20 killed as military launch air strikes on Boko Haram strongholds

At least 20 insurgents were killed Friday as Nigeria’s military carried out an aerial bombardment of militant Islamist camps in the country’s northeast, a Defense Ministry spokesman said.

The raid by Nigerian Air Force jets and attack helicopters is part of what the military says is a “massive deployment” of Nigerian forces this week to tackle insurgent groups, including Boko Haram.

“Our military has…

Blackberry set to launch BBM messaging service on iOS and Android

BlackBerry is to give its BBM software away to iPhone and Android users in a bit to boost its popularity and stop consumers switching to rival handsets.

Speaking at BlackBerry Live – a three-day annual event in Orlando – BlackBerry’s CEO Thorsten Heins said the firm’s popular BBM messaging software will be available on the iPhone and Android handsets for the first time.

The…

Cardinals Launch Pope-Picking Process

Catholic cardinals from all over the world are gathering in Rome to begin the process of choosing a successor to Benedict XVI, who ended his papacy Friday.

The 115 cardinal electors will hold meetings this week ahead of a conclave next week in which one of them is expected to be elected as the new pontiff, the BBC…

Intel Plans to Launch Internet TV Service

Chip-maker Intel plans to venture into the world of Internet TV sometime this year. As Time explains, the company wants to offer “curated” packages of TV channels that would be streamed over the Internet. The packages would be smaller than the typical ones offered by cable and satellite companies, and thus more easily customized, but they might not…

Iran Might Be Lying About Its Monkey Launch into Space

Iran announced with great fanfare this week that it launched a monkey into space and brought him home safely. Hold the trumpets, though: British newspapers the Times, the Telegraph, and the Independent now say, or at least strongly suggest, that Iran is lying. Why? In part because the monkey celebrated at a news conference after the…

X-factor to launch in Nigeria

If you’ve enjoyed watching some of Nigeria’s top reality shows, you’ll be pleased to know that the Nigerian edition of popular reality show ‘The X- Factor’ will soon be hitting your screens. The television music competition franchise is set to launch in Nigeria in a few months, according to insiders. Investigations have revealed that the brain behind this venture is none other than…

US Based Nigerian Doctors Launch Free Medical Services In Kano

A team of American physicians have begun free medical treatment of residents in Kano state, North West Nigeria.

The exercise which is expected to last for two weeks will carry out surgery on at least 5,000 people and treat another 5,000 out patients.

Leader of the mission, Dr. Chukwuemeka Onwenu, says the mission will not only provide the much needed but barely…

North Korea gears up to launch long-range rocket

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea is gearing up to fire a long-range rocket this month in a defiant move expected to raise the stakes of a global standoff over its missile and nuclear programs.

The North’s announcement Saturday that it would launch the rocket between Dec. 10 and Dec. 22 came as President Barack Obama prepares for his second term and as South Korea holds a presidential…

Maryam Abacha Steals Show At Book Launch, Donates N5 Million

Former First lady, Mrs Maryam Abacha, yesterday stole the show, at the launch of a book written by her former Military press secretary, Colonel John Adache (rtd).

Mrs Abacha, walked in suprisingly into the Sani Abacha conference Hall of the National Defence Collage, NDC, in company of her son, Mohammed and a retinue of well wishers.

At  the launch of the book on…

Obama, Romney, Launch Final Campaign Blitz Through Swing States

U.S. President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, are doing a campaign blitz through so-called “swing states” during the final days before Tuesday’s election.After rallies in Wisconsin, Nevada, Colorado, and Ohio Thursday, Obama plans to spend all day Friday in Ohio — a crucial state for victory for either candidate. Obama plans to visit Ohio on each of the final four days of…