Lagos to introduce 5,000 new buses
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we will inject 820 environmentally-friendly high capacity buses in the first phase of this reform by september 2018 300 new bus stops 3 bus depots and intelligent transport system which will aid lagosians to plan their journeys on our public transport system he said1 lagos is to introduce 5000 new buses and 13 terminals as part of its plan to improve the it transport sector1 he said the plan of the government is to introduce the buses within a space of three years and also introduce 820 environment-friendly buses before the last quarter of 20181 the ikeja bus terminal is one of our flagship transport infrastructure under the state bus reform initiative1 the first phase of this programme will see 13 new bus terminals introduced including major terminals at oshodi yaba ojota agege and the already completed tafawa balewa bus terminal1 we have commenced the introduction of 5000 new buses into the lagos economy in the next 3 years1 the state is also to introduce an assembly plant for the production of buses governor akinwunmi ambode said this during the inauguration of the ikeja bus terminal alongside president muhammadu buhari1 furthermore the governor explained that the success of the state largely depends on the efficiency of the transport system hence the need to invest more in the sector even beyond road transport1 this according to him will help to meet the connectivity and mobility needs of lagos residents as well as promote healthy lifestyles1 our concentration is not only on busroad transportation. we are promoting non-motorised transport such as walking and cycling paths to give our people modal choices while promoting healthy living1 work is ongoing on the 27-kilometre blue line rail project from okokomaiko west of lagos to marina in central lagos. we are in discussions with various investors and stakeholders on our urban rail project the red line from alagbada to marina1 the success of a highly populated cosmopolitan smart city-state like lagos is strongly dependent on the efficiency of its transportation system1 we are committed to a functional efficient and integrated transport system which will support our population and facilitate our commerce and we will continually work till we achieve this objective and we will always count on your usual support he said1

Audu Ogbeh loses younger brother
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clement ogbeh a staff of the central bank of nigeria has died1 he died last week in an accident along markudi-lafia road on his way to benue1 until his death he was the principal manager at central bank in abuja. he will be buried today1 clement was the younger brother of chief audu ogbeh the minister of agriculture and rural development1 president muhammadu buhari has sent condolences to audu ogbeh clement ogbehs nucleus family his friends and colleagues at the cbn1 according to a statement from senior special assistant on media to the president garba shehu president buhari prays that god will comfort the family of the departed and grant his soul eternal rest1

Cancer in coffee: Judge orders retailers to give health warning
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in his decision berle said defendants failed to satisfy their burden of proving by a preponderance of evidence that consumption of coffee confers a benefit to human health2 a judge in los angeles california united states has ordered coffees globally known retailer starbucks corp and other coffee sellers to put a cancer warning on coffee sold in the state2 one of those chemicals is acrylamide a byproduct of roasting coffee beans that is present in high levels in brewed coffee2 los angeles superior court judge elihu berle said in a decision dated wednesday that starbucks and other companies had failed to show there was no significant risk from a carcinogen produced in the coffee roasting process court documents showed2 starbucks and other defendants have until april 10 to file objections to the decision2 starbucks declined to comment referring reporters to a statement by the national coffee association nca that said the industry was considering an appeal and further legal actions2 cancer warning labels on coffee would be misleading. the u.s. governments own dietary guidelines state that coffee can be part of a healthy lifestyle the nca statement said2 a little-known not-for-profit group sued some 90 coffee retailers including starbucks on grounds they were violating a california law requiring companies to warn consumers of chemicals in their products that could cause cancer2 officials from dunkin donuts mcdonalds corp peets and other big coffee sellers did not immediately respond to requests for comment reuters reported2 the lawsuit was filed in 2010 by the council for education and research on toxics cert. it calls for fines as large as 2500 per person for every exposure to the chemical since 2002 at the defendants shops in california2 any civil penalties which will be decided in a third phase of the trial could be huge in california which has a population of nearly 40 million2 certs lawyer raphael metzger did not immediately respond to a request for comment2 starbucks lost the first phase of the trial in which it failed to show the level of acrylamide in coffee was below that which would pose a significant risk of cancer. in the second phase of the trial defendants failed to prove there was an acceptable alternative risk level for the carcinogen court documents showed2 several defendants in the case settled before wednesdays decision agreeing to post signage about the cancer-linked chemical and pay millions in fines according to published reports2

