Anorexia and Frozen: how people with eating disorders find Elsa inspiring

Frozen is not just a film about a magical princess, a happy
snowman and an adorably dopey reindeer.
It can also be read as a parable for recovering from an eating
disorder, according to one academic who has been studying
the film.
Dr Su Holmes, from the University of East Anglia, who
struggled with anorexia herself, was watching Elsa sing Let it
Go when she thought to herself: "Is it just me or does this
song seem to parallel my own recovery?"
After tentatively putting the search terms into Google she
realised she wasn't alone.
"Quite a big reading of it in this way had occurred on the
internet across fan fiction, across blogs of people who had
recovered who were writing similar things to the thoughts I
was having."
In the film, magical Princess Elsa has powers to control ice
and snow. Her parents discover this power and worry she
could be dangerous. The castle is locked and she is
encouraged to hide away, both emotionally and physically.
After accidentally freezing her sister's heart, she spends years
alone in an icy wilderness. She sings Let It Go when she
embraces her true self and realises that love will allow her to
channel her powers and save her sister.
Thousands of comments are made on sites promoting
anorexia where people with eating disorders discussed how
they identified with Elsa's experiences, according to Holmes.
"There were two key groups," said Dr Holmes.
"The first circled around Let It Go because in the song Elsa
talks a lot about the pressures around being the perfect girl
and the need to break free from those repressions.
"There's been a long history about anorexia developing in so
called 'good' or 'perfect' girls and that it's associated with
societal and parental pressures.
"They were saying things like 'Omg I identified so much with
girl and her desire to not have to be the perfect girl and not
be the good girl that you always have to be', this is so much
like what's happened with my anorexia."
She said the second group used Elsa to motivate them to eat
even less.
"They used the same lyrics about the perfect girl in completely
contrary ways. They said 'Yeah, this is exactly how I felt
when my mum found out about the anorexia. And I thought
I'm not going to be the perfect girl anymore'."
This wasn't the only connection she found between Frozen
and anorexia.
"The idea of anorexia and its association with cold and
wintriness is really complex. The idea that anorexics are often
literally cold, they are isolated, and many of your emotions
and sexual desires shut down."
There is no suggestion that Frozen is in any way causing
eating disorders.
"These people were already anorexic and they were interested
in the film.
"There is a lot of mainstream media that displays very very
thin bodies and that is part of the culture in which we live.
"I wouldn't isolate Frozen in that regard any more than I
would isolate Tangled or Cinderella or Snow White. That is a
much wider issue in society.
"What I really found from working on this site is that what
people were looking for was identification.
"They wanted to see people like them on screen and it was
very meaningful for them in that regard. I don't think I would
cast it as dangerous I think that's a much broader cultural
question about the kind of media that young girls and women
consume."
Beat, the eating disorder charity, told Newsbeat: "Eating
disorders are by their very nature complex and have multi-
causal factors.
"Many people who suffer also have perfectionistic
personalities - often striving for the unattainable.
"We know from the way eating disorders are often portrayed
in the media, how triggering images and text can be and Beat
campaigns constantly to educate and inform that perpetuating
the sensationalist side of these illnesses is dangerous and can
have serious consequences."

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UK election: Four Nigerians win seats in British parliament

The four Nigerians who contested in the just concluded UK
general elections have won seats in the British parliament
to represent their constituencies.
Chuka Umunna, a Labour party politician was re-elected
to serve as Member of Parliament for Streatham. Umunna
is the current Shadow Business Secretary since 2011.
Chuka Umunna’s father Bennett, of the Nigerian Igbo
ethnic group, died in a road accident in Nigeria in 1992.
Chi Onwurah, also a British Labour Party politician was
elected at the 2010 general election as the Member of
Parliament for Newcastle upon Tyne Central. Chi was born
in Wallsend, Newcastle upon Tyne, in 1965. Her her family
relocated to Awka, Nigeria when she was still a baby. But
two years after, the Biafran Civil War broke out bringing
famine with it, forcing her mother to bring the children
back to Newcastle, whilst her father stayed on in the
Biafran army.
Kate Osamor, the National Health Service (NHS) manager
is the Labour Party’s parliamentary candidate for the
Edmonton constituency in London after stiff contest with
fellow diasporan Kate Anolue.
Ms Osamor, who has worked for the NHS for 15 years, is a
trade union activist, a women’s charity trustee and a
member of the Labour Party’s National Executive
Committee.
Helen Grant, who is the current Member of Parliament for
Maidstone and The Weald in Kent was also re-elected.
She is the current Minister for Sport, Tourism & Equalities.
Grant was born in Willesden, north London to an English
mother and Nigerian father, but grew up in a single parent
family after her parents separated and her father
emigrated to the United States.

