Internet blimp ... Google plans to use balloons to broadcast wireless in developing world countries
The web firm wants to create vast wireless networks across Africa and Southeast Asia, transmitted by massive blimps floating miles above the ground.
People in developing countries will be able to connect to the net using a new range of affordable smartphones bosses at Google are planning to put on sale.
The search firm has refused to comment on the scheme, but boffins are thought to be testing signals at a series of schools in Cape Town, South Africa.
Sources say Google is also considering alternatives to balloons - including broadcasting signals from satellites and using airwaves currently reserved for TV broadcasts.
One of the Woolwich killers, 22 year old Michael Adebowale has been discharged from hospital and moved into custody in a south London police station. Michael Adebolajo is still in hospital.
Meanwhile, Michael Adebolajo's family yesterday issued a statement of condolence to the family of the soldier who was killed, Lee Rigby. It reads:
"As a family, we wish to share with others our horror at the senseless killing of Lee Rigby and express our profound shame and distress that this has brought our family. We wish to state openly that we believe that there is no place for violence in the name of religion or politics. We believe that all right thinking members of society share this view, wherever they were born and whatever their religion and political beliefs.
"We wholeheartedly condemn all those who engage in acts of terror and fully reject any suggestion by them that religion or politics can justify this kind of violence. We unreservedly put our faith in the rule of law and, with others, fully expect that all the perpetrators will be brought to justice under the law of the land."
A new born Chinese baby was rescued by firefighters from a toilet pipe after being flushed down the toilet by his parents. The 2-day old baby was stuck in the sewage pipe directly beneath a toilet commode in a residential building in Jinhua in the wealthy coastal province of Zhejiang on Saturday afternoon, Chinese State TV reports
Firefighters received a call from residents of a block of flats saying they heard the sound of a baby crying and believed a baby was stuck in the pipe. When firefighters got there, they removed the pipe and took it to a nearby hospital, where doctors carefully cut around it to rescue the baby boy inside.
The baby, whose placenta was still attached, is believed to have been stuck in the pipe for hours. Unbelievably, he survived the ordeal. He is now in care and said to be in stable condition. The police are said to be looking for his parents. God be praised.
First there were rumours that Brymo had left Chocolate City, then the record label released a statement denying the rumour, and now Brymo has gone on Twitter to set the record straight. Like Jesse Jagz, he has also left Chocolate City, though the record company is insisting he still has a valid contract with them.
‘He still has three years and two albums to deliver, that’s what his contract says‘, a rep for the label said.
A 23 year old Lebanese man has been arrested by police in Lagos for
kidnapping his 61 year old aunt, Alhaja Essa Dannawi. Mohammed Dannawi
(pictured above) conspired with a former employee of his aunt, Obi
Kwentua, (pictured above) to kidnap the woman on May 2nd at her home in
Ebute Meta, Lagos.
Mohammed, who later confessed to the crime, told police during
interrogation that he didn't kidnap his aunt because of money but to
punish her because she offended him and his wife. He said:
“My aunty did something very bad to my wife and I and so I
decided to punish her. I met with Obi (Kwentua) and told him that I
wanted my aunty kidnapped. I gave him the spare key to her house and he
in turn hired some boys to do the work. On
the day of the operation, I left the house and five guys stormed the
place and took my aunty away. The plan was not to demand money from her,
it was just punishment.”
After the kidnapping, the kidnappers demanded N100m ransom from the
woman's family but later
agreed to collect N4m. It was during negotiations with the kidnappers
that Mohammed confessed to being behind the kidnap and with his
co-operation the police were able to arrest one of the suspects, Obi
Kwentua when he came to collect the N4million ransom from relatives of
the victim at Rita Lori Hotel in Surulere.
Essa Dannawi was later released while Mohammed and Kwentua were arrested.
In a miracle of sorts, a woman was pulled from the rubble of a collapsed building in Bangladesh on Friday—surviving for 17 days on dried food and bottled water that she’d found.
