Four To Die By Hanging In Tanzania For Killing Albino

In Tanzania, 1 in 1,400 people have albino skin. In the West, the numbers are 1 in 20,000. (Photo: dawn)

Just days after the country president announced during a national broadcast that Tanzania would crack down on the shame of Tanzania, the killing of albinos, four people have been sentenced. A court in Tanzania’s northwestern region of Geita has sentenced four people to death by hanging after they were convicted of killing a woman with albinism. The prosecution told the court on Friday in Gieta that the victim died after the accused people chopped off her legs two and her right arm on March 11, 2008.

NEWS FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE: Fiery Cleric, Rev. Ejike Mbaka In Another Controversial Video; Laments Graduate/Youth Unemployment

Reverend Ejike Mbaka

In a new video, Catholic priest Rev Mbaka of the Adoration Ministry Enugu, expressing his thoughts on the state of the nation. 

He asked all those who are angry with him to please forward their account details so he can return whatever money they had given to him.

VIDEO AFTER BREAK

Nigeria Needs ‘Do Tanks’ Not Think Tanks – Obasanjo, The Optimist

President Olusegun Obasanjo marks 78th anniversary

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo said Nigeria’s peculiar challenges required leaders with requisite experience to tackle them while hosting guests inside the auditorium of his Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, during the celebration of his 78th birthday on Thursday and 2015 annual summit.

The former President, who looked resplendent in a white flowing agbada,   therefore prayed to “ God to give us leaders that occasion like this deserves.”

Harrison Ford Survives Crash-Landing On Golf Course

Crashed 1942 Ryan Aeronautical ST3KR: Officials work on the scene of a vintage airplane that crash-landed on the Penmar Golf Course in the Venice area of Los Angeles, Thursday, March 5, 2015. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes). INSET: Harrison Ford

When a man battles Darth Vader, Nazis and other evil-doers for work, what does he do for fun? Harrison Ford's answer is found in a pilot's license and the freedom to take to the skies at will. But with adventure comes risk, just as Han Solo, Indiana Jones and other daring movie characters brought to life by Ford realized. On Thursday, one of Hollywood's preeminent stars added a plane crash to an aviation record that includes both mishaps and public service.

Ford, 72, who as dashing archaeologist Jones battled Hitler's henchmen in the World War II-set "Raiders of the Lost Ark," was flying a vintage plane of that era when it lost engine power shortly after takeoff from Santa Monica Municipal Airport.

New FIFA Ethics Chief Won't Be Pushed Around

Cornel Borbely

Younger than some professional footballers, Swiss attorney Cornel Borbely is at first sight an unlikely choice as the man to step into Michael Garcia's shoes and try to keep corruption out of FIFA.

A disillusioned Garcia, the former U.S. attorney with a long track record in complicated, international, high profile cases, resigned in December, saying he felt he was no longer making progress and that soccer's governing body "lacked leadership."

Security Agencies Probing Nigerians With ISIS Link

Former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mohammed Uwais (Photo: TheCable)

There were indications on Thursday that security agencies had begun investigations to get identities of Nigerians, who might joined the militant, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. The action of security agencies is thought to be as a result of the media reports that a son of a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mohammed Uwais, had allegedly joined the militant group.

Emergence Of ‘Private Armies’ Fueling Rivalries, Religious Divisions – Agwai, Former Defence Chief

Gen. Martin Luther Agwai (retd), chairman of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment (SURE-P) Programme

A former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Martin Luther Agwai has fingered the emergence of ‘private armies’ for the rising incidence of rivalries and religious divisions in the country. Delivering a paper titled: Imperatives of a National Security Framework for Development and Progress of Nigeria,” Agwai, condemned the involvement of the military in politics, speaking during the celebration of the 78th birthday of former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta, on Thursday. 

Chemical Fire At Vancouver Port Prompts Hazmat Response, Evacuations (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

A hazardous chemical fire that engulfed several containers at Vancouver’s Port Metro has prompted a partial evacuation of the smoke-cloaked waterfront. Rescue services have been deployed to contain the incident and health warnings have been issued.

