Sharia Police Smash 240,000 Bottles Of Beer In Kano! (Photos)

In their latest move to put a stop to behaviour deemed 'immoral', the Police enforcing Islamic law in Kano state on Wednesday, destroyed 240,000 bottles of beer they had confiscated from trucks coming into the city.

According to AFP, the Sharia law enforcers called Hisbah, launched sweeping crackdowns in Kano since September, following a state government directive to cleanse the commercial state of “immoral” practices.

So, on Wednesday, a large bulldozer smashed the confiscated bottles to shouts of  “Allahu Ahkbar” (God is great) from supporters outside the Hisbah headquarters in Kano.
Kegs containing more than 8,000 litres of a local alcoholic brew called burukutu and 320,000 cigarettes were also destroyed.

Kano’s Hisbah chief, Aminu Daurawa, at the bottle-breaking ceremony,  said he had the ardent hope this will bring an end to the consumption of such prohibited substances. We hope this measure will help restore the tarnished image of Kano,” said Daurawa.

The 9,000-strong moral police force works alongside the civilian police but also has other duties, including community development work and dispute resolution.
Alcohol is typically easy to find in Kano, including at hotels and bars in neighbourhoods like Sabon Gari, inhabited by the city’s sizeable Christian minority. But the Hisbah boss vowed that this was set to change.

“We hereby send warning to unrepentant offenders that Hisbah personnel will soon embark on an operation into every nook and cranny of the state to put an end to the sale and consumption of alcohol and all other intoxicants,” Daurawa said.

Phablets: Should Your Next Phone Be Bigger Than Your Hand or Face?

They can be about the same size as a 6-inch Subway sandwich, pickles and honey mustard included, of course. Samsung's Galaxy Mega, in particular, is the same length as a Grande Iced Coffee from Starbucks, straw not included. They can be longer than the length of your face, your hand or your pocket.

I'm talking about big phones. Really, really big phones. In just the past few weeks, Nokia, HTC and LG have released phones with 5.5- to 6-inch displays, and more are on the way, as Microsoft and Android have the software features to support the longer and wider displays.

Because these phones look as big as tablets, some have started to call them phablets – a portmanteau of the words phone and tablet. But what's the purpose of these mammoth handsets, and should you start buying pants with bigger pockets?

David Miller / ABC News

A What? What Is a Phablet?

You can think of these devices as the product of a one-night stand between your phone and your tablet. Thus, that word Phablet.

While tablets range in size from 7 to 10 inches, phones have started to span from 3.5 to 5 inches. Phablets come in right between those two categories, with 5- to 6.5-inch screens.

Samsung's Galaxy Mega, with its 6.3-inch screen, is currently the largest of the phablets for sale.HTC's One Max, which was announced last week, has a 5.9-inch screen and Nokia's Lumia 1520has a 6-inch display. Samsung's Galaxy Note, which is by far the most popular of these new big-screen phones, has a 5.5-inch screen. Most of those displays have a 1080p or 1920 x 1080 resolution, meaning that you get a very crisp and high-quality picture on the expanded display.

But while some of these phablets might look like tablets, they are phones through and through. They are sold as phones at carriers like AT&T, Sprint and Verizon with two-year contracts, and they have all the same phone capabilities as other smartphones -- they can make phone calls, send texts, receive voicemail. Good luck, though, hitting the call button with one hand.

David Miller / ABC News

Why in the World Would I Want One?

The obvious answer to "Why would I want one of these?" is "the bigger screen." While the sheer size may seem ridiculous to some, the idea is that instead of carrying around a phone and a tablet, you carry just one device.

The big screen does have some clear advantages though, especially if there is software to take advantage of the increased resolution.

Better for watching movies, looking at photos – The 1080p resolution is not only great for watching videos and looking at photos but also for showing them to others. That might seem like a funny reason to get one of these, but you could say that a bunch of people gathering around a 4-inch screen to see the hilarious YouTube video of a man dressed as a dinosaur looks funny.

More real estate for browsing and typing – That higher resolution also means more screen space for browsing the web or seeing more of an app. And for those with big mits or fingers, the keyboard is wider and more spacious.

Samsung's App and Pen tricks – Samsung does a really good job of adding features that take advantage of the roomy display. With its Galaxy Note, it has added a stylus so you can take handwritten notes in a number of apps. It adds an entirely new dimension to the phone, one that is enabled by having more touchscreen space.

