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Thursday, November 29, 2012

'My wife was born a man'


A Belgian man is pulling the plug on his 19-year marriage after he found out his wife was born a man.
 
"I feel I've been assaulted," Jan, whose last name was not provided, told the Het Nieuwsblad newspaper of learning about his bride’s past, according to the Telegraph.
 
“I thought she was an attractive woman -- all woman. She had no male traits."
 
According to Telegraph, UK, the 64-year-old met Monica from Indonesia when she worked as an au pair for his family nearly 20 years ago.
 
The couple decided not to have kids, because Jan had two children from a previous marriage.
 
He said Monica duped him by using sanitary napkins while pretending to menstruate.
 
"Even during sex, I never noticed anything," he said.
 
It wasn’t until Monica got a new full-time job, Jan said, that he saw another side of his wife. She started going to nightclubs and Jan said he also caught her sending suspicious messages to other men.
 
Then rumours started that she was born a man, and he confronted her.
 
"I pushed her against the wall and said: 'Now I know the truth. Are you a man?' She then announced that she was born as a boy and that she had been operated on.
 
“My world collapsed. That evening came to blows. The police came,” Jan said.
 
He says he is now receiving psychiatric treatment.
 
Liliane Verjauw, Jan’s lawyer, said his client was “scammed”.
 
“The children, who for years have lived with her, are devastated.”

Jail time for 'sex' in taxi



When you are in a foreign land, respect their idiosyncrasies and of course their law. How many Nigerians for instance know that you can go to jail for one month if you pucker up to your wife in a restaurant in Dubai? Yeah, that’s right.

So, imagine what will happen if you are caught pants down with a member of the opposite sex in a public place. You are asking for it.

A British woman and Irish man recently accused of engaging in sexual activities in a Dubai taxi have now been sent to jail for three months after which they will be deported.

Rebecca Blake and Conor McRedmond both denied charges of "breach of honour with consent" and committing "an indecent act in a taxi" when they appeared in court last month. They also pleaded guilty to a third charge related to consumption of alcohol in public.

"The court sentenced them to jail for three months and deportation in addition to a fine of 3000 dirhams (R7300) each," their lawyer Shaker al-Shammary said.

Granted that United Arab Emirates is the most liberal of the seven-member UAE federation; granted it wants to be seen as a tourist haven and throws its doors open to all and sundry;  still, the country frowns on acts that fly in the face of their Muslim identity.

So, brothers and sisters, be careful.

Battered like a thief in the name of sport!

Andre Barto before and after the fight of his life!

Why boxing is still a sport I would never know. Neither would I ever know why otherwise decent people get all excited at the sight of another being pummelled, bloodied and occasionally killed.

Boxing should be declared a blood sport, and sent the way of bull-fighting; into oblivion.

Look at the handsome man on the left and compare to his picture right after a boxing bout. His name is Andre Berto, a former welterweight champ.

He was savaged for 12 rounds of his fight with Robert Guerrero in Ontario, California a couple of days ago.

Guerrero won a unanimous decision, 116-110, and is now 31-1-1 with 18 knockouts. Berto is 28-2.

For all the beating he received, he might as well have made an attempt to snatch a gold necklace at Balogun market!

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Cynthia’s murder: Pharmacists released unconditionally

Cynthia Osokogu
 
The two pharmacists arraigned with the murderer of Cynthia Osokogu have been released unconditionally.
The two men, Maduakor Chukwunonso and Orji Osita worked at Oxpharm Pharmacy and allegedly sold Rohpynol Flunitrazepam-a sedative-  to the killers without proper prescription.
Counsel to the duo, Uchenna Nwoye, said they were released based on the advice of the Director of Public Prosecution.
They ought not to have been arraigned with the self-confessed murderers in the first place. But, we have high level off illiteracy in the police force.
They are quick to round up people and herd them to court without first asking themselves if they have enough evidence to prosecute them for the crime they are pinning on them.
To the boys just released, sorry o! Be more careful next time.


Friday, November 23, 2012

Samsung Galaxy Note II hits Nigeria

Samsung Galaxy Note 2

 
Samsung has rolled out its highly anticipated Galaxy Note II in Nigeria.
The device, a mix of smartphone and tablet with an improved digital stylus called the S Pen, was unveiled to the Nigerian public at an elaborate ceremony at Westown Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos on Thursday.

The launch of the device in Nigeria is coming on the heels of its initial introduction at the IFA Trade Show in Berlin and its subsequent arrival on the African continent at a colourful unboxing event in Cape Town, South Africa, in October.
Powered by the latest version of Google’s Android operating system, Jelly Bean, the Galaxy Note II features a 1.6 GHz quad-core processor and 4G LTE connectivity.

