5,000 OPC Members Declare War On Niger Delta Militants

A large number of the Reformed Oodua People’s Congress totaling about 5,000 have stormed the Imushin community of Ogun state to wage war against suspected militants terrorising the communities.
According to reports, the OPC members who converged in the area from Lagos and Ogun states arrived at the community in no less than a hundred buses.
Following their arrival, they were reported to ave moved around the community and also paid a courtesy call on the Olumushin of Imushin, Oba Taiwo Bamgbose, who received them outside his palace
According to a palace source, “they were over 5,000 and they filled the whole community. They carried all kinds of charms and a few of them even carried placards, protesting militant’s invasion of the South-West.
“They said they were ready to enter into the creeks to face the militants and kill them and all they needed was the permission of the traditional ruler. Some of them said they could transform to snakes and lions, once they get into the creeks.
“The traditional ruler, after thanking them for their concern, asked them to leave because he had not received authority from higher authorities to allow them fight the militants. He urged them to get approval from the government before doing anything in the community”.
The OPC President, Dare Adesope, while confirming the development noted that the group had earlier warned and issued a 14 day ultimatum to the militants to vacate the South West.He further noted that the deadline had expired hence the latest development.
He said: “On July 19, we issued a 14-day ultimatum to the militants to end their activities in the South-West and we said if they didn’t leave, we will challenge them and defend our people. That ultimatum elapsed yesterday (Monday).
“The recent military action against the militants might have been influenced by our ultimatum, because prior to the release, the Federal Government didn’t do anything.
“We decided to go to the community in 107 buses and some cars, to show that the Reformed OPC is still on the ground and our aim is to protect the lives and property of everyone that is residing within our area of jurisdiction.
“Our silence all this while is not an act of cowardice. It is because we believe in dialogue before action. It is wrong for anyone to be kidnapping, molesting, robbing and killing our people. We say no to that and we don’t want anything like that again in Yoruba land. After today, if we hear anything again in the area, we know what to do.”

Samsung Goes Beyond The Fingerprint With An Iris Scanner

Samsung Goes Beyond The Fingerprint With An Iris Scanner In The Note 7

(Photo credit: Samsung)

Over the past year, Samsung has climbed back to the top of the premium smartphone heap. Thanks to the successful launches of the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge phones, Samsung recently enjoyed its most profitable quarter in two years. Meanwhile, Apple reported that iPhones sales have dropped again (for the second time) and profits slipped by 27% in its most recent quarter.
The South Korean electronics giant is hoping to keep the momentum up with the launch of the Note 7 (yes, Samsung is skipping the Note 6), its latest phablet that comes with a stylus pen. The Note 7 adopts most of the same components of the S7 series phones. The phone has a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display that’s curved on the edges. There’s a rear 12-megapixel camera and a 5mp front-facing camera. The same quad-core processor powers the phone. 4 gigabytes of memory. A 3,500mAh battery with fast-charging capabilities. Samsung is also claiming water and dust resistance for the Note 7.
One big difference with the Note 7 is the inclusion of an iris scanner (using an infrared light on the front of phone) for authenticating the user and unlocking the device. In a demo I saw, the unlock screen shows the user where they need to line up their eyes. Once lined up, the phone quickly unlocks. The phone contains the usual fingerprint scanner too.
“The iris can be more secure than fingerprint because there are more points to check than the fingerprint and irises don’t change after the first 18 months of life, but researchers will need to test this specific implementation to validate this,” said tech analyst Patrick Moorhead.
On top of the new iris scanner, Samsung is locking down the Note 7 with its Knox enterprise security software. Samsung is also introducing the new “Secure Folder,” which is a separate folder for holding data that requires another layer of authentication to unlock. All these beefed up security features lend the device favorably to enterprise customers.

In an interview with Forbes, Samsung Electronics America president Tim Baxter said Note users spend 50% more time on business applications, 20% more time watching videos and 30% more time gaming. “Samsung really pioneered the phablet category with the introduction of the first Note in 2011,” said Baxter. “Over that five-year period, we’ve seen rapid growth. Really loyal Samsung customers come from the Note franchise.”
Accompanying the launch of the new phone is a new marketing strategy. In retail, Samsung will advertise its phones with various other Samsung products, like virtual reality peripherals, wearables and expandable memory cards. For an initial sales promotional, consumers will be able to choose between a Gear Fit 2 (a fitness tracker) or a 256 gigabyte memory card for free with the purchase of a Note 7. Samsung will also advertise its new phones along with its virtual reality devices, such as the Gear VR headset and Gear 360 camera.
The new advertising strategy is meant to highlight the growing ecosystem of Samsung devices that can work in concert with its phones. Samsung began talking more about its consumer electronics business as a larger ecosystem play last January at its Consumer Electronics Show keynote, where it made a lot of noise around the emerging world of the “Internet of Things.” The new strategy is also in recognition that phone sales just aren’t growing as quickly as they once were. After years of breakneck growth, global smartphones demand in the second quarter of 2016 was almost flat year-over-year (up only 0.3%) with 343.3 million phones shipped, according to research firm IDC.
“We know that consumers are holding onto phones longer,” said Baxter. “We want to inject multiple reasons why you should be out there buying. We want to open them up to new experiences we can create with the phone. … This is a new frontier for us. We’re learning what consumers want.”

