His opening remarks were spiced with humour, taunting his
Monday, 9 March 2015
What will you be remembered for
I'm Not Sick - Buhari
Mr. Buhari made the comments as he returned to Nigeria from the United Kingdom where he spent about two weeks.
Solar-powered plane takes off for flight around the world
ABU DHABI: A Swiss solar-powered plane took off from Abu Dhabi early Monday, marking the start of the first attempt to fly around the world without a drop of fuel. Solar Impulse founder Andre Borschberg was at the controls of the single-seater when it took off from the Al Bateen Executive Airport. Borschberg will trade off piloting with Solar Impulse co-founder Bertrand Piccard during stop-overs. The Swiss pilots say their aim is to create awareness about replacing "old polluting technologies with clean and efficient technologies.''
Solar Impulse to land in Ahmedabad tomorrow; Head for Varanasi after four days W
"While in Ahmedabad, several events are planned on the theme of renewable energy and sustainable development", said a Switzerland Embassy press statement. Switzerland, that has ranked first for the fourth consecutive year on the global innovative index, is home to this cutting edge innovation. The Solar Impulse, which is aimed to show power of clean energy, is being supported by the Swiss government.
Popular SA rapper killed: report
The rapper, whose real name is Nkululeko Habedi, was murdered on Sunday night, according to eNCA. He was allegedly stabbed to death.
The star was 38 years old.
Siyabonga "Slikour" Metane, Habedi's fellow group member and friend, confirmed the death to the news channel saying, "I just got a call from his family. I will be on my way to his family's home."
Utah baby survives car crash after 14 hours in freezing river
Infant found hanging upside down above the river water that flowed through the car
A baby survived a car crash in a freezing Utah river after being strapped in a car seat upside-down for about 14 hours before being found by a fisherman.
Wife Bludgeons Husband to Death in Enugu
A middle-aged man, Elijah Agbo from Imilike Agu village in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State, has been murdered in cold blood.
The act, THISDAY learnt, was allegedly perpetrated by his wife, Grace Agbo. The accused was believed to have hit her husband on the head with a heavy object while he
The act, THISDAY learnt, was allegedly perpetrated by his wife, Grace Agbo. The accused was believed to have hit her husband on the head with a heavy object while he
Missing N30 Trillion - We Have Cases Against APC Too, Serap Replies Okonjo-Iweala
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) has urged Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala to embrace constructive engagement on issues of human rights, transparency and accountability, and to avoid sound bite and opportunistic attacks on civil society organizations.
Executive Director of the Project Adetokunbo Mumuni said this in a statement reacting to the Minister's allegation that SERAP's court case against her was sponsored by the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
Executive Director of the Project Adetokunbo Mumuni said this in a statement reacting to the Minister's allegation that SERAP's court case against her was sponsored by the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
Bomb Blasts: Gov Shettima Terminates Campaign
MAIDUGURI – Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State has terminated his ongoing political campaigns to the Southern part of the state following multiple bomb blasts in Maiduguri, the State capital. The termination is contained in a statement issued in Maiduguri yesterday by his Special Adviser on Communications, Mr. Isa Gusau. According to the statement, the governor decided to call off the campaign tour in southern part of the state sequel to the bomb explosions which affected parts of Maiduguri.
Account For Your Role In Killing Of 300 Igbo People In 1969, Fani-Kayode Tells Buhari
Fani-Kayode made the demand during a press conference he addressed in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, where he called on
Where Is Muhammadu Buhari?
Yes, indeed. That is the question. Where is the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC)? The man left Nigeria in mysterious circumstances sometime between February 15 and 19. His manner of disappearing raised eyebrows across the country, for he suddenly melted into ether.
To divert the attention of the curious, his handlers posted numerous false <!--more-->pictures on the Internet and planted same in national newspapers. There, suddenly, was Muhammadu Buhari, confidently emerging from airport formalities at either Heathrow or Gatwick! There, suddenly, was a relaxed Buhari in some well-appointed London studio, granting a press interview.
It didn't take a century for the pack of lies to crumble. It turned out the pictures released of Buhari by his handlers were of the man on a UK visit in 2013. It turned out that the Buhari interview was years old, and had been conducted not anywhere in Europe but inside an Abuja Transcorp Hilton suite. Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose personally visited the suite and demonstrated beyond every iota of doubt that it was the venue of the so-called interview the APC claimed its presidential candidate had granted in London. Eagle- eyed journalists supported Fayose's findings by detailing features of the interview picture that pinned its origin to the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.
Why did the APC have to dish out these lies? Why is it that, upon the unraveling of the APC's web of falsehoods, the party decided against tendering an unreserved apology for misleading the Nigerian electorate? The answer lies in the fact that the APC has something to hide, despite its claims to transparency. But it went about the hiding project in an amateur way. The party said Buhari was in London on a "brief working visit"! But his itinerary was unpublished and unknown. Reacting to the consternation caused by this development, the APC said Buhari was in London to deliver a lecture at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, otherwise known as Chatham House, the name of the building in which it is situated.
This raised two questions. Buhari dreams of becoming the President of Nigeria. In that respect, he should be addressing Nigerians, and he could be doing so at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) in Victoria Island, Lagos. Instead, he flew 6,275kilometres to talk to white folks and a handful of Nigerians none of whom has the vote. The lies continued to rear their ugly heads. A check at the list of impending Chatham House engagements showed that Buhari's name was not there. The Chatham House talk was, after all, an afterthought. The APC wangled an emergency slot for Buhari at Chatham House, an institute seemingly overcome with the obsession of packaging Buhari for the international community.
After his speech at Chatham House, Buhari granted an interview to Channels TV in which he said that, following his campaign tour of 35 Nigerian state capitals, he needed to leave all the hoopla and cavalcade behind and flee to London, to grab a rest! Isn't there a place in Buhari's entire hometown of Daura for him to retire and recover from his punishing campaign schedule?
Another question: what kind of president will this man make who requires a mandatory escape to England after every month, to clutch at rest? Compare him to President Goodluck Jonathan who has, through the past five years, been directing the affairs of Nigeria, without as much as taking a full annual leave. Yet another question: Would it have been inappropriate for Buhari to admit that the "peeling was from the Iroko's trunk"? if he got exhausted because he went political brain storming, would it have been out of place if the 72- year-old politician acknowledged that he was in Britain primarily to have his pulse taken, his organs examined and his vital signs medically assessed and documented for likely emergencies?
That is the crux of the matter. Buhari needs to come clean on his health status. Not because he is a retired major general. Not because he has left more questions than answers on too many aspects of his controversial past. But because he desires to be President. A politician with intent to lead Nigeria should let Nigerians into the entire picture of his circumstances, in order that they can make informed decisions on his suitability or otherwise for the highest office in the country.
Some opposition politicians have listed all sorts of medical conditions they say are indicative of the man's ineligibility for the presidency. The taste of the pudding, as they say, is in the eating. But, rather than disprove the allegations of poor health against Buhari, his handlers are charging that his opponents wish him dead. This charge holds no water because wishes are no assassins. Were wishes murderers, Nigeria would since have been severely depopulated. Nigerians hold overwhelmingly to the attitude that life belongs only and strictly to God who gives it or takes it as He pleases.
The presidency is a most tasking job. As Chief of Staff in a state government not very long ago, I recall that we reported for work daily at 7am, and hardly closed for the day before 10pm. Still, the governor was liable to phone you at midnight or at 3am, to ask for information, a speech or an explanation, if not your physical presence. And there was the daily manifest, and all the travel and other functions it entailed.
If Buhari required to go abroad for medical attention because he toured 35 states over one month while flying in the comfort of a private jet, how does the man expect to shoulder the exigencies and extreme pressures of presiding over Nigeria, an entity far in excess of any of its component parts in terms of size, complexity, peculiarities, population and international imperatives?
Muhammadu Buhari's "brief working visit" is stretching into one month, during which period he has missed all but one (Chatham House) of the appointments keyed against his name. Like a hermit, he remains strangely incommunicado. Not even Mutesa II, the Kabaka of Buganda, was in this severe form of isolation and seclusion during his London exile in the 1960s.
During the presidential campaigns of 2007, Nigeria,at a stage, suffered the fait accompli of PDP candidate Umaru Musa Yar'Adua being hospitalized in Germany, while his supporters, led by a certain Matthew Olusegun Obasanjo, insisted that he was in robust health. For seemingly endless months in 2010, Nigeria endured the dangerous precedent of presidential power vacuum as Yar'Adua went through death throes in a Saudi Arabian hospital, while his handlers claimed that he was as medically and physically fit as an Olympic sprinter.
Nigeria is again at the epicentre of another explosive political scandal. For nearly a month now, Buhari, the presidential candidate of the APC, has been away from the shores of Nigeria, with his fellow countrymen and women at a loss as to the true circumstances of his self-inflicted exile. The leadership of the APC owes the country a moral and political obligation to answer this straightforward question: Where is Muhammadu Buhari?
To divert the attention of the curious, his handlers posted numerous false <!--more-->pictures on the Internet and planted same in national newspapers. There, suddenly, was Muhammadu Buhari, confidently emerging from airport formalities at either Heathrow or Gatwick! There, suddenly, was a relaxed Buhari in some well-appointed London studio, granting a press interview.
It didn't take a century for the pack of lies to crumble. It turned out the pictures released of Buhari by his handlers were of the man on a UK visit in 2013. It turned out that the Buhari interview was years old, and had been conducted not anywhere in Europe but inside an Abuja Transcorp Hilton suite. Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose personally visited the suite and demonstrated beyond every iota of doubt that it was the venue of the so-called interview the APC claimed its presidential candidate had granted in London. Eagle- eyed journalists supported Fayose's findings by detailing features of the interview picture that pinned its origin to the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.