Its 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED display is ideal for users who want the productivity of a tablet with the portability of a smartphone. 
Its 8 megapixel rear-facing and 1.9 megapixel front-facing camera allows users to share photos through Share Shot, while S Beam lets users share videos, pictures and more with other Galaxy Note II and Galaxy S III devices.

The Galaxy Note II is thinner and narrower than the first Galaxy Note, and it improves upon the original with longer battery life, as well as enhancements to the S Pen. It also boasts a microSD slot that allows for expansion by up to an extra 64GB of storage.
According to the Managing Director of Samsung Electronics West Africa, Mr. Bravo Kim, the Galaxy Note II will ensure that Samsung maintains its dominance over Apple and other smartphone manufacturers in the global smartphone market, by positioning itself as a niche to meet the demands of consumers desirous of larger screens and more user-friendly display.
 "The Galaxy Note II is taking over the fame of its predecessor, the Galaxy Note, which opened a new category of smart mobile devices last year. A great number of innovations were injected into the product towards delivering new value to enhance the lives of our consumers and also provide them with the ultimate communication experience. The device has already gained fame, alongside a solid reputation, among individuals and mobile carriers across the globe and we are very proud of its accomplishments," he said.
Describing the Samsung Galaxy Note II as the smartphone for on-the-go creativity, Business Head, Hand-held Products at Samsung Electronics West Africa, Mr. Emmanouil Revmatas, reiterated Samsung’s commitment to enhancing and expanding its Galaxy Note product experiences.
“Since the introduction of the first Galaxy Note, we have continued to enhance and expand this category of product towards delivering the ultimate communication experience to our consumers. In May 2012, we introduced ‘Premium Suite,’ a software upgrade which provides enhanced user experience. Also in August, we expanded the category further with the Galaxy Note 10.1, which has a 10.1-inch large screen, a multiscreen feature and enhanced features for users’ productivity, creativity and learning. The Galaxy Note II represents a whole new innovation for the Galaxy Note category and will help users set free their inner creativity by letting them discover information faster, capture ideas, and express them in a more organized and efficient manner,” he said.
 

FRSC to issue commercial drivers licence


Osita Chidoka, Corps Marshal, FRSC
For those who drive to make a living, one more thing to worry about. A new licence just for you is in the making. As from December 3, you will have to get it to escape the wrath of f FRSC.
And for those in Lagos, having this new licence does not save you from the wrath of LASTMA o! You must also get your your LASDRI certification.

Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said its commercial drivers licence will be launched nationwide on December 3, 2012.

The Kaduna State Sector Commander, Olumide Michael Olagunju, disclosed this yesterday during a stakeholders’ forum in Kaduna.

According to him, the need to issue commercial drivers licence has become imperative following the rate of road crashes, some of which he said were as a result of unqualified commercial drivers who ply the roads. 

Olagunju said that for any driver to be issued the licence, he would have been made to go through medical certification to include, in particular, visual test and mental balance, among others, to ensure that the driver was medically fit to drive.

He warned, however, that upon the formal launching of the commercial drivers licence, any commercial driver who fails to get the licence would be sanctioned appropriately.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Aregbesola got that one wrong


Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola
The declaration of November 15 a public holiday to mark the commencement of the Islamic year in Osun State by Governor Rauf Aregbesola is a disappointment.

The gentleman has otherwise inspired hope in Osun State, with many of my kith and kin in the state raving him as the best thing since sliced bread.

I think the action is silly and opportunistic. Just because you are a governor does not mean you can introduce an additional public holiday to advance your religion. What happens if the next six governors of the state are of different religious persuasions and they all decide to tow his line?

I sincerely hope he won’t let religious bigotry spoil whatever good name he has made for himself since he assumed office.

LASG to seize vehicles parked on sidewalk

 

Governor Babatunde Fashola
Governor Babatunde Fashola. Image: Punch
The Lagos State Government is set to put an end to indiscriminate parking of vehicles on sidewalks.
 
Governor Babatunde Fashola on Sunday said there was a need to ensure sanity in people’s attitude to driving and road usage.
 
He said the Ministry of Physical Planning and other relevant agencies had been instructed to begin aggressive sanitisation of the state roads by removing vehicles causing obstruction to free vehicular movement.
 
The governor, who was fielding questions from Lagosians during the celebration of his 2,000 days in office said, “I have instructed the Ministry of Physical Planning and other ministries concerned to go out and remove vehicles from sidewalks.
 