Nigeria’s economic crisis affecting other African nations – Benin President

Patrick Talon

 

The Benin Republic President, Patrick Talon, on Tuesday confessed that the downturn in the Nigerian economy is adversely affecting his country and other African countries.
Describing Nigeria as the engine room of West Africa, Talon urged the country to explore its non-oil sectors to increase its revenue profile being reduced by falling oil prices in the international market.
Talon, who is on a one day state visit to Nigeria, spoke during a joint press briefing with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Stressing that Nigeria remains a big Brother in Africa, the Benin Republic President noted that the country relied for too long on crude oil revenue to the detriment of other sectors.
He said the discussions at the closed door meeting bordered on security and economy, adding that his country is looking forward to reactivate the existing bilateral relationship with Nigeria especially in the areas of Trade relations, economy, energy development and education.
Talon said his country will work with Nigeria to end the current illegal trade between the two countries.
He said: “There is illegal trade between the two countries which is creating difficulties between the two countries. We looked at the possibility of re-energizing the trade between the two countries so that illegal trade is discouraged.”
He invited President Buhari to Benin Republic in order to enhance cooperation between the two countries.

Man chops off brother’s hand with cutlass

Morgan

There was pandemonium in the Emevor community of Isoko-North Local Government Area of Delta State, after one Mr. Jude Boroh allegedly chopped off the hand of a member of his extended family over land dispute.

It was gathered that the incident occurred at about 5pm on Saturday after a meeting involving the parties to demarcate and adjust a family land boundary.

The resolution of the meeting convened to address the land dispute which had been lingering for years, reportedly did not go down well with some members of the family, which resulted in the incident.

It was gathered that the suspect was a member of the Umutama family, which belonged to the extended Ururoho family in the Emevor community.

The victim, Morgan Ekure, a civil servant with the Delta State Government, who is from the Edivri family, was left bleeding after the incident.

A senior member of the Edivri family, Mr. Edward Akure, who confirmed the incident to our correspondent, said the suspect had before the meeting threatened to wreak havoc over the land.

According to him, the meeting had gone peacefully before the suspect surfaced to attack the victim.

Akure, who witnessed the incident, noted that previous threats by the suspect against the members of the Edivri family were not taken seriously by the police at Otor-Owhe, Isoko-North, where they had earlier reported.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the suspect had already been arrested by the police at the Otor-Owhe division.

The spokesperson for the Delta State Police Command, SP Celestina Kalu, confirmed the development to our correspondent when contacted.

Source: PUNCH.  

Seven charging mistakes that kill your iPhones

Old iPhones stop working sooner than the owners expected because charging habits slowly damage their batteries.   Here are seven charging habits that are killing your iPhone:

 Charging to 100 per cent

You don’t have to charge your battery as soon as it drops below 90 per cent. Maintaining a full charge is not the most efficient way to keep your phone battery strong.  According to https://www.thrillist.com, experts suggest leaving your phone battery at  between 30 and 80 per cent full adding that it is most comfortable and will run most efficiently at that level.

  Letting the phone die

Lithium ion batteries become volatile when they drop down to low power. Every full discharge slightly wears down the phone battery.  However, Apple and other experts suggest you letting the phone fully run out of battery every one to two months to “calibrate” the battery gauge.

 Overheating the battery

Although this may not be a charging issue, it is still very important. You may notice that your phone sometimes becomes sluggish after it has been exposed to the sun for a while.  That’s because iPhone batteries hate extreme temperatures, and have to work extra hard when the temperature is too cold or too hot. According to Apple, the ideal temperature for iPhones (as well as iPads, iPods, and Apple Watches) is between 32 and 95 degrees.

  Using your wireless charger too much

 Mophie storage and protective cases for iPhone batteries can work with wireless chargers and they are useful when you are going out of the house. Unfortunately for your iPhone, both your battery and the case itself emit heat during charging, which can do long-term damage to your device. To avoid overheating, try a portable power source that doesn’t attach to your phone.

  Leaving your case on while you charge

Put off the Mophie storage case while the phone is charging.  If your phone feels too hot when it’s plugged in, it’s possible the Mophie storage case might be trapping in the heat that’s produced while charging.

Not charging your backup phone

If you have another iPhone that you are using as a backup, make sure it is kept in a cool place and is roughly half-charged.  According to Apple, if you leave the battery completely depleted, it will fall into what is known as a “deep discharge state,” which will make it drain out battery fast in future.  Conversely, if you store it fully charged for an extended period, it may lose some capacity as well.

 Using the wrong charger

Your Apple-issued charger is designed to cut power when the battery hits 100 per cent, but those cheap unauthorised third-party USB cords are not, and may do some damage to the battery.

