Beware! There's Almost a Million Fake Apps Targeting Your Phone

Fake apps dressed up to look like official ones but actually designed to steal user data are increasingly targeting Android phone users, according to a study by Trend Micro.
The company looked at the top 50 free apps in Google's Play Store and then searched Google's app store and others to see if fake versions existed. It found fake versions existed for 77 percent of the apps. The fake apps are often made to look like the real ones and have the same functions, but carry a dangerous extra payload.

"We've been tracking the activity of malicious or high-risk apps for nearly five years," said JD Sherry, vice president of technology and solutions at Trend Micro. "The potential for people to slip things past the gate and appear legitimate is much easier."
Tokyo-based Trend Micro, which makes antivirus and antimalware software that guard against such risks, said it cataloged 890,482 fake apps in a survey conducted in April this year. More than half were judged to be malicious of which 59,185 were
aggressive adware and 394,263 were malware.

The most common type of fake app purports to be antivirus software -- targeting users who think they are protecting themselves from such problems. In some cases, the apps ask users to approve administrator privileges, which allow the app wider
access to the phone's software and data and make it more difficult to remove.
While many of the fake apps exist on forums or third-party app stores where security is either weaker than Google's Play Store or nonexistent, fake apps can also invade the official Google store.

"A more recent example of a rogue antivirus app known as "Virus Shield" received a 4.7-star rating after being downloaded more than 10,000 times,
mostly with the aid of bots," Trend Micro said in its report.
Cheekily, scammers charged $3.99 for the fake app, which promised to prevent harmful apps from being installed. It was removed by Google after a few days, but not before it fooled thousands of users and even became a "top new paid app" in the Play Store. Trend said it was "perplexing" how the app achieved "top" status.

Attackers sometimes play on hype for apps.
When the "Flappy Bird" game was taken off the Play Store, fake versions appeared, some of which sent
premium text messages. And before BlackBerry released its BBM messenger app for Android, a number of fake versions appeared that were downloaded more than 100,000 times.
Trend Micro's report was published on the same day Google said it had formed a security team to go after so-called "zero-day" exploits in software that allow attackers to target users before software companies issue patches.

Sherry said he thought Google's announcement was "ironic" considering the large number of problems Trend Micro found in Google's own backyard.
"I strongly suggest they take aim at the Android marketplace and Google Play," he said.

Courtesy:
csoonline

Snowden Alleges 'Caliph' Al Baghdadi Was Trained, Propped by MOSSAD and Western Intelligence Agencies

The former employee at the National Agency for American security, Edward Snowden, revealed that the British and American intelligence and the Mossad worked together to create the ex-EIIL or Islamic State Iraq and the Levant, according to Iranian news agency Farsnews.

Snowden said the intelligence services of three countries, namely the United States, Britain and the Zionist entity have worked together to create a terrorist organization that is able to attract ALL extremists of the world to one place, using a strategy called “the hornet’s nest.”

The documents of the American National Security Agency refers to “the recent implementation of an old known as the” hornet’s nest “to protect the Zionist entity PLANbritannique, and creating a religion including Islamic slogans reject any religion or faith.”

According to the document, “The only solution for the protection of the” Jewish State “is to create an enemy near its borders, BUT the draw against Islamic states who oppose his presence.”
Leaks revealed that “Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi took an intensive military training for a whole year in the hands of Mossad, besides COURSES in theology and mastering the art of speech.

Source:
SomdailyNews

somdailynews.com/snowden-confirms-that-al-baghdadi-was-trained-by-mossad/

Suspected Fulani Herdsmen Kill 5 In Early Morning Attack On Kaduna Village

At least five people have been killed by gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen in an early morning attack on Fadan Karshi village in Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State, on Friday, July 18.
The latest attack comes less than a month after about 200 people were killed in seven communities within the
same local government.

The Local Government Chairman, Mr Emmanuel Adamu told Channels Television on telephone, that the
gunmen stormed the village at about 4:45am and started shooting at people and in the process killed five natives and injured many others.
Those who could run were able to escape the onslaught, leaving the weak and aged who fell victims of the attack.

Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State, has witnessed so many violent attacks by suspected Fulani
herdsmen since the beginning of this year.

In the meantime, the council chairman said soldiers have been drafted to the area to beef up security in the area.