Why did the APC have to dish out these lies? Why is it that, upon the unraveling of the APC's web of falsehoods, the party decided against tendering an unreserved apology for misleading the Nigerian electorate? The answer lies in the fact that the APC has something to hide, despite its claims to transparency. But it went about the hiding project in an amateur way. The party said Buhari was in London on a "brief working visit"! But his itinerary was unpublished and unknown. Reacting to the consternation caused by this development, the APC said Buhari was in London to deliver a lecture at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, otherwise known as Chatham House, the name of the building in which it is situated.
This raised two questions. Buhari dreams of becoming the President of Nigeria. In that respect, he should be addressing Nigerians, and he could be doing so at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) in Victoria Island, Lagos. Instead, he flew 6,275kilometres to talk to white folks and a handful of Nigerians none of whom has the vote. The lies continued to rear their ugly heads. A check at the list of impending Chatham House engagements showed that Buhari's name was not there. The Chatham House talk was, after all, an afterthought. The APC wangled an emergency slot for Buhari at Chatham House, an institute seemingly overcome with the obsession of packaging Buhari for the international community.
After his speech at Chatham House, Buhari granted an interview to Channels TV in which he said that, following his campaign tour of 35 Nigerian state capitals, he needed to leave all the hoopla and cavalcade behind and flee to London, to grab a rest! Isn't there a place in Buhari's entire hometown of Daura for him to retire and recover from his punishing campaign schedule?
Another question: what kind of president will this man make who requires a mandatory escape to England after every month, to clutch at rest? Compare him to President Goodluck Jonathan who has, through the past five years, been directing the affairs of Nigeria, without as much as taking a full annual leave. Yet another question: Would it have been inappropriate for Buhari to admit that the "peeling was from the Iroko's trunk"? if he got exhausted because he went political brain storming, would it have been out of place if the 72- year-old politician acknowledged that he was in Britain primarily to have his pulse taken, his organs examined and his vital signs medically assessed and documented for likely emergencies?
That is the crux of the matter. Buhari needs to come clean on his health status. Not because he is a retired major general. Not because he has left more questions than answers on too many aspects of his controversial past. But because he desires to be President. A politician with intent to lead Nigeria should let Nigerians into the entire picture of his circumstances, in order that they can make informed decisions on his suitability or otherwise for the highest office in the country.
Some opposition politicians have listed all sorts of medical conditions they say are indicative of the man's ineligibility for the presidency. The taste of the pudding, as they say, is in the eating. But, rather than disprove the allegations of poor health against Buhari, his handlers are charging that his opponents wish him dead. This charge holds no water because wishes are no assassins. Were wishes murderers, Nigeria would since have been severely depopulated. Nigerians hold overwhelmingly to the attitude that life belongs only and strictly to God who gives it or takes it as He pleases.
The presidency is a most tasking job. As Chief of Staff in a state government not very long ago, I recall that we reported for work daily at 7am, and hardly closed for the day before 10pm. Still, the governor was liable to phone you at midnight or at 3am, to ask for information, a speech or an explanation, if not your physical presence. And there was the daily manifest, and all the travel and other functions it entailed.
If Buhari required to go abroad for medical attention because he toured 35 states over one month while flying in the comfort of a private jet, how does the man expect to shoulder the exigencies and extreme pressures of presiding over Nigeria, an entity far in excess of any of its component parts in terms of size, complexity, peculiarities, population and international imperatives?
Muhammadu Buhari's "brief working visit" is stretching into one month, during which period he has missed all but one (Chatham House) of the appointments keyed against his name. Like a hermit, he remains strangely incommunicado. Not even Mutesa II, the Kabaka of Buganda, was in this severe form of isolation and seclusion during his London exile in the 1960s.
During the presidential campaigns of 2007, Nigeria,at a stage, suffered the fait accompli of PDP candidate Umaru Musa Yar'Adua being hospitalized in Germany, while his supporters, led by a certain Matthew Olusegun Obasanjo, insisted that he was in robust health. For seemingly endless months in 2010, Nigeria endured the dangerous precedent of presidential power vacuum as Yar'Adua went through death throes in a Saudi Arabian hospital, while his handlers claimed that he was as medically and physically fit as an Olympic sprinter.
Nigeria is again at the epicentre of another explosive political scandal. For nearly a month now, Buhari, the presidential candidate of the APC, has been away from the shores of Nigeria, with his fellow countrymen and women at a loss as to the true circumstances of his self-inflicted exile. The leadership of the APC owes the country a moral and political obligation to answer this straightforward question: Where is Muhammadu Buhari?
Airport Cleaner Who Returned Forgotten N12 Million
Behold, another good Nigerian! Josephine Ugwu, despite being a lowly cleaner at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport has become a celebrity.
Her face is now known the world over for something positive. She attained celebrity status because of her honesty.
While on duty at the Airport, she <!--more-->found a bag which contained N12millon, in different currencies. For many people of her status on salary of N7, 800 only, this could have been an opportunity to bid bye to poverty, albeit dishonestly; and not a few people of comfortable status in our midst could have readily appropriated the money, celebrating their luck. But not Josephine; that for her would be filthy lucre. She did not negotiate with her conscience whether or not to return the money because according to her, she had been brought up not to take what does not belong to her.
We commend Josephine Ugwu for her honesty and courage in returning the money, in the face of all the challenges she might have been facing going by her paltry salary. Her action goes to prove that poverty is in the mind and no one has a reason for stealing at any level, high or low. It also exposes the fact that goals set due to ostentatious expectations of trying to keep up with one's neighbours, when one is not capable, can only be achieved by pilfering.
We are of the opinion that this singular action should be celebrated by one and all - the nation, government (federal/ Lagos), her state/local government, as well as her town, her company and especially her people for bringing them honour instead of disgrace that so many bring when they are caught in unbefitting acts in the name of hustling.
Josephine Ugwu has also proven that everything is not about money and that not all Nigerians are criminals. Money surely cannot buy the peace of mind that doing the right thing brings. There are many rich people today who in spite of their wealth do not have peace of mind because of how the money came.
Dora Akunyili, may God rest her soul, was also celebrated after a singular act of honesty, when she retired excess dollars from money that had been approved for a medical trip and operation because she found out at the end of the exercise that she did not need all the money. There are many today trying hard to achieve celebrity status, spending lavishly to gain acceptance, but Josephine Ugwu and people like her have confirmed that your good character will surely speak for you on the long run. And what more, the kind of fame that follows is not flimsy and whimsical. People should always bear in mind that a good recommendation always leads to elevation.
We believe that as a nation we should also seize this opportunity to reflect on our changed societal values. Previously, more people would do a good turn without collecting gratification or bribe. Life was easier and less stressful at that time. It is obvious that some of the stress we are experiencing is manmade. We have allowed our cultural reward systems and structures to be hijacked by many miscreants who then turn round to rub it in our faces by enslaving us. People like Josephine Ugwu are the true role models who should be showcased to inspire and motivate other people, especially the youths, to uphold our cultural values and norms that actually frown at pilfering and being a brigand.
We opine that leadership should actually be bottom-up. A good leader does not have to be known the world over. Just being a good role model creates ripples that touch the lives of so many other people. Good adults who take the trouble to teach children good moral values are actually good leaders. Repairing Nigeria should be the responsibility of everybody and Josephine Ugwu and her breed have shown that earning trust is worth its weight in gold. Personal greed on the long run spoils business for management and the individual concerned because the loss of name is such a loss as no man can restore.
Josephine Ugwu by her example has challenged Nigerians, no matter their status in life that people should appreciate what they have and manage it well because a person who cannot manage a little will surely not be able to manage much. Happiness is the ability to be happy in any situation.
Her face is now known the world over for something positive. She attained celebrity status because of her honesty.
While on duty at the Airport, she <!--more-->found a bag which contained N12millon, in different currencies. For many people of her status on salary of N7, 800 only, this could have been an opportunity to bid bye to poverty, albeit dishonestly; and not a few people of comfortable status in our midst could have readily appropriated the money, celebrating their luck. But not Josephine; that for her would be filthy lucre. She did not negotiate with her conscience whether or not to return the money because according to her, she had been brought up not to take what does not belong to her.
We commend Josephine Ugwu for her honesty and courage in returning the money, in the face of all the challenges she might have been facing going by her paltry salary. Her action goes to prove that poverty is in the mind and no one has a reason for stealing at any level, high or low. It also exposes the fact that goals set due to ostentatious expectations of trying to keep up with one's neighbours, when one is not capable, can only be achieved by pilfering.
We are of the opinion that this singular action should be celebrated by one and all - the nation, government (federal/ Lagos), her state/local government, as well as her town, her company and especially her people for bringing them honour instead of disgrace that so many bring when they are caught in unbefitting acts in the name of hustling.
Josephine Ugwu has also proven that everything is not about money and that not all Nigerians are criminals. Money surely cannot buy the peace of mind that doing the right thing brings. There are many rich people today who in spite of their wealth do not have peace of mind because of how the money came.
Dora Akunyili, may God rest her soul, was also celebrated after a singular act of honesty, when she retired excess dollars from money that had been approved for a medical trip and operation because she found out at the end of the exercise that she did not need all the money. There are many today trying hard to achieve celebrity status, spending lavishly to gain acceptance, but Josephine Ugwu and people like her have confirmed that your good character will surely speak for you on the long run. And what more, the kind of fame that follows is not flimsy and whimsical. People should always bear in mind that a good recommendation always leads to elevation.
