Nigerian state firm picks up Shell block

State oil company Nigerian National Petroleum Corp and a local company bought an onshore oil block operated Royal Dutch Shell on Tuesday, NNPC said in a statement.

The OML 34 is amongst three onshore blocks that the Anglo-Dutch major has been trying to divest this year as part of a rejig of its portfolio in Nigeria, Reuters reported.
NNPC said it and a company called ND Western will now run the oil block, saying in the statement that it is "a major milestone in the oil and gas sector".
"The taking over of Oil Mining Lease (OML) 34 by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and ND Western (is) part of measures to grow the in-country upstream capacity of the petroleum industry," the statement said according to the news wire.

NNPC takes 55% and ND Western 45% of the block from Shell Petroleum Development Corporation, a Shell-run joint between NNPC, with 55%; Shell, with 30%; EPNL, with 10%; and Agip, with 5%.
Shell officials were not immediately available for comment to the news wire.
Shell has been winding down some of its onshore operations to focus on offshore and deepwater drilling. The sales follow similar divestments over the past two years.

 The company said last month it was seeking buyers for OMLs 30, 34 and 40.Shell's onshore facilities are plagued with problems such as militancy and rampant oil theft, although the firm says such problems have not influenced its divestment plans.
Last year Shell sold its 30% stake in Nigerian onshore oil block OML 42 to local consortium Neconde Energy - which includes Nestoil Group, Aries E&P Company Limited, VP Global and Poland's Kulczyk Oil Ventures - for $390 million.
In the same year, it divested its 30% stake in block OML 26 to First Hydrocarbon Nigeria (FHN), which is part-owned by Afren, for $98 million.
Nigeria's government has a policy of boosting local participation in the oil industry, although critics say NNPC lacks the funds to invest sufficiently in its own assets.
The statement said the sale of the block "would give indigenous companies ... the impetus to become an active player in the ... oil and gas sector."

(www.upstreamonline.com)

Explosive device found university lecture hall in Kano

An explosive device was found on Tuesday in lecture hall at a university in northern city just before students arrived for an examination, an official said.
The device planted in the lecture theatre at the Federal College of Education (FCE) in Kano was discovered by a campus security guard and dismantled before causing any damage.
In April, attackers suspected of belonging the radical Boko Haram Islamist group killed roughly 20 people at the nearby Bayero University, Kano.
They set off bombs at a Sunday morning campus church service, then opened fire as worshippers tried to flee.
“This morning, something suspected to be an improvised explosive device has been successfully detected and detonated by the anti-bomb squad of the Nigeria police in the college,” said FCE spokesman Auwalu Mudi Yakasai in a statement.
He added that the exams would continue uninterrupted.
It was not immediately clear who planted the device, but Boko Haram, responsible for scores of attacks across northern and central Nigeria in recent months, has hit Kano repeatedly in the past.
The name Boko Haram, a combination of Hausa and Arabic, means “Western education is forbidden.”
Kano, Nigeria’s second most populous city, was the site of the group’s deadliest attack yet on January 20 when at least 185 people were killed in coordinated gun and bomb attacks.
The group has claimed the deaths of more than 1,000 people since mid-2009, and three of its presumed top leaders have been designated as global terrorists by the United States.

(www.vanguardngr.com)

JTF kills two terrorists; intercepts rocket launchers,10 rocket bombs

The Joint Task Force (JTF) on Operation Restore Order (ORO) on Tuesday said it killed two suspected terrorists in Monguno Local Government Area (LGA) of Borno State.
The JTF Spokesman, Lt.-Col.Sagir Musa, stated this while briefing newsmen in Maiduguri.
He said the JTF also intercepted large quantities of arms from the suspected terrorists during the operation.
Musa also said the two suspected terrorists who were escorting the consignment died in an exchange of fire with security men.

 “The arms included eight rocket launchers, 10 rocket bombs, 10 rocket chargers, two AK 47 rifles and 13 magazines.”
He said that the arms were concealed in a blue Toyota Hilux vehicle heading towards Maiduguri.

“The JTF in conjunction with the Department of State Service, the Multi National Joint Task Force intercepted large consignment of arms and ammunitions.
“The consignment was intercepted at Daban Masara in Monguno Local Government Area (LGA) of Borno based on intelligence report.
“The large consignment of arms was being moved from Baga Masara heading towards Maiduguri in a blue hilux vehicle.
“The JTF wishes to appeal to members of the public to provide useful information to security agencies in order to stop the isolated killings in the state.”  (NAN)
ABI /DO/SIA

(www.vanguardngr.com)