Ebola found in doctor's eye, months after being cleared

For the first time, Ebola has been discovered inside the
eyes of a patient, months after the virus was gone from
his blood.
Ebola has infected more than 26 000 people since
December 2013 in West Africa. Some survivors have
reported eye problems but how often they occur isn't
known. The virus also is thought to be able to persist in
semen for several months.
The new report concerns Dr Ian Crozier, a 43-year-old
American physician diagnosed with Ebola in September
while working with the World Health Organisation in Sierra
Leone.
He was treated at Emory University Hospital's special
Ebola unit in Atlanta and released in October when Ebola
was no longer detected in his blood. Two months later, he
developed an inflammation and very high blood pressure
in one eye, which causes swelling and potentially serious
vision problems.
He returned to Emory, where ophthalmologist Dr Steven
Yeh drained some of the fluid and had it tested for Ebola.
It contained the virus but tears and tissue around the
outside of his eye did not.
That suggests that casual contact with an Ebola survivor
poses no public health risk, but shows that survivors need
to be monitored for the eye problem, Yeh said.
Vision improving
Crozier has not fully recovered his vision but continues to
improve, Yeh said.
Dr Jay Varkey, an Emory infectious disease specialist, said
those involved in Crozier's care wore recommended
protective gear and monitored themselves for Ebola
symptoms for several weeks afterward as a precaution.
Doctors discussed the case at an Association for Research
in Vision and Ophthalmology conference in Denver on
Thursday, and the New England Journal of Medicine
published their account online.
Earlier on Thursday, the World Health Organisation said
that the number of Ebola cases reported in Guinea and
Sierra Leone last week dropped to its lowest total this
year.
Liberia, which has had the most deaths in the outbreak -
more than 4 700 - plans on Saturday to declare the
outbreak over in that country unless new cases are
discovered.

Liberia declared Ebola-free, monitors border

[MONROVIA] - With almost 42 days without a
new case, Liberia breathes a little easier as it is being
declared Ebola-free on Saturday (May 9).
The World Health Organization (WHO) said no fewer than
11,005 people have died from Ebola in Liberia,
neighbouring Guinea and Sierra Leone since the outbreak
began in December 2013.
However, nearly half of those deaths have been in Liberia,
where the outbreak peaked between August and October,
with hundreds of cases a week, sparking international
alarm which resulted into United States sending in
hundreds of troops to help build treatment clinics in a
country founded by freed U.S. slaves.
But almost a year later, people celebrate with cautious
optimism.
"That does not mean that we should be complacent,
because what it comes down to is that we should still be
very serious in maintaining
precautionary measures, and that we should translate the
knowledge that was gained in Liberia in the fight against
Ebola to the neighbouring countries, so as to help them
attain the same virus-free status after 42 days," said
Zubin Cooper, a communications specialist from Monrovia.
More than 4,000 people died in Liberia, but for the twice
as many who survived, getting back to normal is an
ongoing battle.
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine
studied the case of an American doctor who contracted
Ebola while he was working in West Africa, but found the
virus continued to live in his retina 10 weeks after it had
cleared from his blood.

Ericsson sues Apple over licence payments

Many Apple products are believed to use the Ericsson
technologies
Ericsson has filed lawsuits in three separate countries,
alleging Apple has not kept up with technology licence
payments.
The Swedish telecoms equipment maker said Apple was still
using Ericsson's patented technologies even though it did not
have a licence to use them.
Ericsson said it had offered to conduct arbitration talks with
Apple but that offer had now expired.
The lawsuits have been filed in the UK, Germany and the
Netherlands.
Apple has yet to comment on the legal action.
"Our technology is used in many features and functionality of
today's communication devices," said Kasim Alfalahi,
Ericsson's head of intellectual property in a statement. He
said the dispute had already been going on for two years and
was "confident" the courts would help resolve the matter
"fairly".
The dispute revolves around technologies Ericsson developed
for second and fourth generation mobile networks and
handsets. The patents in dispute are believed to cover
accessing apps on phones, the streaming of video to handheld
devices as well as chip design. Ericsson owns more than
35,000 patents covering mobile technologies.
The latest legal action follows the filing of lawsuits in America
in February by Ericsson in response to an Apple complaint over
the complexity of the technology patents.
In 2014, phone maker Samsung paid Ericsson $650m (£421m)
to end a dispute over patented technology.
Analysts estimate that if the courts side with Ericsson it would
get payments of up to $725m annually from Apple.