Czech Republic extradites Russian hacker Nikulin to US
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after nikulins arrest in prague a moscow court issued a warrant for his arrest in november 2016 for the alleged theft of 3450 via webmoney in 2009 the czech justice ministry said then1 the czech republic has extradited russian citizen yevgeniy nikulin to the united states where he is accused of hacking social networks including linkedin1 the decision by minister robert pelikan defied russia which had also sought his extradition after nikulin was arrested in prague in cooperation with the u.s. federal bureau of investigation in 20161 we confirm extradition to the united states a justice ministry spokeswoman said in a text message after earlier reports. he has already flown out1 a u.s. federal grand jury in california indicted the 29-year-old nikulin in 2016 on suspicion of hacking into the u.s.-based social media firms linkedin dropbox and formspring in 20121 linkedin has said the case was related to a 2012 breach that it previously said might have compromised the credentials of 100 million linkedin users prompting it to launch a massive password reset operation1 nikulin has in the past denied any wrongdoing in comments to czech media. reuters could not immediately reach his attorney on friday1 the czech justice ministry announced the extradition on friday1 the u.s. embassy in prague welcomed nikulins extradition1 we value immensely our cooperation with the czech republic on a range of issues including judicial law enforcement and police matters it said in a statement1 courts in the czech republic an eu country and u.s. ally in nato ruled extradition to both countries was permissible and the decision was up to pelikan1 prime minister andrej babis said he was in favor of extradition to the united states but pelikan said president milos zeman who often takes a pro-russian stance had urged extradition to russia1 pelikans decision was closely watched because babis needs zemans support as he tries to build a new government after his minority cabinet lost a confidence vote last month. zeman has the right to appoint prime ministers and has promised babis another try at installing a government1 pelikan refused in 2016 to extradite two lebanese citizens charged in the united states with an attempt to sell ground-to-air missiles cocaine trafficking and other crimes1 another czech cabinet minister said at the time that this decision was connected with the return of five czechs from a presumed kidnapping in lebanon1

Ekiti Govt. disburses N400m to owners of demolished houses
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he said the relatively high number of houses demolished by the present administration was as a result of the rapid development going on in the state1 the ekiti government says it has paid n400 million as compensation to those affected by the ongoing demolition exercise in the state1 otitoju explained that governments action on the demolition was not to deliberately render residents homeless and thereby make life difficult for them as being insinuated1 he said that the exercise was part of the urban renewal programme of the present administration aimed at giving ado ekiti the state capital and other major towns a facelift that would make it wear the toga of a real state capital1 the beneficiaries received between n100000 to n2 million as compensation depending on the nature and size of the structure because some of them were either built with mud while others were modern houses1 the commissioner disclosed that more than 300 houses had so far been demolished under the exercise in ado ekiti ikere ekiti efon alaaye omuo ekiti ise ekiti emure ekiti and ijero ekiti among others1 the state commissioner for lands housing and urban development mr. tayelolu otitoju disclosed this during a press conference in ado-ekiti on friday1 he emphasised the level of development witnessed in the state in the last three and a half years adding that it was a confirmation of the determination of governor fayose to improve the lot of the people1 otitoju said that government embarked on the project to ease traffic congestion and adhere to urban policy of any civilized society1 the commissioner however announced that government would not compensate owners of demolished houses that were built on waterways noting that the recalcitrant property owners had treated several government notices of contravention with disdain1 he warned developers in the state against further construction without approved building plan and enjoined interested developers to henceforth avail themselves with the status of any plot of land before the purchase1 he added that necessary title deeds must first be obtained from the ministry before commencing construction in order to prevent avoidable embarrassment in future1

