Bankrupt California city of San Bernardino eyes marijuana for revenue

The bankrupt California city of San Bernardino has a new idea for raising revenue – legalize medical marijuana, and tax the pot.

Ironically, the plan was spurred by concerns about not having enough resources to crack down on the illegal medical marijuana dealers springing up all over town.

So the city is now looking at legalizing the sellers, and using the proceeds to enforce the regulations. 

It’s not quite “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em,” but like many municipalities in California today, San Bernardino is recognizing that it could be bringing millions of dollars into its foundering coffers each year if it opened its doors to regulated medical marijuana dispensaries. And it would be able to have a say in who operates these places, as well as how and where.

“This is a no-brainer,” said Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies at the Marijuana Policy Project in California. “More and more people are realizing that you’d really have to be in the Stone Age to oppose this.”

But San Bernardino is not exactly there, yet. According to City Attorney Gary Saenz, a legislative review panel has been formed by the City Council to study the idea. This panel is collecting data, talking to the city police department and examining laws in other jurisdictions before bringing a proposal to the full committee. It plans on holding at least two more public meetings on the subject through August.

“We are in the exploratory phase,” Saenz told FoxNews.com, insisting that “my primary objective is to close down the seedy shops.”

Police have reported as many as 20 illegal storefronts in town at any given time, he said. Legalizing and regulating this now-unwieldy industry, he feels, is one of the tools available to the city to start taking control.

“We have in this city a proliferation – and a lot of cities in California are experiencing it – of illegal medical marijuana dispensaries. These people are defiant and they are opening up these things right and left.

“We are a city of limited resources,” he added, noting to shut a business down requires civil enforcement, including protracted legal proceedings, and often the police. Even when they do go after the violators aggressively, often they pop up elsewhere and another comes to town in its place.

“We can’t close them down to the satisfaction of our citizens,” said Saenz, so “this city attorney’s office is presenting our council with options. And the idea is essentially, primarily, to close down illegal shops” and using the new money from the legal ones to do it.

City Council member James Mulvihill said he was on board with the idea early on after hearing it cost the city $10,000 every time it went after an illegal dealer. He, as well as the mayor’s chief of staff, Michael McKinney, say any funds gleaned from the regulation and tax of marijuana dispensaries would be used exclusively for enforcement.

“I think we are making the right steps. It’s been a hot issue,” Mulvihill told FoxNews.com, noting that he has not received a lot of negative feedback since the idea was made public in the last two open council meetings. “Prohibiting them is obviously not working. It’s almost easier to regulate it than prohibit it.”

He said he is supporting a plan to permit less than a half a dozen dispensaries. He said they could charge upward of $60,000 a year in fees, plus something in the order of 10 percent a year in taxes, much like nearby Palm Springs, which he says regulates in order to pay for enforcement too.

McKinney said Mayor R. Carey Davis, prefers “not to see any marijuana dispensaries in the city of San Bernardino,” but is listening to all the options on how to combat the current problems.

McKinney said his office has been getting calls advocating both sides of the issue.

Saenz wants to be clear this idea has not sprung out of a newfound desire of town officials or citizenry to embrace marijuana. In fact, San Bernardino is one of 200 California municipalities that have maintained an outright ban on pot shops since medical marijuana was made legal through a ballot referendum in 1996.

This was reaffirmed last year when the state Supreme Court in San Francisco unanimously ruled that local jurisdictions have authority to prohibit medical marijuana despite its legality at the state level.

But San Bernardino, population 209,924, has other problems. In 2012, it declared bankruptcy, at the time becoming the largest city in the U.S. to do so. 

Mulvihill insists his own support for the dispensaries is quite narrow.

“I’m doing this because of the trouble we’re in -- we can’t control it,” he said. “I’m not doing this for potheads.

Commonwealth Games: Team Nigeria Increase Medals

Team Nigeria’s wrestlers Odunayo Adekuroye and Aminat Adeniyi Wednesday in Glasgow, Scotland enhanced the country’s medals haul with their performances at the ongoing Commonwealth Games.