Residents are advised “to stay inside and close windows,” as hazardous material burns out of control. “The chemical can irritate the eyes and lungs,” said Vancouver Coastal Health spokeswoman Tiffany Akins, referring to trichloroisocyanuric acid, a respiratory irritant. 

ARRESTED MAIL? French Postman Fined For Stealing Over 13,000 Letters & 6,000 Postcards

AFP Photo / Philippe Huguen

A French postman has been found guilty of stealing over 13,000 letters and keeping them hidden in his home. The postman, who lawyers claimed suffers from “compulsive hoarding disorder” received a suspended sentence and was fined US$4,500.

The court in Thionville, north-eastern France, gave the postman a six-month suspended sentence on Tuesday. 

EBOLA OUTBREAK: Liberia Discharges Country's Last Ebola Patient; Large-Scale Testing Of Ebola Vaccine In Guinea

A health care worker, right, takes the temperatures of school children for signs of the Ebola virus before they enter their school in the city of Conakry, Guinea. (AP Photo/Youssouf Bah)

Authorities in Liberia planned to discharge the country's last Ebola patient on Thursday. It will take 42 days of no new cases for Liberia to be declared Ebola-free by WHO standards, according to AP.

WHO officials say the number of Ebola deaths taking place outside of hospitals still remains high in Guinea and Sierra Leone, "suggesting that the need for early isolation and treatment is not yet understood, accepted or acted upon." WHO had previously set a goal of isolating all Ebola cases and ensuring all burials were safe by January 1.

Meanwhile the World Health Organization will start large-scale testing of an experimental Ebola vaccine in Guinea on Saturday to see how effective it might be in preventing future outbreaks of the deadly virus.

MISSING LINK? African Bones Predate Earliest-Known Humans By 400,000yrs

Screenshot from vimeo user Arizona State University

A newly discovered fossil has shaken up science’s view of human evolution and could be the missing link between apes and humans: 400,000 years older than the oldest human bone found, the discovery could entirely rewrite our story.

For decades scientists have been stumped on the gap between humans that walked bent over and those that walked upright. Who was the mysterious ancestor that joined the ape-like Australopithecus with the human-like Homo? We could be looking at an answer. It now appears the timeline for earliest upright humans goes back not to 2.3 – but to 2.8 million years, according to RT.com. 

New York City Rats Carry Bubonic Plague-Transmitting Fleas - Study

Fleas that could potentially carry plague found on New York City rats

New York City’s notoriously massive rat population appears to present a bigger health risk than was thought before. According to a new study, the rodents’ fleas could transmit Bubonic plague.

EPL FOOTBALL: FA Could Launch 'Spitting' Probe

Jonny Evans, left, and Papiss Cisse, right, could find themselves in hot water after an apparent spitting incident

Jonny Evans and Papiss Cisse could find themselves in hot water after they appeared to spit at each other during Manchester United's dramatic 1-0 victory at Newcastle.

The United defender and the Magpies striker became involved in an angry first-half exchange during which the Senegal international took exception to the Northern Irishman's challenge, and television replays suggested that the pair had resorted to spitting.

2015 General Elections: 4 Political Parties Want Jega Fired; Threaten To Boycott Elections Over Card Readers

Four Nigerian political parties have threatened to pull out of the March 28 and April 11 elections if the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, refuses to suspend the use of card readers. The parties also called on the chairman of INEC, Attahiru Jega, to proceed on terminal leave, accusing him of exhibiting unprofessionalism and poor judgement.

“Since Prof Attahiru Jega has shown lack of professionalism and good judgment in his actions so far in the conduct of the 2015 elections and since he has about three months to the end of his tenure as INEC Chairman, we the stakeholders urge him to quietly consider proceeding on terminal leave so that a more competent person can handle the current election process,” the parties said at a press conference Wednesday.

Attorney General Adoke Secretly Funding Anti-Election Lawsuit Through Cronies

Mohammed Bello Adoke SAN, Attorney General, Nigeria

An investigation by SaharaReporters has revealed that Nigeria’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, is the secret instigator of myriads of lawsuits that aim to scuttle Nigeria’s general elections. The elections, which were originally scheduled to start on February 14, 2015, were postponed till March 28. The postponement followed a series of maneuvers by the Presidency and top security officials determined to see to it that President Goodluck Jonathan is re-elected.

