Venom derived from the long-glanded blue coral snake - one of Southeast Asia's rarest and deadliest snakes - may help develop better painkiller that could help manage pain without the side effect of addiction.

The snake with electric blue stripes and neon-red head and tail grows up to two metres long. Its venom glands extend to 60 centimetres about a quarter of its body length.

Described as "the killer of killers" due to its taste for young king cobras, this snake is unique among snakes because, like scorpions, its venom causes its prey to spasm.

"This venom hits a particular type of sodium channel that is important for the treatment of pain in humans," said Bryan Fry, from the University of Queensland in Australia.

Researchers identified six unusual peptides in the venom of the blue coral snake that can switch on all of its prey's nerves at once. This immediately immobilises its victim.

The found that the venom used receptors which were critical to pain in humans. Learning how these work may enable improved pain treatment and management, the 'Sydney Morning Herald' reported.

"It's a great example of why studying the really weird animals is a great path for biodiscovery and you can't get any weirder than this snake with the longest venom glands in the world," Fry said.

The findings were published in the journal Toxins.

Former president, Goodluck Jonathan, may be called to witness in the trial of Sambo Dasuki who is facing investigation for alleged mismanagement of $2.1billion arms funds. The Nation reports that Mr. Ahmed Raji (SAN), the counsel to the former national security adviser (NSA), said Dasuki wanted Jonathan to testify in court.

Raji said: “It will be desirable for Jonathan to testify for the ex-NSA. It will throw greater light into grey areas. And it will serve the interest of Justice. “It will be fantastic for him to go to court to testify. Dasuki is an agent of a disclosed and known principal.”

Another member of the legal team citing Jonathan’s statement that faulted the charges against Dasuki, said the only logical thing for the former president to do is to see it through.

“We want Jonathan to follow-through. If he backs out, it will be bad.”

Recall that Jonathan in a recent interview at the Oxford Union in the United Kingdom, faulted the charges against Dasuki, claiming that the ex-NSA could not have stolen about $2.2billion votes for arms. But, in Raji’s view, a political solution will be better than trial because of the “characters involved”.

He said: “But, frankly speaking, I pray for a political solution to the problem because of the characters involved.” On insurgency, the United States has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to sustain the momentum against the Boko Haram insurgents.

The Sun reports that the US on Sunday, October 30, told President Buhari to put more pressure on Boko Haram to ensure the insurgents do not regroup even as the country distanced herself from the Nigerian government negotiations with the group that led to the release of 21 Chibok girls recently.

Sarah Sewall, the US Under-Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights, commended the Buhari administration for its progress in the fight against Boko Haram. But Washington urged the federal government to step up pressure on the terrorists.

“From our experiences, insurgency and terrorist groups can be very resilient, can move and again reconstitute themselves. So, it’s absolutely critical that both federal and state levels of governments partner very closely the military campaigns to ensure they can provide security, services and good governance for the country as Boko Haram is pushed out particularly in the neighborhoods. At the same time, Nigeria needs to put pressure on Boko Haram,” Sewall said. Meanwhile, strong indications emerged that elders, leaders and stakeholders of the Niger Delta Region have rejected the federal government’s move to launch a $10 billion (N4 trillion) infrastructural rebirth investment programme in the area.

Vanguard reports that the multi-trillion naira programme is part of the Short and Medium Term Priorities to Grow Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Industry (2015 to 2019), tagged the ‘7 BigWins’, a new initiative of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

But the Niger-Delta leaders dismissed the proposal as a blackmail saying there is no money to fund it. The leaders said it is imperative to tell President Buhari that they are rejecting the move because it is private sector-driven with the aim of dragging the government into it.

“At the end of the day, other Nigerians will say why complain when you have $10 billion and the money is not there in the first place. If the companies have such money, they should pay the money owed the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, rather than blackmail the region with such money,” they said.

In other news, the Punch reports that another round of crisis is looming between the executive and the federal legislature over the present administration’s plan to borrow $29.96bn from external sources.
The impending clash follows President Muhammadu Buhari request on Tuesday, October, 25, for the National Assembly to approve the external borrowing plan to enable his government to raise funds to execute key infrastructural projects across the country between now and 2018. But a source has said lawmakers were currently not favourably disposed to approving the plan.

The lawmakers opposed to the loan were said to include members of the ruling All Progressives Congress and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party. On the economy, banks are taking their scarce assets to governments as foreign exchange crisis and economic recession threaten return of investments. Guardian reports that lending rates to different sectors of the economy for the month of September as published by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) show that deposit money banks see higher risks in lending to the private sector, including agriculture.

Loans to governments and Mining & Quarrying remain the lowest at 24 and 23 per cent respectively. For general commerce, oil and gas, construction, manufacturing, mortgage and agriculture, banks would charge the highest rates at 27 per cent on the average. Ostensibly due to exchange rate volatility.

