A Chinese firm said it has developed a laser gun designed for police use that can set fire to protesters hair or banners from a range of almost one kilometre.

The general manager of the ZKZM Fibre Laser company, who asked to remain anonymous, said the weapon would immediately produce a strong pain response in the target but stressed it was designed to be non-lethal.

The weapon is designed to do things such as setting fire to illegal banners at a protest or setting fire to the hair or clothing of a protester, he told AFP.

It is not designed explicitly for killing like a gun that uses bullets and cannot cause the instant carbonisation of human skin and tissues, he added.

The 15-mm calibre weapon weighs three kilogrammes (6.6 pounds), has a range of 800 metres (2,600 feet) and can pass through glass and other transparent obstacles.

It can be mounted on cars, boats and planes, the firm said, adding that it was seeking a partner that has a weapons production licence or a partner in the security or defence industry to start large-scale production.

It is mainly expected to be for Chinese police use, the manager told AFP.

He said it would need to be upgraded to a laser cannon with increased power to become lethal and confirmed his firm was working on such a weapon.

But he noted there was an international agreement not to develop killer lasers and said any such weapons would be inhumane the pain would be unimaginable.

Some experts were sceptical of the unveiling, saying laser weaponry was still a matter of science fiction.

Specialist website Techcrunch noted that laser weaponry capable of real harm has eluded the eager boffins of the worlds militaries for several reasons.

The power required to set a person aflame instantly from half a mile away is truly huge, the website stressed.

The idea of one that weighs a handful of pounds and fires hundreds of instantly skin-searing shots is just infeasible today.

Development of such laser weapons is not limited to China, with all the big defence players in the US working on prototypes for the Pentagon.

Last year, Lockheed Martin announced a 60-kilowatt laser weapon that is invisible to the naked eye and will be deployed against mortars and small drones.

Source: NAN

There are more than 200, 000 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) awaiting collection in Enugu state, according to the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Mr Emeka Ononamadu.

Ononamadu disclosed in his address of welcome during the stakeholders forum between state Traditional Rulers Council and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Enugu.

Uncollected PVC cards in the state is still on the high side and we have above 200,000 cards uncollected, he said.

Ononamadu, however, noted that the state had recorded huge progress in the ongoing Continue Voter Registration (CVR).

He attributed the success of the exercise to less voters apathy due to joint sensitisation embarked upon by the commission, traditional institution in their various communities and other stakeholders.

Meanwhile, traditional rulers in the state have commended INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood and Ononamadu for the progress made so far in the ongoing CVR in the state.

The traditional rulers gave the commendation in a two-page communiqu they issued after stakeholders forum in Enugu and signed by the Chairman of the Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe Lawrence Agubuzu.

The forum which also involved the state INEC officials noted that the hard work and ingenuity of Mahmood and Ononamadu had translated into to the success of CRV in the state.

They also expressed confidence in the capability of the Mahmood-led IINEC to conduct free, fair and credible election in forthcoming 2019 general elections in Nigeria.

They also lauded Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for providing and promoting peace in the state under which INEC had been able to make tremendous impact in the ongoing CVR.

The communiqu said that INEC and rulers agreed that names of owners of PVCs not yet collected would be displayed in their various wards for their respective traditional rulers to note.

It also noted that the traditional rulers would further sensitise their subjects on the imperative of collecting their PVCs.

Source: NAN

The Secretary-General, Miyetti Kautal Hore, MrSaleh Alhassan, said the arrest of suspects made over the killings at a Benue Catholic Church has vindicated the association and its herdsmen.

He therefore

Alhassan made the demand on Channels Televisions breakfast show,.

According to Alhassan, the recent arrest of the Commander of the Benue State Livestock Guards, Aliyu Teshaku, has vindicated the association.

Today, they have arrested Aliyu Teshaku who is alleged to be the Head of the Livestock Guard in Benue who is behind those killings. He is arrested now, he said.

People that killed the two clergymen and 17 others in the church are being tried in Makurdi and they are all Tiv people. And they are all members of the livestock guard working for Governor Ortom.

So we expect by now there should be an apology from the Benue State Government to our association because we have never promoted violence. We have always advocated for a peaceful resolution of the crisis.