Robo-Roach: Remote-Controlled Cockroaches At The Touch Of A Button

Engineers wire miniature computer into live cockroaches for remote control (Photo: Bill Weir/CNN)

Engineers at a Texas university have developed a system to remote control cockroaches via a miniature computer, which is wired to the nervous system. It’s hoped they could be used for search and rescue missions as they can move about in tiny spaces.

A team of researchers at Texas A&M University has created ‘backpacks’ weighing less than 3 grams for the insects. These hold the necessary equipment for humans to control the cockroaches, which include a tiny computer chip. This controls the nerves, which are used to help the cockroach walk, says the report published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface. 

Chadian President Knows Shekau Whereabouts; Warns Boko Haram’s Leader, Surrender Or Face Death

President Idriss Deby (Photo: Wikimedia.org)

President Idriss Deby of Chad on Wednesday called on Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, to surrender or face death. The Chadian leader disclosed at a news conference in N’djamena, that he knows the whereabouts of Shekau, who, according to him, was sighted in Dikwa, a village in Borno State two days ago.

WORLD CITIES' SURVEY: Vienna Again Tops Survey Of World's Nicest Cities

The very lovely and charming city of Vienna is the largest in Austria and world famous for music, art, culture together with wonderful wines and world class cuisine. (Photo: michaelromei.wordpress.com)

Vienna, Austria's elegant capital on the Danube river, has again been commended as offering the best quality of life of any city in the world; Baghdad, once more, was deemed the worst to live in.

The consulting firm Mercer said German and Swiss cities also performed well in its annual quality of living rankings. Zurich, Munich, Duesseldorf and Frankfurt remained in the top 10.

Mercer's survey helps companies and organizations determine compensation and hardship allowances for international staff. It uses dozens of criteria such as political stability, health care, education, crime, recreation and transport.

With a population of 1.7 million, Vienna topped the survey for the sixth year in a row, boasting a vibrant cultural scene alongside comprehensive health care and moderate housing costs.

The Austrian capital's extensive public transport system costs just 1 euro a day for an annual pass. Its Habsburg-era coffee houses, architecture, palaces, operas and other cultural institutions makes it a prime tourist destination.

Europe has seven of the world's top 10 cities in the 2015 survey. New Zealand, Australia and Canada each have a city in the top 10.

Baghdad, the Iraqi capital, was again ranked lowest in the world. Waves of sectarian violence have swept through the city since the American-led invasion in 2003.

Fireproof! Report Says US Govt Can't Sack Bad Employees, Including Porn-Watchers

Reuters/Shannon Stapleton

You may be a bad worker, bully colleagues and even watch porn at work, but if you have a job with the US federal government you won't be fired. The civil service protection program helps errant employees keep their jobs at taxpayers’ expense.

According to a CBS report, while sloppy workers in the private sector would likely be fired for poor performance, bureaucracy in federal government is so powerful, employers are simply unable to sack staff who are lacking.

FIFA FOOTBALL: South Africa Denies Nigeria Friendly

Dominic Chimhavi, SAFA’s Communications Manager

The South African Football Association (SAFA) has denied media reports that Bafana Bafana will take on Nigeria on March 29. Goal investigates

Media reports in Nigeria suggest that the Super Eagles have agreed to a friendly game with South Africa later this month after it was confirmed that Argentina and Uruguay had turned down the 1996 AFCON champions.

Floods Leave 38 Dead In Tanzania

Pedestrians cross the flooded Old Bagamoyo Road in the Mikocheni area of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on April 12, 2014 ©Daniel Hayduk (AFP)

At least 38 people have died with 82 others been injured in heavy rains and floods in Tanzania's northwest, officials said Wednesday.

Torrential rains, hail and high winds hit Kahama district in Shinyanga region late on Tuesday, a statement from the office of President Jakaya Kikwete said, expressing his "shock and extreme grief".

Officials said an estimated 3,500 people in the region, a poor farming area south of Lake Victoria and near the Serengeti game reserve, had been affected by the flooding.