Harvard University Uses Nigeria As A Case Study Of A Failed African Country

Nigeria has yet again been 'disgraced' internationally, following an assignment Harvard University gave to its students in which Nigeria was used as a case study of a failed African country.

The question Harvard University gave its students reads;

Africa is growing. Seven of the the ten fastest growing economies in the world are in Africa, and the continent's largest economies are becoming less dependent on extractive commodities. The continent's rising middle class has demonstrated a taste for consumer goods and technological innovation, and Africa's population-currently more than a billion people- is booming and overwhelmingly young at a time when populations in other regions are shrinking and aging.

Nigeria, sub-saharan Africa's largest economy, epitomizes both the promise and the problems the continent faces in the 21st century. The contry had failed to thrive for its first thirty years as an independent nation, despite having a developmental head start relative to countries like China and India, as well as hundreds of billions of dollars in oil revenue.. Now, after pathbreaking reforms followed by signs of retrenchment, Nigeria's new President faced both vast opportunity and grave challenges. Would the country flourish or founder in this new era? We will analyze key reforms in Nigeria's economy, significant political developments, and the choices facing the country's fast-growing private sector.

Why did Nigeria fail to thrive between 1960 and 1999, particularly relative to China and India?

How would you characterize former President Obasanjo's legacy?

Are you bullish or bearish on the next fifteen years for Nigeria? What would make you change your mind? What opportunities do you see? What are the challenges (and risks)

University Of Ibadan Ranked Among World’s Best

The university of Ibadan has secured a spot in the top 978 ranked universities in the world.

In the ranking released by the Times Higher Education, Nigeria’s premier university was ranked 801 alongside several others.

UI was also the only Nigerian university to make the list.

Earlier in 2016, the Academic Ranking of World Universities (AWRU) and the Center for World Universities Ranking (CWUR) released a list of the top 500 and 1000 world universities respectively and no Nigerian university was on the list.

CWUR said that Nigerian universities were not considered for the ranking because of lack of quality research.

AWRU, who did not give a reason for Nigeria’s absence, made it clear that the criteria for ranking were the number of alumni and staff publishing journals in Nature and Science, number of alumni and staff winning Nobel prizes and Field medals.

South Africa and Egypt had the highest number of universities on the list from the continent.

63 universities from the United states made it to the top 200 while 32 from the United Kingdom also made the cut.

The United States had 63 universities among the hundreds of schools considered.

Lazy Nigerian Youth Enterprises

This should show the president that Nigerian youths are creative. While Nigerians are still countering and criticizing the statement made by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday who accused youths of loving freebies above working hard, one 'lazy Nigerian youth'' has decided to turn the controversial statement into a profitable business by printing T-shirts and caps with the caption: “Lazy Nigerian youths”.

Other ''lazy Nigerian youths'' are now making their orders too to encourage one of them who is very ''lazy''.

President Buhari during a business conference in London, was quoted to have said that the youths “do nothing” and want everything for “free” in the oil-rich country.

“A lot of them (Nigerian youths) haven’t been to school and they are claiming, you know, that Nigeria has been an oil-producing country therefore they should sit and do nothing and get housing, health care, education, free,” Buhari allegedly said.

Arrest: Runtown Blasts Okwudili Umenyiora, His Record Label Boss, Dilly

India introduces death penalty for child rapists

India's Cabinet has approved the introduction of the death penalty for child rapists, amid uproar over a series of high-profile cases.

The change to the country's penal code applies to those convicted of raping a child under the age of 12.

There have been nationwide protests in recent weeks over the gang rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl.

The government has come under fire for not doing enough to prevent sexual-assault cases, many involving children.

A number of serious crimes in India carry the death penalty, but raping a child was not among them until now.

Nearly 19,000 cases were registered in India in 2016 - more than 50 each day.

What's in the new law?

The executive order was cleared at a special cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

It allows capital punishment for anyone convicted of raping children under the age of 12.

Minimum prison sentences for rape against girls under the age of 16 and women have also been raised.

According to Reuters, which has seen a copy of the order, there was no mention of boys or men.

Why now?

Two recent rape cases have shocked the nation.

Protests erupted earlier this month after police released horrific details of the rape of an eight-year-old Muslim girl by Hindu men in Kathua, in Indian-administered Kashmir in January.

Anger has also been mounting after a member of the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was accused last week over the rape of a 16-year-old girl in northern Uttar Pradesh state.

India's poor record of dealing with sexual violence came to the fore after the 2012 gang rape and murder of a student on a Delhi bus. This led to huge protests and changes to the country's rape laws.

But sexual attacks against women and children have since continued to be reported across the country.

How is the death penalty used in India?

Executions are rarely carried out in India, with just three recorded in the last decade.

The four men convicted in the Delhi bus case were sentenced to death, though this has not yet been carried out.

The judge in that case said it fell into "the rarest of rare category" which justifies capital punishment in India. India's penal code, according to the Hindustan Times, had already prescribed the death penalty for gang rape.

Hanging is the main method of execution. 

Barbara Bush's funeral draws more than 1,000 mourners to honor her life

More than 1,000 mourners gathered in Texas on Saturday to pay their respects and celebrate the life of Barbara Bush, the matriarch of a Republican political dynasty.