Both wrestlers immediately celebrated their achievement by singing and dancing round the venue of the event with the Nigerian flag.

The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN reports that Nigeria’s wrestlers have now won two gold, one silver and five bronze medals at the Games.

Adekuroye started the wrestling gold rush when she beat India’s Lalita Lalita to submission to win 5-0, while Adeniyi did not give Indonesian opponent Sakshi Malik any chance to come back.

She piled up points after points to romp into a 6-0 lead at the end of the first round.

The second round ended quicker as the Nigerian wrestler twisted and turned the Indonesian to amass additional four points to take her tally to 10 and grab the gold.

Adeniyi then showed off her dancing prowess as she took time off to dance to the admiration of the crowd.

Nigerian officials were not left out of the celebration as the team’s Chef de Mission, Gbenga Elegbeleye, also jumped and danced.

Maryam Usman was to further make it a night of celebration by winning gold in the weightlifting event, while Amas Daniel won bronze in the men’s 61kg category.

Usman capped a remarkable performance between her and Samoa’s Ele Opeloge, after both lifters started their snatch lifts at 115kg.

The Nigerian lifted 120kg and 125kg respectively, while the Samoan could not lift the 125kg, thereby allowing Usman to enter the clean and jerk with an edge.

The two later went on with 145kg, but it was Usman who led the way with 150kg and 155kg respectively.

Aware that the Nigerian had gone further, the Samoan opted to lift 151kg and heightened the tempo when she lifted it.

In her last lift, she called for 161kg so as to leapfrog the Nigerian.

But she could not make it as she only succeeded in the snatch but not in the jerk.

As her babel hit the ground, sporadic applause erupted from the Nigerian camp.

Crude Oil Production: Angola Set To Overtake Nigeria

Italian oil giant, Eni SpA, is making efforts to boost Angola’s crude oil output with over 129,000 barrels a day, a development that may see the country surpassing Nigeria in oil production.

Reports indicate that Eni had upgraded a production vessel for new pumping this year as the south-west African country targets output rivalling its bigger competitor, Nigeria.

The company is planning to start production within five months as operator of Block 15-06’s West Hub fields, estimated to hold reserves of 200 million barrels and boost flows to 80,000 barrels a day.

The block’s East Hub development is also due to pump about 49,000 barrels a day after starting in 2016.

Petroleum minister of Angola, Jose Maria Botelho de Vasconcelos is counting on block one of the country’s eight offshore projects, which is 350 kilometres (217 miles) northwest of Luanda, the capital, to help raise production to two million barrels a day by next year from 1.66 million last month, compared to Nigeria’s 2.15 million barrels daily.

One of the largest developments, Total SA (FP)’s Clov in Block 17, started last month and targets output of 160,000 barrels a day.

Analysts such as Wood Mackenzie Limited said the projects would be too late to boost declining flows by 2015.

Vasconcelos, at the inauguration of the N’Goma, a floating production, storage and offloading vessel for Eni’s West Hub project, said: “We should think about the need to shorten the time between declaration of oil discoveries and the beginning of production.”

He said Eni was on track to cut in half the eight years it usually took for output to begin after a discovery.

The spokesman of Eni, based in Milan, Domenico Spina, was said to have declined to comment on this development.

But a Wood Mackenzie analyst in Edinburgh, David Thomson, said: “Eni has made 12 discoveries out of 15 exploration wells, and there is still potential remaining and drilling continuing.

The success is certainly evidence of the continued prospecting of the deep water Lower Congo basin.”

Aside from boosting the country’s output, Thomson said the West Hub development was important for setting up infrastructure for the block’s other discoveries and showing that smaller cluster developments can work even in a high cost deep water environment such as Angola.

He added that the West Hub reserves were less than half of other projects such as Total’s Clov and Pazflor and BP Plc (BP/)’s PSVM.

The spokeswoman for SBM Offshore NV (SBMO), Paula Farquharson-Blengino, said Eni would finish the refurbishment this month of the N’Goma, known as an FPSO and owned by Sonasing.

