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http://ift.tt/2qYzB85 Andy RubinPhotographer: Tony Avelar/Bloomberg Essential, a startup run by the creator of Google’s Android, added $300 million to its war chest as it looks to break into the highly competitive field of consumer electronics. The financing round valued Essential at $900 million to $1 billion, according to an analysis by Equidate, which runs a market for private company stock. Essential submitted paperwork on the new investments in late May, a few days before co-founder Andy Rubin unveiled the first two products: a high-end smartphone and an Amazon Echo-like gadget for the home. Investors in the deal weren’t disclosed. A spokesman for Essential declined to comment. Essential emerged from Playground Global, a tech incubator Rubin formed after leaving Alphabet Inc.’s Google in 2014. Rubin, a pioneer in mobile tech, ran the Android unit at the search giant for nearly a decade. The new financing round created a separate class of shares with more voting rights, sugge...

http://ift.tt/2s2pmUC OLIVE OIL… A compound found in olive oil may help to prevent cancer developing in the brain. PHOTO CREDIT: http://ift.tt/1PrIiiN *Daily 30-minute walk may slash deaths by half, study finds *Rural living reduces risk of dying from disease by 29% A compound found in olive oil may help to prevent cancer developing in the brain. Research into oleic acid — the primary ingredient in olive oil — has shown how it can help prevent cancer-causing genes from functioning in cells. The oily substance — one of a group of nutrients known as fatty acids — stimulates the production of a cell molecule whose function is to prevent cancer-causing proteins from forming. The study team says it is too soon to say whether dietary consumption of olive oil may help prevent brain cancer. Their findings, however, point towards possible therapies based on the oil to prevent brain cancer from occurring. Scientists from the University of Edinburgh analysed the effect of oleic acid...

http://ift.tt/2pzNZFs Nigeria Army. PHOTO: ketekete One of the greatest dis-incentives to military coup in Nigeria is the liberalisation of the broadcast media. If you seize a radio station in Kaduna to announce a coup, another officer will seize a television or radio station in Kano, Lagos, Enugu, Ibadan or Rivers, to counter the coup. If you attempt a military putsch through an announcement on air in Owerri, someone else will make a counter announcement on radio or television in Abuja, Ebonyi, Jos, Ekiti or Bayelsa. It is no longer easy to plan and successfully execute a coup in Nigeria. And to detect coup attempts is now so easy. Unlike in the 60s to 90s when telecommunication lines can be cut in order to restrict access to information, as you mention your illegal attempt in one barrack, before you take two steps, the information has reached another barrack. So, how do you conceal a coup attempt in the era of GSM, Whatsapp, Twitter, indeed, all agents of instant communication? ...

http://ift.tt/2rNH0dH In spite the economic recession that has adversely affected the telecommunications industry, ZTE Nigeria Limited has expressed its commitment to continue to invest in the economy and most important in the development of local human capital. Speaking in Lagos at the weekend, Head of Administration, Yawei Yang said the company, which started operations in 2002 has hundreds of direct and indirect employees in Nigeria and has impacted positively on the nation’s economy through execution of several projects. One of such projects, she said include the National project for government and telecommunication operators in Nigeria, adding: “We recognized the current situation in Nigeria but we are going to maintain our high standard in terms of service delivery and commitment to good welfare package for our staff.” ZTE Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of the ZTE Corporation, is one of the leading multinational ICT solution and service providers in the worl...

http://ift.tt/2sLQVO7 Vía Nigeria News, Headlines and Opinions – The Guardian Nigeria Newspaper http://ift.tt/2r0cFod

http://ift.tt/2q5frfD Bob Dylan In his long-awaited Nobel lecture, Bob Dylan reflects on the possible links between his lyrics and literature and mentions artists and books that have inspired his songwriting. The lecture, which can take any form, including a speech, letter or song, is the only requirement to receive the eight million kronor (819,000 euros, $923,000) that comes with the Nobel prize in literature. – Buddy Holly – “If I was to go back to the dawning of it all, I guess I’d have to start with Buddy Holly,” Bob Dylan said in his speech to the Swedish Academy. “From the moment I first heard him, I felt akin. I felt related, like he was an older brother. I even thought I resembled him,” he added. “And he sang great – sang in more than a few voices. He was the archetype. Everything I wasn’t and wanted to be.” – Classic books – “Don Quixote, Ivanhoe, Robinson Crusoe, Gulliver’s Travels, Tale of Two Cities, all the rest – typical grammar school reading that gave y...

