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http://ift.tt/eA8V8J Fourteen civilians were killed late Monday when Islamic State group jihadists shelled a government-controlled neighbourhood of Syria’s eastern Deir Ezzor city, a monitor said. Three children were among the dead in the regime-held Al-Joura district, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. “The shelling hit just before families were gathering to break the Ramadan fast,” said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman. Besieged by IS since early 2015, the regime-controlled third of Deir Ezzor city is home to an estimated 100,000 people. Most of the surrounding oil-rich province is also controlled by IS. “At least six mortar rounds hit the Al-Joura district. Daesh has been regularly hitting this neighbourhood with mortars,” said Omar Abu Leila, an activist from Deir Ezzor 24, which publishes news on the city. He said over 40 people had been wounded, including women and children. “Some of them are in critical condition, but the health situation in the neig...

http://ift.tt/2r5dj78 Three children were among the dead in the regime-held Al-Joura district, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.<br /> Fourteen civilians were killed late Monday when Islamic State group jihadists shelled a government-controlled neighbourhood of Syria’s eastern Deir Ezzor city, a monitor said. Three children were among the dead in the regime-held Al-Joura district, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. “The shelling hit just before families were gathering to break the Ramadan fast,” said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman. Besieged by IS since early 2015, the regime-controlled third of Deir Ezzor city is home to an estimated 100,000 people. Most of the surrounding oil-rich province is also controlled by IS. “At least six mortar rounds hit the Al-Joura district. Daesh has been regularly hitting this neighbourhood with mortars,” said Omar Abu Leila, an activist from Deir Ezzor 24, which publishes news on the city. H...

http://ift.tt/2r5kkVD Music streaming leader Spotify has agreed to set up a $43.45 million fund to settle a potentially costly pair of US copyright lawsuits from artists, lawyers said Monday. The move marks the latest effort by the Swedish company to turn the page on messy disputes as it considers a public listing amid the soaring growth of streaming. The settlement would end lawsuits spearheaded by two indie songwriters who double as academics — folk rock singer Melissa Ferrick and David Lowery, frontman of alternative rock bands Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven. The two had pursued class-action cases — meaning a mass of musicians could claim payouts — with Ferrick seeking $200 million and Lowery asking for $150 million. The artists had accused Spotify, which boasts of offering instant access to 30 million songs, of recklessly putting music online without securing mechanical rights — the permission to reproduce copyrighted material — from the tracks’ composers. Spotify and other...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J By Elizabeth Uwandu Nigerian indigenous company, Student Accomodat8, SA8, over the next five years is providing 15,000 bed spaces under an initiative tagged “Purpose Built Student Accommodation, PBSA,” for tertiary institutions in Nigeria and West Africa. The Chief Executive Officer, SA8, Mr Abayomi Onasanya, said the  projects are being rolled out to improve the health and welfare of Nigerian universities. He said only with a healthy, convenient and comfortable  student accommodation could students be expected to put in their best. “Our flagship design to build hostels kicked off at Olabisi Onabanjo University. This first design made up of four residential blocks centered around a vision that is home to value added service facilities that will be delivered  October 2017 and serve as home to 384 students of the university. “In 2016, we also delivered our pilot project ‘Pine Housé’, a renovated 18-room hostel on Herbert Macaulay Road close t...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J ……seeks recall of suspended Judges By Ikechukwu Nnochiri ABUJA – As the country marks its Democracy Day, the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, yesterday, scored the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari low on respect of the rule of law and court orders. The legal body, at a world press conference it held in Abuja to commemorate the 2017 Democracy Day, said it was “appalled at the continued detention of certain individuals in blatant disobedience to court orders”. Speaking through its National President, Mr. Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN, NBA, which is the umbrella body of legal practitioners in the country, said: “Amongst these individuals are Sheik Ibrahim El-Zakzaky and his wife and also Colonel Sambo Dasuki the former National Security Adviser. “Whilst we recognise the seriousness of the charges on which these individuals are held, we nevertheless view their continued detention as unjustified and contrary to the express court orders. “We call on the governme...

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J At least six people were killed and tens of thousands more fled their homes in flooding in the north-east of Brazil over the weekend, regional authorities said. Rain-swollen rivers, mud slides and falling trees in Pernambuco state drove out at least 30,000 residents, with another 3,000 families forced out in neighboring Alagoas, the governments of the two states said. Both states declared emergencies after the flooding, which left two dead in Pernambuco and four dead in Alagoas. President Michel Temer, who is fighting for his political future amid a corruption crisis, briefly abandoned the capital Brasilia to fly over the disaster zone on Sunday. Temer also used the visit in Pernambuco to authorize a 600 million reais ($184 million) loan from the BNDES state development bank for the completion of four dams that had been announced back in 2010, state-owned Agencia Brasil reported. The post Six die, thousands forced out in Brazil floods appeared first on Vangu...

http://ift.tt/2qy2kD0 The Borno Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC) has deployed 50 armed personnel to check incessant attacks at the University of Maiduguri. Its Commandant, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, told newsmen on Monday in Maiduguri that the measure was necessitated by the rising cases of suicide bombing and other attacks at the institution. He said that the personnel had been deployed to strategic locations like the business centres, motor parks, worship and social centres, among other areas. The official urged the students and members of the university community to be calm and report any suspicious movement around the vicinity to security agents. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the institution has recorded four incidents of attacks in the last few weeks. Vía Nigeria News – Nigerian Newspaper – The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2rya5KH