Bush, only the second woman in US history to have had a husband and son elected President, died Tuesday at the age of 92 at her home in Houston. She had been battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure, and decided against seeking additional medical help earlier this week after a series of hospitalizations.

Her son, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, grew emotional as he delivered remarks about his mother's legacy. During his last visit with her, Bush said that he asked his mother what her feelings were about death.

"'Jeb, I believe in Jesus and he is my savior,'" she told him. "'I don't want to leave your dad, but I know I'll be in a beautiful place."'

According to Mrs. Bush's wishes, the ceremony at the Bushes' family church, St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston, was a very simple service. Her friend, Susan Baker, and presidential historian Jon Meacham also delivered eulogies.

Avicii struggled with fame and had stepped away from the limelight

Avicii dead at 28 01:08

Swedish superstar DJ Avicii made millions dance with his catchy hits, flashing lights and soulful collaborations.

But despite a life of jam-packed arenas and screaming fans, he constantly struggled with fame and health issues. So much so, two years before he died, he took a break from touring and the exhausting lifestyle that comes with it.

In messages posted on social media, Avicii, whose real name is Tim Bergling, said stress, anxiety and illness were a factor in his decision.

Avicii was one of the most successful touring DJs in the industry, working with artists such as Madonna and Chris Martin. He had a crossover pop hit in 2013 with "Wake Me Up," and was a big name in the electronic dance music genre known as EDM.

Last live show

In August 2016, he said goodbye to his fans in what he described as his last live show. The decision to retire from touring was tough, he said, but he needed to step away and pursue other interests.

"Creating music is what makes me happy and I have gotten to know so many great people in my days of touring, seen so many amazing places and created endless of good memories," he posted on social media at the time.

"The decision I made might seem odd to some but everyone is different and for me this was the right one."

Partying and anxiety

Avicii said his more than 800 shows had taken a toll on him, added to his anxiety and drawn him to a life of partying. He also had several health scares, including acute pancreatitis, which he blamed on excessive drinking.

"Yeah I was drinking way too much, partying in general way too much," he said. "Then I got a pancreatitis attack [at 21], which is very rare. So that forced me to do a 180 and stop drinking."

Fans left him supportive messages on Facebook after he stopped touring, with some expressing regret that they did not get a chance to see him live.

He reassured them that he'll continue making music -- in the studio.

And in August 2017, a year after his last tour date, he announced that he was releasing a new album.

"Really excited to be back with music once again, it has been a long time since I released anything," he posted on social media.

"My focus on this first EP of the album was to get a mix of new and old songs, some that fans have been asking about/waiting for mixed with brand new songs that they haven't heard before."

'Avicii: True Stories'

The DJ had been open about his struggles. A documentary about his life, "Avicii: True Stories," highlighted some of his struggles with fame after his 2011 hit song, "Levels," followed by "Wake Me Up" two years later.

"The year of 2015 should have been a peak for the producer, but behind the scenes, it was too much. Stress, anxiety and illness were eating him away," a synopsis of the documentary posted on his site says.

Filmmaker Levan Tsikurishvili describes the documentary as a "cautionary tale that explores the taxing nature and intensity of fame" from the artist's perspective.

"Everybody knows Avicii but very few people know Tim," Tsikurishvili said. " I think this documentary really shows Tim's struggle and strength of character. Being a worldwide superstar artist is not as easy as it looks on Instagram."

Avicii, 28, was found dead Friday in Muscat, Oman. The cause of death has not been released.

Fans and musicians mourn

Heartfelt tributes poured in from fellow musicians and fans alike.

"Devastating news about Avicii, a beautiful soul, passionate and extremely talented with so much more to do," fellow superstar DJ Calvin Harris tweeted. "My heart goes out to his family. God bless you Tim."

Singer Wyclef Jean described him as "a little brother."

"In my darkest hour, I went to Sweden and he was there for me and we found light in great conversation and in music," Jean tweeted. " He will be forever be missed. This pain I cannot describe."

My second term bid based on clamour by Nigerians, Buhari says

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday said his decision to seek re-election in 2019 was based on the clamour by Nigerians.

According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President said this at a closed-door meeting of the National Executive Council of the ruling All Progressives Congress, held at the party’s headquarters in Abuja.

The statement read, “President Muhammadu Monday in Abuja declared his intention to seek re-election in 2019.

“President Buhari made the declaration at a closed-door meeting of the National Executive Council of the All Progressives Congress.

“The President said he was responding to the clamour by Nigerians to re-contest in 2019, adding that he wanted to give NEC the honour of notifying them first.

“Shortly before making the declaration, the President presented a speech on the report submitted by the APC National Executive Technical Committee.”

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Buhari had earlier presented a speech on the report submitted by the APC National Executive Technical Committee, and specifically thanked members of the committee for carrying out its assignment on time.

“It shows a great sense of commitment to the ideals of our party with a view to consolidating and positioning the party to continue delivering good governance in the overall interest of Nigerians.

“With the present state of the party and based on the report submitted by the Technical Committee, it is important to focus on how to move the party forward by avoiding actions detrimental to the interest of the party.

“Considering that politics is a game of numbers, we must not be a house divided against itself and must try to note, appreciate and accommodate our differences as far as the law permits.