http://ift.tt/2rfjA1w Two weeks after the impeachment of Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Monday Ovwigho Igbuya, the House yesterday resumed plenary with the new Speaker, Sheriff Oborevwori presiding. Two weeks after the impeachment of Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Monday Ovwigho Igbuya, the House yesterday resumed plenary with the new Speaker, Sheriff Oborevwori presiding. The three months suspension handed Igbuya and the member representing Isoko North Constituency, Tim Owhefere in the wake of their removal was lifted.Deputy Speaker, Friday Osanebi under matters of urgent public importance had moved a motion for the lifting of their suspension to enable them resume sitting. The motion was seconded by Eric Oharisi, Ughelli North two and was unanimously adopted when put to a voice vote by the Speaker.“Today marks the return to legislative business after the event of the past weeks that resulted in my emergence as the new Speaker of the Delta Stat...

http://ift.tt/2poDHG4 Pastor W. F. Kumuyi • Holds crusade at Ijebu-Ode The General Overseer of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi has attributed the increasing rate suicide in the country to economic hardship being experienced by a vast majority of Nigerians. He stated this on the sidelines of a one-day crusade at Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State with the theme: “Absolute Triumph.” However, the Ogun State Overseer of the Church, Pastor Edison Daminabo yesterday said the Federal Government could not win the war against corruption with only laws and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) but by God’s intervention. He said except God arrests the corrupt leaders and change them for good, corruption would continue to thrive in the country, stressing that those who engage in corrupt practices needed a “spiritual rebirth, which would prompt their genuine repentance.” He pointed out that Christians needed to bring God back to Africa, particularl...

http://ift.tt/2rfjxmm Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi The Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, has threatened legal action against Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, for allegedly accusing him of stealing $43million. Amaechi said Wike’s “cooked-up vile and malicious allegations” that he was also recruiting cultists to unleash mayhem, was not different from his earlier accusations against him. The decision to go to court followed Wike’s allegation that his predecessor had formed a new cult group, which would be armed to create insecurity in the state ahead of the 2019 general elections. Amaechi described the allegation as a fabrication by the governor to create confusion and distract attention, because he didn’t provide any evidence to back up his claim. The minister buttressed his position with the recent claim by the governor that the over $43million found in an Ikoyi apartment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were the f...

http://ift.tt/2r7tsKk The findings, according to NCAA, would determine further actions on the airlines, ahead of plans to engage the European Union Air Safety Committee (ASC) this week. A full-scale audit would soon be conducted on the operations of Med-view Airlines to ensure the safety of its aircraft.The Spokesperson of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Sam Adurogboye, disclosed this yesterday. He said the in-house audit was part of the engagement to ensure that the ban placed on it by the European Union (EU) was lifted.Adurogboye explained that the ban had excluded the airlines from its member-countries over alleged safety issues. The findings, according to NCAA, would determine further actions on the airlines, ahead of plans to engage the European Union Air Safety Committee (ASC) this week. The NCAA had said in January that it would intensify economic audit on all local airlines.Like other stakeholders, he expressed concern that NCAA’s oversight function was...

http://ift.tt/2q0ybdz The Outlook, which was released at the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group’s 52nd yearly meetings, said African governments need to push their agenda for job creation with more ambitious and tailored policies. African governments need to integrate entrepreneurship more fully into their industrialisation strategies if it hopes to achieve their developmental agenda and create needed jobs for its teeming population, the African Economic Outlook (AEO) 2017 released on Monday, has revealed. The Outlook, which was released at the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group’s 52nd yearly meetings, said African governments need to push their agenda for job creation with more ambitious and tailored policies. To turn the challenge of higher population growth into an opportunity, the Outlook said making Africa’s new industrial revolution successful is paramount. “Twenty-six African countries today have an industrialisation strategy in place. But most of these strategies t...

http://ift.tt/2oyowO5 Managing Director of OGFZA, Umana Okon Umana The Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA) took a major step on Monday to advance its application of the Ease of Doing Business policy when it signed an agreement to power its operations with Oracle Cloud. An IT solution, Oracle Cloud offers organisations the backbone to drive innovation and business transformation by enhancing speed and efficiency, lowering cost and simplifying IT complexity. At the agreement-signing ceremony at Oracle office in Abuja, the managing director of OGFZA, Mr Umana Okon Umana, said the decision to invest in cutting edge technology was a result of OGFZA’s roadmap to optimise service delivery and add the most value to clients at every service point. “We agreed to add value—there is no way that can be achieved without retooling our processes to meet the expectations of our clients,” Umana said. Umana explained that OGFZA was going for the best-in-class technology to meet global competit...

