Cyber Security: NITDA Trains Government Workers On Digital Literacy

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June 11, 2022

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has concluded its three-weeks capacity building programme for Staff of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), military and paramilitary on digital literacy, cyber security and cloud computing.

The training is aimed at engaging civil servants to actively participate in the Global Digital Economy space towards the realisation and successful implementation of Federal Government technology-driven initiatives.

Speaking at the closing ceremony which took place at e-Government Training Centre, Abuja, Kashifu Inuwa, Director-General, NITDA, who was represented by Director IT Infrastructure Solutions, Usman Gambo Abdullahi, stated that Digital Transformation in the public service is an integral part to deliver high quality service to citizens.

He said, “Digital Literacy and Skills as you may be aware, is the second pillar of National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), which provides policy backing for massive training of Nigerians from all walks of life in order to enable them become digitally literate.”

Inuwa noted that the objectives set out for the programme were fully realised due to the reports and testimonies the Agency has been getting from the supervisors and participants, adding that “the class attendance in both the virtual and physical trainings have been phenomenal with high level participation.”

He emphasised that digital technologies are changing the world at a faster pace than previously experienced waves of technological innovation, and are reshaping and introducing new business models and sectors.

He also re-echoed the need to have a digitally literate workforce, stressing that Nigeria must succeed in accelerating the growth and modernisation of her economy and governance.

Inuwa said, NITDA, as a forward-looking organisation, is aware of the relevance of civil servants in delivering government programmes, and the efforts of the present administration cannot be completed without involving civil servants, the military and the paramilitary, affirming that the MDAs are central to the implementation of the Federal Government’s digitalisation.

To actualise e-Government digital initiatives, Inuwa said NITDA had to set up Digital Transformation Technical Working Groups (DTTWGs) in FPIs whose members are meant to drive down the programmes at different levels of government.

He recalled that, so far, the members of DTTWGs for 200 Federal Public Institutions have been trained and another batch of 200 is to be trained.

Nuclear talks: UN Watchdog Agency Says Iran Removing 27 Surveillance Cameras

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Elizabeth Williams

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June 11, 2022

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The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog agency said Thursday that Iran is removing 27 surveillance cameras from nuclear sites in the country, raising the risk of its inspectors being unable to track Tehran’s advances as it enriches uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels.

Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, made the comments at a hastily called news conference in Vienna, standing next to an example of the cameras installed across Iran.

Grossi said the move poses a “serious challenge” to its efforts, warning that in three to four weeks, it would be unable to maintain a “continuity of knowledge” about Iran’s program.

“This would be a fatal blow” to negotiations over Iran’s tattered nuclear deal with world powers, Grossi said.

“When we lose this, then it’s anybody’s guess,” he added.

Iran did not immediately acknowledge it was removing the cameras, though it threatened Wednesday to take more steps amid a years-long crisis that threatens to widen into further attacks across the Mideast.

Grossi said that would leave “40-something” cameras still in Iran. The sites that would see cameras removed include its underground Natanz nuclear enrichment facility, as well as its uranium conversion facility in Isfahan, Grossi said.

On Wednesday, Iran said it shut off two devices the IAEA uses to monitor enrichment at Natanz. Grossi acknowledged that, saying that among the devices being removed was the Online Enrichment Monitor and flowmeter. Those watch the enrichment of uranium gas through piping at enrichment facilities.

Iran’s decision comes as the IAEA’s board censured Tehran over what the agency calls the Islamic Republic’s failure to provide “credible information” over man-made nuclear material found at three undeclared sites in the country.

The IAEA earlier Thursday said Grossi told members that Iran informed the agency that it planned to install two new cascades of the IR-6 at Natanz. A cascade is a series of centrifuges hooked together to rapidly spin uranium gas to enrich it.

An IR-6 centrifuge spins uranium 10 times as fast as the first-generation centrifuges that Iran was once limited to under its nuclear deal with world powers. As of February, Iran already had been spinning a cascade of IR-6s at its underground facility at Fordo, according to the IAEA.

Iran earlier said it planned to install one cascade of IR-6s at Natanz. The IAEA said it “verified” the ongoing installation of that cascade Monday, while the newly promised two new cascades had yet to begin.

Wreck Of 17th-Century Royal Warship Found Off UK Coast

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Elizabeth Williams

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June 11, 2022

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Explorers and historians are telling the world about the discovery of the wreck of a royal warship that sank in 1682 while carrying a future king of England, Ireland and Scotland.

The HMS Gloucester, traveling from southern England to Scotland, ran aground while navigating sandbanks off the town of Great Yarmouth on the eastern English coast. It sank within an hour, killing an estimated 130 to 250 crew and passengers.

James Stuart, the son of King Charles I, survived. He went on to reign as King James II of England and Ireland, and as James VII of Scotland from 1685 to 1688, when he was deposed by the Glorious Revolution.

The wreck of the Gloucester was found in 2007 by brothers Julian and Lincoln Barnwell and others after a four-year search. It was firmly identified in 2012 with discovery of the ship’s bell.

The discovery was only made public Friday because of the time it took to confirm the identity of the ship and the need to protect the historical site.