Buhari declares to run for second term

“President Muhammadu Buhari has just officially announced his intention to seek re-election in 2019.”

This was the simple statement released by the President’s Personal Assistant on New Media Engagement, Bashir Ahmad.

Our correspondent also reported that Buhari made the declaration on Monday morning (today) at the ongoing National Executive Committee meeting of the ruling All Progressives Congress.

The President has asked party members to grant waiver to the party’s National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, and other members of the National Working Committee who want to seek re-election.

NEC meeting, which is presently holding, is being attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara and 24 state governors.

Before now, 75-year-old President Buhari had left Nigerians guessing as to whether or not he would run for second term.

As of March 1, the All Progressives Congress had passed a vote of confidence in President Muhammadu Buhari, denying that it was not the same as endorsing the President for a second term.

By April 1, while preparations had started among politicians for the elections, all eyes had remained on Buhari who had, until now, remained silent on whether or not he will seek re-election.

His loyalists, APC governors, as well as the chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress all expressed their support for him to go for a second term.

See the tweet announcing his intention to seek re-election in 2019:

 

We’ll release another looters’ list soon – FG

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Sunday said the Federal Government would ‘very soon’ release another list of looters.

He stated that no intimidation from any quarter would debar the Federal Government from releasing the list.

He spoke with journalists in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

Mohammed said,  “We are not going to ask anybody not to go to court, but what we are telling them is that they should re-examine themselves because when the government came out with its list, it was confident of the evidence it had.

“No government worth its salt would be challenged and would not come out to prove that what it is saying is correct.

“When it comes to evidence it’s for the courts to decide, but we want to make it clear that no amount of intimidation from any side would prevent the Federal Government from releasing the next batch of looters’ list and what you have seen so far is the tip of the iceberg. You will see that many people that Nigerians did not suspect partook in the national looting.”

“Interestingly, we have people saying that they are going to court, you see courts are for the accused person and the accuser, courts are for the rich and the poor, courts are for the government and the governed. So, anybody that says that he’s going to court, that shouldn’t frighten anybody.”

Gay men fight in Lagos after contracting HIV

There was chaos in Egbe, in the Ikotun area of Lagos State, when some homosexuals allegedly fought one another after contracting the Human Immunodefeciency Virus.

PUNCH Metro gathered that one of the men, identified as Ezeugo, infected his first lover with the virus.

Ezeugo had reportedly brought in another boyfriend to the house and was about to make love to him when the first boyfriend raised the alarm around 3am on Tuesday.

Our correspondent learnt that policemen from the Ikotun division were invited by residents and the suspects were arrested.

A police source said the prime suspect, Ezeugo, confessed to have been a homosexual for about five years.

He said, “We got a distress call from residents around 3am that there was a fight among five homosexuals living together in a room apartment.

“On getting there, we were told that late that night, the neighbours heard a noise and thought a thief had broken into the house.  But they later discovered that the noise came from the room where the men stayed and that they were fighting.

“The tenant who accommodated the others, Ezeugo, had gone out to bring a new gay partner and was about to sleep with him when his first lover protested that he could not be sleeping with him and his tribesman from Calabar, Cross River State.

“Ezeugo denied that he wanted to sleep with the new person.

“While we were interviewing them, the first lover said his major grouse was that Ezeugo was sleeping with him and wanted to sleep with his tribesman as well.”

But the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Chike Oti, said the suspects fought after they discovered that they had been infected with HIV.

Oti identified the men, whose ages ranged from 20 to 31, as Ezeugo, Akachukwu, Abuchi, Dara and Marvellous.

The police spokesperson said the five suspects were in custody and they were assisting with investigation.

He said, “They were into gay relationship and a quarrel broke out among them. The security men who listened to their heated argument alerted the police and the Ikotun Divisional Police Officer sent men there to arrest them. One of them confessed to be HIV/AIDS positive and said it was his boyfriend that infected him. The boyfriend was sleeping with the other men as well and that was the cause of their fight.”

Do policemen have right to search people’s phones, laptops?

The police have the responsibility to conduct ‘stop and search’ on any property or a personal belonging that they have reasonable suspicions that it is a subject of crime. If it is not a subject of crime, they can’t hold on to the object but the law permits the police to go to any length in their investigations or go anywhere and ask questions. If a crime is committed in Abuja or anywhere, they have the responsibility to check any property either randomly or frequently or otherwise. When you are holding a laptop and the police have reasonable suspicions that it was stolen, they have the right to check. Peoples’ vehicles are broken into and laptops are stolen; personal and corporate data are also stolen. So, how do you recover them without checking the laptops? People also burgle houses and personal possessions are carted away, so the police have the right to check and recover them if they are suspected to have been stolen.

The police can also search laptop shops where many stolen laptops and phones are often sold and through searches, the police could recover many stolen property. If a policeman demands to see your laptop, you should first ask for his identity to determine if he is a police officer because if you are in mufti and you demand to search my bag, I would need to know if you are a police officer. Secondly, you should ask the policeman why he wants to search your bag or laptop; he must tell you whether he has a complaint of stolen goods or laptop or whether a crime has been committed. But if you are in your house, the police must present a search warrant before searching your house.

