Tuesday, 23 August 2011
Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog: Quote of the day: Say what Mr Obahiagbon?
Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog: Quote of the day: Say what Mr Obahiagbon?: "The presidential imprimatur to the putrescent judicial makossa dance that has pestiferously and scabrously oozed out of the Salami/Alugate,...
Monday, 22 August 2011
A scientist develops virus that hunts HIV
Dr. Pin Wang's lentiviral vector latches onto HIV-infected cells, flagging them with what is called "suicide gene therapy" — allowing drugs to later target and destroy them.
"If you deplete all of the HIV-infected cells, you can at least partially solve the problem," said Wang, chemical engineering professor with the USC Viterbi School of Engineering.
The process is analogous to the military practice of "buddy lasing" — that is, having a soldier on the ground illuminate a target with a laser to guide a precision bombing strike from an aircraft.
Like a precision bombing raid, the lentiviral vector approach to targeting HIV has the advantage of avoiding collateral damage, keeping cells that are not infected by HIV out of harm's way. Such accuracy has not been achieved by using drugs alone, Wang said.
So far, the lentiviral vector has only been tested in culture dishes and has resulted in the destruction of about 35 percent of existing HIV cells. While that may not sound like a large percentage, if this treatment were to be used in humans, it would likely be repeated several times to maximize effectiveness.
Among the next steps will be to test the procedure in mice. While this is an important breakthrough, it is not yet a cure, Wang said.
"This is an early stage of research, but certainly it is one of the options in that direction," he said.
Provided by University of Southern California
"If you deplete all of the HIV-infected cells, you can at least partially solve the problem," said Wang, chemical engineering professor with the USC Viterbi School of Engineering.
The process is analogous to the military practice of "buddy lasing" — that is, having a soldier on the ground illuminate a target with a laser to guide a precision bombing strike from an aircraft.
Like a precision bombing raid, the lentiviral vector approach to targeting HIV has the advantage of avoiding collateral damage, keeping cells that are not infected by HIV out of harm's way. Such accuracy has not been achieved by using drugs alone, Wang said.
So far, the lentiviral vector has only been tested in culture dishes and has resulted in the destruction of about 35 percent of existing HIV cells. While that may not sound like a large percentage, if this treatment were to be used in humans, it would likely be repeated several times to maximize effectiveness.
Among the next steps will be to test the procedure in mice. While this is an important breakthrough, it is not yet a cure, Wang said.
"This is an early stage of research, but certainly it is one of the options in that direction," he said.
Provided by University of Southern California
Brazil: The Golden Boys!
The FIFA U-20 World Cup Colombia 2011 ended as it began, with rain teeming down in prelude to the match for third place at El Campin in Bogota.
And for the second time in the competition, following on from their fightback in the Round of 16 against Cameroon, Mexico came from behind to beat France and take third place on the podium, El Tri’s best finish in the competition since 1977, when they ended runners-up. Les Bleuets did not go away too disappointed, however, having completed their best ever campaign in the competition, despite conceding 12 goals, the joint-worst defensive record alongside Costa Rica and Guatemala.
The battle for the bronze medal was followed by the tournament showpiece, in which Brazil claimed their fifth title in the category, avenging the penalty shoot-out defeat they suffered against Portugal 20 years ago and erasing the memory of their loss on penalties to Ghana in the Egypt 2009 final.
Results
Match for third place
Mexico 3-1 France
Final
Brazil 3-2 Portugal
Jumbo Pay Cut Hinders Federal Lawmakers From Paying Back Loans.
Federal lawmakers who took huge short-term loans shortly after their inauguration in May are having problems repaying the loans. Sources say that the banks operating within the National Assembly, which also gave out the loans, are at a loss as to how get the lawmakers to start repaying.
Investigations show that many of the lawmakers, especially the first timers, collected between N200m and N250m with the hope of commencing repayment with their quarterly jumbo allocations. Most of these lawmakers, a source said, used the loans to buy houses in Abuja.
We learnt that with the 40 per cent reduction in the jumbo pay of federal lawmakers, most lawmakers have not been repaying.
The banks,we gathered, had granted the lawmakers the loans with the expectation that repayment would not be a problem once they collected their jumbo pay.
Before the reduction, members of the House of Representatives had each collected N42m per quarter, while their counterparts in the Senate had received about N60m. But with the slash, a member of the lower house now receives about N13m per quarter as running cost.
A source said officials of the banks were worried by the failure of beneficiaries of the loans to keep to their promises.
According to a member of the National Assembly, who spoke to our source on the condition of anonymity, the majority of those who took the loans are from the House of Representatives.
He said, “You know when we came in newly, these banks offered loans to lawmakers, most of them from the House. Some collected N200m, others N250m.
“Now the banks are having serious problems getting their money back as scheduled because the allowances are not enough. They can’t pay and the banks are not finding it funny.
“They cannot pay, the money is too small and you know it is not possible for the banks to take everything that is paid. I must tell you, there is a serious problem.”
The 2011 Appropriation Act provides N1.5b which is made available for lawmakers in lieu of accommodation. They often collect the sum as soon as they are inaugurated. Each lawmaker got a little above N3m from the total.
But some lawmakers are said to have complained to the leadership of both Houses that the money was too small to address their accommodation challenges in Abuja, given the high cost of residential and hotel accommodation in the city.
At the inauguration of the Seventh Senate, commercial banks marketing executives within the National Assembly complex, had jostled for the attention of senators and members of the House of Representatives, wooing them with gifts and offering them loans.
However, the banks expectedly denied having problems with the lawmakers when our source sought their reactions.
A branch manager of one of the banks told our source that the issue of loans was a “personal matter between the banks and their clients”.
click here.
Sunday, 21 August 2011
Why Obasanjo and I fell apart- IBB
Fresh facts emerged yesterday that ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Military President Ibrahim Babangida are at daggers drawn since the botched Third Term agenda which was opposed by Babangida.
Babangida, who gave the hint of the crisis of confidence in an interview with African Statesman to mark his 70th birthday, also said ordinary Nigerians do not need debate on the appropriate tenure system instead, they want how their condition will improve.
He explained that Obasanjo had invited him and three others to the Presidential Villa to seek their support for the Third term agenda.
The others are: ex-Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar; former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and ex-National Security Adviser, Gen. Aliyu Gusau (rtd).
He said Obasanjo sought his assistance and that of three others to push through his tenure elongation but the four leaders rejected his proposal.
Babangida said at a point, he told Obasanjo as follows: “It is true that we brought you and assisted you to get elected by Nigerians. You have now made new friends and we expect that those new friends would push you through.”
He said based on his comment, Obasanjo simply wanted to “know if that was the position of the G4.”
Babangida also admitted that Obasanjo, who was seething with anger, did not only accuse him of supporting ex-Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, he cut short the meeting and promised to get back to the G4 till today.
The ex-President inferred that his opposition to Obasanjo’s tenure elongation mght have accounted for why Obasanjo dumped him in 2007 for the late President Umaru Yar’Adua.
According to the magazine, Babangida and others’ anti-third term agenda made the former Civilian President to “go after his perceived and imaginary enemies by subtly using the EFCC to witch-hunt them.”
He said he was investigated by the Obasanjo administration for his imaginary “stolen billions” allegedly stashed in Switzerland, Germany, Norway, France, the US and the UK. He took exception to the arrest of his son, Mohammed, about his supposed investment in Glo Telecommunicationsm.
He added: “I have challenged anyone to come forward to tell Nigerians that this is what he or she gave me as bribe or kickback in exchange for contract, nobody has broken that challenge till date. ”You know when news is flying all over the place that IBB is a billionaire and they suddenly discovered he is not, they must find something to justify their earlier notion. We have fertile minds around.”
The frenzy about the alleged attempt of former President Obasanjo to extend his tenure trailed the twilight of his administration.
The tenure elongation plot was widely believed to be the underlining motive behind the 2005 constitutional conference.
The conference was believed to have collapsed when the president’s foot soldiers failed to get ‘extraneous’ clauses inserted into the constitutional document.
There were also allegations and counter-allegations of attempts to induce members of the National Assembly to railroad the plot through them.
When contacted, Obasanjo’s media aide, Mr Ojekunle Adeoba, said the former president did not wish to comment.
It would be recalled that on Saturday, May 19, 2007, Obasanjo denied having interest in the botched Third Term bid. He said he never planned to extend his tenure in office, and that he would have achieved the feat of another four-year term in Aso Rock if he so desired.
He made the clarification during his last appearance on a radio programme, ‘The President Explains’.