Would she have survived if she didn’t have those meager provisions? What’s the minimum a person needs to live on if trapped and waiting for rescue?
“My kids ask me this all the time,” said Dr. Joshua Kosowsky, clinical director of the emergency department at Brigham & Women’s Hospital.
Water, of course, is more important for short-term survival than food. A person in good health can survive for three to five days without water, according to Kosowsky, and about two to three weeks without food.
“I couldn’t imagine that this woman would have been able to bang on a pipe and call for help if she hadn’t had any food for that long,” he said. Her body would have started consuming muscles and vital organs to stay alive, and she likely would have been too weak to move.
Fortunately, the Bangladesh survivor, Reshma Begum, also had adequate water, which is vital to keep the kidneys from shutting down; when that happens due to severe dehydration, toxins quickly build up in the body causing multiple organ failure.
In terms of food, the human body can survive on about 500 calories a day for extended periods of time, Kosowsky said.
Begum was also lucky to have sustained no apparent life-threatening injuries when the building first collapsed and that she had adequate oxygen in the room where she stayed,
“If it had been sealed with no air flow,” Kosowsky said, “she couldn’t have stayed alive for long.”
•Slain policemen’s wives shut down federal roads as families search for missing police, Army, DSS operatives
•Reps condemn attack, seek probe
From CHUKS AKUNNA, JULIANA TAIWO-OBALONYE, MOLLY KILETE, IHENACHO NWOSU, IHEANACHO NWOSU, Abuja and ABDULAHI SHUAIBU, LAFIA.
Death toll in Wednesday’s massacre in Alakyo village, Nasarawa State rose to 121 yesterday, even as more facts emerged on the attack. The bizarre incident also forced President Goodluck Jonathan to call off his planned visit to Namibia yesterday.
He was in South Africa for the World Economic Forum. A source told Daily Sun that about 100 policemen, 10 Department of State Security (DSS) operatives, and 20 soldiers may have been killed during the massacre, but nine policemen returned safely, bringing the casualty figure to 121. They were ambushed by the Ombatse cult group.
Hints also emerged that the state government may not have handled the situation properly. Governor Tanko Al-Makura was in Imo State for the second year anniversary of his colleague, Owelle Rochas Okorocha during the attack.
Meanwhile, over 100 bodies were displayed at the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital in Lafia for identifications by friends and relatives at about 12:30 pm. Wives, friends and relatives of the slain policemen were at the mortuary trying to identify their loved ones who were burnt beyond recognition. The state police command’s spokesman, Mr. Michael Adah, a Deputy Superintendent, confirmed that more dead bodies were discovered, but declined further comments.
The police officers’ widows barricaded the ever-busy Akwanga –Lafia Road, thereby obstructing vehicular movements between the North and southern parts of the country.
As at 9 am, the women and their children blocked the federal road at Mobile 38 Akwanga, protesting the killings of their husbands and bread-winners by the Eggon militia in Lakyo village, Lafia Local Government Area.
It took the intervention of police, soldiers and other security agents before vehicles were allowed free movement. When Daily Sun visited the area, the widows, children, and other dependants of the late policemen wore black clothes.
They were crying. One of the widows who refused to disclose her name, said that her husband left home on Tuesday evening and just a few hours later, she was told that he had been killed by the militia. Meanwhile, following the killings of policemen in Plateau, Nasarawa, Bayelsa and Borno states, the Inspector-General of Police(IGP), Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar, has ordered Commanders of the various police formations across the country to end the reign of terror and lawlessness.
He has directed Field Commanders and Special Units including Assistant Inspectors-General of Police and Commissioners of Police to harness all resources available within their domain to bring the perpetrators of the brutal acts to book in the shortest possible time.
He said: “We consider the attacks not just attacks on the Nigeria Police and its officers and men, but attacks on the collective will of Nigerians to protect and preserve our dear fatherland; this, we have vowed to put an end to.”
