Carrots: Health Benefits, Nutrition Facts & Calories

The health benefits of carrots include reduced cholesterol, prevention from heart attacks, warding off of certain cancers, improving vision, and reducing the signs of premature aging. Furthermore, carrots have the ability to increase the health of your skin, boost the immune system, improve digestion, increase cardiovascular health, detoxify the body, and boost oral health in a variety of ways.  They also provide a well-rounded influx of vitamins and minerals.
Carrots are one of the most widely used and enjoyed vegetables in the world, partly because they grow relatively easily, and are very versatile in a number of dishes and cultural cuisines. Carrots are scientifically classified as Daucus carota, and it is categorized as a root vegetable. It is typically orange in color, but purple, white, yellow, and red carrots are out there, just not as common. The taproot of the carrot is the part of the vegetable most commonly eaten, although the greens are still beneficial in salads and other forms.
The type of carrot most commonly eaten around the world is the domesticated variation of the wild species named above, and it is native to Europe and southwestern Asia. The majority of carrots are now cultivated in China, but they are exported throughout the world to be included in salads and soups, as well as a stand-alone vegetable for snacks, side dishes, and essential ingredients in many recipes.
Carrots in the wild have a woody core element that is not very palatable, so cultivation has eventually selected that characteristic out so we are left with the form of carrots that we are familiar with today. Both adults and children like carrots because of their crunchy texture and sweet taste, so this is one of the valuable vegetables for parents, as children seem to enjoy eating them, a rare exception!
The many medicinal and health benefits of carrots, along with its delicious taste, are what makes this such an important vegetable in cultural cuisines across the globe, so let’s first understand what exactly is it about carrots that make them so beneficial!

Nutritional Value & Calories

Most of the benefits of carrots can be attributed to their beta-carotene and fiber content. This root vegetable is also a good source of antioxidant agents. Furthermore, carrots are rich in vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, vitamin B8, pantothenic acid, folate, potassium, iron, copper, and manganese. Carrots contain just 44 calories per 100gm.
Now, let’s find out how this impressive list of nutrients and organic compounds actually affects human health.

Health Benefits of Carrots

Prevention of Heart Disease: In a study meant to reveal the therapeutic value of carrots, researchers at the Wolfson Gastrointestinal Laboratory in Edinburgh, Scotland revealed that cholesterol level drops by an average of 11 percent if seven ounces of raw carrots per day are taken for three weeks.
High cholesterol is a major factor for heart disease. Since regular consumption of carrots reduces cholesterol levels, it is a good idea to consume a healthy dose of carrots, in order to prevent heart-related problems.
A group of Swedish scientists discovered that these root vegetables can reduce the chances of having a heart attack. A study conducted at the Mario Negri Institute of Pharmacological Research in Italy found that those who ate more carrots had 1/3 as high a risk of heart attack as compared with those who ate fewer carrots.
Blood Pressure: Next time you start getting riled up about something and your blood begins to boil, eat a carrot! Carrots are rich sources of potassium, which is a vasodilator and can relax the tension in your blood vessels and arteries, thereby increasing blood flow and circulation, boosting organ function throughout the body and reducing the stress on the cardiovascular system. High blood pressure is also directly linked to atherosclerosis, strokes, and heart attacks, so this is yet another heart-healthy aspect of carrots! The coumarin found in carrots also has been linked to reducing hypertension and protecting your heart health!
Immune Booster:  Carrots contain a number of antiseptic and antibacterial abilities that make it ideal for boosting the immune system. Not only that, carrots are a rich source of vitamin C, which stimulates the activity of white blood cells and is one of the most important elements in the human immune system.
Digestion: Carrots, like most vegetables, have significant amounts of dietary fiber in those orange roots, and fiber is one of the most important elements in maintaining good digestive health. Fiber adds bulk to stool, which helps it to pass smoothly through the digestive tract, and it also stimulates peristaltic motion and the secretion of gastric juices. Altogether, this reduces the severity of conditions like constipation and protects your colon and stomach from various serious illnesses, including colorectal cancer. Fiber also boosts heart health by helping to eliminate excess LDL cholesterol from the walls of arteries and blood vessels.

