The Nigerian Army said it had neutrialised 14 Boko Haram insurgents and rescued 21 hostages in Pulka village in Gwoza Local Government area of Borno.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the insurgents had on Tuesday, ambushed military escort at Amdaga area in Pulka and burnt one passenger vehicle as well as abducted some travelers.

Brig.-Gen. Texas Chukwu,Director of Army Public Relations, who disclosed this in a statement in Maiduguri on Friday said the terrorists were alleged to have haboured the insurgents that ambushed the civilian vehicle.

The troops have nutrialised 14 Boko Haram and rescued 21 civilians, comprising six women and 11 children.

Troops of 192 Battalion of 26 Task Force Brigade of Operation LAFIYA DOLE, in conjunction with Civilian Joint Task Force, neutralised the insurgents on Thursday.

The troops engagedand subdued the terrorists, following a superior fire power of troops in the village.

Four men injured during the attack are being attended to at the military hospital, he said.

Source: NAN

A study has shown that a massive wind and solar installation in the Sahara Desert and neighbouring Sahel would increase local temperature, precipitation and vegetation, thus benefiting the region.

According to its lead author Li Yan, a postdoctoral researcher in natural resources and environmental sciences at the University of Illinois, thestudy is among the first to model the climate effects of wind and solar installations while taking into account how vegetation responds to changes in heat and precipitation.

Wind and solar farms are known to have local effects on heat, humidity and other factors that may be either beneficial or detrimental to the regions in which they are situated.

The wind and solar farms simulated in the study would cover more than nine million square kilometers and generate, on average, about three terawatts and 79 terawatts of electrical power, respectively.

In 2017, the global energy demand was only 18 terawatts, so this is obviously much more energy than is currently needed worldwide, Li said.

The model revealed that wind farms caused regional warming of near-surface air temperature, with greater changes in minimum temperatures than maximum temperatures.

The greater nighttime warming takes place because wind turbines can enhance the vertical mixing and bring down warmer air from above, according to the study.

Precipitation also increased as much as 0.25 millimeters per day on average in regions with wind farm installations.

This was a doubling of precipitation over that seen in the control experiments, Li said.

In the Sahel, average rainfall increased 1.12 millimeters per day where wind farms were present.

This increase in precipitation, in turn, leads to an increase in vegetation cover, creating a positive feedback loop, said Li.

Solar farms have a similar positive effect on temperature and precipitation, but unlike the wind farms, the solar arrays have very little effect on wind speed.

The rainfall increase is a consequence of complex land-atmosphere interactions that occur because solar panels and wind turbines create rougher and darker land surfaces, said the papers co-author Eugenia Kalnay from University of Maryland.

The increase in rainfall and vegetation, combined with clean electricity as a result of solar and wind energy, could help agriculture, economic development and social well-being in the Sahara, Sahel, Middle East and other nearby regions, according to the study.

Source: NAN

China sent a new marine satellite into orbit on Friday to help improve understanding of maritime waters and climate change.

A Long March-2C rocket carrying the HY-1C satellite took off at 11:15 a.m. from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre in north Chinas Shanxi Province.

The satellite HY-1C will help monitor ocean color and water temperatures, providing basic data for research on the global oceanic environment, according to the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence.

Its data will also be used in the survey of the resources and environment of Chinas offshore waters, islands and coastal zones, marine disaster relief and sustainable utilisation of ocean resources, said the administration.

With a design life of five years, the satellite was developed by China Spacesat Co., Ltd. under the China Academy of Space Technology.

Fridays launch was the 284th of the Long March rocket series.

Source: NAN

British Airways will pay compensation to customers whose data was stolen in a sophisticated and malicious hacking attack, its boss said Friday.

The carrier had revealed overnight that the personal and financial details of customers making bookings on the BA website and mobile phone app between August 21 and September 5 had been stolen.

We are 100 percent committed to compensate them, BA chief executive Alex Cruz told BBC radio.

We will compensate them for any financial hardship that they may have suffered.

BA has launched an urgent investigation into the data breach which involved 380,000 bank cards.

The stolen data comprised customer names, postal addresses, email addresses and credit card information.

The 15-day hack did not involve travel or passport details and the breach has now been fixed.

BA took out full-page adverts in the UK newspapers on Friday to apologise, while shares in parent group IAG slid three percent in early morning London deals.

Were extremely sorry for what has happened, Cruz said Friday.

There was a very sophisticated, malicious, criminal attack on our website.

He added that the company first became aware that something had happened on Wednesday evening.

The moment we found out that actual customer data had been compromised, thats when we began an all out immediate communication to our customers. That was our priority.

Police and relevant authorities have meanwhile been notified.

The National Crime Agency said it was assessing the matter, while the Information Commissioners Office added it would also be making enquiries.

Anyone who believes that they may have been affected is advised by BA to contact their bank or credit card provider and follow their recommendations.

The airline added that customers due to travel could check in online as normal.

IAG also owns Spanish carriers Iberia and Vueling, as well as Irish airline Aer Lingus.

