Singer Beyonce on Monday said she was offering $100,000 in scholarship money to students at four historically African-American colleges and universities in the United States.

The donation cameon the back of her acclaimed two-hour performance at the Coachella music festival,

Beyonces performance at the Coachella festival in the Southern California desert on Saturday was billed as a homage to education and black American culture, featuring a marching band, performance art, choir and dance. She was supported by more than 150 performers on stage.

We honour all institutions of higher learning for maintaining culture and creating environments for optimal learning which expands dreams and the seas of possibilities for students, Ivy McGregor, who administers the singers BeyGood foundation, said in a statement announcing the scholarship.

The more than 100 historically black U.S. colleges and universities were all established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when white-dominated institutions of higher education could bar African American students.

Last year, the 36-year-old singer established a merit scholarship program to support young women.

The Formation singers Coachella performance, which was streamed live on YouTube, was hailed as an unprecedented celebration of black cultural influence in America by NBC News.

Trade publication Variety called Beyonces show, her first in more than a year, a musical, visual and physical triumph.

Beyonce will perform again at Coachella this Saturday and she and her husband, rapper Jay Z, are set to begin a U.S. and European tour together in June.

Source: NAN

Rapper Kendrick Lamar has broken the records by winning the Pulitzer Prize for Music for his album,

He becomes the first non-classical or jazz artist to receive the honour, reported.

The Pulitzer board announced Lamars selection on Monday,calling the 2017 LPa virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African American life.

Last August, Lamar spoke toabout his creative mindset behindThe initial goal was to make a hybrid of my first two commercial albums, he said.

That was our total focus, how to do that sonically, lyrically, through melody and it came out exactly how I heard it in my head. Its all pieces of me. My musicality has been driving me since I was four years old. Its just pieces of me, man, and how I execute it is the ultimate challenge. Going fromtothat shit could have crashed and burned if it wasnt executed right. So I had to be real careful on my subject matter and how I weave in and out of the topics, where it still organically feels like me.

Last year, the Nobel Prize in Literature also crossed over into mainstream pop music,awarding their prestigious medal to Bob Dylan. The singer received a $900,000 prize during a small private ceremony in Stockholm after submitting his speech to the Swedish Academy.

Source: NAN

Hip-hop superstar Drake teased a new album Monday, that he is slating for release in June.

The teaser came as the Canadian star dethroned himself on top of the singles chart.

The Toronto artist posted on Instagram a picture of himself with his back to the camera sporting a jacket that read Scorpion and June 2018.

Drake, who separately put out a picture of a necklace with a scorpion pendant, did not reveal an exact release date or other details.

He has often played with the traditional album format, instead putting out sprawling song collections marketed as mixtapes.

But one consistency in his prodigious output has been commercial achievement.

His song Gods Plan topped the US singles chart for 11 weeks until being dethroned Monday by another of his songs, Nice for What.

His latest song was streamed in the United States more than 60 million times and downloaded 88,000 times in the week through Thursday, tracking service Nielsen Music said.

Drake, 31, has roots as a rapper but has increasingly gone in a pop direction and incorporated the infectious beats of Jamaican dancehall, most notably on his hit One Dance, which is the second most-streamed song ever on Spotify.

Source: NAN

Chris Hemsworth has been enjoying his time with his family after wrapping up his work on Avengers: Infinity War.

However, he doesnt let that keep him from his important job of being one of Earths mightiest heroes.

In a recent tweet, he announces that he has recruited someone who makes the Flash look like hes skateboarding in the sand.

Hemsworth ran into eight-time gold medalist, and probably fastest man alive, Usain Bolt and made the opportunity a lot of fun for fans by turning it into a quick promo for Infinity War.

The pair met at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia. If you want no info about Infinity War, stop reading now.

Of course, we dont know what fate befalls Hemsworth in his role as Thor in Infinity War.

We know that his ship seemingly gets destroyed at the start of the film with the Asgardians (and maybe Loki) being slaughtered by Thanos.

Thor will then drift in space until hes picked up by the Guardians of the Galaxy. Weve been told Thor probably has the most screen time outside of Thanos, so itll be interesting to see what he does.

Source: geektyrant.com

Source: NAN

The third edition of African Drum Festival has kicked off with 20 states, 40 African countries, Haiti, Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago participating.

The festival started in Abeokuta in Ogun state in South West Nigeria on Thursday.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said who opened the festival disclosed that Nigeria was planning to incorporate the African Drum Festival into the national calendar of festivals.

The drum festival, an annual event organised by the Ogun government, started in 2016 solely as a Nigerian affair.

However, the festival was expanded in its second edition in 2017 to draw participants from other African and foreign countries.

Mohammed also pledged support of the federal government for the festival, saying that all national media platforms would be made available to create awareness for it.

Muhammed, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari at the ceremony, noted that the festival had continued to grow better with each edition.

The drum festival keys into the objective of turning the creative industry into a thriving industry, one that provides jobs and promotes the economy, he said.

I will also appeal to the corporate world to partner with Ogun and support this festival by providing the much needed resources to ensure its sustainance.