16 Million People Facing Food Shortages in East Africa

More than 16 million people, in six African nations, are currently facing food shortages, that range from stressed to emergency levels food insecurity, a recent report from Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWSN) shows.
The affected countries include Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Djibouti and Ethiopia, with poor rains, conflict, high food prices and in some cases inability to access humanitarian assistance, seen as driving factors.
According to FEWSN, climate forecast by the Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum (GHACOF 31) for the June to September rains reportedly indicate that the performance of these rains will be normal to above normal in areas of East Africa that typically receive this rain.
"These rains are the main rains in most parts of Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan and Djibouti," the report says, while adding that Northern Uganda and the northern and coastal parts of Somalia also receive rains during this season.
However, since it got independence over a year ago, South Sudan's has had murky relationship with neighbouring Sudan, often characterized by clashes, counter accusation and each blaming the other for working to allegedly destabilize each other's regime.
Also, poor harvest, macroeconomic instability and widespread conflict in South Sudan could see more than 4.7 million people or almost half of the country's population at risk of food shortage; a million of whom could face severe consequences, according to a United Nations food security assessment.
In a related development, the FEWSN report says, about 1.2 million resident or host communities in the drought affected areas of North Darfur face crisis levels of food insecurity, citing poor food availability and high grain prices and in Jebel Mara due to the impacts of conflict on trade and humanitarian access, as contributing factors.
"The rising pattern of insecurity is expected to cause new displacement, reduce access by humanitarian agencies and reduce the flow of and on food goods from central Sudan to Darfur resulting in even more higher prices," the report warns.
At least US$427m of the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), the U.N Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said its annual report, were allocated to 11 U.N agencies and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) last year.
According to the report, climate-related emergencies due to drought, floods and storms, it says, received more than $149m from the fund, while over $128m reportedly went to the Horn of Africa for people affected by drought and food insecurity.
(http://allafrica.com)

CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2012

A news report featuring the impact of drought and food insecurity in Kenya today won a UNICEF-sponsored Television News Bulletin Award at the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist of the Year Award Ceremony held in Lusaka, Zambia.

Reporter Nimrod Taabu Mwagamoyo and Cameraman Charles Kinyua Kariuki of NTV Kenya received the Award for their “Portraits of Pain” series highlighting the plight of Barpello village in East Pokot, Kenya, where severe drought and food insecurity has rendered water so scarce that residents are forced to rely on a single, heavily-contaminated water-source.

The pastoralist community shares this dam with their animals that not only drink from it but also pollute the water further with their own waste.

The television feature echoes the residents’ appeal to save them from trekking long distances in search of clean water, and from consuming unsafe water that has rendered them perpetually vulnerable to disease.

Today marks the first time that UNICEF has supported the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist of the Year Award.

UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, Elhadj As Sy, who presented the award to the finalists, expressed gratitude to the African journalists for their role in uncovering and reporting on critical issues that deeply affect children across the continent.

“Important progress has been made for children in Africa over the years in reducing child mortality. However, progress has not been uniform and inequalities exist between and within countries,” Mr. Sy said during the awards ceremony.“

“UNICEF is committed to empowering countries with technical support, capacity-building and mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation to help them reduce sickness and death among children. UNICEF is also committed to work in partnership with governments, non-governmental and civil society organizations, the private sector, donors, and of course, the media to reach every child, everywhere, particularly those hardest to reach and most vulnerable.”

Mr. Sy applauded the role of journalists in highlighting the multiple obstacles to the survival, health and wellbeing of children in Africa in the media, and in provoking debate and discussion to address them.

He said, “Media professionals are key partners for us when it comes to advocating for the realization and protection of children’s rights.

Journalists have a crucial role to play in illustrating and explaining these challenges and their impact, particularly, on those children who are most excluded from progress and access to basic social services. Without a transparent and open media environment, it would be almost impossible to effectively tackle the challenges children in Africa face.”

The Award was established in August 1995 to encourage, promote and recognize excellence in African journalism. It is now in its 17th year.

(www.newvision.co.ug)

Ethnic clashes kill 18 Ethiopians, displace thousands

At least 18 people have been killed in fierce fighting between two communities over land in southern Ethiopia and 20,000 refugees have fled to Kenya, the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) said on Monday.
Fighting broke out last Thursday because of a dispute over the Ethiopian government's decision to settle the Garri community on land which the Borana claim to own, KRCS said in a statement on its website.
Thousands of refugees, segregated by ethnicity, are camped out in schools and a mosque around the Kenyan town of Moyale. Others are being given refuge by local Kenyan residents.
"Most of the families are in the open cold with their children for lack of shelter," KRCS said.
"The humanitarian situation is dire bearing in mind that the effects of the HOA [Horn of Africa] drought on the populations in the conflict areas are also still being felt," it said.
The Garri and Borana communities straddle the Kenyan and Ethiopian borders.
Life in arid northern Kenya is precarious, with millions still reliant upon food aid following a severe drought in 2011. Heavily armed pastoralist communities regularly clash over land, water and cattle in the remote borderlands.
Some refugees started to return to Ethiopia on Monday after Ethiopia's federal government intervened in the clash-hit areas, Abbas Gullet, the secretary general of KRCS, told AlertNet.
"The federal security forces are taking control of the security situation from regional security officials and they are looking for an amicable solution to the disputes," Gullet said.
At least 12 people have been injured, but they are reluctant to seek medical help at facilities thought to belong to rival communities, KRCS said.
"The reported injuries include gun wounds, fractures, bleeding, and internal bleeding," it said.
The KRCS Moyale Branch response team is waiting for more casualties to reach the Kenyan border from the Ethiopian interior where the fighting is taking place, KRCS said.

