Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Nigeria donates $3.5m to Liberia, others





The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, on Wednesday said Nigeria had already donated $3.5m as part of its intervention in the affected countries.

Chukwu said the sum was made up of $500,000 to each of the countries and the balance to the common ECOWAS Fund for the disease.

He also said 591 health practitioners had volunteered to join the international force that would go to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea to help in the containment of the Ebola Virus Disease.

He said the volunteers registered with his ministry at three points in Lagos, Abuja and Port-Harcourt.
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Donetsk Republic Estimates War Damage at $1 Bln



The cost of Kiev's military crackdown will weigh heavily on the besieged region of Donetsk, with war damage estimated at about $1 billion, the head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) said Wednesday.

US in De Facto Alliance With Iran to Fight IS Threat: Expert





 The United States has de facto formed an alliance with Iran to fight the Islamic State (IS) movement, despite the strong reluctance by US officials to admit it, the former director of the Iraq program at the National Security Council told RIA Novosti.
"We are in a unique position where, in the extremely short term, our interests and Iran's inside Iraq are almost identical," said Douglas Ollivant during a New America web discussion on Wednesday.

"So, de facto we're in an alliance with Iran. Now, I don't expect anyone in a position of power in the US government to ever say that," he said, continuing that much of the realities and facts of the region are "politically inconvenient to say."
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Ukraine SITREP October 8th, 16:00 UTC/Zulu: The calm before the storm?




Military situation
The situation in the Ukraine and Novorussia is a very tense and could lead to a major resumption of hostilities.
The Junta Repression Forces (JRF) have used the ceasefire to lick their wounds, get reorganized, concentrate their forces, bring in much needed reinforcements, prepare defensive fortifications and bring in new units.  The Novorussian Armed Forces (NAF) have done the same but, unlike the JRF, the NAF suffer from a lack of equipment, possibly made worse by a reduction of the flow of weapons, in particular heavy ones, from Russia (the so-called voentorg).  In terms of personnel, the influx of volunteers to the NDF has remained steady and strong.
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Australian Air Force Launches First Airstrikes Against IS Positions in Iraq





The Australian Air Force has launched its first airstrikes against Islamic State positions in Iraq, the country’s Defense Ministry said in a statement early on Thursday.
“Overnight the Australian Air Task Group operating in the Middle East attacked its first target in Iraq. Two bombs were dropped from an F/A-18F Super Hornet on to an ISIL facility,” the ministry said.
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US Aggressive Policy Toward Russia Could Trigger Nuke War: Nuclear Disarmament Advocate




Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown a great deal of restraint in the face of provocations by the United States and NATO directly at the Russian borders, but a conflict between the two greatest nuclear powers remains a very grim perspective, Dr. Helen Caldicott, an author and nuclear disarmament advocate told RIA Novosti.

"Putin... I think he is being very restrained at the moment," Dr. Caldicott said during a press briefing on Wednesday, adding that US attempts to create an enemy image around Putin are "totally inappropriate."
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Spain Health Authorities Euthanize Ebola Patient's Pet Despite Protests: Official




Madrid health authorities have euthanized Excalibur, a dog belonging to the Spanish nurse suffering from the Ebola virus, EFE news agency reported Wednesday, citing officials.
“Unfortunately we had no other choice,” Madrid regional government health spokesman Javier Rodriguez said.  The report was confirmed by Partido Animalista – PACMA, a Spanish political party focused in the animal rights.
“We confirm the bad news. Excalibur was killed. From the bottom of the heart, we thank you for your support. We will keep working," the organization said on its Twitter page.

Another Passenger Check to Be Introduced in US Airports Due to Ebola Threat: White House



Additional measures to prevent the Ebola virus from entering the United States will be introduced in five airports of the country: in New York, Washington, Chicago and Atlanta, White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters on Wednesday.
"Additional layer of screening will be put in five airports across the countries. These five airports are the destination of 94 percent of individuals who travel to the US from the tree countries that are currently affected by Ebola right now," Earnest said.


"We continue to have a lot of confidence in screening measures that are already in place. By far the most effective measures that are already in place are… the screening that takes place in these tree countries in West Africa," the spokesman said. "Preventing those individuals, who already exhibiting the symptoms of Ebola from boarding the plane is the most effective measure that would counter and has countered the spread of Ebola."
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Another US Patient With Signs of Ebola Hospitalized in Texas: Reports



A sheriff’s deputy who had been in the apartment of the deceased US Ebola patient and contacted his relatives was taken to a Texas hospital on Wednesday after exhibiting symptoms of the lethal virus disease, CBS cited Dallas officials as saying.
“The deputy expressed concern and we directed that deputy to the Dallas County Health & Human Services for care. We now wait for further information as medical staff attends to the deputy,” the Dallas County Sheriff's office said Wednesday as quoted by CBS.
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US Deploys 100 Marines to Liberia to shoot and kill "Ebola"- Department of Defense





 One hundred members of the US Marine Air Ground Task Force are being sent to Liberia to provide interim re-supply and transportation support in the wake of the Ebola virus outbreak, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced Wednesday.
"They are being sent down there as a bridging capability," DoD Spokesman, Rear Admiral John Kirby, said.