IGBO leaders have called on the Federal Government to immediately release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and other prisoners of conscience in line with the rule of law, saying that their agitation does not constitute threat to peace.

They also called for the restructuring of the nation so that Igbo that have made the “biggest sacrifice and contribution to the building of modern Nigeria” will be allowed to live and operate freely as equal citizens without discrimination. Rising from a three-day 2016 World Igbo Summit held at Gregory University, Uturu, Abia State, Igbo leaders also condemned in strong terms, the destructive activities of herdsmen and urged governors and the lawmakers in Igbo states to enact laws prohibiting open grazing in Igboland.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the summit, which was attended by prominent Igbo people, including first class traditional rulers and co-chaired by General Ike Nwachukwu, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Col. Joe Achuzia (retd.), Chief Francis Oji and Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, they resolved that Ndigbo should take full responsibility for the rebuilding of Igbo economy and development. Other resolutions, according to the communiqué read by Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, are that governors in Igboland should form a joint commission for the development of their areas; that the 1999 Constitution should be repealed and a new one enacted that will recognise the inalienable rights of each constituent group to self-determination and regional autonomy as enshrined in the 1960 Independence Constitution and 1963 Republican Constitution:

“Ndigbo, hereby, resolve to take full responsibility for the rebuilding of the Igbo economy and development of Ala-Igbo and hereby shall adopt the digital economy as the organising paradigm and implementation framework for the sustainable development of Ala-Igbo. “That Igbo political leadership (elected and appointed) must act in the best interest of Ndigbo and be prepared to be held accountable by the people for all their actions and inactions; that in view of the threat by the herdsmen, which constitute present and imminent danger to peace and security in Igboland, the Igbo governors and the states assemblies should immediately legislate against any form of open grazing in Igboland, among others.” … as minister urges Biafra agitators to follow due process Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, has accused those agitating for the Republic of Biafra of using uncivilised methods, advising them to follow constitutional and diplomatic processes to achieve their aim.

The minister said that MASSOB and IPOB have the fundamental right to clamour for Biafra, “but they should be rational and not emotional in going about it.” He spoke with newsmen in Enugu shortly after the end of a stakeholders/caucus meeting of the Enugu state chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC. Onyeama then urged those spearheading the breakaway project to critically look at the rules relating to secession. According to him, those agitating for Biafra “are not speaking for Ndigbo, as they do not have the mandate of the Igbo race to do so.” He asked them to embrace dialogue rather than resorting to violence.

He, however, called on Nigerians, particularly those from the South-East, to keep supporting the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government, pointing out that the government has the capacity to tackle the current challenges facing the nation. In his remarks, the Chairman of APC in the state, Dr. Ben Nwoye, assured the national leadership of the party that the state chapter was highly committed to wrestling power from Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in 2019. Nwoye said that existing political structures are being oiled and strengthened at all levels in the state, calling on true democrats and progressives to embrace the party to ensure a better Enugu State.

For every action we did there are always consequences, and that includes cheating. This is a fact well-known to us but still, many men are taking the risk. This 47-year-old man from Pattaya, Thailand learned this lesson the hard and painful way after his wife discovered his affair.

Apparently the man known only as Mr. Somchai (name changed to protect his identity) was having an affair with his wife’s best friend. After discovering the illicit relationship of his husband, the wife flew into a rage and then planned her vengeance. She led her husband into a trap by flirting on him and started performing fellatio.

Somehow his wife began to feel a little sorry for him and immediately called the medics. The attack happened in the Thai tourist spot of Pattaya and it is reported that Mrs. Somchai used a box cutter to chop off her husband’s pen*s.

The poor guy was rushed to Bang Lamung Hospital in Pattaya for urgent surgery and is closely monitored after losing a lot of blood. Aside from it, he is also said to be suffering severe psychological trauma on top of the injury.

A man who claimed to be a wizard has blamed the recession in the President Muhammadu Buhari administration for why he crashed into Sapele River. Vanguard reports that the man who was discovered in Ajogodo River in Sapele, Delta State said he was flying from Benin airport to attend a meeting in the UK using Plantain Leaf.

He said he was also supposed to watch a football match in the UK when the fuel in his jet finished.

He said: “I was flying in with what is known in the physical realm as ‘Plantain Leaf,’ but it is actually my expensive private jet in the coven realm.

“It crashed me into this bridge, when the fuel in it finished. My members will be here tonight to refuel it for me, so I can continue my journey to the UK.

“I have to be in the UK to watch football, because there is economic recession, unemployment and inflation in Nigeria.”

Vanguard reports that the apostle who is the founder of New Covenant Christian Fellowship which is located in Nnobi in Anambra state said he wants to use the contest to re-enact the feat of Prophet Elijah in Mount Carmel, where he challenged the prophets of Baal to determine whether God or Baal was supreme.

