Intrusions In Privacy Will Continue Despite PRISM Being Uncovered - Expert

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This weekend the leaker of classified documents from the NSA revealed himself to the public. It turned out the person behind the leak was Edward Snowden, a 29-year-old ex-technical assistant for the CIA. Paul Rozenzweig, a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation, and Patrice McDermott, an executive director of OpentheGovernment.org, gave their exclusive comment to the Voice of Russia regarding the Snowden case and the overall scope of surveillance in America.

Over the weekend Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting defended and clarified President Obama's stance on the program, known as PRISM.

“He expressed concern about some of the lack of oversight and safeguards associated with programs in the past – for instance, when you had warrantless wiretapping that did not have that full oversight of a judge. What he's done as President is say which programs are necessary, which capabilities are necessary to protect the American people and which aren't.”

Under President the government has been collecting vast amounts of data from Verizon phone records as well as web services.

Ojukwu was right on confederacy in 1966 – Prof Oluyemi Fagbohun

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As  Aregbesola, Sagay, others  proffer solution on how to make LGs functional

LAGOS—ONE thought dominated the comments of discussants on how to make local councils in Nigeria effective at a forum in Lagos Tuesday:   There is so much rot in the councils and decisive actions are needed to make them deliver democracy dividends.

However, the discussants were divided on how to ensure effective governance at the grassroots. While some asked the National Assembly to remove the Local Councils as a tier of government and tie them to the states in line with the dictates of classical federalism, others said the councils should be allowed to operate as currently enshrined in the 1999 constitution.

Nigeria: FG to Use Space Technology to Enhance National Development - Jonathan

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Abuja — The Federal Government is rolling out plans to use space technology to enhance national security, communication, industrialisation and sustained socio-economic development.

President Goodluck Jonathan made this known on Tuesday when he inaugurated a 13-member National Space Council (NSC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said that given the critical place of space technology in national security, communication, industrialisation and sustained socio-economic development, the need to properly structure and drive the national space programme could not be over-emphasised.

"This informs why our administration has constituted this council with high calibre membership. "We must evolve clear cut initiatives that will not only fast-track our industrialisation process, but one that will also see us, within the shortest possible period, to be able to build our own motor vehicles, our own boats and our own aircraft.

Video: Boko Haram Members Steal Our Cars, Food and Marry Our Daughters - Villager Reveals

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A member of Kirenowa community, a distant village in Borno State previously occupied by members of the extremist group, Boko Haram has said that the insurgents plundered and destroyed their communities. Speaking in a exclusive interview with Channels Television's correspondent, who visited the village in the organization of the military Special Force, Nneota Egbe, the villager said the insurgents forcefully collect the crops harvested by members of the community. "They collected our cars and even our food. Those farming were forced to harvest their millet and maize and they (the terrorists) took them (the food stuff) to their camps," he said. He said the terrorists be aware of ladies that are about 18 years and forcefully marry them.

Freedom Fire: 45m Nigerians Risk Losing Internet Freedom--Study

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More than 45 million internet users in Nigeria comprising the general public are on the verge of losing their Internet privacy on every form of cyber-communication as the federal government intensifies efforts to monitor them online according to a new study by Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN), a not-for profit organisation.

Paradigm Initiative in a policy brief entitled "Nigeria: Making a Case for Enduring Internet Freedom" which was sent to LEADERSHIP said it has discovered gaping holes in the actions of the federal government towards curtailing Internet privacy.

Paradigm Initiative had earlier made a request to the federal government through the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act to avail it details of the $40M Internet Surveillance Contract awarded by Nigerian government to an Israeli company.

17 Killed In Suicide Bombing

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A suicide car bomber has rammed a coach carrying employees of Afghanistan's top court in Kabul, killing at the least 17 people and wounding 40 others, officials say. Women and children were among the victims in Tuesday's blast, the inner ministry said. General Mohammad Zahir, head of criminal investigations at the ministry, said the bomber detonated his vehicle after ramming the bus carrying Supreme Court staff close to the US embassy. The blast happened on the main road to the international airport, a few hundred metres from the US embassy gates. The gates can be a distance from the specific embassy building and also from nearby NATO headquarters.