(www.trust.org)

Nigeria forces thousands from floating slum (Lagos, Nigeria)Street Life in Lagos Searching for a better life, many immigrants are struggling to survive in the world's fastest growing megacity

Thousands of people have been left homeless in the Nigerian city of Lagos after a recent government-led eviction of an almost 200-year old shantytown.
During last week's eviction of the Makoko slum, home to about 100,000 people, residents were given only 72 hours to evacuate before men in speedboats were sent to destroy their houses.

"As the city authorities continue to forcefully evict this community of mainly fishermen, many say there have nowhere to turn to," said Al Jazeera's Mohammed Adow, reporting from Lagos on Sunday.

Street Life in Lagos

Searching for a better life, many immigrants are struggling to survive in the world's fastest growing megacity

 The floating Makoko slum rises out of the murky lagoon water that separates mainland Nigeria from the island that gave birth to its largest city.

(www.aljazeera.com)

Extortion: 17 Policemen Arrested in Kano

Kano State police command has disclosed that in response to public complaints over alleged extortion by police and other security personnel at various check points in the state, about 17 policemen have been arrested in connection with the sharp practice.

The State Commissioner of Police Mr. Ibrahim Idris revealed that the clamp down on corrupt officers was part of their efforts to sanities the force to provide better services to the people of the state.

Idris told reporters at the weekend that to this effect, 17 officers comprising six inspectors, three sergeants, five corporals and three constables are facing disciplinary action for alleged extortion at road blocks.

State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Idris

“Orderly room trial is in progress to ascertain their culpability and the public is hereby warned to desist from offering money for whatever reason to policemen on duty at check points for they too will be held culpable if caught,” the commissioner disclosed.

The commissioner stated that any officer who demands money from members of the public should be reported to the police using the emergency numbers and public complaint numbers.

Idris also added that the command has held a meeting with Islamic leaders in the state on modalities to be used for the sustenance of peace in the state.

According to him, the meeting with religious leaders had been successful, resulting in some major decisions.

"At the latest meeting with religious leaders with members of the Hisbah, Vigilante, Civil Defence and FRSC in attendance, it was agreed that during this period, persons coming to mosques shall remain there until the close of prayers and no loitering around the mosques would be allowed. It was also agreed that there would be erection of barricades where and when applicable.”

Woman to court: What kind of man would strip his wife naked in public?

A 28-year-old woman, Mrs.Rachel Raheem, told an Agege customary court that her husband, Mr. Aliu Raheem, beat  her constantly and  once stripped her naked in the public.
The husband denied the allegations. Rachel, who lives at 84, Egbabo Street Agege, said  her husband  was  fond of bringing home other women and had sex with them in her presence. According to her, confronting him on his behaviour always led  to him beating the hell out of her.
She informed the court that her husband would not  give her more than #500  as  feeding allowance, but would increase the money to #700 whenever he wanted to have sex with her.
The wife  claimed that  they had lived as husband and wife for 11 years despite the fact that no formal marriage was contracted and no bride price was paid.
“To my surprise, he got married to another lady secretly, and  the lady delivered a baby shortly after l gave birth to my second child”. Rachel alleged that her husband became something else after the second wife moved  in. Once, she claimed,  he descended heavily on her to the extent that she had to deliver  a baby through Caesarian operation. She  informed the court that her husband threw her belongings out of  the matrimonial home, while she was away in Abeokuta to report the marital problems to her mother-in-law.
The estranged wife said  she regretted  marrying Aliu, because “he was  a very difficult person”. Speaking in the same vein, Chief  Oloyede lsaac, who claimed to be Rachel`s father’s  childhood friend, testified that Aliu was wicked, adding that he always beat the wife.
Oloyede informed the court that he was the one that encouraged Rachel to institute  the divorce case  when he could no longer tolerate the way the husband was  always stripping  his wife  naked in pubic. In his defence,  Aliu  said his wife lacked  care for him and the children.
The husband  added that Rachel always returned  from the market late in the night and that the situation made  it difficult for him and the children to eat. He denied beating the wife, but admitted to slapping  her when they had misunderstanding sometime ago.The court president, Mr. Emmanuel Shokunle, adjourned the case till August 7 for further hearing.

(http://www.vanguardngr.com)

Chaplain at same-sex rite leaves Southern Baptists

A long-serving Air Force chaplain has left the Southern Baptist Convention after the conservative denomination publicly questioned his attendance at a same-sex civil union ceremony at his base in New Jersey.
The chaplain, Col. Timothy Wagoner, is remaining on active duty and has affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, which holds more moderate views on homosexuality and some other issues than the Southern Baptists.
“I find very little that is more important and nothing that is more exhilarating than providing for the religious freedoms and spiritual care of all service members and their families — and will joyfully continue to do so,” Col. Wagoner said in an e-mail to the Associated Press.
Col. Wagoner’s exit from the Southern Baptist Convention, which SBC leaders welcomed, is a direct fallout from the repeal a year ago of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy that prohibited acknowledged gays from serving in the military.
Gay service members are now able to be open about their relationships, and same-sex civil union and marriage ceremonies can take place at military installations if they are legal under state law. New Jersey recognizes civil unions, and thus the June 23 ceremony uniting Tech. Sgt. Erwynn Umali and civilian Will Behrens had legal stature.

