Facebook may face prosecution over bullied teenager's suicide in Italy

 Like many girls her age, Italian teenager Carolina Picchio shared her pictures, thoughts and emotions on Facebook.

But after a video of the 14-year-old allegedly showed up on Facebook in which she appeared to be drunk and disoriented at a party, social media became a source of torment.

UK royal baby announcer deported?

 It was one of the proudest moments of his life when royal footman Badar Azim was given the job of helping to announce the birth of a new heir to the British throne.

The Indian-born 25-year-old was entrusted with the official proclamation about the arrival of Kate and William’s son and ordered to place it on a golden easel outside Buckingham Palace.

But on Tuesday night, just eight days after playing his part in the celebrations surrounding the newborn Prince George of Cambridge, stunned Badar was forced to give up his dream role and fly back to the slums of Calcutta after the Home Office refused to renew his visa.

Baby sold for N.2m by grandmum found

An eight-month-old baby, Chiamaka Obinna, who was allegedly sold by her grandmother for N200,000 and taken from Jos to Onitsha, has been found about one week later and re-united with her mother. 

It was gathered that the baby’s grandmother, who lived in Jos had on July 19, 2013, sent her daughter, who is the mother of the baby on an errand and sent away her other children apparently to pave way for her to dispose of the baby.

Gunmen abduct three female teachers in Edo

 Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted three female primary school teachers in Edo State, south south Nigeria.

The teachers who were identified as Mrs. Patience Osadolor, Momodu Aisha and Mrs. Patience Oroghene were reportedly seized at Orogbua Primary School premises located at Upper Ekenwan.

At last, INEC registers APC

 After several weeks of anxiety, the opposition parties behind the merger party, All Progressives Congress (APC) have cause to be excited, as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday announced the party’s registration.

IBB’s son, Mohammed, among Jonathan’s approved board appointees

 President Goodluck  Jonathan, has approved the composition and appointment of the Chairmen and members of the Governing Boards of  28 Federal Government Parastatals and Agencies.

In a statement by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, membership of each Governing Board shall include all the statutory members in accordance with the Enabling Laws of the Parastatals and Agencies.

He said the dates for the formal inauguration of the Governing Boards would be announced in due course by the supervising authorities and Ministers.

O.J. Simpson wins parole -- but not freedom

 O.J. Simpson won parole Wednesday on some of the charges that have kept him in a Nevada prison for almost five years, but still faces at least four more years behind bars.
The Nevada Board of Parole Commissioners order says the decision relates to two kidnapping and two robbery convictions and one conviction for burglary with a firearm. But Simpson, 66, will continue to be held for related convictions for which he is not yet eligible for parole.

Angelina Jolie is Hollywood's highest-paid actresses

 Angelina Jolie has beaten some of Tinseltown's best-known starlets to reclaim the top spot in Forbes' annual list of highest-paid actresses in Hollywood.

Despite her absence from the big screen since starring alongside Johnny Depp in 2010's "The Tourist", Forbes estimates Jolie earned a staggering $33 million over the last 12 months.

Saudi activist receives 7-year sentence, 600 lashes for insulting Islam

 A Saudi court has sentenced a activist to seven years in prison and 600 lashes for violating the nation's anti-cybercrime law, Human Rights Watch reported Wednesday.

Study shows CONDOMS increase levels of friendly bacteria and prevent minor infections

 Lactobacillus are bacteria that dominate the natural flora of the vagina

They prevent itchiness and even infection, including of the HIV virus

It is thought condoms boost levels because they prevent alkaline sperm disrupting a vagina's acidic 'ecosystem' where bacteria thrive

It’s not just the gut that benefits from friendly bacteria, a person’s more intimate regions do too - and condoms have been found to boost levels in women’s vaginas.
A study has revealed that sexually active women who used condoms have greater quantities of beneficial bacteria called Lactobacillus compared to other forms of contraception.

We'll soon be able to bring dead back to life, says heart specialist

• Dr Sam Parnia said his research is on the cusp of major breakthroughs
• At the moment medics can bring people back to life within two hours but he believes this window is about to be significantly widened
• Average resuscitation rate for cardiac arrest patients in UK is 16% but at Dr Parnia's Stony Brook University School of Medicine it is 33%
• He added: 'My basic message: The death we commonly perceive today in 2013 is a death that can be reversed'

Nigerian bus driver on cell phone crashes bus, kills infant girl in US

Bus driver, Idowu Daramola

Angela Paredes

Crashed WNY bus

In a freak accident, a Nigerian bus driver said to be using his cell phone, lost control of the vehicle which hit and knocked over a lamp post that fell on and killed an 8 month old baby girl.
The driver, Idowu Daramola, 48, was driving in West New York, New Jersey, on Tuesday afternoon when the tragic incident occured. He was charged with reckless driving, using a cellphone while driving and death by auto.

