Rejection of gender bill: Minister expresses mixed feelings

Report from Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development. 

Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Senator Aisha Jummai Alhassan has received with mixed feelings, the news of the rejection of the proposed Gender and Equal opportunities Bill, by the Nigerian senate.

According to Senator Alhassan, the bill if passed, would have addressed discriminatory practices against women, especially in the areas of access to education, female entrepreneurship development, participation in governance, decision making and protection against violence, etc. The minister made this statement in New York while attending the “Governance and Women’s Representation: Achieving Agenda 2063”, marking the international women’s day and related activities.

FG declares Friday, 25th, Monday, 28th of March, Public Holidays for Easter celebration.

The Federal Government has declared Friday, 25th and Monday, 28th March, 2016 as public holidays to mark the Good Friday and Easter celebrations.

Making the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government, the Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau (rtd), enjoined all christian faithfuls and Nigerians in general, to support, co-operate and join hands with President Muhammadu Buhari, in his sustained efforts to build a peaceful, united and virile nation. General Dambazau further urged all Nigerians to use the occasion to pray for peace and unity across the nation. The Minister wished all Nigerians a happy Easter celebration.

Meet LIAM, the iPhone Recycling Robotic Arm

Rather than the usual parade of stats and milestones, CEO Tim Cook started off the March 21 Apple event by unveiling something totally new and different—LIAM, a robotic arm that’s designed to break down old iPhones and separate all their component parts for recycling.

Scientists Just Removed HIV from Human Immune Cells Using CRISPR Gene-Editing

Scientists managed to eliminate HIV-1 DNA from T cell genomes in human lab cultures. It will take time for advanced use in humans, but it is a remarkable accomplishment.

THIS IS THE POWER OF CRISPR.
Using the much-touted CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing method, scientists have demonstrated how they can edit HIV out of human immune cell DNA, and in doing so, can prevent the reinfection of unedited cells too. If you haven’t heard of the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technique before, get ready to hear a whole lot more about it in 2016, because it’s set to revolutionise how we investigate and treat the root causes of genetic disease. It allows scientists to narrow in on a specific gene, and cut-and-paste parts of the DNA to change its function.

Meet Alfie—A Robot Designed to Care for the Elderly

This robot can help the elderly be more independent by providing assistance with medicine and integrating with smart home technology.

MEET ALFIE.
A new robot is being developed as part of the ENRICHME project, which hopes to provide assistance to the elderly.Residents from the LACE Housing Association, located in Lincolnshire in the UK, where the robot was first introduced, named the prototype Alfie. Its tasks will include providing the elderly regular reminders to take their medication, finding misplaced objects around the house, and enabling video chats.

Baidu is coordinating with the US government to get self-driving cars on the road

Baidu, often called the “Google of China,” recently announced that it will begin its driverless car testing at its Silicon Valley center. Ultimately, Baidu foresees having a commercially viable autonomous car on the road by 2018. As some motor companies tackle difficult issues, such as self-driving in inclement weather conditions, Baidu and BMW teamed up to release a modified BMW 3 late last year that demonstrated no issues in these conditions.

China Has a New Armed Drone Helicopter

The Sky Saker H300 in the International Exhibition of National Security and Resilience in Dubai

ARMED AND DANGEROUS
One of China’s leading defense contractors NORINCO has entered the international drone export industry with its new armed drone. The company unveiled the Sky Saker H300 at the International Exhibition of National Security and Resilience in Dubai. The Sky Saker H300 is a 200 kg (440 lb) helicopter UCAV with a coaxial rotor. It’s equipped with cameras that have infrared and electro-optical systems, and it is capable of laser targeting. It also has two missile launch tubes on each side and possibly a version HJ-10 anti-tank missile (or the more compact 16kg TL-2 missiles). More interestingly, the Sky Saker is able to make midcourse corrections for guided munitions launched at it, like cruise missiles and shells. The drone’s ground control station is expected to be integrated into the Chinese military systems, which will make it an invaluable asset for urban combat situations and counterinsurgencies. The system is also well suited for hunting ships and other vehicles.