Anxiety as Chinese space lab Tiangong-1 crashes back to Earth
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experts have downplayed any concerns about the tiangong-1 causing any damage when it hurtles back to earth with the esa noting that nearly 6000 uncontrolled re-entries of large objects have occurred over the past 60 years without harming anyone1 an out-of-control chinese space laboratory tiangong-1 that will plunge back to earth in the coming days is unlikely to cause any damage chinese authorities say but will offer instead a splendid show akin to a meteor shower1 the concern is expressed by the us-based aerospace corporation over possible exposure by humans to hydrazine the deadly chemicals used as rocket fuel. it is cancerous and may cause liver and nerve damage the agency said1 but there is no need for people to worry the china manned space engineering office cmseo said on its wechat social media account1 such falling spacecraft do not crash into the earth fiercely like in sci-fi movies but turn into a splendid meteor shower and move across the beautiful starry sky as they race towards the earth it said1 chinas space agency said on thursday that the nearly eight-tonne tiangong-1 will re-enter the atmosphere some time between saturday and monday. the european space agency has a smaller window between midday saturday and early sunday afternoon gmt time1 the lab was placed in orbit in september 2011 and had been slated for a controlled re-entry but it ceased functioning in march 2016 and space enthusiasts have been bracing for its fiery return1 beijing sees its multi-billion-dollar space programme as a symbol of the countrys rise. it plans to send a manned mission to the moon in the future1 china sent another lab into orbit the tiangong-2 in september 2016 and hopes to turn it into a crewed space station by 20221 the chinese assurances came amidst anxieties about where the 8618.255 kg craft will make its landing1 the cmseo said the probability of someone being hit by a meteorite of more than 200 grammes is one in 700 million1 during the uncontrolled re-entry atmospheric drag will rip away solar arrays antennas and other external components at an altitude of around 100 kilometres according to the chinese space office1 the intensifying heat and friction will cause the main structure to burn or blow up and it should disintegrate at an altitude of around 80 kilometres it said1 most fragments will dissipate in the air and a small amount of debris will fall relatively slowly before landing most likely in the ocean which covers more than 70 percent of the earths surface1 jonathan mcdowell an astronomer at the harvard-smithsonian center for astrophysics estimates that the tiangong-1 is the 50th most massive uncontrolled re-entry of an object since 19571 much bigger things have come down with no casualties mcdowell told afp1 this thing is like a small plane crash he said adding that the trail of debris will scatter pieces several hundred kilometres apart1 at an altitude of 60-70 kilometres debris will begin to turn into a series of fireballs which is when people on the ground will see a spectacular show he said1

PDP, APC throwing pebbles
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the pdp presided over an unprecedented looting of the public treasury perhaps the worst of its kind in nigeria or anywhere else in the world2 in one breath the party sought the elongation of tenure for its officials and then in another breath it reversed itself1 pdp which is still battling leadership crisis since its ouster in 2015 said on tuesday that the confusion in national executive committee nec further exposed the raging impunity primitive impositions and other undemocratic tendencies in apc1 pdp which tendered a public apology early in the week for running the country aground said that it was clear that the apc went into a chaotic mode following the renewed interest of nigerians in the rebranded pdp1 pdps national publicity secretary mr. kola ologbondiyan said that the confusion in apc directly explained why the country had been in shambles in the last three years1 there is no way a party which cannot conduct its affairs in a democratic norm will be able to function in government1 we are therefore not surprised that president muhammadu buhari went back to his partys nec and ordered members to reverse earlier decisions which they had claimed conformed with the provisions of their constitution1 it is amazing that a party which boasts of belonging to the progressive bent does not even understand its own rules or the applications thereof1 apc also picked hole in the national apology tendered by pdp early in the week describing it as feeble and unacceptable until looted funds were returned1 nigerians are no longer at loss as to the reasons for failure of governance policy summersaults and gross incompetence that have brought our nation to its knees in the last three years1 ologbondiyan urged all democrats still the apc to immediately exit and join other good-spirited nigerians in the rebranded and repositioned pdp to make life better for nigerians1 the minister of minister of information and culture alhaji lai mohammed had earlier attacked pdp for tendering a shallow apology nigerians for the massive looting of the nations treasury1 mohammed called on the pdp to go the whole hog with its apology to nigerians by returning all the funds looted from the public treasury under its watch during its 16 years in power1 mohammed also challenged pdp to show the genuineness of its apology through a discernible change of attitude1 still battling to put its pieces together the opposition peoples democratic party pdp has launched an attack on the ruling all progressives congress apc describing it as confused1 therefore the best evidence of penitence for such a party is not just to own up and apologize but to also return the looted funds. anything short of that is mere deceit mohammed said. nan1

Myanmar gets new president
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dpanan myanmars parliament elected aung san suu kyis confidant win myint as the countrys new president on wednesday a week after predecessor htin kyaw abruptly stepped down from the position1 both houses of parliament voted the ruling party national league for democracy nld stalwart into the position with 403 votes from the 636 lawmakers1 the 66-year-old former lower house speaker became myanmars 10th president and takes the position after the nld swept to power in elections in 2015 the first fully democratic polls after decades of military rule1 both win myint and his predecessor are close to suu kyi who is barred from the presidency and rules the civilian government under the title of state counsellor1 suu kyi observed the vote from parliaments gallery alongside other ministers1 myanmar and suu kyi in particular have been criticised internationally for the treatment of the countrys minority rohingya nearly 700000 of whom have fled to bangladesh during a military campaign described as ethnic cleansing by the un1 win myint has been described as strong-willed in his role as speaker and an assertive politician leading observers to predict he may take on a fuller role as president rather than the ceremonial one performed by htin kyaw1 win myint who represented the lower house beat two other vice presidents representing the upper house and the military respectively to secure the presidency1