The 83-year pastor said: “For a long time now a lot of people believe in occultism, charms, witchcraft, wizardry and all sorts of satanic manipulations instead of believing in the Almighty God. I want this contest to determine who is supreme: God or all those witches, occults and their likes.

“All these groups should come together against the Apostle of Christ. From 12 noon they can do everything. After then, the Apostle will do his own to bring down the power of God.

“This challenge has gone into internet and social media; it involves the universe: India, United States of America, Europe, China, among others. I insist that there must be a clear demarcation of who the Supreme Being is.”

The travails of the the Nigerian economy as taken on a sad note as the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), on Wednesday, October 26 issued a 21-day ultimatum to the federal government, to prevent international oil companies operating in the country from sacking oil workers. Mr Igwe Achese, the national president of NUPENG, gave the ultimatum at the end of a meeting of the central working committee of NUPENG, which held in Effurun, Uvwie local government area of Delta state.

Speaking at the meeting, Achese said many oil companies, including Chevron, ExxonMobil, Pan Ocean and Ground Petroleum, were leaving the country due to the recession, which has led to the sacking of about 3,000 oil workers.

The national president said that if the federal government fails to stop the ongoing mass sack in the oil sector, many more would lose their jobs.

Achese said: “It is painful to say as I address you, Chevron has wound up in the East and their offices closed. A total of 1,500 workers were sacked without their entitlements and nobody is saying anything. As we speak, many companies have left and many others are winding up to go.

“Many oil companies are winding up, including ExxonMobil, Pan Ocean, Sapiem Ground Petroleum, and Hercules Offshore Nigeria Limited. About 3,000 workers have already been sacked by the various oil companies.

“The Federal Government should act fast to avert further loss of jobs. There is too much redundancy in the oil industry, which needs urgent action from government to salvage the situation.”

A cross section of parents in the FCT have applauded the proposed legislation to extend JAMB results’ validity for a period of three years. The parents said on Wednesday in Abuja that the amendment would not only ease the financial burden on parents but also enable universities to upgrade their standard.

According to them, the legislation, if passed, will benefit both parents and candidates. One of the respondents, Dr Samson Olori, a Paediatric Surgeon, said the amendment would help to reduce the number of students that writing JAMB every session as well as the cost of conducting the examination. He noted that such amendment would also enable some universities to upgrade their standard and create a better environment for effective learning.

Birnin Kebbi – A 35-member medical team from America is providing free surgery and treatment of patients suffering from cancer and diabetes in Kebbi State. The state’s Deputy Governor, Alhaji Samaila Yombe, told newsmen in Birnin Kebbi on Wednesday that the surgical operations were part of government’s efforts to provide effective service delivery to the people.

“The surgical operation is free; it is an assistance to patients suffering from various ailments who can hardly afford the cost of the treatment,” Yombe said. He called on the people to turn out in order to avail themselves the opportunity to be treated by the visiting doctors and nurses. Yombe said the APC-led government would continue to redeem its campaign promises as it had started boosting the agricultural activities in the state.

The Co-founder of Moses Lake Medical Team, United States of America, Dr Lateef Olaniyan, said patients battling with diabetes, cervical cancer, hypertension, hernia and dental disease were among targeted beneficiaries of the outreach. Olaniyan said laboratory technicians were available to diagnose the patients in order to ease the doctors’ operation and speed up the process.

He urged the people to give all the necessary support to the medical team in the course of discharging its duties in order to achieve the needed objectives. Olaniyan commended the state government for its support and assistance, describing it as the first of its kind to the team since the commencement of its mission in Nigeria.

The Moses Lake Medical Team is a non-profit public charity organisation established to improve the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities around the world by providing medical care, public health education, medical equipment and supplies.

Mr Hodonu Daniel, the Facility Manager, First Storey Building in Nigeria, located in Badagry, Lagos State, says that 1,800 visitors have been there in the last nine months.

Daniel told newsmen on Wednesday in Lagos that visits to the structure, now 170 years, were made between January and September.

The foundation of the house was laid in 1842 and the house was completed in 1845. “Our peak period is during the New Year, Easter, Sallah and Christmas holidays and on public holidays. “We are used to recording about 180 visitors in a month but it varies. We have recorded 1,800 visitors in the last nine month,’’ he said.

He said that some of the visitors that patronised the facility were local and foreign tourists, students, foreigners, adults and children. “Students patronise the building more than others,’’ he added. Daniel said that this year’s patronage was better than the previous years. “The difference in the record of visitors that patronised the building this year compared to last year was not much,’’ he said. He urged the Lagos State Government to support the management in giving the building a facelift that is of international standard.

Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has said that it was impossible for his former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki, to have stolen $2.2 billion as being accused by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Responding to questions after his lecture on Youth Entrepreneurship at the famous Oxford Union in the United Kingdom, former President Goodluck Jonathan, said: “They said the National Security Adviser (Sambo Dasuki) stole $2.2billion. I don’t believe somebody can just steal $2.2 billion. We bought warships, we bought aircraft, we bought lots of weapons for the army and so on and so forth and you are still saying 2.2 billion, so where did we get the money to buy all those things?

“Yes, there were some issues. Yes, there are still corruption issues but some of it were over blown. I’d say exaggerated and they give a very bad impression about our nation. You cannot say the national security adviser stole $2.2billion. It is not just possible.”

To avoid sounding confrontational with the current government, Mr Jonathan explained that some of the corruption cases were still in court and would rather allow the legal processes to reveal the facts of the matter.

He said: “One thing about the issue of corruption is that these matters are in court, let’s allow some of these processes to end. Lately some judges’ (homes) were also invaded. There are so many things involved and we have to follow up these matters to conclusion before we know the fact. “I don’t want to be seen a former president challenging what the sitting government is doing so I have decided to keep quiet for the court to look into them.”

He said allegations of corruption were not unique to his administration or the country. He said: “You will see that it has become a major topic whenever there is a change of government … I am not saying there is no corruption in Nigeria, there is corruption.

If you look at corruption there is almost no country that is free, the degree varies, the perception varies. “Transparency International talks about the way corruption is being perceived in different economies, why do we talk about the way corruption is being perceived, it depends on the issue raised in the media every day.”

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday, promised Nigerians that the Federal Government has set machinery in motion to ensure 7,000 megawatts at the first quarter of 2017 . Osinbajo, who acknowledged that the country was battling with 3,000 megawatts, assured that the 7,000mw is achievable.

The vice-President said the Federal Government is currently working on nine transmission stations across the country towards achieving that set target of 7, 000 megawatts electricity generation for the country.

He however, attributed the crisis in the power sector to the vandalisation of the folcado terminal and four other export terminals is responsible to the reduction in the megawatts to as low as almost 2500mw of power .

The VP who said this in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital while declaring open, the 8th Session of the National Council on Industry, Trade and Investment, adding that the work on the critical transmittions would be completed by the first quarter of the year 2017.

Meantime, former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called on African countries to explore trading opportunities within the continent as part of efforts to boost their economies. Obasanjo made the call yesterday when a delegation from the National Council on Industry, Trade and Investment paid him a courtesy visit at his hilltop mansion in Abeokuta.

The delegation led by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Okechukwu Enalamah, included the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Aisha Abubakar, and members of some committees of the National Assembly The delegation was in Abeokuta for the eighth edition of the council’s meeting with the theme “Diversification of the Nigerian Economy: From Over Dependence on Oil Exports.”

The former president expressed concern that the share of intra-African trade in Africa’s total trade over the past decade was only about 12 per cent compared to 65 per cent of Asia.The VP further hinted that the federal government is already encouraging a privately owned oil refinery firm in the country which would refine 650, 000 bpd towards easing the petroleum products’ supply and accessibility in Nigeria. According to him, when the privately owned refinery project is completed, Nigeria would be saving about 30 percent of the amount it spends on importation of refined crude into the country.

Over 5000 workers have lost their jobs in the Apapa area of Lagos. This followed the closure of over 50 companies including banks and entertainment outfits located in Apapa who depend on the activities from the wharf.

On Wharf Road alone, Daily Sun counted over 10 banks  and two eateries that have closed their branches because of the lull in the ports. Unity Bank which used to have four  branches, has two now and Ecobank with eight  branches has reduced to four. Similarly, Access Bank with seven  branches also cut down to four Eateries like Tetrazini and some ‘mamaput joints’ have been  shut down, while a  popular Kingstone Joe – a fast food company – that had two  outlets at Warehouse Road and Wharf Rood  are closed down.

Tantalizer with three outlets has been reduced to one while the only Mr Biggs eatery in Apapa on Creek Road is now out of the market. Major hotels like Rockview, Excelsior and many others are groaning for lack of patronage as most of their rooms are empty. Chains of events that require renting their halls no longer come with faster frequency. A room rate which used to be between N25,000 and N30,000 can now be negotiated to between N8,000 and  N10,000 because of the low patronage.
Other businesses that collapsed on Burma Road include, grocery shops, shipping companies, haulage outfits, freight forwarding firms, clubs and other recreational outlets.  It was gathered that each of the outfits has between 20 and 50 staff while one of the biggest brothels which harbours over 200 inmates in the area has equally closed shop and the inmates relocated to other parts of Lagos where they can get ‘customers’.