Courtesy:
Channels Television

Explosion Rocks Enugu Market, 1-Year Old Baby Feared Dead, Several Injured During Stampede

A one-year-old baby was feared dead and others wounded following an explosion which occurred at Eke Ozi market in Igboeze North Local
Government area of Enugu State, on Friday.

The incident which occurred at about 2:00p.m few meters to the divisional police headquarters at Ogrute was suspected to be bomb blast making the market women and traders run for
safety.

Reports revealed that the baby was trampled upon, while hoodlums had a field day looting shops, during the stampede, which lasted for some while.
Although commercial activities had resumed in the market when Saturday Tribune visited the scene, several traders were seen lamenting their loss.
It was gathered that the people of the area had been apprehensive, since the reports that some people suspected to belong to the Boko Hram Sect were arrested at Obolo Afor community by
the police last month.
Both Enugu Ezike and Obolo Afor are border towns between Benue and Enugu states.

Attempts to reach the state Police Public
Relations Officer, Ebere Amarizu for comment proved abortive.

Courtesy:
Tribune Newspaper

Snowden Alleges 'Caliph' Al Baghdadi Was Trained, Propped by MOSSAD and Western Intelligence Agencies

The former employee at the National Agency for American security, Edward Snowden, revealed that the British and American intelligence and the Mossad worked together to create the ex-EIIL or Islamic State Iraq and the Levant, according to Iranian news agency Farsnews.

Snowden said the intelligence services of three countries, namely the United States, Britain and the Zionist entity have worked together to create a terrorist organization that is able to attract ALL extremists of the world to one place, using a strategy called “the hornet’s nest.”

The documents of the American National Security Agency refers to “the recent implementation of an old known as the” hornet’s nest “to protect the Zionist entity PLANbritannique, and creating a religion including Islamic slogans reject any religion or faith.”

According to the document, “The only solution for the protection of the” Jewish State “is to create an enemy near its borders, BUT the draw against Islamic states who oppose his presence.”
Leaks revealed that “Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi took an intensive military training for a whole year in the hands of Mossad, besides COURSES in theology and mastering the art of speech.

Source:

SomdailyNews

Nyanya Bombing 'Chief Mastermind' - 'Dr' Rufai Tsiga Still on the Run; Aminu Ogwuche to be Prosecuted in Nigeria

Sequel to the successful extradition of the co-mastermind of April 14 Nyanya bomb blast, Mr Sadiq Ogwuche, the Federal Government, on Thursday, said the chief mastermind of the blast, Rufai Tsiga, is still on its watch list.
Briefing newsmen in Abuja, the coordinator of the National Information Center (NIC), Mr Mike Omeri, said the security forces were on the trail of Tsiga and other personalities aiding terrorism
in the country.

He said: “The chief mastermind of the Nyanya bomb blast, popularly known as Dr Tsiga, is still on our watchlist, as the security forces are on his trail. When we arrest him, we will make it public like that of Ogwuche, for now he remains a wanted person.”

Omeri said Ogwuche will be tried by Nigerian local law and added that when the need arises, other legal process, which demands international standard, may be applied.

Speaking on the proposed $1 billion loan sought by President Goodluck Jonathan, Omeri said it was a longterm facility which would help reinforce the Nigerian military.
“The loan is a longterm facility sought by Mr President with the approval of the National Assembly to help purchase better equipment for the military and reinforce it.
“It is not aimed at only fighting the Boko Haram war, but for reinforcement of the Nigeria armed forces,” he added.
Speaking on the kidnap of a German national in Adamawa State, the NIC boss said the act was criminal, distasteful and must be rejected by Nigerians, just as he added that government would investigate the act and take necessary actions to protect the lives of citizens.

Courtesy:
Tribune Newspaper

Ethiopian Bloggers and Journalists Charged with Terrorism

A group of Ethiopian bloggers and journalists detained for nearly three months have been charged with terrorism for having links to an
outlawed group and planning attacks, a judge said on Friday.

The seven members of the blogging collective Zone Nine and three journalists were arrested in April,
prompting an outcry from rights groups who said the case was an assault on press freedom.