2019 elections: NMA president challenges members
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by ummul idris2 prof. mike ogirima the president nigerian medical association nma on wednesday called on the members of the association to join active politics ahead of 2019 general elections1 ogirima made the call in an interview with the news agency of nigeria nan in abuja1 he said the need for them to engage in active politics became necessary to enable them make enhanced contribution to the health sector1 we have found out that we have few medical workers in politics and bills concerning the health welfare are not receiving adequate attention he said1 the president who noted that not many health workers were involved in active politics said the development was disturbing and raised serious concern for the association and the health sector1 if you dont blow your trumpet nobody will do it for you and if you dont look for your welfare nobody will do it for you1 that is why we are encouraging our members to participate in partisan politics1 the president said that there was need for advice and guidance before certain bills regarding the health sectors are being passed1 ogirima said though not all members might be interested to be active politics but a sizable part of nma members should get involve in partisan politics.nan1

Ahiara Diocese: Pope calls for Ecclesiastical cleansing
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by edith ike-eboh6 his resignation was accepted and most rev lucius ugorji bishop of umuahia diocese was appointed as the new apostolic administrator of the diocese.nan1 popes directive was conveyed in a letter read at the 2018 chrism mass on wednesday in abuja1 chrism mass is an annual mass celebrated in every catholic diocese by the bishop at the mass the priests renew their vows and the three oils used in the church are also blessed by the bishop1 the chrism mass ushers in the easter tridum last supper good friday and holy saturday1 the letter which was read by rev fr rowland nwakpuda at our lady queen of nigeria pro-cathedral said that the pope called for spiritual rebirth of the ahiara diocese1 john cardinal oniayekan the catholic arch bishop of abuja said that he received the papal letter and was asked that it should be read to all the catholic faithful in nigeria1 he said that certain decisions had been taken by the pope concerning the diocese and the church of nigeria would continue to wait and would respect the orders of the pope1 oniayekan said that the holy father condemned the irresponsible and unfortunate act of the ahiara priests and noted that the whole church had been affected by it1 pope francis has called for ecclesiastical cleansing of the ahiara catholic diocese to intercede for gods love and mercies for all the faithful in the diocese1 he added that the pope called on all catholic bishops of nigeria to ensure spiritual rebirth of the church in ahiara1 oniayekan quoted the pope as saying that the priest of ahiara diocese should renew their priestly vows with commitment and show honest solidarity to the church1 the bishop said that that the holy father in the letter noted that he received 200 letters of apology from the ahiara priests and had responded to each person individually1 every priest should renew their vows publicly also the lay faithful pope said1 the pope also urged the laity to ensure that they helped their priests to do the right thing as he still had special interest in the diocese1 the clergy and the laity of the catholic diocese of ahiara-mbaise in imo state had refused to accept bishop okpalaekes appointment as their local ordinary on grounds that he is an mbaise indigene1 the stalemate lingered as the priests of ahiara insisted that one of the priests of the mbaise origin should be chosen as the bishop of ahiara1 okpalaekehad on february 14 2018 written to the vatican asking that he be relieved of the diocese headship and be posted to any other area of assignment where god and the holy father may deem fit to enable him continue in service1 onaiyekan said that pope commended the humility of bishop peter okparaeke who resigned his appointment as the bishop of the diocese1