Its Galaxy Mega and its Galaxy Note 3 also have a Multi Windows feature that allows you to look at two apps side by side on the screen. For instance, you can look at a webpage on the left hand side of the screen while you take notes or write an email on the right.

David Miller / ABC News

Who Are They Really For?

But do I need a phone that's the same size as a small pony? Certainly, if you've got large hands the phone will seem like a good fit, but for those with smaller hands it can be a stretch. Literally -- it is very hard for me to reach the call button on the Mega with one hand.

Companies such as HTC say I shouldn't assume that the One Max will be more popular with men. They claim women are attracted to the bigger screens and portability is less of an issue, since most women carry purses or bags.

Still, many women – eh hem, me – put their phones in their pockets, and the Galaxy Mega and HTC One Max don't easily fit. Most men can fit the 6-inch phones in their jeans, though Dockers recently said that the average pocket size is 4 x 4 inches.

Luckily, you don't necessarily need to have deep pockets in the figurative sense for these phones. They cost about the same as other smartphones. The Galaxy Mega costs $150 at AT&T with a two-year contract, the Galaxy Note is $299 and the HTC One Max will likely be priced somewhere in between those when it arrives at Sprint and Verizon later this year.

Ultimately, carrying a phone that's bigger than your face might not be for you -- phones in the 4.5- to 5-inch range are likely better for most. But it's very clear that the days of phones getting smaller and smaller are over. Bigger screens mean more capabilities -- you and your pockets should prepare.

Gogo Wants You to Text and Make Calls at 30,000 Feet

Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways are among the airlines that recently adopted the FAA's more relaxed rules on the use of personal electronics throughout the duration of flights.

Getty Images

The FAA announced last week that it was finally going to loosen restrictions on the rules of using gadgets on planes. Now, on many flights you no longer have to turn off your phone, iPad or e-reader before takeoff. However, you do have to set those devices in airplane mode so your cellular network is powered off.

That means no text messages or cell phone calls in the air. However, Gogo, the company that provides the in-flight Wi-Fi network on many flights, is looking to change that. The company announced today its Text and Talk feature, which allows passengers to send texts and make phone calls over its in-flight network using their own smartphones.

To get the service working, passengers have to download the Gogo Text & Talk app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store when they are on the ground and then when they are up in the clouds they can connect to the service. The app connects the phone to a network, which then allows the phone to access the device's phone and texting capabilities. It's a fairly technical implementation, but basically it routes your calls or texts over Gogo's wireless network, letting you communicate with people on the ground. Gogo says the texting and calling service will cost less to use than the full wireless networks.

But whether this is actually implemented on flights remains a big question. Gogo says it knows that most passengers on U.S. commercial flights don't want to hear their neighbors gabbing on the phones. So instead it is focused on bringing the texting piece to flights.

"We know U.S. carriers don't want the talk piece," Gogo's Steve Nolan told ABC News. "But we know someone might not want to pay for the full connectivity or wireless option. We think that a texting option would allow people to connect on the ground and be a more affordable option."

Nolan said that the company is working with U.S. airlines to launch the texting service in the first quarter of 2014. The voice and texting service is already being used in business aviation for private jets.

Is Twitter Way Over-Valued?

A banner adorns the facade of the New York Stock Exchange in advance of Twiiter's initial public offering, Nov. 7, 2013, in New York. (Kathy Willens/AP Photo)

The big excitement on Wall Street has been all about Twitter.

The social media company had a very strong start but analysts warn trading may be choppy in the days ahead. Twitter’s stock jumped 73% on its first day of trading on Thursday, closing at $44.90.

“I think it’s clear that more investors like this IPO than we anticipated,” said Doreen Mogavero, president and CEO of the investment firm Mogavero & Lee.

Twitter’s hot start may prompt a wave of investor interest in new share issues, especially from Internet companies. But in the days ahead, Twitter will be under a lot of pressure to keep the enthusiasm going.

“Twitter really has to make sure they perform well,” said Brian Blau, consumer research director at Gartner. “Quarter by quarter they’re going to have show increases in user engagement and user growth. Twitter is going to have to show a move toward profitability and a reduction in the expenditures that they have.”

There’s room for caution, according to Steve Cortes, managing director at brokerage firm Lazard Capital Markets. “There are some signs that this could be a hashtag bubble.”