Oculus VR headset gets early-2016 launch date

Oculus' helmet is set to be released to the public after a rival
headset from HTC
Virtual reality firm Oculus VR says its much anticipated
headset, the Rift, will go on sale to consumers within the
first three months of 2016.
Until now, the firm had only sold "developer" editions that
were targeted at video games creators and did not represent
the Rift's final design.
Facebook bought Oculus VR for $2bn (£1.3bn) in 2014,
despite it not having released a commercial product.
The release date means that HTC's rival helmet should be the
first available.
The Taiwanese manufacturer has promised to sell its own
virtual reality headset, the Vive, to the public before the end of
the year.
Oculus' launch date could theoretically coincide with that of
PlayStation's Morpheus headset, which Sony has said will be
released at some point during the first six months of 2016.
Unlike Morpheus, both the Rift and the Vive are designed to
work with PCs rather than a video games console.
"All the hype around virtual reality grew up around Oculus over
the last two years, and not to come to market before what is
looking like a compelling proposition from HTC represents a
moderate surrendering of the initiative," commented Piers
Harding-Rolls, head of games at the IHS Technology
consultancy.
"But I don't think we're talking about it missing out on huge
sales volumes at what will be an early stage of demand for
VR."
The virtual reality helmets will allow wearers to see both
computer-generated and filmed images directly in front of their
eyes.
Users will be able to change their view by moving their heads.
The idea is to give them a greater sense of immersion, helping
owners feel as if they are actually within a video game or
interactive film or documentary, rather than just watching it.
Sony's Morpheus is designed to be paired with its
PlayStation 4 console
There was a previous attempt to popularise virtual reality
technology in the 1980s and 1990s, but the limitations and
high cost of the products limited demand.
However, after Oculus successfully raised $2.4m by crowd-
funding in 2013 to make new kit, there has been growing
interest in the idea.
Samsung already sells versions of Oculus' kit that use the
screens and motion sensors of its Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Note
handsets.
But the forthcoming launch of headsets designed to work with
more powerful computers has raised expectations of what the
associated software will be capable.
"We've got these higher-end devices coming to market, but
what we haven't seen yet is fully-realised content," said Mr
Harding-Rolls.
"We've seen technical demos or the occasional short level. But
the E3 video games expo will be an opportunity for all the
stakeholders involved to show off content."
E3 will take place in Los Angeles in June.
Oculus says the Rift can be used by users when they are
sitting or standing up
For now, potential buyers are being teased with a promise that
the Rift has a "more natural fit" and an "improved tracking
system" than earlier models shown off by Oculus.
"In the weeks ahead, we'll be revealing the details around
hardware, software, input, and many of our unannounced
made-for-VR games and experiences coming," the firm said
on its blog .
"Virtual reality is going to transform gaming, film,
entertainment, communication, and much more.
Microsoft is working on its own headset that will allow new
ways to play video games
"E3 is just around the corner - this is only the beginning," it
added.
Facebook's challenge is that HTC's Vive is being released as
part of a tie-up with Valve, which is one of the leading video
game developers in its own right, as well as being the owner
of the best-selling PC games platform Steam.
Microsoft has yet to reveal whether it has virtual reality plans
for the Xbox.
The firm has, however, shown off an augmented reality
headset called the HoloLens, that it says will allow PC users
to see graphics superimposed over views of the real world.
The firm has yet to give it a release date.

Hacker given in-game death sentence

A video was posted online showing the character being
stripped and deleted
A character controlled by a hacker who used exploits to
dominate online game Guild Wars 2 has been put to death in
the virtual world.
The character, called DarkSide, was stripped then forced to
leap to their death from a high bridge.
The death sentence was carried out after players gathered
evidence about the trouble the hacker had caused.
This helped the game's security staff find the player, take over
their account and kill them off.
Death leap
Over the past three weeks many players of the popular multi-
player game Guild Wars 2 have been complaining about the
activities of a character called DarkSide. About four million
copies of the game have been sold.
Via a series of exploits the character was able to teleport,
deal massive damage, survive co-ordinated attacks by other
players and dominate player-versus-player combat.
To spur Guild Wars' creator ArenaNet to react, players
gathered videos of DarkSide's antics and posted them on
YouTube.
The videos helped ArenaNet's security head Chris Cleary
identify the player behind DarkSide, he said in a forum post
explaining what action it had taken . Mr Cleary took over the
account to carry out the punishment.
The video shows DarkSide being stripped to his underwear
then made to leap from a high bridge in one of the game's
cities. It also shows the character being deleted by Mr Cleary.
"Oh yah, he's also banned," he wrote. Several other accounts
belonging to the same player have also been shut down.
ArenaNet did not reveal any information about how the player
behind DarkSide had managed to exploit the game or whether
the vulnerabilities used had been patched.
The punishment has sparked comment among Guild Wars
players with some welcoming the action saying it felt like
"justice".
Others wondered what effect it would have and if it would
deter anyone else from seeking out and using exploits in the
same way.