We believe that as a nation we should also seize this opportunity to reflect on our changed societal values. Previously, more people would do a good turn without collecting gratification or bribe. Life was easier and less stressful at that time. It is obvious that some of the stress we are experiencing is manmade. We have allowed our cultural reward systems and structures to be hijacked by many miscreants who then turn round to rub it in our faces by enslaving us. People like Josephine Ugwu are the true role models who should be showcased to inspire and motivate other people, especially the youths, to uphold our cultural values and norms that actually frown at pilfering and being a brigand.
We opine that leadership should actually be bottom-up. A good leader does not have to be known the world over. Just being a good role model creates ripples that touch the lives of so many other people. Good adults who take the trouble to teach children good moral values are actually good leaders. Repairing Nigeria should be the responsibility of everybody and Josephine Ugwu and her breed have shown that earning trust is worth its weight in gold. Personal greed on the long run spoils business for management and the individual concerned because the loss of name is such a loss as no man can restore.
Josephine Ugwu by her example has challenged Nigerians, no matter their status in life that people should appreciate what they have and manage it well because a person who cannot manage a little will surely not be able to manage much. Happiness is the ability to be happy in any situation.
US missionary kidnapped in Nigeria freed
Phyllis Sortor, a missionary with the Free Methodist Church, was seized on February 23 in the village of Emiworo in Kogi state. 'She has been
Ex-CJN, Justice Dahiru Mustapha’s Mother Passes On At 100
She died yesterday at a hospital in Abuja after a brief illness.
Hajiya Dije left behind the former CJN and three grandchildren.
Hajiya Dije was buried yesterday at Babura Gabas Cemetery in Babura local government of Jigawa State according to Islamic injunction.
The dignitaries that attended her burial were the minister of foreign affairs, Amb Aminu Wali, Emir of Ringim, His Highness Sayyadi Mahmud, Walin Kano, Mahe Bashir Wali, secretary to Jigawa State government, Lawan Audu among others.
Patience Jonathan To Face ICC DID SHE COMMIT ANY CRIME?
The presidential campaign organisation of the All Progressives Congress has reported the wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, to the International Criminal Court.
Two weeks ago, Patience had, while campaigning for her husband in Calabar,
Dame Patience JonathanTwo weeks ago, Patience had, while campaigning for her husband in Calabar,
Buhari's Wife Message To Nigeria Women
WIFE of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Mrs. Aisha Buhari
WIFE of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, on Sunday said a vote for her husband, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) and the APC was the only sure way of empowering the Nigerian woman.
Mrs. Buhari said
Sunday, 8 March 2015
Meet the 10 worst dressed celebrities at the #AMVCA2015…even Bovi is shocked
#AMVCA2015
Many of your favorite celebs looked great at the AMVCAs last night but a few others chose to break the internet with their costumes.
Worst dressed celebrities at the #AMVCA2015…even Bovi is shocked
#AMVCA2015
Many of your favorite celebs looked great at the AMVCAs last night but a few others chose to break the internet with their costumes.
Did Genevieve Nnaji win Best Dressed award?
#AMVCA2015: Did Genevieve Nnaji win Best Dressed award?
(We almost mistook the mother of one for a fine bottle of champagne in her gorgeous off-shoulder dress designed by Elvira Jude. Photo: Filed)
For a star who always slays in any outfit, we have to give it to Genevieve Nnaji for looking clean, lovely, effortless and flawless last night.
(We almost mistook the mother of one for a fine bottle of champagne in her gorgeous off-shoulder dress designed by Elvira Jude. Photo: Filed) For a star who always slays in any outfit, we have to give it to Genevieve Nnaji for looking clean, lovely, effortless and flawless last night.
Wednesday, 4 March 2015
Shocking Decision at Sweet Briar
Small colleges close or merge from time to time, more frequently since the economic downturn started in 2008. But the move is unusual in that Sweet Briar still has a meaningful endowment, regional accreditation and some well-respected programs. But college officials said that the trend lines were too unfavorable, and that efforts to consider different strategies didn't yield any viable options. So the college decided to close now, with some sense of order, rather than drag out the process for several more years, as it could have done.
Five Nights at Freddy's 3 Release Date: Steam Launch and Game Details
Scott Cawthon's horror point-and-click video game, "Five Nights at Freddy's 3," has just been released on Steam.
The third entry to the critically praised indie video game, "Five Nights at Freddy's" has just been made public on Steam after developer Scott Cawthon announced it on his website in January following a game teaser posted on YouTube.
The video game presents a unique presentation on the horror genre, with a simplistic design focusing on survival, and an overall atmosphere of fear and paranoia.
The third entry to the critically praised indie video game, "Five Nights at Freddy's" has just been made public on Steam after developer Scott Cawthon announced it on his website in January following a game teaser posted on YouTube.
The video game presents a unique presentation on the horror genre, with a simplistic design focusing on survival, and an overall atmosphere of fear and paranoia.
Netanyahu Speech Raises Burden for Obama on Iran Nuclear Talks
Credit: Stephen Crowley/The New York Times
WASHINGTON — President Obama's task of selling a potential nuclear agreement with Iran to a skeptical Congress became far harder on Tuesday after an impassioned speech by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to lawmakers already nervous about the deal.
Carrie Underwood announces birth of her son, Isaiah Michael Fisher, on Facebook
on Facebook this photo
this morning of her son,
Isaiah Michael Fisher.
Carrie Underwood poses at the 2014 American Country Countdown Awards Red Carpet at the Music City Center on Monday, Dec. 15, 2014 in Nashville, Tenn.
She announced on Facebook today that she gave birth to her first child, a son, on Friday.
AP file
Checotah native Carrie Underwood took to her official Facebook page this morning to announce that she and husband Mike Fisher, who plays for the Nashville Predators National Hockey League team, have welcomed their first child, a son named Isaiah Michael Fisher.
"Tiny hands and tiny feet…God has blessed us with an amazing gift! Isaiah Michael Fisher – born February 27," she wrote on Facebook.
IHOP celebrates National Pancake Day, “You can come back as many times as you want”
IHOP
MILWAUKEE (WITI) — Walking into the IHOP off Fond Du Lac Avenue you'll likely see James Payne greeting guests.
Not only is Payne an IHOP General Manager, he's a member of the U.S. Airforce, and most importantly to him a father.
"Honestly, before I came through the door I kissed my daughter this morning," said Payne.
Payne kept plenty busy at work, as Tuesday marks IHOP's National Pancake Day.
Guests can come in and get a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes with a donation to the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.
"You can come back as many times as you want as long as you make a donation," said Payne.
This is especially meaningful to Payne as he has spent many days and nights at the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin after his four-year-old daughter, Harmonee, was diagnosed with sickle-cell anemia.
"I know some of the doctors at Children's Hospital and I know how much they care and I know that if they just had that little extra money just to dig a little bit further maybe they can actually find some cures for some of these diseases," said Payne.
Droves of people showed up to enjoy the pancakes
"Very good. I cleaned my plate, very fluffy," said IHOP customer Artasia Fletcher as she enjoyed her pancakes.
And help the cause…
"I'm excited that there is a lot of people here that are supporting Children's. Go people," exclaimed IHOP customer Santosha Landon.
Whether it's $1 or $50 that people are donating every penny makes a dramatic difference as 100% of the proceeds are donated to Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.
IHop's across the country are hoping to raise $3.5 million over the day-long event, bringing its total donations to $20 million over the last 10 years.
MILWAUKEE (WITI) — Walking into the IHOP off Fond Du Lac Avenue you'll likely see James Payne greeting guests.
Not only is Payne an IHOP General Manager, he's a member of the U.S. Airforce, and most importantly to him a father.
"Honestly, before I came through the door I kissed my daughter this morning," said Payne.
Payne kept plenty busy at work, as Tuesday marks IHOP's National Pancake Day.
Guests can come in and get a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes with a donation to the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.
"You can come back as many times as you want as long as you make a donation," said Payne.
This is especially meaningful to Payne as he has spent many days and nights at the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin after his four-year-old daughter, Harmonee, was diagnosed with sickle-cell anemia.
"I know some of the doctors at Children's Hospital and I know how much they care and I know that if they just had that little extra money just to dig a little bit further maybe they can actually find some cures for some of these diseases," said Payne.
Droves of people showed up to enjoy the pancakes
"Very good. I cleaned my plate, very fluffy," said IHOP customer Artasia Fletcher as she enjoyed her pancakes.
And help the cause…
"I'm excited that there is a lot of people here that are supporting Children's. Go people," exclaimed IHOP customer Santosha Landon.
Whether it's $1 or $50 that people are donating every penny makes a dramatic difference as 100% of the proceeds are donated to Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.
IHop's across the country are hoping to raise $3.5 million over the day-long event, bringing its total donations to $20 million over the last 10 years.
Ryan Reynolds Goes Top Gun with His New Haircut
Last night, actor Ryan Reynolds showed up on Jimmy Fallon's couch to discuss, among other things, his life as a new father, and he brought a clean-as-all-hell haircut with him.
Reynolds rocked the highest high and tight we've seen in a while—the kind that falls just on the right side of the junior Air Force airman/downtown hipster divide. (For those of you at home: when you're not sure which one you resemble, a perfectly tailored suit, white shirt, and tie bar will do wonders.)
We'll bet the new kid's keeping him up at night, so we're totally on board with a youthful haircut to combat dad- tigue. (That's fatigue—for dads.) Fatherhood: it'll change your life, and give you an excuse for a dope haircut.
Reynolds rocked the highest high and tight we've seen in a while—the kind that falls just on the right side of the junior Air Force airman/downtown hipster divide. (For those of you at home: when you're not sure which one you resemble, a perfectly tailored suit, white shirt, and tie bar will do wonders.)
We'll bet the new kid's keeping him up at night, so we're totally on board with a youthful haircut to combat dad- tigue. (That's fatigue—for dads.) Fatherhood: it'll change your life, and give you an excuse for a dope haircut.