ACP Jimoh Moshood (Force Public Relations Officer, Abuja)

They have no right to check people’s phones on the roads, streets or in their cars. People have a right to self dignity, which is a fundamental human right. Prying into people’s privacy — part of which is checking their phones and laptops — is tantamount to violating their rights to self dignity.  The police frown seriously on that.

In the event that a policeman checks your phone on the road, you have the right to report that policeman for disciplinary action to be taken. The person can also resist releasing the phone. He can also ask the policeman if there is any report against him that he uses his phone for crime. If the policeman says yes, the person should ask the policeman to take him to the police station to see if indeed there is any entry or petition made against him.

If a policeman cannot provide answers, then he has no right to look at your phone. By the time you ask these questions, the officer will know you are well informed. However, where there is a criminal allegation that borders on cybercrime against a person, the police have right to request to look at your gadgets suspected to be tools of the crime.

SP Chike Oti (Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Police Command)

The police have the authority to scrutinise the laptops of those they suspect to be criminals. The police do not just stop motorists and ask for their laptops. Something must lead to their being curious about a particular person or persons on the roads. You should also know that modern policing is intelligence-based. There are many suspected armed robbers, kidnappers or cult suspects that have been apprehended through routine checks. And if they have a cause to demand information from you if you are not criminally-minded, you have the right to furnish them with the required details they ask you. The police are human; they are not there to harm you but to protect you. Remember the work of any policeman is to safeguard our environment. If you do not help them, there is little or nothing they can do to provide the needed security for the safety of lives and property of Nigerians. If the laptop is suspected to be a stolen one or contains incriminating information or is being used for criminal purpose, yes they can search it or else it’s uncalled for. However, paucity of information is what always makes the job of policing difficult. If the citizens cooperate effectively with the police by volunteering necessary information about criminals, the country would be a better place for everybody to live and do business. I advise those travelling with laptops to hold their receipts. It will prevent unnecessary search, delay and embarrassment. The police are not to make such searches all the time except when very necessary.

DSP Odiko Ogbeche (PPRO, Akwa Ibom State Police Command)

No police officer, either on patrol or guard duties, has the right to go through people’s phones and laptops, except there is a specific case reported concerning such items that are under investigation. Laptops and telephones are personal and private items of their owners which may contain data and information which is personal to them, and should be treated as such. Members of the public confronted with such situations must insist on not releasing them for search but rather request to be taken to a police station where senior officers’ attention will be required.

Complaints of rights abuse by policemen, especially the junior cadre, have been on the rise before the authorities came hard on them and decided to put a stop to such illegal acts, especially on the issue of telephone search for extortion purposes by labelling the bearers of such gadgets as ‘Yahoo’ boys or girls, (because it does not exclude ladies). It was rampant,  hence the release of a statement by the Kwara State Police Command alerting members of the public to their rights to resist being exploited by any police officer.

Telephone numbers were published which they could call to report such infraction. Searching of people’s phones or laptops is an offence for which any errant police officer could be punished. The image of the police is seriously challenged by such unprofessional attitude which the police authorities are doing everything possible to eradicate, and as such little distractions like checking of telephones for the purpose of extortion cannot be accepted. Members of the public are admonished to  be ready at all times to join hands with the police authorities to discourage  some of the personnel who are still in the habit of perpetrating these embarrassing acts. Policemen are trained and are duty-bound to be civil in all their dealings with members of the public. Only in a situation of investigation involving telephone or a laptop is a policeman entitled to search a citizen’s telephone.

DSP Ajayi Okasanmi (PPRO, Kwara State Police Command)

It has been said time without number that people’s laptops and phones are their personal properties which cannot be subjected to any form of search without the proper search warrant. People have a right to their privacy which must not be intruded into by anybody. But it must be noted that for every rule there must be an exception. It is also important to note that fundamental human rights are not absolute; there may be an occasion where such a search can be conducted urgently in order not to jeopardise investigation into a serious case.

If there is a report of a serious crime which involves the use of devices like laptops, phones or any other ICT equipment and a suspect or suspects are rounded up in such an environment, any of such devices found in their possession can be searched on the spot so as not to give them the opportunity of destroying the evidence which may eventually jeopardise the investigation and apprehension of the culprit. Also, in a case of fraud, where it is discovered that a suspect used his laptop or any other ICT equipment to siphon money from another person’s account, if such a suspect is arrested, the laptop found with him can be searched on the spot regardless of where the person was arrested.

In these types of situations, it will be difficult for the police to get a duly signed search warrant on the spot and the search is highly necessary. Aside from situations like the ones mentioned above, nobody has the right to accost anybody on the road and start violating his or her privacy.

International Women’s Day: Iconic images of women protesters

For International Women’s Day, we celebrate 100 years of female defiance in photos, including the woman who handbagged a neo-Nazi and the marchers who sparked the Russian Revolution.

Swedish photographer Hans Runesson captured this moment on 13 April 1985 – and his image has endured since, voted Picture of the Century and resurfacing on social media in 2016 with the call to arms: “Be the woman hitting a neo-Nazi with a handbag you wish to see in the world”. Taken in Växjö, Sweden during a demonstration by the neo-Nazi Nordic Reich Party, the photo shows 38-year-old Danuta Danielsson swiping at one of the marchers with her handbag.