“If you cannot contain your vehicles inside your premises, we will come and take them away.”
 
The governor also urged traders in the state to desist from trading on the sidewalks, saying it prevents people living with disabilities from having unhindered space to use.

Monday, November 19, 2012

MTN subscribers to watch TV on their Blackberry, iPhone, others

 
Customers of Nigeria’s Leading Information and Communications Technology (ICT) company, MTN, will soon be able to watch live TV on their data-enabled handsets, as the company rolls out its new Mobile TV service.
 
MTN Mobile TV service offers live streaming of TV content and ‘made for mobile’ video to data-enabled handsets such as Blackberry, iPhone and Samsung Galaxy range of phones, as well as tablets, such as iPad and Galaxy Tab, among others.
 
Although a type of mobile TV service was pioneered by MTN in 2007, it was on the Digital Video Broadcasting for Handheld (DVB-H) platform, which requires customers to purchase special handsets to enjoy the service.
 
However, for the first time in Nigeria, any data-enabled phone or device can watch television programmes and related content from up to twenty TV channels on his phone via MTN Mobile TV service.
 
“All our customers need to do to enjoy this service is to activate the WAP browser on their mobile handsets and devices; they can either access MTN Mobile TV packages via the MTN Play Portal, or by typing in the address of the Mobile TV portal www.mtnonline.com/imoovtv and they are good to go,” said Mr. Larry Annetts, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, MTN Nigeria.
 
He said that customers can also send a short message service (SMS) with the keyword “Mobile TV” to a short code and they will be sent the link to the Mobile TV portal.
 
Mr. Annetts explained that there would be three bouquets to choose from, depending on a customer’s budget and it would be possible to subscribe to one or more Mobile TV bouquets. Speaking further, he explained that each bouquet comprises a selection of TV channels providing a variety of content ranging from news to sport and entertainment, among others.
 
A distinct advantage of the service is that customers will be able to select the channels of their choice from a bouquet of channels provided, he added.
 
Mr. Annetts stated that MTN Mobile TV service is already active on the MTN network and will be available commercially to customers shortly.
 
MTN Nigeria’s Corporate Services Executive, Mr. Akinwale Goodluck, in his comments said “MTN Mobile TV is another addition to a long list of innovative products and services we have developed for the benefit of our customers.” He said the introduction of the service bears testimony to the commitment of the company to lead innovation and customer satisfaction in the industry.
 
He said the company would continue to invest massively in the network to deepen its capacity to delight customers with more innovative products and services

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Athlete declared male after rape claim


Successful Indian female sprinter who has just been
decared a man: Pinki Pramanik. Image: NDTV
Indian authorities investigating a rape case say a sprinter who won a women's relay gold medal at the 2006 Asian Games is actually a man.

Police charged Pinki Pramanik on Monday with raping and assaulting a woman she was living with in the eastern state of West Bengal. The woman alleged Pramanik was a man who had reneged on a promise to marry her.

 

Indian authorities say an eight-member medical board submitted a gender test along with the charge sheet that concluded Pramanik was genetically male.

 

Another Indian medalist at the 2006 Asian Games, Santhi Soundarajan, was stripped of the women's 800 meters silver medal after failing a gender test shortly after the games.

 

The athlete was arrested June 14 and remanded in judicial custody the next day after her companion, a divorcee and a mother of one, filed the police complaint.

 

After the arrest, Pinki was taken to a private nursing home for a medical check-up where the test reports claimed that the athlete was indeed a male. The athlete was taken to the Barasat district hospital and finally to the SSK Hospital for the tests.

 

Pinki was granted bail July 10 and released a day later after spending 26 days in judicial custody.

 

Pinki, who retired from athletics three years ago, won gold in the 4x400 metres relay at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar. Pinki was a silver medallist at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games the same year.

Woman’s breasts removed in error... awarded millions

Picture taken from www.surgical-blog.com
 
A woman who underwent double mastectomy and chemotherapy after being misdiagnosed with cancer in South Africa in 2005 has been awarded millions in aggravated damages.

According to papers before the High Court in Pretoria, a 49-year-old Rustenburg housewife claims she was misdiagnosed by a doctor in a provincial hospital as having an aggressive breast cancer.

After her operation and chemotherapy she discovered she never had cancer. The woman claimed more than R9.9 million (about N177. 4 million) from Limpopo health authorities in 2005. They admitted negligence and agreed to pay damages.

The matter was due to go on trial this week. Health authorities had agreed to pay 80 percent of the damages the woman could prove.