http://ift.tt/2pI3Q1Q PHOTO: google.com/search It was heightened apprehension that greeted Akodo area of Lekki Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Lagos state after a 75-year-old Baale was kidnapped by suspected militants in the area. The Baale identified as Salino Kareem, was abducted in his palace at Ebute Lekki on Sunday, May 21, around 2:00a.m. The gunmen were said to have invaded the palace through the waterways, shooting sporadically before taking the Baale away through the waterways.  The Guardian investigation revealed that the abduction has thrown the entire community into panic as some residents have relocated from the town to neighbouring communities for safety. It was gathered that before the Baale was kidnapped, five factory workers, who were kidnapped in February were released on Saturday, only for the community leader to be abducted the next day.  Two days after the incident, the abductors were said to have called one of their captive’s son ...

http://ift.tt/2pWtrXY The development came on the heels of a “hold” decision on all rates by the Monetary Policy Committee, where the apex bank’s Governor, Godwin Emefiele, declared that the bank was ready to achieve exchange rate convergence, which will see to the end of the spread between the black market and official foreign exchange rates. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yesterday injected another $186.5 million into the foreign exchange (forex) market, primarily targeted at the invisible and the Wholesale Secondary Market Intervention Sales (SMIS) segments. The development came on the heels of a “hold” decision on all rates by the Monetary Policy Committee, where the apex bank’s Governor, Godwin Emefiele, declared that the bank was ready to achieve exchange rate convergence, which will see to the end of the spread between the black market and official foreign exchange rates. “We would prefer a convergence that would go southward rather than northward, but the fact tha...

http://ift.tt/2p65JIq The National President of Association of Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu made the assertion at the award night for freight forwarders in Lagos. The ongoing moves by the National Assembly to amend the Act establishing the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) may fail if critical stakeholders like licensed customs agents and freight forwarders were not allowed to make their inputs to it. The National President of Association of Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu made the assertion at the award night for freight forwarders in Lagos. Shittu said the act would be dead on arrival if the lawmakers decide to go ahead without consulting widely with operators whose jobs would be impacted by the amended law. He said options were open to freight forwarders to continue in their business under another pretext without being regulated or stopped by the CRFFN, if the lawmakers ignore calls for con...

http://ift.tt/2qeDXXk Eze Mark Odu Background In 1966 Mark Anamelechi Chukwunwike Odu, 22, student leader, knew there would be trouble when no Igbo of repute died in the 15th January coup of that year. What the third year student of Estate Management, University of Nigeria, never envisaged was the scale. The 29th July counter-coup by northerners was beyond his imagination as it turned out one long killing bazaar that only ended 1970 with two million Igbo deaths. The gory sights of headless bodies arriving Enugu by trainloads finally pushed him beyond the edge into open rebellion. At Military Intelligence, Eastern Command of Nigerian Armed Forces, Enugu, he placed Lt. Col. F. Obioha on notice, “I don’t know what you people are doing and you called yourselves soldiers when they are killing our people all over Nigeria. For us students it is unacceptable and we are resolved to stage demonstrations to register our feelings.” Lt. Col. Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Military Governor of E...

http://ift.tt/2qJvKy2 Chief Anthony Idigbe (SAN)(left); Director General, Nigerian Institue of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), Prof. Adedeji Adekunle; Mr. Bill Wynhoff; Mr. Scott Erickson and Mr. Markus Green during A 3 day workshop organized by the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) in conjunction with Conference of Western Attorneys General (CWAG) in Lagos. Former Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) and Solicitor-General of Lagos State, Mr. Fola Arthur-Worrey has said that cross-examination is the most effective tool in the right of a party in criminal or civil proceedings to challenge the opposing party’s case, particularly where the entire case turns substantially on the credibility of witnesses. The former permanent secretary in Lagos, stated this in a paper he presented in a workshop on Oral Advocacy, organised by the Nigeria Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS) in conjunction with Conference of Western Attorney Generals (CWAG). He said cross-examin...