Technology » What is Freak and who is at risk?
The latest security warning affects those using Google and Apple software and potentially gives hackers access to anything you transmit over the internet. How did this happen, and how do you protect yourself?
What is Freak?
We're bombarded with so many security warnings, all with silly names, that it's easy to become complacent. But "Freak" really could be dangerous.
Facebook planning to test internet services using solar-powered planes in India
"We are really in development of technologies at connectivity lab. We are not yet launching any pilots. We will in the future, and we are entirely open to launching it in India because there is such a great opportunity in India to connect the unconnected," Facebook Vice President of Internet.org Chris Daniels said.
He said the company is working on alternate internet technologies other than traditional ways of providing connectivity including solar planes and satellites.
"The reason why planes are interesting is that you can have solar powered planes that stay very high in the sky and provide connectivity. Plane can have broad area. That plane can be fuelled by the sun, does not need to have generator or physical infrastructure on the ground. That's potentially an attractive way through which we can provide connectivity," he said.
Facebook expects technologies to bring down the cost of internet significantly.
Web-based companies including Facebook that provide messenger and internet-based calling service have been at loggerheads with telecom operator as it is cutting in to their revenues.
Facebook is now attempting to make truce with telecom operators through its programme internet.org. Under this, it in partnership with telecom operators is providing free access to some basic websites to customers.
In India, Facebook launched internet.org with Reliance Communications.
"Internet.org is a customer acquisition tool. There is a 40 per cent increase in data customers for operators who have turned on internet.org. The fundamental thing that we can do to help operators is to bring them more paying customers. That's the model which supports their business model and network roll out," Daniel said.
Telecom operators have been demanding that there should be revenue sharing model between web-based companies providing messaging and calling services as they invest massively on building network to provide connectivity to the people.
Daniel said such demand does not "make sense at higher level. People are paying for data when they find value in internet. We are trying to help them find value in internet."
The internet.org platform includes Facebook messenger but the social media firm has turned off VoIP or internet-based calling function due to concerns raised by telecom operators.
"Taking into consideration business model concerns that operators have around VoIP, it is not a free basic service which we have chosen with them (operators) to include in Internet.org," Daniel said.
Facebook Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Daniels both praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for use of internet.
In India, it's interesting to see how Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi used internet as a campaigning tool," Zuckerberg said.
Daniel said that Facebook is inspired by hearing "Prime Minister Modi's Digital India initiative. I think government in India has done a really fantastic thing in embracing connectivity as one of the key pillars."
He further said: "There are things that we can do to collaborate with Indian government is providing e-government services through internet.org and we have already begun to that with Andhra Pradesh."
Facebook has second largest user base in India after the US. By the end of September 2014, Facebook had monthly active user base of about 112 million and 52 million daily active users.
Globally, the company has 1.35 billion users, while the daily active users are 864 million.
PTI
Mercy Johnson, Daughter Avoid Lagos Traffic By Riding GEJ's Train
Nollywood actress Mercy Johnson and her daughter Purity avoided the incessant traffic gridlock on Lagos roads, especially the Ikeja axis, on Monday, by taking a ride on one of the fully air-conditioned trains commissioned by the Goodluck Jonathan's administration.
According to Mercy Johnson, she decided to take the train to Ikeja instead of going through traffic in Lagos. She posted a picture of herself and daughter on her instagram page with the caption 'Traffic emergency last night.. Ran with my heels off, Purity & I caught the train to Ikeja. No dulling'
She also posted a video of them on the train with the caption 'Purity and I braved a train ride to Ikeja... Not Everytime Endure Lagos Traffic for 5 Hours, Sometimes... .take the tube!'
According to Mercy Johnson, she decided to take the train to Ikeja instead of going through traffic in Lagos. She posted a picture of herself and daughter on her instagram page with the caption 'Traffic emergency last night.. Ran with my heels off, Purity & I caught the train to Ikeja. No dulling'
She also posted a video of them on the train with the caption 'Purity and I braved a train ride to Ikeja... Not Everytime Endure Lagos Traffic for 5 Hours, Sometimes... .take the tube!'
Fans criticize Sheyi Shay’s outfit for meeting with President Jonathan
Her outfit at an event held in Lagos on Sunday, March 1, 2015 where more than 5,000 Nigerian youths met with the President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan is beginning raise some controversy. The event held at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos and pictures from the occasion that were released a few hours ago shows Seyi Shay sitting next to the president in a very skimpy outfit.
It would be recalled that a similar controversy trailed her outfit at the 2014 Channel O Music Video Awards which held in South Africa.
Tinubu Asks Broadcasting Commission to Sanction AIT Over Documentary
Sequel to his threats on Monday to sue the African Independent Television for airing a documentary he said was defamatory, a national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, has asked National Broadcasting Commission to sanction the television station for violating the broadcasting code.
In a petition addressed to the Director General of the NBC, Mr. Tinubu said the one-hour documentary "violates the rules and regulations guiding such political adverts particularly during an electioneering year".
"The said documentary is offensive, derogatory, unethical, destructive, and politically motivated to serve the interest of the anonymous 'sponsor'," the letter sent through Mr. Tinubu's solicitors, Olatunji Abayomi & Co stated.
"You may wish to particularly note that although AIT wrote "sponsored" when broadcasting the documentary, it never during or after the broadcast revealed the "sponsors", an indication that AIT had something to hide."
He argued that by airing the documentary, AIT violated paragraphs 3.1.1, 3.4.2, 3.4.5 and paragraphs 5.2.1 - 5.2.22 of National Broadcasting Commission Code.
Paragraph 3.1.1 of the national broadcasting code reads:
"The broadcast or rebroadcast of any content shall be only with the express permission of the rights owner. Piracy is prohibited."
Paragraph 3.4.2 of the code reads: All sides to an issue shall be equitably presented preferably in the same broadcast.
Paragraph 3.4.5 of the broadcasting code requires that all programmes shall comply with laws relating to piracy, copyright, to privacy, sedition, libel, etc.
While paragraphs 5.2.1 - 5.2.22 of the broadcasting code deals with the rules of airing political programmes.
"Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu was not running for any political office warranting undue attention to his life affairs, consequently we wonder the motive of the diligent desire of Africa Independent Television (AIT) to destroy his achievement and reputation," the letter stated.
"AIT has failed to follow and obey rules and regulations guiding such content. We demand that the NBC enforces its regulations by first restraining the AIT and any other media organisations from producing or reproducing in any form of defamatory publication especially the documentary titled, 'Lion of Bourdilon'."
In his letter to Daar Communications, owners of AIT, Mr. Tinubu demanded that the company retract the publication and issue a public apology. He also asked the company to pay N20 billion for damage done to his reputation.
In a petition addressed to the Director General of the NBC, Mr. Tinubu said the one-hour documentary "violates the rules and regulations guiding such political adverts particularly during an electioneering year".
"The said documentary is offensive, derogatory, unethical, destructive, and politically motivated to serve the interest of the anonymous 'sponsor'," the letter sent through Mr. Tinubu's solicitors, Olatunji Abayomi & Co stated.
"You may wish to particularly note that although AIT wrote "sponsored" when broadcasting the documentary, it never during or after the broadcast revealed the "sponsors", an indication that AIT had something to hide."
He argued that by airing the documentary, AIT violated paragraphs 3.1.1, 3.4.2, 3.4.5 and paragraphs 5.2.1 - 5.2.22 of National Broadcasting Commission Code.
Paragraph 3.1.1 of the national broadcasting code reads:
"The broadcast or rebroadcast of any content shall be only with the express permission of the rights owner. Piracy is prohibited."
Paragraph 3.4.2 of the code reads: All sides to an issue shall be equitably presented preferably in the same broadcast.
Paragraph 3.4.5 of the broadcasting code requires that all programmes shall comply with laws relating to piracy, copyright, to privacy, sedition, libel, etc.
While paragraphs 5.2.1 - 5.2.22 of the broadcasting code deals with the rules of airing political programmes.
"Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu was not running for any political office warranting undue attention to his life affairs, consequently we wonder the motive of the diligent desire of Africa Independent Television (AIT) to destroy his achievement and reputation," the letter stated.
"AIT has failed to follow and obey rules and regulations guiding such content. We demand that the NBC enforces its regulations by first restraining the AIT and any other media organisations from producing or reproducing in any form of defamatory publication especially the documentary titled, 'Lion of Bourdilon'."
In his letter to Daar Communications, owners of AIT, Mr. Tinubu demanded that the company retract the publication and issue a public apology. He also asked the company to pay N20 billion for damage done to his reputation.
Nigeria: 'HIV/Aids Could Be Eradicated By 2020'
Ilorin — AS states commit to greater awareness creation among citizens and researches improving globally, a complete eradication of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria could be feasible by the year 2020, Kwara State Commissioner for Health, Kayode Issa, has said.
Issa said at the commissioning of two HIV counselling and testing mobile tents on Monday in Ilorin that the state government, with its robust health system, has remained proactive against the deadly virus.
The kits were provided by the non- governmental Kids and Teens Resource Centre, which now counsels and tests volunteers for the virus. According to Issa, "in Kwara State, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has health sector as one of his cardinal policies.
"His government had since inception committed much money into the issue of HIV/AIDS. We believe that by the year 2020, the virus can be eradicated or reduced to the barest minimum in this part of the world.
"Already, the statistics needed on the number of newly infested persons have been compiled while the drugs required have been provided.
"We will spread the news to the rural areas across the state to enhance more development on the eradication of the deadly virus and attain the zero discrimination target in line with the global theme for the year.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of Kids and Teens Resource Centre, Falana Martin-Mary, described HIV/ AIDS as a major developmental challenge that has dealt a dirty blow to the world, with gross negative impact on the people.