Prevents Cancer: Beta-carotene consumption has been linked to a reduced risk of several cancers, notably lung cancer. British researchers discovered that increasing beta-carotene consumption from 1.7 to 2.7 milligrams per day reduced lung cancer risk by more than 40 percent. The average carrot contains about three milligrams of beta-carotene.
In a separate study, researchers found that eating fiber-rich carrots reduce the risk of colon cancer by as much as 24 percent. Another study shows that women who ate raw carrots were five to eight times less likely to develop breast cancer than women who did not eat carrots. Further research into the application of both carrots and beta-carotene in relation to other forms of cancer is ongoing.

Macular Degeneration: This is a common eye disease of the elderly that impairs the function of the macula. Research has found that people who ate the most amount of beta-carotene had a forty percent lower risk of macular degeneration compared with those who consumed the least. Beta-carotene can also split itself via an enzymatic reaction to form provitamin A, which is often associated with antioxidant capacity in relation to vision. Therefore, carrots are an all-around vision booster.

Improves Eyesight: Deficiency of vitamin A can cause some difficultty seeing in dim light. Since carrots are rich in vitamin A, it is good for improving eyesight and preventing conditions like night blindness from developing as we age.

Oral Health: The organic compounds in carrots all by themselves are good for mineral antioxidants, but carrots also stimulate the gums and induce excess saliva. Saliva is an alkaline substance and combats the bacteria and foreign bodies that can often result in cavities, halitosis, and other oral health risks.

Stroke: Eating a carrot every day reduces the risk of stroke by 68%. Many studies have strengthened the belief in the “carrot effect” on the brain. Studies conducted on stroke patients revealed that those with highest levels of beta-carotene had the highest survival rate.
source:https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/carrots.html

French supermarkets banned from throwing away and spoiling unsold food

Supermarkets in France have been banned from throwing away or spoiling unsold food by law.

The stores are now required to donate unwanted food to charities and food banks.

To stop foragers, some supermarkets have poured bleach over the discarded food or storing binned food in locked warehouses.

This law was voted unanimously by the French senate on Wednesday after a petition was launched by Courbevoie councillor Arash Derambarsh.

It will apply to any supermarket with a footprint of 400 square metres or larger.

If companies flout the law they coud incur fines up to 3750 Euros.

Jacques Bailet from Banques Alimentaires, a network of Food banks, told the Guardian: "Most importantly, because supermarkets will be obliged to sign a donation deal with charities, we’ll be able to increase the quality and diversity of food we get and distribute.

"In terms of nutritional balance, we currently have a deficit of meat and a lack of fruit and vegetables. This will hopefully allow us to push for those products.

"That is very important for food banks because this is a real source of quality products, coming straight from the factory."

Mr Derambarsh is now looking to get an EU-wide law banning supermarket food waste.

He said: "The next step is to ask the president, François Hollande, to put pressure on Jean-Claude Juncker and to extend this law to the whole of the EU.

"This battle is only just beginning. We now have to fight food waste in restaurants, bakeries, school canteens and company canteens."

source:http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/french-law-bans-supermarkets-throwing-away-and-spoiling-unsold-food-giving-them-to-food-banks-and-a6855371.html

Cryptocurrency Investment 2017

Ignorance and greed have been described as the fuel that has powered the engine of most scams and financial malpractices.

There is a growing trend within the cryptocurrency industry that portrays the characteristics of a time-bomb waiting to explode. Almost everywhere you turn, there is a certain coin to mine, a product to invest in, or a cryptocurrency based MLM that promises extraordinary payouts. The number of individuals who subscribe to these programs, on a daily basis, rises exponentially.

Before this current wave of events, there have been similar cases where money making programs, that looked too good to be true, appeared and sucked people in, only to suddenly collapsed. Victims of such scams have always been left in pains and regrets, for those who lived through the disappointments.

Why do scams persist?

One question that remains to be answered is the reason why the public keeps falling for this agelong trick, despite their own previous painful experiences or those experienced by others within the space. Another major issue that persists is how to identify such schemes, for what they truly represent, in the early stages, especially as it relates to cryptocurrencies.

