WHO predicts up to four million Zika cases

WHO predicts up to four million Zika cases

Three to four million people could be infected with Zika virus in the Americas this year, the World Health Organization has predicted.
Most will not develop symptoms, but the virus, spread by mosquitoes, has been linked to brain defects in babies, the BBC reports.
Meanwhile, the United States said it hopes to start vaccine trials in people by the end of the year.
WHO director general, Dr. Margaret Chan, said Zika had gone “from a mild threat to one of alarming proportions.”
She has set up a Zika “emergency team” after the “explosive” spread of the virus.
It will meet on Monday to decide whether Zika should be treated as a global emergency.
The last time an international emergency was declared was for the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which has killed more than 11,000 people.
Zika was first detected in Uganda in 1947, but has never caused an outbreak on this scale.
Brazil reported the first cases of Zika in South America in May 2015.
Most cases result in no symptoms and it is hard to test for, but WHO officials said between 500,000 and 1.5 million people had been infected in the country.
The virus has since spread to more than 20 countries in the region.

The British pound has fallen to its lowest level in nearly six year

The British pound has fallen to its lowest level in nearly six year

Fear that Britain could vote to leave the European Union is hurting the pound. And the pain may just be beginning.
A referendum on membership of the EU could be held as early as June, and investors are becoming increasingly concerned about a British exit -- or 'Brexit.'
The campaign to persuade voters is gathering pace, but the outcome is highly uncertain -- as are the consequences of what would be an unprecedented event.
That uncertainty is unnerving investors: the British pound has fallen by 10% against the U.S. dollar since June 2015 to its lowest level in nearly six years. It has weakened by about 4% in the last month alone and is now worth around $1.43.
If it votes to leave Europe, Britain could find its status as the region's leading financial center under threat.
Some multinational companies, banks and hedge funds may decide to relocate. And Prime Minister David Cameron will face calls to resign -- he wants Britain to stay in a reformed EU.
"The recent weakness [in the pound] is 'Brexit' related and there is more to come," said fixed income analyst Alan Clarke of Scotiabank.
Related: British businesses say leaving Europe would hurt
Capital Economics warns the pound could fall to $1.30 before long, saying it will "remain on the defensive" until the Europe question has been settled.
Opinion is divided on how damaging a 'Brexit' would be for the economy, but analysts are concerned that Europe's refugee crisis may turn the referendum into a vote on immigration rather than the broader benefits of membership.
Berenberg's U.K. economist Kallum Pickering said he expect the British will vote to stay in the EU, but he has raised his estimate of the risk of an exit to 35%.
What's certain is that 'Brexit' will dominate the headlines for months to come, and that means the pound will remain under pressure.
Related: Britain's four demands for staying in Europe
The future of Europe is not the only problem for the currency right now.
Growth is slowing -- U.K. GDP grew by 2.2% last year, down from 2.9% in 2014, and there's little to suggest it will accelerate in 2016.
Finance Minister George Osborne has already warned that the economy is facing a host of headwinds, including a slowdown in China.
Related: UK warns economy faces 'dangerous cocktail' of risks
All that means that the chances of a rise in U.K. interest rates continue to disappear over the horizon, making the pound less attractive to hold.
And the usual upside to a weaker currency - cheaper exports - isn't really going to work in the U.K.'s favor.
"With key markets like China slowing the impact [of a weaker currency] is likely to be limited," wrote IG market analyst Chris Beauchamp.

by Jim Boulden @CNNMoneyInvest
CNNMoney (London)

Sarah Palin endorses Donald Trump

Sarah Palin endorses Donald Trump

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump received the endorsement Tuesday of conservative firebrand Sarah Palin, giving the billionaire businessman a potential boost less than two weeks before Iowa’s kick-off caucuses.

“Media heads are spinning,” the former vice presidential candidate said after taking the stage at a Trump rally at Iowa State University. “This is going to be so much fun.”

