enemy.

Badreddine was believed to have run all Hezbollah's military operations in Syria since 2011.

Thousands of Hezbollah troops are supporting President Bashar al-Assad.

This has pitted it against several groups of anti-Assad rebels - from so-called Islamic State (IS) to the al-Nusra Front.

Without naming any group, the Hezbollah statement said: "Investigations have showed that the explosion, which targeted one of our bases near Damascus International Airport, and which led to the martyrdom of commander Mustafa Badreddine, was the result of artillery bombardment carried out by takfiri groups in the area."

Takfiri is used to describe militants who believe Muslim society has reverted to a state of non-belief.

Obituary: Mustafa Badreddine

The Lebanese Shia Islamist movement has played a major role in helping Iran, its main military and financial backer, to prop up the government of President Assad since the uprising erupted in 2011.

Thousands of Hezbollah fighters are assisting government forces on battlefields across Syria, particularly those near the Lebanese border, and hundreds are believed to have been killed.

The Hezbollah statement said Badreddine's death "will increase our determination... to continue the fight against these criminal gangs and defeat them".

Hariri link

Born in 1961, Badreddine is believed to have been a senior figure in Hezbollah's military wing. He was a cousin and brother-in-law of Imad Mughniyeh, who was the military wing's chief until his assassination by car bomb in Damascus in 2008.

According to one report, a Hezbollah member interrogated by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), described Badreddine as "more dangerous" than Mughniyeh, who was "his teacher in terrorism".

They are alleged to have worked together on the October 1983 bombing of the US Marine Corps barracks in Beirut that killed 241 people.

In a rare appearance in public, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah attended Badreddine's funeral

Badreddine is reported to have sat on Hezbollah's Shura Council and served as an adviser to the group's overall leader Hassan Nasrallah.

The group was established in the wake of the Israeli occupation of Lebanon in the early 1980s, and has called for the "obliteration" of Israel.

Badreddine was also charged with masterminding the assassination of former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri in Beirut in 2005.

An indictment from the ongoing Special Tribunal for Lebanon in The Hague details Badreddine's role in bombings in Kuwait in 1983, that targeted the French and US embassies and other facilities, and killed six people.

He was sentenced to death over the attacks, but later escaped from prison.

Former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri was killed in a huge explosion in Beirut in February 2005

Militants blow up another Chevron pipeline


•Military seizes 5 suspects •Ozobo slams Oduku for fingering Gbaramatu people

SECURITY agents have arrested five suspected militants in connection with the bombing of a Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL crude oil pipeline in the early hours of yesterday at Makaraba community, Gbaramatu clan, Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State. Makaraba community in Gbaramatu clan is host to a Chevron Flow Station. File: Militants Saturday Vanguard could not confirm, yesterday, if the apprehended suspects were members of Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, the militant group, which had been on rampage in Delta state and other parts of the region, lately, but unlike previous attacks, the group did not claim responsibility for the attack. The spokesperson of Joint Task Force, JTF, Col Isa Ado, was unavailable for comments on the recent attacks when our reporter called his cell phone. However, a dependable security source told one of our reporters: “I cannot give you details of the suspects arrested; they were arrested by the military men, who have been on the hunt for members of the Niger Delta Avengers, which claimed responsibility for series of explosions on oil facilities in the area of late.” How they struck Reports from the area said the militants blew up the pipeline at two different spots. Initially, it was not clear if it was a pipeline or an oil well that was bombed as fire billowed from the location in the swampy terrain, near Abiteye, but CNL officials conducted an over flight with a helicopter, yesterday morning, to ascertain the situation. Niger Delta Avengers had warned, Thursday, that it would attack the headquarters of CNL in Lagos and tank farm if it did not abort its planned repair works on the Valve Platform earlier destroyed by the group, May 5. The spokesperson, Col Mudroch Agbinibo, added that the group, which had restricted itself to only pipeline attacks, might take human casualties if the company thought it was joking and defied the warning by going ahead to effect repairs on the damaged facility. Saturday Vanguard could not confirm if CNL was carrying out any repairs at the time the militants bombed the pipeline barely 24 hours after the warning. Saturday Vanguard gathered that the daring attack occurred near the same Valve Platform the Niger Delta Avengers bombed earlier, not far from an outpost of soldiers guarding oil facilities in the creeks. A security source, who spoke to one of our reporters, said: “The loud explosive bang was heard at the facility and it appears dynamites were used to carry out the attack.” He said: “It is not certain if there are causalities as a result of the incident, but investigations into the attack is still ongoing, while security operatives continue their search for the perpetrators of this ugly act.” Attempts to reach Chev-ron’s General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Relations, Deji Haastrup for comments on the incident was fruitless as a source said he was out of the country. An official, Mr. Tunji Idowu, who spoke, however, said: “We are still assessing the situation; we do not have facts on it yet.’’ Ozobo blasts Oduku Meanwhile, national president of the Ijaw Peoples Development Initiative, IPDI, Austin Ozobo, Friday, tongue-lashed the Commandant of the Riverine Security (Coast Guard of the Federation), Commander Bibi Oduku, who fingered Gbaramatu people, Thursday, for the pipeline attacks for his “unfounded and unguarded comments.” He said: “I am against the violent attacks by the Niger Delta Avengers, which we have condemned as a group. We know the plight of the people of Gbaramatu Kingdom since the days of militancy until now. It is, therefore, provocative for a mischief maker like Oduku to say that the whole Gbaramatu people are involved in the pipeline attacks.” “How can he say so, he (Oduku) is a questionable person, who has deceived so many Niger Deltans under the guise of Buhari amnesty for militants and he had been boasting about that he was going to take over the security job in the area from ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo. So he has embarked on a smear campaign of Gbaramatu people to achieve his aim,” he said.