A statement by the Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, said consequent upon the attacks, “the IGP has directed all Field Commanders and Special Units including Assistant Inspectors-General of Police and Commissioners of Police to harness all resources available within their domain in ensuring that this reign of terror and lawlessness is brought to an end, “he said.
The statement further stated that “the Nigeria Police Force working in conjunction with all positive-minded Nigerians, will do everything within its powers to fish out and bring to book all those involved in this and other similar killings of law enforcement agents. “ We must put an end to this endless circle of impunity.
Enough is enough,” the statement added. In a related development, President Jonathan has cut short his visit to South Africa and aborted his state visit to Namibia which was due to start yesterday, to return to the country as a result of heightened security situation in some parts of the North in recent days. His Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said the President was returning to Abuja immediately to personally oversee efforts by national security agencies to contain the fresh challenges to national security which have emerged this week in Borno, Plateau and Nasarawa states.
“President Jonathan will on arrival, meet the Chief of Defence Staff, the Service Chiefs, the Inspector-General of Police and heads of national security services on arrival to review the security situation in the country, he said”.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives yesterday condemned the Nasarawa’s killings. The Lower Chamber in a resolution on a motion moved under a Matter of Urgent National Importance by Mr Haruna Kigbu, representing Nasarawa in the House, called on the federal and Nasarawa State governments to consider dialogue against the use of force. It also resolved to send a special delegation to commiserate with the state and families of victims.
A minute silence was observed in honour of the slained personnel. The House urged the state government to constitute a judicial panel of inquiry to ascertain the remote and immediate causes of the clash. Kigbu stated that the state has not known peace since January 2013 due to crises, leading to loss of scores of lives. While condemning the action of the cult group, the lawmaker, however, appealed to the police to ensure there was no reprisal attack.
He said: “If the Federal Government does not assist Nasarawa State Government to maintain security and amicably resolve their communal differences, this may lead to further breakdown of peace and order”. Members, including Deputy Leader of the House, Messrs Leo Ogor, Farouk Lawan, Ezekiel Adaji and Beni Lar, condemned the taking of arms against security forces doing their constitutional jobs. “It is criminal for anybody to take up arms against security forces in the line of duty,” Lawan stated.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has arrested a trader, Olisaemeka Osefoh, for importation of counterfeit medicines into Nigeria.
The suspect was also arrested with fake Rough Rider condoms.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the estimated street value of the goods was N106, 210, 000.
Some of the drugs seized include, Mycoten cream, Neurogesic ointment and Skineal cream.
In his statement, the suspect said he was in partnership with a cartel based in China, where the products were sourced, before being shipped to Nigeria.
The Director General of the agency, Dr. Paul Orhii, while parading the suspect, said Osefoh was arrested after a tip off.
He said the suspect had also given investigators information on how the goods were illegally cleared through Tincan Island Port, Lagos.
He said, “Operatives of NAFDAC’s Investigation and Enforcement Directorate raided a warehouse located at Progressive Traders Market known for the sales of jewellery and cosmetic products.
“During the raid at Trade Fair Complex, Badagry Expressway, Lagos, 158 cartons of Skineal cream, 43 cartons of Funbact- A Cream, 719 cartons of Mycoten Cream, 131 cartons of Neurogesic ointment, 56 cartons of Rough Rider Condoms, 20 cartons of Iman Luxury Powder and 205 cartons of Heal Balm were impounded.”
Orhii said investigations revealed that drug counterfeiters no longer specialised only in foreign products but also in Nigerian-made drugs.
He said most of the fake drugs being imported were from China while India was second. He however said the agency was having talks with the Chinese Embassy on the issue.
He said, “I can say for sure that most of the fake drugs we have in the country now are from China while India comes second. The Indian government is giving us full cooperation but we are still having talks with China.