Apart from linking Tiv people to the attack on the Catholic church in Benue State that left two priests and 17 other worshippers dead, Alhassan accused the state government of propaganda against the association.

I have always insisted that Governor Samuel Ortom is on a voyage of propaganda against our association, he said.

And today, if you look at the arrest made in Benue, with respect to the perpetrators of the conflict there, you look at their ethnicity and background and you look at who is employing them, we have been vindicated.

Alhassans comments come in the wake of attacks that have gripped the north-central state in which many people have been killed and many others displaced.

Read More at

Source: NAN

20-year-old boy hangs himself after Argentina's ouster from World Cup...

Monotosh Halder, a 20-year-old Messi and Argentina fan, committed suicide in Habibpur which is in West Bengal's Malda district after the Albicelestes went down 4-3 to France in the Round of 16 of the ongoing World Cup in Russia.

Halder, an ardent Messi fan, was heartbroken after his favourite team's ouster from the elite competition. He skipped dinner on Saturday night and went off to sleep locking the doors of his bedroom.

On Sunday morning, even after several attempts when he did not open the door, the police was informed. The door was breached by the police and Halder's dead body was found hanging from the ceiling.

"My son had no illness. He was an Argentina fan and every day he used to remain glued to the TV since the world cup had started. He was distraught after Argentina's loss to France. But we never thought he would do something like this," said Mongol Halder, father of the deceased.

Meanwhile, Malda police have started a probe. "We are investigating the case. It seems that he has committed suicide since Argentina lost in the world cup," said the police.

Another incident of suicide had been earlier reported from Kerala when a 30-year-old's body was recovered from of a nearby river in Kottayam. The youth had penned a suicide letter and went missing after Argentina's humiliating 3-0 defeat against Croatia on June 21.

Both Kerala and West Bengal are footballing hotbeds of India and South American countries like Brazil and Argentina are hugely popular among the masses.

The proposed visit of President of France, Mr. Emmanuel Macron, has forced the Lagos State Government to effect traffic diversion and restriction of movement.

The alteration is from noon to 12 midnight on July 3, around Alausa, African Shrine and Agidingbi axis in Ikeja.

The state government will receive the visitor, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Dr Taiwo Salaam, said.4

He appealed for the understanding of residents and urged motorists to make use of alternative routes provided.

“While we regret the inconvenience that this might cause the public, especially those who live and work in the area, we appeal that you kindly bear with us during this period and make use of the alternative routes provided,’’ Salaam said in a statement.

Macron is expected to be hosted by the state government at the African Shrine on Tuesday.

He would also be attending the opening of the French Cultural Centre and the African Business Forum.

French leader Emmanuel Macron will on Tuesday visit the Afrika Shrine, a nightclub in Lagos founded by Nigerian music legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti.

Macron will become the first “real president” to enter the club synonymous with marijuana smoke, sexy backup dancers and protest music. And he is not a stranger to Nigeria. He trained as a senior civil servant at the French Embassy in Lagos in 2004, seven years after Fela died.

The Afrika Shrine located in the teeming Lagos district of Ikeja replaced Fela Kuti’s original club that burnt down in 1977, but for millions of fans it still represents the original Shrine built by the musical maverick.

“The Shrine is a must-see place,” said Olivier Laouchez, the head of the TRACE media and entertainment group and organiser of the event Macron will attend, adding that Lagos is “Africa’s cultural capital”.

The evening will feature concerts, fashion shows by leading African designers and a meeting with stars from Nigeria’s booming Nollywood film industry.

Lagos is also giving Johannesburg — the other African cultural hotspot — a run for its money in the art world with its annual Art X event.

“There is clearly something abuzz in Lagos, with auctions mushrooming, and this will explode,” said contemporary art specialist Marie-Cecile Zinsou, who is based in neighbouring Benin.

“The idea is to show the richness and diversity of African cultures,” said Laouchez.

“Europe does not know Africa or at least its cultural dimension.”

Macron, who is visiting the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott to attend an African Union summit on Sunday, will go on to Nigeria’s capital Abuja for talks with his counterpart Muhammadu Buhari on security and terrorism, before coming to Lagos, a vibrant megapolis of 20 million people.