According to Bob Wood, the founder and CEO of Nexxus Partners, scams of all kinds feed on two ingredients to create their perfect storm: ignorance and greed. Wood explains that new technologies are not understood by most people, enabling scammers to twist the facts just enough to include some truth mixed with deception, so as to occasionally fool individuals.

Wood says:

“If any guilt is to be found with most people, it is not for perpetuating a scam, but for not fully vetting the claims.”

Wood points out that scams are often propagated within social circles based on trusted relationships, often in churches, work associates and other social groups. In such cases, he notes that the people often look to the reputation of the presenter, trusting that they would never try to cheat them, instead of asking what has been done to fully prove or disprove the opportunity claims.

The categories of cryptocurrency scam

1. Opportunities pretending to be cryptocurrency

According to Wood, the fundamental principles of cryptocurrency includes decentralization, privacy, unlimited use, controlled supply, and transparency with a public ledger, called a Blockchain, and publicly disclosed source code for anyone to verify. Any entity that does not satisfy these requirements cannot pass for a genuine cryptocurrency.

The biggest culprit in this category, as noted by Wood, is Onecoin and Swisscoin.

“OneCoin is an illegal Ponzi scheme, promising unrealistic returns on investment that only come from new investor’s money,” he says.

2. Real cryptocurrencies with no real value creator

Wood has classified under this group, those cryptocurrencies that may have passed the fundamentally required principles but have failed to deliver value to the marketplace to drive buyer demand with a user benefit.

Wood explains that building a cryptocurrency is usually a simple process and can be achieved within a couple of days for less than the cost of one Bitcoin. However, he says that the real challenge is building a market for the coin with an ecosystem to use the coin for real value exchange.

The majority of the 3,534 cryptocurrency coins are listed here.

Proper education is the solution

Wood further explains that value creation is what companies must do in order to increase the price of their stock in the marketplace. A typical example that he points out is what Ethereum did with their own internal currency, the Ether coin.

“Ethereum provides a development platform for Blockchain applications,” he explains

Wood concludes by making clear that cryptocurrency is a grassroots movement that will create trillion dollar industries and reshape human culture. He says that it will also eventually enjoy transaction volumes approaching that of Visa and MasterCard. However, he advises that individuals should get the required education to be able to differentiate between a genuine opportunity and one which is not.

Where Can I Get The Genuine Cryptocurrency?

The best place to get a list of all genuine cryptocurrency is www.coinmarketcap.com.

Advice

The best and most generally accepted cryptocurrency currently is Bitcoin, so if you must invest then it your choice to choose between a genuine digital currency and a self acclaimed ponzi scheme.

Below is a list of all the accepted digital currency and their true value:

For more insight into virtual currency investment contact me on twitter @alabanibaba and gmail: micheal.adeniyi@gmail.com

[VIDEO] CCTV Captures Moment A Lady Was Robbed Of N500,000 By A Robbery Gang In Ikeja, Lagos

An eyewitness has shared a video of how a robbery gang robbed a lady who just left the bank and made a stop over somewhere around Agidingbi, Ikeja in Lagos.

Read it below and watch the Video that follows it;

This video is an incident of what happened to my colleague yesterday. N500K was taken from her locked car at Mobil Filling station, Agidingbi. She went to GTB, Alausa to withdraw N500K, and kept it under her car seat. When she drove out, she saw a car coming behind her, not knowing there were actually 2 cars following her. So when she got to FBN, Agidingbi, she indicated as if she was going back the way she came, so the car she saw following her passed her to go ahead of her to the side she indicated to, which is the Lexus jeep.

On seeing that the car had passed, she now decided to enter Mobil so that they could go completely, not knowing that another car was still behind her. She parked and went into Mr. Biggs to allow them to go, bought a bottle of water and before she came out, her door had been opened and her money stolen! The CCTV in Mr Biggs, captured the professional way the thieves operated. Watch………this clip and take lessons please.

source:http://www.nigerianmonitor.com/eyewitness-shares-video-of-how-a-lady-was-robbed-in-ikeja-lagos/

Obama: President not a job you can do alone

When asked what advice he's given Donald Trump, President Obama says he told the President-elect the office is of such magnitude that it's not a job you can do by yourself.