Jonathan appointed to lead AU Elections Observer Mission to Zambia

Goodluck Jonathan

 

Former President Goodluck Jonathan is to lead the African Union Elections Observation Mission, AUEOM, to the Zambian general elections scheduled take place on October 11, 2016.
A statement posted on AU’s website yesterday stated that Jonathan would be leading members of the short term mission to join the continental body’s deployment of long term election experts who are already on ground in Zambia, adding that the chairperson of African Union Commission, AUC, approved it.
The statement read, “The Chairperson of the AUC has approved the deployment of African Union Elections Observation Mission, AUEOM, to the General Elections scheduled to place in the Republic of Zambia on October 11, 2016.
“The deployment of the AUEOM will take place in two phases. The first phase comprise the deployment of long term election experts and took place from July 14 to August 22, 2016 and it is made up of 10 observers. “For the first time, the AU long term experts include election/ legal political/media/campaign analysts.
“The objective is ensure that the AUEOM approaches its work with added professionalism and factual analysis of the legal, political, electoral, media and campaign aspects of the electoral process in Zambia.
“At the second phase of the Mission, the long term experts will to be joined by Short Term observers from the August 1 to 15, 2016.
“The Short Term Mission will be headed by Goodluck Jonathan, former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The AUEOM draws its mandate from various African Union instruments, most importantly: (a) the AU Guidelines for Elections Observation and Monitoring Missions, 2002; (b) the OUA/AU Declaration on Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa, 2002; African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, 1981, and (c) African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, 200), among others.
“The objectives of the Mission is (a) to provide an accurate and impartial reporting or assessment of the quality of the 25th October General Elections in the United Republic of Tanzania, including the degree to which the conduct of the elections meets regional, continental and international standards for democratic elections; (b) to offer recommendations for improvement of future elections based on the findings; and, and (c) to demonstrate AU’s interest to support Tanzania’s elections and democratisation process to ensure that the conduct of genuine elections contributes to the consolidation of democratic governance, peace and stability in Tanzania in particular and the East African sub-region in general.”

Republican congressman pledges to vote Clinton

Hillary Clinton AFP photo

A three-term US representative from New York on Tuesday became the first Republican member of Congress to declare publicly that he will vote for Hillary Clinton for president.
While other Republicans in the House have refused to endorse Republican nominee Donald Trump, so far none of the others have promised to cross the aisle and vote for his Democratic rival on November 8, United States media reported.
Richard Hanna, who represents an eight-county district in upstate New York and is a former businessman, announced his decision in an interview and a letter on the opinion pages of local news site Syracuse.com.
“While I disagree with her on many issues, I will vote for Mrs. Clinton,” he wrote.
“Our response to the public’s anger and the need to rebuild requires complex solutions, experience, knowledge and balance. Not bumper sticker slogans that pander to our disappointment, fear and hate,” he added.
Hanna said the former US secretary of state, first lady and New York senator had promoted many issues to which he has been committed, including the expansion of education and women’s health care.
Syracuse.com reported that Hanna said in an interview he considered supporting Clinton for months, but decided to take action after watching Trump criticize the Muslim American parents of a US soldier killed in Iraq.
Hanna has served as congressman from New York since 2011 and previously announced plans to retire in December when his third term ends.

APC persecuting Dokpesi for his unflinching support for PDP – Sango

Raymond Dokpesi

 

Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau state, Hon Damishi Sango, has said that High Chief Raymond Dokpesi is being persecuted by the All Progressives Congress, APC, because of his unflinching support for the PDP.
In the same vein, the chairman of PDP, Benue state chapter, John Ngbede said the days of imposition of candidates will no longer be tolerated in the party.
Sango, who spoke on Tuesday, when Dokpesi led his campaign organisation to the state, said the harassment and intimidation of Dokpesi is a plot by the APC to destroy him and the PDP.
He noted that President Muhammadu Buhari used same tactic after the military overthrew the democratically elected government of the second republic.
“For those of us that were old enough when the military took over power in 1983, this harassment is not new to us. We warned the younger ones of what is happening now. High Chief, I knew they will pick you up when you make that popular statement that a leopard will not change his skin. You hit them hard and they came for you. You said the truth and we are living witness to it that a leopard will not change his skin,” Sango said.
He reiterated that Dokpesi has contributed greatly to the PDP and is seen as a threat by the APC. He assured the chairmanship hopeful that the Plateau State chapter of the PDP knows its friends and at the convention will do the right thing.
The Deputy Speaker of Plateau House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, said PDP needs a man of integrity and experience to restore its glory.
Dokpesi thanked the Plataeu delegates for waiting for him till as late as 10:30pm, noting that it is a show of their love for the party and a confirmation that the state remains PDP, adding that the first convention of the party was held in Jos.