Microsoft unveils Windows 10 system with Start Menu

Microsoft has disclosed the first details of Windows 10 - its
next operating system (OS).
The name is a surprise, bearing in mind it represents a jump
from the last version - Windows 8.
The software will run on a wide range of devices, from phones
and tablets to PCs and Xbox games consoles, with
applications sold from a single store.
It also marks the return of the Start Menu, which had been
removed from Windows 8.
Microsoft announced details of the new operating system at
an event in San Francisco
In addition to offering a list of the user's favourite
applications, the menu also brings up resizable tiles - similar
to those featured in Windows 8's touch-centric interface on
PCs and tablets.
These provide a quick view of notifications from relevant
applications, such as details of new emails, Facebook
messages and weather forecast updates.
The company said the facility was intended to make the
software seem familiar to both users of Windows 8 and
Windows 7.
The Start Menu now features both a list of apps and live
tiles
The behaviour of the OS will depend on the type of device with
which it is being used. Unlike its predecessor, users will not
need to switch between Desktop Mode and the touch-focused
alternative.
However, they can still spread a number of "live tiles" across
the screens of two-in-one laptop-tablet hybrids to make them
easier to use with both a mouse and finger presses.
'Critical' choice
Windows 8 had been criticised for being too different from the
previous version, which deterred some organisations from
introducing it.
Microsoft's chief executive, Satya Nadella, did not speak at
the event, but had previously discussed a wish to "unify"
Windows
It initially lacked a Start button altogether, and when one was
introduced, it only switched to the touch-centric tiled interface
or - if a long mouse press was used - provided access to the
system's control panel and other functions.
Businesses typically wait about a year after a new operating
system's release before offering it to workers, to give IT staff
a chance to get to grips with the new technologies involved.
But it has been nearly two years since Windows 8 first went on
sale and adoption is still low.
"It's extremely important for Microsoft to get Windows 10
right," said David Johnson, who watches Microsoft for the
consultancy Forrester.
"Windows 8 is only being offered to employees by about one in
five organisations right now. Windows 7 is still the de facto
standard for enterprise in the desktop environment.
"For Microsoft to continue to be able to get the best and
latest technology in the hands of the enterprise workforce all
over the world, it has to have a vehicle to do that - and
Windows 10 is its best shot."
Microsoft said Windows 10 would work on devices with 4in
(10.2cm) screens and 80in screens
Across desktop PCs as a whole, only 13.4% currently run
Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, according to research firm
NetMarketshare .
By contrast, it says 51.2% are powered by Windows 7 and
23.9% by Windows XP, a version that is no longer supported
by Microsoft.
Mr Johnson said the reintroduction of the Start Menu should
help Windows 10 fare better.
"It is critically important," he said.
"The Start Menu is perhaps the most important thing that will
make the desktop experience familiar to business users, and
will help reduce resistance to its installation."
Preview download
Other features include:
The task-view button offers one-click access to all running
apps and files
Snap enhancements - a new "quadrant layout" will allow
four apps to be easily arranged on the same screen
Task view - a new button on the task bar will let the user
see all open apps and files, helping them switch from one
to another
Multiple desktops - users can switch between distinct
desktop screens, allowing them to group related work
together rather than having to deal with a single screen
overloaded with documents and apps. This is similar to a
feature already available on Apple's Mac OS
Microsoft will offer a "technical preview" of Windows 10 to
early adopters later this week , which will run on laptops and
desktops. A release that will work on computer servers will
follow.
Analysis: Richard Taylor, North America technology
correspondent
Microsoft has a delicate balancing act as it attempts to cater
to a diverse audience using a cornucopia of devices, from
traditional keyboard/mouse-based PCs to tablets.
It got that balance wrong with Windows 8 - which many users
felt was skewed towards the touchscreen at the expense of
the familiar PC desktop experience that they had come to
know intimately.
I asked Terry Myerson, the chief of operating systems at
Microsoft, why the leadership had chosen the moniker
Windows 10, rather than the more logical Windows 9.
Microsoft is inviting members of the public to provide
feedback about an early version of Windows 10
He told me somewhat obliquely that it resonated best for what
the company would deliver across the breadth of devices.
Unifying a brand across all devices is key to Microsoft's
vision.
But the Windows 10 name also symbolises that this will not
be an incremental update, but something of a fresh start.
The user interface feels familiar yet modern. The "dual mode"
- which aimed to satisfy tablet and PC users, but alienated
both - has been replaced with a dynamically-adjusting
interface and behaviour, determined by whether you are using
a keyboard/mouse, or touch.
Ultimately Windows 10 success will depend on its execution.
But at least under the new leadership, Microsoft is showing it
is listening. It needs to if it is to stay relevant and stop the
march of Android and Apple.
The company said it would provide details about the
introduction of "universal apps" - individual programs that
tailor their functionality to different types of devices - at its
Build conference in April, and would aim to release the
completed OS before the end of 2015.
There was no mention of offering the firm's voice-controlled
digital assistant Cortana to PCs, or when Windows 10 would
supersede the Windows Phone OS.
The firm's smartphone code is designed for ARM-based
processors, unlike the main Windows 8 and Xbox operating
systems that are built for x86 chips - including those made by
Intel and AMD.
While Microsoft confirmed that Windows 10 would be released
for both types of chip architecture, it did not disclose whether
there would be a staggered release.
One analyst suggested that by using a single OS to power a
wide range of devices, it might increase the amount of
software available to all of them.
"The idea is, longer-term, to encourage developers to release
more apps for Windows," said Annette Jump from the tech
research firm Gartner.
"That's Microsoft's biggest challenge at the moment when it
comes to tablets and phones - there are not as many apps as
there are for iOS and Android."
Windows 10 introduces the ability to switch between two or
more desktop screens
Even so, another expert highlighted that the announcement in
San Francisco had been deliberately tailored to appeal to
business users.
"The event was clearly geared toward Microsoft's bread and
butter enterprise customer, and we believe starting an early
dialogue with these customers as well as learning from
previous mistakes made in Redmond - eg Windows 8 - will be
key to garnering major adoption of this all-important product
cycle in the field," said Daniel Ives from research firm
BlueMatrix.
"Overall, we believe today's event was another step in the
right direction in the [Satya] Nadella era, and that Microsoft
remains well positioned... while it undergoes a major
restructuring effort to make it a 'leaner and meaner'
technology giant over the coming years."