Palin, the former governor of Alaska and 2008 GOP vice presidential pick, said that, with Trump as president, America would no longer apologize.

“No more pussy-footing around,” Palin said.

The endorsement comes as Trump is locked in a dead heat with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in Iowa. The two have been ramping up their attacks against one another as the election has neared.

In the statement announcing the endorsement, Trump’s campaign described Palin as a conservative who “helped launch the careers of several key future leaders of the Republican Party and conservative movement.” The statement also quoted Cruz as once saying he “would not be in the United States Senate were it not for Gov. Sarah Palin. … She can pick winners.”

Campaigning in New Hampshire, Cruz said, “Regardless of what Sarah intends to do in 2016, I will remain a big, big fan of Sarah Palin.”
Palin endorsed Cruz in his 2012 Senate race and said as recently as last month that he and Trump were both in her top tier of candidates, making the endorsement a symbolic blow to Cruz.

Palin’s remarks in Ames, Iowa, were signature Palin, combining the folksy charm and everywoman appeal that initially made her a GOP superstar with defiant taunting of a “busted” GOP establishment that she slammed for counting both Trump and herself out.

Palin offered her full-throated support for Trump and slammed President Barack Obama as the “capitulator in chief.” Trump, she said, would be a commander in chief who would “let our warriors do their job and go kick ISIS’ ass!”

She also took aim at the Republican establishment for “attacking their own front-runner” and offered a challenge to those who have suggested that Trump, whose positions on issues like gun control and abortion rights have shifted over the years, isn’t conservative enough.

“Oh my goodness gracious. What the heck would the establishment know about conservativism?” she said. “Who are they to tell us that we’re not conservative enough? … Give me a break.”

Trump, whose team had been touting a major, surprise announcement, praised Palin as “a friend, and a high-quality person whom I have great respect for” in a statement.

“We’re going to give’ em hell,” he said after her speech.
Palin will also be joining Trump at two events Wednesday, including a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Palin was a virtual newcomer to the national political arena when 2008 GOP presidential nominee John McCain named her as his running mate. She has since risen to prominence as one of the most outspoken conservatives in the party. She signed on as a Fox News commentator after resigning as Alaska’s governor in 2010, a job she held until last year.

Trump and Palin did not discuss how the endorsement had come about, but Trump’s national political director Michael Glassner previously worked for her. Trump said earlier Tuesday that he doesn’t typically put much stock in endorsements, but said of this one, “I think it could very well result in votes.”

GOP consultant Kevin Madden said the timing will likely help Trump crowd out Cruz’s message as the Iowa caucuses approach.
“I think it helps Trump overwhelm the news cycle with Trump coverage at a critical time,” he said.

Madden also said Palin’s support could help shield Trump from charges that his past positions make him too liberal to be the GOP nominee, “giving Trump some rhetorical cover from a conservative validator in the eyes of many grassroots conservatives.”

But some rally-goers at Trump’s event Tuesday evening said they weren’t sure whether Palin’s support would help Trump win over voters. Several referenced what they saw as her poor performance as a vice presidential candidate.

“I don’t think it’s going to be a detriment, but I don’t think it’s going to be a huge asset,” said Stephen Freese, 56, of Burlington, Iowa, who works in construction.

“I don’t think she’s really credible anymore,” said Bruce Dodge, 66, a retiree who lives in Ankeny, Iowa.

The event came a day after Palin’s oldest son, Track, was arrested in a domestic violence case in which his girlfriend told police she was afraid he would shoot himself with a rifle. Track Palin was charged with assault, interfering with the report of a domestic violence crime and possessing a weapon while intoxicated in connection with the incident.

Earlier Tuesday, Trump received an endorsement from the daughter of movie star John Wayne.

Standing in front of a life-size, rifle-toting model of the actor in full cowboy gear, Trump accepted the endorsement of Aissa Wayne at the John Wayne Birthplace Museum in Winterset, Iowa.

