Why are so many young French people turning to jihad?

The scrapbook is filled with photographs and tributes: they
show Dominique Bons' son Nicolas growing from a teenager into a
young man.
Offering brief glimpses of past holidays and family moments, clues to
his passions and personality, the book is one of Bons' few souvenirs of
her son's short life.
Nicolas, from Toulouse, converted to Islam four years ago, gradually
becoming more and more devout.
Bons, who is a former French soldier, says Nicolas had never spoken
to her about wanting to join a religious war, but last year the 30-year-
old announced he and his half-brother were going on vacation together.
Three weeks later he called to say they were in Syria -- two of the
more than 900 French citizens the government believes are involved in
the jihad there and in Iraq.
Within days, his half-brother was killed, and shortly
afterward he spoke to his mother for the last time,
telling her she would be notified if anything happened
to him.
In late December, Bons received a text message
explaining that Nicolas has been killed in "an
explosives operation" -- that's all she knows.
"The body? There is no body... I don't have a body,"
she says. "If he was killed in a truck filled with
explosives, the body... boom!"
Because no body has been recovered, there is also no
death certificate, meaning that --officially at least, in
France -- Nicolas is still alive.
For his mother, he always will be. In her grief, she
has written a poem -- added to the treasured
scrapbook -- telling her son: "You will exist in my
heart eternally. I love you."
Unlike Bons, one anonymous French bus driver knows
his daughter is still alive in Syria -- but he is
desperately worried that may not be the case for much
longer.
The man -- who asked not to be identified out of
concern for his daughter's safety -- says the 23-
year-old converted to Islam and married a Tunisian
man before moving to Syria with the couple's two
children.
The couple said they were going there to do
humanitarian work; they are now believed to be in Raqqa, and safe --
for the moment at least -- but the city, an ISIS stronghold, is a target
of coalition forces.
And both father and daughter fear she could be arrested if she comes
back to France.
He has a warning for other parents: "Pay attention... it could happen to
you before you even know it."
David Thomson, author of "The French Jihadists," believes there are
many reasons why so many French Muslims are becoming radicalized
and heading to Iraq and Syria to join militant groups.
"Religious frustrations, material frustrations, perhaps a feeling that it
would be a sin to stay back in France, a desire to experience this
historic moment and die fighting the coalition," he explains.
Concerned at the growing threat of radicalization, French authorities
have introduced new regulations in an effort to stem the tide of citizens
traveling to the Middle East to join the fight.
"We had to change our rules in different ways,"
Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius explained to CNN's
Christiane Amanpour recently.
"First we decided that the government, the
administration, would be able to suspend not only
passports but also ID for people whose intention is to
go to Syria."
The second step is to encourage families concerned at
the path their children appear to be taking to contact
the authorities and report their fears.
"Because we have many cases where families do not
agree with the youngster and at the moment they are
aware that the young people want to leave and therefore
they have to get in touch with us in order to have a
reaction," he said.
"We have to be very, very strict and to explain to these
young people, especially the young girls -- 13, 14
years old -- that if they are going there, some of them
think that it will be a new life, [but] in fact they are
prostitutes, they are sexual slaves.
"The young people are utilized and many of them are
killed."
Fouad El Bathy has spent the past nine months trying
to bring his teenage sister safely home from Syria
before it is too late.
Nora, 16, was recruited and given a plane ticket to join
the fight in Syria, according to French intelligence.
Fouad is convinced she is being held against her will, and took the
risky step of trying to find her and get her back -- he was even taken
captive at one point.
But when he finally tracked her down, he couldn't convince her to leave.
"I told her to come back with me but she cried and beat her head
against the wall and she said I can't I can't."
Later he was told the leader of the group wanted to marry her.
Since Nora is a minor, El Bathy's lawyer hopes that if she does make
it back he can persuade French officials to treat her as a victim not a
combatant.
Like El Bathy and Bons, the relatives of many of those caught up in the
jihadists' web say they feel powerless to protect their children and
siblings.
Bons The scrapbook is filled with photographs and tributes: they
show Dominique Bons' son Nicolas growing from a teenager into a
young man.
Offering brief glimpses of past holidays and family moments, clues to
his passions and personality, the book is one of Bons' few souvenirs of
her son's short life.
Nicolas, from Toulouse, converted to Islam four years ago, gradually
becoming more and more devout.
Bons, who is a former French soldier, says Nicolas had never spoken
to her about wanting to join a religious war, but last year the 30-year-
old announced he and his half-brother were going on vacation together.
Three weeks later he called to say they were in Syria -- two of the
more than 900 French citizens the government believes are involved in
the jihad there and in Iraq.
Within days, his half-brother was killed, and shortly
afterward he spoke to his mother for the last time,
telling her she would be notified if anything happened
to him.
In late December, Bons received a text message
explaining that Nicolas has been killed in "an
explosives operation" -- that's all she knows.
"The body? There is no body... I don't have a body,"
she says. "If he was killed in a truck filled with
explosives, the body... boom!"
Because no body has been recovered, there is also no
death certificate, meaning that --officially at least, in
France -- Nicolas is still alive.
For his mother, he always will be. In her grief, she
has written a poem -- added to the treasured
scrapbook -- telling her son: "You will exist in my
heart eternally. I love you."
Unlike Bons, one anonymous French bus driver knows
his daughter is still alive in Syria -- but he is
desperately worried that may not be the case for much
longer.
The man -- who asked not to be identified out of
concern for his daughter's safety -- says the 23-
year-old converted to Islam and married a Tunisian
man before moving to Syria with the couple's two
children.
The couple said they were going there to do
humanitarian work; they are now believed to be in Raqqa, and safe --
for the moment at least -- but the city, an ISIS stronghold, is a target
of coalition forces.
And both father and daughter fear she could be arrested if she comes
back to France.
He has a warning for other parents: "Pay attention... it could happen to
you before you even know it."
David Thomson, author of "The French Jihadists," believes there are
many reasons why so many French Muslims are becoming radicalized
and heading to Iraq and Syria to join militant groups.
"Religious frustrations, material frustrations, perhaps a feeling that it
would be a sin to stay back in France, a desire to experience this
historic moment and die fighting the coalition," he explains.
Concerned at the growing threat of radicalization, French authorities
have introduced new regulations in an effort to stem the tide of citizens
traveling to the Middle East to join the fight.
"We had to change our rules in different ways,"
Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius explained to CNN's
Christiane Amanpour recently.
"First we decided that the government, the
administration, would be able to suspend not only
passports but also ID for people whose intention is to
go to Syria."
The second step is to encourage families concerned at
the path their children appear to be taking to contact
the authorities and report their fears.
"Because we have many cases where families do not
agree with the youngster and at the moment they are
aware that the young people want to leave and therefore
they have to get in touch with us in order to have a
reaction," he said.
"We have to be very, very strict and to explain to these
young people, especially the young girls -- 13, 14
years old -- that if they are going there, some of them
think that it will be a new life, [but] in fact they are
prostitutes, they are sexual slaves.
"The young people are utilized and many of them are
killed."
Fouad El Bathy has spent the past nine months trying
to bring his teenage sister safely home from Syria
before it is too late.
Nora, 16, was recruited and given a plane ticket to join
the fight in Syria, according to French intelligence.
Fouad is convinced she is being held against her will, and took the
risky step of trying to find her and get her back -- he was even taken
captive at one point.
But when he finally tracked her down, he couldn't convince her to leave.
"I told her to come back with me but she cried and beat her head
against the wall and she said I can't I can't."
Later he was told the leader of the group wanted to marry her.
Since Nora is a minor, El Bathy's lawyer hopes that if she does make
it back he can persuade French officials to treat her as a victim not a
combatant.
Like El Bathy and Bons, the relatives of many of those caught up in the
jihadists' web say they feel powerless to protect their children and
siblings.
Bons has set up an organization aimed at publicizing what has
happened to some of those who have made the trip to Iraq and Syria.
She hopes that by spreading the news through schools and social
media, she can convince others of the dangers posed by Islamist
extremists -- though for her son, it is too late. set up an organization aimed at publicizing what has
happened to some of those who have made the trip to Iraq and Syria.
She hopes that by spreading the news through schools and social
media, she can convince others of the dangers posed by Islamist
extremists -- though for her son, it is too late.