The group is accused of planning attacks in Ethiopia and working in collusion with the US-based opposition group Ginbot 7, labelled by Ethiopian authorities as a terrorist organisation.
"They took training in how to make explosives and planned to train others," judge Tareke Alemayehu
told the court.
The Zone Nine website, proclaiming "We blog because we care!" features mostly social and political commentary, often critical of the government.
The judge said the group's work was a cover for "clandestine" activities and accused it of plotting "to destabilise the nation".

Nine of the accused – one is charged in absentia – smiled and waved to friends and family as they entered the packed courtroom.

The lawyer for eight of the suspects dismissed the charges. "We don't believe that there is any credible substance," Amaha Mekonnen said.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned the decision, accusing Ethiopia of making a "mockery of its own judicial system", according to deputy Africa director, Leslie Lefkow.
"Hiding behind an abusive anti-terrorism law to prosecute bloggers and journalists for doing their jobs is an affront to the Ethiopian constitution," she said. HRW accuses Ethiopia of using the anti-terrorism laws to silence dissent and jail critics.

Several journalists have been jailed under the law, including two Swedish journalists sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2012. They were pardoned after serving 15 months.
The dissident blogger Eskinder Nega is currently serving an 18-year sentence for having links with Ginbot 7, which calls for the violent overthrow of the ruling party.

The trial for the bloggers and journalists is expected to resume on 4 August.

Courtesy:
The Guardian

Once Again, Boko Haram Attacks Damboa Village (Bornu State), Scores Feared Dead

Residents of Damboa village said they are still picking piles of corpses after Boko Haram gunmen Friday morning invaded the besieged town, 85km south of Maiduguri, shooting and killing defenceless villagers and setting homes ablaze.

A top security official (names withheld) from Maiduguri confirmed the attack but said no details on extent of damage yet.
Vigilante official, Abbas Gava, told Echoesinn blogger that “the death casualty could be very high because my contacts in Damboa said they are still picking and piling the corpses, but many houses, nearly half of what remains of the several attacked town has been burnt”.
Gava promised to get more details on the number of deaths recorded.
He said the gunmen crept upon the villagers who were about to perform the early dawn prayers.

Since the Sunday of fortnight ago, when Boko Haram gunmen walked over a military base killings dozen of soldiers and four police men in Damboa, Boko Haram gunmen had laid siege along the road leading from Maiduguri to Damboa, and had forced soldiers going to the attacked base for evacuation of its destroyed munitions, to turn back by launching some ambush shooting on them twice. Two more soldiers were reported dead in one of the ambush attack. But the soldiers were able to
return fire from an armoured tanker at a sniper with Rocket Launcher who was firing from atop a tree, while others were shooting from the surrounding bushes, a witness said.

Boko Haram had also cut off access to Damboa from the southern part of the road coming from Biu town, 100km away from Damboa by blowing down a major bridge on the highway at a hamlet called Sabongari last Monday.

Damboa, an agrarian village where Borno state sourced most of its grocery and fruits supply, had suffered several attacks in the past two years, reasons of the newly established 7 Division of the Nigeria Army to establish operational
base called 33 Tank Battalion in Damboa.
But since after the last attack before today’s (18th July, 2014) neither the soldiers nor the police could return back to Damboa. The embattled few villagers were left at the protection of the sticks and Dane guns-carrying youth vigilante called Civilian-JTF.

Courtesy:
African Spotlight

Malaysia Airlines Jet Brought Down by Missile: US Official

A surface-to-air missile struck a Malaysia Airlines plane carrying 295 people that went down today in Ukraine near the Russian border, a U.S. official told ABC News.

The official said U.S. intelligence and analysis of the situation determined that it was a single missile that struck the Boeing 777-200 aircraft while at cruising altitude. It is unclear whether the missile was fired from inside Ukrainian or Russian territory and who fired it, the official added.

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was traveling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lampur with 280 passengers and 15 crew members.

Speaking in Detroit, Vice President Joe Biden said the plane had "been shot down, not an accident. Blown out of the sky."

"We see reports that there may have been American citizens on board," he added. "Obviously, that’s our first concern. We’re working every minute to try to confirm those reports as I speak."

It remains unclear if Americans were on board the flight, although officials said that 154 passengers, a majority, were Dutch. In addition, 27 passengers were Australian, 23 Malaysians, 11 Indonesians, 6 British, 4 Belgians, 4 Germans, 4 French, 3 Filipinos and 1 Canadian. Nationalities of 43 other passengers remain unknown at this time.

Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak said the plane did not make any distress call. He said the route had been deemed safe by the International Civil Aviation Organization despite the ongoing fighting in Ukraine.

"If it transpires that the plane was indeed shot down, we insist that the perpetrators must swiftly be brought to justice," he added.

Earlier today, Ukrainian officials said a Russian missile shot down the passenger jet. Ukrainian authorities told U.S. Embassy officials that everyone was "believed dead" and that debris was spread out over a 10-mile path near the town of Hrabove in the district of Shakhtars'k.

A statement from the Foreign Ministry in Kiev claimed the plane had been "shot down."

"According to the General Staff of Ukrainian Armed Forces, the airplane was shot down by the Russian Buk missile system as the liner was flying at an altitude of 10,000 meters [33,000 feet]," the statement added. "Ukraine has no long-range air defense missile systems in this area. The plane was shot down, because the Russian air defense systems was affording protection to Russian mercenaries and terrorists in this area. Ukraine will present the evidence of Russian military involvement into the Boeing crash."

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko later added, "We are not calling it an accident, or a disaster, but an act of terrorism."

The plane had left Amsterdam at 12:15 p.m. (local time) and was estimated to arrive in Kuala Lampur International Airport on Friday at 6:10 a.m. (local time), according to Malaysia Airlines.

In a tweet soon after the plane went down, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, "Condolences to Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in connection with the crash of a passenger aircraft in Ukraine."

A Kremlin statement said Putin opened a meeting with his economic advisers by calling for a moment of silence over the crash.

"This tragedy would not have happened if there were peace on this land, if the military actions had not been renewed in southeast Ukraine," he said. "And, certainly, the state over whose territory this occurred bears responsibility for this awful tragedy."

President Obama, at an event in Delaware this afternoon, said, "Obviously, the world is watching reports of a downed passenger jet near the Russia-Ukraine border. And it looks like it may be a terrible tragedy. Right now, we're working to determine whether there were American citizens on board. That is our first priority, and I've directed my national security team to stay in close contact with the Ukrainian government."

Obama added that the U.S. "will offer any assistance we can to help determine what happened and why. And as a country, our thoughts and prayers are with all the families of the passengers, wherever they call home."

Courtesy:
ABC News

Gunmen Invade Jeremiah Useni’s Home

Gunmen suspected to be hired assassins, in the early hours of Thursday, stormed the home of Jeremiah Useni, a former Abuja minister.
Mr. Useni was, however, not at his Langtang north Local Government Area, Plateau State home, when the gunmen came.

According to witnesses, the suspects shot at the building about 48 times.
Mr. Useni, a member of the on-going National Conference, in a telephone interview with journalists on Thursday evening, confirmed the incident.
The retired general said no lives were lost.
“I was not there myself, but I was told of the incident. No one was killed, but I will later today (Thursday) visit the scene to see things for myself,” he said.

The Police Public Relation Officer, PPRO, of the Plateau State command, Abuh Emmanuel, also confirmed the
incident to journalists in Jos.
According to Mr. Abuh, the alleged assassins were repelled by the police in the area.
“The suspects shot sporadically at the building, but no one was killed. Police have brought the situation under
control,” he said.

However, residents of the area said it was a group of vigilantes and youth who chased away the suspected assassins.
One of the witnesses, who identified himself as Nanpon, claimed to no longer be afraid of the sound of guns
shots, as it had become routine in the area.
He alleged that members of the Special Taskforce, STF, posted there often shot sporadically in the air for no just cause.
Mr. Nanpon also alleged that members of the STF harassed people in the area.
“Soldiers in our area sometimes enter our houses and beat up people even when no one has committed an offence. So when the attackers came, we thought it was soldiers doing their usual business of shooting in the air,” he said.

Premium Times

Gunmen Abduct German Citizen in Adamawa (North East), Nigeria

Gunmen riding on motorcycles, Wednesday morning, abducted a German in Gombi town of Adamawa State.
The incident occurred at about 7 a.m. at Anguwan Faransa area of the town, residents said.

The man, who is said to be the principal of a technical skill acquisition centre in the town, was abducted on his way to work.
A resident of the town, who asked not to be named for security reasons, informed newsmen that the man, whose name he gave as Mr. Nachi, is a very popular figure in the town.