The Polish-Swedish passerby, whose family members had reportedly been sent to a Nazi concentration camp, snapped “impulsively”, according to Runesson, who told BBC Culture that the man did “nothing – he walked further” afterwards. Despite the incident happening in a fleeting instance, the photo continues to resonate for many as a silent rallying cry.

And it had an eerie parallel in 2016, when social activist Tess Asplund placed herself in the path of protesters from the Nordic Resistance Movement in Sweden. David Lagerlöf snapped the instant when the social activist confronted a May Day march of 300 uniformed nationalists in Borlänge, Sweden: fist clenched, her impassive stance communicated as much as countless violent encounters.

Standing still, her dress fluttering, as two police officers in full riot gear approach her, a woman protester in Baton Rouge, Louisiana made the headlines with a similarly resolute body language when this image was taken in 2016.Hailed as an “instant classic”, the photo of Ieshia Evans being arrested at a Black Lives Matter protest was compared with Stuart Franklin’s image of ‘Tank Man’ at Tiananmen Square or the picture of an anti-Vietnam War demonstrator placing flowers in police officer’s gun barrels.

Immobile, composed, Evans is like the calm at the eye of a storm – her comment above a Facebook post of the image was: “I appreciate the well wishes and love, but this is the work of God. I am a vessel!” Taken by the photographer Jonathan Bachman, it has been seen by some as a symbol of peaceful defiance. A nurse, Evans travelled to Baton Rouge to protest the fatal police shooting of Alton Sterling, telling The Guardian: “I have a six-year-old son, Justin, and I fear more for his life than I do for my own. How should I raise him? To be afraid? To keep his head down and not get in trouble… Or do I raise him in strength?”

One photo taken more than a century ago reveals an act of defiance that didn’t end peacefully. Suffragette Emily Wilding Davison died when she stepped in front of the King's horse Anmer, during the Epsom Derby of 1913.Recent analysis of footage captured on newsreel cameras appears to suggest she was attempting to attach a scarf to the horse’s bridle – yet whatever her intention, Davison has been hailed by some as a martyr, and an emblem of female emancipation.

Photographed by Carlos Vera Mancilla in 2016, this photo reveals the visual power of an individual stance. Taken at demonstrations marking the 43rd anniversary of the military coup that resulted in the overthrow of President Salvador Allende by Augusto Pinochet on 11 September 1973, the image captures the full force of a glare.

Outside the General Cemetery of Santiago – the site of Allende’s grave, and a memorial to those ‘disappeared’ during Pinochet's regime – an unnamed female protester squared up to a riot policeman, staring unflinchingly through his visor.

Another photo, taken in the Honduran city of Tegucigalpa this year, shows a less confrontational form of defiance: lying down. A supporter of the defeated presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla, protesting the contested re-election of President Juan Orlando Hernández, lay on the pavement in front of riot police – her seeming nonchalance in fact a display of inner strength.

In September 1981, 36 women chained themselves to a fence at a US military airbase in Berkshire, England. They were protesting the decision of the British government to allow nuclear cruise missiles to be sited at RAF Greenham Common – and they established a peace camp that remained there for 19 years.

In 1982, it was decided that the camp should involve women only, creating a collective identity as mothers to protest in the name of all future generations. On 12 December 1982, 30,000 women held hands around the 6 miles (9.7 km) perimeter of the base (pictured); a year later, 50,000 women attended.

Hiroko Hatakeyama, who survived the bombing of Hiroshima, went to the peace camp. “I believe there’s a connection between what the women at Greenham did and the recent women’s marches around the world,” she told The Guardian.

Images of events such as Slutwalk, Take Back the Night and the Women’s March on Washington have reflected strength in unity in recent decades. Yet there’s perhaps one women’s march that had more far-reaching impact than any other.

This photo shows women marching in St Petersburg on 8 March 1917. The date (23 February in the old Russian calendar) marked International Women’s Day, an important day in the socialist calendar – and, now, it also commemorates the first day of the Russian Revolution. While the marchers carried placards that had patriotic slogans, they also demanded change like “Feed the children of the defenders of the motherland” or “Supplement the ration of soldiers’ families, defenders of freedom and the people’s peace”.

“By midday of that day in 1917 there were tens of thousands of mainly women congregating on the Nevsky Prospekt, the principal avenue in the centre of the Russian capital, Petrograd,” writes Orlando Figes, author of A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution. On the following day, protesters had scaled the statue of Alexander III in Znamenskaya Square, calling for the downfall of the monarchy. And a week later, Tsar Nicholas II abdicated the throne. The women’s march had become a revolution.

London killings: No easy answers to gun and knife crime

The deliberate killing of one human being by another is a crime that defies easy characterisation.

Among the more than 50 tragedies that make up the current spike in homicides in the capital this year are some that may be premeditated or gang-related, but most will be unpredictable acts of violence in moments of mental anguish, involving a victim and a perpetrator who are well known to each other - family disputes or an argument between friends.

By far the most likely year of life in which we might be unlawfully killed is not in our teens or early 20s but our first year - babies under one are more than twice as likely to be murdered as a 20-year-old.

That is why it is far too simplistic to draw a direct link between the number of killings and the number of Bobbies on the beat. Cuts to police budgets may be less relevant than cuts to mental health provision.

In tackling gang activity, there is good evidence that a psychiatric health approach may be more effective than a tough criminal justice response, which can thwart individual acts of violence, but may also infect communities with resentment and distrust - the breeding ground of gangsters.