WWF: World has lost more than half its wildlife in 40 years

The world's animal population has halved in
40 years as humans put unsustainable demands on Earth, a new report
warns.
The World Wide Fund for Nature's Living Planet Index, released
Tuesday, revealed the dramatic decline in animal species, and said the
trend could cost the world billions in economic losses.
Humans need one and a half Earths to sustain their current demands, it
said.
The index, which draws on research around WWF's
database of 3,000 animal species, is released every
two years. This year's has the starkest warning yet of
the risks associated with the decline of wildlife.
The fund notes that it's relying on a never-before-used
methodology in this year's report, "which aims to be
more representative of global biodiversity."
The index showed shows a 52% decline in wildlife
between 1970 and 2010, far more than earlier
estimates of 30%. It is due to people killing too many
animals for food and destroying their habitats.
"We are eating into our natural capital, making it more
difficult to sustain the needs of future generations," the
report said.
Researchers from the Zoological Society of London
looked at changes in populations of more than 3,000
species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and
fish, tracking over 10,000 different populations.
Photos: Spectacular wildlife around the world
The decline in animals living in rivers, lakes and
wetlands is the worst -- 76% of freshwater wildlife
disappeared in just 40 years. Marine species and
animals living on land suffered 39% decline in their
populations.
Animals living in tropics are the worst hit by what
WWF calls "the biggest recorded threats to our
planet's wildlife" as 63% of wildlife living in tropics
has vanished. Central and South America shows the
most dramatic regional decline, with a fall of 83%.
And while the animals are suffering now, the long-term
impact will be on people, the report said.
Marco Lambertini, director general of WWF
International, said "protecting nature is not a luxury....it
is quite the opposite. For many of the world's poorest
people, it is a lifeline."
According to Lambertini, the threat to oceans could
create economic losses of up to $428 billion by 2050.
The global fishing sector employs more than 660
million people, and fish provide more than 15% of
protein in people's diet.
Global food security is under threat as the demands of
growing population drain the resources. Forests
provide water, fuel and food for more than billion people, including
350 million of the world's poorest people.

11 of the world's most amazing train stations

Whether they're blasting over the tracks in Germany or
Japan, trains offer travelers a chance to sit back and relax as they ride
through some of the world's most incredible scenery.
But often the stations the trains depart from are an attraction in their
own right, counting among the world's most beautiful pieces of
architecture.
Hamburg-based architectural data company, Emporis just released a
list of 11 of the world's most spectacular train stations.
"Increasing numbers of cities are adorning themselves
with eye-catching station buildings that, with their
unconventional roof structures, bright colors and
extravagant shapes, become unique architectural
landmarks of those cities," the report says.
MORE: Europe's most impressive metro stations
The 11 stations include the artistic Hundertwasser
Bahnhof in Germany, decorated in the style of artist
Friedensreich; futuristic Gare de Liege-Guillemins in
Belgium, with its "gigantic arched roof that spans the
entire length of the station"; and the soon-to-be-
completed World Trade Center Transportation Hub in
New York "that will set new standards in station
architecture."
The report adds that historical stations are now being
eyed for elaborate and unusual renovations.
Love traveling by train? Share your favorite photos
King's Cross in London and Gare de Strasbourg in France, for instance,
are among stations that are now part modern art and part historical
landmarks.
Meanwhile, architectural masterpieces like Grand Central Terminal in
New York and Chhaatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai are equally
as impressive today as they were when opening in 1913 and 1888,
respectively.
Check out the above gallery for Emporis' full list of spectacular train
stations.

Beyond Pistorius: rise of 'cyberathletes' could change sport as we know it

Andy Lewis' dream died when he was 16. Just out of
school, the Englishman had been accepted for an elite traineeship with
the army when he was hit by a truck, which resulted in most of his left
leg being amputated.
The available prosthetics were basic and uncomfortable, severely
restricting his movement. For over a decade, he could not run.
"The legs were too heavy and manufacturing companies didn't
understand what materials I needed," Lewis recalls.
Now 31, Lewis is fresh from winning a gold medal at the Madrid World
Paratriathlon in September. The achievement owes much to his
determination to succeed, but technology has also finally caught up with
his ambition.
Lewis won the race using an Ottobock S380 - the first above-the-
knee prosthetic leg specially made for athletes. A lightweight, shock-
absorbing frame allows for greater speed and comfort, and a flexible
knee joint provides range of movement and versatility that enables
Lewis to make rapid transitions from the pool to bike to track -- which
shaved critical seconds off his winning time.
But when we meet at his training center in Chesham,
on the outskirts of London, the champion is impatient
for further progress.
"By the Paralympics in 2016 I can envisage a lot of
new legs coming out...The knees are getting smaller,
the legs will have microprocessors, and you will be
able to press a button to change foot for the different events."
Lewis also hopes to have a 3D-printed socket to avoid some of the
bruising he suffers in competition.
To his support team at Pace Rehabilitation , the new champion is a
symbol of a revolution in prosthetics, which is transforming lives and
sporting competition.
"There have been major changes in the last two to three years," says
Pace's head prosthetist Jamie Gillespie. "It used to be that there were
only two types of running blade, but companies are now offering a
greater range for different competitions, adjusted to boost performance,
so the challenge now is to find the right blade for the right person for
the right sport."
Previous models were generally too painful for athletes with prosthetics
to run over 200 meters, but Gillespie notes that Oscar Pistorius rose
to prominence at 400 meters. As the possibilities multiply for
disabled athletes, so too does participation, competition, and standards,
which encourages manufacturers to develop ever-better equipment.
Pace's clients include numerous Paralympic athletes, and they work
with some of the most advanced new prosthetics. These include
Ottobock's new Genium X3 , widely regarded as the most advanced
prosthetic leg in the world, co-developed with the US military and
fitted with a micro-processor that adjusts for the user's stride pattern,
different types of movement from jogging to climbing stairs, and a
range of terrains.
Another client, skier Jozef Metelka, became the first European to
receive a power assisted ankle system from Biom last year, which
allows him to move faster and use less energy.
As the equipment improves, athletes with prosthetics have achieved
some startling feats, even out-performing able-bodied athletes.
Amputee long jumper Markus Rehm won the German national
championships with a jump of 8.24 meters on carbon fiber blades,
before the athletics federations controversially excluded him from their
squad, claiming he could have an unfair advantage.

Andy Murray survives five match points to break trophy drought

It's been 15 long months since he lifted a trophy and Andy
Murray certainly did it the hard way.
The Scot survived five match points against Tommy Robredo in the
Shenzhen Open final Sunday before closing out a grueling three-set
victory in two and a half hours.
Following his 2013 triumph at Wimbledon, Murray had back surgery
later that year and has struggled to match those heroics this year.
He opted to play at the inaugural even in China and
after battling to the final found himself a set down and
trailing 2-6 in the second set tiebreaker.
Showing typical fighting quality he saved the initial
four match points and another at 7-6 down, before
claiming the tiebreaker to level.
The third set was one-sided as Murray won 5-7 7-6
6-1 and moves up to 10th in the race to make the ATP
Tour Finals in London in November, with the top eight
qualifying.
"It's been a long time since I won a tournament,"
Murray told the official ATP Tour website.
"The way that the match was won doesn't happen very
often. It's rare to win a match like that. I was very
close to losing.
"It was an emotional week for me. I managed to fight
my way through it, win the title, and hopefully I can
win another one before the end of the year."
Murray will stay in China for the ATP World Tour
500 tournament in Beijing and the ATP World Tour Masters 1000
event in Shanghai, hoping to reach the finals for a seventh year in a
row.
He was claiming his 29th career title, the first since beating Novak
Djokovic in last year's Wimbledon final.
Robredo was also looking for his first title since last year and was
disappointed to lose out after having so many chances.
"In a match like today that was so close, it's tough to accept it. But
Andy did a great job. He was pushing right till the end and in the end,
he deserved it," the Spaniard added.

Rio 2016 making progress – IOC

The international Olympic Committee concluded their three day visit of
2016 host city Rio de Janeiro this week.
And according to officials preparations for the 2016 Games are
progressing as planned.
It’s a marked improvement from when the commission last visited the
city in March when concerns were raised over the country’s budget to
host the multisport event.
IOC representative Christophe Dubi said: “I just wanted to make sure
that there is no specific concern, something that keeps us awake at
night. However, we are in that critical phase and a lot will have to be
done. And it was the same for every previous organizing committee.”
There is less than two years to go until Rio de Janeiro becomes the
first South American city to host the games.
The committee will continue to keep a close eye on the progress and
are set to return to the host city for its eighth visit in February 2015.