Twitter a great company, Cortes said, but advises investors to be cautious. “Let’s say your son is an excellent high school quarterback. It would be like buying a mansion for him now on the prospect that he’s gonna be a first-round draft pick ,” Cortes said. “That’s kind of where Twitter is.”

The stock market pulled back from the record high reached on Wednesday. Analysts say investors are worried that stronger-than-expected economic results could result in an early pullback by the Federal Reserve from its economic stimulus. The Dow Jones index dropped 153 points. The Nasdaq fell more than 74 — nearly 2%.

The first estimate of 3rd quarter U.S. economic growth by the Commerce Department came in at an annual rate of 2.8% — well above expectations. The market has had a terrific year, said Chris Bertelsen, chief investment officer at Global Financial Private Capital. “You blow me over with a feather if 2014 is up as much as this year.”

Disney reported strong 4th-quarter profit growth, with a 12% earnings increase compared to last year. Revenue rose 7%. The strong results got a lift from Disney’s parks division, which includes Disney Cruise Line. The company says higher ticket prices at Walt Disney World and Disneyland contributed to a rise in per-capita guest spending. Operating income rose 30% at Disney Consumer Products.

An eight-day trial to determine Detroit’s path in bankruptcy is closing with final arguments from the city, retiree groups, unions and pension funds. Detroit filed for Chapter 9 protection in July, but a judge must determine whether the city is eligible to be in bankruptcy court. Critics say that emergency manager Kevyn Orr wanted bankruptcy for months and didn’t want to try good-faith negotiations before filing. The last witness was the president of the Detroit police union. Closing arguments could last all day today.

Standard & Poor’s has downgraded France’s credit rating by one notch to “AA.” In a statement today, S&P said it feared the French government will struggle to reduce its deficit and debt and make the necessary reforms to make its economy more competitive. The firm also said it thinks unemployment in France is likely to remain high until 2016 and that this will make reforms politically difficult. In addition, S&P said France has little room to raise taxes further to plug budget holes.

Nexus 10 is coming to India for Rs 29,999

A few days back Nexus 5 came into the Indian market and now the news is that Google has launched its Nexus 10 device as well. This device has been manufactured by the joint efforts of Google and Samsung. Both the companies are celebrated for their product quality and brilliantly devised gadgets. The Nexus 10 tablet is available at the Google Play Store at the price of Rs. 29,999.

Let us have a quick look at some of the chief features and specifications of this tablet:

Built: The dimensions of this device are 263.9 x 177.6 x 8.9 mm and it weighs about 603 grams.

Display: The Nexus 10 tablet comes with a capacitive WQXGA True RGB Real Stripe PLS touch display of 10 inches that offers a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels and a pixel density of 300 ppi. It carries Corning Gorilla Glass 2 screen that makes it resistant to scratch.

Processor: This tablet has been powered by an Exynos 5 dual core processor with a Cortex A-15 CPU and Mali T604 GPU.

Operating System: Nexus 10 will run on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean platform. However, it will be upgradable to Android 4.4 KitKat version (the latest version of this operating system).

Camera: This tablet provides you with a primary camera of 5 mega pixels and a front facing camera of 1.9 mega pixels.

Memory: The Nexus 10 device features a RAM of 2 GB. It offers inbuilt storage capacity of 16/ 32 GB.

Connectivity Features: The connectivity features incorporated in this tablet are Bluetooth, NFC and Wi-Fi.

Battery: This tablet works on a powerful battery of 9000 mAh.

Our Take: The Nexus 10 tablet has come an year late to the Indian shores so it’s pretty much last year’s hardware that it has on offer. It comes  being equipped with a dual core processor which may be disappointing and does not have 3G as even an option so it does not really have all its bases covered.

Shocking Photos: Spa Uses 3 Large Pythons To Give Their Customers Full Body Massage

Shocking Photos: Spa Uses 3 Large Pythons To Give Their Customers Full Body Massage

This kinda massage definitely is the creepiest massage ever or what do you think, guys?

A Jakarta spa in Indonesia offers her customers what they call a snake massage.

Basically, they unleash three pythons on their customer's bare back and allow the snakes slither on you for the duration of the massage.

See more pics after the cut

Would you ever let a snake crawl all over you in the name of massage and actually pay for it?

