Germany to give €1bn subsidy to boost electric car sales

Germany will subsidise electric car purchases to give a jolt to sluggish growth in the sector and help meet national climate goals with zero-emission mobility, the government said Wednesday.

Car buyers will receive €4,000 ($4,500) when they choose a purely electric vehicle and €3,000 for a plug-in hybrid, with the cost shared 50-50 between the public purse and car makers.
The programme starting next month aims to help Germany approach its goal of putting one million electric cars on the road by 2020 – up from around 50,000 now out of Germany’s 45 million cars.
So far, German auto giants Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW have signed up to it, but the programme is open to all national and foreign brands.
The government has budgeted €600m for the purchase subsidies, which are expected to run until 2019 at the latest.
 The money will be disbursed on a first come, first served basis for cars priced no higher than €60,000, said finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble.

North Korea sentences American to 10 years hard labor

                             
North Korea sentenced a South Korean-born American citizen to 10 years of hard labor for subversion and espionage.
 Kim Dong Chul is the second American that North Korea has given a hard labor sentence in the past twoYears.
 Kim said he moved to Yanji, a Chinese city near the Chinese-North Korean border that acts as a trade hub between the two countries, in 2001. From Yanji, Kim said he commuted daily to Rason, a special economic zone on the North Korean side of the border, where he served as president of a company involved in international trade and hotel services.

According to Kim, he spied on behalf of "South Korean conservative elements" on the country's nuclear and military program.

"I was tasked with taking photos of military secrets and 'scandalous' scenes," he said at the time.

"They asked me to help destroy the (North Korean) system and spread propaganda against thegovernment.

Buhari lauds French support against Boko Haram

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed appreciation to France and other major economies for their support towards ending the Boko Haram crisis.
He stated this at an audience with the French Minister of Defence, Jean-Yves Le Drian.
According to Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President Media and Publicity, Buhari and Le Drian discussed ongoing French support for the Federal Government's efforts to end the insurgency.
“When we got into office in May, last year, Boko Haram was effectively controlling at least 14 local government areas but now, it is no longer so. They have resorted to attacking soft targets with improvised explosive devices,” said Buhari.
“We are determined to secure all of our territory effectively. We are doing our best and our troops are now operating in the Sambisa Forest,” said Buhari.
Buhari meanwhile disclosed that a multinational taskforce would soon be established to patrol the waters of the Gulf of Guinea.
He said the patrols by the multinational taskforce will augment and boost ongoing efforts to improve security in the Gulf and curb crude oil theft and piracy.

China tightens its grip on foreign NGOs

                                
China has passed a controversial law imposing new regulations on foreign nongovernmental organizations and charitable groups.

The more than 7,000 foreign NGOs operating in China will have to submit to police supervision and declare their sources of funding. 

While Chinese officials say regulation is long overdue in this sector, human rights groups and U.S. officials have criticized the law, saying it amounts to a crackdown on civil society.

"The new law will have severe consequences for freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association, which are already sharply curtailed under existing laws and policies," Amnesty International said.

Joshua Agai:The energy behind Josh's House of Innovation

 Ebimobowei Joshua Agai,a final year student Theatre arts from  Igbinedion University is Nigeria's top model,one time best catwalk male model Nigeria 2014 and  Bayelsa State best male model 2012.A makeup artist,a model,actor and fashion designer for the collections called J B Designs.

Joshua is the C.E.O of Josh's House of Innovation.His company is into make over and men fashion designs.Joshua has done so many jobs and featured for Vibe cover page magazine,Plant cover page,LPII Company,Mtn shows and he has played the role for catwalk and also became a photo instructor for House of Model Tv show Nigeria season2. He can be reached through:

www.facebook.com/ebimoboweijoshua.agai,and you can follow him on Instagram on PwjoshF
SEE MORE OF HIM BELOW.......

Colombia legalizes same-sex marriage

Colombia has officially legalized same-sex marriage in the country. Same sex couples who were already allowed to form civil partnerships, are now permitted to get married just like other heterosexual couples.
 This new law places Colombia as the fourth country in Latin America to legalize same sex marriages. Argentina was the first Latin American country to take the step in July 2010 before Brazil and Uruguay followed suit.