The entertainment outfit, according to the president of Association of Maritime Journalists (AMJON), Mr. Ismaila Aniemu, said that the brothel served as a relaxation spot for sailors but since there is no activity in the ports, the brothel lost patronage and had to close shop.
Beside the bank and entertainment workers that lost their jobs, some ancillary businesses like the provision stores and food vendors that supply the low-end workers also ceased to be active.
The popular Eleganza complex that used to house over 1000 offices is virtually empty because the tenants have relocated or are out of business. The few tenants who are still hanging on are owing several months rentage. The complex which used to be the centre of activities is now a ghost of itself—empty, deserted dilapidated.

The popular Nnewi Building where over 800 offices were located is  now empty, abandoned and lonely.Generally speaking, property owners in Apapa are all lamenting because nobody occupies their property. Daily Sun gathered that since this year, only five ships had berthed in Apapa port, a situation that now makes maritime business unattractive and boring.
The situation is worsened by recent high foreign exchange rate which is almost N500  to a United States dollar from what used to be about N160 to a dollar in 2015.

The high exchange rate  and the ban on  41 items by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) contributed to the low  activities in the ports. The 41 items include, rice, cement, margarine, palm kernel/palm oil products/vegetable oils, meat and processed meat products, vegetables and processed vegetable products, poultry chicken, eggs, turkey, private airplanes/jets, indian incense, tinned fish in sauce (Geisha)/sardines, cold rolled steel sheets, galvanized steel sheets, roofing sheets, wheelbarrows, headpans, metal boxes and containers, enamelware, steel drums, steel pipes, wire rods (deformed and not deformed), iron rods and reinforcing barbedwire mesh, steel nails, security and razor wine, wood particle boards and panels; wood fibre boards and panels, plywood boards and panels; wooden doors, toothpicks,  glass and glassware, kitchen utensils, tableware, tiles-vitrified and ceramic textiles, woven fabrics, clothes, plastic and rubber products, polypropylene granules, cellophane wrappers,  soap and cosmetics, tomatoes/tomato pastes, eurobond/foreign currency bond/ share purchases.
The CBN policy implies that, those who import these items can no longer buy foreign currency from the official window to pay the overseas suppliers. Rather, they will have to source forex from the parallel market or Bureau De Change to pay for their imports.

Most businesses in the area were heavily dependent on the state of the ports in Apapa Complex and Tin Can Island. President General of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Comrade Tony Nted Emmanuel,  had announced in August that the government policy has led to more than 3000 dockworkers losing their jobs.

Investigations show that over 50 per cent of these dockworkers are from Apapa Port. The chains of food vendors and other ancillary service providers who hitherto enjoyed their patronage have been shut down.

The ailing veteran Nollywood actor of Village Headmaster fame, Tunde Alabi, who has been laying critically ill, over complications from diabetes at the Lagos General Hospital has had one of his legs amputated.

The surgery to save the Thespian from further complication by amputating one of his leg took place today, Monday, October 24, 2016. There were several efforts to checkmate the amputation surgery but all failed as they seemed to have come rather too late.

According to the veteran actor’s colleague, Paul Julius, who is the person solely taking care of him, the actor has no home to go back to after the surgery. “ As I speak with you, the amputated leg has just been taken to the mortuary. But that is not our major concern right now but where he will return to as his home. Right now, he has no family, no friend that can take him in. He is homeless,” he said.

For sometime now, there have been worries and concerns that one of the biggest brands in Nollywood, the Aki and Pawpaw brand, may be running its last course as the brand we used to know. There have been speculations that all is not well between the two diminutive figures who many earlier thought are twin brothers, but who are in fact colleagues destiny and fortune brought together.

According to rumours, problem started between them when one of them, Aki, Chinedu Ikedieze, got married and reportedly asked his performing partner, Osita Iheme, Pawpaw to vacate the flat they shared together for him and his wife. This, according to reports, put a strain on their relationship.

Most inmates of a northern Haitian prison escaped on Saturday after killing a guard and stealing firearms. The authorities that launched a manhunt with support from UN peacekeepers for the 174 fugitives on Sunday disclosed this in Arcahaie (Haiti).

A witness said the police set up checkpoints on roads leading from the prison and detained several people without identity cards. The prison official said on condition of anonymity that the 266 inmates of Arcahaie prison do not wear uniforms, making it easier for escapees to mingle outside.

The official said that 11 inmates were caught during the break, which happened during a period when some were bathing. He said the inmates broke into an area used by the guards, stealing at least five rifles among other weapons and shot dead one guard.

Haiti’s Minister of Justice, Camille Edouard-Junior, said one prisoner died after falling off a wall and hitting his head during the escape from the Arcahaie prison. “One guard was killed during the incident,” Edouard Junior told Reuters.