Dino Melaye: Kogi police commissioner removed over suspects escape
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furthermore on the order of the igp the igps intelligence response team and special tactical squad personnel of the force criminal investigation and intelligence department have already arrived in kogi state to work with the police personnel in the state for immediate re-arrest of the escaped suspects. they are to also carry out detail investigation into the escape and bring all those involved to justice1 the inspector general of police igp ibrahim idris has removed ali janga the commissioner of police in kogi over the disappearance from detention of six suspects two of whom had claimed they were hired and armed by senator dino melaye1 in addition 13 police officers have also been detained and are facing investigation the police pro jimoh moshood said1 moshood said idris was dissatisfied with the circumstances surrounding the escape of the suspects1 two of the suspects that broke their detention were kabiruseidu a.k.a osama nuhu salisu a.k.a small. they were to serve as principal witnesses in the case against senator dino melaye and mohammed audu1 the case of conspiracy and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms filed filed at the federal high court lokoja came up in court today 28th march 20181 according to moshood igp idris has ordered esa sunday ogbu a police commissioner with federal operations force headquarters abuja to proceed and take over as the new commissioner of police kogi state police command1 the commander fsars in the state the divisional police officer a division lokoja and other police officers implicated in the escape have also been transferred out of the state and are at the moment facing disciplinary action1 the force wishes to implore the good people of kogi state to remain calm and assist with useful information to the joint police investigation team. they can report any information they have on the escaped suspects to the nearest police station in the state or any other state in the country1 earlier today cp janga had shocked journalists when he announced the escape of the two principal suspects in the melaye case along with four others1 he said that 13 policemen on duty at the a division lokoja have been detained over the incident1 he named the four other suspects as aliyu isa adams suleiman emmanuel audu and musa mohammed1 the escape of the suspects came even when the police were foot-dragging in arresting melaye who was declared wanted but appeared at the senate plenary on tuesday1 janga said the suspects along withmelaye and mohammed audu have now been put on a watch-list and red notice by the interpol for immediate arrest anywhere we see them1

Don Jazzy weeps over Linda Ikejis engagement
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peter okoye of the defunct psquare offered to sponsor his wedding with linda if don j made good his promise1 music mogul michael collins ajereh a.k.a don don jazzy who has not hidden his crush on famous blogger linda ikeji weeps over the news of her engagement1 don jazzy whose hidden crush on the famous blogger excited fans posted a picture on his instagram @donjazzy as he was being consoled by some friends over his dashed dreams of making linda his wife1 he also wrote with a crying emojis kai linda is engaged. it is finished1 don jazzy made several moves that he proposed to her on social media and frequently made various posts on his instagram handle one of such was a recent photo of linda with the caption when you re fine you re fine abeg1 according to some online reports on wednesday lindas ex-boyfriend recently relocated to nigeria and they the lovebirds decided to rekindle their affair and got engaged1 meanwhile sandra lindas sister confirmed the good news on her instagram handle on wednesday1 sandra wrote @sandraikeji congratulations @officiallindaikeji so habby sweet sis this tells me that sometimes the wait is worth it1 cant wait to plan your special day @eventsbysi are you readyyyy itsagetaway1 the news was also confirmed by another sister laura @lauraikeji who wrote congrats linlin @officiallindaikeji1 the 37 year old blogger and entrepreneur is yet to confirm the news. nan1

WikiLeaks founder Assange now incommunicado
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she ruled in february that it was in the public interest to pursue him for failing to surrender to arrest since the warrant was issued in 20121 ecuador has cut off wikileaks founder julian assanges outside communication in its london embassy an official has said1 according to reports ecuador government also said it could take additional measures against assange for this alleged interference with other states an indirect reference to uk or spain1 according to some sources the denial of communication privileges may be a precursor to ecuadors expulsion of the australian from its embassy which could lead to his arrest in uk1 assange 46 has been holed up in the ecuadoran embassy in london since 2012 and has been granted asylum by ecuador1 he entered the ecuadoran embassy in june 2012 to dodge a european arrest warrant and extradition to sweden over a 2010 probe there into rape and sexual assault allegations1 sweden dropped its investigation last year but british police are still seeking to arrest assange for failing to surrender to a court after violating his bail terms during his unsuccessful battle against extradition1 assange recently asked a uk court to quash the arrest warrant. but he was not successful1 his fear was that if he surrenders to britain he would be extradited to the united states1 but judge emma arbuthnot turned down the prayer1 the official said the wanted hacker will be denied access to communications inside the ecuador embassy in london as ecuadorian authorities said his messages are interfering with other states matters and hurting relations with the uk1 at westminster magistrates court in the british capital arbuthnot rejected his lawyers argument that upholding the warrant was no longer in the public interest1 arrest is a proportionate response even though mr assange has restricted his own freedom for a number of years she said1 arbuthnot englands chief magistrate had earlier rejected claims by assanges lawyers that the warrant for skipping bail was rendered null-and-void because there was no longer any underlying crime1 im not persuaded that the warrant should be withdrawn she said explaining that assange had breached his bail conditions in 20121 mr assanges failure to surrender has impeded the course of justice and has led finally to the case being dropped as it cannot be continued unless he returned to sweden the judge said1 mr assanges failure is a determined attempt to avoid the order of the court1 he is a man who wants to impose his terms on the course of justice whether the course of justice is in this jurisdiction or in sweden. he appears to consider himself above the normal rules of law and wants justice only if it goes in his favour1 it is certainly not against the public interest to proceed1 assange voiced his shock at the ruling1 we are surprised. the judge went outside what the parties presented in court. this seems to have led to the significant factual errors in the judgement the 46-year-old australian said on twitter1