NanoKnife: cutting- edge cancer treatment on trial

Some cancerous tumours are too difficult or too dangerous to access
using traditional surgery without damaging other major organs or blood
vessels.
The pioneering NanoKnife procedure is being used in a number of
hospitals around the world on cancer patients who have run out of other
treatment options.
Though it is not a cure, doctors claim this minimally invasive form of
surgery may be the only lifeline available to patients suffering from
soft tissue sarcoma like pancreatic cancer.
“Between the two needles there’s a very high voltage being applied –
up to 3000 volts – and when you apply such a huge voltage, what
happens is it destabilises the cells, the cell membrane, and it creates
nano holes inside the cell membrane, so it is literally creating holes
inside the lining covering the cells,” says Doctor Edward Leen, who is
pioneering the treatment on prostate cancer patients at The Princess
Grace Hospital in London.
The electrical pulses are contained between the electrodes, minimizing
damage to surrounding healthy cell tissue, blood vessels and other
important structures.
“With these holes appearing in the cell membrane what happens is that
the cell basically just like commits suicide. They die because, it’s a bit
like, you know if you have multiple holes in your skin, all your fluid
will just leak out, this is the same kind of scenario,” says Dr Leen.
Professor Leen says early results are under study: “The data we have
shows we can control the disease, but it’s certainly not a cure and it is,
certainly in the case of the pancreas, it would certainly be advised to
be used in combination with chemotherapy.”
While the NanoKnife treatment has the potential to prolong survival and
improve quality of life, its precise target zone means it is not suitable
for patients whose cancer has spread or for those suffering from heart
problems.

Divine photo of America's most epic church

"I was always in awe of how light and a few building materials like
concrete, glass and wood can evoke a spiritual feeling," says
Morlinghaus, who was drawn to the beauty of churches after
experiencing the "very cathedral-like feel" of Eero Saarinen's Terminal
5 at JFK.
The structures he documented are full of vaulted ceilings, soaring
cantilevers and manipulated light, all of which are meant to enrapture
believers.
But Morlinghaus, who describes himself as agnostic, says he's not
trying to sell anyone on the merits of religion.
He simply wants to provide reverent and referential descriptions of the
buildings.

Ebola outbreak nears end in Nigeria

The Ebola outbreak in Nigeria is almost over, after an ordeal that
began in July when a sick man with US-Liberian citizenship flew
there from Liberia, US health authorities said Tuesday.
On October 2, the West African nation should be able to announce a
formal end to its outbreak, which was far smaller than in nearby
Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, the US Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention said in a statement.
"There have been no new cases since August 31," said the CDC of
the situation in Nigeria.
The virus's incubation period is 21 days, and after two of these
periods have passed without any new cases, officials can declare an
outbreak over.
"The last three patient contacts will exit their 21-day follow-up on
October 2 strongly suggesting the outbreak in Nigeria has been
contained."
The outbreak in Nigeria began July 20 when Patrick Sawyer, a dual
US-Liberian citizen, boarded a plane to Lagos, a densely populated
city of 21 million people.
Ebola is spread through close contact with the bodily fluids of an
infected person. The illness causes diarrhea, vomiting, fever and fatal
bleeding in some cases.
"By the time it was recognized that the patient carried the Ebola
virus, he had exposed 72 people on commercial aircraft, at the
airport, and at the hospital," the CDC said.
Eight people died of Ebola in Nigeria out of 20 confirmed cases,
according to the World Health Organization. The Nigerian government
has said seven people died and 19 were infected.
The US agency credited Nigerian authorities with taking quick actions
to isolate patients and set up an incident management center for a
coordinated response.
"Although Nigeria isn't completely out of the woods, their extensive
response to a single case of Ebola shows that control is possible with
rapid, focused interventions," said CDC Director Tom Frieden.
Speaking last week at the UN General Assembly in New York,
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan said prematurely, according to
medical experts that his nation was free of the deadly Ebola virus.
"We can confidently say that today Nigeria is Ebola free," Jonathan
told the largest diplomatic gathering in the world on September 24.
The death toll from the world's worst Ebola epidemic has claimed
3,091 lives in five West African countries out of 6,574 infected,
according to the WHO.

7 Simple Ways to Get Slim Naturally

Looking for ways to get slim naturally? If you want to lose weight, but
don’t want to take diet pills or follow some ridiculous diet (cabbage,
anyone?), you need to learn how people can get slim naturally, without
much effort.
If you have to spend too much time to lose weight, you’re likely to give
up and go back to your regular habits because they are easier. The key
to losing weight and keeping it off is to learn the little tricks that make
losing weight easy. Take a look at these seven simple ways to get slim
naturally (say that 10 times fast!):
1. Eat five times a day, starting with breakfast.
Many people try to skip breakfast, thinking that they are saving
themselves some calories. This rarely works — they end up overeating
at other times of the day. In the morning, your body has gone without
food for several hours while you were sleeping. It needs that energy to
get started. By eating five small meals each day, starting with
breakfast, you’ll stoke the fires of your metabolism, making it easier to
lose weight.
See: Calories Per Meal Calculator
2. Drink more water. Surprisingly, many people reach for food
when their body is actually thirsty. Water also helps your body to flush
things out, helping you get slim. Drink at least 8 bottles of water per
day and try to drink more if you are particularly active or it is a hot
day. This will keep you hydrated.
See: 7 Reasons To Give Water the Respect It Deserves
3. Grab a piece of fruit. Before you leave your house, be
sure to take an apple or banana with you. When you’re out and about,
you may not have access to healthy snacks when you get hungry. This
could lead you straight to the drive-through. However, if you have a
piece of fruit with you, you’ll have something to hold you over until you
get home.
4. Eat slowly and stop eating before you feel full.
Your brain can take up to 20 minutes to realize that your stomach is
full. Because of this, you should make sure to stop eating before you
eat too much. It helps if you eat slowly instead of scarfing down a full
meal in 5 minutes.
See: You Need to Slow Down to Lose Weight
5. Watch your portion sizes. Eating too much can
negatively affect your plans to lose weight. When you don’t watch how
much you eat, you’ll gain weight instead of losing it. People that stay
naturally slim eat smaller portions.
6. Don’t drink your calories. Whether your poison is energy
drinks, lattes, sugary sodas, or even juice, beverages can contain a lot
of calories and they don’t make you full. Swap these out for low- or
no-calorie beverages and you’ll get slim naturally.
See: How Liquid Calories May Be Making You Fat
7. Eat cake. Or chocolate. Or potato chips. Whatever “bad” snack
is your favorite, it’s OK to eat it sometimes, in normal sized portions.
Naturally slim people allow themselves a few indulgences because they
know that this tends to prevent the overindulging that occurs when you
deprive yourself.
By using the about ways to get slim naturally, you’ll be well on your
way to losing weight in a healthy way!

Three Surprising Tips for an Easier Labor

Preparing for childbirth doesn’t just mean hiring a doula and
packing your hospital bag; it also means getting ready for what
might be the most challenging physical task you’ve ever faced.
Improve your odds of having an easier, shorter labor by
incorporating these healthy habits during your third trimester:
Eat Dates
Women who ate dates daily during their ninth months were less
likely than non-date eaters to need medication to start labor or to
help it keep progressing, a new study published in the Journal
of Obstetrics and Gynaecology found. They were also
more dilated upon arrival at the hospital and labored seven hours
less. “Dates seem to have a compound that mimics the hormone
oxytocin [which causes contractions],” says Academy of Nutrition
and Dietetics spokeswoman Melinda Johnson, M.s., R.d. Enjoy six
dates daily for best results. Recipe idea: Mango-Date Muesli with
Almonds.
Sleep More
Women who slept fewer than six hours during the last month of
pregnancy labored for 11 hours longer and had Cesarean sections
four times more frequently than women who slept seven hours or
more, according to a study published in the American
Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. To get
comfortable, use body pillows, sleep in a recliner or kick your
partner out of bed, suggests Jodi Mindell, Ph.D., author of Sleep
Deprived No More: From Pregnancy to Early
Motherhood (Da Capo Press). For more tips on helping you
get the sleep you need in your third trimester go to
fitpregnancy.com/sleepguide .
Strengthen Your Legs
Upright positions allow gravity to help move the baby along, which
may shorten labor by an hour, an Australian study found. To stay
vertical, you’ll need strong legs. “The most important exercise for
childbirth is squatting,” says prenatal-exercise specialist Erin
O’Brien, creator of The Complete Pregnancy Fitness
DVD (acacia). Practice your squat by placing an exercise ball
between your lower back and a wall. Walk your feet out as far as
you can, rotate your toes and hips outward, then do three sets of 15
squats. For a detail photo explaining squatting go to
fitpregnancy.com/laborpositions .