The province agreed to pay damages arising from, among others, the diagnosis of the woman by doctors at Polokwane Hospital's oncology clinic from May to November 2005, the subsequent bilateral mastectomy and the chemotherapy. The province would also pay her legal costs.

The challenge for MTN Aeroplane Winner

Latest millionaire in Nigeria: Ebube Essien-Garricks
Talk of an overnight millionaire!  She slept a student waiting for handouts from parents and uncles on Monday and woke up on Tuesday to become N64 million richer.

This chick is currently richer than many of our big boys and girls fighting for inch space in City People.

But then, there's a flip side to everything. Now, she's going to have a hell of a tough time getting a man who genuinely loves her among the thousands of guys who would pester the living daylights out of her to become her spouse. But then again, if you look at the odds she scaled to win this, you may want to conclude that this is one girl with no problems with luck. She may very well be lucky with that too!

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Developing story...Plane presentation.. PH Student wins!

A picture sent in by a reader: 'Airhostesses' at the official
presentation of the much talked about MTN aeroplane.

The winner of the MTN Ultimate Wonder aeroplane is  Ebube Essien-Garricks, 27year old student of College of Health Science and Technology.

And trust women, she asked for money in lieu of a plane. So she’s getting N64million.
Congrats girl!

Lagos robbers seem to be bouncing back

The damaged APC and the bullet-ridden security house
Image: Punch
It would seem the robbers are getting their rhythm back in Lagos. The police would have to redouble their efforts to chase them out again.

The Punch reported today that robbers struck in three different places in the past three days. Two policemen were reportedly killed by armed robbers in the Ejigbo and Orile Iganmu areas of Lagos State on Sunday.

The robbers killed a police inspector in Ejigbo while a corporal was killed in Orile Iganmu in the separate incidents. Three other policemen were injured in the attack in Orile-Iganmu.

The most daring was the one at Regal Seaview Estate, Lekki, Lagos, where robbers reportedly ransacked houses for about an hour.

It was learnt that the robbers, numbering over 20, besieged the estate at about 12:25am in four vehicles.

Eyewitnesses said the robbers, who drove into the estate in a Honda, Toyota Sienna mini-bus, a black Prado jeep and a Hilux van, were armed with various sophisticated weapons.

It was learnt that some of the robbers mounted roadblocks at Elf Junction and Ikate Roundabout, which serve as access routes into the community while the operation lasted.

One of the security guards attached to the estate, who identified himself simply as Emmanuel, said the attack seemed like a war.

He said no sooner had he opened the gate for a resident than the robbers, who had already taken position in the area, took control of the gate from him and gained entry.

He said, “Four of the robbers came down from the vehicles and flung the gate open. They subsequently drove the vehicles into the estate and seized me. The other guard who was manning the gate with me abandoned the duty post and ran into the estate.

“They asked if there were riot policemen in the estate and directed me to point at houses occupied by rich men. When I declined to tell them, two of them who were asked to stay with me beat me mercilessly and hit me with gun butts and also threatened to kill me.”

He said the robbers then moved from house to house before policemen attached to the residence of a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police in the area tried to resist them but were later overpowered by the bandits.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the policemen attached to the DIG’s residence quickly radioed Maroko Police Division and the Rapid Response Squad for reinforcement.

It was gathered that policemen in six vans and an Armoured Personnel Carrier were deployed in the estate. However, the robbers who had got wind of the development started shooting sporadically into different directions.

A resident, Ifeanyi Eze, said an attempt by the policemen to block the entrance of the gate with the APC was rebuffed by the robbers.

He said, “The fatalities would have been much if not that the policemen in the other six vehicles stayed behind and allowed the APC to attack first. The APC came under intense fire.

“The policemen exchanged gunfire with them but this didn’t have much effect as they were not given the chance to strategise and forge a coordinated attack. As a result of this, they had to turn back and flee the scene. This gave the robbers the leeway to escape with their loot.”

“The windscreen of the APC marked RRS 287 LA was riddled with bullets and was said to have developed a major fault as a result of the incident.

One of the victims described the guns wielded by the bandits as “standard military issued weapons” which are unconventional. He said the robbers fired about a thousand times while the incident lasted.

He said, “They were five in number in our house and were fully armed; they immediately marched me and my mother to her room and started ransacking everywhere.

‘’When we could not give them the American dollars they asked for, they made away with three laptops, my mum’s jewellery and, unfortunately, her wedding ring.”

Blackberry 10 for launch on January 30


Research In Motion, makers of Blackberry Smartphone, announced on Monday it will release its much talked about BlackBerry 10 on January 30, 2012. It is the first time it would be specific on a date.