Claire Jowitt, an expert in maritime history at the University of East Anglia, said the wreck was “one of the important ‘almost’ moments in English history.” The Gloucester’s sinking almost caused the death of the Catholic heir to the Protestant throne at a time of great political and religious tension in Britain.

AAA Says Nationwide Average Hits New High At $5

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Elizabeth Williams

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June 11, 2022

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The Unites states nationwide average price for a gallon of gasoline has topped $5 for the first time ever.

Auto club AAA said the average price on Saturday was $5.00. Motorists in some parts of the country, especially California, are paying far above that.

The national average price has jumped 19 cents in just the past week, and it’s up $1.93 from this time last year.

There are several reasons for the surge in gasoline prices.

Americans typically drive more starting around Memorial Day, so demand is up. Global oil prices are rising, compounded by sanctions against Russia, a leading oil producer, because of its war against Ukraine. And there are limits on refining capacity in the United States because some refineries shut down during the pandemic.

Add it all up, and the cost of filling up is draining money from Americans who are facing the highest rate of inflation in 40 years.

California has the highest average price, at $6.43, according to AAA. The lowest average is Mississippi, at $4.52.

While this is the first time breaking the $5 barrier, it’s still not a record when inflation is taken into account. Gas peaked at $4.11 a gallon in July 2008, which would be equal to about $5.40 a gallon today.

Thousands Demonstrate To Demand Gun Law Changes in The U.S

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Elizabeth Williams

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June 11, 2022

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Thousands of people streamed to the National Mall for the highest-profile of countrywide demonstrations Saturday marking a renewed push for gun control after recent mass shootings from Uvalde, Texas, to Buffalo, New York, that activists say should compel Congress to act.

Organizers hoped the second March for Our Lives rally would draw as many as 50,000 people to the Washington Monument. While that would be far less than the original 2018 march that filled downtown Washington with more than 200,000 people, they decided to focus this time on smaller marches at an estimated 300 locations.

Despite rain in the nation’s capital, scores turned out on the monument grounds well before the rally began, holding up signs, including one that said “Children aren’t replaceable, senators are. Vote.” A middle school-age girl carried a sign that said, “I want to feel safe at school.”

“We want to make sure that this work is happening across the country,” said Daud Mumin, co-chairman of the march’s board of directors and a recent graduate of Westminster College in Salt Lake City. “This work is not just about D.C., it’s not just about senators.”

The first march was spurred by the Feb. 14, 2018, killings of 14 students and three staff members by a former student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. That massacre sparked the creation of the youth-led March For Our Lives movement, which successfully pressured the Republican-dominated Florida state government to enact sweeping gun control reforms.

The Parkland students then took aim at gun laws in other states and nationally, launching March for Our Lives and holding the big rally in Washington on March 24, 2018.

The group did not match the Florida results at the national level, but has persisted in advocating for gun restrictions since then, as well as participating in voter registration drives.

Now, with another string of mass shootings bringing gun control back into the national conversation, organizers of this weekend’s events say the time is right to renew their push for a national overhaul.

“Right now we are angry,” said Mariah Cooley, a March For Our Lives board member and a senior at Washington’s Howard University. “This will be a demonstration to show that us as Americans, we’re not stopping anytime soon until Congress does their jobs. And if not, we’ll be voting them out.”

The protest comes at a time of renewed political activity on guns and a crucial moment for possible action in Congress.

Survivors of mass shootings and other incidents of gun violence have lobbied legislators and testified on Capitol Hill this week. Among them was Miah Cerrillo, an 11-year-old girl who survived the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. She described for lawmakers how she covered herself with a dead classmate’s blood to avoid being shot.

On Tuesday, actor Matthew McConaughey appeared in the White House briefing room to press for gun legislation and made highly personal remarks about the violence in his hometown of Uvalde.

The House has passed bills that would raise the age limit to buy semi-automatic weapons and establish federal “red flag” laws. But such initiatives have traditionally stalled or been heavily watered down in the Senate. Democratic and Republican senators had hoped to reach agreement this week on a framework for addressing the issue and talked Friday, but they had not announced an accord.

Tiger Woods is officially a billionaire

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Henry Williams

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June 11, 2022

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Tiger Woods is officially a billionaire, according to a new Forbes’ estimate of the golf icon’s net worth. He joins Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and NBA legend Michael Jordan as the only known billionaire athletes in the world.

Forbes reported on Friday that Woods’ net worth is believed to be at least $1 billion. He has won $121 million in prize money – more than any other pro golfer in history, and during the prime of his career, he held the top spot in Forbes’ highest-paid athletes for 10 consecutive years until 2012.

Woods also reached the financial milestone without taking a lucrative to compete in Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour, which reportedly would have been in the “high nine digits.”

Nigeria’s Federal Govt inaugurates Presidential Council On Digital Economy, E-Government

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Henry Williams

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June 11, 2022

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Governors of Gombe, Kaduna and Lagos states, Inuwa Yahaya, El- Rufa’i, Sanwo-Olu amongst others have been inaugurated as members of the presidential council on digital economy and e-government.

Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had recently approved the appointment of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya as a member of the presidential council on digital economy and e-government.