Windows 10 to get 'holographic' headset and Cortana

Windows 'open' for Apple and Android

Microsoft to 'end' Windows versions

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Nigerian lawmakers reject removal of fuel subsidy

photo :Precious moments of Queen Elizabeth tending to her Great grand child-Princess Charlotte

School bus crushes OAU student to death

Tragedy struck in Osogbo, Osun State on Wednesday after a
200-level law student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile
Ife, Miss Mary Ibitolu, was crushed to death by a bus owned
by a private secondary school in Osogbo.
Our correspondent gathered that the deceased was on a
commercial motorcycle when the bus, which was said to have
suffered brake failure, hit the motorcycle and knocked her
down.
She was said to have been rushed to a private hospital at
Okefia where she gave up the ghost. The motorcyclist was
said to have survived the accident.
A commuter, who was waiting to board a bus, was also said
to have been knocked down, but survived the incident.
One of the eyewitnesses, a hawker, told our correspondent
that the school bus broke down, but the driver called on some
passersby to assist him to push-start the engine.
He said when the engine started running, the driver discovered
that the brake had failed when he was approaching the
motorcycle conveying Ibitolu.
“He tried to stop the bus from hitting the okada but he failed.
She fell off the motorcycle and was rushed to a hospital at
Okefia, but she died there.
One of the members of the Nigerian Federation of Catholic
Students at the OAU, Mr. Timothy Agbor, told our
correspondent that Ibitolu, was a member of the fellowship.
Agbor said, “I was shocked when somebody called and
informed me that she died in an accident. Mary was a God-
fearing lady. I can’t believe she is gone.”
He added that a requiem Mass was ongoing for the deceased
at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Osogbo as of the time of
filing this report.
The bus and the motorcycle were said to have been taken to
the Dada Estate Police Station.
Although the vehicle was seen at the station, policemen at the
counter declined comment on the accident. They referred our
correspondent to the Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs.
Folasade Odoro.
However, efforts to speak to the PPRO proved abortive as
calls made to her phone did not connect.

Soyinka denies anti-Igbo comment, Harvard to post lecture video online

The Harvard University Hutchins Centre for African and
American Research in the United States has said that it will
release the video of the lecture delivered by Nobel Laureate,
Prof. Wole Soyinka, within a week.
This was contained in an email reply to one of our
correspondents on Soyinka’s alleged comments that he
labelled Igbo as people who voted in the last general elections
based on their “stomach.”
Some online media had quoted Soyinka as saying Igbo were
politically naive while delivering a lecture titled, “‘Predicting
Nigeria, Electoral Ironies,” at the institution.
He was quoted as saying “The Igbo are probably the only
group of Nigerians that you can predict with great accuracy
whom they will vote for in an election, because they tend to
put their votes where their stomachs take them; suffering as it
were, from incurable money-mindedness, as they would stop
at nothing in their quest for personal financial gain.”
However, Soyinka said in a statement on Tuesday that it was
unfortunate that people could tell lies against him.
The playwright described those who believe the report as
morons.
He said the entire lecture was recorded on video and anyone
who was interested could access it on the Internet.
He said, “I have just read a statement attributed to me on a
news outlet, evidently one of the Internet infestations. My
lecture at the Hutchins Centre, Harvard University, was video
recorded. Anyone who believes what I am alleged to have said
must be a moron – repeat, a moron.
“It is demeaning, sickening and boring to have to deal with
these cowards who cannot fight their own battles but must
fasten their imbecilic pronouncements on others. Only the
mentally retarded will credit this comment attributed to me
regarding the Ndigbo voting pattern in the last elections.
“I strongly suspect the author of this despicable concoction,
and may make a further statement, once the source is
verified.”
The Harvard centre, has however, stated that it will post the
video online. The institution, however, said it would not
release transcripts of Soyinka’s lecture.
The email read, “We expect the recent Wole Soyinka talk to be
posted via video on the Hutchins Centre website within a
week. However, transcripts of the talk will not be provided.
Thank you for contacting the Hutchins Centre.”