“Three prisoners were wounded, including one who died as a consequence of his wounds,’’ he said. Edouard-Junior said in the aftermath of the escape, the guard’s bloodied body lay at the prison and discarded sandals were scattered on the ground.

Knowing where you stand in terms of compensation compared to your coworkers can help you understand your value to the company, whether or not it’s time to ask for a raise, and if you should potentially be looking for a new gig.
It can be quite tricky to figure out how your salary stacks up, but lucky for you, there are many options these days for gathering financial intel.
Glassdoor, the jobs and recruitment website, highlights five ways to know if you’re making less than your work colleagues.

1. Know Your Worth
Get your free, personalized salary estimate with Glassdoor’s latest tool. When you enter in your current job title, employer, current salary, location and years of relevant work experience, you will see the median estimated market value, or the base pay you could command in today’s job market.
That’s right. It’s a real-time tool to see what colleagues with your same qualifications can earn, and the number changes as the job market fluctuates. This allows you to see if you’re underpaid or overpaid, and allows you to determine if you want to ask for a raise. It also allows you to think through the other portions of your compensation package, like how much you value benefits, equity or stock options and the perks of the job.

2. Job Listings
Many job listings, including ones on Glassdoor, list the salary or salary range for the position they’re advertising. This practice is most common with government jobs, but is also seen in other industries frequently — especially if you’re accessing job postings through a recruiting service.
If you’re able to find a few listings for positions that are similar to yours, take the average and see where your compensation falls. You can also use job listings as a tool to evaluate if people with similar titles have the same duties that you do. If you’ve got way more on your plate than what job descriptions for positions like yours indicate, you’re probably being under compensated.

3. Your Coworkers
While many experts caution against getting too specific with your coworkers about your salaries, speaking in generalities can help you figure out a broader idea of where you stand. Barry Maher, career consultant, speaker and author, noted: “both within the industry and with fellow workers, you have to show them yours before you ask to see theirs. I always advise using the idea of a pay range rather than specific numbers.”

He suggested that a way to broach the subject could be to say something like “I’ll be talking with my boss about compensation at some point soon, and I’m just trying to get a rough idea of what I should be looking for. I know the company doesn’t want us to compare salaries and I can see how that benefits them, but I can’t see how it benefits us. To give you an idea of I’m getting right now, it’s roughly (whatever you feel like sharing). Is that the kind of range you’re in as well?”
“It’s important to note that you may or may not get an answer, and if you do, it might not be 100% true. “But if you’re at all perceptive,” said Maher. “And you carefully watch their reaction, you can often tell from that reaction if they think your number is low or if they’re a bit jealous because it seems high or if it’s just about what they’d expect because they’re in the same range.”

4. Salary Reports/Reviews
Glassdoor and other recruitment sites have a vast database of self-reported salaries available for browsing.
If you aren’t into the idea of asking your coworkers about their compensation in a general way, give our crowdsourced intel a try. Not only can you research pay rates at your current company, but you can also check out your competitors’ stats. Who knows, maybe your company’s rival is more generous with compensation, making a jump over there a no-brainer.

5. Your Network
Personal and professional coach Rachel B. Garrett emphasizes the importance of using your professional contacts to get the full picture on your industry. “Mine your professional network for former colleagues and others who may be hiring managers for positions like yours.” she said.

“Try to set up informational interviews with these folks and ask about salary range as part of your conversation. I would aim to set up these conversations with a wider context in mind, beyond the topic salary. You never know — you could get a new job out of one of these conversations so you may not need to revisit your less than exciting salary du jour.”

All iPhones may look the same, but under the hood it's a different story.

Some iPhone 7s use a Qualcomm modem, while others have an Intel modem. That distinction could make a difference in how fast an iPhone 7 Plus can send messages and load your favorite app. A new report from Cellular Insights found that the Qualcomm modem performed 30% better than Intel's. The researchers only tested the iPhone 7 Plus, but the two types of modems are also used in the iPhone 7.

So how do you make sure you don't end up with the slower iPhone? If you have a Verizon (VZ, Tech30), Sprint (S) or SIM-free model, you're in good hands, according to the Cellular Insights report. Another preventive measure is to make sure you buy your phone in the United States, China or Japan. Those are the only countries where the speedy Qualcomm version is sold.
Yet not every iPhone purchased in the U.S. has the faster modem. iPhones from T-Mobile, AT&T and Telstra include the Intel modem.

To determine if your iPhone has the Intel modem, check the model number, found in small print on the back of your smartphone. The Intel modem is in Model A1778 and Model A1784.
While the Intel modem is slower, it may not be slow enough to bother users. Cellular Insights ran comparison tests, showing that the Intel-powered iPhone 7 Plus was in the ballpark of the iPhone 6S in areas with poor reception.