His words: “If I sought a third term, and I wanted it, I would have got it. I have not said this before. God would have given it to me. I did not want it. If I had wanted a third term, I would have prayed for it, I would have worked for it and God would have given it to me. I know this because there is nothing I wanted that God did not give me”.
Babangida said in the interview that he is still of the view that Nigerians do not need any debate on the appropriate tenure system for the President and governors.
He said: “We have not yet, even in our constitution, emphasized the power of the ordinary person, we have not educated them to know their certain rights, we have not put things in place to protect them if they do anything in the defence of this country.
“What you bother yourselves with are things like tenure elongation, revenue sharing formula which we have been doing since 1960.
‘All these things I do read in the papers have no bearing or whatsoever to the ordinary man; the ordinary man should be told. Look if you like today, I’m available in Minna, if the police arrest me today and I don’t want to talk, I don’t talk.
“I should know that I am protected. I should know that the government takes care of us and I have always given one example. I believe that the government should make it mandatory to provide free primary education at the primary level to all citizens of the country.
“Those are the things that are for the people that people should be talking about, not the tenure of the President or government, not the immunity clause, not the creation of states.
“I laugh when I see people talk about fiscal federalism, true federalism and when you go to our archives you will find out those discussions were done as far back as 1967 up till today, people are still talking about them.
“We made a Constitution that takes care of all these things since 1989 again it was jettisoned because the ‘most dreaded’ person in Nigeria created that constitution.
On June 12, 1993 presidential election, Babangida said if he had handed over to the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola, his administration would not have lasted three months.
He added: “Look, we handed it over to an interim government, the military toppled the interim government, it would have been easier to topple a democratically elected government at that time and I knew the consequences.
“The Interim Government was not democratically elected; the international community would move against Nigeria , the feeble population in the country, a lot of unrest, the military will bring a lot of changes in the system.
“Based on our own assessment, if we employ a democratically elected leader under the presumed winner, it would not have lasted longer than Chief Ernest Shonekan’s regime.
“I said this because I know the environment very well. All the coups that happened in this country, Nigerians caused it and created the environment.”
Asked why he has refused to apologise to Nigerians over the annulment of June 12. 1993 presidential poll, Babangida said Nigerians will still fault him.
He said he has a strong conviction that he should not do so.
“Let us assume I come out and say my fellow citizens and fellow country men, I used your brains, ‘I hurt you,’ ‘I’m sorry, it is not me,’ ‘It didn’t come from me,’ ‘I’m using your words, I’m sorry, the next headline somebody will say why did it take 18 years to come and apologise?
“You see, you are working on history; somebody will come and say why did you take 18 years? They forget that people who committed offence during the first and second World War and even the civil war are being pardoned till today but a Nigerian is not going to do that, he will continue to hammer you until you go to your grave.”
Mercy Johnson breaksdown on movie location,settles for secret wedding.
Embattled star actress, Mercy Johnson recently wept profusely on a movie location in Festac, Lagos.
According to source,Mercy seems to be disturbed about the scandal and many negative reactions trailing her over-hyped forthcoming wedding to an already married father of two (Odianose Okojie).
We gathered that MJ as the controversial actress is fondly called was on set with her other colleagues such as: Oge Okoye, Bobby Michael, Prince Eke and Vincent Opurum, while bemoaning her fate quietly.
According to a reliable insider, Mercy drove herself to location throughout the duration of their shoot (July 30 to August 10) in a blue-coloured Lexus saloon car.
“Throughout our shoot, Mercy was very sober and constantly kept to herself. In fact, after reading one of the papers that wrote about her wedding crisis privately in her car, she broke down and wept profusely. She later composed herself and told some of us around to pray for her to overcome the crisis. Our happiness was that while on set, she did not allow the situation of things to affect her job because she was the lead actress,” disclosed the insider.
Narrating further, the source said the movie was from the stable of Bold Step Pictures, directed by one Ifeanyi Ogbonna and tentatively entitled Killer Girls.
He recalled that there was a particular day Mercy locked herself inside her car and wept like a baby.
“We all felt for her and on few occasions I also saw her praying quietly in her car, while waiting to shoot her scenes with tears rolling down her cheek. Mercy was also bold enough to tell me and some crew members to pray for her on set. Some of us bought newspapers and magazines with Mercy's story and picture on their front covers, so her case was an open secret on our set. She read hers inside her car the first day the story broke, but was still able to control herself till we finished on set. For me, that actually makes her a strong person, because at some point we became scared and thought she was going to abandon set based on the stories in different papers, but she maintained her cool, finished all her scenes and left quietly to carry her cross alone. She was really a pathetic sight to behold in those quiet moments alone inside her car.”
On whether any of the stars on set discussed the issue with Mercy or among themselves, this insider maintained nothing of such happened while he was around.
“Mercy kept to herself, so also her colleagues. Just the normal greetings, they all kept to themselves and carried on with the production that brought them together in Festac.”
Meanwhile, further findings reveals that the reason the actress has refused to issue a public statement on the husband snatching scandal rocking her August 27 2011 wedding is because she is considering a secret wedding, especially now that news of calling off the wedding has made the rounds.
But whatever her game plan is, obviously it is just a matter of days before it's apparent to all.
Youth Minister denies calling Karen Igho a role Model.
The Minister of Youths Development, Bolaji Abdullahi, has refuted claims that the federal government has endorsed the winner of the just concluded Big Brother Amplified (BBA), Karen Igho, as a youth ambassador.
He spoke to journalists on the sidelines of the 'National Conference on Youth in the 2011 Elections and Strategies for Improved Participation in the Democratic Process' organised by the International Republican Institute (IRI) in Abuja.
"What I see here is a rising tendency to be sexist in this country in a way that is not acceptable," he said. “I mean someone won this competition last year and he was hailed and hosted everywhere like if he was a hero. We didn't know what he did in that house. Now, because Karen is a woman, therefore she is what? If it was a man that went into that programme and did all the escapades, will we be treating him like this?”
What we did as a Ministry of Youth Development when we were informed that they will like to visit us, I mean, we welcomed them," said Abdullahi.
"That does not mean the same thing as endorsing whatever she did or did not do. No one mentioned anything about role modelling. Nobody mentioned anything about being an ambassador.
The minister was said to have called Bigbrother amplified winner karen igho a role model to Nigerian Youths.
7 Foods you Should Eschew.
1. Canned Tomatoes
The expert: Fredrick vom Saal, PhD, an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri who studies bisphenol-A
The problem: The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Unfortunately, acidity (a prominent characteristic of tomatoes) causes BPA to leach into your food. Studies show that the BPA in most people's body exceeds the amount that suppresses Fluid production or causes chromosomal damage to the eggs of animals. "You can get 50 mcg of BPA per liter out of a tomato can, and that's a level that is going to impact people, particularly the young," says vom Saal. "I won't go near canned tomatoes."
The solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do not need resin linings), such as the brands Bionaturae and Coluccio. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak boxes, like Trader Joe's and Pomi.
2. Corn-Fed Beef
The expert: Joel Salatin, co-owner of Polyface Farms and author of half a dozen books on sustainable farming
The problem: Cattle evolved to eat grass, not grains. But farmers today feed their animals corn and soybeans, which fatten up the animals faster for slaughter. More money for cattle farmers (and lower prices at the grocery store) means a lot less nutrition for us. A recent comprehensive study conducted by the USDA and researchers from Clemson University found that compared with corn-fed beef, grass-fed beef is higher in beta-carotene, vitamin E, omega-3s, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), calcium, magnesium, and potassium; lower in inflammatory omega-6s; and lower in saturated fats that have been linked to heart disease. "We need to respect the fact that cows are herbivores, and that does not mean feeding them corn and chicken manure," says Salatin.
The solution: Buy grass-fed beef, which can be found at specialty grocers, farmers' markets, and nationally at Whole Foods. It's usually labeled because it demands a premium, but if you don't see it, ask your butcher.
3. Microwave Popcorn
The expert: Olga Naidenko, PhD, a senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group,
The problem: Chemicals, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), in the lining of the bag, are part of a class of compounds that may be linked to infertility in humans, according to a recent study from UCLA. In animal testing, the chemicals cause liver, testicular, and pancreatic cancer. Studies show that microwaving causes the chemicals to vaporize—and migrate into your popcorn. "They stay in your body for years and accumulate there," says Naidenko, which is why researchers worry that levels in humans could approach the amounts causing cancers in laboratory animals. DuPont and other manufacturers have promised to phase out PFOA by 2015 under a voluntary EPA plan, but millions of bags of popcorn will be sold between now and then.