Why I’m facing persecution –Ekweremadu

Ike Ekweremadu

 

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has again reinstated his innocence over the charges of forg­ery of the Senate Standing Rules brought against him by the Federal Govern­ment, stressing that his only offence is his emer­gence as the Deputy Presi­dent of the Senate against the wishes of the “powers that be.”
Speaking when members of Enugu State Economic Advisory Committee paid a solidarity visit to him at his residence in Enugu, Ekwer­emadu said his hands were clean.
Ekweremadu, who is also a member of the high-pow­ered Economic Advisory Committee set up by Gov­ernor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, re­iterated his commitment to the principles of separation of power, independence of the legislature and growth of the nation’s democracy.
“I am indeed humbled by your solidarity. As they say, the true test of a man is not where he stands in the time of comfort; it is where he stands when there is crisis. Many people may not take this step of faith because of the situation we found our­selves in the country; some may be afraid of their lib­erty and afraid of any repri­sals. But you have stepped out to come and show soli­darity and ask questions in a matter concerning one of your sons.
“Let me start by saying that I reinstate my inno­cence; that I committed no offence or forged any documents; and non of the accused persons, to the best of my knowledge, commit­ted any offence, let alone forging any document. Let me also say that no sena­tor accused me, President of the Senate or the other people of committing any offence. No senator or bu­reaucrat accused us of forg­ing any document.
“Again, as a lawyer, I know what is called proof of evidence, that is the statement of witnesses who are going to confront you with the offence for which you are being charged.
“I was served, and I have read this document (court process) from the first page to the last page; no wit­ness said any of us com­mitted any offence. Our only offence is that Senator Bukola Saraki and myself emerged as President of the Senate and Deputy Presi­dent of the Senate. Some people found it unaccept­able, and that is why we are being charged, not that we committed any offence,” he said.

Turkish FA fires 94 referees, other officials after coup

Turkey’s football authorities have fired 94 officials including referees in the wake of the July 15 coup that tried to unseat President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the football federation said on Tuesday.
“Our federation deemed it necessary to dismiss 94 people, including regional and nationally-ranked referees and assistant referees, regional refereeing committee members and national and regional observers,” the Turkish Football Federation said in a statement.
The statement gave no further details but the Hurriyet daily said one of the referees affected was an official on duty in the Super Lig top flight, without giving a name.
The backlash after the July 15 coup blamed on followers of the US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen has affected every walk of life in Turkey and football is no exception.
All members of affiliated committees of the TFF resigned at the weekend to allow a “security inspection” to see if any have links to the Gulen movement.
The star striker for Istanbul side Besiktas, Mario Gomez of Germany who was the top scorer in the Super Lig last year, announced he was leaving the club due to the political situation.
Footage broadcast by Turkish television also showed a helicopter hijacked by the coup plotters landing in the middle of the Besiktas stadium’s pitch on the night of the coup.
However TFF chief Yildirim Demiroren has said all the Super Lig, international matches and all other fixtures will be played as scheduled despite the coup.

‘UNILAG to screen candidates despite list withdrawal by JAMB’

The University of Lagos on Monday says it will go ahead with its screening of prospective candidates for admission into the 2016/2017 academic session as scheduled.

The institution’s Deputy Registrar, (Information), Mr. Toyin Adebule, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.

Adebule gave the university’s position against the backdrop of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board withdrawing the list of recommended candidates for admission, earlier sent to the various universities.

JAMB, in the statement signed by its Head of Media and Information, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, stated that the withdrawal was to ensure that the senate of each of the universities performed its statutory functions.

NAN reports that UNILAG had, last month, announced that it would begin screening candidates, who chose the institution as their first choice with a cut-off point of 200 and above, between Wednesday Aug. 3, 2016 and Aug. 24, 2016.

“We want to inform the public that our screening, for candidates that will be admitted for the 2016/17 academic session, will still hold as scheduled from Aug. 3, 2016 to Aug. 24, 2016. It is true that JAMB had sent a list to us, which it had considered as those who met our cut-off point. It is this same list that it withdrew to allow the universities to carry out their admission process as required by the law setting up their senates.

“There are statutory functions meant for all university senates, among which admissions is part one. It is only after selecting the candidates for admission that the senate refers the list to JAMB for confirmation in line with the admission criteria of merit, catchment and educationally disadvantaged states. And so, it is only proper for JAMB to have taken this step, realising that it had taken over the job of the universities’ senates,’’ he said.

Adebule, however, added that the withdrawal of the list did not interfere with UNILAG’s proposed plan to screen its candidates. He added that candidates would be screened based on the authenticity of their results and their course combinations.

Briton burned after iPhone explodes in pocket

A British man has suffered severe burns after his iPhone exploded following a fall from his mountain bike.
Gareth Clear’s iPhone 6 bore the brunt of the impact when the 36-year-old took a tumble during a ride around Australia’s Manly Dam on Sunday afternoon.
He noticed smoke and searing heat coming from his phone seconds before it exploded, melting through his shorts and two layers of skin on his upper right thigh.
Mr Clear, who lives in Bondi but is originally from Winchester, Hampshire, needed a skin graft at the burns unit of the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney.
He told Australia’s Daily Telegraph newspaper: “The phone did hit the ground, it didn’t just spontaneously combust.
“It was a one in one million chance I hit a part of the phone which pierced the lithium battery and it exploded.
“I’m 36, I’ve had a mobile phone for 18 years of my life and for that thing to explode or short circuit and cause it to temporarily ignite.
“I could see the metal bending and all the lithium leaking out of the bottom end.”
While the top of his phone is perfectly intact, Mr Clear said the base of the phone looks like “something from a chemical explosion”.
For now, he is hooked up to a drip to prevent infection of his wound and doctors have said his recovery will take weeks.
Mr Clear said Apple has promised to investigate the incident, although the firm has not commented officially.