The Marines are being sent ahead of the US Army team slated to be deployed to Liberia later this month to battle the Ebola virus outbreak.
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Presidency slams RichestLifeStyle Website, threatens Author with libel, defamation




Presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati just released this statement:


We have noted with consternation the listing of President  Goodluck Ebele Jonathan by a website – RichestLifestyle.com - as the sixth richest African President with an estimated net worth of $100 Million U.S. Dollars. 

The Presidency condemns the totally unwarranted inclusion of President Jonathan in the publication titled “Africa’s Richest Presidents 2014” as another attempt to unjustifiablyportray the President as a corrupt leader and incite public disaffection against him. We categorically assert that there is no factual basis for ranking President Jonathan as the sixth richest African Head of State with a net worth of about $100 Million U.S. Dollars.   As is well known, President Jonathan has ever been a businessman or entrepreneur, but a life-long public servant. 
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Sad News Of the Year: US Ebola Victim Thomas Duncan has Died



Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person to be diagnosed with Ebola within the US has died. Thomas Eric Duncan, who caught the virus in his native Liberia, was being kept in isolation in a Dallas hospital and claimed was receiving experimental drugs. According to BBC,  a statement released by Texas hospital officials, reads:
"It is with profound sadness and heartfelt disappointment that we must inform you of the death of Thomas Eric Duncan this morning at 7:51 am."

Delta state govt. allegedly destroys over 200 motorcycles



The Delta state government on Sunday Oct. 5th allegedly burnt over 200 motorcycles it confiscated from those who flouted the state's newly introduced ban on motorcycle riding in some parts of the state. Two weeks ago, the State government banned Okada in some parts of the state, including Ika South, Ika North and Sapele.

The ban was however flouted by some motorcycle riders who got their machines seized by officials of the state. The seized motorcycles have now allegedly been burnt at the Mosogar end of the Gammon Bridge in Sapele.

Ekiti governor-elect Ayo Fayose's new pics released ahead of swearing-in ceremony



 Ayo Fayose hits the studio hours ago along with his men for a brand new photoshoot before his swearing-in ceremony. He'll officially be sworn-in because the governor of Ekiti state on Thursday, October 16, 2014 in Ado-Ekiti. See more photos following the jump...

Court sacks Adamawa state acting governor, orders reinstatement of ex dep. governor



An Abuja Federal High court has sacked the acting Governor of Adamawa state, Ahmadu Fintiri from office and ordered the immediate reinstatement of the former deputy governor of the state, Mr Bala Ngilari, (pictured above), as governor.

Ngilari had on July 14th tendered a letter of resignation to the state House of Assembly during the impeachment process of his ex boss, Murtala Mohammed who was impeached on July 15th.


South African organization demand $1million refund from Nicki Minaj





A South Africa organization, The ANC Youth League - wants rapper Nicki Minaj to pay back the R10million (about $1million) they paid her as part payment for a show that was canceled.
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Chinese Embassy in Nigeria denies students visa on grounds of Ebola





The Chinese Embassy in Nigeria has denied visas to some students of Ekiti State University on the grounds of Ebola despite the World Health Organization declaring Nigeria an Ebola free country.

The students were invited to participate in ENACTUS 2014 (Entrepreneurial Action Us), an international competition of young entrepreneurs involving 36 countries slated for 22 – 24th of October 2014 in China in which Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana and Egypt are to represent Africa. But the Chinese Embassy here refused to grant the student visas to go to China.

The Ekiti State University students, who were picked to represent Nigeria having won the ENACTUS Promoted Innovation Competition earlier in the year, have written an open letter about the situation. Find it after the cut...

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

National e-ID Card May Be Used As Travel Visa



The National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, is pushing for the use of the new national e-Identity card as travel document. One of the applets fixed in the card has all the travel details and requirements contained in Nigeria’s e-passport. Known as Travel Applet, it could easily be used as travel document with the approval of the international community.


Tunji Durodola, Head, Card Management Services, NIMC, said that the back of the NIMC e-ID Card contains three lines called MRZ Lines, Machine Readable Zone, just like the Passport. “The NIMC e-ID Card has support for e-Visas when they become acceptable worldwide,” he said.

US may consider screening air passengers for Ebola






Looks just like the US is considering screening passengers from Ebola hit countries before they enter the country. This is coming about one week after having a Liberian man entered the U.S with Ebola. President Obama said yesterday that though the likelihood of an Ebola outbreak in the US is "extremely low'but they've to react.
"We're also going to be working on protocols to do additional passenger screening both at the source and here in the United States. Countries that think that they can sit on the sidelines and just let the United States do it, that will result in a less effective response, a less speedy response, and that means that people die."
"And it also means that the potential spread of the disease beyond these areas in West Africa becomes more imminent," President Obama said at the White House briefing with US health officials

APC Presidential Aspirants To Pay ₦27million For Forms.



The All Progressives Congress (APC) has rolled out guidelines for the 2015 general elections. The process, which begins with the sale of expression of interest forms, commences today. The party’s timetable, which was adopted at the last National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, stipulated that collection of the forms would close on October 19, while collection of nomination forms would commence the same day and end on November 16.
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