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No fewer than 38 persons died and 206 injured in various accidents in Ondo State in the first quarter of 2013. Sector Commander of Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Mrs Mary Wakawa, told newsmen, Tuesday, in Akure that incidents occurred between January and March. She said that the number of deaths occurred in 64 accidents. She said: “This shows a reduction in the number of accidents recorded in the same period in 2012 in the state, when 77 people died and 423 were injured.’’ Wakawa also said that about 275 people had been prosecuted in this first quarter of 2013, who were involved in various traffic offences.

Jennifer Lopez has purchased a house in the Hamptons , just in time for summer. Most of us consider a new bathing suit, or maybe plan a manicure for Memorial Day weekend, but not J. Lo. The "On The Floor" singer just dropped $10 million on an estate in Water Mill, N.Y. The eight-bedroom, seven-bathroom home is stocked with amenities like a sauna, theater and a pool. And the singer won't have to worry about prying paparazzi, either: The home is set on three lush acres in a cul-de-sac. So can we expect to see J. Lo shopping for overpriced crab salad at the local Citarella this summer? Perhaps. If she decides not to spend her summer in New York, she can always rent it out. The house commands $425,000 for the peak summer rental months. see photos below

Two doves owe their freedom, including a soaring flight over St. Peter's Square, to Pope Francis. As he toured the square in his open-topped popemobile at his Wednesday audience with the public, someone at the edge of the crowd thrust a white bird cage with two doves inside at him. Looking puzzled, his security detail took the cage and handed it to Francis. Without hesitation, the pope opened the cage door, thrust a hand inside, extracted one dove and sent it to fly over the square. Francis struggled to remove the other bird, whose feathers got caught in the cage bars. It sat for a while on his hand, before it too flew off.

Twitter is increasingly pressing beyond the confines of the 140 character text messages that defined the social network at its inception. The Twitter timeline of today -- replete with tweets that feature pictures, videos, music and short clips of news articles -- is far from the timeline of truncated status updates that launched the social network seven years ago. Indeed, the company seems intent on challenging nearly every social media competitor, from Instagram to Facebook to YouTube. The latest sign of Twitter's expanding ambitions comes with a report from The Wall Street Journal that the social network plans to distribute ESPN highlights, signaling that the company is serious about integrating content that will keep users glued to their feeds. "What's become quite evident is the way that people like to communicate isn't just through text," said Mark Shaw, a London-based social media consultant who specializes in advising companies about Twitter. "They lik

Audio experts differ on whether screams for help captured on 911 calls are those of defendant George Zimmerman or of shooting victim 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, according to reports released Tuesday. One New Jersey-based audio expert said in a report that the screams came from Martin, while another Florida-based audio expert said the shouts were a mix of Martin and Zimmerman. Attorneys prosecuting Zimmerman on a charge of second-degree murder hired the audio experts to compare samples of Zimmerman's and Martin's voices with the shouts from the 911 calls phoned in by neighbors of Zimmerman. The residents of the gated community heard the neighborhood watch leader struggling with the South Florida teen during a confrontation last year. Determining whose voice was calling for help could aid a jury in deciding whether Zimmerman's claims of self-defense were justified. Zimmerman is pleading not guilty and his trial starts next month. Martin's family claims the voice is th

Jay Carney endured an unrelenting grilling on Tuesday about what media watchdogs have called unprecedented actions by the Department of Justice to secretly obtain months of Associated Press phone records. Journalists have been outraged since the AP revealed that it had been subjected to the secret probe, which saw the DOJ look at the records for at least 20 of its phone lines and at least six of its individual journalists over a period of at least two months. Carney was asked right away about the White House's view of the situation. In response, he said flatly that there could be no comment, since he was duty-bound to maintain a separation between the White House and the investigation: On the issue of what is a Department of Justice investigation, as I understand it, the president is a strong defender of the First Amendment and a firm believer in the need for the press to be unfettered in its ability to conduct investigative reporting and facilitate the free flow of information. He

Windows 8 has been an enigma from the time of its release. Backed by probably the biggest marketing campaign ever for an operating system, Windows 8 has not managed to take the market by storm. Rather, its progress has been slow and gradual. Though Microsoft has tried its best to hype up every small achievement, the latest version of their operating system has received its fair share of criticism. Yet, there is one piece of news which will put a smile on the face of Windows proponents who have had to work very hard to defend their beloved OS.