(www.washingtontimes.com)

First person believed to be cured of AIDS gives hope to researchers

An influential group of scientists gathered this week at the International AIDS Conference in Washington is committing to a goal that just five years ago would have seemed ludicrous: to cure HIV. While acknowledging substantial challenges, they argue that the effort is necessary because the epidemic cannot be contained through treatment and prevention alone. And recent medical and scientific advances — including the case of the first man definitively cured of the human immunodeficiency virus — offer proof that it’s possible.

Timothy Ray Brown, known as the "Berlin Patient" and the only person to have been cured of AIDS, holds a press conference to announce the launch of the Timothy Ray Brown Foundation at the Westin City Center hotel on July 24 in Washington, D.C.

The first person believed to have been cured of AIDS, Timothy Ray Brown, addressed the media in the U.S. for the first time on Tuesday and said that reports he still has the HIV virus are false.
Brown, also known as the “Berlin patient,” says doctors have told him he’s “cured of AIDS and will remain cured.”
Brown was an HIV-positive American who was living in Germany when he developed leukemia. After failing to respond to first-line cancer treatments, he chose to have a bone-marrow transplant in 2007. As his doctors searched for a suitable donor, they looked for one with a rare genetic mutation that disables a receptor known as CCR5, which HIV needs to gain entry into immune cells. Brown had two transplants that not only put his leukemia into remission but replaced his HIV-susceptible immune system with one that could ward off the disease.
Doctors declared him “cured” soon after.
Researchers in California recently found traces of HIV in his tissues. But Brown says any remnants of the virus still in his body are dead and can’t replicate.
He appeared frail but energetic Tuesday, and announced the formation of a new AIDS foundation in his name.
Paula Cannon, a molecular biologist at USC’s Keck School of Medicine, said that until Brown came along, a scientist who proposed HIV cure research “would be laughed out of the room.”
“There’s nothing like success to galvanize the research,” she said. “People are daring to hope again that with a lot of hard work and ingenuity, scientists can deliver.”

(www.thestar.com)

U.S. is pushed to label Nigeria’s Boko Haram a terrorist group

As attacks by the Nigerian militant group Boko Haram become increasingly violent, some members of Congress are criticizing the Obama administration’s refusal to formally designate the group a terrorist organization.
Senior U.S. officials contend that they still don’t know enough about Boko Haram and that the most serious attacks attributed to the group may not reflect its overall ideology. The designation would put the group on a watch list and would bar American individuals and entities from providing it with financial or other resources.
Johnnie Carson, the ranking U.S. diplomat for African affairs, has been quick to condemn the group’s actions. He noted that some of its members have been slapped with U.S. sanctions, but he argued before Congress recently that Boko Haram isn’t a homogenous organization.
“We believe it is an organization of several parts,” Carson told the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Human Rights earlier this month. “We believe the individuals we have designated represent a core group which is desirous of attacking not only Nigerian targets of interest but also international targets of interest.”
Boko Haram, which means “Western education is sinful,” has targeted primarily Christians in an attempt to create an Islamist state governed by Shariah law in Africa’s most populous nation. The group claimed responsibility for a series of attacks in December that targeted churches across the country and claimed the lives of dozens of Nigerians.
To some critics, Carson’s explanation doesn’t stand up against the group’s increasingly militant efforts.
“The U.S. government has a lot to learn about Boko Haram and their intelligence should remain high, but that should not be an excuse for inaction,” said Morgan Roach, a researcher at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative research center in Washington.
Rep. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa., introduced a resolution in the House in May urging the State Department either to designate Boko Haram a terrorist organization or explain its reasons for not doing so. He introduced the resolution in response to the group’s increasing aggression, including the Christmas bombings and an attack on the United Nations offices in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, he said.
“We’re seeing a growing body of work, not a diminishing body of work, and I think the more those activities carry on the greater the demand will be for the Department of State to explain the position that they’re taking,” Meehan said.
Given the advancement in Boko Haram’s attacks, particularly its increased use of homemade bombs, some U.S. officials suspect that the group is receiving technical support and training from other extremist groups in the region. Gen. Carter Ham, the commander of the U.S. military’s Africa Command, and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper have explicitly said that Boko Haram now is allied with two other major African militant groups, al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb and Somalia’s al Shabab, both of which the State Department has designated as terrorist organizations.
“I think (given) the amount of training and the quickness with which Boko Haram has been able to improve their tactics, improve their attacks, we have to be looking a bit more closely at where this is coming from,” Roach said.
However, much disagreement among experts remains about Boko Haram’s ties to the other terrorist groups. Unlike the other groups, Boko Haram’s rhetoric is focused on Nigeria, not the United States, said John Campbell, a senior fellow for Africa policy studies at the nonpartisan Council on Foreign Relations. Slapping it with the designation might limit the ability of nongovernmental organizations and the State Department to work in Nigeria, Campbell said.
But it also might prod the Nigerian government to improve its security efforts, Meehan and others say. Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has followed a strategy of diplomacy toward the group but his attempts at engaging it in a dialogue have failed, Roach said. Jonathan last month fired his national security adviser, Patrick Owoeye Azazi, and replaced him with Sambo Dasuki, the cousin of Nigeria’s most prominent Muslim leader, in an attempt to build bridges between the mostly Christian southern half of the country and the mostly Muslim north.
Designating Boko Haram a foreign terrorist organization “would put pressure on the Nigerian government to say, ‘We take this threat seriously,’ ” Roach said.
Meehan said the United States also needed to take this potential security threat seriously, to avoid domestic disaster down the line.
“We don’t get to choose those who are making threats against the country, nor do we get the luxury of choosing how we might characterize them,” Meehan said.
We will love to hear your views on this imminent declaration from U.S.