This festival is important to Africa because it provides us an avenue to showcase our rich cultural heritage as well as an opportunity to preserve the culture for the future heritage.

Some of the royal fathers who attended the programme emphasised the importance of drum in the African culture.

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi noted that drum serves as a veritable instrument of inspiration, mentoring and motivation particularly in the Yoruba culture.

The Nobel Laurette, Prof. Wole Soyinka, who is the consultant to the Ogun government on the festival, is expected to lead legends in a Drum Walk from Kuto to the Olumo rock in Abeokuta.

He is also expected to co-ordinate an international conference with the theme: Drum for Advancement.

Source: NAN

Novak Djokovic needed 10 match points to claim a hard-fought straight-sets victory over the dangerous Borna Coric on Wednesday, setting up a Monte Carlo Masters third-round clash with Dominic Thiem.

The 12-time Grand Slam champion, playing only his fourth tournament since Wimbledon last July after struggling with a right elbow injury, overcame some late nerves to win 7-6 (7/2), 7-5.

Djokovic is working with long-time former coach Marian Vajda for the first time in almost a year after splitting from Andre Agassi, and the 30-year-old has looked rejuvenated in Monaco after early exits in Indian Wells and Miami.

The Serbian will next face Austrian fifth seed Thiem with a possible quarter-final against defending champion Rafael Nadal, who plays Aljaz Bedene later on Wednesday, up for grabs.

The first game set the tone for the rest of the match, with Djokovic eventually holding after nine minutes of bruising baseline rallies that included a missed break point for Coric.

The 21-year-old Croatian also saved a break point in his first service game, but could not fend off Djokovic for long as the two-time Monte Carlo winner moved 3-1 ahead when Coric mishit a smash.

Coric has been in fine form so far this year, reaching the semi-finals at Indian Wells before a run to the last eight in Miami.

And he dug deep to break back thanks to two backhand unforced errors from Djokovic.

But Djokovic was rock solid in a tie-break as Coric became ragged, dumping a simple short ball into the net and firing a backhand long to gift his opponent the first set.

Djokovic was showing the ferocity and accuracy of old in his groundstrokes and he had the better of three straight breaks to take control.

But the 39th-ranked Coric saved two match points on his own serve, before fighting back from 40-0 down as Djokovic struggled to get over the line as he served for the match.

A succession of wild backhands and a tame forehand into the net saw four more match points come and go, before Coric levelled the set at 5-5 as Djokovic blasted wide and long.

He rediscovered his composure, though, to break again and finally complete the job at the 10th time of asking as Coric sent a backhand flying long.

The former world number four, who has struggled over the last year with a right wrist injury, followed up his first-round victory against Tomas Berdych with a solid display on centre court.

Source: NAN

Emmanuel Afonne

Amaju Pinnick, the President, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has said that the Super Eagles stand the chance of pocketing $24 million if they play in the final of the 2018 World Cup.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the World Cup will hold from June 14 to July 15 in Russia.

Pinnick told newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday at a parley that the money was part of the agreement reached with the players to share 50-50, whatever would accrue to the country if they get to the final and lift the trophy.

I dont put players under pressure. Pressure can be put on them unconsciously because we are creating enabling environment for them.

If for example we dont have money to prepare them, they can now relax but now, we have given them everything upfront and now, they should deliver.

If today they get to the final, the World Cup money will be shared 50-50 between the team and the NFF.

Winning the final is 48 million dollars, it means the team will get 24 million dollars and the football house will take the remaining 24 million dollars, Pinnick said.

He also said that adequate preparation including grade A friendly matches have been secured with England and Czech Republic to ensure the team do well at the World Cup.

The NFF boss further said that the glass house had already secured $2.8 million to pay the players allowances and bonuses during the mundial.

We are ready to play against England on June 2 in London in an international friendly; we had a conclusive meeting with the English FA.

After the England match, we will play Czech Republic and from there we move to Russia. As it is, everything is going on very well.

For the World Cup, I dont think we have any problem, I am in touch with the technical committee. It is the desire of every Nigerian to see the Super Eagles do well at the World Cup.

We had a meeting with the team; we signed a contract with them and ready to pay them 20 per cent of eight million which is what accrued to us for qualifying for the World Cup.

At the end of the day it amounts to 2.8million dollars which will go to the players. The money is almost 100 per cent ready, Pinnick added.

Pinnick also explained that the football house met with some state governors who were ready to assist the NFF financially to achieve the countrys World Cup dream.

He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his support for the NFF and the Super Eagles, and assured that they would not let him down in Russia.

Source: NAN

Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong has agreed to pay $5 million in order to settle his looming federal fraud case stemming from his use of performance-enhancing drugs during the Tour de France, his lawyers confirmed Thursday.

The former superstar was due to face a trial next month over claims that he defrauded the US government when he doped while racing for his United States Postal Service-sponsored team.

Lance Armstrong today announced that he has settled the long-running False Claims Act case brought against him by former cyclist Floyd Landis and the U. S. Postal Service, a statement from Armstrong lawyer Elliot Peters said.