“America needs help and we need a strong leader and we need someone like Mr. Trump with leadership qualities, someone with courage, someone that’s strong, like John Wayne,” she said.

AMBODE APPOINTS EX-FIRS BOSS, OMOIGUI-OKAURU, OTHERS FOR N25BN ETF BOARD

AMBODE APPOINTS EX-FIRS BOSS, OMOIGUI-OKAURU, OTHERS FOR N25BN ETF BOARD

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Wednesday appointed a former Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Mrs. Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru to head the Board of Trustees for the N25billion State Employment Trust Fund (ETF).

The Governor in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Habib Aruna, also approved the appointment of nine others to serve as members of the Board of Trustees of the ETF, which is geared towards addressing the challenge of youth unemployment as well as promote wealth creation through entrepreneurial development in the state.

Other members of the Board include Mr. Dele Martins, Mrs. Bilikis Adebiyi-Abiola, Mr. Otto Orondaam, Mrs. Olufunmi Olatunde Daudu, Mr. Tunde Bank-Anthony and Mr. Micheal Popoola Ajayi.

Governor Ambode also approved for the Commissioner for Wealth Creation, Mr. Tunde Durosinmi-Etti and his counterpart in Ministry of Finance, Dr. Mustapha Akinkunmi to be part of the Board, while Mr. Akintunde Oyebode is to serve as Executive Secretary of the Board.

The Employment Trust Fund, it would be recalled, was signed into law by Governor Ambode on Tuesday, according to him, was in line with keeping faith with the promise he made to the people during the electioneering campaign.

The Governor had expressed optimism that the Fund will address the challenge of unemployment and promote wealth creation through entrepreneurial development, adding that an annual contribution of N6.25billion will be injected into the Fund by the State Government for 4years totaling N25billion.

In a separate development, Governor Ambode, also inaugurated a new board of the Lagos State Law Reform Commission, restated the commitment of his administration to deepen democracy and rule of law especially by carrying out periodic review of obsolete laws in the State to bring them in tune with current realities for relevance and effectiveness.

The Governor said such periodic review was important especially to his administration in achieving the goal of creating an enabling environment for investors, entrepreneurs and making Lagos globally competitive.

While alluding to the fact that all modern and civilized societies thrive on the qualities of laws which regulate and guide the actions of government, organizations, individuals and institutions, Governor Ambode charged members of the Commission to hit the ground running by expediting action on the creation of electronic portal that is aimed at providing access to laws of the State online from anywhere in the world.

“This is a major project which the new Board has a responsibility to deliver in record time. It is very vital to the success of our drive to attract investors to our State,” Governor Ambode said.

Chairman of the newly inaugurated board is Professor Gbolahan Ellias (SAN), while members are Dr. Omogbai Omo-Eboh, Mr. Demola Sadiq and Mrs. Tola Akinsanya. The Executive Secretary is Mrs. Ade Adeyemo.

Speaking earlier at the inauguration, Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem said the past board was inaugurated on March 12, 2012, and was dissolved by Governor Ambode on June 15, 2015 in accordance with the provision of the law establishing the Commission as amended in 2012.

Responding, Professor Ellias, who spoke on behalf of other members, thanked Governor Ambode for the confidence reposed in them and assured that they would do all within the confines of the law to executive the mandate fearlessly and conscientiously. 

MTN Drags FG, NCC To Court Over $3.9b Fine

MTN Drags FG, NCC To Court Over $3.9b Fine

Telecommunication company, MTN has dragged the federal government and the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) before the Federal High Court in Lagos, challenge the $3.9billion sanction imposed on it by the NCC.

MTN is urging the court to quash the fine because the NCC does not have the constitutional power to impose such a fine on it.

 It will be recalled that NCC had in October this year slammed the South African telecoms giant with a fine of $5.2billion for allegedly failing to disconnect unregistered subscribers and prescribe a deadline of December 31, 2015 for payment of the said fine.