(www.mcclatchydc.com)

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/07/23/157309/us-is-pushed-to-label-nigerias.html#storylink=cpy

Nigeria signs $23-million electricity deal with Canadian firm

Nigeria on Monday signed a $23-million deal with a Canadian firm aimed at overhauling power transmission in Africa’s most populous nation, part of plans to improve its woeful electricity network.

Manitoba Hydro International signed the management accord that will see it reorganize the Transmission Company of Nigeria, with the aim of eventually privatizing part of it, the firm said.

Capacity of 330/132KV line is 6,894MVA.This means Nigeria current transmission network can't bear 7,000MW output from generation stations.(@budgITng)

The head of Nigeria’s Bureau of Public Enterprises, Bolanle Onagoruwa, told reporters the contract was worth $23-million.

Nigeria is Africa’s largest oil producer, but electricity blackouts occur daily.

President Goodluck Jonathan has laid out plans to privatize electricity production and distribution in the nation of some 160-million people. The country’s electricity grid would remain state-owned, but privately managed.

Electricity workers fearing layoffs have protested, including in recent days, over the planned overhaul.

Nigerian man raped to death by six wives

A Nigerian man was killed by his six wives after they forced him to have sexual intercourse with them all, the Daily Post has reported.

The man, Uroko Onoja, reportedly married six women after he became rich.

Five of the wives came at Onoja with knives and sticks in jealousy after seeing him entering his youngest wife's room to demand that he have sex with all of them, according to reports.

Onoja reportedly stopped breathing when he was going to bed with the fifth wife after having had sex with four of his other wives.

The five ran away after they saw that he had died, according to the youngest wife.

“Suddenly, my husband stopped breathing, and they all ran out, still laughing, but when they saw that I could not resuscitate him, they all ran into the forest," the youngest wife said.

Woman stripped NAKED for sleeping with best friend's fiancée

Shame was recently brought on a lady in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital when she was stripped off her clothes after being caught allegedly sleeping with her best friend's fiancee.




 












 Princess, as the lady is identified as, was said to have been caught red-handed by her own fiancee allegedly warming the bed of her best friend's fiancee. 

We learnt that Princess was planning to get married in September before being caught by her husband to be going down-low with another man.

This, as we gathered, has resulted in the cancellation of the wedding. She was striped uncloth and her pictures taken in order to humiliate her.

William, Kate and Harry's Olympic Schedule

Members of Britain's royal family will be a significant presence during the London 2012 Olympic Games. 
Clarence House has announced a provisional schedule of Olympic appearances for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry. The three young royals are all official ambassadors for Team GB and will be showing up for official ceremonies, as well as some of the athletic competitions and victory ceremonies.

All three will attend the Opening Ceremony on July 27, along with Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. 
During the first weekend of the Games, Prince William is expected to attend the equestrian events at Greenwich Park, and will watch the football match between Team GB and the United Arab Emirates on July 29. 

Tiwa Savage signs autograph on female fan’s breasts

There is certainly nothing some fans will not do, when they meet their favourite celebrities. And that was the case recently when Kele Kele Love crooner, Tiwa Savage, encountered one of her female admirers in Malaysia.

The Mavin’s first lady, who is in the country for a concert, was asked by the fan to sign an autograph on her breasts, and the 33-year-old gladly obliged, as this picture shows.

Wiggins becomes first British cyclist to win Tour de France

Bradley Wiggins became the first British cyclist to win the Tour de France by protecting the yellow jersey during Sunday's final processional ride into Paris. He also helped Sky teammate Mark Cavendish earn his fourth straight sprint victory on the Champs-Elysees.

 The Tour de France which is an annual bicycle race always held in France and nearby countries was first staged in 1903. The race typically covers around 3,200 kilometres (2,000 mi) and lasts three weeks.

Wiggins secured his win with a dominating performance in Saturday's final time trial to extend his already commanding lead. Fellow Briton and Sky teammate Christopher Froome finished second, 3 minutes, 21 seconds behind overall. Vincenzo Nibali of Italy finished third, 6:19 off the pace.

The last time two riders from the same nation finished first and second in the Tour was in 1984, when Frenchman Laurent Fignon defeated Bernard Hinault.