"The unfortunate part of it is that young people are the most hit with the pandemic, and if adequate care is not taken now, the future may be bleak," he noted. "HIV counselling and testing is the most effective impact mitigation gateway.
"People will only get tested and treated for HIV if they know their HIV status will be kept private. Discussing, diagnosing and treating HIV and AIDS is a sensitive, private issue between a client and his or her provider. This privacy is especially important, as any breach of privacy may result in stigmatisation or discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS."
According to him, results of the tests so far conducted on volunteers from Ekiti, Ondo and Kwara states show that persons living with the virus "are many."
However, "the mobile tent is a tool in HIV counselling and testing that offers a room for management of possible results or reactions from a client/counsellee during and after counseling, irrespective of the result, either negative or positive.
Issa said at the commissioning of two HIV counselling and testing mobile tents on Monday in Ilorin that the state government, with its robust health system, has remained proactive against the deadly virus.
The kits were provided by the non- governmental Kids and Teens Resource Centre, which now counsels and tests volunteers for the virus. According to Issa, "in Kwara State, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has health sector as one of his cardinal policies.
"His government had since inception committed much money into the issue of HIV/AIDS. We believe that by the year 2020, the virus can be eradicated or reduced to the barest minimum in this part of the world.
"Already, the statistics needed on the number of newly infested persons have been compiled while the drugs required have been provided.
"We will spread the news to the rural areas across the state to enhance more development on the eradication of the deadly virus and attain the zero discrimination target in line with the global theme for the year.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of Kids and Teens Resource Centre, Falana Martin-Mary, described HIV/ AIDS as a major developmental challenge that has dealt a dirty blow to the world, with gross negative impact on the people.
"The unfortunate part of it is that young people are the most hit with the pandemic, and if adequate care is not taken now, the future may be bleak," he noted. "HIV counselling and testing is the most effective impact mitigation gateway.
"People will only get tested and treated for HIV if they know their HIV status will be kept private. Discussing, diagnosing and treating HIV and AIDS is a sensitive, private issue between a client and his or her provider. This privacy is especially important, as any breach of privacy may result in stigmatisation or discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS."
According to him, results of the tests so far conducted on volunteers from Ekiti, Ondo and Kwara states show that persons living with the virus "are many."
However, "the mobile tent is a tool in HIV counselling and testing that offers a room for management of possible results or reactions from a client/counsellee during and after counseling, irrespective of the result, either negative or positive.
Nigeria: Rivers APC to PDP - Peterside Not Imitating Your Candidate
The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, has berated the Peoples Democratic Party in the state for claiming that its governorship candidate, Dakuku Peterside, copied the election agenda of his PDP counterpart, Nyesom Wike.
The PDP, in a statement on Monday by Jerry Needam, an aide to its chairman, Felix Obuah, said Mr. Peterside had no election programme but was merely copying Mr. Wike's.
Responding via a statement by its chairman, Davies Ikanya, on Tuesday, the APC said the allegation was "vexatious, ridiculous and without foundation," because it was coming several weeks after it alerted the public about attempts by the PDP candidate to copy Mr. Peterside's Roadmap to Prosperity agenda.
It listed the four-point agenda as public sector accountability and security of lives and properties; employment generation and wealth creation; social and human capital development and empowerment; and institutional and physical infrastructure development and food security.
Stating that it took exception to the allegation, the APC said the opposition party in the state was demonizing Mr. Peterside who presented his agenda before Mr. Wike became a governorship candidate.
The APC said, "For Jerry Needam and his master, Felix Obuah (Rivers PDP chairman) to therefore turn around after over two months to accuse Dr. Peterside of copying or attempting to copy Wike's non-existent development agenda clearly betrays the educational backwardness of Mr. Jerry Needam, who may not understand what the word copycat means after spending ten years without graduation from Rivers State University of Science and Technology, and Mr. Felix Obuah, who was not privileged to see the four walls of any sound educational institution.
"To describe Dakuku Peterside, a Doctorate Degree holder and Chairman of Petroleum Committee (Upstream) of the House of Representatives as a copycat who lacks originality suggests that Jerry Needam, a pathological liar and a mental case, who has visited a psychiatric hospital at Enugu on several occasions, is yet to be fully cured of his mental challenges."
On the allegation that Mr. Peterside imitated Mr. Wike by going to churches, the APC said the PDP forgot that the APC candidate, in a globally broadcast thanksgiving service handled by about 2,000 men of God, handed over his mandate to God in December 2014 before Mr. Wike started his church campaigns.
It also said the PDP forgot that the APC candidate, being a born-again Christian did not need to advertise his church programmes unlike his PDP counterpart "who because of his anti-Christ disposition advertises his church events to deceive Christians that he has become a Christian, forgetting that Rivers people are too enlightened to be easily deceived".
The APC described Mr. Peterside as a man who earned a reputation as a charismatic and disciplined leader; creative and hardworking, and a broad-minded fellow with strategic insights.
"Peterside is widely respected as one of the most result-oriented, meticulous, consistent, trustworthy and God-fearing political leaders," it said.
"In all public offices he has held he has brought innovation to bear and made remarkable impact that has endeared him to his fellow compatriots.
"He is a role model and mentor to several young persons, who look up to him for inspiration. He has at various times turned down at least fourteen chieftaincy titles, several honourary doctorate degrees and awards rather believing in the people as a reason for service.
"We are proud to recommend him to the great people of Rivers State as their next governor after the departure of the goal- oriented Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi in 2015."
The PDP, in a statement on Monday by Jerry Needam, an aide to its chairman, Felix Obuah, said Mr. Peterside had no election programme but was merely copying Mr. Wike's.
Responding via a statement by its chairman, Davies Ikanya, on Tuesday, the APC said the allegation was "vexatious, ridiculous and without foundation," because it was coming several weeks after it alerted the public about attempts by the PDP candidate to copy Mr. Peterside's Roadmap to Prosperity agenda.
It listed the four-point agenda as public sector accountability and security of lives and properties; employment generation and wealth creation; social and human capital development and empowerment; and institutional and physical infrastructure development and food security.
Stating that it took exception to the allegation, the APC said the opposition party in the state was demonizing Mr. Peterside who presented his agenda before Mr. Wike became a governorship candidate.
The APC said, "For Jerry Needam and his master, Felix Obuah (Rivers PDP chairman) to therefore turn around after over two months to accuse Dr. Peterside of copying or attempting to copy Wike's non-existent development agenda clearly betrays the educational backwardness of Mr. Jerry Needam, who may not understand what the word copycat means after spending ten years without graduation from Rivers State University of Science and Technology, and Mr. Felix Obuah, who was not privileged to see the four walls of any sound educational institution.
"To describe Dakuku Peterside, a Doctorate Degree holder and Chairman of Petroleum Committee (Upstream) of the House of Representatives as a copycat who lacks originality suggests that Jerry Needam, a pathological liar and a mental case, who has visited a psychiatric hospital at Enugu on several occasions, is yet to be fully cured of his mental challenges."
On the allegation that Mr. Peterside imitated Mr. Wike by going to churches, the APC said the PDP forgot that the APC candidate, in a globally broadcast thanksgiving service handled by about 2,000 men of God, handed over his mandate to God in December 2014 before Mr. Wike started his church campaigns.
It also said the PDP forgot that the APC candidate, being a born-again Christian did not need to advertise his church programmes unlike his PDP counterpart "who because of his anti-Christ disposition advertises his church events to deceive Christians that he has become a Christian, forgetting that Rivers people are too enlightened to be easily deceived".
The APC described Mr. Peterside as a man who earned a reputation as a charismatic and disciplined leader; creative and hardworking, and a broad-minded fellow with strategic insights.
"Peterside is widely respected as one of the most result-oriented, meticulous, consistent, trustworthy and God-fearing political leaders," it said.
"In all public offices he has held he has brought innovation to bear and made remarkable impact that has endeared him to his fellow compatriots.
"He is a role model and mentor to several young persons, who look up to him for inspiration. He has at various times turned down at least fourteen chieftaincy titles, several honourary doctorate degrees and awards rather believing in the people as a reason for service.
"We are proud to recommend him to the great people of Rivers State as their next governor after the departure of the goal- oriented Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi in 2015."
Tambuwal cautions politicians against threats to democracy
Abuja - The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, has cautioned politicians against acts capable of truncating the country's democracy.
Tambuwal gave the advise while receiving a delegation of the Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room led by the Coordinator, Clement Nwankwo, on Tuesday in Abuja.
He said that the warning became necessary because some individuals were not interested in free and fair elections.
"It is very clear that certain individuals are not interested in a free and fair electoral process.
"We should respect the wishes of the people and the will of God," he said.
He stressed that if the electorate decided who to lead them, their verdict should be respected.
The speaker therefore called on all stakeholders in the unity of the country to work together for its growth.
He called on politicians to be brave enough to accept election results even when such results did not favour them.
He also advised the media to be mindful of the nature of political adverts and programmes they broadcast, and urged them to ensure that they conformed to the rules and ethics of their profession.
Earlier, Nwankwo said that comments by Nigerians that elections would not hold as scheduled could be tragic.
"We are making the point that the dates of the elections are so close to the handover date, so it will be intolerable to postpone the elections again," he said.
NAN
Tambuwal gave the advise while receiving a delegation of the Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room led by the Coordinator, Clement Nwankwo, on Tuesday in Abuja.
He said that the warning became necessary because some individuals were not interested in free and fair elections.
"It is very clear that certain individuals are not interested in a free and fair electoral process.
"We should respect the wishes of the people and the will of God," he said.
He stressed that if the electorate decided who to lead them, their verdict should be respected.
