2015-01-14 11:35
Abuja - Less than 30 days to the February general election, the
electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
is currently in a battle of wits with the House of Representatives over
the procedures for the elections, reports Leadership.
The
House at its plenary on Tuesday directed INEC to allow eligible voters
to vote with their temporary voter cards (TVCs) during the forthcoming
general election.
The House arrived at the decision after adopting a motion by the House minority leader, Femi Gbajabiamila to that effect.
Also read: Jonathan orders INEC to issue PVCs to registered voters
Gbajabiamila
noted that it was impossible for INEC to distribute the Permanent
Voters Cards (PVCs) to all registered voters before the elections.
INEC insisted that that only voters with PVCs will be allowed to vote in the 2015 general elections
Attahiru Jega, chairman of INEC, noted that the commission is yet to receive any directive to allow voters with TVCs to vote.
Read more at Leadership.
Wednesday, 14 January 2015
South Africa suspends Golden Eaglets friendly
2015-01-14 11:35
Cape Town - South Africa Football Association has suspended a friendly between its U17 side and Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets, SuperSport reports.
The game was scheduled to hold in Abuja on Saturday.
“Amajimbos’ friendly international against Nigeria, which was scheduled to take place in the West African country on Saturday, has been postponed due to circumstances beyond our control and will be rescheduled,” Safa said in statement.
Also read: Golden Eaglets tipped for Niger 2015 glory
“The South African Football Association (Safa), in consultation with the Under-17 coach Molefi Ntseki, will arrange other friendly matches, which will be communicated in due course. The team will remain in camp preparing for the Caf African Youth championships, scheduled for Niger in February.”
The Nigerian side has been involved in friendly games ahead of the continental tournament.
Cape Town - South Africa Football Association has suspended a friendly between its U17 side and Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets, SuperSport reports.
The game was scheduled to hold in Abuja on Saturday.
“Amajimbos’ friendly international against Nigeria, which was scheduled to take place in the West African country on Saturday, has been postponed due to circumstances beyond our control and will be rescheduled,” Safa said in statement.
Also read: Golden Eaglets tipped for Niger 2015 glory
“The South African Football Association (Safa), in consultation with the Under-17 coach Molefi Ntseki, will arrange other friendly matches, which will be communicated in due course. The team will remain in camp preparing for the Caf African Youth championships, scheduled for Niger in February.”
Liberia could be Ebola-free by June
2015-01-14 12:46
If the current high rates of monitoring and hospitalisation continue, the Ebola epidemic in Liberia could be halted by the middle of this year, researchers report.
After including data collected as of Dec. 1, 2014, a computer model projected that the Ebola infections in Liberia could be largely contained by June, according to the study published Jan. 13 in the journal PLoS Biology.
"That's a realistic possibility but not a foregone conclusion. What's needed is to maintain the current level of vigilance and keep pressing forward as hard as we can," project leader John Drake, an associate professor in the School of Ecology at the University of Georgia, said in a journal news release.
Also Read: Liberia says limits Ebola spread to just two counties
The computer model assessed factors such as the location of Ebola infections and treatment, hospital capacity and safe burial practices.
The researchers ran the model for five different hospital capacity scenarios for 2014. In the worst-case scenario - with no increase in hospital beds - the median projection was 130,000 Ebola cases.
In the best-case scenario - with an increase of 1,400 hospital beds - the median projection was 50,000 Ebola cases.
So far, there have been more than 21,000 Ebola cases and more than 8,300 deaths since the outbreak began last year in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, according to the World Health Organization.
The computer model used in this latest study is more complex and therefore more accurate than many other models, and could also be used in different types of outbreaks in the future, according to Drake.
If the current high rates of monitoring and hospitalisation continue, the Ebola epidemic in Liberia could be halted by the middle of this year, researchers report.
After including data collected as of Dec. 1, 2014, a computer model projected that the Ebola infections in Liberia could be largely contained by June, according to the study published Jan. 13 in the journal PLoS Biology.