“The abductors laid siege on his house, and they came on motorcycles. As soon as the man came out and was about to get into his car, two persons on foot
approached him and pointed a gun at him. They now called the two other sets of people on motorcycles who approached them and they carried him away on their motorcycle,” the witness said.
“Almost everybody in this town knows him because he helps us a lot, especially in the area of repairing the town’s water bore holes. Most of the time he uses his own money to buy equipment and repair our boreholes,” he added.
He also said Mr. Nachi trains students on technical and vocational skills free of charge.

The German Embassy in Abuja when contacted over the telephone said it was not yet aware of the incident.
“The press officer is not yet in, but at this end we are not aware of something like that,” an official of the embassy revealed on phone.
The embassy also promised to get back with information as soon as it is available.

The spokesperson of the police in Adamawa State, Othman Abubakar, who said he was in a meeting and could only communicate via text messages, is yet to respond to an inquiry at the time of this report.
Adamawa is one of three states under emergency rule due to the activities of the Boko Haram insurgents.

Courtesy:
NigerianEye

President Jonathan Seeks $1 Billion Loan to Fight Boko Haram

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan requested permission from parliament to borrow $1 billion to help equip the armed forces in its fight against the Islamist-insurgent group Boko Haram.

“I would like to bring to your attention the urgent need to upgrade the equipment, training and logistics of our armed forces and security services to enable them to more forcefully confront this serious threat,” Jonathan said in a letter dated July 15 and read out today in the capital, Abuja, by Senate President David Mark. The $1 billion may be sourced from other governments, said
Jonathan.

Though $6 billion was allocated to defense and security this year’s budget, Nigeria ’s government is struggling to curtail a five-year-old insurgency by Boko Haram militants, who are seeking to impose Islamic law on Africa ’s biggest economy and most populous nation of about 170 million people.

Courtesy:
Bloomberg

General Danjuma to President Jonathan: Lead Us as C-in-C to Sambisa Forest

Chairman of the Victims Support Fund Committee, General Theophilus Danjuma has challenged President
Goodluck Jonathan as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces to lead the onslaught to the Sambisa forest where the Boko Haram insurgents are said to be operating from.

Danjuma who spoke on Wednesday during the inauguration of the Committee in Abuja by President
Jonathan said the war against terror was taking too long to win and must be won urgently by the Federal Government.
“One thing we will not do is to go to Sambisa forest.
The commander-in-chief will lead and we will follow the commander-in-chief. But seriously, this war must be brought to an end. We must win this war immediately.

It is taking too long.
“I called it civil war when it began; people say it is insurgency. The insurgents appear to be having an
upper hand at this very moment. They pick and choose where to strike. They are even holding positions and
displacing us. We must win this war Mr. President; we must do so immediately,” Danjuma said.

While inaugurating the Committee, President Jonathan admitted that his administration owes Nigerians victory
over Boko Haram.
Stressing that evil will never prevail over good, Dr. Jonathan said no effort would be spared by his government to bring the individuals responsible for crimes against humanity to justice.
But he called for the support of all Nigerians for the security agencies in the war against terror.
He said: “We owe Nigerians nothing but victory over terror. The life of every Nigerian is precious and we will
continue to work round the clock to put an end to this insurgency.”
“I call on all Nigerians to stand together in support of our security agencies against terrorism. They are working night and day under difficult circumstances. It is unfortunate that when our security personnel prevent
1000 attacks, it is the one attack that succeeds that makes headline news and tends to portray our security agencies as not doing enough. It is part of the realities we have to deal with.”

“The menace of terrorism has emerged as one of the most complex and challenging problems confronting governments in different parts of the world. Terrorists aim to cause social dislocation, spread fear and panic among the populace and disrupt government activities.
But they never win. They have not won in the Middle East, in the USA, in China, in Columbia, in Italy, in the United Kingdom, in Kenya, etc. And they will not win in Nigeria. And, with the support of all Nigerians, we would ensure they do not win in Nigeria. Good must prevail over evil.