The speaker therefore called on all stakeholders in the unity of the country to work together for its growth.
He called on politicians to be brave enough to accept election results even when such results did not favour them.
He also advised the media to be mindful of the nature of political adverts and programmes they broadcast, and urged them to ensure that they conformed to the rules and ethics of their profession.
Earlier, Nwankwo said that comments by Nigerians that elections would not hold as scheduled could be tragic.
"We are making the point that the dates of the elections are so close to the handover date, so it will be intolerable to postpone the elections again," he said.
NAN
Nigeria: 2015 Presidency - Appeal-Court Clears Jonathan for Re-Election
Abuja — The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, yesterday, cleared the legal coast for President Goodluck Jonathan to seek for a re-election on March 28.
In an unanimous judgment Tuesday, a 5- man panel of Justices of the appellate court held that Jonathan is legally qualified to run for a second term in office.
The appellate court panel said the raging contention that under section 135(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, President Jonathan is not eligible to partake in the forthcoming presidential election having already taken the oath of office and oath of allegiance for the office of the presidency twice, was not founded in law.
It maintained that the first oath Jonathan took on May 6, 2010, was only to enable him to complete the un-expired tenure of late President Umaru Musa Yar'adua as stipulated in Section 146(1) of the constitution, saying his first tenure as substantive President of Nigeria commenced on May 29, 2011, when he was administered the second oath of office.
Justice Abubakar Yahaya who delivered the lead judgment Tuesday, stressed that Jonathan has only been elected as President once, adding that for him to be disqualified from the impending poll, it must be proved that the initial oath he took in 2010 was a fallout out of an election.
Consequently, the appellate court, while dismissing the appeal that was lodged against President Jonathan by a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr Cyriacus Njoku, affirmed a previous verdict that was delivered by trial Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi of the FCT High Court on March 1, 2013.
The panel held that Njoku's appeal lacked in merit, even as it directed him to pay a cost of N50, 000, to both President Jonathan and the PDP, who he had cited as 1st and 2nd defendants in the suit.
According to Justice Yahaya, "Our constitution is the grand norm and it is sacrosanct. The 1999 constitution is the foundation upon which the democracy we practice is anchored. It is therefore a document that must be respected, appreciated and obeyed by all of us.
"The words of the constitution best conveys the mind of the framers. A court of law is bound to consider in its entirety, the relevant portions of the constitution in order to arrive at a logical conclusion.
"In the instant appeal, it is not controverted that the oath the 1st Respondent took in 2007 as a result of the joint election he had with late President Yar'adua, was the oath for an elected Vice President as it was Yar'adua that took oath of presidency.
"On May 6, 2010 the 1st Respondent who was then the Vice President, took oath of presidency by virtue of section 146(1) of the constitution to complete the un-expired tenure of Yar'adua.
"Section 137(1)(b) disqualifies a person from standing for election for office of president if he had been elected into the office for two previous elections. So the operative word is election. The disqualification is to stop the person from participating in election again if he has been so elected twice.
"So the word election used in section 137(1) (b) of the 1999 constitution when given its ordinary grammatical meaning, connote a process where voting is employed to choose a person for the post of presidency.
"Primary election , nomination, voting, collating and announcement of result must of necessity take place. That is the mode prescribed in the constitution for the election of a president into office. This did not take place when the 1st Respondent took oath in 2010.
"Stepping in of the Vice President after the death of the President cannot be deemed an election, especially for the purpose of taking away a right that has been constitutionally vested.
"All the aforementioned processes, starting with party primaries, can be challenged in the court of law and if it succeed the outcome of an election annulled. However, if the Vice President succeeds a President that has died, such cannot be challenged in court as it is a constitutional requirement.
"The process that produced the 1st Respondent as President in 2010, was not an election as no single vote was cast.
This was dramatically different from what happened in 2011 when he was nominated, elected and declared winner. That was the first election he took and his first election as a President", the court held.
The court said the case of Jonathan's tenure was different from that of Marwa vs Nyako and the 5 Governors that were sacked by the Supreme Court, as the governors emerged through elections.
It observed that though former President Olusegun Obasanjo previously served as a Head of State in 1976, only the oath he took in 1999 and 2003 is recognised in the eyes of the law.
"As far as previous elections are an issue, the 1st defendant is not disqualified and consequently, he is qualified to stand election for the office of presidency", the appellate court held.
It will be recalled that Njoku who is a registered member of the PDP in Zuba ward, Abuja, had earlier gone before the lower court, urging it to among other things, determine "Whether Section 135(2) of the Constitution, which specifies a period of four years in office for the President, is only available or applicable to a person elected on the basis of an actual election or includes one in which a person assumes the position of President by operation of law, as in the case of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan."
Contending that Jonathan is constitutionally barred from contesting presidency in 2015, the plaintiff, prayed the court to determine "whether Section 137(1) (b) of the Constitution, which provides that a person shall not be qualified for election to the office of President, if he has been elected to such office at any two previous elections, applies to the first defendant, who first took an oath of office as substantive President on May 6, 2010 and took a second oath as President on May 29, 2011.
Even as he sought a declaration that "the President's tenure of office began on May 6, 2010 when his first term began and his two terms shall end on May 29, 2015 after taking his second oath of office on May 29, 2011; and by virtue of Section 136 (1) (b) of the Constitution, no person (including the first defendant) shall take the oath of allegiance and the oath of office prescribed to in the Seventh Schedule to this Constitution more than twice."
Besides, he beseeched the court for an order of injunction restraining President Jonathan from further contesting or attempting to vie for President after May 29, 2015 when his tenure shall by the Nigerian Constitution end.
As well as to issue an order of injunction restraining the PDP from further sponsoring or attempting to sponsor Jonathan as candidate for election to the office of the President in 2015, as well as make an order directing the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to refrain from accepting the name of the 1st defendant, Jonathan, should the party decide to sponsor him in the next presidential election."
In an unanimous judgment Tuesday, a 5- man panel of Justices of the appellate court held that Jonathan is legally qualified to run for a second term in office.
The appellate court panel said the raging contention that under section 135(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, President Jonathan is not eligible to partake in the forthcoming presidential election having already taken the oath of office and oath of allegiance for the office of the presidency twice, was not founded in law.
It maintained that the first oath Jonathan took on May 6, 2010, was only to enable him to complete the un-expired tenure of late President Umaru Musa Yar'adua as stipulated in Section 146(1) of the constitution, saying his first tenure as substantive President of Nigeria commenced on May 29, 2011, when he was administered the second oath of office.
Justice Abubakar Yahaya who delivered the lead judgment Tuesday, stressed that Jonathan has only been elected as President once, adding that for him to be disqualified from the impending poll, it must be proved that the initial oath he took in 2010 was a fallout out of an election.
Consequently, the appellate court, while dismissing the appeal that was lodged against President Jonathan by a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr Cyriacus Njoku, affirmed a previous verdict that was delivered by trial Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi of the FCT High Court on March 1, 2013.
The panel held that Njoku's appeal lacked in merit, even as it directed him to pay a cost of N50, 000, to both President Jonathan and the PDP, who he had cited as 1st and 2nd defendants in the suit.
According to Justice Yahaya, "Our constitution is the grand norm and it is sacrosanct. The 1999 constitution is the foundation upon which the democracy we practice is anchored. It is therefore a document that must be respected, appreciated and obeyed by all of us.
"The words of the constitution best conveys the mind of the framers. A court of law is bound to consider in its entirety, the relevant portions of the constitution in order to arrive at a logical conclusion.
"In the instant appeal, it is not controverted that the oath the 1st Respondent took in 2007 as a result of the joint election he had with late President Yar'adua, was the oath for an elected Vice President as it was Yar'adua that took oath of presidency.
"On May 6, 2010 the 1st Respondent who was then the Vice President, took oath of presidency by virtue of section 146(1) of the constitution to complete the un-expired tenure of Yar'adua.
"Section 137(1)(b) disqualifies a person from standing for election for office of president if he had been elected into the office for two previous elections. So the operative word is election. The disqualification is to stop the person from participating in election again if he has been so elected twice.
"So the word election used in section 137(1) (b) of the 1999 constitution when given its ordinary grammatical meaning, connote a process where voting is employed to choose a person for the post of presidency.
"Primary election , nomination, voting, collating and announcement of result must of necessity take place. That is the mode prescribed in the constitution for the election of a president into office. This did not take place when the 1st Respondent took oath in 2010.
"Stepping in of the Vice President after the death of the President cannot be deemed an election, especially for the purpose of taking away a right that has been constitutionally vested.
"All the aforementioned processes, starting with party primaries, can be challenged in the court of law and if it succeed the outcome of an election annulled. However, if the Vice President succeeds a President that has died, such cannot be challenged in court as it is a constitutional requirement.
"The process that produced the 1st Respondent as President in 2010, was not an election as no single vote was cast.
This was dramatically different from what happened in 2011 when he was nominated, elected and declared winner. That was the first election he took and his first election as a President", the court held.
The court said the case of Jonathan's tenure was different from that of Marwa vs Nyako and the 5 Governors that were sacked by the Supreme Court, as the governors emerged through elections.
It observed that though former President Olusegun Obasanjo previously served as a Head of State in 1976, only the oath he took in 1999 and 2003 is recognised in the eyes of the law.
"As far as previous elections are an issue, the 1st defendant is not disqualified and consequently, he is qualified to stand election for the office of presidency", the appellate court held.
It will be recalled that Njoku who is a registered member of the PDP in Zuba ward, Abuja, had earlier gone before the lower court, urging it to among other things, determine "Whether Section 135(2) of the Constitution, which specifies a period of four years in office for the President, is only available or applicable to a person elected on the basis of an actual election or includes one in which a person assumes the position of President by operation of law, as in the case of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan."