The solution: Pop natural kernels the old-fashioned way: in a skillet. For flavorings, you can add real butter or dried seasonings, such as dillweed, vegetable flakes, or soup mix.
4. Nonorganic Potatoes
The expert: Jeffrey Moyer, chair of the National Organic Standards Board
The problem: Root vegetables absorb herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides that wind up in soil. In the case of potatoes—the nation's most popular vegetable—they're treated with fungicides during the growing season, then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines before harvesting. After they're dug up, the potatoes are treated yet again to prevent them from sprouting. "Try this experiment: Buy a conventional potato in a store, and try to get it to sprout. It won't," says Moyer, who is also farm director of the Rodale Institute (also owned by Rodale Inc., the publisher of Prevention). "I've talked with potato growers who say point-blank they would never eat the potatoes they sell. They have separate plots where they grow potatoes for themselves without all the chemicals."
The solution: Buy organic potatoes. Washing isn't good enough if you're trying to remove chemicals that have been absorbed into the flesh.
5. Farmed Salmon
The expert: David Carpenter, MD, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany and publisher of a major study in the journal Science on contamination in fish.
The problem: Nature didn't intend for salmon to be crammed into pens and fed soy, poultry litter, and hydrolyzed chicken feathers. As a result, farmed salmon is lower in vitamin D and higher in contaminants, including carcinogens, PCBs, brominated flame retardants, and pesticides such as dioxin and DDT. According to Carpenter, the most contaminated fish come from Northern Europe, which can be found on American menus. "You can only safely eat one of these salmon dinners every 5 months without increasing your risk of cancer," says Carpenter, whose 2004 fish contamination study got broad media attention. "It's that bad." Preliminary science has also linked DDT to diabetes and obesity, but some nutritionists believe the benefits of omega-3s outweigh the risks. There is also concern about the high level of antibiotics and pesticides used to treat these fish. When you eat farmed salmon, you get dosed with the same drugs and chemicals.
The solution: Switch to wild-caught Alaska salmon. If the package says fresh Atlantic, it's farmed. There are no commercial fisheries left for wild Atlantic salmon.
6. Milk Produced with Artificial Hormones
The expert: Rick North, project director of the Campaign for Safe Food at the Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility and former CEO of the Oregon division of the American Cancer Society
The problem: Milk producers treat their dairy cattle with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH or rBST, as it is also known) to boost milk production. But rBGH also increases udder infections and even pus in the milk. It also leads to higher levels of a hormone called insulin-like growth factor in milk. In people, high levels of IGF-1 may contribute to bosom, prostate, and colon cancers. "When the government approved rBGH, it was thought that IGF-1 from milk would be broken down in the human digestive tract," says North. As it turns out, the casein in milk protects most of it, according to several independent studies. "There's not 100% proof that this is increasing cancer in humans," admits North. "However, it's banned in most industrialized countries."
The solution: Check labels for rBGH-free, rBST-free, produced without artificial hormones, or organic milk. These phrases indicate rBGH-free products.
7. Conventional Apples
The expert: Mark Kastel, former executive for agribusiness and codirector of the Cornucopia Institute, a farm-policy research group that supports organic foods
The problem: If fall fruits held a "most doused in pesticides contest," apples would win. Why? They are individually grafted (descended from a single tree) so that each variety maintains its distinctive flavor. As such, apples don't develop resistance to pests and are sprayed frequently. The industry maintains that these residues are not harmful. But Kastel counters that it's just common sense to minimize exposure by avoiding the most doused produce, like apples. "Farm workers have higher rates of many cancers," he says. And increasing numbers of studies are starting to link a higher body burden of pesticides (from all sources) with Parkinson's disease.
The solution: Buy organic apples. If you can't afford organic, be sure to wash and peel them first.
The expert: Fredrick vom Saal, PhD, an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri who studies bisphenol-A
The problem: The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Unfortunately, acidity (a prominent characteristic of tomatoes) causes BPA to leach into your food. Studies show that the BPA in most people's body exceeds the amount that suppresses Fluid production or causes chromosomal damage to the eggs of animals. "You can get 50 mcg of BPA per liter out of a tomato can, and that's a level that is going to impact people, particularly the young," says vom Saal. "I won't go near canned tomatoes."
The solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do not need resin linings), such as the brands Bionaturae and Coluccio. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak boxes, like Trader Joe's and Pomi.
2. Corn-Fed Beef
The expert: Joel Salatin, co-owner of Polyface Farms and author of half a dozen books on sustainable farming
The problem: Cattle evolved to eat grass, not grains. But farmers today feed their animals corn and soybeans, which fatten up the animals faster for slaughter. More money for cattle farmers (and lower prices at the grocery store) means a lot less nutrition for us. A recent comprehensive study conducted by the USDA and researchers from Clemson University found that compared with corn-fed beef, grass-fed beef is higher in beta-carotene, vitamin E, omega-3s, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), calcium, magnesium, and potassium; lower in inflammatory omega-6s; and lower in saturated fats that have been linked to heart disease. "We need to respect the fact that cows are herbivores, and that does not mean feeding them corn and chicken manure," says Salatin.
The solution: Buy grass-fed beef, which can be found at specialty grocers, farmers' markets, and nationally at Whole Foods. It's usually labeled because it demands a premium, but if you don't see it, ask your butcher.
3. Microwave Popcorn
The expert: Olga Naidenko, PhD, a senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group,
The problem: Chemicals, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), in the lining of the bag, are part of a class of compounds that may be linked to infertility in humans, according to a recent study from UCLA. In animal testing, the chemicals cause liver, testicular, and pancreatic cancer. Studies show that microwaving causes the chemicals to vaporize—and migrate into your popcorn. "They stay in your body for years and accumulate there," says Naidenko, which is why researchers worry that levels in humans could approach the amounts causing cancers in laboratory animals. DuPont and other manufacturers have promised to phase out PFOA by 2015 under a voluntary EPA plan, but millions of bags of popcorn will be sold between now and then.
The solution: Pop natural kernels the old-fashioned way: in a skillet. For flavorings, you can add real butter or dried seasonings, such as dillweed, vegetable flakes, or soup mix.
4. Nonorganic Potatoes
The expert: Jeffrey Moyer, chair of the National Organic Standards Board
The problem: Root vegetables absorb herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides that wind up in soil. In the case of potatoes—the nation's most popular vegetable—they're treated with fungicides during the growing season, then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines before harvesting. After they're dug up, the potatoes are treated yet again to prevent them from sprouting. "Try this experiment: Buy a conventional potato in a store, and try to get it to sprout. It won't," says Moyer, who is also farm director of the Rodale Institute (also owned by Rodale Inc., the publisher of Prevention). "I've talked with potato growers who say point-blank they would never eat the potatoes they sell. They have separate plots where they grow potatoes for themselves without all the chemicals."
The solution: Buy organic potatoes. Washing isn't good enough if you're trying to remove chemicals that have been absorbed into the flesh.
5. Farmed Salmon
The expert: David Carpenter, MD, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany and publisher of a major study in the journal Science on contamination in fish.
The problem: Nature didn't intend for salmon to be crammed into pens and fed soy, poultry litter, and hydrolyzed chicken feathers. As a result, farmed salmon is lower in vitamin D and higher in contaminants, including carcinogens, PCBs, brominated flame retardants, and pesticides such as dioxin and DDT. According to Carpenter, the most contaminated fish come from Northern Europe, which can be found on American menus. "You can only safely eat one of these salmon dinners every 5 months without increasing your risk of cancer," says Carpenter, whose 2004 fish contamination study got broad media attention. "It's that bad." Preliminary science has also linked DDT to diabetes and obesity, but some nutritionists believe the benefits of omega-3s outweigh the risks. There is also concern about the high level of antibiotics and pesticides used to treat these fish. When you eat farmed salmon, you get dosed with the same drugs and chemicals.
The solution: Switch to wild-caught Alaska salmon. If the package says fresh Atlantic, it's farmed. There are no commercial fisheries left for wild Atlantic salmon.
6. Milk Produced with Artificial Hormones
The expert: Rick North, project director of the Campaign for Safe Food at the Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility and former CEO of the Oregon division of the American Cancer Society
The problem: Milk producers treat their dairy cattle with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH or rBST, as it is also known) to boost milk production. But rBGH also increases udder infections and even pus in the milk. It also leads to higher levels of a hormone called insulin-like growth factor in milk. In people, high levels of IGF-1 may contribute to bosom, prostate, and colon cancers. "When the government approved rBGH, it was thought that IGF-1 from milk would be broken down in the human digestive tract," says North. As it turns out, the casein in milk protects most of it, according to several independent studies. "There's not 100% proof that this is increasing cancer in humans," admits North. "However, it's banned in most industrialized countries."