Source: CNN

BREAKING: Buhari writes Senate, informs of another 10-day vacation

President Muhammadu‎ Buhari has, yet again, written to the Senate informing Upper legislative chamber of his decision to go on a 10-day vacation.

This was contained in a letter from the Presidency and read Senate President Bukola Saraki, on Thursday.

President Buhari said in the letter that his vacation would begin on January 23 and end on February 6.

The letter also said that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo would perform the functions of his office while he is away.
source:http://sunnewsonline.com/breaking-buhari-writes-senate-informs-of-another-10-day-vacation/

Many feared dead as avalanche buries Italian hotel after earthquakes

At least one person has died and many others are feared dead after an avalanche buried a hotel in central Italy following a series of earthquakes.

An estimated 30 people are trapped inside the Hotel Rigopiano hit by the avalanche at the foot of the Gran Sasso mountain, Italy's Civil Protection Department said.

It based its estimate on guest registration and staff numbers, but said it was possible that some of the people had escaped before the avalanche hit.

The area is a popular ski destination, mostly with Italian tourists.

An elderly farmer also died in the same region of Abruzzo on Wednesday when his barn collapsed.

Two others were rescued from the site of Hotel Rigopiano, the head of Italy's Civil Protection Department, Fabrizio Curcio, told journalists.

The Billion Coin (TBC) is a Scam Beware

A cryptocurrency (or crypto currency) is a digital asset designed to work as a medium of exchange using cryptography to secure the transactions and to control the creation of additional units of the currency.

African Leaders and Their Selfish Attitude (Jammeh, Gbagbo and Gaddafi)

By Mike

Yahya Abdul-Aziz Jemus Junkung Jammeh (born 25 May 1965) is a Gambia politician and former military officer. He is the 2nd President of the Gambia. As a young army officer, he took power in a 1994 military coup.

He was elected as President in 1996; he was re-elected in 2001, 2006, and 2011. He was defeated by Adama Barrow in the 2016 election. Although he initially conceded defeat, on 9 December 2016, he later refused to recognise the results. On 18 January 2017, the Gambia Parliament voted to extend his term by 90 days.

Carlo Ancelotti: Benitez lacked Zidane's rapport with Madrid players

Carlo Ancelotti says the key to Zinedine Zidane's success at Real Madrid is his relationship with the players, telling ESPN FC that his predecessor Rafa Benitez struggled even though he "probably has more experience and more knowledge of the game."

Zidane, who worked as Ancelotti's assistant during Madrid's Champions League-winning 2013-14 campaign, was appointed head coach in January last year after Benitez was sacked after less than seven months in charge. 

Zidane's only managerial experience prior to taking the job was an underwhelming stint with Madrid's Castilla reserve team in the third division, but the former France international led the club to the Champions League title last May and his side are currently top of La Liga.

Asked if that meant anyone could manage Madrid, Ancelotti told ESPN FC's Gab Marcotti: "No, not everybody can manage Real Madrid. The key to success I think is the relationship with the players. The knowledge of football is secondary, as is the experience.

"I mean, sure, Zidane had not managed in the top-flight, but he played for a long time, he had worked as an assistant, he had managed Castilla, he knows the game, he knows the tactical aspects, he knows the club.

"The key question I think was the relationship with the players, as I said, and the ability to work with them on the training pitch. I mean structuring a training session in such a way that you get your message across and the players are happy and receptive.

"There's a teaching/coaching element there that not everybody who knows or understands football has. If none of my coaching staff showed up to training tomorrow and I simply told the players go ahead and structure a week's worth of training sessions, they couldn't do it. Or, at least, they couldn't do it well.

"As for the relationships, you need charisma, you need respect, you need personality. Zidane has all that and he proved it as a player, as a leader but also in the time he spent as my assistant."

Zinedine Zidane worked as Carlo Ancelotti's assistant at Real Madrid when they won the Champions League in 2013-14.

Benitez, who had various coaching roles at Madrid earlier in his career, failed despite an impressive managerial history at clubs including Valencia and Liverpool.