SBM is a Dutch company that has a stake in Sonasing along with the Angolan state oil company, Sonangol EP, and Schiedam, the Netherlands-based SBM Offshore NV.

Farquharson-Blengino disclosed that the upgrading and 12-year lease of N’Goma costs $1.6 billion, adding that the 100,000 barrels a day capacity FPSO, formerly named Xikomba, was used by Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) in Block 15.

She further said new sulphate removal and oil hot-pump modules, weighing as many as 541 metric tons, would be lifted into place at the Porto Amboim Paenal Fabrication Yard 262 kilometres south of the country’s capital.

According to her, N’Goma would be operated on behalf of Eni by Luanda-based Servicos de Producao de Petroleos Limited, a joint venture of Sonangol and SBM, stressing that the operator, known as OPS, would also run two FPSOs for Exxon.

Eni’s share of output in Angola was about 87,000 barrels of oil per day last year from fields covering 21,489 square kilometres. The Block 15-06 hubs would add 42,000 barrels a day to Eni’s share.

Nigerian Airport Authorities Announce New Measures For Ebola Control

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced that it has started temperature screening passengers arriving from places at risk from Ebola and has suspended Asky Airline because it brought the first case to Lagos.

“Screening and monitoring is being done at all major international airports. It entails checking passengers’ temperatures with a hand-held
machine,” NCAA spokesman Sam Adurogboye, then added that a compulsory blood test would follow if the passenger’s temperature gave cause for concern.

The International Airlines Association (IATA) said that WHO has not yet recommended any travel restrictions or border closures due to the outbreak, and added that there will be a low risk
to other passengers if an Ebola patient flew.

Ebola has been blamed for 729 deaths in Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, according to the World Health Organization.

One died in Lagos, a crowded city of 21 million people with some of Africa’s worst sanitation and health care.
Patrick Sawyer, a consultant for Liberia’s Finance Ministry in his 40s, collapsed on arrival at Lagos airport on July 20 on an Asky flight.

He was put in isolation at the First Consultants Hospital in Obalende, but died early on July 25.

“We have suspended Asky until they are able to show us what measures they have put in place for passengers to ensure they do not bring Ebola,” Adurogboye said.

He said the largest Airline Arik Air was being told to maintain its self-imposed suspension of all flights to Liberia and Sierra Leone for the time being.

Authorities were monitoring 59 people who were in contact with Sawyer, including airport contacts, and are seeking to make contact with all passengers that were on his flight.

The latest outbreak of the hemorrhagic fever began in the forests of remote eastern Guinea in February. It starts with headaches and fever, and final stage symptoms include external and
internal bleeding, vomiting and diarrhoea.

Sierra Leone declared a state of emergency and called in troops to quarantine epicentres of Ebola on Thursday.

www.ynaija.com/are-you-arriving-nigeria-soon-airport-authorities-announce-new-measures-for-ebola/?

At least 30 dead after landslide buries village in India

MALIN, India –  Rescuers using earth-moving equipment and their bare hands dug through heavy mud and debris Thursday after a landslide engulfed an entire village in western India, killing at least 30 people and leaving about 100 missing and feared dead.

More than 24 hours after the Wednesday morning landslide, authorities said the chances of survival were slim for anyone still trapped under the mud in Malin, a village of some 700 people in Pune district of Maharashtra state.

Suresh Jadhav, a district official, said around 40 homes were wiped out.

Two days of torrential rains triggered the landslide, which continued to pound the area as rescuers brought bodies covered in soaked white sheets to waiting ambulances while relatives stood by, weeping. Bad communications, dangerous roads and debris delayed national rescue personnel from the stricken area for several hours Wednesday.

The disaster only came to light when a bus driver passed by and saw that the village had disappeared under masses of mud and earth.

"The driver returned to a nearby city and alerted authorities," Jadhav said. "Everything on the mountain came down."

Thirty bodies had been recovered and eight people pulled out alive, said rescue official Sachin Tamboli.