Groom, 103, Marries his 99-year-old bride after 80 years together

 Groom, 103, Marries his 99-year-old bride after 80 years together

This Paraguayan couple met each other, fell in love and moved in together in 1933, six years before the outbreak of World War Two.
And eighty years later, they decided to cement their relationship - by getting married.

Jose Manuel Riella, 103, finally vowed to give himself to Martina Lopez, his 99-year-old bride, during a ceremony attended by dozens of their family members, their eight children, 50 grandchildren , 35 great-grandchildren and 20 great-great-grandchildren.

As guests wiped away the tears, Mr Riella, who wore a smart dark suit and a light blue shirt, sat in his wheelchair and smiled at his wife, who wore a long white wedding dress.

After the vows there was an ‘entertaining’ party and the priest who presided over the Catholic ceremony said they were the oldest newlyweds he had ever married.

mPassport Seva Mobile App now available on Windows and Apple iOS platforms

by Tarun on November 5, 2013 4:36 pm | Mobile Phones 0 Comments

mPassport Seva mobile app which was launched on Android platform is now available for both windows and iOS platforms. mPassport Seva Mobile App enables Indian Citizens to access Passport related information on their Smartphones. This application provides a wide variety of services such as status tracking, locating a Passport Office and other general information.

The application provides information on various steps involved to obtain a passport related service and related phone numbers in case of queries or concerns. The users will be able to search for a Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) or District Passport Cell (DPC) in a district where a passport application can be submitted. This can also be searched based on PIN code. For certain States and Districts, the users can search for Police Stations as well.

Users can also track the status of their passport applications by providing File Number and Date of Birth. In case the passport has been dispatched, Delivery Status can also be tracked.

3rd National Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis Championship-2013 to be held in Bangalore

3rd National Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis Championship-2013 to be held in Bangalore

Karnataka Wheelchair Tennis Association (KWTA) is organizing 3rd National Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis Championship-2013 from 8th to 11th November at KSLTA, Bangalore. This event is organized in association with the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI)) & Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis Federation of India (PWTFI) a National body to promote sports among differently abled people in India.  We are expecting about 80 players from 15 states for this event. This includes players holding National & International ranking.
The main objective of this event is to promote sports among differently abled people and create a platform to showcase the abilities of differently abled. The Four (4) days of event is bound to attract India’s top players who would eventually move on to play in the international tournaments. This event also provides platform for upcoming players to improve their ability from experienced players. We believe that this event would also inspire many more young differently abled people to take up Tennis as a hobby and hopefully a champion in the coming days.
This Championship is supported by Government of Karnataka, DYSS, Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA) & Karnataka Sports Association for Physically Challenged. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to KSLTA for providing the venue and all the technical support for this Championship.
This initiative by KWTA is still at a fledgling state.  We request your esteemed media to support this event by providing extensive coverage and encourage this event and players. Your support will go a long way in empowering differently abled through sports.

               Program for Nationals:

Arrival of the players              : 08th November 2013 & Report at 2PM
Date of Competition              : 9th & 10th November 2013
Departure of the Team          : 11th November 2013

Speaking on the occasion, President of KWTA Mr. B.A. Naniappa said “It is a proud moment for us at KWTA to host this event for the first time. We have made a humble beginning by getting about 30 wheelchair players who practice at KSLTA during weekends and now by hosting this event. We hope to grow with help of Government of Karnataka and sponsors to in future have more youngsters taking up this sport. Our aim is to provide opportunity and produce players who could make an entry to ITF circuit and make India proud in Asian Games and Olympics.”

About Karnataka Wheelchair Tennis Association: 
Karnataka Wheelchair Tennis Association (KWTA) established in 2012 is a state Body for the Physically Challenged Tennis players in Karnataka. We are affiliated to Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis federation of India, who are the apex body for Paralympics sports in our country and is recognized by Government of India and International Paralympic committee. Wheelchair Tennis is one form of Paralympic Sport where the Wheelchair Tennis the ball is allowed to bounce twice - the first bounce must be within the bounds of the court and size of courts, balls, and rackets remain same as Regular Lawn Tennis. However, the players here use specially designed wheelchair to move around the court.
The unique initiative aims at assisting the wheelchair Tennis players across the country to rediscover the game within them and encourage them to build up the spirit of game. This also provides a platform for these players to improve their game and bring laurels to the country at State, National and International Levels. Currently KWTA is coaching to about 30 differently abled people in Wheelchair Tennis. Coaching camps conducted every weekend at KSLTA, Cubbon Park. We are also networking with other sports association across Karnataka to provide coaching and create awareness about the sport.