Ancelotti said: "Look, a guy like Rafa Benitez probably has more experience and more knowledge of the game but maybe he wasn't able, in the short time he was there, to build the kind of relationships that are necessary. And Zidane, in that respect, had an edge, because he'd been at the club, he'd coached many of the players, heck, he'd even played with some of them.

"So, yes, I value experience and knowledge, but they are not the most important thing. The most important thing is being able to talk to the players and teach them and work with them, and you can only do that if they respect you and listen to you.

"You don't need to give an inspirational monologue every time. Sometimes you don't even need to talk much. Zidane doesn't talk much, though I'm sure it's still a lot more than he talked before, but the thing is, when he does speak, people listen. He commands respect. And he builds on that."

Jose Mourinho was also reported to have had a poor relationship with many players by the time he left Madrid, and he had complained shortly after his Madrid exit in 2013 that Cristiano Ronaldo had refused to listen to his tactical advice.

Ancelotti, though, said it can be "very difficult" to give technical direction to established professionals.

"Maybe you can do it with a youngster, but at this level it's hard, especially with veterans," he said. "First of all, they're exceptional technically so there aren't that many faults to iron out, but also they've been through a lot to get where they are and you can upset things."

He gave the example of Danish striker Jon Dahl Tomasson, who played under Ancelotti at AC Milan between 2002 and 2005.

"He'd only ever side-foot the ball when shooting," he said. "He wasn't a bad finisher, but obviously when you side-foot it, you're not going to get the same power as you do when you put your laces through it, so I tried to get him to change his body shape and try finishing with power.

"We worked on it a lot but his finishing didn't improve. In fact, it got worse, so we left it. Sometimes, when you're fully formed as a player, your technique won't change, and that's fine."

However, he said that "part of the skill of a top manager is understanding the qualities and characteristics of each player and being able to give that advice that helps them improve technically as well."

He also said motivation had not been an issue for him when working with players at the highest level.

"There's a hunger and a desire in guys like Xabi Alonso and Pepe, to name but two, that means they are never satisfied, they never settle, they always want more."

He said Ronaldo is "the ultimate example" of that kind of hunger, adding: "His belly is never full. People had told me he was like this before I went to Real Madrid, but until you actually work with him every day, you don't realise to what degree he takes it. He is hugely professional and he works as hard anybody out there. From recovery to diet, he takes care of every detail, ensuring everything is optimal.

"When I compare it to my playing days, there is no comparison -- players today are far more professional -- but he takes it to another level."

I didn’t see Saraki’s transaction documents till now –Witness

A prosecution witness and staff of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), Nwachukwu Amazu, yesterday, revealed how the Senate President, Bukola Saraki made foreign funds transfer of over $3 million while he was governor of Kwara State.

Testifying as a second prosecution witness (PW2) at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT), Amazu disclosed that Saraki made several transactions, including a transfer of over $73,000 from his dollar account with the GTBank to his foreign account in the American Express Service Europe Ltd.

The banker, who was led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), explained that the purpose of the transfer was to fund a foreign credit card belonging to the American Express Bank and owned by the defendant.

He said Saraki has a domiciliary account, with the GTB in US dollars and in pounds sterling. The domiciliary account is domiciled in Ilorin.

The witness told the tribunal that he worked with the funds transfer unit of the GTB, between 2006 and 2009 before he was transferred and then returned to the unit in 2011, as its head.

He further revealed how the Senate President made other transfers, including the transfer of £761, 904. 76 in February 2010.

Amazu said another sum of £632, 411.7 was transferred for the defendant to Fortis Bank in London.

He revealed several other funds transfers through Saraki’s domiciliary accounts to foreign accounts belonging to the Senate President abroad.

However, when asked to explain the mode of operation of Saraki’s foreign credit card, the witness said he did not know how the card operates.

“I don’t know anything about the card, except I explain with my knowledge of the GTB credit card in the Nigerian perspective,” he said.

‎However, when cross examined by Paul Usoro (SAN), Counsel to Saraki, the witness said, “I was just asked to read the documents, not that I know anything about them.

“I saw the telexes said to have been used for funds transfer to foreign countries when I came into contact with this case. I have nothing to do with the transfer, I was not the one who conducted the transfer.”