VIDEO: Army Officer Explains How Boko Haram Members Choose Their Camps

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The Commander of Combat Team 1 that dislodged suspected members of the extremist sect, Boko Haram from their camp in Kirenowa Village, Lt. Col Danladi Hassan has explained the factors the militants considered before building their camps.Speaking to reporters after capturing a terrorist den in Kirenowa village, the Commander said the insurgents often site their camps in areas with thick vegetation so that they are shielded from military aerial scouts.

Watch The Video After The Break

Experts Opinion: "Christian terrorism differs from Islamic inspired plots". Continue ...

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Recent headlines are littered with words about "Islamic inspired" terrorists groups, their atrocities are of course violent but many people forget that other terrorists, including Christians, can pose just as much of a threat. Christian themed terror groups have different ways to get their message across. Two specialists talk tactics with the Ọmọ Oódua and explain why the word "terrorist" is often avoided.

Before revealing the techniques used by Christian associated terrorists groups, (making them unique in size, number and skill), defining them as "Christians" might be seen as politically incorrect. More often than not, Christian terrorist groups are given different labels and are branded right-wing religious terrorist movements which could come from two main types.

How two-time Second Republic Minister, Senator Wahab Dosunmu died

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LAGOS — FRESH details on how two-time Second Republic Minister, Senator Wahab Dosunmu, died has emerged.

The politician, who had been on and off a United States hospital of recent, died on Sunday evening in the presence of his wife, Modinat Dosunmu.

The deceased’s younger brother, Moruf Dosunmu, said yesterday that necessary arrangements were being made to bring his remains home “for a befitting burial.”

Details of what shape the burial will take is yet to be released as members of the Dosunmu family of Lagos were making efforts to ensure that the necessary things were done in time.

Tributes

Cultists Stab 19-Year-Old Father To Death

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Suspected cult members killed a 19-year-old boy, Obunneke Osondu, in Pedro, Bariga area of Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Obunneke was killed on Saturday by members of Eiye Confraternity, two hours after leaving his home in Ayinke Street. The native of Owerri was said to have had an altercation with the assailants who accused him of being friends with members of a rival cult, Aiye Confraternity.

A resident, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, said, “Obunneke left his home around 8pm to take some bottles of beer at a nearby hotel.

“When he entered the bar, he met some members of Eiye Confraternity who asked him for money. His refusal to give them money infuriated them and they accused him of being an Aiye apologist.

“The boys, later identified as Bonjeu , Arinze , Ahmed, Feso, Ayo and Akilapa, who were all in the hotel bar, then stabbed Obunneke many times as he ran away from the hotel.

PHOTOS: See How These Hot Young Twins' Lost Their Lives (R.I.P)

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These beautiful young twins recently lost their lives in a horrific car accident.

A good friend of theirs shares the details on Facebook. Read below and check out more photos after The Break

Ribadu’s statement on Nigeria reckless –Presidency ( What Do You think ?)

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The Presidency on Monday faulted a statement credited to a former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, which likened Nigeria to a sinking ship.

It described the statement as reckless. The Presidency’s position was contained in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati.  Ribadu had in his address delivered at a public lecture organised by the Students’ Representatives Council of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State on Saturday,  described Nigeria’s democracy as one full of tyranny.

But Abati described the statement as false, hypocritical and self-serving. He said far from being tyrannical as Ribadu alleged,  Jonathan would continue to strengthen institutions of democratic governance in Nigeria, uphold the fundamental human rights of all Nigerians including the youth, and protect their right to elect leaders in free, fair and credible elections.

R.I.P: World's 'oldest woman' dies in China: family

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A woman who Chinese officials said was 127 years old - although international authorities never recognised the claim - has died, relatives said on Tuesday.

Official documents said that Luo Meizhen was born in 1885, which would make her the oldest person ever to have lived, but she died at the weekend after months of illness, her son Huang Youhe told AFP.

"She was 127 when she died, it wasn't unexpected," her grandson Huang Heyuan said.Luo's declared birth date means she may have been the oldest person in the world when she died, ahead of Japan's Jiroemon Kimura, who records say is 116.