Manchester City complete signing of Leroy Sane from Schalke

Manchester City have signed Germany international Leroy Sane from Schalke for an undisclosed fee.
Sane, 20, has been Pep Guardiola’s top attacking target this summer and the new City boss has finally secured him on a five-year deal.
It was gathered that City will pay £37m, with reports that performance-related add-ons could eventually take the total cost up to £46.5m.
Sane could make his City debut in the preseason friendly against Arsenal in Gothenburg on Sunday.
He has been capped four times by Germany and is considered to be one of the most exciting young prospects in Europe.
“I feel really good, I’m happy to be here and happy that it has all worked out,” Sane told Man City’s official website. “Now I can settle here in Manchester and play for City.
“One of the reasons I decided to join City was Pep Guardiola; he convinced me to come here and that I can continue to progress. I know I will learn a lot under him and now I can take the next step in my career.
“I followed Pep at Barcelona and at Bayern where he achieved a lot and worked really well with young players.
“I think he can make me a more complete player. I think I will need a bit of time to start with because it’s another league and there’s a different style of play but I think I can adapt very quickly.”
Guardiola added: “He is a special talent, and an exciting player that I think our supporters will enjoy watching. He has great technical ability, is comfortable on the ball and there is much to admire about the way he plays football.
“He is fast, enjoys creating chances for others, works hard for the team and scores goals, too. He also has a very positive attitude and will fit in well with our squad.
“At 20, he is still developing as a player but he is already a member of the German national side and I think he will be a fantastic asset to our club. We are very happy he decided to join us.”
Sane had made it clear that he wanted to leave Schalke in the summer, according to the club’s general manager Christian Heidel. Bayern Munich and Real Madrid were also said to still be in the race to sign him, according to his father.
But Guardiola is a huge fan of the player and had been tracking his progress while still in charge of Bayern.
“Sane is a huge talent and I can only congratulate Germany to have a talent like him,” the Catalan said in November.
Guardiola has already bolstered his squad ahead of his first campaign as a manager in the Premier League by signing Ilkay Gundogan from Borussia Dortmund, Nolito from Celta Vigo and Oleksandr Zinchenko from Russian club Ufa.
City are also close to securing deals for Palmeiras forward Gabriel Jesus and Atletico Nacional attacker Marlos Moreno and are hoping to sign England defender John Stones from Everton.

Ex-Barcelona star Xavi donates his yacht to help refugees

Not only a star on the pitch but also off it, Barcelona great Xavi has donated his personal yacht to charity in a bid to aid refugees travelling across the Mediterranean Sea.
Xavi – now plying his trade with Al Sadd in Qatar – handed over the vessel to non-government charity organisation Proactiva Open Arms, which will be auctioned off to raise funds to help the POA continue their rescue work.
The POA from Barcelona, Spain work along the Greek coast in Lesvos, covering 17 kilometres by land and sea as they assist those seeking refuge across the Mediterranean.
“The soccer player Xavi Hernandez collaborates with Proactiva Open Arms with the donation of a recreational craft to be auctioned in the near future,” the charity said via their social media channels Twitter and Facebook.
“He was introduced to our work a while ago and decided to donate his yacht to obtain more resources in order to ensure the permanence of the mission.
“Thank you, Xavi, gestures like yours, will save many lives.”
Former Spain international Xavi made over 500 appearances in 17 years with Barcelona’s senior team, having emerged from the youth set-up.
During his illustrious career at the Camp Nou, Xavi won eight LaLiga titles, four Champions Leagues, among 13 other pieces of silverware.
The 36-year-old also helped Spain to victory at the 2010 World Cup.

30 Clever Ways to Make Money Online

Tay Jnr—Getty Images

Who doesn’t want to earn more money? Whether it’s through part-time jobs or freelance work, adding more dollars to your cash flow every month is always nice. But unfortunately, not everyone has the time to pick up another job or do additional work on the side. If that’s the case for you, don’t give up. Instead, turn to the one thing you probably spend a majority of your time on: the internet.
There are dozens of ways to make money online, from selling unwanted items to promoting products on Instagram or Facebook.
Click through to discover 30 unique and easy ways you can earn money on online.

1. Get Paid to Take Surveys

Do you enjoy taking surveys? Some companies will pay people to take surveys so that they can gather valuable consumer and user data. It might not be the most interesting way to make a buck, but you can find websites like CashbackResearch.com that offer cash for your opinions.

2. Create a Winning Blog

Writing entertaining, interesting blog posts can generate cash for you through ads, affiliate links and other revenue options. Your blogging success will depend on your writing talent, whether your blog covers a popular subject and the popularity of the links you include (whether backlinks or pay-per-click links, like Google AdWords).