PREVIOUS:See Snooki, Jennifer Aniston, and More Celebs Without Makeup

The Best Celebrity Halloween Costumes Ever

TESS KOMAN / OCTOBER 30, 2013

Heidi Klum has always been the queen of Halloween, but this freaky old lady thing she pulled off might be her best costume yet.

Photo Credit: Instagram

Yemen mass wedding believed to be largest in the world

4,000 brides and grooms gathered for nuptials in Yemen

• Image Credit: EPA
• Yemeni men hold fireworks during a mass wedding ceremony in Sanaa, Yemen, 31 October 2013.

Manama: A mass wedding in Yemen for 4,000 brides and grooms is believed to be the largest in the world.

The event organised by the Orphans’ Development Foundation to assist orphaned Yemenis who were not able to afford a ceremony reportedly cost $2.5 million (Dh9.4 million) and was funded by Qatar’s former Emir Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani.

“The ceremony was for the parentless community because they are often in need of support, particularly given the current economic situation,” the foundation said, quoted by Yemen Times.

“To date, several mass weddings have been held, but this is the biggest one for orphans worldwide,” Khattab Al Hemyari, the foundation’s public relations officer, said.

Grooms on Thursday said that they were happy with their dreams, long challenged by financial hardships and living difficulties, coming true.

A 28-year-old groom told the Yemeni daily that he did not have a reliable source of income because he worked in the construction sector and received a low daily wage.

“I registered at the foundation two years ago and they requested proof that I had not been married before or that I did not have a family,” he said. “A month ago I was notified that the wedding was scheduled for October 31 and received YR150,000 (Dh2,564) as well as clothes from the foundation.”

10-year-old Boy Jumps To His Death From 30 Storey Building After His Teacher Ordered Him To!

10-year-old Boy Jumps To His Death From 30 Storey Building After His Teacher Ordered Him To!

The parents of ten-year-old Jun Jun who jumped to his death

 A ten-year-old boy in China has died after his teacher reportedly told him to jump from a 30-storey building.

According to HindustanTimes, the fifth-grade primary school boy, named Jun Jun, had made noise in class, so his teacher asked him to write a 1,000-character apology for talking in class.

When the young boy failed to write the apology, his teacher ordered him to jump off the building.

Chinese tradition demands strict discipline and respect to elders/superiors so kids are under pressure
to obey instructions.

'Teacher, I can't do it,' was found written in one of the young boy's textbooks as he hesitated jumping. 'I flinched several times when I tried to jump from the building.'

Eventually, he jumped and smashed into a parked car beneath the flat where his family lives.

The boy's school say that the child and some of his classmates had been ordered to write reviews of their behaviour after they disturbed a speaking competition, that he died 'by accident'.

His devastated parents have now launched a campaign against the extreme pressure put on Chinese students.

Jun Jun jumped from the 30th floor of a building and landed on this parked car

Photos: Kim Kardashian Shows Off Her Amazing Weight Loss in See-Through White Dress!

Photos: Kim Kardashian Shows Off Her Amazing Weight Loss in See-Through White Dress!

Kim Kardashian has been proudly flaunting her post baby figure lately, sending a very clear message to her 'haters', that her super hot bod is back!
Check out what Kim wore yesterday, Wednesday, Oct. 30, for her appearance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno -  a see-through white-lace dress over a black bra and matching hot pants.
You like?
Speaking with Leno, Kim revealed she had taken all the bashing, criticisms by people that she was too fat during her pregnancy to heart, that it really hurt her soul.
And that the super-revealing photo of herself in a skimpy white bathing suit she one time posted on her Instagram page, was her "big middle finger' to the world picture.

Beheaded Brazilian Footballer Had Posted Photos Online Of Men Who 'Stole From His Shop' Days Before His Death

Beheaded Brazilian Footballer Had Posted Photos Online Of Men Who 'Stole From His Shop' Days Before His Death

Police investigating the brutal death of a Brazilian footballer believe he may have been killed by gangsters he had tried to catch by posting their photos on Facebook.

The mutilated head of Joao Rodrigo Silva Santos, 35 was delivered in a rucksack to his horrified wife Geiza Silva at their home in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday morning.

