FLOOD: BE ALERT, KOGI RESIDENTS TOLD

Acting Executive Secretary of Kogi State Emergency Management Agency, Mrs Alice Ogedegbe, has called on residents living in flood prone areas to be on alert.

Mrs Ogedegbe, who stated this in a statement signed by the agency’s Public Relations Officer, Fummilayo Ibikunle, in Lokoja, said the state government is working hard to ensure that flood does not wreck much havoc on the state as was experienced last year.
She said the agency has embarked on aggressive campaign to educate the people on the need to move away from flood prone areas as well as what they can do to cushion the effect of flood.
“As we are get closer to the time predicted by NIMET for severe flood, people need to on alert by monitoring the rise in the water level so as to determine the next step to take”, she said.
The acting secretary said the agency will not rest on its oars in making sure that residents adhere strictly to government’s directive of relocating from flood prone areas.
She added that the agency is working closely with other stakeholders in disaster management for better performance during the flood.
Mrs Ogedegbe commended NEMA and international agencies for coming to the aid of the state in its preparation for this year’s flood

CBN Governor shows love, installs wife as Giwar

Amid pomp and peagantry, the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, and Danmajen Kano, Alhaji Sunusi Lamido Sunusi Sunday installed his wife, Sadiya Lamido as Giwar Danmaje in a colourful ceremony to commemorate the silver jubilee of their wedlock.

Sadiya Lamido (centre) the Giwar Danmaje

The colorful ceremony that attracted distinguished Nigerians from all walks of life came on the heel of noise generated by the alleged extra martial relationship by the Kano prince with a staff of Central Bank of Nigeria.

Speaking during the investiture, Sunusi Lamido Sunusi revealed that the woman in his  life has been “a pillar of stability” on the home front, adding that “credit goes to this woman of blue blood, a  pillar of peace.

Lamido who is belived to be eyeing the prestigious seat of the Emir, revealed during the turbanning ceremony that took place inside the family private residence located at the Nassarawa GRA  Danmaje said that “in Hausa, Giwa means elephant, but when applied metaphorically,  it translate to strength and  stability”.

The Kano born prince who was full of praises for his heartthrob was quick to add that  “even those who had known us briefly will attest to the fact that Sadiya is pillar of strength”.

He disclosed that “the decision to confer this title on this woman of substance was a sign of gratitude for the positive role she has played in my life over the last twenty five years marriage.

The CBN Governor explained that “I married Sadiya 25 years ago during the silver jubilee of the revered emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero”, adding that “by next December it would be exactly 25 years of eventful wedlock.

Man burnt to death for impregnating mother, daughter

The university town of Nsukka in Enugu State has witnessed yet another brutal death as a tipper driver who allegedly impregnated a widow and her daughter has reportedly been burnt to death by son of the widow, Sunday Ugwoke.

Vanguard gathered that the tipper driver, Sylvester Ezema, attached to  Ferguson Nig. Limited hailed from Akpa Edem, Nsukka Local Government  Area, Enugu State and shared a common fence boundary with his widowed lover, Mrs. Ugwoke.

Report said he had been having amorous dealings with the woman’s daughter too unknown to the widow before he died  a few days ago.

According to report, Sylvester was allegedly burnt to death by Sunday, who had warned him to leave his mother alone and stop making love with her in his late father’s bedroom, which is adjacent to his room, a warning the  deceased allegedly turned down and continue with his amorous act.

Vanguard gathered that Sylvester defied all the warnings by Sunday, saying the widow was a family friend and as such nobody would  suspect them.

Having defied his warning, Sunday, armed with grinded pepper and petrol ambushed the lover boy. As Sylvester stepped out of the house, Sunday poured the  powder pepper and petrol on Sylvester and  set him ablaze.

US report reveals growing ties between Nigeria's Boko Haram and Al-Qaeda

EVENT

There were media reports on 7 and 8 August quoting some United States intelligence officials that the Boko Haram insurgent group had participated in the recently intercepted Al-Qaeda 'conference call', which led to the closure of 20 US embassies.

The US embassy in Abuja, Nigeria, was not among the four embassies closed in Sub-Saharan Africa, although those in Rwanda, Burundi, Mauritius, and Madagascar were closed. Notwithstanding, on 31 July, the US embassy in Nigeria announced that it was suspending plans to open a consular office in Kano, in the north. The Kano consular office would have been the third in Nigeria and would serve the northern part of the country, in addition to the one in Lagos, serving the south; and that of Abuja serving the central and middle belt of the country.

FORECAST

In the event of collaboration and greater contact between Al-Qaeda and Islamist militants in Nigeria, this will have far-reaching implications for the groups' capability and target set in Nigeria. So far, Islamist militants have not included commercial assets including oil and gas installations and facilities in their target set, as is the case with AQIM and its affiliates, which have attacked commercial assets in Algeria and Niger.