Hollywood, Nollywood plan annual show in US of Nigerian films
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when the couple secretly weds against their parents wishes the consequence shakes the very foundation and sustenance of both families1 a collaboration between nollywood and hollywood to showcase nigerias best films is now to become an annual event1 the screening of the two films brought to three the nollywood films showcased in hollywood with the screening earlier on friday of 93 days a film on nigerias resilience during the ebola virus outbreak in the country1 the film 93 days is a compelling drama of dedication sacrifice resilience and survival based on the true story of the people who risked their lives to stop the spread a catastrophic virus in nigeria1 the screening of the three nollywood films which started on friday and continued on saturday was the first collaboration between nollywood and hollywood1 this is also the first time that national film series the foremost film programme in the world and the most historic of all of hollywoods cinema houses are teaming up to bring a film series from africa to hollywood1 nigeria joined a select list of seven countries from around the world to be part of the prestigious national screening series according to the organisers1 the bridge was a film about inter-tribal marriage in nigeria and the challenges associated with it as it seeks to end the inter-tribal prejudices and strengthen marriages among nigerias diverse ethnic nationalities1 obadare a yoruba prince and stella a young lady from a distinguished igbo family are a couple whose relationship is threatened by tribal prejudice and parental plans for their lives1 the organisers of the event revealed this as two nollywood films the bridge and isoken were showcased in hollywood los angeles on saturday night at the eileen norris cinema theatre complex in los angeles1 similarly isoken is a romantic comedy that explores cultural expectations racial stereotypes and the bonds that unite families in touching dramatic and comedic ways1 everyone in the osayande family worries about isoken although she has what appears to be a perfect life beautiful successful and surrounded by great family and friends1 however she is unmarried at the age of 34 which in a culture obsessed with marriage is serious cause for concern1 things come to a head at her youngest sisters wedding when her overbearing mother thrusts her into an orchestrated matchmaking with the ultimate edo man osaze1 osaze is handsome successful and from a good family making him a perfect nigerian husband material1 however in an unexpected turn of events isoken meets kevin who she finds herself falling in love with and he just might be what she truly wants in a partner1 the only problem is not only is he not an edo man he is caucasian1 the screening was a question and answer series moderated by the chairman of the african-american wing of the directors guild of america and an open air post-screening nigerian party on the historic hollywood boulevard1 the film was co-presented by the american cinematheques egyptian theatre in hollywood school of cinematic arts at the university of southern california and o2a media inc. the production company of nigerian-american filmmaker ose oyamendan1

15 musicians close Francophone Week with performance
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there were also school performances which involved drama singing dancing and a special quiz all in french1 it was a night of trumpets saxophones conga piano drums and guitars at a concert to close the francophone week in abuja on saturday1 the event held at the institut francais du nigeria attracted the popular bitter cola afrobeat band from lagos one of the star attractions1 the band using the saxophone played some of the classical fela anikulapo kutis tunes1 the news agency of nigeria nan reports week-long event began with the chefs taste challenge under the good france programme at the french embassy1 it was aimed at strengthening the cultural relationship between nigeria and france through gastronomy1 the chefs challenge was to celebrate the cuisines of both countries and also to promote both local and european chefs1 fourteen musicians displayed their talents as they perform to entertain guests at the event organised by the embassies of france and belgium in nigeria1 the event was organised by the institut francais in partnership with nigerian schools1 also a tasting event called come and taste different traditional meals from francophone countries was held in different restaurants in the city1 the participating restaurants were relais cafe restaurants and catering services zuma grill at transcorp hilton helenes food co and le petit square at the grand square restaurants1 a student of the institute told nan that the festival was an interesting experience which has created a platform for the students to interact with french speaking people1 she added that the night allowed them to unwind and to get to know each other using french to communicate1 nan reports that attieke republic restaurant was all night for guests to experience the cultural cuisines of france. nan1