The President spoke about how it began “on December 25, 2009, when a 23-year-old Nigerian attempted to detonate explosives hidden in his underwear on Northwest Airlines Flight 253, on his way from Amsterdam to Detroit, Michigan, United States”.
“Although his plan failed and the lives of 289 passengers were saved, it was one incident that finally confirmed that a few Nigerians had finally embraced terrorism as a way of life. Now we could no longer deny that terror has arrived our country with its ugly claws
deployed!”

He added: “The year 2009 appears to be a tragic turning point. Boko Haram, an assemblage of heartless individuals, took it upon itself to bring evil upon our country. They have in their mission, turned women to widows and reduced children to orphans.
“They have killed and maimed and struck fear into law-abiding citizens. They have destroyed villages, attacked property and terminated people’s livelihoods without a care in the world. They have engaged our security agencies in a meaningless warfare that has wasted unimaginable human and material resources.”

“The reality today is that, we are confronted with individuals whose minds have been so twisted and
tutored to believe they are doing God a service.”
“For those who take pleasure in seeing innocent human beings in pains, to see limbs being shattered and blood flowing in all direction after terror attacks, we say, you shall have no hiding place. Nigerians will expose you.
The people of conscience around the world have rejected you.”
Jonathan praised the countries backing Nigeria to fight the insurgency and this country’s neighbours for their co-operation.

He said: “This has given us more fillip and we are confident that the days of Boko Haram are numbered. It is now just a matter of time. Our war against terrorism is gathering momentum. When you read about bombing
incidents in the mass media, they may come across to those not directly affected as mere statistics. As the old proverb says, when you carry another man’s coffin, it looks like an ordinary log of wood.”
“But to us, fathers and mothers, and the families of the victims, they are not just numbers. They are human beings – sons and daughters, uncles, nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters and indeed, fathers and mothers! They are Nigerians!! They are individuals with dreams and aspirations, noble Nigerians who love their country.”

According to him, the Victims Support Fund Committee will help to mobilise collective efforts and resources in support of the victims.
He urged Nigerians and non-Nigerians, individuals and cooperate bodies, to give generously to the Fund.

The committee is to:
•Identify sources and ways of raising sustainable funding to support victims of terror activities;
•Develop appropriate strategies for the fund raising;
•Ascertain the persons, communities, facilities and economic assets affected by terror activities;
•Assess and determine the appropriate support required in each case;
•Manage, disburse and/or administer support to the victims as appropriate;
•Address related challenges as may be appropriate; and
•Advise the Government on other matter(s) necessary or incidental to support victims of terror activities.
Giving the vote of thanks, National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki, assured the committee that
the Federal Government would win the war against terror.

He said: “Sir, you gave me a very difficult task after Gen. Danjuma’s statement. The only thing I will do is
thank them for agreeing to serve and assure them that we will win the war.”
“But there are some very hard choices that would have to be made. We have to been more concern about the lives of a few versus the condition of a few million. The decision has to be made soon. This is not the first time we have been challenged by very senior Nigerians about the need to end this.

Courtesy:
The Nation

US Spying: Germany 'May revert Typewriters' to Counter Hi-Tech Espionage

German politicians are considering a return to using manual typewriters for sensitive documents in the wake of the US surveillance scandal.

The head of the Bundestag's parliamentary inquiry into NSA activity in Germany said in an interview with the Morgenmagazin TV programme that he and his colleagues were seriously thinking of ditching email completely.
Asked "Are you considering typewriters" by the interviewer on Monday night, the Christian Democrat politician Patrick Sensburg said: "As a matter of fact, we have – and not electronic models either". "Really?" the surprised interviewer checked. "Yes, no joke," Sensburg responded.

"Unlike other inquiry committees, we are investigating an ongoing situation. Intelligence activities are still going on, they are happening," said Sensburg.
Last week, Merkel's government asked the CIA's station officer in Germany to leave the country after an employee of the German intelligence agency BND confessed to passing confidential documents to the US secret service. The ongoing investigation prompted speculation that the CIA may have actively targeted the Bundestag's NSA
inquiry committee.

Last year, the Russian government reportedly took similar measures after the extent of US electronic surveillance was revealed by the whistleblower Edward Snowden.
The federal guard service, a powerful body tasked with protecting Russia's highest-ranking officials, put in an order for 20 Triumph Adler typewriters, which create unique "handwriting", that allows the source of any documents created on them to be traced.