3. Sell Your Stuff on eBay or a Similar Outlet

The dramatic growth and success of eBay has spawned many competitors featuring auctions or online marketplaces for diverse items. Whether you want to clean out your closet and sell your designer clothing online, or develop a high-volume online store, you can make extra money or big dollars on sites such as Amazon.com, Etsy.com and more.

4. Sign Up for Amazon Mechanical Turk

You probably won’t get rich completing typical tasks for the “Turk,” but you can make extra income if you are willing to perform simple tasks for clients.

5. Sell Older Electronics

Do you have a compute, laptop or cellphone you no longer use? These and other tech items, although built with former generation features, often have value to others.

6. List Household Items on Craigslist

Free to join and devoid of listing or selling fees, Craigslist sales can be local or national. From kitchenware to baby furniture to jobs, you can list almost anything for sale on this site.

7. Self-Publish Kindle Digital Books

If you love to write and believe you can write an entertaining fiction or non-fiction book, consider authoring and publishing a digital book through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing platform.

8. Create Niche Websites Featuring Google AdSense Ads

Creating popular niche sites can grab visitors looking for specialized information, and adding Google AdSense advertising links can be a great way to monetize the site.

9. Upload YouTube Videos and Get Paid for Ad Views

You don’t need to invest in expensive video equipment. Just learn how to use your smartphone’s video capability to upload entertaining or informative videos, and opt to have ads play before your videos to get a bit of cash for each video view. YouTube star PewDiePie earned a total of $7.4 million in revenue, according to multiple media reports.

10. Design Useful Apps for Mobile Devices

If you design a wildly popular app (which is harder than it sounds), you might be pleasantly surprised with the income they generate. Offering one or more apps at the iTunes or Android app store gives your creations wide exposure to prospects. And income can be generated by charging for the app, displaying in-app ads, or charging for in-app features and upgrades.

11. Sell Your Time and Talents

The website Fiverr promotes members’ talent in multiple disciplines and connects them to people looking to pay for those skills. For example, if you’re a digital photo editing guru, you might find freelance projects you can complete for compensation.

12. Sell the Use of Your Photos, Videos and Other Media

Some sites allow you to sell your prized photos, video b-roll, original music or illustrations while giving you the option of licensing resale rights for free. This will give you royalties for each use of your photos, videos or music, resulting in longer-term residual income.

13. Sell Your Original Instagram Photos

While you can share your social media photos on Instagram, you can also sell prints of your photos for a profit on Instaprints.com and similar sites.

14. Share Your Knowledge

Do you have in-depth expertise about a specific hobby or any other subject? You could create a website that offers your expertise to others for a price, like offering a music lesson over Skype for a fee or charging for video lessons on gardening. You can make extra income or become wildly successful with this method of making money online.

15. Become an Amazon Associate

This program allows you to earn money by including affiliate links to different products offered by Amazon. When a visitor views your blogs or social media pages and clicks through the Amazon links on your site, you will earn commissions from Amazon on qualifying products bought during that session.

16. Become an Internet Life Coach

Because of the strong interest in quality of life and work-life balance issues, life coaches have become popular in recent years. Unlike the intellectual demands of becoming a technical or executive coach, life coaching can be successful if you possess common sense, a respect for family and a commitment to enjoy life to the max every day and helping others do the same.

17. Promote Organizations on Social Media

Many major retailers will pay you for promoting their businesses on your websites and social media pages. They might pay you in cash or gift cards. For example, some restaurants might give you a gift card if you check in on Facebook or Yelp.

18. Promote Businesses, Products and Services via Affiliate Programs

If you have a website or blog, you can make money through affiliations with other businesses and sites, which will pay a percentage of sales you generate for the affiliate company.

19. Sell Handmade Items and Crafts

For those who like to make handcrafted items, websites such as Etsy are ideal to make some money off of such hobbies. Dedicated handcrafters should check Etsy and similar sites to find the best fit for their products.

20. Become a Virtual Assistant

There are freelance sites, such as the popular UPWORK, that often have jobs for virtual assistants. Just as with physical assistant positions, you will get paid for helping executives with a wide variety of tasks.

21. Become a Freelance Writer

Do you have a passion for writing? If earning money by writing gets your blood moving, there are numerous websites offering assignments for aspiring and experienced writers alike.

22. Sell Customized T-shirts Online

Selling graphic T-shirts is big business. Customized T-shirts with clever sayings or graphics are ideal for online sales. Sites like Teespring allow you to sell customer shirts. Teespring’s unique model allows you to design the shirt and get buyers lined up to purchase it. This saves you from the initial investment in stock and the time on processing and shipping orders, though you’ll likely make a smaller profit on each shirt sold.

23. Become a Third-Party Seller on Amazon

If you’ve visited Amazon, you have seen products sold by third-parties with the comment “ships from Amazon.” These are sellers who send their products to Amazon fulfillment facilities, then Amazon lists the item and ships it when a buyer is found.

24. Buy Local and Resell Online

Another great way to make money is to find things in your area that are free or cheap, and then sell them online. Many people hunt through local thrift stores for rare collectibles, vintage styles or cheap-as-dirt books or media to mark up and resell online.