Suresh Dhonde, who was working in another town when the landslide ripped through his village, said only two people managed to get out of his home alive.

"The other six are buried under the mud," he said.

Crowds of people from nearby areas were helping rescuers, using their bare hands to move fallen trees and rocks. About 250 disaster response workers and at least 100 ambulances were involved in the rescue effort, officials said.

Overnight, emergency workers used flood lights mounted on jeeps to illuminate the disaster area, where the tangled roofs of homes poked up through thick mud.

Rescuers expected the death toll to rise in the village at the foothills of the Sahyadri Mountains. Sandeep Rai Rathore, a top official of the National Disaster Response Force, estimated that around 100 people were missing and feared dead.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourned the loss of lives and said all possible efforts must be made to help the victims, according to a statement from his office. He sent Home Minister Rajnath Singh to the disaster area.

Landslides are common in the area during the monsoon season, which runs from June through September. The area around the village has been deforested extensively, increasing its vulnerability to landslides. Similar deforestation and environmental damage have caused floods and landslides in other parts of India.

Pune district is about 95 miles southeast of Mumbai, India's commercial capital.

On Thursday, heavy rains hit a remote mountainous village in northern India and six members of a family were feared dead, said police officer Pravin Tamta. Police have recovered two bodies and were searching for four others in Tehri district in the hilly Uttarakhand state, Tamta said. The village is 200 miles north of New Delhi.

Last year, more than 6,000 people were killed as floods and landslides swept through Uttarakhand state during the monsoon season.

House approves lawsuit against Obama over alleged abuse of executive power

The House on Wednesday approved a highly contentious lawsuit against President Obama over his alleged abuse of executive power, teeing up an election-year legal battle sure to spill onto the midterm campaign trail.

The House backed the lawsuit resolution on a vote of 225-201, with all Democrats opposed.

Republicans say the lawsuit is necessary to keep the president in constitutional check, after he allegedly exceeded his authority with unilateral changes to the Affordable Care Act.

Democrats branded the effort a political charade aimed at stirring up GOP voters for this fall's congressional elections. They also said it's an effort by top Republicans to mollify conservatives who want Obama to be impeached -- something House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said he has no plans to do.

“We have no plans to impeach the president. We have no future plans. Listen, it's all a scam, started by Democrats at the White House,” Boehner said Tuesday.

Following the vote, National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Greg Walden issued  a statement saying, “President Obama swore an oath to uphold the Constitution—an oath he has not fully lived up to. Today, the House took an important step to defend the Constitution and hold the president accountable.”

White House adviser Dan Pfeiffer sent an email saying, “The House of Representatives just took a vote -- and it wasn't to raise the minimum wage, put in place equal pay, create jobs, or reform our broken immigration system.

Instead, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives just voted to sue the President for using his executive authority. This lawsuit will waste valuable time and potentially millions of taxpayer dollars.”

Republicans said their planned legal action was warranted because, they argue, Obama has violated his constitutional duty to faithfully execute the laws. They say that instead, he has enforced laws as he wants to, dangerously shifting power to the presidency from Congress.

"The people's representatives will not turn a blind eye to the lawlessness of this president," said Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo. "We will do whatever it takes to hold him and future occupants of the Oval Office accountable."

Democrats dismissed the proposed lawsuit as a legally groundless exercise that could end up costing taxpayers millions of dollars in legal fees and other expenses. But they've tried linking the suit to impeachment talk by conservatives like former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and turning it into a fundraising device.

Democrats have sent pleas for contributions to their supporters warning that the GOP is out to impeach Obama and ruin his presidency. Using that pitch, Democrats raised $1 million Monday, according to the head of the House Democratic campaign organization, Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y.

The lawsuit will focus on how Obama has carried out his health care overhaul.

Republicans say Obama has illegally changed the law using executive actions. The White House and Democrats say he's acted legally and within the latitude he's empowered to use as chief executive.