"That's a realistic possibility but not a foregone conclusion. What's needed is to maintain the current level of vigilance and keep pressing forward as hard as we can," project leader John Drake, an associate professor in the School of Ecology at the University of Georgia, said in a journal news release.
Also Read: Liberia says limits Ebola spread to just two counties
The computer model assessed factors such as the location of Ebola infections and treatment, hospital capacity and safe burial practices.
The researchers ran the model for five different hospital capacity scenarios for 2014. In the worst-case scenario - with no increase in hospital beds - the median projection was 130,000 Ebola cases.
So far, there have been more than 21,000 Ebola cases and more than 8,300 deaths since the outbreak began last year in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, according to the World Health Organization.
The computer model used in this latest study is more complex and therefore more accurate than many other models, and could also be used in different types of outbreaks in the future, according to Drake.
Tuesday, 13 January 2015
Japan lecturer left naked in public by student lover
15 minutes ago
Tokyo - A 55-year-old Japanese university teacher stripped naked
on campus in a bid to prove his love for a 21-year-old student, the
school said on Tuesday, only for his young amour to make off with his
clothes.
The older man, who taught computer sciences at Tokyo's Taisho University, was left in the buff after de-robing in public at his live-in lover's request.
The teacher, who was not named, told officials his girlfriend had ordered him to "take off your clothes right there if you want me to trust you".
But after stripping to demonstrate his dependability, his beau -- who was said to be "emotionally unstable" at times -- picked up his clothes and ran off.
"I apologise that what I did, which I did to protect my loved one, resulted in such a situation," the chastened lecturer later told his students.
"The instructor acted to assuage the woman's insecure feelings but admitted it was an extremely careless thing to do. He expressed his intention to resign," the school said in a statement.
The student was later located and returned the clothes, local media reported, adding that the pair then went home together.
AFP
The older man, who taught computer sciences at Tokyo's Taisho University, was left in the buff after de-robing in public at his live-in lover's request.
The teacher, who was not named, told officials his girlfriend had ordered him to "take off your clothes right there if you want me to trust you".
But after stripping to demonstrate his dependability, his beau -- who was said to be "emotionally unstable" at times -- picked up his clothes and ran off.
"I apologise that what I did, which I did to protect my loved one, resulted in such a situation," the chastened lecturer later told his students.
"The instructor acted to assuage the woman's insecure feelings but admitted it was an extremely careless thing to do. He expressed his intention to resign," the school said in a statement.
The student was later located and returned the clothes, local media reported, adding that the pair then went home together.
AFP
Islamic State must be wiped out - French minister
15 minutes ago
Paris - Islamic State fighters must be
wiped out, France's defence minister said on Tuesday, indicating that Paris
would not pull back from military operations overseas after 17 people were
killed by home-grown militants in the capital last week.
After the United States, France has the largest number of planes and troops involved in the coalition fighting Islamic State, which last year took control of large swathes of Iraq and Syria.
It also has about 3 500 troops and special forces operating in the Sahel-Sahara region hunting down al-Qaeda-linked militants.
France intervened in Mali to oust Islamist militants from its former colony in January 2013 and Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian noted that two years later French forces were now fighting the "same threat" on home soil.
"It is the same enemy. Our forces are on the ground here because... for our troops it's the same fight," Le Drian told Europe 1 radio, referring to the 10 000 soldiers being deployed across France to secure key sites following last week's attack on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo by Islamist gunmen.
Parliament will vote later on Tuesday on whether to extend France's military mission in Iraq, four months after its launch.
No calls to withdraw
In a posthumous video, one of last week's killers cited France's operations abroad as one reason for his actions, but there have been no major calls in France for its troops to withdraw from operations against Islamic militants.
"The response is inside and outside France. Islamic State is a terrorist army with fighters from everywhere... it is an international army that has to be wiped out and that is why we are part of the coalition," Le Drian said.
More than 1 120 French citizens are involved in jihadi cells linked to Iraq and Syria, of which about 400 are in the region.