Tourists mesmerized as Nollywood takes over Hollywood
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saturdays screening was at the reputable eileen norris theatre inside the university of southern california usc1 the nigerian movie industry nollywood made a historic outing to showcase some of nigerias best films 93 days the bridge and isoken at hollywood los angeles1 the event started on friday at egyptian theatre with a star-studded red carpet highlighted by the filmmakers and actors in the films on showcase 93 days the bridge and isoken1 the inaugural nollywood in hollywood event was the biggest cultural showcase for nigeria outside the country in decades the organisers said1 nollywood artistes also used the platform to promote nigeria talents and call for co-productions and technical cooperation between nollywood and hollywood1 mr jeff byrd moderator for the opening night film and chairman of the african-american steering committee of the directors guild of america dga praised the ingenuity of nollywood1 nollywood seems so far away but there is some curiosity. this is a great event for hollywood to know more about the nigerian cinema1 the film tonight 93 days is an excellent film a really good piece1 there are conversations to be had for example how can we make it possible for people like steve gukas and good nollywood filmmakers to be a part of the dga byrd said1 thousands of hollywood tourists from all over the world were held spellbound over the weekend by the spectacular nollywood in hollywood event1 the theatre which had hosted films by reputable usc alumni including ryan coogler of the black panther george lucas john singleton bryan singer and shonda rhimes among others was now playing host to nigerian films1 a late-arriving crowd saw the matinee screening of the bridge on saturday after which its director kunle afolayan held the packed audience to an engaging question and answer session1 as dusk approached a standing room only crowd saw the final film on the showcase isoken whose theme and subject matter engaged the crowd1 actress dakore akande had a very colourful and stimulating questions and answer session with nigerian-american filmmaker ose oyamendan after the screening1 in a panel on nollywood the nigerian filmmakers made a point of letting the hollywood audience and decision makers know that nollywood grew without government support1 the nollywood artistes also regretted the lack of nigerian governments presence at the biggest cultural showcase for nigeria outside the country in decades1 gwen deglisse director of programming for the american cinematheque operators of the egyptian theater described the nollywood in hollywood as a huge success1 as first events goes this was a success. we were worried because it is a new territory but ose was very passionate about giving a platform to nollywood films1 now we will see how we can make it better. we obviously need more sponsors and hopefully the nigerian government can be involved from the next one deglisse said1

Vettel snatches victory from Lewis Hamilton
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vettel also managed to re-enter in front of him from pit-lane in 2017 before burning away to victory while the pole-sitting briton was blocked by traffic1 sebastian vettel made full use of the virtual safety car to sneak in front of lewis hamilton and hold off the frustrated champion to win formula ones season-opening australian grand prix on sunday1 pole-sitter hamilton had appeared set to coast to victory with a clear pace advantage but the race turned on its head with the safety car which was called after romain grosjeans haas failed and rolled to a stop at turn two1 in another bonus for ferrari kimi raikkonen finished third fending off red bulls daniel ricciardo and leaving the unlucky australian still searching for a first podium in his home race1 four-times world champion vettel claimed a 48th overall win and his third in melbourne following his victories at albert park last year and in 20111 it was needless to say we got a bit lucky with the timing of the safety car the german who had started from third place and inherited the lead when hamilton and raikkonen had pitted earlier in the race told reporters1 its not the easiest track to pass1 for hamilton the result was a bitter pill to swallow and had echoes of last years race1 the mercedes engines infamous party mode that delivered hamilton a blistering pole lap on saturday could do little once ferraris vettel nosed ahead when re-entering from pit-lane midway through the race at albert park1 mercedes boss toto wolff said his team had miscalculated the margin between the cars during the safety car period1 formula one f1 australian grand prix melbourne grand prix circuit melbourne australia march 25 2018 ferraris sebastian vettel in action at the start of the race reutersbrandon malone we thought we had enough margin he told the bbc. it must have been a software bug in the system that caused us to get it wrong. we are digging deep now to understand where we had a problem.1 hamilton who cockily spoke of wiping the smile off vettels face with his pole lap on saturday battled to keep positive1 even now i dont understand whats happened the 33-year-old told reporters. i did everything i believe i was supposed to do1 after the pit-lane setback hamilton drove hard to reel in vettel and battled back after taking a slide at a corner that blew out the lead to nearly three seconds1 but he finally waved the white flag in the closing laps to preserve the car for future races1 twice world champion fernando alonso finished fifth for mclaren in the teams first race with renault power equaling their best result in three dreary years with previous engine suppliers honda1