MTN Project Fame 6 begins with 16 contestants • Winner to get N5m, SUV

After combing ten major cities across West Africa in search of raw musical talents that can be refined into award-winning superstars, MTN Project Fame started its sixth season with pomp and pageantry as it brought 18 contestants on the newly designed Ultima Studio stage where the audience witnessed first hand amazing performance.

After a recap of the auditions, the main business of the night started with the judges’ assessment of the 18, with 12 contestants securing entry into the academy.

Teenager gives birth, beats newborn to death on camping trip

An 18-year-old girl has admitted giving birth to a newborn during a camping trip with her family, then repeatedly beating the girl until she inflicted injures that caused the baby to die, according to police.
Alyce Morales gave birth inside a tent at Michigan's Platte River Campground at about 11:20 p.m. last Monday night. Her family, which did not know she was pregnant, soon found her and her newborn girl and called 911.

US man 'abandoned' in US jail gets $4m in compensation

 A university student in the US city of San Diego has received more than $4m (£2.6m) from the US government after he was abandoned for more than four days in a prison cell, his lawyer said.

Daniel Chong said he drank his urine to stay alive, tried to carve a message to his mother on his arm and hallucinated.

Germany’s heaviest baby weighs 13.47pds

 Germany has a new holder for the title of “heaviest baby.” She is Jasleen.

She was born at University Hospital in Leipzig on July 26, weighing in at 13.47 pounds, and measuring 22.6 inches long and she was delivered without the help of a C-section, reports the New York Daily News.

Kano blasts: MASSOB leader wants Ndigbo to relocate

 The leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike has advised Ndigbo, living in troubled zones in the North to relocate to safe areas in the country if they do not want to return home.

Uwazuruike’s advice followed Monday’s multiple bombings by suspected Boko Haram members in the Sabon Gari area of Kano that is predominantly inhabited by the Igbo in which 20 persons were said to have died.

‘2.1m Nigerians displaced, 5,970 houses submerged in 2012 flood disaster’

About 5,970 houses were submerged in the flood disaster that ravaged 23 states of the federation in 2012 and about 2.1 million people were displaced.

The flood also cost the country an economic loss estimated at a whopping N2.6 trillion.

These figures were given Tuesday by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Ibadan during the South-West zonal awareness flood campaign: ‘Towards Early Warning and Early Action.’

Imo women threaten to go naked over failed roads

 Residents of Nekede, Eziobodo and Ihiagwa communities in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State have threatened to go naked in protest over the terrible condition of roads in the area.

The aggrieved villagers, who were mostly women, said they would take to the street to protest what they called government’s indifference to the plight of the people, saying the three communities had been cut off from the entire state.

Edo Chief Judge frees 12 awaiting trial prisoners

 No fewer than 12 inmates awaiting trial in Oko Medium Security Prison in Benin, whose case files are missing, were yesterday freed by Edo State Chief Judge, Justice Cromwell Idahosa during his visit to the prison.

Kano bombers disguised as fruit sellers

 More details have emerged on Monday’s twin explosions by Boko Haram in Kano metropolis even as survivors recounted how they cheated death. The Joint Security Task Force (JTF) and the police said 12 people died while 12 others were injured. Ohanaeze Ndigbo disagreed with the figures, saying 45 people lost their lives.

Man kills friend over ownership of phone charger

 A 27-year-old man was killed by his friend over the ownership of a mobile phone charger.

The tragedy occurred in Ogun State, south west Nigeria.

The victim, Mr Dele Oje, described as an easy-going person by his neighbours, was said to have been allegedly killed by his friend, simply identified as Muyideen after the latter requested for a phone charger from the former.

Tukur blasts northern govs over visits to IBB, OBJ

 The recent visits by some northern governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former military leaders, Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalam Abubakar, have earned them the umbrage of the National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.

Governors Sule Lamido, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Babangida Aliyu, Murtala Nyako and Aliyu Wamakko of Jigawa, Kano, Niger, Adamawa and Sokoto states respectively, also last weekend met with President Goodluck Jonathan, where according to a report, they demanded Tukur’s removal.