25. Design Websites for a Fee

If you have an interest or skill in web development, there is a big demand for designers to build winning sites for businesses or organizations. Sites like eLance.com are a good place to start to find clients and build your portfolio.

26. Promote Products on Your Website

Sites like SocialSpark offer bloggers cash for authoring and posting original copy about products or services to their sites. Just make sure to pay attention to FCC disclosure requirements when you’re getting paid to promote.

27. Buy Domain Names for Resale

Some people have made big dollars by owning desired domains and selling them to hungry buyers. For a minimum investment of buying domain names you feel will be popular (typically $10 to $20), you might make a big profit selling it down the line.

28. Rent Out Your Driveway or Reserved Parking Spot

Parking is at a premium in most thriving cities. Renting an unused space in your driveway or vacant deeded parking space can generate additional income. Advertising availability on Craigslist exposes this opportunity to local people, and up-and-coming apps like JustPark also allow you to easily rent out your parking space when it’s not in use.

29. Provide Online Tutoring

Sites like Tutor.com and TutorVista.com will connect you with people looking for help learning a subject, and you might be in particularly high demand if you’re good with math, science or a foreign language. You have to go through an application process, and once you’re approved you can start getting paid.

30. Teach an Online Course

Sites like Udemy connect experts with people willing to pay to learn from them. According to its website, about 10 million students use this service, and the average instructor earnings is $8,000.

This article originally appeared on GoBankingRates.

NAFDAC intercepts Kano-bound trailer load of fake drugs

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has started mopping up counterfeited products in the market.
This is coming on the heels of a Kano-bound trailer load of counterfeit pharmaceutical products intercepted at Chosen Global Haulage Nigeria Ltd warehouse situated at No. 7A, Otto Causeway, Iddo Motor Park, Oyingbo, Lagos.
The seized products did not have location or address of the manufacturer, except codes on the packs indicating they were purportedly manufactured in Gujurat, India.
The Director General of the agency, Mrs. Yetunde Oni, who disclosed this in Lagos, gave the counterfeited pharmaceuticals as Dr. Relly Extra (Paracetamol, Diclofenac and Caffeine tabs 325mg50mg30mg), Dicloforte 550 (Diclofenac sodium 50mg), Chlorophenamine (Chlorpheniramine maleate 4mg), Kdmotil (Loperamide Hydrochloride tablets, Newdol (Diclofenac sodium capsules 50mg), Bospan and Tramadol 225mg/200mg.
Oni said the managing director of the haulage firm is currently undergoing interrogation and is assisting the agency in its investigation, adding that the suspect would be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded.
She, however, reassured the public of the agency’s resolve to sustain the fight against counterfeiters and smugglers of NAFDAC regulated products.
According to her, officials of the agency would be directed to move in immediately to recover other products such as Augmentin powder for oral suspension for infants and children, following the confession of a counterfeiter, Mr. Ikechukwu Adiba, arrested in Kano for being in possession of suspected counterfeit packaging materials of Augmentin powder.
The NAFDAC boss also stressed that the agency would partner with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to discourage the hawking of such dangerous products and all aphrodisiac products in their parks.

Breastfeeding could save 820,000 under-five children – UNICEF

An increase in number of children breastfed in Nigeria could save lives of more than 820,000 children under the age of five, the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has declared.
In the same report by UNICEF on “Progress of Breastfeeding in Nigeria” made available to newsmen by its Communication Officer (Advocacy, Media and External Relations), Mrs. Ijeoma Onuoha-Ogwe, it was revealed that: “More breastfeeding could prevent the death of 20,000 women a year from breast cancer…lead to improvement in birth spacing, reduction in women’s risk of diabetes and may reduce rates of ovarian cancer.”
The UNICEF nutrition programme in Nigeria supports actions that focus on the first 1,000 days of life, including pregnancy in high-risk areas.
The report also said: “Children who are breastfed for longer periods have lower rates of infectious disease and death than children who are breastfed for shorter periods or were never breastfed.
“Longer periods of breastfeeding are associated with reduction in a child’s risk of being overweight or obese. Breastfeeding is associated with an IQ increase of three to four points. Successful breastfeeding depends on support – from families, communities, health care providers, employers and governments.”
Work is one of the leading barriers to breastfeeding and contributes to mother’s decision to stop the practice early, the report said, adding that, “a study on breastfeeding indicated that interventions such as maternity leave, workplace support and employment status of mothers led to a 30 per cent increase in breastfeeding rates.” Health care professionals influence breastfeeding practices at critical moments. However, many lack the knowledge and skill required to support women who want to breastfeed. Community-based interventions such as including group counseling and education increased timely breastfeeding initiation by 86 per cent.
The report further showed: “Exclusive breastfeeding is particularly uncommon in the North West geopolitical zone, where the practice is four times less common than in the North Central and South West zones.”

Porn stars reveal the ultimate secret for eating her out

Going down on your woman can be an extremely pleasurable experience for her.

Most women are more likely to achieve orgasm via oral sex than penetrative sex so the importance of giving her head the right way can not be over emphasized.

 

During a recent episode of Ask A Porn Star on Youtube, adult film stars were asked to give their best tips for oral sex.