Fela Anikulapo Kuti came from a patrician Nigerian family whose pioneering music and quest for social justice made him an international star and the bugbear of Nigeria’s former military rulers. Fela died on 2 August 1997. He was 59 years old.

Called the “black president” by adoring fans, Fela Kuti’s trademark style, christened Afrobeat, featured songs in his native Yoruba and pidgin and were searing indictments of corruption and incompetence.

Ibrahim Tcha-Tchere, a veteran employee of the Alliance Francaise cultural institute in Lagos, said Macron’s visit was fitting given that “France has always had great cultural cooperation with Nigeria.

“It was the French who organised Fela’s first European tour in 1981,” he said.

“Then his sons Femi and Seun launched their international careers in France.”

The shrine is a big hall, painted brown and yellow, with patterns of green, red and black, suggesting African symbolism.

Laouchez joked that organising the event was no cakewalk, saying: “It requires great organisation because there are frequent power cuts and you have to ensure that the ceiling fans do not fall on the heads of guests… but it’s exciting.”

“Musically speaking, the new Nigerian Afrobeat movement is global,” he added, pointing to stars such as Davido, Wizkid and Mr Eazi.

The Army has confirmed that 32 Boko Haram terrorists have willingly surrendered themselves to troops at different locations in Borno.

The army spokesman, Brig.-Gen Texas Chukwu, who confirmed this in a statement on Sunday, said that among them was one Ibrahim Lawal, who also surrendered one AK 47 rifle.

Chukwu added that Lawal also handed over two magazines containing 59 rounds of 7.62mm (special) ammunition.

“The surrendered terrorists are currently undergoing interrogation and will be handed over to the appropriate authority on completion,” he said.

Abubakar Shekau, the leader of the terror group Boko Haram, is said to be weakened by ill health, prompting questions about his ability to lead the militants, the AFP reported on Friday.

The sources said Shekau has a range of conditions that have left him “too weak to be in charge” of the jihadists, whose insurgency has killed at least 20,000 in Nigeria since 2009.

“He has high blood pressure and failing sight from diabetes-related complications,” said one source with close knowledge of the group’s activities.

A senior security source tracking the conflict, who also asked not to be identified because he was not authorised to speak to the media, described Shekau’s diabetes as “debilitating”.

“He suffers from diminished eyesight from cataracts or glaucoma as a result of diabetes,” he added.

The source with knowledge of Boko Haram’s activities said Shekau and his lieutenants have been in talks this week about his “failing health” and whether he was well enough to lead.

Boko Haram split in mid-2016 over ideological differences.

One faction, headed by Abu-Mus’ab Al-Barnawi, whose father Mohammed Yusuf founded Boko Haram, won the support of the Islamic State group.

Some experts suggested that with Shekau off the scene, the different groups could be reconciled.

Shekau used to appear frequently on video messages from the group, particularly at the height of the conflict, when Boko Haram ran riot across northeast Nigeria, seizing territory.

The Nigerian authorities have claimed Shekau has died or been killed on at least three occasions, and that he has been replaced by a series of lookalikes.

Shekau’s last appearance on camera was in a 14-minute video released on February 6 in which he claimed responsibility for attacks in Borno state capital, Maiduguri, and other towns.

He was previously seen on January 15 in an 11-minute video in which some of the remaining Chibok schoolgirls who were abducted in 2014 vowed never to return to their parents.

Both sources said between February and April last year, Shekau was bed-ridden in Bulayaga, a village in the Konduga area of Borno, near his group’s Sambisa Forest stronghold.

Bulayaga is some 35 kilometres (22 miles) from Maiduguri.

“No-one thought he would survive because he was terribly sick from diabetes and malaria,” said the security source.

Shekau resurfaced in a video published on May 4, 2017, rejecting claims he had been injured in a Nigerian air strike the previous day at the nearby village of Balla.

“I’m alive, I’m alive, I’m alive,” he said.

But in it, he looked frail and appeared to have difficulty reading from a prepared speech, which he held close to his face in an apparent indication of vision problems.

The August 2016 split caused bitter in-fighting and saw Shekau lose men, territory and weapons.