DailyMail reports that officers had originally suspected the grisly crime was the work of drug dealers from a slum where Ms Silva, 31, worked but it later emerged the former professional footballer, had recently published photos on the internet of three men he claimed had robbed his new business venture, a health food shop called Forga Natural.

The 20 photos, which were posted on his shop's Facebook page two weeks ago, showed images from the store's CCTV cameras of the street in front of the shop just before the armed robbery in August.

Mr Santos had written:

"Guys, help me put these shop thieves in jail, I was robbed by these criminals, 13/08/13. Whoever recognises on of them help me!

Witnesses claim a group of men snatched Mr Santos - who recently retired from football after a successful career playing for teams in Rio de Janeiro - as he was closing his shop late on Monday night.

 Ms Silva, a police social worker, found her husband's severed head - minus his eyes and tongue - after opening the rucksack which was dumped on the doorstep of the couple's home at around 5.30am the next morning.

Yesterday police said body parts, believed to belong to the footballer, had been discovered beside the Guandu river in Queimados, greater Rio de Janeiro.

Mr Santos' brother-in-law told Brazil's Globo G1 website that family members had positively identified the male torso because of a birth mark on Mr Santos' stomach.
He also told the website that the player's wife, Geisa Silva, 31, stayed up all night after her husband failed to arrive home.

He said: 'Every time a car passed by she would go to see.

'She was getting ready to go to work at around 5.30am when she heard a noise, opened the front door and saw his rucksack. When she opened it she discovered it contained his head.

'I did not want to look but the people who saw it said they had gouged out his eyes and cut off his tongue,' said the horrified relative.

Neighbours living close to the crime scene reported hearing a woman screaming: 'My God, it's Joao! It’s Joao’s head.'

A police spokesman said other body parts had also been found in the area and were being DNA tested.

He said the murder bears the hallmarks of an execution by drug gangsters, but stressed that "every line of investigation" is still open.

The couple had been together for 11 years and were described as ‘lovely’ by neighbours.

'They were a happy, quiet couple,' said a neighbour, who asked not to be identified. 'But you never know what may have motivated a crime as stupid and as senseless as this.'

Mr Santos’ played as a professional footballer between 1996 and 2005 - during which he scored 33 goals in 103 matches as a striker. 

Nicknamed Humble Hero, he was signed to a number of second division teams.
 He also played abroad for Swedish Club Oster Vaxjo  and Olimpia in Honduras. 

A recent United Nations report into drug trafficking-related crime in Brazil found that more than half of the homicides, robberies and thefts have a direct or indirect link with this criminal activity

Over 25 Percent Mobile Users in India Not Satisfied with their Mobile Service Provider

More than 25 percent Mobile service users (one in three) in urban India are currently facing verius issues with their operator and almost not satisfied with the customer service, reveled in Ericsson ConsumerLab’s India study report.

However, on average, just under half of all problems are relayed back to the operator. The impact of a poor experience has 47% of consumers thinking of switching other mobile operators. One in three urban mobile users claim they do not find mobile plans (Voice, Data and Roaming) that best suit their usage patterns, and 85% rate quick activation of services as very important.

ConsumerLab’s India study, gives a detailed analysis of Mobile Service users of India expectations from their mobile operators. The study ranks 12 different service industries including mobile operators on nine performance attributes, including the ability to quickly solve problems, ease of making payments, and innovation.The benchmarking analysis in this report also revealed that airlines, online shopping, and fast food industries were ranked high by consumers on overall consumer experience offered due to transparency, punctuality, and innovation. While Mobile operators in India are comparatively behind on such service expectations.

The report highlights areas that operators can focus on to deliver a superior consumer experience. The ConsumerLab study found that mobile broadband consumers with a positive service experience are three times more loyal to their operator than a consumer with a dissatisfied customer service experience.

Mobile broadband (3G and EVDO) customer service needs more focus as smartphone users are twice as likely to face issues such as slow speeds and dropped data connections. Poor customer service, network or mobile internet performance accounts for half of the issues faced by mobile users who are looking to switch operators.

To retain smartphone users, operators must fulfill basic needs such as high accuracy in billing/charging, high quality network performance and delighters such as assured mobile internet speeds, rewards, and loyalty programs. All of these factors will increase satisfaction proportionately. Additionally, mobile operators must equip customer care executives with the tools needed to improve service delivery.