Amazu further told the tribunal he did not see the documents when being processed at the Ilorin branch of the bank, and that he never saw the forms filled by Saraki for the alleged funds transfer.

Pressed further by Usoro, the witness admitted he was not the one that collated the forms and that he did not source for the documents from the Ilorin branch to authenticate the alleged funds transfer.

“I am only concerned about my unit, and I am talking as a staff of the bank and not as one who works at the branch where the alleged funds transfer was carried out in Ilorin.

The witness further told the tribunal that he made his statement to EFCC on September 10, 2015, five days after Saraki had been charged before the tribunal by the federal government.

On Saraki’s relationship with American Express Bank and Fortis Bank of London, the witness informed the Justice Umar Danladi led tribunal that he did not consult with the two banks to know their relationships with Saraki.

He further said he did not know anything about the mortgage serviced by Saraki when he was the governor of Kwara State, adding, “I have never seen the agreement paper or any account opening mandate with Fortis Bank to establish that the defendant maintained a foreign accounts with Fortis Bank of London. I have never seen the fund transfer request forms from the defendant in my unit; the fund transfer unit does not have direct interface with the customer. We do not also interface with beneficiaries of transferred funds.

“I am aware that American Express Services Europe Limited, where Saraki allegedly transferred money to, was not a bank. The E-payment unit of GTB carries out such foreign funds transfer, and I have never worked at the unit. I cannot give evidence on the operation of the American Express Bank, too, because I have not worked there.”

On the alleged fire that gutted the foreign operations unit of the bank in 2011, the witness said he did not say anything on the fire outbreak in his statement to the EFCC because he only answered broad questions put to him during interrogation and the inventory of what the fire consumed was not made available to the tribunal.

Earlier in his evidence in chief, the witness told the tribunal he “never met with Saraki in person until today” and that he had never worked at the Ilorin branch of the GTB.

He told the tribunal that “anytime foreign fund transfer is to be implemented, the account holders are always requested, at the branch where the accounts are domiciled, to fill forms and after filling the forms, they will be handed over to the accounts officers who, in turn, will forward same to the foreign funds transfer unit where transaction will be executed when mandate signature are found to be okay.”

Meanwhile, the tribunal adjourned further cross examination of the witness to today.

source:http://sunnewsonline.com/i-didnt-see-sarakis-transaction-documents-till-now-witness/

Reps summon Buratai, IGP over Southern Kaduna attacks

The House of Representatives has summoned the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.Gen Tukur Buratai, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris and the Director-General of the Department of State Security (DSS), Lawal Daura, over recent attacks in the Kaura Federal Constituency of Southern Kaduna.

This was subsequent to the adoption of a motion sponsored by Gideon Gwani.

Condemning attacks on innocent Nigerians including women and children, the lawmakers urged President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Armed Forces and the Police to deal decisively with the perpetrators of the attacks, be more proactive in identifying the exact areas from where the unidentified gunmen launch their attacks from.

In his lead debate, the lawmaker stated that attacks between January 6-9, at Tachirak, Adu and Tsonje villages of Kagoro town in Kaura Federal Constituency of Southern Kaduna led to the death of 13 people.

He said despite the 24-hour curfew imposed on the area and the presence of men of the Armed Forces and the Police, gunmen have continued to attack villages and unleash mayhem, while the security personnel deployed remained in the township.

Taking a similar position, Baballe Bashir asked Speaker Yakubu Dogara how his meeting went with President Muhammadu Buhari, following the mandate from the House.

The lawmaker who said he read of the outcome of the meeting in the newspaper as part of a report on the Speaker’s welcome address to the House on resumption from the Christmas break, further emphasised that it was time for the current leaders of the country to find a lasting solution to the crisis.

In his response, the speaker described as satisfactory, President Buhari’s explanation on the action taken by the Federal Government to deal with those carrying out the killing.

Dogara however said that the House would be compelled to seek explanation from heads of security agencies if the crisis continues.

Though a date has not been fixed for the closed door session with heads of security agencies, the House in the meantime, mandated its Committees on Army, Air Force, Police Affairs, Interior and Internal Security and Intelligence to analyse the situation and proffer solutions to the security challenges in the area.