Barnawi, whose group operates in northern Borno around the shores of Lake Chad, is now seen as “more in charge”, said the source.

Yan St-Pierre, counter-terrorism advisor and head of the Modern Security Consulting Group, said Shekau’s removal would only have a “limited” effect internally and on operations.

“Most terrorist organisations always have a ‘next man up’ planned because leadership could be lost at any time,” he said in emailed comments.

“The myth of Shekau” could also remain as a “galvanising factor” for Boko Haram fighters, he added.

The security source suggested the removal of Shekau “could signal the mending of fences between the two factions”.

“Shekau has been the major wedge to reconciliation between the factions and if he resigns, the prospect of a truce and merger between the factions is high,” he added.

Ryan Cummings, Africa security analyst at the Signal Risk group, agreed the two sides could move closer but also suggested it could trigger a power struggle in the high command.

That “could trigger further violent factionalism”, he added

The Lagos State Government has commiserated with families of victims of the fatal tanker explosion which occurred on Thursday evening on Otedola Bridge, inward Ojodu Berger area of the State.

The incident, which occurred at about 5.30 P.M. left scores of vehicles burnt while some lives were lost.

The Government, in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan, described the incident as a sad development, saying that the incident was most unfortunate and regrettable.

“On behalf of the Lagos State Government, we extend our deepest commiseration to the families of persons who lost their lives as well as properties to the incident. Our thoughts and prayers are with them in this time of pain and grief.

“As a government, we would not relent in putting measures in place to ensure safety of lives and property of all residents,” Bamigbetan said.

The Commissioner said that Governor Ambode has directed all relevant agencies to move into the area to normalise the apprehension that had taken over the area and to also ensure that those in need are adequately taken care of.

The governor assured that clearing of the highway of damaged vehicles to establish normal traffic flow would continue throughout the night until the objective is achieved.

He called for the co-operation of all citizens with the officials of the agencies to restore the situation to normalcy.

He also urged motorists to continue to adhere to the safety standard and the State Traffic Laws so as to prevent a re-occurrence of such incidents.

Timeline:

Nine persons died in the petrol tanker fire around Otedola Bridge on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Thursday after it caught fire and spread the inferno to the vehicles behind, the Federal Road Safety Corps said.

Images of the accident which happened at the notorious Otedola Estate junction of the highway, were gory.

The FRSC also said in its update that the victims were burnt beyond recognition. There were four other serious injuries.

According to the FRSC, 54 vehicles were burnt. There were 45 cars caught in the inferno, along with five buses, two trucks, inec tricycle and the tanker itself .

The accident, outward Lagos, happened around 5.30pm yesterday.

According to Bisi Kazeem, spokesman of the FRSC, the cause of accident was break failure suffered by the petrol laden tanker.

A Joint rescue operation involving FRSC, LASEMA, NPF, RRS, NSCDC, Lagos State Fire service, LASTMA was mounted promptly within 10 minutes of the accident.

French cement giant Lafarge was charged Thursday with complicity in crimes against humanity and financing a terrorist organisation for paying millions to jihadist groups, including the Islamic State, to keep a factory in Syria open during the war.

A legal source said the company, which paid the armed groups through middlemen, has also been charged with endangering the lives of former employees at the cement plant in Jalabiya, northern Syria.

French rights group Sherpa, one of the plaintiffs in the case, said it was the first time that a company anywhere in the world had been charged with complicity in crimes against humanity.

The allegations against Lafarge, which merged with Swiss firm Holcim in 2015, are the most serious against a French company in years.

Lafarge was ordered to hand over 30 million euros ($35 million) to authorities as a security deposit ahead of the trial.

Eight Lafarge executives, including former CEO Bruno Laffont, have already been charged with financing a terrorist group and/or endangering the lives of others over Lafarge’s activities in Syria between 2011 and 2015.

Lafarge is suspected of paying nearly 13 million euros ($16 million) to IS and other militant groups to keep the Jalabiya plant running long after other French companies had pulled out of Syria.

Sherpa hailed the decision to charge the company, saying it was “a decisive step in the fight against the impunity of multinationals operating in armed conflict zones”.