11 urban resorts that will make you forget you're in the city

You're in town for business and have a few hours
between meetings.
Not long enough to head out sightseeing, but too long to swipe aimlessly
at your iPad in the lobby.
Luckily, some of the world's best city hotels offer the kind of leisure
facilities that let you fool yourself into thinking you're kicking back at a
resort -- at least until your reminder app tells you otherwise.
1. Palacio Duhau -- Park Hyatt (Buenos Aires)
Just 15 minutes from the central business district, this gorgeous hotel
was once the palace of the aristocratic Duhau family.
Built in 1934, more than half the Palacio Duhau's land is dedicated to
a cascading garden, where you can slow down and smell the roses
(literally).
To aid procrastination on that report, there's an indoor pool -- heated to
a constant 28 degrees Celsius (82.4 F) -- while the hotel's Duhau
Restaurante & Vinoteca features 7,000 bottles of Argentinean wine.
For the more culturally inclined, there's the hotel's underground art
gallery.
Palacio Duhau - Park Hyatt Buenos Aires , Avenida
Alvear 1661, Buenos Aires, Argentina; +54 11
5171 1234
2. The Siam (Bangkok)
In a city notorious for its traffic, this riverside urban resort offers
guests a scenic way to commute -- via converted rice barge from the
hotel's private pier on the Chao Phraya River.
You can watch the world float by from a poolside sun lounger next to
the river, or better yet, from the private rooftop terrace of the river
view pool villa, which also comes with an internal courtyard garden and
plunge pool.
With the hotel's art deco design accents, antique collections, a Musee
d'Orsay-inspired main building and a restaurant housed in a series of
ancient teakwood houses, you'll soon forget you're in the heart of a big,
chaotic city.
The Siam , 3/2 Thanon Khao, Vachirapayabal,
Dusit, Bangkok; +66 2206 6999
3. Hotel Molitor (Paris)
Ever since it first opened in 1929 as a public swim and socializing
hotspot, this art deco-meets-industrial chic hotel has been synonymous
with fab pools.
On a fine summer's day, one can relax by the 46-meter outdoor pool,
enclosed by the building's high floors of rooms -- each with porthole
windows -- and imagine you're sailing the seas in a luxury cruise
liner.
There's also a glass-roofed 33-meter-long indoor pool.
Its pools are so legendary that the main character of "The Life of
Pi" (full name Piscine Molitor "Pi" Patel) was named after the place.
A rooftop garden terrace overlooks another Parisian icon, the Eiffel
Tower.
Hotel Molitor , 13 Rue Nungesser et Coli, Paris;
+33 1 5607 0850
4. The Castle Hotel (Dalian, China)
Who would've guessed there's a mountaintop Bavarian getaway just 15
minutes from the CBD of this major Chinese metropolis?
Inspired by Neuschwanstein Castle, once home to Germany's King
Ludwig II, the Luxury Collection hotel was originally built in 2002 to
house a museum.
Everything about the place is over-the-top.
Statues of Greek gods pepper the magnificent gardens, an extravagant
marble lobby features a grand double staircase and opulent
chandeliers.
The Yellow Sea views are best enjoyed from the Royal Cellar pub with
a frothy pint, or from the 4,850 square foot (450 square meter)
indoor heated pool.
The Castle Hotel , 600 Binhai W. Road, Shahekou
District, Dalian, Liaoning, China; +86 411 8656
0000
5. The Houstonian Hotel (Houston, Texas)
Proving that everything is big in Texas, guests of The Houstonian Hotel
enjoy unlimited access to a sprawling 175,000 square foot fitness
club, touted as one of the nation's best, and a 17,000 square foot spa.
The hotel is set amongst 18 acres of wooded landscape and has three
outdoor pools.
To make your boss question if you even bothered to get any work done,
Instagram a photo of the Resort Pool, complete with waterfalls and a
slide, or the tranquil Garden Pool, set amongst beautiful landscaping.
The hotel is so relaxing that U.S. former President George Bush Sr. and
his wife Barbara made it their official voting residence for more than
10 years.
The Houstonian Hotel , 111 N. Post Oak Lane,
Houston, Texas; +1 713 680 2626
6. Hotel Santa Teresa (Rio de Janeiro)
Business travelers looking for an alternative base might be tempted to
make a beeline to the sexy shores of Copacabana or Ipanema, but for
another side of Rio, there's the winding pebbled streets and bohemian
neighborhood of Santa Teresa.
The boutique Hotel Santa Teresa was once a colonial coffee ranch. It's
since been transformed into a tropical chic property with 40 rooms
and suites.
This one's a bit far from Rio's Centro business district -- 40 minutes
by car -- but worth the extra commute time.
For the most stunning views in Rio, we recommend heading for the
outdoor pool during sunset, which overlooks Santa Teresa Hill, Centro
and down to Guanabara Bay.
Caiprinihas optional but highly recommended.
Hotel Santa Teresa , Rua Almirante Alexandrino,
660, Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro; +55 21 3380
0200
7. The Berkeley (London)
Granted, London's weather might not be ideal for al fresco poolside
lounging -- hence the prevalence of subterranean pools -- but on
beautiful summer days, nothing beats lounging by the only rooftop hotel
pool in the city at The Berkeley.
At 10 by 5 meters, it's not the largest, but the views over
Knightsbridge and Hyde Park make up for it.
A selection of poolside light bites and drinks will be enough to tide you
over while you top up your tan before your business lunch at the two-
Michelin starred Marcus downstairs.
The Berkeley , Wilton Place, Knightsbridge, London;
+44 20 7235 6000
8. The Ritz-Carlton (Singapore)
Situated steps from Marina Bay, this hotel features a 25-meter
outdoor pool surrounded by enough tropical foliage that you'd never
know you were in the heart of the lion city.
If you'd rather indulge in watery pleasures in the privacy of your own
room, there's the butler-drawn bath -- treatments complete with
accompaniments (Champagne, strawberries and roses for one, Cohiba
cigars and Cognac for another).
Marble bathrooms in the bay view rooms overlook the iconic Marina
Bay Sands, the Singapore Flyer ferris wheel and city skyline through
exhibitionist-friendly windows.
The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, 7 Raffles
Ave., Singapore; +65 6337 8888
9. W Santiago (Santiago)
Following the fashionable formula of designer hotels with heavy tints of
cool, W Santiago pops with colors and design quirks that will snap you
out of suited-and-booted work mode in no time.
You can't escape the Andes, wherever you are in the city, but the
contrast of majestic snow-capped peaks and the trendy rooftop pool
area on the 21st floor -- bathed in electronic lounge music and shrink-
wrapped within the city/mountain panorama -- is as sweet as a year-
end bonus.
To include the LED-lit infinity pool in your sights, the so-cool rooftop
bar is a great place for a deserving nightcap.
W Santiago , Isidora Goyenechea 3000, Las
Condes, Santiago, Chile; +56 2 2770 0000
10. Hotel Arts Barcelona (Barcelona)
Aside from being the tallest building in the country, Hotel Arts
Barcelona is easily identifiable thanks to a Frank Gehry-designed
golden steel installation.
The outdoor pool, set amongst a palm tree-landscaped garden, sits
under the shimmering shadow of said fish statue, overlooking the Med.
The recently-launched 43 the Spa offers even better vistas from the
sauna room, plus therapies such as a technology-detox treatment to
counter the effects of smartphone appendage-itis.
Stay in one of the club rooms and you'll have use of a Smart electric
car to make that five-minute drive into the city center for meetings.
Hotel Arts Barcelona, Carrer de la Marina, 19-21,
Barcelona, Spain; +34 93 221 10 00
11. Villa Kennedy (Frankfurt, Germany)
Unusual for a city residence, this restored former banking family's
home features a verdant central courtyard (the "Villa Garden") with a
giant oak tree as its centerpiece.
Terraced suites and deluxe rooms overlook over this urban oasis, while
over at the serene 1,000 square meter Villa Spa, you can turn off your
phone and pretend you're on a luxury wellness retreat as you lounge on
the mezzanine relaxation area overlooking the 15-meter Portuguese
marble pool.
The hotel is located just 5 minutes from the city center and 10 minutes
to the airport, which makes getting back to reality a bittersweet
convenience.
Villa Kennedy, Kennedyalle 70, Frankfurt,
Germany; +49 69 7171 20