But Luo's claim met with little recognition internationally because China did not have a reliable birth certification system until decades after she was born.

Robotic Future ??? India developing robot soldiers - Research Agency ( #Nigeria, Where Are We ?)

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India's defense research agency is working to develop robotic soldiers which could be deployed in sensitive border conflict zones, its boss has revealed to India's PTI news agency.

The robots, being developed by India's Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), will have a "very high level of intelligence" to enable them to tell friend from foe, DRDO chief Avinash Chander says.

"We are going to work for robotic soldiers," Chander told PTI in an interview. "We are going to look for very high level of intelligence in it than what we are talking today... It is a new program and a number of labs are already working in a big way on robotics."

The newly-appointed DRDO chief said the project is one of his agency's "priority areas," as "unmanned warfare in land and air is the future of warfare".

Tired bank employee transfers €222,222,222.22 to client's account. ( O boy )

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A tired German bank employee who dozed off at his desk accidentally transferred € 222,222,222.22 to a client

The employee’s boss was fired but a court found the decision illegal and reinstated her in her job.
As it turned out, the woman overlooked the mistake because she had checked more than 800 files on that day. Nothing is reported about whether the employee who made the transfer was punished.

The bank quickly discovered the mistake and corrected it.

Snowden My Hero: Russia to Consider political asylum for Edward Snowden if he files request

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Russian authorities have promised to join the ranks of those willing to consider giving Snowden political asylum, if he files a formal request, Kommersant newspaper reports citing a Kremlin spokesman on Tuesday. 

“If we receive such a request, we will consider it,” Dmitry Peskov was quoted.

The whereabouts of whistleblower Edward Snowden were shrouded in mystery on Monday as US lawmakers demanded his immediate extradition from Hong Kong over his sensational leaking of an Internet surveillance program.

Snowden, a 29-year-old technology expert working for a private firm subcontracted to the US National Security Agency, checked out of his Hong Kong hotel after revealing his identity to the British-based Guardian newspaper on Sunday.

The private contractor has become an instant hero for transparency advocates and libertarians around the globe following his exposure of the NSA's worldwide monitoring of private users web traffic and phone records.

Ex-Lawyer: Governor Fashola signs cremation bill into law

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Governor Babatunde Fashola today Monday June 10th signed the cremation bill into law. The bill gives power to state authority to burn unclaimed corpses in its mortuaries after a period of time.  The cremation bill also states that if the owners of the corpse fail to show up to collect the ashes after a 14-day notice, it will be disposed by the state government subject to the consent and approval of the Commissioner for Health.

JJ! Man Stabs Co-Tenant To Death Over Electricity Bill In Enugu

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A tenant discovered as Uzodinma Eneh has been caught by the Enugu State Authorities Order for allegedly stabbing his co-tenant, Prince Uzor, to demise at their Aguabor residence in Trans Ekulu area of Enugu. Uzor was allegedly stabbed with a knife by the suspect subsequent a warm discussion that ensued between them around discussing of energy bill sustained by the tenants. Sympathizers promptly rushed the victim to the Parklane Consultant Hospital, but he died shortly after returning the hospital. Confirming the incident, state Authorities Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, claimed the suspect had been supporting the police inside their investigation.

Heartless! Man Hires Hitman To Kill His Girlfriend After She Refuses Abortion

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Carlton Bryan, 21, is accused of hiring a hitman to kill his pregnant girlfriend, Shamari Jenkins, because she didn’t want to get an abortion, prosecutors say.
A Connecticut man enraged that his pregnant girlfriend wouldn’t get an abortion allegedly hired a hitman to kill her, according to court documents.

Carlton Bryan, 21, was riding with Shamari Jenkins, who was four months pregnant, when she was fatally shot April 29 while driving in Hartford’s North End, police said.

U.S. could Officially decide to arm Syrian rebels as early as this week - US official

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The United States could make a decision as early as this week on whether to arm Syrian rebels, a U.S. official said on Monday.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the question of whether to arm rebels is on the agenda of White House meetings during the early part of this week.

The possible move by the United States to arm the rebels who are fighting President Bashar al-Assad's government forces, was first reported by the Associated Press late on Sunday