In particular, Republicans have objected that Obama has twice delayed the law's so-called employer mandate, which he did under pressure from business groups. The provision requires companies with 50 or more employees working at least 30 hours weekly to offer health care coverage or pay fines, while businesses with fewer than 50 workers are exempt.

The requirement was initially to take effect this year. Now, companies with 50 to 99 employees have until 2016 to comply, while bigger companies have until next year.

Republicans say there are other examples of Obama exceeding his powers. These include failing to notify Congress in advance when he traded five Taliban members held at the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for the captive Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, and unilaterally preventing the deportation of some children who illegally immigrated to the U.S.

They also point to Obama's comments in January that 2014 would be a "year of action" to implement his priorities, which he said he would do "with or without Congress" by using his "pen and the phone."

"Such a shift in power should alarm members of both political parties because it threatens the very institution of the Congress," said a GOP-written report accompanying the legislation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Jonathan Appoints Suleiman Abba As Nigeria's New Inspector Genaral Of Police

President Goodluck Jonathan has appointed
Suleiman Abba, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 7, as the new Inspector General of Police in Nigeria. 
The development came following the federal
Executive Council meeting presided over by
President Jonathan. 
Abba was also a former Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to
Maryam Abacha.

US Senators Call For Pressure on FIFA To Strip Russia Of Worldcup 2018

US senators have called on nations to put pressure on Fifa to consider moving the 2018 World Cup finals away from Russia.

Relations between the U.S. and Russia have cooled considerably in 2014, with Russian support for separatists in east Ukraine causing a rift to widen, and the disaster involving Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 has only served to increase misgivings about allowing the country to host football's greatest tournament.

UK deputy prime minister Nick Clegg claimed earlier this month that it would be "unthinkable" to allow Russia to host the finals in 2018 unless there is a change in their conduct in Ukraine, and in March, two Republican senators from America sent a letter to Sepp Blatter requesting the World Cup to be moved.
Now, two further American politicians - including former presidential candidate John
McCain - have urged Fifa to consider withdrawing Russia's privilege to host the tournament.

"I think it absolutely should be reconsidered, but I would hasten to add that a unilateral decision by the United States would not bode well," John McCain told ABC/ESPN's Capitol Games podcast.
"I'm old enough to remember that after the Russian invasion of Afghanistan the United States withdrew from the Olympics, as you might recall, and it was not popular over time. So if we can get the international community to do that, I'm absolutely totally behind it."

The senior senator from Arizona, who was
the Republican party's nominee for president in 2008, said it would take more than simply an American effort for Fifa to begin to consider a host change. "I'd like to see the United States and others — say, the British perhaps and other countries — raise the issue in ordinary meetings, periodic meetings that they have. Say: 'We need to discuss this issue. Is it appropriate to have this venue in Russia at this particular time, and aren't there other countries that would be far less controversial?'"

"If in the face of a downed airliner, in the face of crippling sanctions from the European Union, Putin thumbs his nose at the international community and continues to send in arms and personnel into eastern Ukraine, then I'm not sure how you reward this guy and his government with a major international competition," added Chris Murphy, a Democratic senator from Connecticut, before urging for pressure to mount on Russia.

"You have to do it by the end of the year. You can't take the chance that this guy is going to calm down and start behaving — because what if another Ukraine crisis erupts in the winter of 2017-2018?"

Football's governing body has rejected calls to move the tournament as recently as July 25.

"History has shown so far that boycotting sport events or a policy of isolation or. confrontation are not the most effective ways to solve problems," Fifa said in a statement.

http://m.goal.com/x/en/news/4993632

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10-year-old Female Suicide Bomber Arrested In Katsina State, North Eastern Nigeria.

The Federal on Wednesday announced the arrest of a 10-year-old girl in Katsina State, suspected to be a suicide bomber.

The Chairman, National Information Centre, Mr. Mike Omeri, who briefed the press in Abuja, said the teenager was among three suspected Boko Haram members that were arrrested on Tuesday night.

He said the girl had a belt strapped with explosives at the time of her arrest.