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Plane has 1,000 3D printed parts

AFRIMA-AUC unveil 2015 calendar in Addis Ababa

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Sport : Chelsea crowned Premier League champions, beat Palace 1-0

Chelsea football club have been
crowned the 2015 Premier League Champions after
beating Chrystal Palace 1-0 at Stamford Bridge on
Sunday.
Chelsea claimed League champions with a 45th minute
lone strike by Edin Hazard, leaving the remaining three
UEFA Champions spots for Manchester City, Arsenal, Man
United and Liverpool.
The current table shows that Chelsea have 83 points from
35 matches while City have 67 points from 34 matches
while Arsenal have 67 points from 33 matches.

Nigerian Christians set up relief fund for Boko Haram victims

he Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) joined forces
with the Christian Association of Nigerian-Americans
(CANAN) on Monday (March 4) to set up a relief fund for
victims of the Boko Haram group.
In a news briefing held in the capital Abuja, James Fadele,
chairman of CANAN, said urgent action was needed to
stop the attacks in northern Nigeria.
"Christians are being killed, churches are being attacked
and destroyed, health workers and doctors are being
assassinated, markets are being ravaged, police precincts
are being vanquished, and neighbourhoods are being
tormented. Again, this act of wickedness must stop," he
said.
Boko Haram is waging a bloody insurgency against the
state that has killed at least 3,000 people across northern
Nigeria since 2009.
Fadele added that the fund will support family members
and relatives of those who have been attacked by Boko
Haram militants.
"Towards such a fund, CANAN is making an initial
widow's mite contribution of 50,000 dollars. If backers of
terrorists are raising the money to perpetuate acts of
terror, supporters of and advocates of peace can no longer
look the other way," he said.
Eight members of the All Saints Protestant Church in Kano
state died in attacks in February.
"They call that state a Muslim state, that is how they take
it so that is the reason every Christian cannot breath
there because of the, even to go church is hard there, that
is the reason some people, you see them, they can't hold
bible to go to church. unless you are in Sabon Gari (local
town in Kano) but Sharada (local town in Kano) side, you
can't hold bible because they can terminate your life,"
said the pastor of All Saints Protestant Church, Saranda
Chinda.
Western governments fear Boko Haram, or factions of it,
has linked up with other groups in the region, including al
Qaeda's North African franchise.
Attacks in northern Nigeria are increasingly targeting
foreign interests, especially since France's operation last
month to flush Islamists out of northern Mali, to which
Nigeria has committed hundreds of troops.

Boko Haram in disorder as Nigerian troops advance

The dreaded Boko Haram sect
is cracking as shortages of weapons and fuel foment
tensions between its foot soldiers and leaders, women
rescued from the sect disclosed to journalists.
The army has in the last few weeks freed nearly 700 as it
advances on Boko Haram's last stronghold in the vast
Sambisa forest which abducted an estimated 2,000
women and girls last year as it sought to carve out an
Islamic state in the northeast of Africa's biggest economy.
The militants began complaining to their captives about
lacking guns and ammunition last month, two of the
women said, and many were reduced to carrying sticks
while some of their vehicles were either broken down or
lacked gasoline.
A 45-year old mother of two, Aisha Abbas, who was taken
from Dikwa in April, said the fighters all had guns at first
but recently, only some carried them.
Even the wife of their captors' leader, Adam Bitri, openly
criticized him and subsequently fled, two of the women
said, with one describing Bitri as short and fat with a
beard.
Of 275 freed captives brought to a government-run camp
for internally displaced people in the Malkohi hamlet on
the outskirts of Adamawa state capital, Yola, only 61 were
over 18, and many small children hobbled around visibly
malnourished.
The women said they were kept inside, occasionally
brought food and sometimes beaten severely. The children
were left to run around or do errands for Boko Haram
while those of the fighters were trained to shoot guns.
"One evening in April, Boko Haram followers stood before
us and said 'Our leaders don't want to give us enough
fuel and guns and now the soldiers are encroaching on us
in Sambisa. We will leave you.'" one of the women, 18-
year old Binta Ibrahim from northern Adamawa state said.
"They threatened us but after they went we were happy
and prayed the soldiers would come and save us."