Contending that Jonathan is constitutionally barred from contesting presidency in 2015, the plaintiff, prayed the court to determine "whether Section 137(1) (b) of the Constitution, which provides that a person shall not be qualified for election to the office of President, if he has been elected to such office at any two previous elections, applies to the first defendant, who first took an oath of office as substantive President on May 6, 2010 and took a second oath as President on May 29, 2011.
Even as he sought a declaration that "the President's tenure of office began on May 6, 2010 when his first term began and his two terms shall end on May 29, 2015 after taking his second oath of office on May 29, 2011; and by virtue of Section 136 (1) (b) of the Constitution, no person (including the first defendant) shall take the oath of allegiance and the oath of office prescribed to in the Seventh Schedule to this Constitution more than twice."
Besides, he beseeched the court for an order of injunction restraining President Jonathan from further contesting or attempting to vie for President after May 29, 2015 when his tenure shall by the Nigerian Constitution end.
As well as to issue an order of injunction restraining the PDP from further sponsoring or attempting to sponsor Jonathan as candidate for election to the office of the President in 2015, as well as make an order directing the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to refrain from accepting the name of the 1st defendant, Jonathan, should the party decide to sponsor him in the next presidential election."
Thirty Two Killed In Ukraine Mine Explosion
The blast took place at a mine in the Donetsk region of the country and emergency services have launched a rescue attempt to reach those trapped.
"More than 30 people were killed. Rescue workers have not yet come to the place of the explosion, they are removing the poisonous gas and then will go down," said Vladimir Tsymbalenko, head of the local mining safety service.
One of the men caught up in the blast and taken to a Donetsk hospital said: "I was blown away by an explosion. I came round. There was dust everywhere and people were moaning."
Families of those caught up in the disaster have been gathering at the entrance to the mine in Zasyadko, Donetsk
The mines in Donbass are among some of the most dangerous in the world due to the high levels of methane produced which increase the risk of explosions.
Separatist authorities in Donetsk said the blast occurred at a depth of more than 1,000 metres (0.6 miles) and that 230 workers were in the mine at the time.
Some 300 men die in mine accidents in the region every year.
Tuesday, 3 March 2015
Report: As Ebola wanes, other countries remain vulnerable
N'DJAMENA, Chad — Arriving airline passengers lined up outdoors to have their temperatures checked, the screens in the nighttime darkness like glowing lightning bugs.
Some of the travelers checked by workers with surgical masks had traveled through a West African country affected by Ebola, or sat next to passengers who did, and Chadian authorities weren't taking any chances. Impoverished countries like Chad know the only way to stay Ebola-free is to keep any infected people out. If any get in, these countries' health-care systems are unprepared to handle an outbreak, according to a report released Tuesday by Save the Children.
The report said only Somalia is worse prepared than Chad for an epidemic such as Ebola. The charity is urging the international community to improve health care systems in developing countries so they can tackle any threat.
After causing nearly 10,000 recorded deaths, the Ebola epidemic is waning in the three worst-hit countries, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
"As efforts continue to bring the disease under control, we must learn lessons from this crisis urgently - not just for the three countries concerned but for all countries that lack adequate health services," the report said.
The organization looked at the 75 countries with the highest levels of child mortality in the world, and then analyzed how much they spent on health as well as how many doctors and nurses they have, among other factors. It found that 28 countries were worse off than Liberia, which has seen the most deaths from the Ebola epidemic that began in December 2013
Somalia, ravaged by decades of civil war and an Islamic insurgency, finished at the very bottom. The second worse off country is Chad, where there is only one health worker for every 4,444 people compared to one per 88 in the United Kingdom, Save the Children found.
Rounding out the most vulnerable countries were Nigeria, Afghanistan, Haiti, Ethiopia, Central African Republic, Guinea, Niger, Mali and Guinea-Bissau. It is particularly worrisome that among the worst was Guinea — where the Ebola crisis began — and several of its neighbors, the group said.
Save the Children also said that global efforts to combat Ebola have cost $4.3 billion, while it would have taken only $1.58 billion to have improved health care systems in the affected countries that were ill prepared to combat the epidemic.
In its report, the group also called for a renewed focus on combatting other diseases, such as malaria and pneumonia, in developing countries that are responsible for 17,000 child deaths a day.
The group noted that because these health problems have little effect on Europe or North America, "they are not treated as the health emergencies that they really are."
Some of the travelers checked by workers with surgical masks had traveled through a West African country affected by Ebola, or sat next to passengers who did, and Chadian authorities weren't taking any chances. Impoverished countries like Chad know the only way to stay Ebola-free is to keep any infected people out. If any get in, these countries' health-care systems are unprepared to handle an outbreak, according to a report released Tuesday by Save the Children.
The report said only Somalia is worse prepared than Chad for an epidemic such as Ebola. The charity is urging the international community to improve health care systems in developing countries so they can tackle any threat.
After causing nearly 10,000 recorded deaths, the Ebola epidemic is waning in the three worst-hit countries, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
"As efforts continue to bring the disease under control, we must learn lessons from this crisis urgently - not just for the three countries concerned but for all countries that lack adequate health services," the report said.
The organization looked at the 75 countries with the highest levels of child mortality in the world, and then analyzed how much they spent on health as well as how many doctors and nurses they have, among other factors. It found that 28 countries were worse off than Liberia, which has seen the most deaths from the Ebola epidemic that began in December 2013
Somalia, ravaged by decades of civil war and an Islamic insurgency, finished at the very bottom. The second worse off country is Chad, where there is only one health worker for every 4,444 people compared to one per 88 in the United Kingdom, Save the Children found.
Rounding out the most vulnerable countries were Nigeria, Afghanistan, Haiti, Ethiopia, Central African Republic, Guinea, Niger, Mali and Guinea-Bissau. It is particularly worrisome that among the worst was Guinea — where the Ebola crisis began — and several of its neighbors, the group said.
Save the Children also said that global efforts to combat Ebola have cost $4.3 billion, while it would have taken only $1.58 billion to have improved health care systems in the affected countries that were ill prepared to combat the epidemic.
In its report, the group also called for a renewed focus on combatting other diseases, such as malaria and pneumonia, in developing countries that are responsible for 17,000 child deaths a day.
The group noted that because these health problems have little effect on Europe or North America, "they are not treated as the health emergencies that they really are."
UN commends Nigeria's assent to zero discrimination law
THE United Nations Programme on HIV/ AIDS has commended Nigeria, and President Goodluck Jonathan for signing the Anti Discrimination Law which protects persons living with HIV and AIDS against discrimination and stigmatization.
In a statement issued by the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) to commemorate Sunday's Zero Discrimination Day, UNAIDS commended Nigeria's commitment to ending stigma and discrimination against people living with and affected by HIV.
UNAIDS Country Director for Nigeria and UNAIDS Focal Point for ECOWAS, Dr. Bilali Camara was quoted in the statement to have said, "I would like to thank the National Assembly for crafting the humanly sensitive bill and President Goodluck Jonathan for signing the Anti-Discrimination law. This law is a big boost to improving Nigeria's AIDS response because it gives back human rights and dignity to people living with or affected by HIV and ensures that the country ends the AIDS epidemic by 2030".
With the signing into law of the bill, it becomes illegal for employers of labour to either subject prospective employees to HIV tests or to discriminate against employees who are living with the virus.
"It is hoped that the new law will create a more supportive environment, allowing people living with and affected by HIV to carry on their lives as normally as possible in the society and the work places', UNIC spokesman, Oluseyi Shoremekun said in the statement.
Nigeria has more than three million people living with HIV though the country has made great strides in its AIDS response in the past five years. The number of HIV infections in Nigeria declined by 35 per cent and the country is now pursuing efforts to stop new infections altogether. The number of sites providing services to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV has increased from 675 in 2010 to 5,622 in 2013.
Also, UNAIDS is working with the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and other authorities to ensure that anyone living with HIV receives treatment, care and support services in dignity.
The statement quoted Dr. Camara as urging religious and traditional leaders to add their trusted voices to the call for more compassion, tolerance and peace for people living with or affected by HIV in Nigeria. "With this new Anti-Discrimination law, I am confident that Nigeria will be able to accelerate the AIDS response dramatically in the coming months", he said.
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners to maximize results for the AIDS response.
......Kerry and Lavrov set for Geneva discussions
US Secretary of State John Kerry will meet his Russian counterpart later for talks in Geneva on the Ukraine crisis.
The talks come ahead of a new UN report documenting human rights violations by Ukrainian forces and pro-Russia rebels.
Mr Kerry is also expected to call for a transparent inquiry into the killing of a Russian opposition politician.
Boris Nemtsov is believed to have been working on a report detailing the presence of Russian troops in Ukraine before he was shot in Moscow on Friday.
His allies have accused the Kremlin of involvement, but Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the murder as "vile" and vowed to find the killers.
The BBC's Barbara Plett Usher in Geneva says Mr Kerry will be pressing Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for an investigation into not only who pulled the trigger, but who ordered, funded and coordinated the murder.
Later John Kerry and Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will renew their negotiations on Tehran's nuclear programme.
There is an end of March deadline to finally reach agreement on limiting the programme, in return for an easing of economic sanctions on Iran.
The talks on Ukraine are expected to be tense after Mr Kerry last week accused Russian officials of lying to him about Moscow's support for rebels in eastern Ukraine.
The Ukrainian government, Western leaders and Nato say there is clear evidence that Russia is helping the rebels with heavy weapons and soldiers.
Independent experts echo that accusation but Moscow denies it, insisting that any Russians serving with the rebels are "volunteers".