 

(www.foxnews.com)

Beckham to play last-minute Olympic role

Though he was snubbed from the Team GB football team for the London 2012 Olympics, David Beckham is currently in talks for a 'special role' at the Games.
The People reports that a source within the organising committee for London 2012 said "it's going to be a big, big surprise. David will have a starring role in the Games".

The role is said to be in recognition for the footballer's work at the International Olympic Committee vote in 2005, helping London win its bid to host the Games. Alongside former Prime Minister Tony Blair and Lord Sebastian Coe and was considered to have played a pivotal role in securing the bid.

Murdoch gets ‘house-cleaned’

Rupert Murdoch has finally stepped down from his director position off the board of his empire; including The Times, The Sun and The Sunday Times.
It is still not clear who will head the media empire in the future, especially considering that James Murdoch (son) has quit his designation in 2011.
After the whirlpool of criticism that he suffered through in the last year and after every sniper’s aim pointing at him from all directions; this announcement naturally prompted claims that he was running away. Although, Murdoch has been numerously described as being “unfit” for the job, so his departure certainly creates a balanced argument.
Whether Murdoch’s way out was a consensual one with dignity and self-reflection is not yet clear, but here’s a hint. “This decision by Rupert is part of the preparation of the business for the upcoming restructure into two companies.” The move to step down from News International and Times Newspapers was explained as nothing more than corporate house-cleaning.
This was sent by tom Mockridge, chief executive at News International, to all the staff at the newspaper in an email circulation.
Murdoch may have created a large empire for himself or his family, but the fact of the matter is; he is more widely known (and hated) for a different reason. A reason that many say is unforgivable; creating a corporate and media culture in the United Kingdom and other countries where committing crime and violating privacy can be condoned as normal practice.
Although many of his critics (and there certainly are many) stand by the point that this isn’t anything more than Murdoch leaving his loyal staff behind to clean up the mess that he has created, and sweep up after him with some damage control.
Murdoch has been under fire ever since the infamous British scandal, which erupted last year. It was revealed that the News of the World tabloid had systematically hacked voice mails of various celebrities and politicians. The revelations have rocked Britain’s establishment and triggered three parallel police investigations that have resulted in more than 40 arrests.
Whoever will head the media empire, will have to live and carry the load of a mass scarring.
(www.kippreport.com)

Suspect in Colorado theatre shooting was brilliant, reserved science student seeking doctorate

 James Eagen Holmes came from a well-tended San Diego enclave of two-story homes with red-tiled roofs, where neighbours recall him as a clean-cut, studious young man of sparing words.