The Dangers Of Being Overweight

If science doesn't lie, then obesity is unhealthy, expensive and it's a rapidly growing problem. A study by government think-tank, Foresight, suggests that half of Britons will be overweight by 2012. As the figures rise, so do the associated health problems and accompanying medical costs, estimated to be at nearly £4 billion annually in the UK. With more than 24% of Brits currently obese, it's not going to stop anytime soon. Let's start by talking about what it means to be overweight.
Everybody has a healthy weight range, but if you're outside of your respective range, there can be significant physical consequences. The degree to which you exceed the range determines whether you are "overweight" or "obese.” Health practitioners say that weighing more than 20% above your specified range is obese, while "overweight" is less than 20% (but a number above 25 on Body Mass Index). While being obese is associated with greater complications, being overweight can hold an equal number of dangers.
 We've established what it means to be overweight, so now let's discuss the specific dangers of being overweight.

Being overweight causes heart disease

 The more weight you are packing, the greater your risk of an early death. Heart attacks are a leading cause of death for British men. The link between extra weight and an increased heart attack risk lies in how the body responds to an increased fat intake. Naturally, the body maintains a steady level of water, carbs, fat, and protein, along with vitamins and minerals. A higher overall fat concentration increases sodium levels and ups cholesterol and triglyceride fats in your bloodstream. This consequence is especially bad news because HDL cholesterol, a known risk-reducer of heart disease, is replaced by "bad cholesterol.” The end result can be coronary heart disease, which can lead to heart attacks.  

Being overweight causes cancer

Hormones are the key link between an overweight person and an increased risk of cancer. The New England Journal of Medicine published a study that concluded that virtually all forms of cancer are more prevalent in people with a higher body mass. Body mass wasn't only linked to new cancer cases; it was also linked to cancer survival rates, which were lower for heavier people. To solidify this argument, The New England Journal of Medicine also pointed out that 15% of cancer deaths were tied to being overweight. These statistics are alarming, but how exactly does excessive weight cause cancer? With increased body weight, the adipose fat tissue can offset the body's natural hormonal balance, making the body an easier host for tumours. Cancer is also related to the placement of fat on the body. For example, a high amount of abdominal fat carries a greater risk of colon cancer, and obesity-linked gastric reflux increases the chances of esophageal cancer.
It sounds daunting, but the good thing to know is that increased physical activity and a proper diet are known to reduce cancer risks, so anyone can make a change for the better.

Being overweight causes gallstones

The exact link between body weight and gallstones isn't definitive, but gallstones do show up more in overweight people, with the risk of developing gallstones being up to seven times higher than for people of average weight. Gallstones are firm particles in the gallbladder that lead to abdominal pain and nausea. Although they aren't on the same scale of trouble as heart disease and cancer, they can still require surgery, with the removal of your entire gallbladder being the most effective procedure. The information linking gallstones to body weight is based on the composition of gallstones, which are made of bile pigments and cholesterol. The cholesterol component is based on excess cholesterol that the body doesn't need. Comparative studies between diets show higher occurrences of gallstones in diets that are high in animal fat and sugar and low in fibre and vegetable fat. The automatic reaction to the gallstone scare might be to go on a swift diet, but losing weight quickly can also increase your chances of developing them. A better bet is a gradual weight loss, more exercise and an increase of Vitamin C in your diet.

Being overweight causes strokes

Strokes remain among the top five leading causes of death. When there’s an interruption in the brain's blood supply, what follows is an immediate life-threatening risk to the person in question. While there are many other risk factors in play, strokes have also been linked directly to obesity and being overweight, specifically where body mass is concerned. The Archives of Internal Medicine published a study showing that people who are overweight by 20% or less carry a 50% increased probability of suffering a stroke. The study also explained that being more than 20% overweight carried a risk that was twice as high. Did you know that being overweight also puts you at risk of suffocation?

Written by Jasper Anson
www.facebook.com/jasperanson