The commission later reduced the initial fine by 25 per cent to $3.9billion earlier this month, with a payment deadline set for December 31.

However, MTN through its team of lawyers namely:  Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), Tanimola Molajo (SAN), A.B, Mahmoud (SAN), Dr. Gbolahan Elias (SAN), Oladipo Okpeseyi (SAN): Prof. Fabian Ajogwu (SAN), Dr. Oladapo Olanipekun (SAN) through an originating summons, is challenging the powers of NCC to impose the fine on it.

According to MTN the NCC being a regulator, cannot assume all the functions of the state on its own, considering the fact that they made the regulation, prescribed the penalty and imposed the fine, payable to the commission and not the federal government.

The telecoms company also claimed that it was not afforded its constitutional right of fair hearing before a court of competent jurisdiction and more importantly, it had not been found guilty of any offence that will warrant it to pay such outrageous fine.

MTN further maintained that the sanction imposed on it by NCC was within 24 hours of its written submission on the disconnection exercise and the impractical nature of the NCC deadline.

It claimed that the deadline of seven days to disconnect 5.2 million subscribers was grossly inadequate and impracticable, the telecoms company said the deadline to disconnect 5,200,000 subscribers was unfair and ran contrary to the requirement to give adequate notice to the subscribers and all operators.

The company accused the regulatory agency of acting  as a legislator, executor, accuser, prosecutor, judge and beneficiary of the penalty imposed and tthat the sanction (N200,000 per SIM) imposed on it was excessive.

MTN insisted that the fine imposed on it, till date, is the highest fine ever imposed on a telecommunications company in the world, wondering if the fine is truly commensurate to the purported breach and if would not this frustrate the business of the company in Nigeria.

Sued alongside the NCC is the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), and Minister of Justice.

MTN wants to court to determine whether having regard to the clear and unambiguous provisions of sections 1 (3), 4 and 6 of the 1999 Constitution(as amended), if the regulatory agency can validly exercise section 70 of the NCC Act in a manner that encroaches on the exclusive legislative powers of the National Assembly, as well as the judicial powers of the courts established under the Constitution?

It also stated that further to, and having regard to the express tenor of sections 1 (2) 4 and 6 of the Constitution when read together with section 70 of the NCC, whether the 1stdefendant’s promulgation of regulations 11, 19 and 20 of its Act (Registration of Telephone Subscribers) Regulations 2011 is not ultra vires its subsidiary rule-making powers and an encroachment on the legislative powers of the National Assembly, as well as the judicial powers of the courts established under the Constitution?

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

Court Orders Stanbic IBTC Bank to Pay Ex-Bank Chief, Others N4.5 billion For Breach Of Contract

Court Orders Stanbic IBTC Bank to Pay Ex-Bank Chief, Others N4.5 billion For Breach Of Contract

Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc to pay a former Group Managing Director of Afribank Nigeria Plc, Patrick Olayele Akinkuotu and his company, Longterm Global Capital Limited the sum of N4.5 billion for breach of contract.

The judge also ordered Stanbic IBTC and the second defendant in the case Starcomms Plc to pay interest of 10 percent on the sum per annum until the date of final liquidation.

The court also declared that the 100 million units of Starcomms’ share sold to the plaintiffs through private placement in 2008 were improper, invalid, null and void and were hereby set aside.

Akinkuotu and his company had dragged the bank and Starcomms before the court in 2012 alleging that the Stanbic IBTC deliberately misled them into buying shares of the second defendant by misrepresenting facts and issuing false documents.

Other plaintiffs in the suit are: Mrs. Oluyinka Akinkuotu and Lakeside Mews Limited.

According to the suit, which was filed by the plaintiffs’ counsel, Chief Felix Fagbohungbe (SAN), in April, 2008, the bank through one of its officers, Akintayo Mabeweji proposed to sell shares of Starcomms to the plaintiffs by way of private placement.