Feeling sick? Cyber doctor is just a click away

n parts of rural China, private health can be a very
public affair.
Crammed into shop front clinics on the main streets of many provincial
towns, patients can be seen paying for routine treatment -- regular
injections, intravenous drips or a consultation -- just by walking in off
the street.
The conditions are rudimentary -- often no more than rows of vinyl
benches replete with drip stands. However, catching the spillover from
China's overstrained public health system has become big business for
pharmaceutical companies and healthcare corporations.
While China is supposed to have comprehensive state-
funded health cover, the stark reality is that many
Chinese need medical insurance to make up the
shortfall in the system.
For many Chinese people, private savings for medical
insurance is one of the reasons the country has one of
the highest rates of personal savings in the world.
For most, however, medical insurance is a contentious
outlay.
"I don't think it really works for most ordinary Chinese
people," 24-year-old Guangzhou-based student Xi
Chen said. "Last November, our father's hospital bill
came to 6000RMB ($976) but we had to top it up
the insurance 2300RMB of our own.
"The doctor told us we should have been thankful for our medical
insurance or we would have had to pay more ... The truth is that
government officers and hospitals benefit rather than ordinary people."
There's an app for that
It's in this space that medical assistance app Chunyu Yisheng hopes to
carve out a niche.
The app -- which this month raised $50 million in funding, the biggest
single funding round into a Chinese healthcare startup to date --
connects users with physicians remotely to discuss and diagnose their
ailments. The site already commands 30 million users who can connect
with 40,000 doctors.
It has set an ambitious target of gaining 100 million
users by the end of 2015.
"We started in 2011, wanting to do something in the
joint field of mobile internet and medicine," Chunyu
chief technology officer Zeng Boyi said. "We wanted to
something of practical use that could actually help
people.
"In China, it's very difficult for people to get an appointment with a
doctor, so the idea of a medical app was quite a natural one," he said.
Zeng said the startup is aimed at resolving minor ailments that often
clog up hospital waiting rooms and aims to help people who may be at
risk of misdiagnosing by reading up about their complaint on the
internet.
"Some problems, mainly mild problems, are better solved online than
others," Zeng says. "People get safe, personalized, and professional
advice from doctors on Chunyu -- we do not see Chunyu as a
replacement for hospital.
"Besides a professional diagnosis, people often want to communicate
-- they need to decrease their anxiety, know a bit more about their
bodies and decide on the next move even before going to hospital.
"These sorts of problems are not easily solved in the hospital, but they
are important to users. By reducing the cost of seeing a doctor, we
activate a huge suppressed market."
He says the service acts as an adjunct to normal
medical attention.
"We cannot diagnose serious diseases and doctors are
careful in the advice they give. If users have serious
symptoms -- if they're very sick -- their best choice
is to go to a hospital.
"If a doctor is asked about serious symptoms, then
the kind of advice we could give is the most suitable
hospital to go to, the type of lab tests needed, and any
other helpful advice."
Big potential
The startup is currently on a drive to recruit more doctors who not only
earn money in their spare time but also gain a profile and a platform
from the service.
Of particular interest, says Zeng, are the data that will be generated by
the online service.
"There's a lot of doctor/user communications that is logged on Chunyu
every day. Those data are of particular importance because they are
generated by real doctors whose only focus is solving the problem at
hand -- they are not selling medication or promoting hospitals."
Chunyu's model is based on making the service free for both doctors
and users, with its revenues raised through advertising from insurance
companies, pharmaceutical companies and private hospitals.
"It's hard to estimate how much revenue would be generated by this
service. By way of comparison, Baidu (one of China's largest online
portals) makes one third of its revenues from the healthcare industry.
"We think it's a huge market."

Opinion: Law and war will not beat jihad

In recent months, much ink has been spilt
exploring why some young British Muslims abandon a comfortable life
in the UK to join one of the most brutal and blood-thirsty terrorist
groups in recent history, namely the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria
(ISIS). Sadly, much of this commentary has struggled to move beyond
clichés that revolve around hate preachers and extremist websites.
In order to arrive at a more nuanced understanding of why a group like
ISIS is able to attract hundreds of young British Muslims, we must
examine a wide range of factors that contribute towards creating a
ISIS narrative that has resonance and appeal.
This involves facing up to some uncomfortable truths about
contemporary Muslim political discourse and coming to terms with the
negative impact of the recent lurch towards vacuous literalism within
British Muslim communities.
There is a fundamental cognitive dissonance in the
minds of many young Muslims in Britain today. On
one hand a conservative religious upbringing informs
individuals that they alone have the true holy book, the
true God and, of course, the true religion. This gives
rise to lofty expectations for Muslim societies globally.
However, the reality of contemporary Muslim
societies, mired in poverty, illiteracy, violence and
corruption as they are, stands in stark contrast to such
grand expectations.
This perturbing juxtaposition requires an explanation that neither denies
the perceived reality nor challenges Muslim exclusivist tendencies.
Such an explanation or narrative needs to take into account the sense of
victimhood and humiliation some Muslims feel and seek to externalize.
It also needs to offer a program for restoring much-needed collective
pride.
In essence, groups like ISIS are filling this gaping void, a void other
post-colonial nationalist movements have failed to fill. In the eyes of
the jihadists, Muslim societies around the world are struggling today
because they have been systemically undermined by western neo-
colonialism and strayed from the true Islam. The solution, therefore, is
to expel any semblance of western influence, along with their local
stooges and puppets, and introduce a strict and harsh interpretation of
Islam.
The attraction for some is then obvious since by this
narrative a struggle to understand complex geo-
politics is replaced with a simplistic "one size fits all"
framework. It does not require one to expend energy in
difficult and searching introspection since all blame
can be shifted to the perceived enemy and sinister
anti-Muslim conspiracy theories.
It replaces the quest for a firm sense of identity in an
increasingly globalized and, at times, disorientating
world with a militant and aggressive Muslim identity
that seeks conflict rather than co-existence in order to
distinguish itself, be relevant and create tribal
cohesion.
Some Muslims who don't subscribe to the tactics and
ideological world-view of groups like ISIS still buy
into the broad narrative such jihadist and Islamist
groups purvey. The adoption of this broader narrative
has become the default anti-establishment politics of
today. It is a means of expressing solidarity and
asserting a bold new identity while being a vehicle for
seeking the restoration of pride and self-dignity.
Of course, for most British Muslims the ISIS
narrative has no resonance whatsoever and alternative
narratives to ease the cognitive dissonance are sought. However, the
steady increase in ultra-conservative Islamic mores in recent years,
backed by petro-dollars from Gulf Arab States, has meant the number
of young Muslims that do sympathize with the ISIS narrative is
alarmingly high. After all, the ISIS reading of scripture deviates very
little from the Wahabism aggressively promoted by certain Gulf States.
The hundreds of British nationals did not abandon their families in the
UK to join ISIS in a vacuum. The proliferation of literalist and austere
strands of Islam combined with the inability of mainstream Muslim
commentators to articulate a political narrative that does not reinforce
the victimhood status and perceptions of grand anti-Muslim
conspiracies have paved the way for ISIS propagandists. In the
meantime, the over-reliance of Western states on law and war as a
means of combating what is ultimately an ideological threat has meant
extremist recruiters have yet to encounter a direct ideological challenge.
As things stand, British and other Western-born Muslims will continue
being recruited to groups like ISIS as long as we fail to diagnose the
problem correctly. A correct diagnosis needs to be followed by a
direct and robust ideological challenge that is accompanied by
alternative models and narratives for explaining the decrepit state of
Muslim societies. Of course, positive political models that young
Muslims can aspire to also need to be articulated in a fashion that
does not alienate or patronize.
In the absence of this, dark forces that rely on unprecedented levels of
brutality will continue to rise and fill a void we failed to identify.