The suspected female accomplice of one of the gunmen who attacked a Jewish supermarket last week fled to Syria ahead of the killings, Turkish officials said on Monday.
France has 800 military personnel, nine fighter jets, a maritime patrol aircraft and a refuelling plane at its base in the United Arab Emirates as part of its "Chammal" Iraq mission, as well as an anti-aircraft warship in the Gulf. It also operates six Mirage fighter jets from Jordan.
It is due to send its aircraft carrier to the Indian Ocean on Wednesday and Le Drian said in December Paris would send 120 military advisers to train Iraqi and Kurdish forces.
However, it has ruled out striking the Islamic State in Syria, where it provides equipment and training to "moderate" forces fighting President Bashar al-Assad. There was no indication of a change in that stance on Tuesday.
Reuters
After the United States, France has the largest number of planes and troops involved in the coalition fighting Islamic State, which last year took control of large swathes of Iraq and Syria.
It also has about 3 500 troops and special forces operating in the Sahel-Sahara region hunting down al-Qaeda-linked militants.
France intervened in Mali to oust Islamist militants from its former colony in January 2013 and Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian noted that two years later French forces were now fighting the "same threat" on home soil.
"It is the same enemy. Our forces are on the ground here because... for our troops it's the same fight," Le Drian told Europe 1 radio, referring to the 10 000 soldiers being deployed across France to secure key sites following last week's attack on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo by Islamist gunmen.
Parliament will vote later on Tuesday on whether to extend France's military mission in Iraq, four months after its launch.
No calls to withdraw
In a posthumous video, one of last week's killers cited France's operations abroad as one reason for his actions, but there have been no major calls in France for its troops to withdraw from operations against Islamic militants.
"The response is inside and outside France. Islamic State is a terrorist army with fighters from everywhere... it is an international army that has to be wiped out and that is why we are part of the coalition," Le Drian said.
More than 1 120 French citizens are involved in jihadi cells linked to Iraq and Syria, of which about 400 are in the region.
The suspected female accomplice of one of the gunmen who attacked a Jewish supermarket last week fled to Syria ahead of the killings, Turkish officials said on Monday.
France has 800 military personnel, nine fighter jets, a maritime patrol aircraft and a refuelling plane at its base in the United Arab Emirates as part of its "Chammal" Iraq mission, as well as an anti-aircraft warship in the Gulf. It also operates six Mirage fighter jets from Jordan.
It is due to send its aircraft carrier to the Indian Ocean on Wednesday and Le Drian said in December Paris would send 120 military advisers to train Iraqi and Kurdish forces.
However, it has ruled out striking the Islamic State in Syria, where it provides equipment and training to "moderate" forces fighting President Bashar al-Assad. There was no indication of a change in that stance on Tuesday.
Reuters
Man caught pushing dead girlfriend in wheelbarrow
22 minutes ago
Johannesburg - A man was arrested after he was found
pushing the decomposing remains of his girlfriend in a wheelbarrow in
Bloemfontein, Free State police said on Tuesday.
The body was covered with blankets and a local resident saw a foot sticking out from underneath, around 05:30 on Tuesday in Kagisanong, police spokesperson Peter Kareli said in a statement.
The 35-year-old man was caught and beaten up when he tried to run away.
Kagisanong police took the man to the Pelonomi Hospital where he was under police guard in a critical condition.
The body was identified as the suspect's 31-year-old girlfriend.
A case of murder was opened and a post mortem was being conducted.
SAPA
The body was covered with blankets and a local resident saw a foot sticking out from underneath, around 05:30 on Tuesday in Kagisanong, police spokesperson Peter Kareli said in a statement.
The 35-year-old man was caught and beaten up when he tried to run away.
Kagisanong police took the man to the Pelonomi Hospital where he was under police guard in a critical condition.
The body was identified as the suspect's 31-year-old girlfriend.
A case of murder was opened and a post mortem was being conducted.