But judging by the reaction to Sensburg's comments, manual typewriters are unlikely to be widely adopted in German political circles.
"Before I start using typewriters and burning notes after reading, I'd rather abolish the secret services," tweeted Martina Renner, an opposition member of the parliamentary committee investigating the activities of US and other intelligence agencies in Germany. Sahra Wagenknecht, Die Linke party's deputy chair, described the suggestion as grotesque.

Christian Flisek, the SPD's representative on the committee, told Spiegel Online: "This call for mechanical typewriters is making our work sound ridiculous. We live in the 21st century, where many people communicate predominantly by digital means. Effective counter-espionage works digitally too. The idea that we can protect people from
surveillance by dragging them back to the typewriter is absurd."

Yet while Sensburg may regret his comments, there is little question that revelations about digital surveillance have triggered a fundamental rethink
about how the German government conducts its communications.
"Above all, people are trying to stay away from technology whenever they can," wrote Die Welt .
"Those concerned talk less on the phone, prefer to meet in person. More coffees are being drunk and lunches eaten together. Even the walk in the park is increasingly enjoying a revival."

Last November, in the immediate aftermath of the revelations of NSA monitoring of Merkel's mobile phone, the German government instructed its MPs to only use encrypted mobile phones for sensitive calls. The use of iPhones for intra-governmental
communications is reportedly banned. Since then, some have even questioned whether the state-of-the-art "Secusmart" encryption mobile currently used by the chancellor is safe from bugging attempts.

The Bundestag's NSA inquiry committee has found its own way of protecting itself from surveillance: before every meeting, members leave their mobiles in a metal box in an adjacent room, in which any remaining snippets of conversation are drowned out by the music of Edvard Grieg played at full blast.

Courtesy:
The Guardian

Biafra: Ohanaeze Demands N2.4 Trillion Reparation From Nigerian Government

As the on-going National Conference in Abuja battles with the issue of derivation, the South East geopolitical
zone of the country, under the auspices of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, yesterday demanded the sum of N2.4trn as reparation from the Federal Government. Ohanaeze demanded that the money should be paid to the five South East states, as well as Delta State, for the atrocities and injustices meted out against Ndigbo during the three-year civil war between 1967 and 1970.

The breakdown of the sum being demanded by the zone is that the sum of N400 billion be paid to each of the five South Eastern states, including Delta State, because of the Igbo speaking areas otherwise known as ‘Anioma’, as compensation to those who lost their beloved ones, for loss of property and those still suffering dislocation in the country due to the war which ended in 1970. In a document signed by Chief
Mbazulike Amechi and Chief Ralph Obioha, as Chairman and Secretary of reparation committee entitled: Ohanaeze Ndigbo: Atrocities and Injustices against Ndigbo, attached to a letter dated February 15, 2004, and addressed to President Goodluck Jonathan, copies of which were circulated to delegates at the conference, the group said Igbos in the country have suffered gross injustice which culminated in an imposed civil war which lasted 30 months.

According to the letter, millions were killed, millions suffered serious injuries, properties damaged and seized, and assets were lost families dislocated while mass starvation was imposed as an instrument of war in the course of the horrendous war. The letter stated that although it was established that Igbos as a people never conspired nor planned any mutiny against the state of Nigeria in 1966, it noted that the actions of the officers of the Nigerian army could not and should not have been visited on a people on the scale perpetrated against Ndigbo. The organisation described it as “calculated exercise of annihilation, pogrom, and planned tribal cleansing of magnitude of extermination on the pretext of resolving ‘Igbo question’ noting that “it is heinous that rather than to protect, the state turns its weapons on its defenceless citizens, waged war against them, deliberately imposed policies that marginalised them, refused to atone for the injuries caused and pretended that all is well.”

Ohanaeze Ndigbo said it wanted to
know why Igbos are frequently killed in Nigeria, why the South East has the least number of states, why there is
no major Nigerian government projects or establishment in any part of Igbo land and why the Igbos are the only group that has dwindling number of census figures. They also called for the establishment of a Federal Territory in the South East as demanded by the maiden address of General Murtala Mohammed when he took over from General Yakubu Gowon in military putsch. The letter also called on the Federal Government to invest in massive re-planning of Igbo cities with proper structures of provision of urban
water works, which they called a sort of marshal plan often devised in ravaged areas.

Courtesy:
National Mirror