This ends all litigation against Armstrong related to his 2013 admission that during his career as a professional cyclist he had used performance enhancing substances.

The Washington Post reported Armstrong will also pay $1.65 million to cover the legal costs of former team-mate and whistleblower Landis.

The Postal Service and Landis had sought around $100 million in damages from Armstrong in the trial which was due to get under way on May 7.

I am glad to resolve this case and move forward with my life, Armstrong said in a statement.

I am particularly glad to have made peace with the Postal Service. While I believe that their lawsuit against me was without merit and unfair, I have since 2013 tried to take full responsibility for my mistakes, and make amends wherever possible.

I rode my heart out for the Postal cycling team, and was always especially proud to wear the red, white and blue eagle on my chest when competing in the Tour de France. Those memories are very real and mean a lot to me.

The fallen US cycling star had battled back from cancer to win cyclings most prestigious race, the Tour de France, a record seven consecutive times between 1999 and 2005.

Although rumours of drug use swirled around Armstrong throughout his career, he never failed a test.

However his reputation imploded when the United States Anti-Doping Agency wrapped up an investigation which concluded he had been at the heart of a sophisticated doping program throughout his career.

Armstrong later confessed to using performance-enhancing drugs and was banned from all competitions for life and stripped of his seven Tour titles

Source: NAN

Arsne Wenger has finally agreed to quit London club Arsenal at the end of this season after years of uncertainty.

The Frenchman will depart the club a year ahead of the expiration of the two year contract he signed last year despite many calling for his sack.

With the clubs performance in the Premier League becoming increasingly disappointing, this season marked the first time in 20 years that they failed to qualify for the Champions League.

Despite having one less competition to worry about they are currently sixth in the Premier League and look certain not to achieve a top four finish, hanging their only hopes on winning the Europa League.

I am grateful for having had the privilege to serve the club for so many memorable years, Wenger said. I managed the club with full commitment and integrity.

To all the Arsenal lovers, take care of the values of the club.

Wenger played supervised 1228 games and won 704 in his 22-year-reign as Arsenals manager, winning seven FA Cups and seven Community Shields.

He won three Premier League titles and also three times Premier League Manager of the Year.

Wenger also has World Manager of the Year in his kitty.

Meanwhile, Gary Neville has paid tribute to departing Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and urged supporters of all club to celebrate his reign in the clubs final five games of the season.

Neville was part of the Manchester United team which regularly battled with Wengers Arsenal during the 1990s and 2000s and has regularly commentated on his teams after becoming a pundit.

He said the Frenchmans 22-year reign should be remembered in fond terms, having led Arsenal to three of their 13 top-flight titles, an unbeaten league season in 2003/4 and seven FA Cup successes.

Arsene Wenger built the best teams that I played against in English Football.

The 98 team was Amazing.

The biggest compliment is that he played football that made us change the way we played against them.

He now deserves the most incredible send off from all in the coming weeks.

Source: NAN

Arsene Wengers decision to finally step aside as Arsenal manager after 22 years in charge has sparked fevered speculation over who the Gunners will turn to next to succeed the Frenchman.

Arsenal are struggling to qualify for next seasons Champions League with victory in the Europa League their only realistic route back into Europes premier club competition.

However, with one of the biggest budgets in world football and a squad boasting the talents of Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the Arsenal job remains highly sought after.

Here are five contenders to take over at the Emirates:

The inspirational captain of Arsenals Invincibles that went an entire league season unbeaten in 2003-04, Vieira is a symbol of the glory years under Wenger.

Vieira won three league titles and three FA Cups during his playing days at Arsenal but has taken his first steps in management with another of his former clubs, Manchester City.

The Frenchman took charge of Citys elite development squad for 18 months before joining New York City, part of a network of clubs around the world owned by the City Football Group.

He led NYCFC to the MLS playoffs in each of his two full seasons in charge but lost out in the Eastern Conference semi-finals on both occasions.

While popular with the fans, Vieiras lack of top-level managerial experience would pose a huge risk in Arsenals attempts to re-establish themselves as a Premier League contender.

Rodgers has restored his reputation in just under two years at Celtic with the Glasgow giants on the brink of sweeping a treble of domestic trophies under the Northern Irishman for a second consecutive season.

The 45-year-olds three-and-a-half year spell at Liverpool ended on a sour note in October 2015 but he came as close as anyone to ending their 28-year wait for a Premier League title in 2013-14.

Celtics major shareholder Dermot Desmond said on Friday he would not stand in Rodgers way.

I dont think you can put handcuffs on anybody if they want to go to a club as good as Arsenal, he said. It will be Brendans decision and Brendans decision only.

A World Cup winner, Loew has resisted the temptation to swap international football for the rigours of day-to-day club management and is under contract with the German federation until 2020.

Despite being one of the favourites for the job with the bookies, Loews chances are harmed by the fact he will lead Germany at the World Cup this summer.

Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis conceded the club are likely to favour a quick appointment with an early end to the transfer window in August leaving just three weeks between the World Cup final in Moscow on July 15 and the closing of the window for Premier League clubs on August 9.

Source: NAN