Here are a few of the best ones:

1. You have to want it.

If you are not enthusiastic about the act or you really do not want to do it, she will catch on to this vibe and she is unlikely to enjoy it too.

2. Every girl is different

What works for one might not work for another. You might want to ask her what she likes before getting down there.

3. It can be sloppy

Just as men like things wet when receiving a blow job, women also need it sloppy and wet to be pleasurable. The idea of poking the tongue in and out of her is a terrible one and is very likely to be unpleasant for her.

4. Gradual speed

Start slow at first then gain momentum as things go.

5. Foreplay

Foreplay is not just a prelude to penetrative sex. Taking your time is great for oral too. You can start by kissing her inner thighs, give her vagina little kisses and gently work your way in there.

6. Include the hand

Use your tongue and fingers during oral sex. When fingering, make sure you focus upwards where the G-spot is.

Imo government declares Thursdays, Fridays as ‘farming days’

The Imo state government has reduced the working days of some civil servants in the state. Workers are now to work for three days in a week, while they can spend the remaining two days on their farms. This was as the government introduced a policy tagged: “Back to Land for Agriculture”, which is meant to enable the state workers engage and invest in agriculture for self-sustenance.
Governor of the State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, made the policy known when traditional rulers from the state, operating under the aegis of Royal fathers in Agriculture, paid him a courtesy call at the Government House Owerri on Monday.

He further explained that the State Executive Council has given approval to the new policy.
A statement by the state governor’s Chief Press secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, however assured that the new policy will not affect the salaries of workers.
The statement reads, “Against the backdrop of the “Back to Land for Agriculture” Programme, the governor directed that public servants in the state would now work from Mondays to Wednesdays, and use Thursdays and Fridays for agriculture (farming) while Saturdays can be used for ceremonies. And the directive takes effect from Monday August 1, 2016.
“However, the governor exempted public servants on essential duties like the teachers, nurses, doctors and people involved in Internally Generated Revenue drive. Political appointees are also exempted from the three-days working periods.

“We shall try this programme for the period of one year, starting from 1st of August 2016 and hopefully this will help. Let me make this emphasis before it is misconstrued or misrepresented, that this does not in any way affect the salaries of the workers.
“Workers will get their full salaries as been the practice. So the policy does not mean that there will be a cut in salary rather let us now find a way for our workers to supplement their salaries”.
He continued, “For this reason the issue of annual leave and casual leave is hereby cancelled. Resumption time for work has changed from 8am to 7.30am in the morning and ends by 4pm. Any worker that is not found on his or her seat between7.30am and 4pm on the days concerned will be summarily dismissed.
“Everybody must go back to agriculture. Every political appointee must own a farm. The youths would also be encouraged to take to agriculture. Schools including Universities, Polytechnics and Secondary schools in the state must own farms. The Community Government Council (CGC) must be strengthened for the sake of this agricultural programme.
“Two billion naira (N2b) has been set aside at the micro-finance bank for the purpose of this Back To Land For Agriculture policy so that those willing can access it. And time is gone again when politicians and some Imolites will come to government in the pretence of farming and collect loans and use it to buy cars and marry new wives.
“Again, the June and July Salaries would be paid this week. We are making sure that our workers are comfortable and our pensioners are happy because this is one area the whole nation is having a serious challenge.
“Our problem is not being unable to pay salaries but paying over-bloated salaries. We are also making effort to pay our pensioners once the harmonization is over.
“I also want to announce that government has appealed to families and those who organize burials on Mondays to Wednesdays to please change and have their burials on Saturdays so that we can concentrate on the government’s work and on the agricultural programme.
“Everything that has to do with agriculture no matter what shape it comes, government will support it. So many countries are going through economic crisis because of the fall in oil.
“Our nation is also going through very difficult moment. We have taken responsibility as leaders and we are not blaming anyone. Wise nations and leaders save for the rainy days.
“There were periods the oil price was in our favour. But those in charge then blew the money. They made no savings. Today the oil price globally has crashed and here we are. And we must fall back to agriculture as the panacea.”

Producer's Mavin group song 'Adaobi' surpasses 20million Youtube views

Don Jazzy and his Mavins crew - D'Prince, Dr Sid, Tiwa Savage, Korede Bello, Di'ja and Reekado Banks reach another significant milestone with number of views for their hit song 'Adaobi' with over 20,000,000 views worldwide since it was published on October 19, 2014.

Korede Bello wrote on Instagram:

" Adaobi on 20 million views Big Ups #Bellovers #dijarians and #reekaddicts @mavinrecords"

'Adaobi' was  nominated  for 'Best Collaboration' at the 2016 Kora All Africa Music Awards.

The Mavin artistes have however been working more on their individual projects this year as against group collaborations.

Reekado Banks is working on releasing his debut album, " Oluwa Ni", Tiwa Savage has signed an international management deal with Jay Z's Roc Nation, and is currently on tour in the United States of America promoting her album "R.E.D", Korede Bello, Dr Sid and D'Prince are working on more singles while Di'ja who just put to bed of recent is looking to resume recording music.