Japanese Snake Wine: Habu Sake

 Habushu, also called Habu Sake is a liqueur made in Okinawa, Japan. 

The distillation process is typical of other Japanese liqueurs, except this refreshing beverage gets a venomous habu snake shoved into the bottle. This viper is related to rattlesnakes and its venom can cause nausea, vomiting, hypotension, and possibly death. Don't worry about dying though, the liqueur usually neutralizes the venom.

10 remote areas on Earth

Our planet is full of destinations that are rather remote in nature. It does not necessarily mean that they are not picturesque, but to get there is not an easy job. But with the help of modern technology, traveling has been made easy. These are the top ten remote areas on planet earth.

1. Tristan Da Cunha

HMS ENDURANCE off Tristan Da Cunha on 12th April 2007.Tristan da Cunha is on top of the list as it is one the physically most remote location in the world. It is located in the southern Atlantic Ocean. The nearest island is some 1,700 miles away and the coast of South America is 2000 miles apart. Although the island is small, it has a rich history. It was found by a Portuguese explorer in 1506 and later annexed by the British fearing that the French will use it to rescue Nepoleon who was exiled at the time. It has a population of 271 people who are decedents of the people who once settled there. 

They make their living through farming and fishing. It has a few TV channels and internet connectivity through satellite but it still remains one of the most remote areas of the world. The only way to get there is through boat.

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2. Motuo County, China

Motuo County, China, It is said to be the last county in China and due to its locations, it is still untouched even in the modern days. There are no roads leading into the county and all attempts have been foiled due to avalanches, mudslides despite having spent millions of dollars. The regions in rich in natural beauty and according to Buddhist scriptures the area is regarded Tibet’s holiest land. , in the early 90s a makeshift highway was built that led from the outside world into the heart of Motuo County. 

It lasted for only a few days before becoming un-passable, and was soon reclaimed by the dense forest. The way to reach the area is not an easy take either. The traveler must make his way through the overland route passing frozen parts of the Himalayas and then crossing a 200 meter suspension bridge. The scenery is such as if it came straight out of a movie.

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3. Alert, Nunavut, Canada

Nunavut, CanadaAlert, located in the northern areas of Canada, is only 500 miles short of the North Pole. As a result the area has a very harsh climate that at time reaches 40 degrees below the zero. The area serves as a Canadian radio receiving facility, a weather laboratory and due to its military importance the area holds an air strip. The nearest town is a small fishing village some 1,300 mile away and the major cities are twice that distance. In 1992, a C-130 crashed due to poor visibility killing 4 people. 

It took 30 hours for the rescue party to reach the area. There is little permanent population thus it is considered to be the northernmost permanently inhabited place in the world.

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4. Pitcairn Island

Pitcairn Islands is like a small dot in the midst of southern Pacific Ocean. Even the closest Island, the Gambier and Tahiti towards the left, is no less that hundreds of miles away. The population is only of 50 people who are the decedents of the sailors that once burnt the ship of their commanders as a result of a mutiny, the famed HMS bounty. 
The island has no air strip and the only way to reach there is through a boat from new Zealand that takes up to 10 days.

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5. Kerguelen Islands

Kerguelen Islands For their Sheer distance from any sort of civilization the Kerguelen Islands are known as “Desolation Islands”. The islands have no airstrip. Hence, to get to them one must take a 6 day’s journey via boat from a small island located off the coast of Madaqascar. There is no population on the island however scientists from France make their way to the land for research purposes. 
The island also holds a satellite, a French missile defense system and a refuge for a kind of kettle that became endangered on the mainland. The Kerguelen Islands are a small archipelago located in the southern Indian Ocean.

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6. Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland

Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland is the largest island in the world with a covered area of 836,000 square miles but only has a population of 57,000. This makes it one of the most desolate areas in the world. But our interest is in the town of Ittoqqortoormiit (no idea how it is pronounced). The town is roughly the size of England but with a population of a mere 500. This means every resident has 150 squares miles to himself. 
The people of Ittoqqortoormiit make their living through hunting polar bears and whales. Although the town is on the coast but the water remains frozen 9 months out of 12. During the 3 month window the town can be accessed via boat. There is an airport some 25 miles away but the flights are not too frequent thus making it one the most remote area to reach.