Omeri said, “Security forces on Tuesday, July 29, at about 10pm along Zaria Road, Tudun Wada of Funtua Metropolis, arrested three suspects believed to be members of the Boko Haram sect.

“The three suspects consisted a male named Iliya Haliru, and two females – Zainab Musa, 18, and Hadiza Musa, 10. The three suspects were arrested in a Honda CRV.

“When they were directed to disembark for security check, 10-year-old Hadiza was discovered to have been strapped with an explosive belt. And immediately, Iliya and Zainab made attempt to escape with the car but were later blocked by other concerned Nigerians and subsequently arrested.

“The police successfully unstrapped the explosive.”

He added, “It is on this note that we appeal to parents to cautiously observe and watch their children’s activities to prevent them from participating in unwholesome activities particularly acts of terrorism.

“It is clear that some parents are also into this that they are willing to take their children, as young as 10 years, into act of cowardice and self-destruct. However, we wish to express our appreciation at the level of the consciousness of Nigerians on security issues and their contributions to supporting security agencies.

“The government is closely liaising with domestic and international intelligence agencies within the newly established regional intelligence fusion unit to track and capture all terrorists and their sponsors in the country.

Pro Russian Rebels laying mines near MH17 crash site, Ukrainian official says

DONETSK, Ukraine –  International observers turned back Wednesday after making another attempt to reach the site where Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 went down in eastern Ukraine, and a government official said the area near the zone had been mined by pro-Russian separatists who control it.

Observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe set out in two vehicles — without frustrated crash investigators from the Netherlands who have been trying to reach the site for four days.

The OSCE observers headed back to the city of Donetsk after discussions with rebels on the city's outskirts not long after starting what would have been a two-hour journey to the site.

That means that almost two weeks after the July 17 disaster, safety concerns and hindrance from the separatists who control the area are still obstructing access to the site. Foreign governments whose citizens died have complained the site is still not secured and some human remains have not been recovered. International observers say wreckage has been cut, moved or otherwise tampered with.

Government security spokesman Andriy Lysenko added to those concerns Wednesday by saying separatists "have mined the approaches to this area. This makes the work of the international experts impossible."

Lysenko was asked at a briefing about concerns that Ukrainian efforts to win back territory were increasing fighting in the area and slowing access. He said that Ukrainian troops weren't conducting operations against separatists near the site, but were trying to cut off their supply lines to force them to leave the area.

OSCE observers did not immediately tell journalists accompanying them what specific issue made them turned back.

The U.S. and Ukrainian governments say the Boeing 777 was shot down by a missile fired from areas controlled by pro-Russian separatists who have been fighting the Ukrainian government. The separatists deny shooting down the plane; Russia denies providing the Buk missile launcher and says the Ukrainian military may have shot the plane down.

Elsewhere, Ukrainian forces took control of the town of Avdeevka, just to the north of the rebel stronghold of Donetsk. The town is near the airport, which has been fought over for weeks by rebels and government forces. Local officials said fighting over the past 24 hours killed 19 people in the region.

Ukrainian forces continue to encircle Horlivka, another key town northeast of Donetsk. The city of Donetsk is one of the main strongholds for the insurrection in the east and taking Horlivka would open the way to move against Donetsk, the Ukrainian military has said.

Female Suicide Bomber Kills Students In Kano Polytechnic, Northern Nigeria

Another female suicide bomber blew herself up at the entrance gate of the Central Administration block of the Kano Polytechnic, on Wednesday, killing two people and injuring seven others.

The incident, which occurred at about 2.30pm, led to a stampede among members of staff as well as final year students, who were going through a list of successful graduates mobilised for the Batch B of the National Youth Service Corps.

Eyewitnesses said the suicide bomber, who was carrying an Improvised Explosive Device, approached the institution located along Bayero University, Kano road.
Security agents have since cordoned off the scene of the incident as officers of the Police bomb squad have begun investigations.

The Kano State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Adenrele Shinaba, confirmed the deaths of the suicide bomber and two persons as well as the seven persons who were injured.

The BBC however, reports that six persons were killed.