Analysis of a survey of more than 4,600 young men in the UK, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, found those involved with gangs showed "inordinately high levels of psychiatric morbidity, placing a heavy burden on mental health services".

The authors concluded that "healthcare professionals may have an important role in promoting desistence from gang activity".

Separate research involving long and detailed interviews with 16 men on death row in the US found all had experienced family violence. Fourteen of the men had been "severely physically abused as children by a family member".

Three of them had been beaten unconscious. Twelve of the death row inmates had been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury.

The World Health Organization in Europe found a similar link: "Exposure to violence and mental trauma in childhood is associated with atypical neurodevelopment and subsequent information-processing biases, leading to poor attachment, aggression and violent behaviour. Children who experience neglect and maltreatment from parents are at greater risk for aggressive and antisocial behaviour and violent offending in later life."

Killing can be contagious. The murder of one young person can raise fear levels on the street, making it more likely others will carry weapons to protect themselves. And more likely they will use them.

In the US and increasingly in the UK, in places like Glasgow, agencies are successfully reducing gang violence by treating it in the same way they'd respond to a public health emergency, looking to disrupt the spread of a deadly virus.

Karyn McCluskey, a former director of Violence Reduction Unit set up by Strathclyde police, says it is about identifying the people at risk.

"We need to interrupt because some people are very angry and sometimes they'll be on their phone, plotting their revenge," she says.

"Often these are people that need to be rehoused, who need drug addiction services, so it's about connecting them to all the other services that are out there and staying with them."

Self control

The general murder rate, though, is immune to quick and easy interventions. Declining for centuries, it is a reflection of deeper trends - society's relationship to violence and the mental resilience of a population.

Back in the Middle Ages, according to analysis of English coroners' records and 'eyre rolls' (accounts of visits by justice officials), the rate was around 35/100,000. This is equivalent to the homicide level in contemporary Colombia or the Congo.

From the middle of the 16th Century, the homicide rate starts to fall steeply, a dramatic reduction in risk that is maintained for 200 years. The development of a statutory justice system is often cited - but it was also a period in which society found alternative ways of dealing with dispute and discontent.

For Europe's elite, the duel emerged as a controlled and respectable way of responding to an insult against one's honour. Spontaneous violence became disreputable for gentlemen of standing while personal discipline and restraint were seen as the marks of a civilised individual.

The murder rate continued to fall, if less steeply, during the 19th and 20th Centuries as state control and social policies increased. It was also partly a consequence of young men being given a substitute for interpersonal violence to demonstrate their masculinity - organised sport.

Boxing, for example, developed from bare-knuckled no-holds-barred brawls to disciplined contests governed by a strict code and overseen by a referee. The 'Queensbury Rules', introduced into British boxing in 1867, became shorthand for sportsmanship and fair play. Society at all levels increasingly valued the virtue of self-control.

Close study of the vital signs of British society reveal a slight rise in the homicide rate over the past 50 years, but in historical terms the figures are still so low that a single appalling occurrence - a terrorist attack or the murderous activity of a serial killer like Dr Harold Shipman - can skew the data.

In international terms, the UK is among the less likely spots to be murdered: our homicide rate is broadly in line with other European nations (a little higher than Germany but slightly lower than France) and roughly a quarter of the level in the US.

It is right to be alarmed by the spate of tragic murders in London this year, but just as the cause of such killings are complex, the solutions to societal violence are complex too.

Zuckerberg: I am still the man to run Facebook

Despite the turmoil that continues to surround his company, Mark Zuckerberg has insisted he is still the best person to lead Facebook.

"When you're building something like Facebook which is unprecedented in the world," he said on Wednesday, "there are things that you're going to mess up.

"What I think people should hold us accountable for is if we are learning from our mistakes."

As well as being Facebook's chief executive, Mr Zuckerberg is chairman of the company's board. When asked if his position had been discussed, he replied: "Not that I know of!"

The mere possibility that his leadership is in question is a scenario few would have predicted even a month ago.

But recent reports around improper data gathering by third parties - as well as fake news and propaganda - have prompted some to question Mr Zuckerberg's ability to lead a company that some think has grown beyond his control.

'By design, he can’t be fired - he can only resign'

Scott Stringer, head of New York City's pension fund, said this week that Mr Zuckerberg should step aside. The fund owns approximately $1bn-worth of the social network.

"They have two billion users," Mr Stringer told CNBC.

"They are in uncharted waters, and they have not comported themselves in a way that makes people feel good about Facebook and secure about their own data."

A piece in technology magazine Wired called for Mr Zuckerberg to step down in order to let Facebook start a "reputation-enhancing second chapter".

"He doesn’t just lead an institution that touches almost every person on the planet," wrote Felix Salmon.

"He also, thanks to financial engineering, has a majority of shareholder votes and controls the board, and is therefore answerable to no one.

"By design, he can’t be fired - he can only resign. Which is exactly what he should now do."

'A man often criticised as lacking empathy'

Mr Zuckerberg's conference call went as well as the 33-year-old could have expected.

Indeed, at one point he encouraged more time to take more questions.

From his answers we learned a little more about the real toll of the negative publicity and the "deleteFacebook" movement. And so far the answer is: not much.