Nigeria set to resume oil search in Chad Basin

With the remarkably improved
security situation in the north eastern part of the country,
the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation is to resume
oil search in the Chad Basin.
Group Managing Director of the Corporation, Dr. Joseph T.
Dawha disclosed this at the 21st Annual General Meeting
of Integrated Data
Services Nigeria Limited, IDSL, the subsidiary of the NNPC
that is carrying out the seismic data acquisition in the
Chad Basin.
The event took place at the week end in Abuja.
Dr. Dawha noted ‘‘preliminary indications from the
previous exercise so far are encouraging and we are going
to move back there’’.
He described the security situation in the northeast that
led the corporation to suspend oil exploration activities in
the Chad Basin as
‘unfortunate’ while commending the security forces on
their recent success in the fight against the insurgents.
On the performance of IDSL, the Group Managing Director
said in spite of the challenge of funding as a result of the
fall in crude oil prices,
the Company’s performance is encouraging as it recorded
a thirty two percent revenue growth.
Managing Director of the company, Engr. Victor Briggs
said IDSL is expanding its operations beyond the shores of
Nigeria to neighbouring
West African countries and other emerging oil producing
countries in Africa.
Integrated Data services Limited, (IDSL) was incorporated
in 1988. Its services include provision of seismic data
acquisition, processing and
interpretation as well as petroleum and reservoir
engineering data evaluation, computer and other ancillary
services.

Nigerians groan as fuel shortage persists

The scarcity of petroleum products
is still biting hard in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital despite
claims by the Nigerian authorities that it had shed part of
its debt been owed marketers across the country.
A litre of fuel now sells for between N150 and N250 while
many man hours are wasted before residents can access
the product.
Nigerians are calling on the government to bring an end to
this anomaly.

Airforce Day Celebration: NAF calls for maximum cooperation of Kano citizens

Nigeria Airforce Authorities in Kano
State has charged residents of the state to give maximum
cooperation to the military to achieve more successes in
the fight against terrorism in the country
Air Commodore of the Nigeria Airforce, Tunde Ayowoola
made the call to news men in Kano during the 3rd day of
the Nigeria Airforce Day 2015 celebration tagged
Sanitation and Medical Outreach in the state
Ayowoola says the Sanitation exercise is to promote the
spirit of good neighbourliness between the Nigeria Airforce
and the people of Northern Nigeria city of Kano
Air Commodore, Tunde Ayowoola says the move is to
make the people aware of the fact that the military is not
just about fighting war but has so many benefits people
can gain from especially in areas of security, health care
delivery and education
Tunde Ayowoola however called on residents of the
groundnut pyramid city of Kano to be good citizens of
Nigeria and support the government in every effort they
can for the country's development

Africa's richest man, Dangote hopeful of buying Arsenal

The Nigerian born Africa’s richest
man, Aliko Dangote, has expressed interest in becoming
the owner of English Premier League giants, Arsenal FC.
However, Supersport.com reports that the plan to buy the
North London club is not an immediate priority for the
Nigerian billionaire, as he hopes he can convince the
owners to sell “at the right price” in the future.
The Nigerian said he is ready to offer Arsenal owners “a
price they won’t want to resist.”
“I still hope, one day at the right price, that I’ll buy the
team. I might buy it, not at a ridiculous price but a price
that the owners won’t want to resist. I know my
strategy,” supersport.com quoted Dangote as saying to
Bloomberg.
A tycoon dealing in cement and commodities, Dangote
explained that he wants to focus on his business having
invested around $16 million into it, and will make another
attempt at pricing Arsenal away by the time he builds his
business empire to “a certain level.”
“We have $16 billion-worth of investments in the next few
years. Right now I want to take my own business to a
certain level. Once I finish on that trajectory, then maybe
[an offer will follow.]”
Dangote had in 2010 made attempts to acquire a stake in
the English club but discussions broke down.

Avengers film storms US box office

Avengers: Age of Ultron tops the US and Canada box office
with $191.3m (£126.5m) in its opening weekend, but fails to
beat the debut of 2012's Avengers film.