Source: NAN

Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona, a 1986 World Cup winner, has been appointed coach of Mexican second division team Dorados, the club said on its website on Thursday.

The club issued a short video on their social media channels with the messages Welcome Diego, and Make it a 10, the Argentina greats shirt number as a player.

Although Dorados, who are based in Sinaloa state in northwest Mexico, gave no further details, Mexican newspapers said Maradona had been hired to replace Francisco Gamez.

Dorados fired Gamez earlier on Thursday after a poor start to the season that brought three points out of a possible 15. They are 13th in the 15-team league, joint bottom of the table.

The 57-year-old former Barcelona and Napoli forward is considered one of the greatest players of all time after a career that peaked in 1986 when he captained Argentina to their second and last World Cup title.

But drug-addiction, overeating and alcoholism put a sharp end to an otherwise glorious career and in 2000 he nearly died following a cocaine overdose.

Maradona previously had short stints coaching clubs in Argentina and the United Arab Emirates but his longest spell in charge was with Argentina, who he led at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

He will be presented by Dorados this weekend and will debut as coach on Sept. 15 when the club faces Cafetaleros de Tapachula.

Source: NAN

Mr. Taminu Turaki, one of the numerous presidential aspirants of the opposition PDP, and Benue Governor Samuel Ortom have submitted their nomination and expression of interest forms for the general elections.

Turaki, a former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs, who submitted the completed forms on Wednesday explained that all the aspirants agreed to support whoever emerges as the partys candidate in 2019 presidential election.

He said that the aspirants were motivated by the assurances of the party leaders to conduct credible primaries.

Turaki, represented by the spokesman of his campaign organisation, Mr. Sola Atere, said he would not step down for anybody but would support anyone that emerges as PDP candidate.

He also dismissed insinuation that Turaki was fronting for somebody, and noted that he would not do such a thing given his pedigree.

It is just impossible for Turaki to step down. He is a man of honour once he has set out for a task he accomplishes it.

The question of fronting for anybody does not arise, if he fronting for anybody the person would be paying the bills. He cannot change from his good ways.

We have been to 32 states and the reception has been very good and excellent.

The Special Adviser to the Benue State governor on Special Duties, Mr Abraham Kwanghngu, who also submitted forms for Governor Samuel Ortom, said that the governor was ready to go into the partys primary.

Kwanghngu said that the PDP Constitution did not give room for automatic ticket.

He added that though the Ortom, as a sitting governor, has the first right of refusal, he was ready to go into contest with any other person that wants to go in.

We are going to participate in the primaries and I can assure you that the governor will be sure of victory. So we are not even thinking that we shall get automatic ticket.

The party belongs to all, it doesnt belong to anybody or any group of individuals that can stop somebody from entering the party.

The doors of the party are always wide open and decisions to enter the party are taken by individuals.

The governor decided, after full consultations with people of Benue state and the leadership of PDP, both at the state level and at the national level, agreed that he comes back to PDP, Kwanghngu

A governorship aspirant from Oyo State, Seyi Makinde who also submitted his form said that the defection of some politicians from the PDP in Oyo state including former governor Rasheed Ladoja, would not affect his sure victory in 2019.

We wont say that the exit of anybody, even if it is a single individual wont have an impact because this is a game of number.

But if you look at the people that came into the party when we all came back to the home we jointly built with other people, you will notice that when Sen. Rasheed Ladoja and others decided to leave the party, majority of the people they came with did not leave with them.

Twenty nine local government chairmen of PDP were presents today out of 33, same with the State executive 80 per cent of our state executive still intact, and these are committed members of the party.

I think that at the end of the day we gained more people by governor Ladojas decision to leave the party than when he was actually with us,Makinde said.

Another PDP governorship aspirant from Imo State, Sen. Anyanwu, said that the party had a solid structure in the state to reclaim PDP mandate lost to Governor Rochas Okorocha of the All Progressives Congress.

Source: NAN

Indias Supreme Court has legalised homosexuality and gay sex and decriminalised Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, holding out promise of a new dawn in personal liberty and sexual orientation.

The five judge-bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra delivered the much awaited verdict on Thursday, according to

Chief Justice Misra observed that, LGBT Community has same rights like any ordinary citizen. Respect for each others rights, and others are supreme humanity. Criminalising gay sex is irrational and indefensible.

No one can escape from their individualism. Society is now better for individualism. In the present case, our deliberations will be on various spectrums, CJI Misra said.

Sustenance of identity is the pyramid of life, CJI Misra added.

No one can escape from their individualism. Society is now better for individualism.Indias chief justice

Indias Supreme Court had in 2013 restored Section 377, a British-era law that bans gay sex. It had overturned a landmark judgement by the Delhi High court in 2009 which had ruled that consenting intercourse between two adults was not illegal.

The position of the court then was that overturning the outdated law was the job of Parliament, which can decide on scrapping laws.

Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code bans carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal.

Gay sex is punishable by up to 10 years in jail under the 1861 law. Prosecution under Section 377 is, however, not common, but activists complain that authorities use the law to harass or scare gay people.