Rome metro evacuated as powerful earthquakes rock Italy

The metro system and some schools in Italy's capital, Rome, were being evacuated Wednesday following a series of powerful earthquakes that struck the heart of the country.
An initial 5.3-magnitude quake hit central Italy 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) west-northwest of Amatrice, a town devastated by powerful temblors last year, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported.
While the epicenter was 90 kilometers northeast of Rome, the quake was felt strongly in the capital, sending people running from buildings in a panic.
It struck at 10:25 am (4:25 am ET) at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers, the USGS reported, and was followed by three aftershocks, including one as strong as 5.7.
There are no immediate reports of casualties or damage but firefighters told CNN that heavy snow blocking roads has hampered their initial assessment.
Disaster authorities in Rome said they had been inundated with hundreds of calls from the city.
Officials have begun looking for cracks and damage to structures in the city, many of them ancient and vulnerable from previous tremors.
Nearly 300 people were killed in central Italy in an August quake and a series of aftershocks that reduced much of Amatrice's center to rubble.
Another series of quakes hit the region in October, but the impact was small as most people had evacuated from the previous tremors.
source:http://edition.cnn.com/2017/01/18/europe/italy-earthquake-rome-amatrice/index.html?adkey=bn

Inside rebel-held Syria, where children beg to die

A massive white Islamic flag signals our entry into rebel-held northern Syria on a cold, cloudy winter day.


The road is dotted with signs: "Smoking is a sin," and "Look only at what Allah wants you to see" -- this second one urging people not to leer at women or watch Hollywood movies.


As we make our way through the hills of Idlib province, west of Aleppo, our driver Abdullah (not his real name) tells us jets have just bombed Maarrat Misreen, a 15 or 20-minute drive away.


"They say there is a ceasefire," he sighs. "Maybe in Aleppo. But there is still bombing in other parts of the country."


Idlib is almost all that remains of the Syrian opposition's dream of an independent state, and the fractured political and militia groups are all trying to stake their claim to part of an ever-shrinking pie.


Our instinct is to head to Maarrat Misreen immediately, but our escorts all say it's too dangerous; once the planes are overhead there is no telling what they will decide to target next.


The closest we can get to the bombed town is a hospital, its parking lot overrun with vehicles, fighters, and those mourning the dead. As a woman wails, her pain piercing through the shouting, a man puts his hand in front of our camera and yells at us to stop filming.


It's not clear who is in control, and allegiances here are murky, since eastern Aleppo's fall back into regime hands has left all of the rebel groups crammed into this one area, jostling for position.


READ MORE: Escape from Syria 'more terrifying than Aleppo'

No target off limits

We drive on towards one of the makeshift refugee camps that dot the hilly landscape and Abdullah, who worked as a lawyer before civil war tore his homeland apart, gathers more information about the attack on Maarrat Misreen as he drives.


Activists tell him nine people were killed and 26 wounded when a market, bakery and other sites were hit. Women and children are among the dead. Jabhat al-Nusra, which is not part of the ceasefire agreement, is said to have checkpoints nearby.


But then again, this is Syria, where no target -- hospitals, schools -- is off limits. Where red lines are crossed with no consequences. Where atrocities are committed with no accountability.


And where children beg to die.


"They bombed us, and in just three minutes -- not three hours -- they destroyed our entire neighborhood," says Umm Bilal.


Her seven-year-old son, Bilal, stands next to her, looking warily up at us. "He asks why are there so many strikes?" Umm Bilal says. "He starts to cry. Sometimes he even says, 'I want to die.'"


How can a mother respond to that? What promises can she make to her child when she can't even be certain she can keep him safe?

Aleppo's displaced citizens

Most of those here are from Aleppo. The children chase us, cheeks pink, noses red with the cold as clothing hangs, half frozen, from lines that whip about in the wind. There are armed men here too, ostensibly protecting the camp.


Umm Bilal's family is among those who were evacuated -- or, as they see it, forcibly displaced -- from rebel-held eastern Aleppo in December, after months living under siege and relentless bombing.


Her head shaking with emotion, she explains: "Our home was destroyed, not even a single paper is left, and we suffered to get out. We were forced to leave with indignity, this is how it was."