The solution: Check labels for rBGH-free, rBST-free, produced without artificial hormones, or organic milk. These phrases indicate rBGH-free products.
7. Conventional Apples
The expert: Mark Kastel, former executive for agribusiness and codirector of the Cornucopia Institute, a farm-policy research group that supports organic foods
The problem: If fall fruits held a "most doused in pesticides contest," apples would win. Why? They are individually grafted (descended from a single tree) so that each variety maintains its distinctive flavor. As such, apples don't develop resistance to pests and are sprayed frequently. The industry maintains that these residues are not harmful. But Kastel counters that it's just common sense to minimize exposure by avoiding the most doused produce, like apples. "Farm workers have higher rates of many cancers," he says. And increasing numbers of studies are starting to link a higher body burden of pesticides (from all sources) with Parkinson's disease.
The solution: Buy organic apples. If you can't afford organic, be sure to wash and peel them first.
Nigeria's Ahmed Musa jostles for FIFA Golden Ball Award at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup.
A shortlist of 10 candidates for the adidas golden ball, which will be awarded to the most outstanding player of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, was announced today by the FIFA Technical Study Group (TSG).
Accredited members of the media will then vote for the top three players. The total points will be tallied by FIFA at the end of the final match on Saturday. The winner will receive the adidas Golden Ball. The players coming in second and third place will receive the adidas Silver Ball and adidas Bronze Ball respectively.
The shortlist:
DANILO / 15 Portugal
ENRIQUEZ Jorge / 14 Mexico
FOFANA Gueida / 8 France
HENRIQUE / 19 Brazil
LUQUE Carlos / 20 Argentina
MALLO Hugo / 2 Spain
MUSA Ahmed / 7 Nigeria
NELSON OLIVEIRA / 7 Portugal
PHILIPPE COUTINHO / 10 Brazil
RODRIGUEZ James / 10 Colombia
Libyan Rebels close in on Muammar Ghadaffi.
Rebels fighting to end Libyan strongman Col. Moammar Gadhafi’s 42-year reign seized control of one key oil town in the west of the country, but suffered setbacks in another in the east on Saturday.
Rebels told The Washington Times that they had “liberated” the city of Zawiyah, 30 miles west of Tripoli.
“We control the main square. The town has been liberated from Gadhafi’s snipers,” said a rebel who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The rebels also took control of Zlitan, a city 100 miles east of Tripoli.
The advance tightens the encirclement of Tripoli.
While the rebels have closed in on the Libyan capital from the west, east and south, in the north NATO has 15 ships patrolling the Mediterranean Sea.
Zawiyah is the site of a key oil terminal that supplies the Libyan capital. Residents and rebels said the oil flow was shut off late last week.
Rebels succeeded in clearing the city of pro-Gadhafi snipers, some of whom had been holed up in a hospital in the southeastern part of the city. Most of the snipers were believed to be black African mercenaries loyal to the regime.
“There is a disaster in Zawiyah. All the buildings have been damaged; residents have been killed in their homes,” said Belgasem Zahef, a Zawiyah native who recently returned to his home in Montreal after spending over a month in detention. He was arrested in Zawiyah where he had gone to fight alongside the rebels.
Mr. Zahaf said the main prison in the city was overflowing with inmates who were forced to live in sub-human conditions and routinely tortured by their captors.
Rebels suffered a setback in Brega in the east where pro-Gadhafi forces waged a fierce battle to take back control of the oil port. A source near Brega said the rebels had “fallen back” under the heavy onslaught.
The rebels’ victory in Zawiya puts them closer to Tripoli where Col. Gadhafi, his family and members of the regime are based.
Residents of the Libyan capital on Saturday described a city under siege. Prices of fuel and food have skyrocketed and the city is enduring extended power cuts. Those who attempt to leave Tripoli are stopped by pro-Gadhafi forces stationed along the highways.
NATO has kept up its attack around Tripoli adding to the anxiety of residents who fear getting caught in the cross-fire.
“In Tripoli people are scared because of NATO bombings,” said Mr. Zahef, who has been urging his family to leave the city. People are fleeing by using back lanes and farm roads, he added.
On Friday, NATO bombs had struck nine military facilities, three radars, one radar guided anti-aircraft weapon system and one tank in the vicinity of Tripoli.
NATO bombs destroyed the home of Abdullah Senussi, Col. Gadhafi’s brother-in-law and intelligence chief. The International Criminal Court has issued a warrant for Mr. Senussi’s arrest on charges of committing war crimes.
Saturday, 20 August 2011
John Mikel Obi's family deny contact with abductors.
Confusion continues to trail the disappearance of father of Mikel Obi as the family on Friday came out to deny claims that the kidnappers had demanded a N20 million ransom.
Younger brother to the missing Elder Mike Obi, Christopher, his wife Rose and elder brother to Mikel, Tony jointly addressed journalists at the Rayfield residence of the Obis insisting that nobody has made contact with them and that they were not aware of the demand for any ransom.
John Obi Mikel at SKYnews London pleading for his dad's release
They also disclosed that Mikel was so pained by the development that he has not been communicating with the family again.
“We have not had any contact with anyone since he got missing to suggest that we are preparing for any negotiation. So we were surprised to watch on television and read on newspapers that a N20-N50 million ransom has been placed on his head” Mrs Obi said.
Mikel’s elder brother, Mr. Tony Obi who corroborated his mum said Mikel has been unable to communicate with them since the incident adding that his (Mikel’s) manager, Mr. John Shittu who has been communicating with the family did not tell them about any contact with the abductors as was being reported.
He confirmed that their father’s Mercedes Benz car was recovered around Shen on the outskirts of Jos four days after his disappearance but that the police who went with him to recover the car found no clue.
Similarly, Mr. Christopher Obi who is the younger brother to the late Pa Obi who came to Jos from Lagos following his brother’s disappearance, expressed concern over the situation and pleaded with those holding him to release him.
He described his brother and his son Mikel as good people who are always nice to those around them and wondered why they should be so treated adding, “we plead with the nation to help us.” Mrs. Obi had some days ago also denied reports that those holding her husband has been in touch with the family.
Younger brother to the missing Elder Mike Obi, Christopher, his wife Rose and elder brother to Mikel, Tony jointly addressed journalists at the Rayfield residence of the Obis insisting that nobody has made contact with them and that they were not aware of the demand for any ransom.
John Obi Mikel at SKYnews London pleading for his dad's release
They also disclosed that Mikel was so pained by the development that he has not been communicating with the family again.
“We have not had any contact with anyone since he got missing to suggest that we are preparing for any negotiation. So we were surprised to watch on television and read on newspapers that a N20-N50 million ransom has been placed on his head” Mrs Obi said.
Mikel’s elder brother, Mr. Tony Obi who corroborated his mum said Mikel has been unable to communicate with them since the incident adding that his (Mikel’s) manager, Mr. John Shittu who has been communicating with the family did not tell them about any contact with the abductors as was being reported.
He confirmed that their father’s Mercedes Benz car was recovered around Shen on the outskirts of Jos four days after his disappearance but that the police who went with him to recover the car found no clue.
Similarly, Mr. Christopher Obi who is the younger brother to the late Pa Obi who came to Jos from Lagos following his brother’s disappearance, expressed concern over the situation and pleaded with those holding him to release him.
He described his brother and his son Mikel as good people who are always nice to those around them and wondered why they should be so treated adding, “we plead with the nation to help us.” Mrs. Obi had some days ago also denied reports that those holding her husband has been in touch with the family.
Ex-Presidents,IBB and Obasanjo in war of words
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Thursday responded to the recent criticisms of his administration by a former military dictator, Gen Ibrahim Babangida, dismissing Babangida’s assessment as the “ranting of a foolish man”.
The former President, in an interview with selected reporters at his Presidential Library in Abeokuta, Ogun State, said that his achievements as a two-term civilian head of state towered above the legacies of Babangida’s eight-year rule.
He said, “Normally when I read these things I don’t believe them. Yesterday (Wednesday), when somebody phoned me and said this was what he (Babangida) said, I said, ‘Don’t believe it.’ They got me the newspapers and I read them. It’s a bit unlike Babangida. But if Babangida has decided, on becoming a septuagenarian, that he will be a fool, I think one should probably do what the Bible says in Proverbs Chapter 26, verse 4. It says don’t answer a fool because you may also become like him.
“When you go to the same Proverbs Chapter 26 verse 5, it says answer a fool so that he will not think he’s a wise man. So, I am now torn between which of the two verses I should follow in this respect.”