MFM fight back to beat Katsina United
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he made it a brace in the 67th minute after utilising a deft pass from chukwuka onuwa1 lagos-based mfm football club on sunday came from a goal down to defeat visiting katsina united fc 2-1 in a 20172018 nigeria professional football league npfl match day 14 fixture1 mfm fc coach fidelis ilechukwu made two changes to the team which defeated heartland fc of owerri 3-0 with goalkeeper ospino egbe replacing folarin abayomi1 also ayinde abiodun also led the attack in place of flying eagles call-up jesse akila.the visitors however drew the first blood through garba yashua in the 37th minute1 at the restart akuneto came in for akinyemi while abiodun made way for waheed akanni.the substitution brought almost instant result as akuneto struck in the 49th minute with a well-taken free-kick to draw mfm fc level1 the news agency of nigeria nan reports that the match played at the agege stadium saw the hosts fighting back to claim a win through a brace by substitute chijioke akuneto1 speaking later akuneto said the win was a sweet victory for his teams hard labour1 we struggled at first but it was a sweet victory for the team from hard labour. we are happy to take the three points and that is what is most important for us he said1 mfm with two games in hand are 7th on the league table seven points adrift from leaders lobi stars of makurdi1 the league table after matchday 141 heartland 2-1 nasarawa utd lobi 3-2 rivers utd akwa utd 1-1 abia warriors wikki 3-0 el-kanemi fciu 3-0 plateau utd kwara utd 2-1 kano pillars tornadoes 1-0 sunshine stars yobe ds 1-1 enyimba go round 2-2 rangers mfm 2-1 katsina utd1

Nigeria, Ghana square up in U-17 West African 5s Hockey finals
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by ikenna osuoha1 nigerias u-17 hockey male team is to play their ghanaian counterparts in the finals of the ongoing u-17 west african 5s hockey tournament on tuesday1 the five-aside hockey tournament is holding in accra the ghana capital1 the nigerian side beat burkina faso 17-0 and defeated togo 9-1 to qualify for the finals while ghana eliminated togo 11-0 to get to the finals1 fatai atanda technical member of nigeria hockey federation hailed the boys for getting to the finals and expressed optimism that they would lift the trophy1 he said in an interview with nan that the performance of the team was an indication that nigeria will do well in the african youths games coming up in july in algeria1 atanda charged the boys to continue with their performance stressing that their efforts point the road to a stronger national team of the future1 the starlets would likely represent nigeria in algiers for african youths games from july 18-281

Serbia end Nigerias Super Eagles unbeaten run
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the serbian forward protested that the ball had crossed the line but there was no goal-line technology or video assisted referee in use1 the nigerian national football team the super eagles lost 0-2 to serbia in a pre-world cup friendly match at the hive stadium in london on tuesday1 rohr made four changes to the side which started against poland on friday with ogenyi onazi given the nod in the midfield while ahmed musa replaced kelechi iheanacho in attack1 at the back chidozie awaziem was picked following leon baloguns injury concern1 mitrovic was a thorn in the flesh of the super eagles defence led by william troost-ekong throughout the match as he kept on creating chances for the serbians1 goalkeeper francis uzoho was jittery at the opening stage and almost gifted the serbians the lead in the first half when his indecision led to mitrovic heading a loose ball into the net1 the eagles managed by coach gernot rohr ended their six-match unbeaten run no thanks to a second half brace by aleksandar mitrovic1 however his persistence paid off in the 68th minute when he guided the ball home following a good footwork by dusan tadic before completing his brace the 81st minute1 serbia had lost 1-2 to morocco in their previous friendly match and needed a morale-boosting display against the super eagles1 the eagles best chance fell to alex iwobi after a deft touch by wilfred ndidi but the arsenal player saw his effort blocked by a serbian defender1 odion ighalo was introduced in the second half in place of victor moses who was unusually quiet in the match but it didnt stop the serbians from dominating proceedings1 rohr threw in john ogu and moses simon to firm up his side but the serbians exploited the right side of eagles defence to the advantage of mitrovic1 junior ajayi was introduced late on for his senior national team debut nothing could deny the europeans a perfect outing against the three-time african champions as they went home winners1