Pathfinder International Job Vacancies (9 Positions)

Pathfinder International is a global leader in sexual and reproductive
health. We place reproductive health care at the center of all that we do
- believing that it is not only a fundamental human right, but is critical
for expanding life opportunities for women, families, communities, and
nations, and paving the way for transformations in environmental
stewardship, decreases in population pressures, and innovations in
poverty reduction. Pathfinder provides women, men, and adolescents
with a range of quality health services - from contraception and
maternal care to HIV prevention and AIDS care and treatment.
Evidence to Action for Strengthened Family Planning and Reproductive
Health Services for Women and Girls (E2A) is USAID’s global
flagship project for strengthening quality FP/RH service delivery and
is led by Pathfinder International. The project is designed to reduce
unmet need for family planning by scaling-up proven best practices
(BPs) to ensure that women and girls receive – and use – quality
services through all stages of the reproductive life cycle. E2A
promotes healthy FP/RH behaviors, gender-equality, and the
application of compelling evidence for FP use. The project is in
partnership with the African Population and Health Research Center
(APHRC), IntraHealth International, Management Sciences for Health
(MSH), ExpandNet, and PATH.
Pathfinder International is recruiting to fill the following vacant
positions:
1.) Laboratory Services Officer
Click Here To View Details
2.) Project Director PMTCT - Nigeria
Click Here To View Details
3.) Senior Advisor, Monitoring, Evaluation,
Results and Learning
Click Here To View Details
4.) Finance and Operations Manager
Click Here To View Details
5.) Senior Advisor, Technical Services
Click Here To View Details
6.) State Program Manager PMTCT Project
Click Here To View Details
7.) Finance and Administration Officer
Click Here To View Details
8.) Private Sector Advisor
Click Here To View Details
9.) Monitoring, Evaluation, Results and Learning
Officer
Click Here To View Details
Application Closing Date
13th October,

Astonishing photo- realistic portraits you won't believe were painted by hand

The images you are about to see may shock or confound you. When
portraiture looks this realistic, it can be hard to accept that what you
see is just paint on a canvas, or ink scratches on a page.
Discover nine of the finest artists from around the world who are
recreating humans in their art -- with strikingly lifelike results.
Gottfried Helnwein
Gottfried Helnwein frequently depicts children in his gigantic,
mesmerizing portraits, along with "low culture" icons including Donald
Duck, with the loss of childhood innocence as a reoccurring theme.

Super-bacteria are growing in space ... and we're the ones breeding them

Manned space missions bring with them a plethora of
challenges to keep astronauts alive and healthy, especially on long-
duration space missions. Astronauts need to breathe, eat, drink, excrete
their food and drink, and be kept free of infections to stay healthy
enough to do their job. The key to an astronauts' wellbeing has been
found, somewhat contradictorily, to be a group of tiny organisms --
bacteria.
You might think of space as a germ-free environment, but microbes
can be carried to space inside human gut flora as well as in food and
water and once up there, can be expelled by humans in their breath.
According to NASA, immune systems weaken during space flight,
making the impact of infection even greater.
What's more, the greater radiation levels and the weightless
microgravity environment of space alter bacteria as they grow. Recent
work at NASA by Cheryl Nickerson and her team from Arizona State
University discovered that certain bacteria become more virulent in
space, meaning they become better at infecting us.
"Salmonella bacteria become more potent, virulent
and are more able to cause disease," says Nickerson.
"They also become more resistant to factors such as
the acid in your stomach." Nickerson's group is
investigating a range of bacteria found in food, water
and our gut flora, including Salmonella typhimurium,
a common cause of food poisoning and diarrhea, and
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is a known water
contaminant.
'War with microorganisms'
As astronauts spend longer periods of time in space, their increased
exposure to recycled air and water is likely to affect their risk of
infection
Read: 'Magic mushroom' chemical could treat depression
Mark Nott is one the people in charge of crew health at NASA and
focuses on keeping microbes at bay. "We're at a constant war with
microorganisms because they adapt," he says. "The stressful
environment of spaceflight affects them and under stress your immune
system also functions less effectively and we have to take precautions
for this." Reduced immunity can cause some bacteria, such as
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, to cause illness despite normally being
carried by many of us with no effect.
"However, not all microorganisms are bad and so the key is to
understand how they change and impact us," explains Nott, who also
found that the infectious bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, which causes
a range of symptoms from boils to food poisoning, becomes benign in
microgravity.
By understanding the changes in salmonella and other disease-causing
bacteria in microgravity Nickerson hopes to not only keep crew healthy
but also help humans down on Earth through the development of drugs
and vaccines.
"Infections are becoming harder to treat; we have no vaccine for
salmonella food poisoning and it remains [one of] the leading cause of
bacterial food-borne illness worldwide," states Nickerson.
Spaceflight opens up a new world of research that can't take place on
Earth and Nickerson has unmasked key changes in the behaviour of
genes in the bacteria which aren't usually seen under gravity. "Vaccines
are about identifying targets and in microgravity the bacteria have
unmasked themselves and revealed secrets to help develop
therapeutics."
Sustaining life in space
The research is in its early stages but it's just one
example of how bacteria are being investigated by
space agencies. Far from just a health hazard,
bacteria could be used to help sustain astronauts in
space, as a source of food and oxygen.
"The major advantage to using bacteria is the size of
them," explains Christophe Lasseur, coordinator of life
support research and development at the European
Space Agency (ESA). "For space missions the mass
of oxygen, food, and water is high and not compatible
with current launch technologies. A crew of six to
Mars would need over 30 tons."
Read: The people with someone else's face
Lasseur directs the MELLiSSA programme at ESA, which aims to
develop a regenerative life-support ecosystem for use on board
spacecraft. "We need to recycle everything for an ecosystem that can
sustain human life," says Lasseur. The team wants to recycle 80% of
all mass on board, including carbon dioxide, which can become toxic if
allowed to build up.
Key algae and bacteria can mop up carbon dioxide and in turn release
oxygen to enable astronauts to breathe. "We have approached this
molecule by molecule, first oxygen, then water and now food, which is
more complex," says Lasseur.
The chosen range of bacteria not only utilize carbon dioxide but can
also harness other human waste products, such as urine and feces -- a
win-win given their growth results in food for the astronauts.
Eating bacteria grown on urine may not sound like a delicacy, and it
isn't, which is why psychology also comes into play. "Our most
advanced work is using spirulina as this has been used as a protein
source for many centuries and in many countries, making it much more
psychologically acceptable," explains Lasseur. Spirulina is a
cyanobacterium found in many salt water lakes and is consumed
readily by lake communities. The edible bacterium is also marketed as
a health supplement.
In the search for bacteria that feed on our food waste, Lasseur's team
discovered a hidden gem that has an additional medical benefit --
helping to fight cholesterol.
"We were looking for bacteria which use a lot of carbon and nitrogen as
there's a lot of this in waste disposal," states Lasseur. The resulting
use of Rhodospirillum rubrum led to a nutritious product found to
produce significantly lower levels of cholesterol in mice and will soon
be marketed by spin-off company EzCOL BV, which is in talks with big
pharma. This bacterium has been by-passed in favor of more
nutritious alternatives for consumption by astronauts but the research
to get there has borne beneficial fruit for those of us not venturing up
into space.
As for the astronauts, Mars missions could be a reality in the, albeit
distant, future. And when the day comes, crews could depart feeling
confident of reaching the red planet well fed, watered and free of
infection.

Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria Massive Graduate and Experienced Job Recruitment (Over 100 Positions)

Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria - Applications are invited from
suitably qualified candidates to fill the vacancies in the newly
established zones and FM Stations of the Federal Radio Corporation of
Nigeria.
Qualified indigenes from these zones are expected to apply in
compliance with the Federal Character Commission Guidelines on
Employment as well as extant rules on Employment as enshrined in
Public Service.
1.) South-South Zone:
Vacancies available at the following:
Zonal Hqtrs, Yenagoa,
Creek FM, Yenagoa,
Canaan City FM, Calabar.
Charity FM, Asaba
Atlantic FM, Uyo.
2.) North - West:
Vacancies available at the following:
Royal FM Sokoto,
Equity FM, Birnin-Kebbi,
Horizon FM, Dutse.
3.) North - Central:
Vacancies available at the following:
Zonal Hqtrs., Lafia.
4.) North-East:
Vacancies available at the following:
Zonal Hqtrs, Bauchi,
Jewel FM, Gombe,
Sunshine FM, Damaturu,
Gift FM, Jalingo.
Requisite Qualifications
A recognized University Degree in Mass Communication, Humanities,
Marketing, Accountancy, Electrical/Electronics/Engineering,
Information Technology (ICT), Business Administration, Social
Sciences, Theater Arts.
Possession of a Masters Degree and or Membership of relevant
professional bodies will be an added advantage.
Application Closing Date
6th November, 2014.
Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should send scanned copies of
applications and credentials on-line through the following E-mails
addresses:
nooroodeen@yahoo.com , nuuruudeen@gmail.com
tony_ogbebor@yahoo.com ,
confimusa2008@yahoo.com
Note: That those who have applied before need not to apply again.
Shortlisted candidates would be invited for interview at a date and
venue to be communicated to them via addresses reflected in their
applications.