The notice of his appointment was contained in a letter signed by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, which described Gombe State as critical to the success of Nigeria’s Digital Economy Agenda.

It stated that the constitution of the presidential council was in an effort to implement the National Digital Economy Policy (NDEPS) and the Nigerian E-government Master Plan (NEGMP).

2023 Polls: Igbos under attack in Lagos – Ohanaeze tells Tinubu, Sanwo-Olu

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Henry Williams

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June 11, 2022

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Apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has condemned the reported attack on the people of South-East resident in Lagos.

DAILY POST reports that several videos currently circulating on social media show several youths being attacked by thugs where they had gone to obtain their Permanent Voters’ Cards, PVCs.

They could be heard wailing in the video that despite closing shops for that purpose, some hired thugs had prevented them from obtaining the card.

Some Igbo youths sustained injuries in the process.

Reacting through a statement by its President-General, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide said Ndigbo should not be pushed beyond the walls.

“We have already been pushed to the walls, what they are doing now amounts to pushing Ndigbo beyond the walls and the consequences could be drastic.

“The two major political parties in the country cannot deny the South-East presidential ticket and at the same time deny them the opportunity to exercise their franchise. This is a call for total anarchy in the land and we are urging the security agencies to rise to the occasion,” Okwu said.

He called on the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu and the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu “to call their people to order.”

Once Upon A Time – June 11 – 1993 – “Jurassic Park” Opens, Sets Box Office Weekend Record Of $502m

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Angel Gimalo

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June 11, 2022

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1184 BC Trojan War: Troy is sacked and burned, according to calculations by Eratosthenes

631 Emperor Taizong of Tang of China, sends envoys to the Xueyantuo bearing gold and silk for the release of Chinese prisoners captured during transition from Sui to Tang from northern frontier; succeeds in freeing 80,000

1776 Continental Congress creates committee to draft a Declaration of Independence with Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston as members

1963 US President JFK says segregation is morally wrong and that it is “time to act”

1987 Margaret Thatcher is 1st British Prime Minister in 160 years to win a third consecutive term

2014 Islamic State of Iraq forces seize control of government offices and other important buildings in the northern city of Mosul

More Historical Events
Jun 11 in Film & TV
1993 “Jurassic Park”, directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Sam Neill and Jeff Goldblum opens, sets box office weekend record of $502 million

2002 “American Idol” created by Simon Fuller with judges Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson premieres on Fox

Jun 11 in Music
2019 “The New York Times” reveals an estimated 500,000 song titles, including masters of Chuck Berry, Louis Armstrong, and Ella Fitzgerald, lost in 2008 warehouse fire on Universal backlot in Los Angeles

Jun 11 in Sport
2017 French Open Men’s Tennis: Spaniard Rafael Nadal beats Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland 6–2, 6–3, 6–1; becomes first man to win French title 10 times

1962 Brothers John and Clarence Anglin and fellow inmate Frank Morris escape from Alcatraz Island prison, the only ones to do so

1907 George Dennett, aided by Gilbert Jessop, dismisses Northamptonshire for 12 runs, the lowest total in first-class cricket

Famous Wedding
1509 King Henry VIII (17) of England marries first wife Catherine of Aragon (23), widow of his brother Arthur

Exploring Alert, Canada, World’s Northernmost Permanently Inhabited Place

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Angel Gimalo

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June 11, 2022

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Alert is considered to be the northernmost permanently inhabited place in the world, and it is located in the vast Qikiqtaaluk Region which is part of the newest, largest, and northernmost territory of Canada, Nunavut.

Located more precisely on the northern tip of Ellesmere Island, the settlement was named in 1875 after the first ship to reach the north end of the island, the British HMS Alert, although some would also say that people should always be “alerted” when coming this close to the North Pole.

Since there are some inhabitants, five of them are considered to be a permanent ones while the rest are temporary where their numbers always vary more or less than 60 locals, in addition to the employees of the military signals intelligence radio receiving facility, the weather station, the Global Atmosphere Watch laboratory, and the airport.

Throughout the year, Alert is five months under constant darkness, while other five under constant sun.

The time in between these months is filled with sun bobs above and below the horizon, giving the illusion of normal days, even though the length of daylight and darkness varies.

Still, as it appears that nothing would survive in these freezing horrific conditions, impressively there is a fauna which thrives in the entire area and it includes muskoxen, arctic hares, foxes, caribou, birds, and wolves.

On another hand, the flora is simply limited to simple plants that are only flourishing during the months of July and August, as at this time the temperatures are at their highest,, and then the plants are able to survive over the winter period.

Nowadays, the settlement of Alert does not have some significant importance as it had during the Cold War, at which time it was considered to be strategically located as it is closer to Moscow than Canada’s capital, and as it was thought that the former Soviet Union could “invade” and claim the northern part of the country, the existence of the settlement was just.

With the budget cuts and the end of the Cold War, today Alert enjoys a smaller spectrum of attention, even though there are some visitors who are coming to claim that they have visited the planet’s northernmost and one of the most isolated places where they have been.

A true cold gem, tucked away in the white wonderland of Nunavut, Canada.