Babangida, however, reacted to Obasanjo’s remarks on Thursday, calling Obasanjo “a greater fool.” “We do not want to believe that he (Obasanjo) truly said that, but if it is true that he did say that, Nigerians know who the greatest (sic) fool is,” Babangida said in a statement by his spokesperson, Prince Kassim Afegbua.
“In terms of decency, finesse, class, distinction and general conduct, IBB could be described in the superlatives but for Obasanjo, God bless Nigeria.
“For a man who cannot possibly tell his true age, one may excuse his present outburst as the effusions of a witless comedian trying effortlessly to impress his select audience.
Obasanjo, himself a military dictator between 1976 and 1979, was elected president between 1999 and 2007. Babangida seized power in a military coup in 1985 and ruled till 1993 when he “stepped aside” in the aftermath of the crisis that greeted the annulment of the 1993 presidential election.
The spat between the two former heads of state began on Wednesday when Babangida, in an interview to mark his 70 birthday, berated the ex-president for lacking in vision and said his eight years in government had been a failure.
But Obasanjo argued that the premise on which IBB based his assessment exposed the former military dictator’s “ignorance”.
He said, “Unfortunately, some of the things he said were not well thought-out. For instance, he talked about our energy sector. When I was the military head of state, I built Jebba Dam; built Shiroro Dam; and I prepared the foundation of Egbin Power Plant, which President (Shehu) Shagari completed and inaugurated. That time, the money we were making was not up to the money Babangida was making annually for his eight years. Yet, we built two dams, because it was important.
“You know that power is the driving force for development and for any developing country. But since the building of Egbin power plant, until I came back in 1999, there was no generating plant for almost 20 years and Babangida spent eight years out of that. Now, he has the audacity to talk about anybody. I think that is unfortunate.
“Then, as elected president, I built Papalanto, Omotosho and others. I started five Independent Power Stations which were stopped for two-and-a-half years. As a country, Nigeria should be adding nothing less than 1,500 megawatts annually. South Africa with a population of 50 million generates 50,000 mega watts.
“As at 1999, we met 1,500 mega watts before we took it up to 4,000 mega watts. What we started they are now allowing it to go on. I believe if they continue with the programme that we left, in another two years, we will get to 10,000.”
Obasanjo added that the ex-dictator deserved pity as a result of the “inherent contradictions” in his comments.
He said, “I also read where he said in his time, he gave the dividends of democracy and at the same time he regretted. When I read that, I said Babangida should be pitied and shown sympathy rather than anger or condemnation because the old saying says a fool at 40 is a fool forever and I would say a regret at 70 is a regret too late. Well, a regret at 70 is a regret to the grave.”
Former Director-General, Bureau of Public Enterprises, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, had claimed that Obasanjo blocked the sale of Nigeria Airways while testifying before the Senate Committee probing the sale of public enterprises from 1999 to date.
Obasanjo admitted that he blocked the sale of Nigeria Airways under the privatisation programme but explained that he did so because the organisation was not viable for sale.
Obasanjo said, “I blocked the sale of Nigeria Airways; not that I attempted to block the sale of Nigeria Airways. When I was the military head of state, Nigeria Airways had 32 aircraft. By the time I came back as elected president of Nigeria in 1999, Nigeria Airways had only one aircraft. One of the 32 was wide bodied; they had all gone. The report on which we worked is here and the amount of money we would have had to pay if Nigeria Airways was sold. What we would have got out of it was less than 10 per cent of the debt we had to pay. That will be the debt Nigeria taxpayers would have had to pay. I won’t run my own affairs that way, so I opted for liquidation.
“So, it was bankrupted, it was liquidated. In which case, whatever you gain from liquidation, which is also a form of sale, (it) means the burden will be shared by all the creditors and everybody. So, I did not allow normal privatisation or sale because it would have put a very heavy burden on Nigeria. In fact my administration should be commended for that,” he added.
However, Babangida, in the statement, alluded to the widely held belief that he was one of the powerbrokers who engineered Obasanjo’s ascension to power after his prison term.
The statement reads, “When he was released from prison and granted state pardon, bathed in cerebral ornaments and clothed in royal beads and later crowned as President of Nigeria, IBB was not a fool then.
“Now that he is at the extreme of his thoughts and engagements, he can decide to dress IBB in borrowed robes. But the histories of both of them, when put to public scrutiny comparatively, IBB is far glowing and instructively stands poles apart from Obasanjo.
“On the issue of performance, Obasanjo cannot contemplate a comparison of his largely acquisitive regime that plundered our hard-earned state resources, with that of the IBB government with a verifiable record of achievements.
“Despite the fact that he carried out a clinical investigation of IBB’s regime, what did he establish against him? Nothing! We wish to refer Obasanjo to the National Assembly to give his own side of the story to the several revelations that have become the themes of his orchestra when he held sway as President of Nigeria. Perhaps, he would be able to tell the world how he managed Nigeria’s resources during his regime.”
The former President, in an interview with selected reporters at his Presidential Library in Abeokuta, Ogun State, said that his achievements as a two-term civilian head of state towered above the legacies of Babangida’s eight-year rule.
He said, “Normally when I read these things I don’t believe them. Yesterday (Wednesday), when somebody phoned me and said this was what he (Babangida) said, I said, ‘Don’t believe it.’ They got me the newspapers and I read them. It’s a bit unlike Babangida. But if Babangida has decided, on becoming a septuagenarian, that he will be a fool, I think one should probably do what the Bible says in Proverbs Chapter 26, verse 4. It says don’t answer a fool because you may also become like him.
“When you go to the same Proverbs Chapter 26 verse 5, it says answer a fool so that he will not think he’s a wise man. So, I am now torn between which of the two verses I should follow in this respect.”
Babangida, however, reacted to Obasanjo’s remarks on Thursday, calling Obasanjo “a greater fool.” “We do not want to believe that he (Obasanjo) truly said that, but if it is true that he did say that, Nigerians know who the greatest (sic) fool is,” Babangida said in a statement by his spokesperson, Prince Kassim Afegbua.
“In terms of decency, finesse, class, distinction and general conduct, IBB could be described in the superlatives but for Obasanjo, God bless Nigeria.
“For a man who cannot possibly tell his true age, one may excuse his present outburst as the effusions of a witless comedian trying effortlessly to impress his select audience.
Obasanjo, himself a military dictator between 1976 and 1979, was elected president between 1999 and 2007. Babangida seized power in a military coup in 1985 and ruled till 1993 when he “stepped aside” in the aftermath of the crisis that greeted the annulment of the 1993 presidential election.
The spat between the two former heads of state began on Wednesday when Babangida, in an interview to mark his 70 birthday, berated the ex-president for lacking in vision and said his eight years in government had been a failure.
But Obasanjo argued that the premise on which IBB based his assessment exposed the former military dictator’s “ignorance”.
He said, “Unfortunately, some of the things he said were not well thought-out. For instance, he talked about our energy sector. When I was the military head of state, I built Jebba Dam; built Shiroro Dam; and I prepared the foundation of Egbin Power Plant, which President (Shehu) Shagari completed and inaugurated. That time, the money we were making was not up to the money Babangida was making annually for his eight years. Yet, we built two dams, because it was important.
“You know that power is the driving force for development and for any developing country. But since the building of Egbin power plant, until I came back in 1999, there was no generating plant for almost 20 years and Babangida spent eight years out of that. Now, he has the audacity to talk about anybody. I think that is unfortunate.
“Then, as elected president, I built Papalanto, Omotosho and others. I started five Independent Power Stations which were stopped for two-and-a-half years. As a country, Nigeria should be adding nothing less than 1,500 megawatts annually. South Africa with a population of 50 million generates 50,000 mega watts.
“As at 1999, we met 1,500 mega watts before we took it up to 4,000 mega watts. What we started they are now allowing it to go on. I believe if they continue with the programme that we left, in another two years, we will get to 10,000.”
Obasanjo added that the ex-dictator deserved pity as a result of the “inherent contradictions” in his comments.
He said, “I also read where he said in his time, he gave the dividends of democracy and at the same time he regretted. When I read that, I said Babangida should be pitied and shown sympathy rather than anger or condemnation because the old saying says a fool at 40 is a fool forever and I would say a regret at 70 is a regret too late. Well, a regret at 70 is a regret to the grave.”
Former Director-General, Bureau of Public Enterprises, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, had claimed that Obasanjo blocked the sale of Nigeria Airways while testifying before the Senate Committee probing the sale of public enterprises from 1999 to date.