“NAFDAC is working with the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria to track down the criminal company in China that connived with the suspect to ship the fake medicine into the country.”
The NAFDAC boss seized the opportunity to warn landlords who rent out their warehouses to dealers in fake drugs.
He said henceforth, landlords would be arrested and charged to court if their properties were used for such illegal acts.
He advised consumers not to patronise traders who sold drugs secretly in their shops but should use proper pharmacies instead.
“Recent discovery has revealed that drug counterfeiters now operate from markets that deal in other commodities so as not to draw the attention of law enforcement agencies to their nefarious activities,” he said.
Even if the reports are true that Fox wants to replace all four judges on American Idol next season, it doesn't matter to Randy Jackson, he's done with the show.
To put all of the speculation to the rest, after 12 years of judging on American Idol I have decided it is time to leave after this season," he says. "I am very proud of how we forever changed television and the music industry. It's been a life changing opportunity but I am looking forward to focusing on my company Dream Merchant 21 and other business ventures.
A fashion legend has passed. Ottavio Missioni, the patriarch of the Italian fashion brand known for his colorful designs and zigzag patterns, died Thursday at his home in Sumirago, Italy. He was 92.
"The Missoni Family announces that Ottavio Missoni passed away peacefully at home at the age of 92, surrounded by his Family," the family said in a statement
This sad news comes just months after the disappearance of a small plane carrying Ottavio's son, company CEO Vittorio Missoni.
Ottavio founded the fashion brand in 1952 with his wife, Rosita Jelmini.. Since then the company has grown into a major name in fashion and with countless celebrity fans.
The funeral will be held Monday May 13. There will be a viewing at the family home on Sunday May 12.
Olamide is the newest addition to the D’banj’s DB records.After weeks of speculations, D’banj finally signs hot Yoruba lingo rapper, Olamide to DB records.
Kay Switch, D’banj’s younger brother broke the news via micro blogging site, twitter.
“@kayswitch Welcome to the family! Baddo”, Kay Switch tweeted.
Both artistes are currently in Atlanta, USA, for a show.
The fate of some of the artistes signed to Olamide’s YBNL outfit is yet unknown. Attempts to get Olamide’s manager to speak proved abortive as calls placed to his phone were unanswered.
A NIGERIAN Air Force helicopter crashed on the runway of NAF Base in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, days after one of its jets exploded in Niger Republic .
The incident, which occurred in the morning, resulted in the explosion of the aircraft minutes after the crash.
"The plane regularly engages in routine flight parade in the area, but this morning it crashed on the runway and started smoking. Suddenly, a spell of explosions followed," a civilian working for a servicing firm at the Base narrated.
He further said the condition of the pilot and co-pilot could not be determined as they were said to have fled the aircraft before it exploded.
Meanwhile, A NAF statement, which reportedly confirmed the incident, said the crew escaped unharmed.
It identified the facility as a Russian-made Mi-24B attack helicopter. The statement said an investigation into the cause of the crash has begun.
Sir Alex Ferguson is retiring as manager of Manchester United, the club has confirmed.
The manager, who has been at the club for 26 years, said in a statement: "The decision to retire is one that I have thought a great deal about and one that I have not taken lightly. It is the right time.
"It was important to me to leave an organisation in the strongest possible shape, and I believe I have done so."
The Scotsman secured his 13th Premier League title with Manchester United two weeks ago and is the most successful manager in British football history.
The deal to appoint a successor has already been done and approved by the club's board,
An announcement is expected within days, with Sky sources saying Everton boss David Moyes is in "pole position" to get the job.
Ferguson, 71, will stay at Manchester United as a director and an ambassador, but now has just two games left with the famous club.
His final game, away to West Brom on May 19, will be his 1,500th in charge.
"With these activities, along with my many other interests, I am looking forward to the future," said Ferguson.
"I must pay tribute to my family, their love and support has been essential." Sir Alex's first European Cup was the famous last gasp win in 1999 The success of the club would continue without him, said Ferguson, who had a stand at Old Trafford named in his honour in 2011.