It's unclear why Apple is offering iPhones with two different speeds. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Some reports have suggested that by shifting some of its modem business to a Qualcomm (QCOM, Tech30) competitor, Apple gains leverage to extract better prices from Qualcomm. 

Amazon is considering offering internet services directly to customers in Europe, according to The Information. Bundling internet access with its current Prime offering, which includes video streaming in select European countries, could elevate Amazon’s presence on the continent. However, it’s unclear how European regulators will receive the large US company.

Amazon will be more competitive with cable operators by including internet access. By bundling its successful Prime video-streaming services with internet access, Amazon can compete with cable operators that offer similar packages. This could result in more video subscribers. Bundling services has proved popular with other large cable operators in Europe, such as British Telecom, Sky, and TalkTalk. Right now, Amazon Prime includes video streaming in the UK, Germany, and Austria.

While launching in Europe is more cost-effective than it is in the US, Amazon could struggle with European regulators.

• There are lower barriers to entry in in certain European countries, such the UK, since existing broadband providers are required to offer wholesale access to rivals. These types of regulations don’t exist in the US, making it difficult for even tech giants like Google — which has tried with both cellular and wired broadband networks — to successfully enter the market.
• Amazon’s market entry would be amid a broader trend of the EU cracking down on, predominantly, US tech firms in Europe. Companies including Facebook, Apple, and Google have recently experienced significant pushback including anti-trust and tax-fraud cases. The dominance of these businesses is making it increasingly difficult for domestic companies to compete.

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Kemi Adeosun, minister of finance, on Friday opened the London Stock Exchange (LSEG) to celebrate the business ties between Nigeria and UK, while promoting the 3rd ‘London and Lagos Capital Markets in Partnership’ conference.

The minister, who was joined by Greg Hands, a member of the UK parliament and the UK minister of state for international trade, said Nigeria is good for business.

Adeosun, who explained how Nigeria intends to fund its budget deficit, said  Nigeria’s low-interest lending rate remains on course. She said the country has a headroom for borrowing, since it has a low debt-to-GDP ratio.

Speaking on Nigeria, Hands said: “I know from my own time in Nigeria that the UK and Nigeria have long enjoyed a close and prosperous business relationship.
“The UK is one of Nigeria’s largest investors and the government is committed to boosting trade between our two countries.

“We are actively helping British companies export to Nigeria and Nigerian businesses to locate and expand in the UK. I welcome this initiative as a further step to deepen the commercial links between our nations.”

Amina Mohammed, minister of environment, gave a keynote address discussing the Nigerian government’s green agenda.

The event, hosted in collaboration with the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), was attended by senior Nigerian policymakers, including Chinelo Anohu-Amazu, director-general, Nigerian Pension Commission; Oscar Onyema, chief executive officer of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE); and Roger Brown, CFO of Seplat Petroleum.

“Our collaboration with London Stock Exchange is deliberate and strategic,” Onyema said.

“It is geared at encouraging seamless cross-border access between our capital markets to ultimately drive deeper capital markets that enable capital formation for businesses and Governments.”

“We are actively helping British companies export to Nigeria and Nigerian businesses to locate and expand in the UK. I welcome this initiative as a further step to deepen the commercial links between our nations.”

Amina Mohammed, minister of environment, gave a keynote address discussing the Nigerian government’s green agenda.

The event, hosted in collaboration with the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), was attended by senior Nigerian policymakers, including Chinelo Anohu-Amazu, director-general, Nigerian Pension Commission; Oscar Onyema, chief executive officer of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE); and Roger Brown, CFO of Seplat Petroleum.

“Our collaboration with London Stock Exchange is deliberate and strategic,” Onyema said.

“It is geared at encouraging seamless cross-border access between our capital markets to ultimately drive deeper capital markets that enable capital formation for businesses and Governments.”

Lagos State Government may soon join the growing number of states including Edo, Ogun and Anambra that have imposed death sentence on kidnappers.According to a private member bill sponsored by the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Mudashiru Obasa, “any person, who kidnaps, abducts, detains or captures or takes another person by any means or tricks with intent to demand ransom or do anything against his/her, will commit an offence, and liable to a conviction of death sentence.

The bill, which is titled: ‘A bill for a law to provide for the prohibition of the act of kidnapping and for other connected purposes,’ went through a public hearing in the State House of Assembly, yesterday. Attempt to kidnap was also criminalized under the bill and it was suggested that such a person would be committed to life imprisonment. Also, the bill is against false representation to release a kidnapped or abducted person under Section 4, and this attracts seven years imprisonment.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, Public Petition and LASIEC, whose committee handled the public hearing, Hon. Adefunmilayo Tejuosho, had earlier said in her welcome address that the Bill was necessary to curtail kidnapping in the state. “We need laws to safeguard the citizens. We looked at the law on kidnapping and we felt that it should be amended to curb the crime,” she stated.