There has been "no meaningful impact that we’ve observed" he said, before quickly adding: "But look, it's not good!"

What we couldn't tell during the call, of course, was to what extent Mr Zuckerberg was being quietly guided by his team in the room.

But for a man often criticised as lacking empathy, it was a strong display lasting almost an hour. Investors certainly thought so - shares were up 3% once the call ended.

Next week he will face a potentially tougher prospect, this time in front of the cameras, when he heads to Washington to testify before Congress.

Indeed, this session with the press was perhaps the ideal dress rehearsal.

The dynamic around Mr Zuckerberg's leadership could change dramatically in the coming months, as investigations - most notably from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) - begin to probe deeper into how Facebook handled the public's data.

If the company is seen to have fallen short of its responsibility, and is hit with a potentially enormous fine, it could increase pressure on Facebook to make serious personnel changes.

So far, despite all of the apologies and admissions of poor judgement, Mr Zuckerberg told reporters that not a single person at the company had been fired over the Cambridge Analytica fiasco.

The buck stops with him, he said - and indeed it might.

Winnie Mandela: Anti-apartheid campaigner's life in pictures

A look back at the life of the anti-apartheid campaigner, Winnie Mandela, who has died aged 81.

Winnie Madikizela Mandela was dubbed the "Mother of the Nation" for her anti-apartheid work.

She was a symbol of the anti-apartheid struggle with her then-husband, Nelson Mandela, for nearly three decades.

She was also detained various times during the apartheid era.

She met with international dignitaries - such as US Senator Edward Kennedy - to try to secure Mr Mandela's release from prison.

She was accused of involvement in the killing of a 14-year-old township militant, Stompie Seipei (pictured) - allegations that she denied.

Winnie and Nelson Mandela divorced in 1996, six years after he was freed.

Winnie Mandela became a senior politician after the ANC party took power, but often courted controversy.

She remained a prominent public figure - here supporting athlete Caster Semenya - even after Mr Mandela left office.

Black Panther passes Titanic at the box office

"Black Panther" moved past "Titanic" on the all-time list of highest grossing films.

But "A Quiet Place" took the top spot at this weekend's box office.

"Black Panther" has now made $665.4 million domestically, which makes the Disney and Marvel Studios film starring Chadwick Boseman the third-highest grossing film in North American history. The superhero film has now officially passed "Titanic" and is only behind "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and "Avatar."

That's not accounting for inflation, however. When accounting for inflation, the superhero film clocks in at No. 34 on the all-time domestic list, according to industry data site Box Office Mojo.

"Black Panther" has been a phenomenon for Disney shattering box office records and cultural barriers in Hollywood. The film has made nearly $1.3 billion globally since opening in mid-February.

As for the film that won this weekend, Paramount's "A Quiet Place" opened to a stellar $50 million in North America.

The near silent horror film starring John Krasinski and Emily Blunt nabbed the second biggest opening of the year and nearly tripled its budget of $17 million. The big weekend for the horror film was likely thanks to strong word of mouth and critical acclaim. The film currently holds a near perfect 97% score on review site Rotten Tomatoes.

Coming in second place was Warner Bros.' "Ready Player One," which turned in a solid second weekend total of $25 million domestically. The Steven Spielberg film has so far made $391.3 million worldwide.

And rounding out the top three was the Universal comedy "Blockers." The film starring John Cena and Leslie Mann also had a good weekend in a crowded field opening to an estimated $21.4 million in the US.

Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma: I absolutely believe I can win the Masters

It's even harder if you're a golfer from a country with a population of 1.3 billion people.

India has only ever had a handful of individuals on the PGA Tour, and has never looked likely to produce a first major winner.

That, though, could be about to change.

With two wins on the European Tour already this season, Shubhankar Sharma leads a new generation of young Indian golfers with the game's biggest prizes in their sights.

Outside the top 500 as recently as last November, the 21-year-old has triumphed twice in quick succession in recent months, winning both South Africa's Joburg Open and, more recently, Malaysia's Maybank Championship.

Those victories have placed him on the fringes of the top 50 in the official world golf rankings, made him his country's youngest golfer to win on the European Tour by six years, and put him in pole position in the season-long Race to Dubai.

But the best could be yet to come.

While the headlines will naturally focus on a resurgent Tiger Woods, Sharma has received a special invitation to play in this year's Masters, crowning a remarkable rise from the Asian Development Tour to the game's most prestigious event.

"I always knew that I would get here and I've always believed in my ability, but I never knew I was going to get here so fast," Sharma tells CNN Sport ahead of the tournament, which takes place from 5-8 April.

"Things have changed for me so much; I would never have thought in my wildest dreams I'd be playing the Masters this year."

"I absolutely believe I can win," he says. "Obviously there's a lot of pressure and a lot of people, but at the end of the day you're just playing golf.

"I'll just try to play the course; that's my objective for the tournament. I'm playing well and I know if I play well I can challenge anybody."

The obstacles

Fewer than 150,000 people play golf at any level in the entirety of India, compared to 500 million budding cricketers.

There are only 270 golf courses in the whole country -- that's 4.9 million people per course -- and only two are completely open to the general public.

"Nowadays it is expensive to get a membership of a club," says Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO of the Professional Golf Tour of India.