He said “The teenage female suicide bomber sneaked into the crowd and detonated the Improvised Explosive Devise she concealed leaving on its trail death and destruction.”

Shinaba said the impact of the blast blew the suicide bomber into pieces, adding the charred remains of the female suicide bomber had been 
deposited in a morgue.

He enjoined residents of the state to be extra vigilant and report suspicious movement to security agents for proactive action.
Kano has come under attacks by suicide bombers since Sunday.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-28571037

President Jonathan Launches New Nigeria E-passport

President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday launched Nigeria’s new 64-page e-passport with a call on Nigerians to protect the image of the country by shunning uncomplimentary statements and actions.
Jonathan launched the traveling document shortly before the commencement of the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He and Vice President Namadi Sambo later took turns to be captured in order to be issued with the new traveling document.
The President said the pages of the traveling document had to be increased from 32 to 64 to cater for frequent travelers who change their passport almost every other month because of limited pages for visa.
He tasked officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service to protect the integrity of the passport by ensuring that it cannot be easily faked.
He also asked officials who man the nation’s airports to ensure that they conduct themselves in a manner that will portray the country well before visitors.
The new passport which takes effect from August 1 attracts a fee of N20,000.

Source:: { http://www.punchng.com/news/jonathan-launches-new-e-passport/ }

10 Questions To Ask Before You Quit Your Job by Jenna Goudreau

1. What specifically about my current situation is frustrating me?
Pinpointing the issue is the first step towards solving it. Kimberly Bishop, recruiter and chief of her eponymous career management firm based in New York, advises employees to identify how their job is failing them. Is the problem the people, the environment or the work itself? After you’ve defined the frustration, consider the scope. If you decide you’re creatively stifled, for example, you may not need to quit to fill the void. Seek an outlet outside of work or raise your hand for another department or project. If you decide you’re in the wrong industry or the work pace is making your head spin, however, then it’s probably time to consider leaving.

2. Is my current work environment abusive or unbearable?
Bradford Agry, founding principle of New York-based career management firm CareerTeam Partners, advises that employees be honest about how bad the situation really is. Is your manager being verbally abusive? If so, it’s time to go–or at least make an appointment with HR. If your issue slants toward irritation rather than mistreatment, decide if you can tolerate the job while looking elsewhere or working toward your future goals from within the company.

3. Have I taken every action possible to make my current job workable?
If you realize your situation is not abusive and could be manageable, consider the steps you might take to improve it. Try taking a positive attitude, altering your time management or work habits, and communicating more clearly with your manager. Perhaps a schedule change or clearing an item off your workload will make a big difference.

4. Ultimately, what do I want for my job, career and life?
“A big mistake: When people decide to quit they think they’ll just update their resume and start networking,” says Bishop, who advises being more thoughtful about what you really want and how you’ll get there. Define your priorities. Going to law school may be intellectually stimulating but will not help you achieve the flexible schedule you’ve been craving. Similarly, if you’d like to make a career change, think about all the necessary steps. They may include more school, a pay cut or working your way up from the bottom–again. Once you know exactly what you want, you may want to ask: How much do I want it?

5. Do I have a thoughtful, realistic plan for attaining my next job?
Figure out your strengths and how you can leverage them. Bishop advises, “Think less about the job titles and dream companies and more about your skill set and experience.” If you discover you are lacking in an area, plan out how you will develop your skills. You may need to pursue more education, take a volunteer position or start positioning yourself for the next job while in your current job. Also, think about the industry or company you hope to move to in relation to your timeline. Are your goals realistic, or might your dreams of landing a job at Google, Apple or Microsoft be naive?

6. Do I have enough saved to cover nine to 12 months of expenses?
Susan Hirshman, financial planner and author of Does This Make My Assets Look Fat?, says a few years ago she told people to save enough for six months of expenses. Now she tells people they need nine to 12 months. “If you’re quitting, you won’t get unemployment,” she cautions. Hirshman suggests mapping out fixed expenses like mortgage, credit card and loan payments, transportation and food, as well as factoring in the “what if” costs. You may need a little extra to cushion against the unexpected, like car or appliance repairs.