US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has launched a rare attack on Michelle Obama, saying "all she wants to do is campaign" for his rival.

He also accused the first lady of attacking Hillary Clinton in 2007 by invoking a line she had said about fitness to run the White House.

The Obama campaign had denied the line referred to Mrs Clinton.

Mrs Clinton, meanwhile, accused Mr Trump of threatening democracy if he did not accept the election result.

"We know the difference between leadership and dictatorship, and the peaceful transition of power is one of the things that sets us apart," she told a crowd in Cleveland, Ohio.

"Donald Trump refused to say that he'd respect the results of this election. By doing that, he's threatening our democracy."

At his own rally in North Carolina, Donald Trump told supporters, "I see how much [Michelle Obama] likes Hillary."
"But wasn't she the one that originally started the statement, 'If you can't take care of your home,' right? 'You can't take care of the White House or the country?' Where's that? I don't hear that. I don't hear that."

The New York businessman was referring to a remark Mrs Obama made in 2007 while campaigning for her husband, who was running against Mrs Clinton.

The first lady said: "If you can't run your own house, you certainly can't run the White House".

Some critics asked whether the comment had been aimed at Mrs Clinton's relationship with her husband, former President Bill Clinton.

But the Obama campaign maintained the line was not directed at the Clintons and instead referred to their own struggle with parenting during a campaign.

"So, we've adjusted our schedules to make sure that our girls are first, so while he's traveling around, I do day trips," Mrs Obama continued in her 2007 speech.

"That means I get up in the morning, I get the girls ready, I get them off, I go and do trips, I'm home before bedtime."

Mr Trump was back on the campaign trail a day after he and Mrs Clinton appeared together at the Alfred E Smith Memorial Foundation charity dinner in New York City.

The event, which takes place during election years, offers presidential candidates a chance to crack jokes about one another.

But Alfred E Smith V told CNN on Friday Mr Trump had "crossed the line and took it a little too far".

"The room did get a little uncomfortable," he added. 

Raine Spencer who is the stepmother of Diana, the Princess of Wales, has died. She Died Friday morning, aged 87 after a short illness. Countess Spencer died at her London home, her son William Legge, the Earl of Dartmouth and a Ukip MEP, confirmed to press men.

The short statement issued by the family said: 'Raine, Countess Spencer, died peacefully at her home in London on 21st October, 2016, after a short illness.'

The socialite met Earl Spencer, Diana's father, when she was a young Conservative councillor where she was known for her enormous bouffant hair, pearls, scarves and grand tones. They married in 1976 and remained together until his death in 1992.

Countess Spencer, born in 1929, was the only daughter of her parents, Alexander McCorquodale and the novelist Dame Barbara Cartland.

Major internet services including Twitter, Spotify and Amazon suffered service interruptions and outages on Friday as a US internet provider came under sustained cyber attack.

The internet service company Dyn, which routes and manages internet traffic, said that it had suffered a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack on its domain name service shortly after 1100 GMT.

Former Chairman, Appropriation Committee of the House of Representatives, Abdulmumin Jibrin has challenged his suspension from participating in the House’s activities for 180 days.

The legislator, who was recently suspended following his disagreement with the House’s leadership over alleged fraudulent conduct, including padding of the last national budget, is seeking N1billion damages against

The police have paraded a father, his son and two others for alleged involvement in the kidnap and murder of a Port Harcourt lawyer and activist, Mr. Ken Atsuete.

The lawyer was murdered on August 29, 2016 along Onuchiolu road, Aluu in Ikwerre Local Government area of Rivers State.

A suspected chemical incident forced the evacuation of London City Airport, with people needing treatment for breathing difficulties.

About 500 people were taken from the east London airport at 16:00 BST after some passengers felt unwell, London Fire Brigade (LFB) said.

The real question that should be on the minds of anyone keen on honestly building up our polity and/or resolving issues along the many gaping faultlines, is this. ARE YORUBAS REALLY AFRAID OF BIAFRA?  ‎ Many of our Yoruba compatriots actually believed the much publicised assertion by Dr Femi Aribisala that NIGERIA CANNOT SURVIVE WITHOUT THE IGBO, long before he brought this opinion into the public domain.

Thailand’s football association said Friday it would ban cheering at next month’s World Cup qualifier against Australia as the nation mourns the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Thailand initially tried to change the venue of the November 15 match after the Thai king, the world’s longest reigning monarch, died last Thursday, plunging the kingdom into grief.

According to TMZ...
"Ciara has a legal problem that actually serves her well ... she can't win her defamation lawsuit against baby daddy Future because she's raking in so much money professionally, she has no damages. Ciara's lawyer, Larry Stein, just filed legal docs dismissing the remaining libel claim she filed after her ex said some choice things about her, including,