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7. Cape York Peninsula, Australia

Cape York Peninsula, Australia has a very low population density and natural beauty. This is best exhibited by Cape York, Peninsula. With a population of about 18,000, the region is considered as one of the most undeveloped region of the world. This implies that the region is rich in natural beauty but also very hard to reach. 
Many adventurous tourists make their way to the place through unpaved road on trucks and jeeps bit only if the roads are not closed due to any flooding in the rainy season. But even with good 4 wheel drive trucks and jeeps, many areas remain untouched. In fact few areas in the Peninsula have only been surveyed via helicopter.

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8. McMurdo Station, Antarctica

McMurdo Station, Antarctica Without a doubt is one of the most remote places on planet earth. Currently the place has no native inhabitants, but some 1,200 scientists and workers live there to conduct research work. Out of few, McMurdo is the largest research facility there. Now naturally the research facility is away from any major city but it enjoys many of the utilities that modern day cities have. 
It has 3 airstrips that made supplies to be provided easily. The scientists at the station now have gyms, television, and even a nine-hole Frisbee golf course.  Since it literally lies at the bottom of the world, journeys by boat once took up to months to get to the desired destination, Antarctica.
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9. La Rinconada, Peru

La Rinconada, PeruLa is said to be the highest city in the world, located in Peruvian Andes, only it’s more of a mining camp rather than a city as poor workers find their way to get a job. The work there is to dig out ore gold and the workers keep a small percentage of what they dig up. The place attracts only the desperate of all the workers as the tough geography of the area makes getting there very difficult. 
The only way to get there is through a truck that takes days to reach the destination through winding mountain roads. And the journey is not easy either, altitude sickness is one of the major problem that the humble traveler faces and not to mention the living conditions are not too good either. There are approximately 30,000 inhabitants in the region.

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10. Easter Island

Easter Island is known for being isolated in the big Pacific Ocean. Around 2,000 miles off of the coast of Chile, the Easter Island or Rapa Nui is home to 4,000 people. It is a small island with little forestation and it is said that the deforestation is due to the fact that the early inhabitants made massive wood sledges to carry Mao. Now comes the question; what is Mao? It is one of many stone carved massive heads that are scattered across the island and a major source for tourism. 
Scientists believe that the deforestation was for the wooden sledges made for carrying the Mao. One of the way to get there is through a small airport, also believed to be the remotest in the world, on the island by plane that boards passengers from Santiago,Chile.  The island is mere 70 square miles.

Russian Bear Hunting Dog: Caucasian Ovcharka Nagazi

 The Caucasian Mountain Dog comes from a region in Eurasia known as the Caucasus Mountains. Recently, this ancient breed has gained popularity in the U.S. This 6 ft 185 lb pooch is unlike anything Americans have known.

Why deaf people don’t achoo when they sneeze

You may not know it, but peer pressure influences what you sound like when you sneeze.
Sneezing feels—and is—so involuntary, yet apparently you do still have some control over what you say when you sneeze. “Achoo!” is particular to English speakers, the BBC’s Ouch blog reports, and deaf people just make the sounds associated with the movement of air a sneeze represents.

Strange creature found by Iranian Navy in The Persian Gulf

No, it's not a publicity stunt for the Middle East opening of "Pacific Rim." That's a big, reportedly stinky carcass discovered by the Iranian navy on July 11.
Photos of the gnarly carcass were posted to a website serving the city of Bushehr in western Iran on the Persian Gulf. Based on the vertebrae and blackened skin of the carcass, Reddit users postulated that it was the remains of a whale.

"The blackened skin and vertebrae are a good giveaway, I wish the pictures were a bit bigger so I could wager a guess at what kind it was, but it's hard to make out!" wrote user Unidan, who is regarded as an expert in biology by members of the social news community.

The Huffington Post reached out to Dr. Gary Griggs, director of the Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz, for a second opinion about the floating carcass.

"From my vast knowledge and experience with whales and their skeletons, it is clearly a whale," Dr. Griggs wrote in an email to HuffPost. "Although with the condition of the body, [it's] difficult for me to determine what kind of whale."








Culled from Brimtime.com

Bomb blasts rock Kano,10 killed

 Bomb blasts last night rocked the ancient city of Kano, leaving no fewer than 10 people dead.

It was gathered that the blasts occurred in three locations, in Sabongari area of the city, predominantly inhabited by non-indigenes.

The blasts, which occurred a few minutes before 9p.m, exploded in New Road and Enugu Road areas of Sabongari.

Value of stolen Cannes jewels soars to $136m

The value of jewels stolen in a dramatic theft in the French Riviera resort of Cannes has been raised to about 103m euros ($136m; £89m).