The Civilian Impact of Drone Strikes: Unexamined Costs, Unanswered Questions

WASHINGTON, DC Sept. 30, 2012 — As US covert drone strikes become more entrenched as an accepted counterterrorism strategy, the US government needs to conduct a thorough accounting of the impact on civilians, said a new report released today by Columbia Law School’s Human Rights Clinic and Center for Civilians in Conflict.
The Civilian Impact of Drones: Unexamined Costs, Unanswered Questions is the first systematic study of the US government’s covert drone program and its impact on civilian populations. The US claims of precision and the low number of civilian casualties caused by drone strikes, while not empirically disproven, obscure key questions about civilian harm in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia.
“Drones are a technological advance, but in practice they carry their own problems for minimizing harm to civilians, especially when used in places with fewer US boots on the ground,” said Naureen Shah, Acting Director of the Human Rights Clinic at Columbia. “For example, drones produce a flood of video data that’s hard to corroborate, and it’s nearly impossible to properly investigate who was actually killed or injured.”
Signature strikes—strikes that target individuals based on patterns of behavior identified by US intelligence—are particularly risky for civilians. According to The Civilian Impact of Drones, without an understanding of the local context, power dynamics, and cultural practices, drone operators may interpret routine behavior as suspicious, and mistakenly target civilians.
The report finds that drone operations are setting the US on an untested and unexamined course. The CIA and the military’s Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) have taken a lead role in these campaigns that, due to government secrecy, the public knows little about. Neither organization has ever described the rules and mechanisms it employs to protect civilians, track deaths or investigate reports of civilian harm. Additionally, neither the CIA nor JSOC have ever conducted strikes on this scale or with this degree of collusion; even high-level policymakers do not always know which organization is responsible for a strike, or which to hold accountable for civilian harm. Civilians have no one to turn to if their loved ones are harmed or if their homes are destroyed.
“Drones are becoming synonymous with US counterterrorism strategy,” said Sarah Holewinski, executive director of the Center for Civilians in Conflict. “But unlike in regular wars, policymakers are failing to ask the hard questions here, including whether other tactics or strategies are more appropriate than drone strikes, and whether US expansion of drone operations is causing more harm than good.”

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus

Apple has launched two new iPhones, the 4.7-inch iPhone 6
and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. Along with larger screens
and a completely new iPad-style design with an ultra thin body and
rounded corners, the two new phones offer faster processors, better
cameras, and Apple's new Apple Pay payment system.
Apple's new iPhones are available in Gold, Silver, and Space Gray,
and are available in 16, 64, and 128 GB capacities. The iPhone 6
pricing starts at $199 on contract, while the iPhone 6 Plus pricing
starts at $299.
While both models include the same 64-bit A8 chip and the same
general design, there are several differences between the two phones.
The iPhone 6 measures in at 6.9mm , while the iPhone 6 Plus is
slightly thicker at 7.1mm . Apple's iPhone 6 Plus also has three
major differentiating factors: optical image stabilization
for the camera, and a longer battery life , and an iPad-
style landscape mode that displays more content on the
screen.
Though the iPhone 6 Plus has optical image stabilization, both phones
got some major camera improvements in form of sensor
upgrades, improved tone mapping, better noise reduction, and new
"Focus Pixel" technology, which improves the phone's ability to select
autofocus points. For videos, there's a new 240fps slo-mo
option, along with support for shooting in 1080p at 60fps. The
front-facing camera was also upgraded, with an f/2.2 aperture
that lets in more light and new burst mode capabilities.
Both phones have an impressive new " Retina HD Display,"
with the iPhone 6 featuring a resolution of 1334 x 750 (326
ppi) and the iPhone 6 Plus featuring a resolution of 1920 x
1080 (401 ppi) .
Design wise, the phones more closely resemble the iPad and the
iPod touch than the iPhone 5s. Both models have soft, rounded
corners and a curved glass screen that melds smoothly
into the thin metal body of the device. The volume buttons on the left
side of the device are now pill-shaped, and the power button is
located on the right side of the device for easier one-handed use.
To further make its devices easier to use one-handed, Apple has
added in a new double tap home button gesture called
" Reachability," which moves items from the top of the screen to
the bottom of the screen for quick access.
Other new features in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus include WiFi
calling support, faster 802.11ac WiFi, and support for
Voice over LTE (VoLTE).