What is the point in telling you all this she asks, wearily?


It's a question we have been asked time and time again, whether by Syrians still inside their country, those living as refugees, or along the wretched route through Europe.


I can't argue that there is a definitive point. I can't argue that it will make a difference to bare her soul to strangers.


I can't argue that the world needs to hear it, that we need to tell the story of what is happening in Syria. It already has. We already have.


But we can't stay silent, we can't give up. So I tell her that. And then I silently repeat it to myself.

Jammeh of Gambia: Why I should remain President

The Gambia’s outgoing leader, Yahya Jammeh, continued to insist on Monday he would not step aside for President-elect Adama Barrow to be sworn-in on January 19, brushing aside international calls and pressure from the regional bloc, ECOWAS.‎
Mr. Jammeh issued the latest threat to the country’s fist change of leadership in 22 years in a telephone call to the chairperson of ECOWAS and Liberia’s President, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.
During the conversation posted on Youtube, Mr. Jammeh told Ms. Johnson-Sirleaf, who is leading efforts to ensure respect for the outcome of last December’s election, that the “status quo” had to remain until his country’s Supreme Court decides on an application by his party.
The application wants the court “to restrain Adama Barrow from being sworn-in as well as restraining the Chief Justice or any other person from swearing him, Adama Barrow, into office.”
But the Chief Justice and at the moment sole judge of the court, Emmanuel Fagbenle, a Nigerian, on Monday said he could not entertain the application because it includes him as a defendant.
The Gambia went to the polls on December 1 to elect a new president. Mr. Jammeh running for a fifth term came up against two other candidates. The electoral body returned Mr. Barrow winner of the election, and within 24 hours made a phone call to concede defeat and congratulate the declared winner.
The gesture had earned Mr. Jammeh, who had seized power in a military putsch against the first president of the country, Dauda Jawara, in 1994, instant praises.
But a week later, Mr. Jammeh shocked the world when he rejected the results on national television citing irregularities and ordering a rerun of the polls.

Judges from Nigeria and Sierra Leone traditionally preside at the Supreme Court of The Gambia in special sessions between May and November because the country does not have enough qualified judges to sit at the apex court.
Mr. Jammeh therefore appealed to Mrs. Johnson to help facilitate the availability of the judges, although the Nigerian and Sierra Leonean judiciary had already said they could not do so until May.
In his telephone conversation with Ms. Johnson-Sirleaf on Monday, Mr. Jammeh said: “With regards to our last meeting when you came here. I want to request your assistance as the chairperson of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State. I want to request you to help us resolve this matter through the court.
“I want you, I want ECOWAS to facilitate the release of the Judges so that they can come to help us resolve constitutionally through the constitution of the Gambia. As I said the only resolution of this impasse is through the court.
“Everything that will be done let it be based on the Constitution of the Republic of The Gambia. An application has also been filed before the Supreme Court of The Gambia for injunction to restrain Adama Barrow from being sworn-in as well as restraining the Chief Justice or any other person from swearing him, Adama Barrow, into office.
“Until this application is decided either way, the status quo must remain, that is until the Supreme Court makes decision on this the status quo can’t change.”
Mr. Jammeh’s fifth term runs out on January 19.
Mrs. Johnson-Sirleaf, first said: ‘you want to talk to again’ on answering the call, before Mr. Jammeh added, that “date is not cast in stone.”
He then persisted thus: “As we have matter in court and have issue with our election, all parties should await the judgement of the Supreme Court which will be the only legal entity to trash out this case once and for all.
“I want to assure you that whatever we are going to do will be based on the constitution of The Gambia. All as we discussed must pass through the constitution of The Gambia which is the supreme authority.
“So once again, I am requesting the ECOWAS to facilitate the coming of the judges so they can resolve this case as soon as possible. I count on you,’ said Mr. Jammeh, to the Liberian President whom he called “my sister”.
In her response, Ms. Johnson-Sirleaf assured him she would go “to work on this right away.”
She said she would consult with other authorities “to tell them what you said.”
She then asked Mr. Jameh to make a “short statement” of commitment that “there will be peace, there will be no violation of the constitution.”

source:http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/220725-gambia-i-remain-president-jammeh.html