That the bank gave the plaintiffs an Investment Letter dated April 24, 2008, bearing the names of Stanbic IBTC and another company, Chapel Hill Advisory Partners Limited as Joint Issuing Houses and that the Investment Letter and the Form of Commitment were represented by the bank as the only placement documents which target or prospective investors were expected to rely on before they made their unfettered independent investment decisions in respect of the placement.

That based on these, each of the plaintiffs were committed to purchase 25, 000, 000 units of Starcomms shares and promptly complied with the instructions of the bank.

That on July 24, 2012 the plaintiffs received two separate investigation letter from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) which raised several issues in respect of the private placement and upon enquires the plaintiffs discovered that the authentic and final document prepared and submitted to the SEC by the defendants was a Private Placement Memorandum dated May 5, 2008 and not the one given to them.

The plaintiffs averred that they were actually indued and misled by the representation which were deliberately made by Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc which made them applied and paid for Starcomms shares.

In its defence, the bank challenged the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit and that it should be dismissed because it was frivolous and vexatious.

The bank also argued that its did not conceal any material information in order to induce the plaintiffs to offer to participate in the private placement.

The bank also state that the plaintiffs never asked for the Private Placement Memorandum or for any information relating to the business management and financial position of the second defendant.

However, in his Judgement, Justice Tsoho agreed with the plaintiffs that the defendants deliberately concealed useful information which may have assisted the plaintiffs to reach a more informed decision.

He therefore declared that the plaintiffs are legally entitled to rescind the four Forms of Commitment for 100 million units of Starcomms’ shares which were subsequently manipulated by Stanbic IBTC Bank and were inproperly and unlawfully treated as three valid applications for subscriptions and parchases under the private placement exercise.

The court also ordered the second defendant to cancel forthwith from its register of shareholders the names of the plaintiffs.

Houston man charged after shutting down expressway for marriage proposal

Houston man charged after shutting down expressway for marriage proposal

Obstruction of a highway is a misdemeanor
It's punishable by up to six months in jail

Love can make you do some pretty crazy things. Bringing a major interstate in downtown Houston to a standstill probably shouldn't be one of them.

Vidal Valladares, 24, has been charged with obstruction of a highway, a misdemeanor, for shutting down I-45 on Sunday to propose to his girlfriend, the Harris County District Attorney's Office said. The misdemeanor is punishable by up to six months in jail.

"I'm feeling bad and, of course, I just wanted to apologize to everyone if I caused any problems," Valladares told CNN affiliate KTRK. "That wasn't my intention in the beginning. I just wanted to do something different."

His 23-year-old girlfriend Michelle Wycoff said, "Yes." The wedding is in March.

Valladares posted a picture of him popping the question on Instagram.

"When you shut down one of the biggest and busiest freeways in the entire country (I45) and you ask your girl if she wants to marry u, That moment is priceless love.

Romatic, but ...

The people of Houston weren't quite as enamored with the stunt, especially those stuck in traffic behind the prenuptial roadblock.

Horns can be heard blaring on the proposal video.
Social media took Valladares to task too, celebrating the charge filed against him.

"Good. I can think of at least 10 applicable laws broken," Kaitlyn Kaufman said on Facebook.

"That was dumb and dangerous and there are far more creative ways to propose," said Amanda Murff, "and attention seekers are annoying as hell."

Tia Leigh Sembera was a bit more understanding, but only a bit.

"While it's sweet, it's selfish and rude. He completely disregarded other people's lives," she said. "What if there was a woman in labor, someone driving to the er, someone trying to get to a wedding of their own, an interview, ANYTHING ...? You can't just stop a busy highway to be romantic. That's silly ..."

Friends and family stop traffic

Valladares had a few accomplices in his endeavor. Friends and family in eight cars blocked traffic so he could pull it off, KTRK reported.

Why I-45 in downtown Houston? That's Wycoff's favorite view of the city. Valladares wanted the setting to be perfect.

"Love makes you do stupid things and I wanted to do something big for my girl," Valladares said. "Something that she will always remember."