Tall and dark-haired, he stared clear-eyed at the camera in a 2004 high school yearbook snapshot, wearing a white junior varsity soccer uniform — No. 16. The son of a nurse, Arlene, and a software company manager, Robert, James Holmes was a brilliant science scholar in college.
The biggest mystery surrounding the 24-year-old doctoral student was why he would have pulled on a gas mask and shot dozens of people early Friday, killing 12, in a suburban Denver movie theatre, as police allege.
In the age of widespread social media, no trace of Holmes could be found on Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Twitter or anywhere on the Web. Either he never engaged or he scrubbed his trail.
A longtime neighbour in San Diego, where Holmes grew up, remembers only a "shy guy ... a loner" from a churchgoing family. In addition to playing soccer at Westview High School, he ran cross country.
The bookish demeanour concealed an unspooling life. Holmes struggled to find work after graduating with highest honours in spring 2010 with a neuroscience degree from the University of California, Riverside, said the neighbour, retired electrical engineer Tom Mai.
Holmes enrolled last year in a neuroscience Ph.D. program at the University of Colorado-Denver but was in the process of withdrawing, said school officials, who didn't provide a reason. The school later said in a statement that he left the program in June 2012.
As part of the advanced program in Denver, a James Holmes had been listed as making a presentation in May about Micro DNA Biomarkers in a class named "Biological Basis of Psychiatric and Neurological Disorders."
In academic achievement, "he was at the top of the top," recalled Riverside Chancellor Timothy P. White.
Holmes concentrated his study on "how we all behave," White added. "It's ironic and sad."
From a distance, Holmes' life appears unblemished, a young man with unlimited potential. There are no indications he had problems with police.
Somehow, the acclaimed student and quiet neighbour reached a point where he painted his hair red, called himself "The Joker," the green-haired villain from the Batman movies, according to New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, who said he had been briefed on the matter.
Police asked Ben Lung, 27, who lives in the same apartment building as Holmes, whether he had seen anyone with "noticeably dyed hair." Lung said he had not.
During his rampage, authorities say Holmes was dressed in black, outfitted in a gas mask, ballistic helmet, vest and leggings, black tactical gloves and protectors on his throat and groin. He was armed with an assault-style rifle, a shotgun and Glock handgun.
Police said he started his attack by tossing two gas canisters into the theatre, where he had bought a ticket for the midnight showing of "The Dark Knight Rises," the new Batman movie.
A federal law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing probe into the rampage, said Holmes bought four guns from retailers in the last two months.
Holmes bought his first Glock pistol in Aurora, Colorado, on May 22. Six days later, he picked up a Remington shotgun in Denver. About two weeks later, he bought a .223 calibre Smith & Wesson rifle in Thornton, Colorado, and then a second Glock in Denver on July 6 — 13 days before the shooting, the official said.
A high-volume drum magazine was attached to the rifle, an assault weapon, the official said. Police Chief Dan Oates said that a 100-round drum magazine for the rifle was recovered from the scene.
"I'm told by experts that with that drum magazine, he could have gotten off 50 to 60 rounds, even if it was semiautomatic, within one minute," Oates said at a news conference. "And as far as we know, it was a pretty rapid pace of fire in that theatre."
Julie Adams, whose son played junior varsity soccer with Holmes, said her son remembered little about the suspect, which was unusual for the tight-knit team.
"I don't think many of the kids (teammates) knew him. He was kind of a loner," she said.
Jackie Mitchell, a furniture mover who lives several blocks from the suspect's apartment building in Colorado, said he had drinks with Holmes at a bar on Tuesday night, though he showed no sign of distress or violence.
After Holmes approached him, "we just talked about football. He had a backpack and geeky glasses and seemed like a real intelligent guy, and I figured he was one of the college students," Mitchell said.
When Mitchell saw Holmes' photo after the shooting, "the hair stood up on my back," he said. "I know this guy."
Holmes is not talking to police and has asked for a lawyer, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the case. Police found jars of chemicals in Holmes' booby-trapped apartment with wires nearby, the law enforcement official said.
When he surrendered meekly in the movie house parking lot, Holmes told authorities what he'd done at his residence in the Denver suburb of Aurora, the third most populous city in Colorado.
"Our hearts go out to those who were involved in this tragedy and to the families and friends of those involved," Holmes' family said in a statement Friday. "We ask that the media respect our privacy during this difficult time."
San Diego Superior Court spokeswoman Karen Dalton said there were no records found under his name, not even for a traffic ticket. Riverside County prosecutors also have no criminal record for him, said John Hall, a spokesman for the district attorney's office.
On Friday morning, police escorted the suspect's father from the family's San Diego home. The mother stayed inside, receiving visitors who came to offer support.
San Diego police spokeswoman Lt. Andra Brown spoke to reporters in the driveway of the Holmes' home, on behalf of the family.
"As you can understand, the Holmes family is very upset about all of this," she said. "It's a tragic event and it's taken everyone by surprise."
___
Blood reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writers Elliot Spagat and Julie Watson in San Diego; Eileen Sullivan, Alicia A. Caldwell and Pete Yost in Washington; Tom Hays in New York; Amy Taxin in Orange County, California; Colleen Slevin in Denver; and Eric Carvin and AP researcher Judith Ausuebel in New York contributed to this report.

Suspect in Colorado theatre shooting was brilliant, reserved science student seeking doctorate

http://tinyurl.com/bqyxkqd

Who is James Holmes?

SAN DIEGO — The suspect in a shooting that killed or wounded 71 ppl early Friday in a suburban Denver movie theater is not talking 2 investigators, a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation told The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in discussing the ongoing case. The person also said police found jars of chemicals in James Holmes’ booby trapped Aurora apartment w/ wires nearby. Those who knew the 24-year-old desc him as a shy, intelligent person raised in CA by parents who wr active in their well-to-do suburban neighborhood. Holmes, who was studying neuroscience in a Ph.D. prgrm in CO, grew up in San Diego, whr his parents still live on a quiet, street of 2-story homes w/ red tile roofs. He played soccer at Westview High skool & ran cross country before going 2 college. Neighbors say the family belonged 2 a Presbyterian church & hosted a Xmas party 4 residents. Many families choose the San Diego neighborhood b/c its part of the well-regarded Poway Unified skool District, 1 of the best in CA. On Friday morning, police escorted the suspect’s father, a manager of a software company, from their San Diego home. The mother, a nurse, stayed inside, receiving family visitors who came 2 offer support. The suspect also has a younger sister. San Diego police spokeswoman Lt. Andra Brown, spoke 2 reporters in the driveway of the Holmes’ home, on behalf of the family. “As U cn understand, the Holmes family is vry upset abt all of ths,” she said. “It’s a tragic event & it’s taken everyone by surprise. They R def trying 2 work through ths.” The family in a written statement said “our hearts go out 2 those who wr involved in ths tragedy & 2 the families & friends of those involved. We ask that the media respect R privacy during ths difficult time.” Police in CO said Holmes fired in2 a crowded movie theater in the Denver suburb of Aurora while wearing a gas mask, killing 12 ppl & wounding 59 others. He was in police custody in CO & the FBI said thr was no indication the attack was tied 2 any terrorist groups. (www.coloradoan.com)

Suspect in Colorado theatre shooting was brilliant, reserved science student seeking doctorate