Friday 13 May 2016

Former English teacher takes to Facebook to inspire student with story of her own failure


Abi Elphinstone, a children's author and former English teacher took to Facebook to encourage students who are stressed from having to prepare for exams. Her post received 166,000 likes and was praised by parents of children who are currently feeling stressed about their exams - but others felt she was sending out the wrong message. See what she wrote after the cut...



The responses below...


Hezbollah killing: Thousands mourn Badreddine at Beirut funeral

Thousands of people have attended the funeral in Lebanon's capital, Beirut, of top Hezbollah military commander Mustafa Amine Badreddine.
He died in an explosion near Damascus airport, the Lebanon-based group said, adding it would announce "within hours" its report into the killing.
Hezbollah has sent thousands of troops to support Syria's President Assad.
In 2015, the US said that Badreddine was behind all Hezbollah's military operations in Syria since 2011.
He was also charged with leading the assassination of former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri in Beirut in 2005.
The BBC's Quentin Sommerville, in the capital, says some at the funeral blamed Israel for the killing, with one mourner saying: "Hezbollah has many spies."
Another said that without Badreddine, "Daesh [another name for so-called Islamic State] would be here".

A thousand conspiracy theories: Quentin Sommerville, BBC News, Beirut

The crowd at the funeral pointed the finger at the usual suspect. Who carried out the attack, I asked three young women in black abayas: "Israel!" they replied in unison.
But the circumstances around Mustafa Badreddine's death are unclear, and have already sparked a thousand conspiracy theories.
It appears he was the militant group's top commander in Syria. Hezbollah is already stretched thin there, more than 1,600 of its fighters have been killed, and the pictures of its fresh "martyrs" increasingly show very young, or older men, rather than fighters in their prime. The group has promised to retaliate, but that will difficult. It is already preoccupied in Syria.
And despite a pledge to avenge the death of its previous military commander, Imad Mughniyeh, killed in Damascus in 2008, it failed to do so. Mughniyeh was Badreddine's brother-in-law, the two men are now buried side by side in the same cemetery in Beirut's southern suburbs.

What do we know of the killing?

An initial report by Lebanon's al-Mayadeen TV said that Badreddine, 55, had died in an Israeli air strike. But a later statement by Hezbollah on al-Manar's website did not mention Israel.
Israel's government traditionally refuses to comment on such deaths and has done so again.
Mustafa Amine Badreddine, fileMustafa Amine Badreddine has been involved in Hezbollah military operations for years                
Hezbollah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem (speaking) at the funeral, flanked on his right by leader Hassan Nasrallah, 12 May                                     Hezbollah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem spoke at the funeral, flanked on his right by leader Hassan Nasrallah                
Badreddine funeral, 12 May  Hezbollah says it will soon report on who it believed killed Badreddine                
But Israel has been accused by Hezbollah of killing a number of its fighters in Syria since the conflict began.
The group was established in the wake of the Israeli occupation of Lebanon in the early 1980s, and has called for the "obliteration" of Israel.
Asked who might have carried out the attack, Hezbollah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem said that, within hours "we will announce in detail the cause of the explosion and the party responsible for it", adding there were clear indications of those responsible.
One Hezbollah MP in Lebanon, Nawar al-Saheli, said: "This is an open war and we should not pre-empt the investigation but certainly Israel is behind this. The resistance will carry out its duties at the appropriate time."
Yaakov Amidror, a former national security adviser to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said: "We don't know if Israel is responsible for this. Remember that those operating in Syria today have a lot of haters without Israel.
"But from Israel's view, the more people with experience, like Badreddine, who disappear from the wanted list, the better."
However, any of the armed groups seeking to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad might have have sought to kill the man co-ordinating Hezbollah military activities.

What is Badreddine's background?

Born in 1961, Badreddine is believed to have been a senior figure in Hezbollah's military wing. He was a cousin and brother-in-law of Imad Mughniyeh, who was the military wing's chief until his assassination by car bomb in Damascus in 2008.
Mustafa Amine Badreddine. File photo                                     Badreddine was on a US sanctions list                
According to one report, a Hezbollah member interrogated by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), described Badreddine as "more dangerous" than Mughniyeh, who was "his teacher in terrorism".
They are alleged to have worked together on the October 1983 bombing of the US Marine Corps barracks in Beirut that killed 241 personnel.
Badreddine is reported to have sat on Hezbollah's Shura Council and served as an adviser to the group's overall leader Hassan Nasrallah.
An indictment from the ongoing Special Tribunal for Lebanon in The Hague details Badreddine's role in bombings in Kuwait in 1983, that targeted the French and US embassies and other facilities, and killed six people.
He was sentenced to death over the attacks, but later escaped from prison.

Was he involved in the killing of Hariri?

Badreddine was tried in absentia by the Hague tribunal over the killing of Rafik Hariri.
General view on the explosion scene in Beirut, Lebanon, Monday Feb. 14, 2005, where former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was killed in a massive bomb explosionFormer Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri was killed in a huge explosion in Beirut in February 2005                
He was indicted on four charges and was said by the tribunal to be "the overall controller of the operation" to kill Mr Hariri.
Three other Hezbollah members also stand accused of their role in the assassination.
One mourner at the funeral asked about Badreddine's involvement said simply "lies".

What is Hezbollah doing in Syria?

The Lebanese Shia Islamist movement has played a major role in helping Iran, its main military and financial backer, to prop up the government of President Assad since the uprising erupted in 2011.
Thousands of Hezbollah fighters are assisting government forces on battlefields across Syria, particularly those near the Lebanese border, and hundreds are believed to have been killed