Obasanjo admitted that he blocked the sale of Nigeria Airways under the privatisation programme but explained that he did so because the organisation was not viable for sale.
Obasanjo said, “I blocked the sale of Nigeria Airways; not that I attempted to block the sale of Nigeria Airways. When I was the military head of state, Nigeria Airways had 32 aircraft. By the time I came back as elected president of Nigeria in 1999, Nigeria Airways had only one aircraft. One of the 32 was wide bodied; they had all gone. The report on which we worked is here and the amount of money we would have had to pay if Nigeria Airways was sold. What we would have got out of it was less than 10 per cent of the debt we had to pay. That will be the debt Nigeria taxpayers would have had to pay. I won’t run my own affairs that way, so I opted for liquidation.
“So, it was bankrupted, it was liquidated. In which case, whatever you gain from liquidation, which is also a form of sale, (it) means the burden will be shared by all the creditors and everybody. So, I did not allow normal privatisation or sale because it would have put a very heavy burden on Nigeria. In fact my administration should be commended for that,” he added.
However, Babangida, in the statement, alluded to the widely held belief that he was one of the powerbrokers who engineered Obasanjo’s ascension to power after his prison term.
The statement reads, “When he was released from prison and granted state pardon, bathed in cerebral ornaments and clothed in royal beads and later crowned as President of Nigeria, IBB was not a fool then.
“Now that he is at the extreme of his thoughts and engagements, he can decide to dress IBB in borrowed robes. But the histories of both of them, when put to public scrutiny comparatively, IBB is far glowing and instructively stands poles apart from Obasanjo.
“On the issue of performance, Obasanjo cannot contemplate a comparison of his largely acquisitive regime that plundered our hard-earned state resources, with that of the IBB government with a verifiable record of achievements.
“Despite the fact that he carried out a clinical investigation of IBB’s regime, what did he establish against him? Nothing! We wish to refer Obasanjo to the National Assembly to give his own side of the story to the several revelations that have become the themes of his orchestra when he held sway as President of Nigeria. Perhaps, he would be able to tell the world how he managed Nigeria’s resources during his regime.”
Friday, 19 August 2011
9JA ACCENT- 5th Sexiest in the World.
According to CNN International’s Global Insights, Local Experiences website, CNNGo “because a foreign language can be the best afrodisiac, we traveled the world in search of the 12 hottest accents”.
The Italian accent scored the top spot as the sexiest accent while French, Spanish, Czech and Irish accents also grabbed a spot on the list.
Our uber-sexy Nigerian accent was ranked as the 5th sexiest accent in the world.
We definitely should have hit the top spot!
The article was tongue-in-cheek so we will let the “Some Nigerians are actually worth giving your bank account information to” and “Kinda makes the occasional phone scam worth the swindle” comments slide.
What do you think?
US Intelligence links Boko Haram with Al-Qaeda.WAHALA!
A radical Muslim sect responsible for assassinations and bombings across northern Nigeria may be trying to link with two al-Qaeda-linked groups in other African countries to mount joint attacks in this oil-rich nation, the commander for U.S. military operations in Africa said Wednesday.
Gen. Carter Ham told The Associated Press that "multiple sources" indicate the Nigerian sect known as Boko Haram made contacts with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, which operates in northwest Africa, and with al-Shabab in Somalia.
"I think it would be the most dangerous thing to happen not only to the Africans, but to us as well," Carter said.
Ham said there is no specific intelligence suggesting the groups plan attacks against U.S. or Western interests in Nigeria, but the nation is a major supplier of crude oil to the U.S. and is an economic hub drawing foreigners from across the world.
Ham's comments were the strongest official remarks on fears privately held by Western and Nigerian officials. However, it remains unclear what formal links, if any, exist between Boko Haram, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and al-Shabab.
The three organizations have different ethnic roots and their objectives are not the same, but they are all Islamist militant groups.
Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is sacrilege" in the local Hausa language, came to prominence in 2009 when sect members attacked local police stations and government buildings throughout northeast Nigeria. The riots and ensuing security crackdown left 700 people dead.
Last year, the group began assassinating clerics and police officers. It also has engineered spectacular attacks, including the June bombing of Nigeria's federal police headquarters, the assassination of a prominent politician and a prison break that freed more than 700 inmates.
Boko Haram seeks the implementation of strict Shariah Islamic law in the country. Nigeria, a nation of 150 million people, is largely split between a Christian south and Muslim north, where 12 states have a version of Shariah in place.Ham said it appears Boko Haram may be splitting with one section focused on domestic issues and another on violent international extremism.
"What is most worrying at present is, at least in my view, a clearly stated intent by Boko Haram and by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb to coordinate and synchronize their efforts," the general said. "I'm not so sure they're able to do that just yet, but it's clear to me they have the desire and intent to do that."
Ham said that a "loose" partnership also would include al-Shabab. A suspected al-Shabab bombmaker now facing terrorism charges in New York was at one point detained by secret police in Nigeria. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, also known as AQIM, has issued statements in support of Boko Haram, and both use similar logos in communiques.
A recent video indicates that two men, a Briton and an Italian who were kidnapped in northwestern Nigeria, are being held by AQIM.Ham met this week with Nigerian military and security officials during his first visit to the country as the head of the U.S. Africa Command, known as Africom and which is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Ham said the U.S. would be willing to share intelligence and offer training to Nigerian security forces.
"We have a lot of folks who are pretty good about taking multiple pieces of apparently disparate information and putting that in a way that can be useful to operational commanders in a very short period of time," the general said.That assistance also could be used in Nigeria's south, if the country requests it, Ham said. There, criminal and militant gangs kidnap oil workers and middle-class Nigerians, while pirates attack vessels off the coast.
Gen. Carter Ham told The Associated Press that "multiple sources" indicate the Nigerian sect known as Boko Haram made contacts with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, which operates in northwest Africa, and with al-Shabab in Somalia.
"I think it would be the most dangerous thing to happen not only to the Africans, but to us as well," Carter said.
Ham said there is no specific intelligence suggesting the groups plan attacks against U.S. or Western interests in Nigeria, but the nation is a major supplier of crude oil to the U.S. and is an economic hub drawing foreigners from across the world.
Ham's comments were the strongest official remarks on fears privately held by Western and Nigerian officials. However, it remains unclear what formal links, if any, exist between Boko Haram, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and al-Shabab.
The three organizations have different ethnic roots and their objectives are not the same, but they are all Islamist militant groups.
Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is sacrilege" in the local Hausa language, came to prominence in 2009 when sect members attacked local police stations and government buildings throughout northeast Nigeria. The riots and ensuing security crackdown left 700 people dead.
Last year, the group began assassinating clerics and police officers. It also has engineered spectacular attacks, including the June bombing of Nigeria's federal police headquarters, the assassination of a prominent politician and a prison break that freed more than 700 inmates.
Boko Haram seeks the implementation of strict Shariah Islamic law in the country. Nigeria, a nation of 150 million people, is largely split between a Christian south and Muslim north, where 12 states have a version of Shariah in place.Ham said it appears Boko Haram may be splitting with one section focused on domestic issues and another on violent international extremism.
"What is most worrying at present is, at least in my view, a clearly stated intent by Boko Haram and by al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb to coordinate and synchronize their efforts," the general said. "I'm not so sure they're able to do that just yet, but it's clear to me they have the desire and intent to do that."
Ham said that a "loose" partnership also would include al-Shabab. A suspected al-Shabab bombmaker now facing terrorism charges in New York was at one point detained by secret police in Nigeria. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, also known as AQIM, has issued statements in support of Boko Haram, and both use similar logos in communiques.
A recent video indicates that two men, a Briton and an Italian who were kidnapped in northwestern Nigeria, are being held by AQIM.Ham met this week with Nigerian military and security officials during his first visit to the country as the head of the U.S. Africa Command, known as Africom and which is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Ham said the U.S. would be willing to share intelligence and offer training to Nigerian security forces.
"We have a lot of folks who are pretty good about taking multiple pieces of apparently disparate information and putting that in a way that can be useful to operational commanders in a very short period of time," the general said.That assistance also could be used in Nigeria's south, if the country requests it, Ham said. There, criminal and militant gangs kidnap oil workers and middle-class Nigerians, while pirates attack vessels off the coast.
......As boys reach sexual maturity younger and younger
"The reason for earlier maturity for boys, as with girls, is probably because nutrition and disease environments are getting more favourable for it," says demographer Joshua Goldstein. It has long been documented by medical records that girls are experiencing their first menstruation earlier and earlier. But comparable data analysis for boys did not exist. Goldstein resolved this gap by studying demographic data related to mortality. When male hormone production during puberty reaches a maximum level the probability of dying jumps up. This phenomenon, called the "accident hump", exists in almost all societies and is statistically well documented.