DENVER - James Eagen Holmes came from a well-tended San Diego enclave of two-story homes with red-tiled roofs, where neighbours recall him as a clean-cut, studious young man of sparing words.
Tall and dark-haired, he stared clear-eyed at the camera in a 2004 high school yearbook snapshot, wearing a white junior varsity soccer uniform — No. 16. The son of a nurse, Arlene, and a software company manager, Robert, James Holmes was a brilliant science scholar in college.
The biggest mystery surrounding the 24-year-old doctoral student was why he would have pulled on a gas mask and shot dozens of people early Friday, killing 12, in a suburban Denver movie theatre, as police allege.
In the age of widespread social media, no trace of Holmes could be found on Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Twitter or anywhere on the Web. Either he never engaged or he scrubbed his trail.
A longtime neighbour in San Diego, where Holmes grew up, remembers only a "shy guy ... a loner" from a churchgoing family. In addition to playing soccer at Westview High School, he ran cross country.
The bookish demeanour concealed an unspooling life. Holmes struggled to find work after graduating with highest honours in spring 2010 with a neuroscience degree from the University of California, Riverside, said the neighbour, retired electrical engineer Tom Mai.
Holmes enrolled last year in a neuroscience Ph.D. program at the University of Colorado-Denver but was in the process of withdrawing, said school officials, who didn't provide a reason. The school later said in a statement that he left the program in June 2012.
As part of the advanced program in Denver, a James Holmes had been listed as making a presentation in May about Micro DNA Biomarkers in a class named "Biological Basis of Psychiatric and Neurological Disorders."
In academic achievement, "he was at the top of the top," recalled Riverside Chancellor Timothy P. White.
Holmes concentrated his study on "how we all behave," White added. "It's ironic and sad."
From a distance, Holmes' life appears unblemished, a young man with unlimited potential. There are no indications he had problems with police.
Somehow, the acclaimed student and quiet neighbour reached a point where he painted his hair red, called himself "The Joker," the green-haired villain from the Batman movies, according to New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, who said he had been briefed on the matter.
Police asked Ben Lung, 27, who lives in the same apartment building as Holmes, whether he had seen anyone with "noticeably dyed hair." Lung said he had not.
During his rampage, authorities say Holmes was dressed in black, outfitted in a gas mask, ballistic helmet, vest and leggings, black tactical gloves and protectors on his throat and groin. He was armed with an assault-style rifle, a shotgun and Glock handgun.
Police said he started his attack by tossing two gas canisters into the theatre, where he had bought a ticket for the midnight showing of "The Dark Knight Rises," the new Batman movie.
A federal law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing probe into the rampage, said Holmes bought four guns from retailers in the last two months.
Holmes bought his first Glock pistol in Aurora, Colorado, on May 22. Six days later, he picked up a Remington shotgun in Denver. About two weeks later, he bought a .223 calibre Smith & Wesson rifle in Thornton, Colorado, and then a second Glock in Denver on July 6 — 13 days before the shooting, the official said.
A high-volume drum magazine was attached to the rifle, an assault weapon, the official said. Police Chief Dan Oates said that a 100-round drum magazine for the rifle was recovered from the scene.
"I'm told by experts that with that drum magazine, he could have gotten off 50 to 60 rounds, even if it was semiautomatic, within one minute," Oates said at a news conference. "And as far as we know, it was a pretty rapid pace of fire in that theatre."
Julie Adams, whose son played junior varsity soccer with Holmes, said her son remembered little about the suspect, which was unusual for the tight-knit team.
"I don't think many of the kids (teammates) knew him. He was kind of a loner," she said.
Jackie Mitchell, a furniture mover who lives several blocks from the suspect's apartment building in Colorado, said he had drinks with Holmes at a bar on Tuesday night, though he showed no sign of distress or violence.
After Holmes approached him, "we just talked about football. He had a backpack and geeky glasses and seemed like a real intelligent guy, and I figured he was one of the college students," Mitchell said.
When Mitchell saw Holmes' photo after the shooting, "the hair stood up on my back," he said. "I know this guy."
Holmes is not talking to police and has asked for a lawyer, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the case. Police found jars of chemicals in Holmes' booby-trapped apartment with wires nearby, the law enforcement official said.
When he surrendered meekly in the movie house parking lot, Holmes told authorities what he'd done at his residence in the Denver suburb of Aurora, the third most populous city in Colorado.
"Our hearts go out to those who were involved in this tragedy and to the families and friends of those involved," Holmes' family said in a statement Friday. "We ask that the media respect our privacy during this difficult time."
San Diego Superior Court spokeswoman Karen Dalton said there were no records found under his name, not even for a traffic ticket. Riverside County prosecutors also have no criminal record for him, said John Hall, a spokesman for the district attorney's office.
On Friday morning, police escorted the suspect's father from the family's San Diego home. The mother stayed inside, receiving visitors who came to offer support.
San Diego police spokeswoman Lt. Andra Brown spoke to reporters in the driveway of the Holmes' home, on behalf of the family.
"As you can understand, the Holmes family is very upset about all of this," she said. "It's a tragic event and it's taken everyone by surprise."
___
Blood reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writers Elliot Spagat and Julie Watson in San Diego; Eileen Sullivan, Alicia A. Caldwell and Pete Yost in Washington; Tom Hays in New York; Amy Taxin in Orange County, California; Colleen Slevin in Denver; and Eric Carvin and AP researcher Judith Ausuebel in New York contributed to this report.