The figure was given by a French prosecutor. It would make the Carlton Hotel raid one of the biggest gem heists in Europe this century.

Who am I to judge gay priests, says Pope Francis

 Catholic Pontiff, Pope Francis reached out to gays on Monday, saying he wouldn’t judge priests for their sexual orientation in a remarkably open and wide-ranging news conference as he returned from his first foreign trip.

“If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” Francis asked. His predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, signed a document in 2005 that said men with deep-rooted homosexual tendencies should not be priests. Francis was much more conciliatory, saying gay clergymen should be forgiven and their sins forgotten.

Army arrests 42 Boko Haram suspects in Lagos, Ogun

The Nigerian Army said no fewer than 42 Boko Haram members have been arrested in Lagos and Ogun states.

The Army said the arrest was occasioned by intelligence report from the operational command of the Joint Task Force in Borno State calling on security agencies in the southern part of the country to check influx of some members of the Boko Haram into the area.

According to the Army, members of the sect were arrested around Mafoluku, Alaba Rago, Ijora Badia and the Ibafon areas of Lagos and Ogun States respectively.

Mistaken for robbers, 2 students stoned to death

A geologist student of Lagos State University (LASU) has been clubbed to death over alleged armed robbery.

Mr. Ifechukwude Gabriel and another student, simply identified as Kazeem, were allegedly killed by some local vigilance group at the Ajala community in Badagry, in the outskirts of Lagos.

I have no hands in Rivers crisis, Jonathan insists

 The Presidency has again distanced President Goodluck Jonathan from the Rivers State crisis and other political matters heating up the polity. His Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, who was on a radio programme titled:  “Fact File” on Raypower F.M, on Monday said despite President Jonathan’s insistence that the politics of 2015 was distracting and slowing down delivery of good governance, those obsessed with the election were bent on distracting the President.

Body of 16-year-old girl found in uncompleted building

It was a phone call laden with death. The decomposing body of a 16-year-old girl in Abia State, south east Nigeria has been discovered in an uncompleted building few days after she was allegedly lured to the house of her boyfriend through a phone call.

The lover, one Okorie, had asked a tricycle rider, Nwankwo to drop her in his house which he did  by 10 pm on July 11, 2013.

Her remains were days later discovered  in an uncompleted building with the dress she wore the day she  disappeared.

Man dies after drinking paraga

 A middle-aged man, Saidi Taiwo (a.k.a Akinigai) slumped and died in Ibadan, south west Nigeria shortly after consuming a locally made dry gin popularly called ‘paraga.’

The incident occurred at a popular Paraga joint at about 10.30a.m on Saturday.

White rice increases diabetes risk, but brown rice helps

White rice increases the chances of type 2 diabetes, according to Harvard researchers. Their study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine covered nearly 200,000 people which showed anyone that ate more than 5 servings of white rice per week had a 17% higher risk of diabetes compared with those that ate less than 1 serving of white rice a month.

New study: Smoking damages your body in minutes

The long term effects of smoking has been well known over the past few years as documented cases of heart disease and cancer has been well reviewed. But new research published in Chemical Research in Toxicology has identified potentially harmful effects immediately your first cigarette of the day.

Pope's Brazil visit raises red flags for World Cup, Olympics

A string of organizational flaws during the visit of Pope Francis to Brazil that put him at risk and stranded thousands of visiting faithful has deepened concern about the country's ability to host the upcoming World Cup and Olympic Games.

Boko Haram kills 25 ‘civilian-JTF’ members in Borno

Twenty-five members of the volunteer youth vigilance group, popularly called civilian Joint Task Force (JTF), were killed by Boko Haram at the weekend in Borno State in counter-insurgency operations against the Islamist sect.

About 1, 000 youths, mostly members of the civilian JTF, had mobilized on Friday afternoon in over 30 vehicles to smoke out insurgents believed to be hiding at Mainok, a small community along Maiduguri-Damaturu Road, about 58 kilometres from Maiduguri, the state capital.

False witnesses sponsored against me –Al-Mustapha

Former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to late Gen Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al- Mustapha, said he has set an achievable target to bring Nigerian youths under one umbrella to restore peace and foster unity that had eluded the country, as part of his mission to propel development.

The recently-freed former CSO, made the disclosure when a group from the Gbaramatu Kingdom of Izon extraction, Oporoza House, paid him a solidarity visit in Abuja at the weekend. He promised to unite the youths in the 19 northern states for an epic peace summit of Nigerian youths in Abuja, to catalyse speedy growth and development in Nigeria.