When Google Glass was first “announced” back in early 2012, the rumor mill went on overdrive. Speculation was rife about what Google was planning to do. Wearable technology ideas were thrown left and right. Augmented reality rumors were even brought up. At this point, with Google Glass being available to a few people , we know much more about Google’s “next big thing”, but I wager that many an average consumer still is not totally clear about what Google Glass can do. Sure, we know that it gives the user the power to be connected by merely wearing the device. You can take pictures, tweet, and do all sorts of stuff you can do with your smartphone right now. But what are the Google Glass features that will really convince you to shell out hundreds – maybe a thousand – dollars for something that, depending on your perspective, looks really cool or really dorky? Here are some of the Google Glass features that just might push you over the line of doubt. 1. Prism screen display It really i

Northern elders have pointedly said President Goodluck Jonathan will not be re-elected in 2015. They, therefore, said a segment of the Niger Delta people, particularly erstwhile militant leader, Alhaji Asari Dokubo, who said there would be war in Nigeria if their kinsman, Jonathan, is not re-elected, may start their action now. According to them, the Jonathan sympathisers do not need to wait until their kinsman is defeated in 2015 to act. The northern elders, under the aegis of Northern  Elders Forum (NEF), hinged their opposition to the president’s re-election on  non-performance. They added that Jonathan was not entitled to the office of president in the first place. Prof. Ango Abdullahi, their spokesman, conveyed their position in an interview with Sunday Vanguard. Abdullahi, a former Vice Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, pointed out that the North was dissatisfied with Jonathan’s presidency. “We in the North are not going to support Jonathan in 2015 because he has

The House of Representatives yesterday, ordered the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, to return N236 billion to the treasury of the Federal Government within a month. The order was given by the Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Adeola Olamilekan. He said the order was in line with the query of the Auditor-General of the Federation which the corporation failed to defend before the committee. Cross-Section of members of House of the Reps Group Managing Director of the Corporation, Mr Andrew Yakubu, was billed to appear before the committee, along with the heads of the Federal Inland Revenue Service,FIRS, Petroleum Products Pricing Agency, PPPRA, and Accountant General of the Federation, among others, over the Auditor -General’s query on the fuel subsidy regime but delegated the General Manager, Process and Procedures, Mr Abdullahi Kalami, to represent him.

Manchester City assistant manager David Platt has left the club just a day after Roberto Mancini was sacked, the English Premier League side announced Tuesday. Italian manager Mancini was sacked Monday after a trophy-less season for City was confirmed by their shock FA Cup Final loss to Wigan. That Wembley defeat followed City's surrender of the Premier League title to local rivals Manchester United. Former England midfielder Platt was offered the chance to stay at City, a club he joined in 2010, but instead decided to leave. "With regret Manchester City announce that David Platt has this (Tuesday) afternoon left his role as assistant manager at the club," a City statement said. "David was offered the opportunity to continue his work with us but has declined the invitation. He has decided to leave his role with his close friend Roberto Mancini. "David has made a significant contribution to the Club's success since joining in 2010 and we wis

List of recent winners of the UEFA Europa League, ahead of the 2012-13 final between Benfica and Chelsea in Amsterdam on Wednesday: 2011-12: Atletico Madrid (ESP) 2010-11: Porto (POR) 2009-10: Atletico Madrid (ESP) 2008-09: Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) 2007-08: Zenit Saint Petersburg (RUS) 2006-07: Sevilla (ESP) 2005-06: Sevilla (ESP) 2004-05: CSKA Moscow (RUS) 2003-04: Valencia (ESP) 2002-03: Porto (POR) 2001-02: Feyenoord (NED) 2000-01: Liverpool (ENG) 1999-00: Galatasaray (TUR) 1998-99: Parma (ITA) 1997-98: Inter Milan (ITA) 1996-97: Schalke 04 (GER) 1995-96: Bayern Munich (GER) 1994-95: Parma (ITA) 1993-94: Inter Milan (ITA) 1992-93: Juventus (ITA) Titles won by club Juventus (ITA): 3 (1977, 1990, 1993) Inter Milan (ITA): 3 (1991, 1994, 1998) Liverpool (ENG): 3 (1973, 1976, 2001) Borussia Moenchengladbach (GER): 2 (1975, 1979) Tottenham Hotspur (ENG): 2 (1972, 1984) Feyenoord (NED): 2 (1974, 2002) IFK Got

ADDRESS   BY    PRESIDENT GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN, GCFR   ON THE DECLARATION OF A STATE OF EMERGENCY IN BORNO, YOBE AND ADAMAWA STATES IN ORDER TO RESTORE PUBLIC ORDER, PUBLIC SAFETY AND SECURITY IN THE AFFECTED STATES OF THE FEDERATION    MAY 14, 2013   Dear compatriots,   1.    It has become necessary for me to address you on the recent spate of terrorist activities and protracted security challenges in some parts of the country, particularly in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Gombe, Bauchi, Kano, Plateau and most recently Bayelsa, Taraba, Benue and Nasarawa states.  These unfortunate events have led to needless loss of lives and property of many innocent Nigerians including members of our security forces.   2.   The recent killing of security operatives by a cult group in Nasarawa state is particularly condemnable. I have directed that no effort or expense be spared in identifying and bringing to justice all those who had a hand in the killing of the operatives.   3.   The activities of insur