Goldstein discovered that the maximum mortality value of the accident hump shifted to earlier age by 2.5 months for each decade since the mid-1700s, or just over two years per century. Accordingly, the age of boys’ sexual maturity decreased at the same rate. Essentially, the data showed that the age of sexual maturity is getting younger and younger since the accident hump is occurring earlier and earlier. (Research included data for Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Great Britain and Italy. Since 1950 the data is no longer clear but indicates stagnation.) The maximum of the accident hump occurs in the late phase of puberty, after males reach reproductive capability and their voice changes.
When boys get physically mature they take more risks and the risk of death increases
The accident hump, which also exists among male apes, occurs because young men participate in particularly risky behaviour when the release of the hormone testosterone reaches its maximum. Dangerous and reckless shows of strength, negligence, and a high propensity to violence lead to an increased number of fatal accidents. The probability remains low, but the rate jumps up considerably (see graphic).
In respect to the developmental stage of the body "being 18 today is like being 22 in 1800" says Joshua Goldstein. He sees the main causes as better nutrition and an improved resilience against diseases. Because the decline began long before the intervention of the automobile (accompanied by a high risk of accident) it appears that the shift in age of maturity is biological, and not related to technological advancements or social activities. When the use of automobiles or guns became common no significant effect on the data could be seen.
Albeit giving evidence for the age shift only indirectly via mortality data, Joshua Goldstein underlines the importance of its biological meaning: "Researchers see for the first time how females and males have been equally responsive to changes in the environment."
The onset of biological versus social adulthood is drifting apart
"The biological and social phases in the lives of young people are drifting apart ever stronger", says Josh Goldstein. "While adolescents become adults earlier in a biological sense, they reach adulthood later regarding their social and economic roles." Life cycle research shows that for more than half a century the age at which people marry, have children, start their careers and become financially independent from their parents continues to rise.
According to Joshua Goldstein, this doesn’t only extend the period of physical adulthood during which young people do not yet have children. "Important decisions in life are being made with an increasing distance from the recklessness of youth." The demographer points out that it remains unclear whether the "high-risk phase" of adolescence becomes more dangerous for males because it starts earlier. While younger men are less mentally and socially mature, parents also tend to supervise their children more closely when they are younger.
More information: Joshua R. Goldstein, A Secular Trend toward Earlier Male Sexual Maturity: Evidence from Shifting Ages of Male Young Adult Mortality, Plos one, 16 August 2011
Goldstein discovered that the maximum mortality value of the accident hump shifted to earlier age by 2.5 months for each decade since the mid-1700s, or just over two years per century. Accordingly, the age of boys’ sexual maturity decreased at the same rate. Essentially, the data showed that the age of sexual maturity is getting younger and younger since the accident hump is occurring earlier and earlier. (Research included data for Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Great Britain and Italy. Since 1950 the data is no longer clear but indicates stagnation.) The maximum of the accident hump occurs in the late phase of puberty, after males reach reproductive capability and their voice changes.
When boys get physically mature they take more risks and the risk of death increases
The accident hump, which also exists among male apes, occurs because young men participate in particularly risky behaviour when the release of the hormone testosterone reaches its maximum. Dangerous and reckless shows of strength, negligence, and a high propensity to violence lead to an increased number of fatal accidents. The probability remains low, but the rate jumps up considerably (see graphic).
In respect to the developmental stage of the body "being 18 today is like being 22 in 1800" says Joshua Goldstein. He sees the main causes as better nutrition and an improved resilience against diseases. Because the decline began long before the intervention of the automobile (accompanied by a high risk of accident) it appears that the shift in age of maturity is biological, and not related to technological advancements or social activities. When the use of automobiles or guns became common no significant effect on the data could be seen.
Albeit giving evidence for the age shift only indirectly via mortality data, Joshua Goldstein underlines the importance of its biological meaning: "Researchers see for the first time how females and males have been equally responsive to changes in the environment."
The onset of biological versus social adulthood is drifting apart
"The biological and social phases in the lives of young people are drifting apart ever stronger", says Josh Goldstein. "While adolescents become adults earlier in a biological sense, they reach adulthood later regarding their social and economic roles." Life cycle research shows that for more than half a century the age at which people marry, have children, start their careers and become financially independent from their parents continues to rise.
According to Joshua Goldstein, this doesn’t only extend the period of physical adulthood during which young people do not yet have children. "Important decisions in life are being made with an increasing distance from the recklessness of youth." The demographer points out that it remains unclear whether the "high-risk phase" of adolescence becomes more dangerous for males because it starts earlier. While younger men are less mentally and socially mature, parents also tend to supervise their children more closely when they are younger.
More information: Joshua R. Goldstein, A Secular Trend toward Earlier Male Sexual Maturity: Evidence from Shifting Ages of Male Young Adult Mortality, Plos one, 16 August 2011
Nipples stimulate the same area of the brain as do genitals
A team of researchers at Rutgers University led by psychologist Barry Komisaruk, recruited 11 healthy women between the ages of 23 and 56. The women were placed in an fMRI scanner and asked to stimulate their cervix, nipple, clitoris and vagina with either a rhythmic finger tap or plastic dildo.
The brain images of the women revealed increased activity in the medial paracentral lobule for each area of stimulation, however each stimulated area was responsible for lighting up a specific region.
There are four nerves that bring signals to the brain from the genital region. The pudendal nerve is connected to the clitoris, the pelvic nerve to the vagina, the hypogastric nerve to the cervix and uterus and the vagus nerve which also connects the cervix.
Nipple stimulation during breast-feeding is known to cause the release of oxytocin which triggers uterine contractions and Komisaruk believes this then sends a signal to the genital area of the brain. However, the few men who have been studied under the same controls show similar activity to nipple stimulation. One of the study researchers is now also looking at women who have had a hysterectomy to see if the response is the same.
Komisaruk hopes that this new research will lead to information to help people who are unable to reach orgasm but is also looking at ways to use this pleasurable stimulation to directly control brain activity. According to Komisaruk, learning to better understand and control the part of the brain that produces pleasurable sensations could make a difference in the treatment of depression, anxiety, addiction or even obesity.
The brain images of the women revealed increased activity in the medial paracentral lobule for each area of stimulation, however each stimulated area was responsible for lighting up a specific region.
There are four nerves that bring signals to the brain from the genital region. The pudendal nerve is connected to the clitoris, the pelvic nerve to the vagina, the hypogastric nerve to the cervix and uterus and the vagus nerve which also connects the cervix.
Nipple stimulation during breast-feeding is known to cause the release of oxytocin which triggers uterine contractions and Komisaruk believes this then sends a signal to the genital area of the brain. However, the few men who have been studied under the same controls show similar activity to nipple stimulation. One of the study researchers is now also looking at women who have had a hysterectomy to see if the response is the same.
Komisaruk hopes that this new research will lead to information to help people who are unable to reach orgasm but is also looking at ways to use this pleasurable stimulation to directly control brain activity. According to Komisaruk, learning to better understand and control the part of the brain that produces pleasurable sensations could make a difference in the treatment of depression, anxiety, addiction or even obesity.
Sniffer dogs could be used to detect lung cancer.
The study, carried out by researchers from Schillerhoehe Hospital in Germany, is the first to find that sniffer dogs can reliably detect lung cancer.
Lung cancer is the second most frequent form of cancer in men and women across Europe with over 340,000 deaths per year. It is also the most common cause of death from cancer worldwide.
The disease is not strongly associated with any symptoms and early detection is often by chance. Current methods of detection are unreliable and scientists have been working on using exhaled breath specimens from patients for future screening tests.
This method relies on identifying volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are linked to the presence of cancer. Although many different technological applications have been developed, this method is still difficult to apply in a clinical setting as patients aren't allowed to smoke or eat before the test, sample analysis can take a long time and there is also a high risk of interference. Because of these reasons, no lung cancer-specific VOCs have yet been identified.
This new study aimed to assess whether sniffer dogs could be used to identify a VOC in the breath of patients. The researchers worked with 220 volunteers, including lung cancer patients, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and healthy volunteers. They used dogs that had been specifically trained.
The researchers carried out a number of tests to see if the dogs were able to reliably identify lung cancer compared with healthy volunteers, volunteers with COPD and whether the results were still found with the presence of tobacco.
The dogs successfully identified 71 samples with lung cancer out of a possible 100. They also correctly detected 372 samples that did not have lung cancer out of a possible 400.