7. Am I willing and able to forego benefits like health insurance and retirement contributions?
Hirshman warns that employees who expect to quit should be particularly thoughtful about losing benefits like health insurance. She suggests doing your research to find out the cost and benefit of participating in COBRA or purchasing a health insurance plan. These costs and those of regular prescriptions need to be calculated into your monthly expenses. Furthermore, without steady income, you likely won’t be able to contribute to a retirement or college savings account. Hirshman advises that workers consider their priorities and remain realistic about whether they can handle their expenses without maxing out their Visa cards.

8. How might I cut expenses or earn income while between jobs?
After completing a detailed budget, you may realize you’re coming up short and need to create some cash. Often, income is easily supplanted with a part-time service job. However, Hirshman warns that even waiter jobs are difficult to come by in the current economy. You only have two options: Cut expenses or bring in more money. Figure out what will work for you and be honest with yourself, Hirshman says. A New Yorker, she once tried to save money by foregoing cabs and only lasted a day. Also, to make extra money, consider working overtime before you leave your current job, taking an interim position after you leave or trying to secure consulting work.

9. Do I have the support of my family and friends?
Quitting your job will affect others in your life, so it’s critical that you have an honest conversation with your family first. Your spouse or children may need to help or at least participate in some of your cost-cutting plans and need to be involved from the beginning. Additionally, executive coach Agry says many people are not prepared for the isolation and lack of structure that comes with unemployment. He suggests having a support system of friends or close colleagues who can help keep you on track while looking for a new job.

10. Have I timed this appropriately?
Agry suggests that employees who’ve decided to quit consider their timing. Firstly, are you in the midst of the busiest season or working on a big project? You may want to honor your commitments so that your team isn’t left in a bind and you’re able to leave on good terms. Secondly, “maximize the money,” he says. If you’d like to get your quarterly bonus or the holiday vacation, it might be smart to wait a few months.

President Jonathan and the Police council settle for Suleiman Abba as Next Inspector General Of Police

 Indications emerged, yesterday, in Abuja,
that President Goodluck Jonathan and the Police
council made up of the 36 state governors and the
Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Mike
Mbama Okiro (IGP, rtd) have settled for the
Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 7, Mr.
Suleiman Abba as the next Inspector General of
Police when incumbent, Mohammed Dahiru
Abubakar retires tomorrow after attaining the
mandatory 35 years in service.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/new-igp-jonathan-police-council-settle-suleiman-abba/

President Obama announces new sanctions on Russia, joined by EU

President Obama on Tuesday announced a new round of U.S. sanctions on Russia's energy, finance and arms sectors, in a bid to use Russia's economy as leverage to compel Moscow to stop fueling the deadly conflict in Ukraine. 

The U.S. penalties follow tougher sanctions agreed to by European Union leaders earlier in the day. 

"Russia is once again isolating itself from the international community," Obama said, claiming that the U.S. sanctions will have an "even bigger bite" thanks to action by the Europeans. 

Among the sanctions, according to the Treasury Department, are U.S. penalties that target the Bank of Moscow, the Russian Agricultural Bank and VTB Bank. Also listed on the Treasury designation is the United Shipbuilding Corp., which is based in St. Petersburg, Russia. 

The U.S. is pursuing additional sanctions -- and has been pressing Europe to catch up with the American sanctions -- in the wake of the downed Malaysia Airlines jet in eastern Ukraine. The West blames Russian-backed separatists for shooting down the plane, which was carrying 298 people.  

In making the case for the additional steps, Obama said Russia has continued to support the separatists, "and encourage them and train them and arm them." He said forces inside Russia are launching artillery strikes into Ukraine, which he called a "major violation of Ukraine's sovereignty." 

He also said Russia continues to build up its own forces near the border. 

The European penalties are similar to sanctions imposed by the U.S. just two weeks ago targeting other big Russian banks, and energy and defense companies. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.