"The quality of this league winning squad, and the balance of ages within it, bodes well for continued success at the highest level ... the long-term future of the club remains a bright one," said Ferguson.
Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore told Sky News the Scot was a "constant professional" who was bowing out on a high.
"In some ways it's a shock, in some ways the timing couldn't be better," he said.
FA chairman David Bernstein hailed Sir Alex's tenure as "truly remarkable".
"He is genuinely one of the greatest managers of all time and certainly of the modern era. His contribution to English football has been outstanding in every regard," said Mr Bernstein.
The Prime Minister, David Cameron, also joined in the tributes and tweeted: "Sir Alex Ferguson’s achievement at #MUFC has been exceptional. Hopefully his retirement will make life a little easier for my team #AVFC". Everton Boss David Moyes is in "pole position" to take over at Old Trafford The "foundations of the Premiership have shaken this morning", said Sky News Sports Correspondent Paul Kelso.
"Fergie steps aside as the greatest figure in football management - there’ll be a very long queue of managers seeking to replace him."
Old Trafford bosses may be wary of bringing in a "restless manager" like Jose Mourinho, said Kelso - despite his impressive track record.
A manager like David Moyes, who is seen to have "over-achieved" at Everton, is looking like the more likely choice.
"Crucially, if he (Moyes) has Sir Alex Ferguson's blessing, it will buy him time with the fans to prove he's a worthy successor," said Kelso.
Former and current players have also been praising Sir Alex's achievements and having their say on who should fill his boots.
"You have to be a certain manager to manage Manchester United," former United player Paul Ince told Sky News.
"It's very important the next man is the right man."
Michael Owen, who is himself retiring at the end of the season, tweeted: "What an act to follow. I guess only Mourinho would have the confidence to strut through the door. If it were me, I'd go for Moyes." The share price is shown up until the day before Sir Alex's announcement But former United keeper Peter Schmeichel said Sir Alex should have stayed on a bit longer.
"(I'm) shocked, disappointed and very sad," he told Sky News. "I was hoping it was a couple of years down the line."
The Danish player, who was with the club for most of the 90s, said Ferguson was an inspirational leader who always had time for him, and the best manager the game had ever seen.
Cristiano Ronaldo simply tweeted a picture of himself with the manager, along with the words: "Thanks for everything, Boss."
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand also thanked the manager, tweeting: "The bosses work ethic, his desire to win + to make us better players were unrivalled. Thanks boss."
The announcement, which comes just a day after back page speculation, may be a cause of concern for some Manchester United investors. It means there will soon be a new chief executive and manager in place at Old Trafford.
When David Gill confirmed he would quit as CEO in June, it sparked a deterioration in share price.
Manchester United shares opened 4.74% down following news of Ferguson's departure, effectively wiping nearly £95m off the club's value.
Sir Alex, who was born in Glasgow and began his managerial career in 1974, enjoyed success with St Mirren and Aberdeen before moving to England.
He won 49 trophies during his career - his haul with Manchester United including five FA Cups, four league cups and two famous Champions League titles, in 1999 and 2008.
However, the manager's quest for a coveted third European title ended this season with a 3-2 aggregate loss to Real Madrid.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has arrested a trader, Olisaemeka Osefoh, for importation of counterfeit medicines into Nigeria.
Even if the reports are true that Fox wants to replace all four judges on American Idol next season, it doesn't matter to Randy Jackson, he's done with the show.
Olamide is the newest addition to the D’banj’s DB records.After weeks of speculations, D’banj finally signs hot Yoruba lingo rapper, Olamide to DB records. 
A NIGERIAN Air Force helicopter crashed on the runway of NAF Base in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, days after one of its jets exploded in Niger Republic .
Sir Alex Ferguson is retiring as manager of Manchester United, the club has confirmed.