Top 10 Most Expensive Cars in The World and Their Prices

10. Aston Martin Vanquish = $255,000
The Aston Martin V12 Vanquish is a super car manufactured by
Aston Martin since 2001. It rose to fame after being featured as the
official James Bond car in Die Another Day, the twentieth James
Bond film. In the film, the Vanquish has the usual Bond film
embellishments, including active camouflage which rendered the
vehicle virtually invisible. The Vanquish is powered by a 5.9 L (5935
cc) 48-valve 60° V12 engine, which produces 343 kW (460 hp) and
542 N·m (400 ft·lbf) of torque. It is controlled by a fly-by-wire
throttle and a 6 speed 'paddle shift' or semi-automatic transmission.
A special V12 Vanquish S debuted at the 2004 Paris Auto Show
with the power upped to 388 kW (520 hp) and 577 N·m (426
ft·lbf).
9. Lamborghini Murcielago = $279,900
The Lamborghini Murciélago is a GT and supercar automobile made
by Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. and designed by Luc
Donckerwolke. It was introduced in 2002 as the successor to the
Diablo. The body style is a two door, two seat coupé. The LP640
version was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in March of
2006. It features a 6.5 L engine, now producing 640 bhp, improving
performance substantially. There were also a few minor external
changes, primarily to the low air intakes.
8. Rolls-Royce Phantom = $320,000
The Rolls-Royce Phantom is a luxury saloon automobile made by
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, a BMW subsidiary. It was launched in
2003 and is the first Rolls-Royce model made under the ownership
of BMW. It has a 6.8 L, 48-valve, V12 engine that produces 453 hp
(338 kW) and 531 ft·lbf (720 N·m) of torque. The engine is derived
from BMW's existing V12 power plant. It is 1.63 m (63 in) tall, 1.99
m (74.8 in) wide, 5.83 m (228 in) long, and weighs 2485 kg
(5478 lb). The body of the car is built on an aluminum space frame
and the Phantom can accelerate to 60 mph (100 km/h) in 5.7 s
7. Maybach 62 = $385,250
The Maybach 57 and 62 were the first automobile models of the
Maybach brand since the brand's revival by DaimlerChrysler. They
are derived from the Mercedes-Benz Maybach concept car
presented at the 1997 Tokyo Motorshow (which was based on the
Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan). DaimlerChrysler attempted to buy
the Rolls-Royce/Bentley marque when Vickers offered the company
up for sale. When this attempt failed (they were outbid by BMW and
Volkswagen respectively) they introduced the Maybach as a direct
challenger in 2002. Both models are variants of the same ultra-
luxurious automobile. The model numbers reflect the respective
lengths of the automobiles in decimetres; the 57 is more likely to be
owner-driven while the longer 62 is designed with a chauffeur in
mind. The engine is a Mercedes-sourced 5.5-liter twin-turbo V12,
generating 550 hp.
6. Mercedes SLR McLaren = $455,500
The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is a sports car and supercar
automobile co-developed by DaimlerChrysler and McLaren Cars. It
is assembled at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, England.
Most people presume "SLR" to stand for "Sportlich, Leicht,
Rennsport" (German for "Sport; Light; Racing"). The car's base price
is £300,000 or $455,500. The SLR has a supercharged 5.5
(5439cc) litre dry sumped 90 degree V8. It produces 466.8 kW at
6500rpm (626 hp) and 780 N·m (575 ft·lbf) torque at 3250 -
5000 rpm.
5. Porsche Carrera GT = $484,000
The Porsche Carrera GT is a supercar, manufactured by Porsche of
Germany. The Carrera GT is powered by an all-new 5.7 litre V10
engine producing 612 SAE horsepower (450 kW). Porsche claims it
will accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62.5 mph) in 3.9 seconds and
has a maximum speed of 330 km/h (206 mph), although road tests
indicated that in actuality the car could accelerate from 0-60 in
under 3.5 seconds and to 0-100 in 6.8 seconds and has a top
speed of 335-340km/h (209-212.5mph).
4. Koenigsegg CCX = $600,910
The Koenigsegg CCX is the latest supercar from Koenigsegg. CCX is
an abbreviation for Competition Coupe X. The X commemorates the
10th anniversary of the completion and test drive of the first CC
vehicle in 1996. The CCX is intended to be more suitable for the U.S.
market and thus engineered to comply with US regulations. The CCX
is powered by a Koenigsegg designed and assembled, all aluminium,
4700 cm³ DOHC 32-valve V8 based on the Ford Modular engine
architecture enhanced with twin Rotrex centrifugal superchargers with
response system, 1.2 bar boost pressure and an 8.2:1 compression
ratio. The engine produces 806 hp (601 kW) and 678 lbf.ft (920
Nm) on 91 octane (U.S. rating) gasoline, 850 hp (634 kW) on 96
octane (Euro rating) gasoline and 900 hp (671 kW) on biofuel.
3. Pagani Zonda C12 F = $741,000
The Zonda C12 F debuted at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show. It is the
most extensive reengineering of the Pagani car yet, though it shares
much with its predecessors including the 7.3 L V12. Power is
increased to 602 PS (443 kW/594 hp) with a special clubsport
model producing 650 PS (478 kW/641 hp). The company promises
a 3.2 second sprint to 60 mph (97 km/h, a top speed over 374
km/h (225 mph) and it will be the queen in braking from 300 km/h
to 0 (186 mph to 0). The Zonda F clubsport has a power to weight
ratio of 521 bhp/ton (384 W/kg) . Compare, for example, the Enzo
Ferrari which has a power to weight ratio of 483 bhp/ton (356 W/
kg).
2. Ferrari Enzo = $1,000,000
The Enzo Ferrari, sometimes referred to as the the Ferrari Enzo and
also F60 is a 12-cylinder Ferrari supercar named after the
company's founder, Enzo Ferrari. It was built in 2003 using
Formula One technology, such as a carbon-fiber body, F1-style
sequential shift transmission, and carbon-ceramic brake discs. Also
used are technologies not allowed in F1 such as active aerodynamics.
After a maximum down force of 1709 pounds (775 kg) is reached at
186 mph (301 km/h) the rear spoiler is actuated by computer to
maintain that down force.
1. Bugatti Veyron = $1,700,000
The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 is the most powerful, most expensive, and
fastest street-legal production car in the world, with a proven top
speed of over 400 km/h (407 km/h or 253 mph). It reached full
production in September 2005. The car is built by Volkswagen AG
subsidiary Bugatti Automobiles SAS and is sold under the legendary
Bugatti marque. It is named after racing driver Pierre Veyron, who
won the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1939 while racing for the original
Bugatti firm. The Veyron features a W16 engine—16 cylinders in 4
banks of 4 cylinders.
What do you think abou

Tiger Woods Is Ready to Heat Up the Kitchen By Opening a Brand-New Restaurant

Tiger Woods is stepping away from the golf course and into the
restaurant business.
According to The Palm Beach Post, the 38-year-old professional
athlete is planning to open his very first restaurant tentatively titled "The
Woods Jupiter: Sports and Dining Club."
Featuring outdoor seating and valet parking, the eatery hopes to become
a popular destination for nearby residents in Jupiter Island, Fla.
"I envision a place where people can meet friends, watch sports on TV
and enjoy a good meal," Woods said in a statement to the local paper.
"I wanted to build it locally where I live and where it could support the
community."
Woods, who has been in a committed relationship with Lindsey Vonn for
more than a year, has struggled on the golf course in recent months.
After injuring his back, the golf pro underwent microdiscectomy
surgery to relive nerve pressure on his back and legs. As a result, he
had to miss three months of competitions, including the year's first two
majors.
"When I first came out on [the PGA Tour], I was running 30 miles a
week, and I was doing that for years, and even during tournament
weeks, I would still run five, six miles a day," Woods said. "But I can't
do that anymore. We're obviously going to make some adjustments
going forward. But I still want to feel explosive, I still want to feel
strong and mobile."
Although he shows no signs of giving up his golf game, Woods is ready
for a new challenge in his life.
"I look forward to enjoying my restaurant as much as I hope the public
will," Woods said.
Hungry fans or curious customers can enjoy a taste when the club
opens in 2015.

Amazing facts about fast food

v=wp6YrHzcwhA Since 1937, McDonald’s has
been making a steady contribution to the
American diet. But what started as a US-based
burger joint has expanded across the globe,
and its varied menu now includes everything
from salads to shakes to breakfast sandwiches.
But the Big Mac is one beloved meal staple
that has a long standing on the McDonald’s
menu, no matter what country you’re dining
in. If you’ve eaten a Big Mac, however, you
might not be aware of everything that made
that burger happen.

Jesus Christ Appears in British Toilet Room

An unusual depiction of the son of God appeared in one of the old
British houses, at least, Freda Murphy, the owner of the house,
says so.
The portrait of Jesus Christ appeared in one of the old houses in
Great Britain
The 52-year-old woman let journalists into her house to show the
face of Jesus Christ on her newly-laid toilet floor. The woman
spotted the outline of a face she believes to be Jesus Christ after
taking photographs while renovating her 100-year-old home.
Related: Man Sees Jesus Holding Lamb In Skin Of His Apple,
Says It’s Sign From Lord
“When I looked at the image it sent a shiver down my spine. A lot
of people have said it looks like Jesus.”
Freda also complained about extraordinary phenomena including
ghosts and dead babies cries since they moved here in 19 years
ago. According to Freda, the imprint showing Jesus Christ has a
tear falling from its right eye.
Related: ‘Jesus’ Appears In Ghana
Speaking about the day of appearance of Jesus Christ’s portrait,
Freda says, “We’d just had the floor laid down and
I was taking a picture for my solicitor. When I
looked at the image it sent a shiver down my
spine. I could make out eyes, a nose, mouth,
long hair and beard. A lot of people have said
it looks like Jesus.”

Windows 10 Unveiled; Microsoft Skips Windows 9 to Emphasise Advances

The next version of Microsoft's flagship operating system will be called
Windows 10, as the company skips version 9 to emphasize advances it
is making toward a world centered around mobile devices and Internet
services.
The current version, Windows 8, has been widely derided for forcing
radical behavioral changes. Microsoft is restoring some of the more
traditional ways of doing things and promises that Windows 10 will be
familiar for users regardless of which version of Windows they are
now using.
For instance, the start menu in Windows 10 will appear similar to
what's found in Windows 7, but tiles opening to the side will resemble
what's found in Windows 8.
Joe Belfiore, a Microsoft executive who oversees Windows design and
evolution, said Windows 10 will offer "the familiarity of Windows 7
with some of the benefits that exist in Windows 8" to help business
users make the transition.
Microsoft offered a glimpse of its vision for Windows at a San
Francisco event Tuesday aimed at business customers. Although the
new software won't be formally released until next year, analysts
already consider its success crucial for Microsoft and new CEO Satya
Nadella.
The new software represents an attempt to step back from the radical
redesign that alienated many PC users when Windows 8 was
introduced two years ago. But it's not a complete retreat from
Microsoft's goal of bridging the gap between PCs and mobile devices:
It still has touch-screen functions and strives to create a familiar
experience for Windows users who switch between desktop computers,
tablets and smartphones.
Microsoft executive Terry Myerson said Windows 10 will be "a whole
new generation" and, as expected, will work across a variety of devices
- from phones to gaming consoles.
Microsoft currently has three main systems - Windows 8 for
traditional computers and tablets, Windows Phone 8 for cellphones and
Xbox for its gaming console. By unifying the underlying systems,
software developers will be able to create apps for the various devices
more easily. Consumers will also be able to switch devices more easily
and avoid having to buy the same apps multiple times.