Hopes of a turnaround are hinged on a successful launch of these products to enable the once top smartphone maker return to reckoning in the Americas. There are indications it has been sealing deals with global carriers and opening outlets in emerging markets.

The Blackberry may still be a darling of  corporate  executives whose needs of security and true smartness makes it their choice smartphone and it is reported to have done very well in Africa particularly South Africa and Nigeria where it has been doing good volumes

Monday, November 12, 2012

LASTMA bars junior officers from arresting traffic offenders


Babatunde Edu
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, has ordered junior officers in its rank to stop arresting traffic offenders in the state forthwith.

The action was taken in a bid to checkmate aggressive enforcement of the state’s traffic law by LASTMA.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Engr. Babatunde Edu, disclosed this in his address at a public forum on the law, organised by the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, NECA, at the weekend.

According the Vanguard, Edu said the move was a spontaneous measure to respond to the complaints against aggressive law enforcement by junior officers.

He urged the public to note the name and report any junior officer who victimises or harasses them.

While urging members of the public not to take laws into their hands when unlawfully arrested, Edu said the officers are to render assistance to the motorists in ensuring traffic laws are voluntarily complied with.

He said: “You can easily identify the junior officer with black epaulet on their shoulders; they cannot arrest, only the senior ones with red epaulets on their uniforms can arrest.

We have stopped the juniors from arresting motorists and okada riders except during a joint operation. That is the extent we have gone in checkmating aggressive enforcement of the law”

NCC bans promos, lotteries by Telcos


A news report just slipped in that the telecom industry regulator, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has banned all forms of sales promotions by telecom operators. The action is reportedly aimed at salvaging the sliding quality of service in the sector.

CommunicationsWeek quotes Tony Ojobo, Director of Public Affairs as saying that the ban covers all proposed and approved promotions and lotteries on which the NCC has given approval further to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) entered into with the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC).

Affected in this latest ban from further promotional sales campaigns are Globacom, MTN, Intercellular, Visafone, Etisalat, Airtel and Multilinks.

The question now is: What happens to the various levies that the operators have paid to relevant government agencies to enable them carry out the various promotions? Will they get refunds from all the government agencies that had collected money from the operators before giving them approval to run such promo/lotteries?

Friday, November 09, 2012

Samsung's Galaxy S3 overtakes Apple's iPhone as best selling smartphone


­Samsung's Galaxy S3 overtook Apple's iPhone 4S to become the world's best-selling smartphone model for the first time ever in the third quarter of 2012, according to Strategy Analytics.

A large touchscreen, extensive distribution and generous operator subsidies have propelled the Galaxy S3 to the top spot.

Neil Shah, Senior Analyst at Strategy Analytics, said, "Samsung's Galaxy S3 smartphone model shipped 18.0 million units worldwide during the third quarter of 2012. The Galaxy S3 captured an impressive 11 percent share of all smartphones shipped globally and it has become the world's best-selling smartphone model for the first time ever. A large touchscreen design, extensive distribution across dozens of countries, and generous operator subsidies have been among the main causes of the Galaxy S3's success. Apple shipped an estimated 16.2 million iPhone 4S units worldwide for second place, as consumers temporarily held off purchases in anticipation of a widely expected iPhone 5 upgrade at the end of the quarter."

Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics, added, "Samsung's Galaxy S3 has proven wildly popular with consumers and operators across North America, Europe and Asia. However, the Galaxy S3's position as the world's best-selling smartphone model is likely to be short-lived. The Apple iPhone 5 has gotten off to a solid start already with an estimated 6.0 million units shipped globally during Q3 2012. We expect the new iPhone 5 to out-ship Samsung's Galaxy S3 in the coming fourth quarter of 2012 and Apple should soon reclaim the title of the world's most popular smartphone model."

Global Smartphone Shipments & Marketshare by Model in Q3 2012

Shipments by Model (Millions of Units)
Q2 '12
Q3 '12
Samsung Galaxy S3
5.4
18.0
Apple iPhone 4S
19.4
16.2
Apple iPhone 5
0.0
6.0
Others
128.0
127.6
Total
152.8
167.8
Marketshare by Model (% of Total)
Q2 '12
Q3 '12
Samsung Galaxy S3
3.5%
10.7%
Apple iPhone 4S
12.7%
9.7%
Apple iPhone 5
0.0%
3.6%
Others
83.8%
76.0%
Total
100%
100%

Numbers are rounded. Updated total. The Samsung Galaxy S3 total does not include the S3 Mini, S2, S or any other related models. The iPhone 4S total does not include the iPhone 5, iPhone 4 or any other related models.
Source- Cellular News