Looking at this pictures tell me what you think when you had your first sight on it

Robust support came for President Goodluck Jonathan from South-South and South-East governors, who yesterday, gave a strong endorsement of his leadership and charged him to confront terror wherever it may be found in the land. The governors at a meeting in Asaba, Delta State, condemned the behaviour and antics of Nigerians and those they described as their “evil collaborators,” who according to them, have decided to assault the collective consciousness of the nation by encouraging terrorism in the country. The meeting of the governors was across party lines. The only absentee was Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State. Those present were Senator Liyel Imoke of Cross River; Peter Obi of Anambra; Chief Theodore Orji (Abia), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Hon. Seriake Dickson, Bayelsa and Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, Delta. Also present were Chief Martins Elechi (Ebonyi), Sullivan Chime (Enugu), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), while Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State was represented by his deputy,

State of emergency: Northern leaders in crucial meeting Alarmed by the grim prospects of the declaration of a state of emergency by the Presidency in five of their states, Northern elders are converging on Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, with a view to taking far-reaching decisions to halt such a move, which they see as punitive. Meanwhile as the northern leaders were putting heads together to come up with a decision, the 36 state governors under the aegis, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, yesterday, urged President Goodluck Jonathan to ignore those agitating for state of emergency in some troubled states. There were reports that the Presidency was contemplating the declaration of a state of emergency in five states of Borno, Yobe, Nasarawa, Benue and Plateau states following escalating violence. But the Presidency said on Saturday that it had not yet taken a firm decision on what to do in those states with rising violence.

There has been a lot of accidents on our Roads which are caused by mostly not the vehicles we drive but because little things are not just put into considerations. So I have outlined 6 safety tips to stay protected on the Road 1. Stay focused on defensive driving Keep 100% of your attention on driving at all times. Use defensive driving techniques and be aware of what others around you are doing and expect the unexpected. Don't use a cell phone or any other electronic device while driving. 2. Practice safe driving tips Build time into your trip schedule to stop for food, rest breaks and phone calls or other business. Adjust your seat, mirrors and climate controls before putting the car in gear. 3. Prioritise car safety Secure cargo that may move around while the vehicle is in motion. Don't attempt to retrieve items that fall to the floor. Have items needed within easy reach, such as toll fees, toll cards and garage passes. 4. Make the time for driving s

Bedroom Tax Blamed For Woman's Suicide A woman who committed suicide left a note blaming the Government's so-called bedroom tax for her death. Stephanie Bottrill, who killed herself earlier this month, wrote in her final letter: "I don't [blame] anyone for me death expect [sic] the government." Her son Steven, 27, said she was struggling to cope after being told to pay £20-a-week extra for two under-occupied bedrooms at her home in Solihull. He told the Sunday People: "I couldn't believe it. She said not to blame ourselves, it was the Government and what they were doing that caused her to do it. "She was fine before this bedroom tax. It was dreamt up in London, by people living in offices and big houses. They have no idea the effect it has on people like my mum."

As a child, doctors told Jacob Barnett’s parents that their autistic son would probably never know how to tie his shoes. But experts say the 14-year-old Indiana prodigy has an IQ higher than Einstein’s and is on the road to winning a Nobel Prize. He’s given TedX talks and is working toward a master’s degree in quantum physics. The key, according to mom Kristine Barnett, was letting Jacob be himself — by helping him study the world with wide-eyed wonder instead of focusing on a list of things he couldn’t do. Diagnosed with moderate to severe autism at the age of 2, Jacob spent years in the clutches of a special education system that didn’t understand what he needed. His teachers at school would try to dissuade Kristine from hoping to teach Jacob any more than the most basic skills.

Struggling Finnish handset giant Nokia unveiled on Thursday its next-generation of lower-end mobile smartphones as it seeks to gain traction in a market expected to be worth $15 billion by 2015. Nokia chief executive Stephen Elop released the $99 Asha 501 touchscreen Internet-enabled model at a global launch in New Delhi that especially targets emerging market users moving up from their no-frills first mobile phones. India, the world’s second-largest mobile market after China, “is very important” for Nokia, Elop told reporters, fresh from a bruising meeting in Helsinki earlier this week with shareholders unhappy at Nokia’s poor earnings. The country of 1.2 billion people, Nokia’s second-biggest market in 2012, is a “bellwether market that is a very leading indicator of some trends”, he said. The Asha 501 borrows some of its looks from Nokia’s higher specification Windows-based Lumia phone and is aimed at stopping consumers embracing Google’s Android software offered on cheaper handset