"There is no dearth of youngsters with a wish to take up the sport, but they need a place to go out and play."

According to Indian journalist V Krishnaswamy many of the courses are in "sensitive" areas where civilians are not allowed to play, restricting the number that have access.

Meanwhile the secretary general of the Women's Golf Association of India, Champika Nanda Sayal, believes there's "a fear" that the game is too difficult and has too many rules.

A seismic shift

In a land mainly in thrall to bat and ball, Sharma is the first to acknowledge most people "didn't really know what golf was" a decade ago.

But, as the young man from Chandigarh contends, things are changing ... fast.

"If you'd seen about 15, 20 years ago, things were a lot different," says Sharma. "Sport was pretty much cricket. Everyone would want to play cricket, otherwise nobody would even consider sport as a career.

"But things have really changed in the past decade, and especially for golf. A lot of kids are taking it up now that they know what the game is."

Sharma greets fans and journalists at the Hero Indian Open in New Delhi in March 2018.

Fellow Indian golfers Anirban Lahiri and SSP Chawrasia are in agreement.

"When we were kids, it was practically non-existent," says the 30-year-old Lahiri, who's also a two-time winner on the European Tour. "Tiger definitely popularized the sport in our country, just like pretty much everywhere else in the world. But over the last few years there has definitely been a rise in awareness."

"Every year the Indian Tour is growing," says the 39-year-old Chawrasia, who grew up in the servants' quarter at Calcutta Golf Club, initially earning money as a caddie.

"In the next few years you'll see more numbers on the European and PGA Tours."

Sustained growth

Should Sharma maintain his swift ascension through the ranks, the number trading cricket whites for greens will surely continue to rise.

Sharma poses with the Joburg Open trophy at Randpark Golf Club in December 2017.

As recently as March 2018, the Indian youngster stood shoulder to shoulder with golfing giants at the WGC Mexico Championship, leading an elite field that included major winners Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson and Justin Thomas through 54 holes.

Other Indians that have played at the Masters

Jeev Milkha Singh (2007, 2008, 2009)

Arjun Atwal (2011)

Anirban Lahiri (2015, 2016)

"A lot of kids, a lot of my friends and a lot of people came up to me and said they woke up in the middle of the night just to watch me in Mexico," says Sharma.

The experienced Phil Mickelson eventually went on to triumph, ending the longest drought of his professorial career, but not before mistaking his inexperienced rival for a member of the press.

Sharma ultimately fell back to 10-under-par, tying for seventh position in what was his PGA Tour debut, but "Lefty" will certainly know all about him now.

Asked about what Sharma could mean for Indian golf ahead of the Masters, Mickelson told reporters: "I think the growth potential in that country is enormous, and what he's doing to help grow the game could well be similar to what Tiger has done to grow the game in the US and world."

And he's not the only one already looking to the future.

"Seeing players like Shubhankar come out and play so well has motivated a lot of kids to come out and pursue careers in golf," Shubhan Jaglan, a junior world champion from the Northern Indian state of Haryana, tells CNN.

"I want to see many more players on the PGA Tour, and I do see myself among them for sure!"

Idols

Sharma's father, a former colonel, has been there every step of the way, once saying "every penny has gone into our passion."

"Obviously with dad being in the army, discipline has been instilled in me since i was a kid," says Sharma, crediting his military background for his noted mental strength on the course.

"Dad's had a big impact. He's been with me all along — and not only him, dad and mum both. I've learned so much and I am the person that I am today just because of them."

Sharma's father once said his son's success could be a "Sachin Tendulkar moment" for Indian golf.

Obviously with dad being in the army, discipline has been instilled in me since i was a kid.

Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma

And the player himself believes it's "absolutely possible" that India can become a force to be reckoned with in the decades to come, following in the footsteps of South Korea, a now dominant nation on the LPGA Tour.

Sharma shakes hands with reigning Masters champion Sergio Garcia after losing to the Spaniard in March's WGC Match Play.

"In any sport, you need idols," he says. "You need players who kids can look up to, so they can say: 'We have players from India that have done it, so nothing stops us from doing it.'

Indian golf a decade on

"We might have a bunch of players on the PGA Tour. I'm sure if we have a major winner -- which will be fantastic for the game -- there will be more and more kids taking up golf."

"It should be right up there, by way of popularity, prize money and number of events. I think we should be one of the top tours in the world."

"I am quite sure that India will have a major champion in ten years' time, and there will be a bunch of winners on the PGA Tour."

"I want to see many more players on the PGA Tour, and I do see myself among them for sure!"

"The youngsters need to follow a hero; we have to produce more heroes in golf. If we can I think this game will be here forever."

"That is what is going to motivate them. It's just like a cycle. You need more and more players coming out, more and more icons doing well; you need a major winner.

"Things like that are totally going to change the landscape of golf in India."

Sharma grew up idolizing Woods.

Still starstruck to be sharing a locker room with the likes of Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson and Jordan Spieth in recent months, he will play alongside the 14-time major winner for the first time at Augusta.

"It's great for the game of golf that Tiger is back," says Sharma. "He's hungry for a win and you can see that in the past few tournaments.

"The Masters is something like Wimbledon for tennis; it's what every player dreams of. There is sure to be a lot of excitement and it's great to be a part of it."