The dogs could also detect lung cancer independently from COPD and tobacco smoke. These results confirm the presence of a stable marker for lung cancer that is independent of COPD and also detectable in the presence of tobacco smoke, food odours and drugs.
Author of the study, Thorsten Walles from Schillerhoehe Hospital, said: "In the breath of patients with lung cancer, there are likely to be different chemicals to normal breath samples and the dogs' keen sense of smell can detect this difference at an early stage of the disease. Our results confirm the presence of a stable marker for lung cancer. This is a big step forward in the diagnosis of lung cancer, but we still need to precisely identify the compounds observed in the exhaled breath of patients. It is unfortunate that dogs cannot communicate the biochemistry of the scent of cancer!"
Lung cancer is the second most frequent form of cancer in men and women across Europe with over 340,000 deaths per year. It is also the most common cause of death from cancer worldwide.
The disease is not strongly associated with any symptoms and early detection is often by chance. Current methods of detection are unreliable and scientists have been working on using exhaled breath specimens from patients for future screening tests.
This method relies on identifying volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are linked to the presence of cancer. Although many different technological applications have been developed, this method is still difficult to apply in a clinical setting as patients aren't allowed to smoke or eat before the test, sample analysis can take a long time and there is also a high risk of interference. Because of these reasons, no lung cancer-specific VOCs have yet been identified.
This new study aimed to assess whether sniffer dogs could be used to identify a VOC in the breath of patients. The researchers worked with 220 volunteers, including lung cancer patients, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and healthy volunteers. They used dogs that had been specifically trained.
The researchers carried out a number of tests to see if the dogs were able to reliably identify lung cancer compared with healthy volunteers, volunteers with COPD and whether the results were still found with the presence of tobacco.
The dogs successfully identified 71 samples with lung cancer out of a possible 100. They also correctly detected 372 samples that did not have lung cancer out of a possible 400.
The dogs could also detect lung cancer independently from COPD and tobacco smoke. These results confirm the presence of a stable marker for lung cancer that is independent of COPD and also detectable in the presence of tobacco smoke, food odours and drugs.
Author of the study, Thorsten Walles from Schillerhoehe Hospital, said: "In the breath of patients with lung cancer, there are likely to be different chemicals to normal breath samples and the dogs' keen sense of smell can detect this difference at an early stage of the disease. Our results confirm the presence of a stable marker for lung cancer. This is a big step forward in the diagnosis of lung cancer, but we still need to precisely identify the compounds observed in the exhaled breath of patients. It is unfortunate that dogs cannot communicate the biochemistry of the scent of cancer!"
Thursday, 18 August 2011
Big brother stars Kevin Pam and Elizabeth Gupta welcome baby girl- Malaika.
Big Brother (2009) Winner Kevin Pam & Fellow Housemate Elizabeth Gupta welcomed a baby girl yesterday, August 16th 2011. The baby was born in Abuja, at Kelina Hospital.
Elizabeth Gupta of Tanzanian citizenship & Kevin Pam are the first house mates in Big Brother Africa's history to get married.They both met on the reality show in 2009 and have developed a nice friendship ever since. They tied the knot at Abuja in February.
Kevin Pam is currently preparing to pursue his music career, and his wife Elizabeth continues to pursue her acting career.
Congrats! to both of them, and we wish them the best of luck.
UK Builds,Russia launches pair of Nigerian satellites.
Nigeria launched NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X into orbit Wednesday morning from a Russian launch pad in the town of Yasny, President Goodluck Jonathan said on state-run television -- observation satellites to monitor weather in a region seasonally ravaged by disasters.
Jonathan described the event as "another milestone in our nation's effort to solve national problems through space technology."
The satellites could have a variety of applications, authorities said, which include monitoring disaster-prone areas in a country that stretches into Africa's Sahel, a belt of land on the Sahara Desert's southern fringe that sees extreme weather conditions. It experiences severe droughts in the dry season and devastating rainfall in the wet season. Floods last year displaced about 500,000 people nationwide, with most of them in the Sahel region.
Authorities said NigeriaSat-2 can detect anything wider than 8.2 feet (2.5 meters), such as cars. That means the satellites also could be used for military and intelligence purposes.
The satellite launch also spotlights Nigeria as a main African player in space technology development, rivaling countries such as South Africa and Algeria, which also have space programs. Despite the strides Nigeria's space technology industry has made in recent years, it remains largely dependent on other nations' technology.
NigeriaSat-X was built by a team of Nigerian engineers and scientists at Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. in the United Kingdom, while NigeriaSat-2 was built in collaboration with the U.K. company's team, said Felix Ale, a spokesman for the National Space Research and Development Agency.
Nigerian officials hope this launch goes better than the country's last.
In May 2007, Nigeria launched its first communication satellite, built by a Chinese team and launched from a Chinese pad. NIGCOMSAT-1 was expected to provide phone, broadband Internet and broadcasting services in Africa's most populous country, but it was lost in space just over a year later. Authorities said a replacement satellite will be launched before the end of the year.CONGRATS 9JA!
Jonathan described the event as "another milestone in our nation's effort to solve national problems through space technology."
The satellites could have a variety of applications, authorities said, which include monitoring disaster-prone areas in a country that stretches into Africa's Sahel, a belt of land on the Sahara Desert's southern fringe that sees extreme weather conditions. It experiences severe droughts in the dry season and devastating rainfall in the wet season. Floods last year displaced about 500,000 people nationwide, with most of them in the Sahel region.
Authorities said NigeriaSat-2 can detect anything wider than 8.2 feet (2.5 meters), such as cars. That means the satellites also could be used for military and intelligence purposes.
The satellite launch also spotlights Nigeria as a main African player in space technology development, rivaling countries such as South Africa and Algeria, which also have space programs. Despite the strides Nigeria's space technology industry has made in recent years, it remains largely dependent on other nations' technology.
NigeriaSat-X was built by a team of Nigerian engineers and scientists at Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. in the United Kingdom, while NigeriaSat-2 was built in collaboration with the U.K. company's team, said Felix Ale, a spokesman for the National Space Research and Development Agency.
Nigerian officials hope this launch goes better than the country's last.
In May 2007, Nigeria launched its first communication satellite, built by a Chinese team and launched from a Chinese pad. NIGCOMSAT-1 was expected to provide phone, broadband Internet and broadcasting services in Africa's most populous country, but it was lost in space just over a year later. Authorities said a replacement satellite will be launched before the end of the year.CONGRATS 9JA!
GEJ constitutes 24-member Economic management team.
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has constituted a 24-member Federal Government Economic Management Team.The team which be will be inaugurated tomorrow, Thursday, August 18, 2011
at 10 am, has President Goodluck Jonathan as the Chairman, and Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo as Vice Chairman, while Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy is the Coordinator of the Economic Management Team.
Other members are:
- Minister of National Planning
- Minister of Trade and Investment
- Minister of Power
- Minister of Petroleum Resources
- Minister of Agriculture
- Minister of Works
- Minister of Education
- Minister of Health
- Minister of State, Finance
- Minister of State, Health
- Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria
- Chief Economic Adviser
- Special Adviser, Monitoring and Evaluation
- Director General, Budget
- Director General, Debt Management Office
- Director General, Bureau for Public Procurement
- Director General, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission
- Honourary Adviser on Agriculture and Governor of Adamawa State
- Honourary Adviser on Finance and Governor of Anambra State
- Honourary Adviser on Economy and President, Nigerian Economic Society
- Mr. Atedo Peterside
Glo fires Jim Iyke and Kate Henshaw,and hires Odunlade Adekola and Kunle Afolayan
Glo has dropped Jim Iyke and Kate Henshaw from the Globacom endorsement deal that is worth at least N20M / Year, In the wake of things two yoruba actors have been hired to take over their places, they are Odunlade Adekola and Kunle Afolayan.'Globye' Kate and Jim.
New MBGN accused of lying, by Miss Nigeria organisers.
In an interview with Sunday Vanguard's Allure last week, current Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, Sylvia Nduka, said the reason she messed up at the Q&A segment of MBGN pageant was because of her lack of experience. She said she'd never participated in a pageant or been on any stage before, that was why she was not prepared.
The Miss Nigeria organizers apparently saw this interview and have come out to debunk the beauty queen's claims. In an official statement released some days ago, they said Sylvia participated in the 2010 Miss Nigeria pageant, where she represented Kaduna State after being selected in the Lagos zonal casting. They say she survived the evictions of the Miss Nigeria Reality show, and participated at the grand finale which took place September 25, 2010 at ThisDay Dome, Abuja. Sylvia made top 20, but didn't make top 10.NA wa ooh!
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