SAPA
The best therapy for quitting smoking
2015-01-12 13:43
How quickly a smoker breaks down nicotine is a guide to which therapy is best for kicking the habit, according to new research.
Link between craving and enzyme
Most smokers who try to give up tobacco fail within the first week, so matching them to the best treatment is essential, its authors said.
Previous research has found a link between tobacco craving and levels of an enzyme called CYP2A6 which breaks down nicotine.
The faster the nicotine is metabolised, the likelier it is that the smoker will want to light up again soon, and the harder it will be to quit.
Also Read: Smoking cigarettes may worsen menstrual cramps
Scientists in the United States and Canada used a biomarker – the speed at which CYP2A6 does its job – to see whether nicotine patches or a non-nicotine replacement drug called hantix or Champix) were more effective.
Smokers who broke down nicotine quickly – most smokers, in fact – were twice as likely to quit if they used varenicline than if they used patches, they found.
They also had a better chance of staying off tobacco six months later.
Slower metabolisers found nicotine patches to be as effective as varenicline, but without that drug's side effects.
Electronic cigarettes a useful tool
The studies covered 1,246 smokers who wanted to quit, divided roughly equally into fast and slow metabolisers.
The smokers were randomly assigned to an 11-week course that comprised either a nicotine patch plus a dummy pill, varenicline plus a dummy patch or a dummy patch and a dummy pill.
The study did not cover electronic cigarettes, which some advocates say are a useful tool for giving up smoking.
The results should lead to a simple blood test for nicotine metabolism so that doctors can better advise patients, the authors hope.
"As many as 65 percent of smokers who try to quit relapse within the first week," said Caryn Lerman, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, who co-led the study.
"Matching a treatment based on the rate at which smokers metabolise nicotine could be a viable clinical strategy to help individual smokers choose the cessation method that will work best for them."
Around six million deaths annually can be attributed to tobacco, and smoking inflicts around $200 billion (169 billion euros) in health costs annually, the paper said.
The study appears in the journal The Lancet Respiratory Medicine
How quickly a smoker breaks down nicotine is a guide to which therapy is best for kicking the habit, according to new research.
Link between craving and enzyme
Most smokers who try to give up tobacco fail within the first week, so matching them to the best treatment is essential, its authors said.
Previous research has found a link between tobacco craving and levels of an enzyme called CYP2A6 which breaks down nicotine.
The faster the nicotine is metabolised, the likelier it is that the smoker will want to light up again soon, and the harder it will be to quit.
Also Read: Smoking cigarettes may worsen menstrual cramps
Scientists in the United States and Canada used a biomarker – the speed at which CYP2A6 does its job – to see whether nicotine patches or a non-nicotine replacement drug called hantix or Champix) were more effective.
Smokers who broke down nicotine quickly – most smokers, in fact – were twice as likely to quit if they used varenicline than if they used patches, they found.
They also had a better chance of staying off tobacco six months later.
Slower metabolisers found nicotine patches to be as effective as varenicline, but without that drug's side effects.
Electronic cigarettes a useful tool
The studies covered 1,246 smokers who wanted to quit, divided roughly equally into fast and slow metabolisers.
The smokers were randomly assigned to an 11-week course that comprised either a nicotine patch plus a dummy pill, varenicline plus a dummy patch or a dummy patch and a dummy pill.
The study did not cover electronic cigarettes, which some advocates say are a useful tool for giving up smoking.
The results should lead to a simple blood test for nicotine metabolism so that doctors can better advise patients, the authors hope.
"As many as 65 percent of smokers who try to quit relapse within the first week," said Caryn Lerman, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, who co-led the study.
"Matching a treatment based on the rate at which smokers metabolise nicotine could be a viable clinical strategy to help individual smokers choose the cessation method that will work best for them."
Around six million deaths annually can be attributed to tobacco, and smoking inflicts around $200 billion (169 billion euros) in health costs annually, the paper said.
The study appears in the journal The Lancet Respiratory Medicine
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