After the 2013 verdict, five high-profile petitioners Bharatnatyam dancer Navtej Johar, documentary filmmaker Sunil Mehra, restaurateur Ritu Dalmia, hotelier and historian Aman Nath and business executive Ayesha Kapur challenged it and became the human faces of this battle.

Before their entry, the battle was fought since the early nineties by NGOs, the Naaz Foundation being one of them.

While reserving the verdict on July 17 this year, Misra and Justices R F Nariman, A M Khanwilkar, D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra brushed aside as far-fetched the arguments from opponents of decriminalisation of Section 377 that it could also legalise incest, group sex and sodomy.

The top court had also said, no one should have to live in fear because of their sexuality.

The five petitioners had argued that Section 377 violates rights principles enshrined in the constitution, like equality before law, no discrimination based on religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth and freedom of speech and expression.

Source: NAN

By Yakubu Uba

A mentally sick lawyer, Ibrahim Waley, on Thursday caused a stir during sitting at a Yola High Court when he joined his colleagues (lawyers) at the front row while clad in traditional dress as against the formal gown and wig.

A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Correspondent at the court reports that Waley, who arrived the jam-packed court hall while judgement was being delivered, took his seat at the wrong place, to the surprise of those in court.

As at the time of his arrival, judgement was being delivered on a suit filed by some aggrieved All Progressives Congress (APC) members seeking the nullification of the recent congresses conducted by the party in the state.

Looking confident that he was in the midst of his colleagues, Waley rebuffedentreaties by a journalist who offered him alternative seat, insisting that as a lawyer, he must sit in the front row like other lawyers.

Attracted by his noise, a court staff approach and pleaded with him to accept the offer of the journalist, but he declined..

Attempt to convince Ibrahim to sit on other alternative seats, or move out of court room since all the front seats were occupied by lawyers, resulted in a heated argument, making Justice Abdul-Azeez Waziri to suspend reading his judgement briefly, calling for order.

After being forced out of the court, Ibrahim continued to protest what he described as an infringement on his right to sit in the front row.

A judicial staff who spoke on condition of anonymity, told NAN that Waley was, before his mental problem, a known lawyer and politician.

Source: NAN

The Inspector- General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, has approved the dismissal of three of the four policemen who carried out illegal search in Chief Edwin Clarks residence in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that four policemen, on Sept. 4, illegally carried out search in the Abuja residence of Clark.

The officers are: AP/No.18858, Insp. Godwin Musa, AP/No. 225812 Insp. Sada Abubakar and AP/No. 225828 Insp. Yabo Paul.

A statement by the force spokesman, acting DCP Jimoh Moshood on Thursday in Abuja, said that AP/No. 158460 ASP David Domnic was placed on interdiction, pending the decision of the Police Service Commission.

Moshood said that Dominic was queried and is being investigated for discreditable conduct, negligence of duty and an act unbecoming of a Police officer.

He said that the the offences against the officer were serious and dismissal from service was inevitable.

The spokesman said that the dismissal of Paul, Abubakar and Musa was upheld after they were tried under Oath in Orderly Room for discreditable conduct.

Moshood said the dismissed officers were also tried for Illegal duty, disobedience to Lawful Order and other misconduct, contrary to the Rule of Law.

He said that the suspect/ Informant, Ismail Yakubu, had been charged to the Upper Area Court Mpape, Abuja for giving false information and telling falsehood that misled Police action.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), also report that the police has apologised to Clark over the unauthorised search of his residence by the four policemen.(NAN)

Source: NAN

President Muhammadu Buhari has received assurances from the Joint Venture Partners assigned to construct the 3050 Megawatts Mambilla Hydro-electric Power Plant, that all processes leading to the start of work would soon be completed to pave way for the commencement of the project early next year.

At a meeting Thursday in Beijing with Professor Lyu Ze Xiang, the President of CGCC, the construction company, President Buhari asked to be briefed on time lines for the commencement of work, following his highly successful meeting with the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping.

The Nigerian President, who likened the Mambilla to Chinas Three Gorges Dam, said given the significance of the project to Nigerias socio-economic development, there was a need for its speedy completion.

I am very pleased with the concern you have shown for the significance of this project, he told the head of the construction giant, adding, I would like you to ensure its speedy completion.

Xiang informed President Buhari that Nigerian officials and the project consultant would meet in two weeks to address the questions raised by President Xi for more detailed and updated feasibility and sustainability studies. He said a team had already been set up to work on the financing aspect.

We fully understand the importance of this project to the economic and social wellbeing of Nigeria. In two weeks, we will sit down with the parties for the economic and sustainability analysis. It would take about four weeks to conclude the update, he assured.

According to the lead contractor, pre-commencement work, would thereafter begin, dealing with access to site and putting in place the necessary support infrastructure such as power, water and transportation.

Our target is to commence the project early next year, he told President Buhari shortly before the Nigerian leaders departure at the conclusion of his six-day official trip to China

Source: NAN