A fragile ceasefire continues to hold in Ukraine despite some violence in recent days.
On Saturday, Ukrainian photographer Sergiy Nikolayev was killed after being hit by a mortar shell in the village of Pisky near Donetsk.
Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said eight soldiers had been injured over the weekend by rebel shelling, while a separatist spokesman said Ukraine's armed forces had also fired mortar rounds near Donetsk.
Both sides have begun pulling back some heavy weaponry from the front line - one of the conditions of the ceasefire agreement signed in the Belarusian capital Minsk last month.
Monitors from the OSCE security group have reported weapons movements on both sides but say it is too early to confirm a full withdrawal.
Speaking at the UN Security Council on Friday, OSCE envoy to Ukraine Heidi Tagliavini said the current situation was at a "crossroads" where the risk of further escalation remained high despite "encouraging signs".
A US official travelling with Mr Kerry told reporters it was "too soon to tell" if the ceasefire would lead to an end in violence.
Fighting began in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions last April, a month after Russia annexed the Crimea peninsula.
The UN has estimated that around 6,000 people have died since then, although it believes the real figure could be considerably higher. back to top.
In a statement issued by the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) to commemorate Sunday's Zero Discrimination Day, UNAIDS commended Nigeria's commitment to ending stigma and discrimination against people living with and affected by HIV.
UNAIDS Country Director for Nigeria and UNAIDS Focal Point for ECOWAS, Dr. Bilali Camara was quoted in the statement to have said, "I would like to thank the National Assembly for crafting the humanly sensitive bill and President Goodluck Jonathan for signing the Anti-Discrimination law. This law is a big boost to improving Nigeria's AIDS response because it gives back human rights and dignity to people living with or affected by HIV and ensures that the country ends the AIDS epidemic by 2030".
With the signing into law of the bill, it becomes illegal for employers of labour to either subject prospective employees to HIV tests or to discriminate against employees who are living with the virus.
"It is hoped that the new law will create a more supportive environment, allowing people living with and affected by HIV to carry on their lives as normally as possible in the society and the work places', UNIC spokesman, Oluseyi Shoremekun said in the statement.
Nigeria has more than three million people living with HIV though the country has made great strides in its AIDS response in the past five years. The number of HIV infections in Nigeria declined by 35 per cent and the country is now pursuing efforts to stop new infections altogether. The number of sites providing services to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV has increased from 675 in 2010 to 5,622 in 2013.
Also, UNAIDS is working with the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) and other authorities to ensure that anyone living with HIV receives treatment, care and support services in dignity.
The statement quoted Dr. Camara as urging religious and traditional leaders to add their trusted voices to the call for more compassion, tolerance and peace for people living with or affected by HIV in Nigeria. "With this new Anti-Discrimination law, I am confident that Nigeria will be able to accelerate the AIDS response dramatically in the coming months", he said.
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners to maximize results for the AIDS response.
......Kerry and Lavrov set for Geneva discussions
US Secretary of State John Kerry will meet his Russian counterpart later for talks in Geneva on the Ukraine crisis.
The talks come ahead of a new UN report documenting human rights violations by Ukrainian forces and pro-Russia rebels.
Mr Kerry is also expected to call for a transparent inquiry into the killing of a Russian opposition politician.
Boris Nemtsov is believed to have been working on a report detailing the presence of Russian troops in Ukraine before he was shot in Moscow on Friday.
His allies have accused the Kremlin of involvement, but Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the murder as "vile" and vowed to find the killers.
The BBC's Barbara Plett Usher in Geneva says Mr Kerry will be pressing Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for an investigation into not only who pulled the trigger, but who ordered, funded and coordinated the murder.
Later John Kerry and Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will renew their negotiations on Tehran's nuclear programme.
There is an end of March deadline to finally reach agreement on limiting the programme, in return for an easing of economic sanctions on Iran.
The talks on Ukraine are expected to be tense after Mr Kerry last week accused Russian officials of lying to him about Moscow's support for rebels in eastern Ukraine.
The Ukrainian government, Western leaders and Nato say there is clear evidence that Russia is helping the rebels with heavy weapons and soldiers.
Independent experts echo that accusation but Moscow denies it, insisting that any Russians serving with the rebels are "volunteers".
A fragile ceasefire continues to hold in Ukraine despite some violence in recent days.
On Saturday, Ukrainian photographer Sergiy Nikolayev was killed after being hit by a mortar shell in the village of Pisky near Donetsk.
Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said eight soldiers had been injured over the weekend by rebel shelling, while a separatist spokesman said Ukraine's armed forces had also fired mortar rounds near Donetsk.
Both sides have begun pulling back some heavy weaponry from the front line - one of the conditions of the ceasefire agreement signed in the Belarusian capital Minsk last month.
Monitors from the OSCE security group have reported weapons movements on both sides but say it is too early to confirm a full withdrawal.
Speaking at the UN Security Council on Friday, OSCE envoy to Ukraine Heidi Tagliavini said the current situation was at a "crossroads" where the risk of further escalation remained high despite "encouraging signs".
A US official travelling with Mr Kerry told reporters it was "too soon to tell" if the ceasefire would lead to an end in violence.
Fighting began in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions last April, a month after Russia annexed the Crimea peninsula.
The UN has estimated that around 6,000 people have died since then, although it believes the real figure could be considerably higher. back to top.
Drinking three or more coffees daily ‘could prevent heart attack’
People who drink a lot of coffee are less likely to develop clogged arteries, new study shows
The study examined the association between drinking coffee and the presence of coronary artery calcium (CAC), an early indicator of coronary atherosclerosis — a potentially serious condition where arteries become clogged up by fatty substances known as plaques or atheroma. Photograph: Jorge Silva/Reuters
People who drink three to five coffees a day are less likely to develop clogged arteries that could lead to heart attacks, a study has shown.
The effects of coffee consumption on cardiovascular health have led to much debate, and despite earlier concerns about a potential increase in heart disease risk, researchers found that people who drank a moderate amount a day had the least risk of coronary calcium in their arteries.
The international team examined the association between drinking coffee and the presence of coronary artery calcium (CAC), an early indicator of coronary atherosclerosis — a potentially serious condition where arteries become clogged up by fatty substances known as plaques or atheroma. This can cause the arteries to harden and narrow, leading to blood clots which can trigger a heart attack or a stroke.
They studied a group of more than 25,000 Korean men and women with an average age of 41, who had no signs of heart disease.
Their coffee consumption was categorised as none, less than one cup a day, one to three cups a day, three to five cups per day and five or more per day.
They found the prevalence of detectable CAC was 13.4 per cent amongst the whole group while the average amount of coffee drunk was 1.8 cups per day.
Their findings showed the calcium ratios were 0.77 for people who had less than one cup per day, 0.66 for those having one to three cups every day, 0.59 for those consuming three to five cups per day, and 0.81 for people having at least five cups or more every day compared with non-coffee drinkers.
The U-shaped findings meant that those who drank one to three coffees a day had the second least prevalence of arteries that had clogged up.
The research, led by the Kangbuk Samsung Hospital in Seoul, South Korea , is published online in the journal Heart.
The authors concluded: "Our study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that coffee consumption might be inversely associated with CVD (cardiovascular disease) risk.
"Further research is warranted to confirm our findings and establish the biological basis of coffee's potential preventive effects on coronary artery disease."
Victoria Taylor, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, said: "While this study does highlight a potential link between coffee consumption and lower risk of developing clogged arteries, more research is needed to confirm these findings and understand what the reason is for the association.
"We need to take care when generalising these results because it is based on the South Korean population, who have a different diet and lifestyle."
PA
The study examined the association between drinking coffee and the presence of coronary artery calcium (CAC), an early indicator of coronary atherosclerosis — a potentially serious condition where arteries become clogged up by fatty substances known as plaques or atheroma. Photograph: Jorge Silva/ReutersPeople who drink three to five coffees a day are less likely to develop clogged arteries that could lead to heart attacks, a study has shown.
The effects of coffee consumption on cardiovascular health have led to much debate, and despite earlier concerns about a potential increase in heart disease risk, researchers found that people who drank a moderate amount a day had the least risk of coronary calcium in their arteries.
The international team examined the association between drinking coffee and the presence of coronary artery calcium (CAC), an early indicator of coronary atherosclerosis — a potentially serious condition where arteries become clogged up by fatty substances known as plaques or atheroma. This can cause the arteries to harden and narrow, leading to blood clots which can trigger a heart attack or a stroke.
They studied a group of more than 25,000 Korean men and women with an average age of 41, who had no signs of heart disease.
Their coffee consumption was categorised as none, less than one cup a day, one to three cups a day, three to five cups per day and five or more per day.
They found the prevalence of detectable CAC was 13.4 per cent amongst the whole group while the average amount of coffee drunk was 1.8 cups per day.
Their findings showed the calcium ratios were 0.77 for people who had less than one cup per day, 0.66 for those having one to three cups every day, 0.59 for those consuming three to five cups per day, and 0.81 for people having at least five cups or more every day compared with non-coffee drinkers.
The U-shaped findings meant that those who drank one to three coffees a day had the second least prevalence of arteries that had clogged up.
The research, led by the Kangbuk Samsung Hospital in Seoul, South Korea , is published online in the journal Heart.
The authors concluded: "Our study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that coffee consumption might be inversely associated with CVD (cardiovascular disease) risk.
"Further research is warranted to confirm our findings and establish the biological basis of coffee's potential preventive effects on coronary artery disease."
Victoria Taylor, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, said: "While this study does highlight a potential link between coffee consumption and lower risk of developing clogged arteries, more research is needed to confirm these findings and understand what the reason is for the association.
"We need to take care when generalising these results because it is based on the South Korean population, who have a different diet and lifestyle."
PA
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