Astronauts watch Star Wars on International Space Station

A tweet from the space station shows Samuel L Jackson's
character Mace Windu
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station have
revealed they have celebrated Star Wars Day by screening one
of the sci-fi movies.
"Just watching @starwars. In space. No big deal," Nasa
tweeted from one of its official accounts , adding the hashtag
#Maythe4thBeWithYou.
It is not the only recent tie-in. Members of a forthcoming
expedition to the ISS posed as Jedi knights for their official
photo earlier this year.
The choice of film surprised some.
"You picked the wrong one!" tweeted Angel Dominguez ,
referring to the fact that a photo sent from the satellite shows
Mace Windu's battle with Supreme Chancellor Palpatine in the
prequel Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, rather a
scene from the original trilogy.
The ISS was recently fitted with a high-definition projector,
which the astronauts also use for video conferences and
displaying computer software.
Commander Scott Kelly revealed last month that the team on
board had also used it to watch the space disaster movie.
Six members of an expedition scheduled for September have
appeared in Jedi garb
The latest movie showing was timed to coincide with the
date, which references the series' most quoted line: "May the
force be with you."
Lightsaber mission
The ISS was previously linked to the space opera in 2007,
when character Luke Skywalker's lightsaber prop was flown to
the orbiting structure and back to mark 30 years of the
franchise .
Such stunts only add to the series' value by keeping it in the
public eye. Disney is set to be the beneficiary of the latest
publicity, having bought the rights to Star Wars from its
creator George Lucas in 2012, along with other movie rights,
for $4bn (£2.6bn).
Analysts are expecting that the first in a new series of films,
Star Wars: The Force Awakens, will set a new box office
record when it is released in December.
Nasa previously flew a lightsaber prop to the International
Space Station
One expert quoted by The Hollywood Reporter has forecast it
could make more than $500m in its first three days in
cinemas.
However, efforts to further extend the franchise have faced a
setback with news that the director of a planned spin-off is no
longer involved.
"I've put a tremendous amount of thought into this, and I
know deep down in my heart that I want to pursue some
original creative opportunities," Josh Tank said in a statement
published on the official Star Wars site last week .

Facebook opens up Internet.org amidst net neutrality row

Royal princess named Charlotte Elizabeth Diana

Prince George visiting his baby sister in hospital

London - Britain's Prince William has brought Prince George
to meet his baby sister.
The 32-year-old royal carried his 21-month-old son into the
Lindo Wing at St Mary's Hospital in West London to visit the
Duchess of Cambridge and the little girl.
The pair stopped to wave to the waiting media and fans, some
who have been camping outside the hospital for two weeks.
Only a few moments earlier, the Duke of Cambridge, wearing a
blue jumper, was seen driving himself to Kensington Palace to
pick up the future King where Prince William told the waiting
media and fans that the couple were "very happy" with the
new arrival.

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Is Google a fading force?

Silicon Valley's Dave Goldberg dies

Silicon Valley entrepreneur Dave Goldberg, husband of Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, dies aged 47, his family says.

Instagram launchs channel dedicated to music

New York - Instagram, which has quickly become a favourite social media platform for stars, on Wednesday launched a channel dedicated to music. The account @Music, a first-of-a-kind dedicated content channel run by Instagram will each week highlight an up-and-coming artist or offer a behind-the-scenes look at a more established musician. The new account will be "dedicated to exploring music around the globe, from those who create it to the community around it," Instagram co-founder and CEO Kevin Systrom wrote in a blog post. Instagram, with its focus on visuals, has witnessed soaring growth since its launch in 2010 thanks in part to the worldwide fad of selfie pictures, the rising quality of smartphone cameras and regular user-engaging themes such as "#ThrowbackThursday Musicians have embraced Instagram as a way to communicate with fans, offering everything from professional photos to snapshots of their day-to-day lives. Facebook, which has more than one billion users but has seen its growth mature, in 2012 bought Instagram for an estimated $1bn. Fellow social media giant Twitter has meanwhile struggled to find a strategy for music that brings in revenue. Sunil Singhvi from Twitter's British division said this week that he would come to the US headquarters to take charge of the company's music section.

Shakespeare's Globe tour guides to strike for better pay

Shakespeare's Globe is a full-scale recreation of an
Elizabethan playhouse
Tour guides at Shakespeare's Globe in London are to take
industrial action after talks to resolve a pay dispute broke
down.
The Bectu union said industrial action was "the only option
left open" and that strike dates would be publicised to avoid
inconveniencing visitors.
According to The Stage, 38 tour guides at the venue are Bectu
members.
A Globe spokeswoman told the paper the venue had "made all
reasonable efforts to avert industrial action".
According to The Stage, tour guides had been seeking a pay
increase that would have raised their hourly rate from £11.24
to £13.50 an hour.
The two parties met at Acas - the Advisory, Conciliation and
Arbitration Service - earlier this month but were unable to
reach agreement.
"We had hoped that management would take seriously the
opportunity we offered to them to avoid conflict," said Bectu's
Pat Styles.
"Unfortunately, management representatives failed to grasp
this opportunity, preferring instead to first offer our members
what was effectively an insulting cut in pay and then refusing
to accept various solutions we offered to them."
"The Globe maintains that a benchmarking exercise is the only
viable means of establishing an appropriate rate of pay for
guides that is consistent with our organisational policy to pay
at industry median levels," the popular tourist attraction's
spokeswoman told The Stage.
"We are still open to further consultation... and will in any
case be undertaking a salary benchmarking exercise for all
Globe staff, including the guides, over the summer as originally
planned."
The Globe's representative is quoted as saying that audio
guides will be made available on days when there is a strike.
The news follows an announcement on Tuesday that workers
at the Royal Opera House in London are to vote on whether to
take strike action over pay.