AB-BRIEFED STORY  click here to read more (us reports)

Nigeria: Thousands Face Eviction in Lagos - NGOs

Tens of thousands of people living in the Badia East area of Lagos face forced eviction from their homes by the Lagos State government, and possible destitution as a result, warn two NGOs in a new report.

Amnesty International and the Lagos-based Social and Economic Rights Action Center (SERAC) released a report today documenting evictions carried out in the first phase of a U.S. $200 million World Bank-funded redevelopment project. Homes were demolished during the evictions, which occurred in February.

The NGOs say the evictions violated African and international charters on human rights. If the Lagos government goes ahead with its current plans, they add, the project "risks being diverted from the intended beneficiaries, Badia residents, to more affluent residents of Lagos State".

Amnesty and SERAC are calling on the governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, to publicly commit to stopping forced evictions, and on the World Bank to put safeguards in place to ensure it does not support any activities which may result in forced evictions in the future.

Their report says about 9,000 residents, who were evicted in February without advance notice, lost their homes or livelihoods and dozens of people are still sleeping out in the open or under a bridge.

Computer simulations reveal universal increase in electrical conductivity

Computer simulations have revealed how the electrical conductivity of many materials increases with a strong electrical field in a universal way. This development could have significant implications for practical systems in electrochemistry, biochemistry, electrical engineering and beyond.

The study, published in Nature Materials, investigated the electrical conductivity of a solid electrolyte, a system of positive and negative atoms on a crystal lattice. The behaviour of this system is an indicator of the universal behaviour occurring within a broad range of materials from pure water to conducting glasses and biological molecules.

Electrical conductivity, a measure of how strongly a given material conducts the flow of electric current, is generally understood in terms of Ohm's law, which states that the conductivity is independent of the magnitude of an applied electric field, i.e. the voltage per metre.

This law is widely obeyed in weak applied fields, which means that most material samples can be ascribed a definite electrical resistance, measured in Ohms.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2013-08-simulations-reveal-universal-electrical.html#jCp
(external link)

Amazon might launch its own Android gaming console by the end of 2013

Despite posting bad numbers this quarter,Amazon stock has surged ahead showing the confidence of investors in the company. Jeff Bezos in the past few quarters has gone on an overdrive to push new products in the market. The latest tip suggest, by thanks giving this year Amazon might launch its ownAndroid based gaming console. Gaming industry has been thriving and by the end of this year we’ll see Microsoft and Sony launch their new generation of gaming consoles.


Though the rumor is vague and lacks any concrete information, little we know is it might be powered by a Qualcomm chip will use Amazon’s App Store including its library of Android games. It expected to have its own controller, something similar to Ouya. It should hit the market by Black Friday in the US. We’ll keep you posted as we get hold of more information on it.

MUST READ: Vulture 2 spaceplane flies to the 3D printing press

(C) (LOHAN)  

 Yes indeed, ladies and gentlemen, our crack team of Southampton University postgrad students recently delivered the first CAD files for the aircraft's wings, which are as we speak getting the rapid prototyping treatment.

When the nylon dust settles on the remaining parts, El Reg will be in a position to roll out the world's first fully printed rocket-powered aircraft.

Hats off, then, to David Cooper, Chris Dodd and Amrith Surendra, who tackled the problems of designing a vehicle which would operate both at high speed at altitude, and at low speed in the lower atmosphere.

It's fair to say the guys have put an awful lot of work into the Vulture 2 beast, which was looking like this in January as a basic planform:

Fast forward to a few weeks ago, and the details had begun to fall into place:

Now, the guys have wrapped the finishing touches to the outer wing sections, and here are two examples of just how much effort went in to ensuring the aircraft was ready to assemble and equip straight out of the 3D printing machine:

We're sure you'd like to see more of our our magnificent spaceplane, but you'll just have to wait – as will we. Naturally, when the time comes, we'll reveal the finished aircraft and provide full details on its design.

READ MORE AND WATCH VIDEO HERE (EXTERNAL LINK)

India unveils home-built aircraft carrier

  Defense Minister A.K. Antony said Monday that India needed a strong navy to defend itself, and that India will press ahead with developing its maritime capabilities.

India joins the U.S., Russia, France and Britain in building its own carrier. The carrier was launched at the Kochi shipyard in southern Kerala state, but it still needs to be outfitted and extensive trials held before it is inducted into the Indian navy in 2018.

India has steadily built up its naval capabilities in recent years, spurred by its rivalrywith neighboring China.

On Saturday, India activated an atomic reactor for its indigenously built nuclear submarine.