Highlighting the need for transformation in customer service, the study found that three out of five telecom customer care agents find it difficult to respond to the more complex queries presented by data intensive users. Over 77% indicated a need for a single unified view of the customer’s account.This will help them take decisions in the best interest of consumers while improving consumer experience. The long hold times experienced when calling mobile operators’ customer care centers is often because 40% of CC agents claim they have to switch between four screens to solve a single query. Ericsson India study was carried out in India between February-April 2013. Consumers owning mobile phones in the age group of 15-50 years were interviewed.

Nine group discussions and 4003 face to face interviews were conducted across 16 urban cities. Face to face interviews were also carried out with 200 customer care agents manning call centers for mobile operators across 8 Indian cities.

\Ericsson ConsumerLab also mined social media data and sifted over 250 million tweets and 1.8 million posts across Facebook, Twitter, blogs and complaint forums to identify 100,000 key conversations on mobile broadband experience among Indian online users starting June 2011-Jan 2013. The survey is representative of the views and opinions of 100 million urban mobile consumers.

Boy, 14, Rapes Nine-year-old Girl To Death In Lagos

Boy, 14, Rapes Nine-year-old Girl To Death In Lagos

The police in Lagos State have commenced investigation into how a nine-year-old girl died, after sustaining injuries caused by alleged consistent rape.
According to police authorities, the deceased was raped over five times, by a 14-year-old student, Onyi Adimabua, in the Ikorodu area of the state.
The father of the deceased, Simeon Jigo, told PUNCH Metro that Onyi is the son of the proprietor of the school his daughter attended.
He said his daughter opened up about the rape when she started having medical problems.
The 77-year-old man said his daughter died on October 3, 2013. He said:
“Up until my daughter’s death, she was a pupil of Fulfilled Greenland School, Ikorodu, and she was in primary three. One day, she came home and started complaining of pains around her vagina, stomach area.
We rushed her to Ikorodu General Hospital. A doctor checked her and after conducting some tests on her, told us that my daughter had sustained medical complications due to forced sexual intercourse.
I was alarmed by this; so, I had a private discussion with my daughter. She told me that it was her school proprietor’s son, Onyi, that had been raping her. The boy had threatened to kill her if she ever told anyone about it.”
The indigene of Ondo State told PUNCH Metro that after initial treatments, he took his daughter to Arogbo in Ondo State to be taken care of but her condition continued to deteriorate.
A few days after the troubled father travelled to Ondo State, Onyi, accompanied by his parents, also travelled to Ondo State, to apologise to Jigo’s family. The girl, however, was said to have died that very day.
“On getting to the house where my daughter was, we discovered that she was dead. Onyi confessed that he had been raping my daughter prior to her death,’ Jigo said.
PUNCH Metro learnt that after the girl’s demise, irate youths in the area attempted to lynch the 14-year-old boy. The bereaved father was said to have intervened and reported the matter to a nearby police station, where the teenager was held for safe keeping.
The next morning, Onyi and his parents travelled back to Lagos.The alleged rapist’s parents, in company with a chief in Ikorodu, reportedly visited Jigo when he returned to Lagos.
The group were said to have pleaded that the bereaved father should not pursue the case but he refused. Jigo said:
“I went to the Ikorodu Police station to report the case but was surprised when the policemen on duty said I should not write any statement.  They only told me to write down my telephone number and said they would call me later.
After waiting for many days without any call, I wrote a petition and the matter was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba.”
It was however learnt that Onyi had been taken to his father’s hometown in Delta State thereby stalling police investigation.
The teenager’s parents,  however described the incident as the handiwork of the devil.
The 14-year-old boy’s father, Andrew Adimabua, said:
“I trained that boy in the way of the Lord and expected so much from him. He has confessed to the act; there is nothing to hide. He told me that he learnt about sex by watching blue (pornographic) films.
We are not hiding him and we will cooperate with the police. On the day the little girl died, he was beaten up and made to stay in the rain for hours. As a result, he contracted pneumonia so we sent him home for treatment. When he recovers, he’ll be taken to the police for questioning.”
Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, who confirmed the incident to our correspondent on the telephone, expressed shock at the development.Braide said Onyi would be re-arrested in the course of investigation.
“It is appalling that a teenager could indulge in such act. The matter is under investigation and the culprit will be re-arrested.”