Influenza virus causes panic in Kenya
News & Trends •
kenyan health officials have issued an alert after samples taken from patients confirmed the presence of h1n1 prototype 9 influenza virus2 the samples were taken from the patients suffering from flu in laikipia county central kenya reports2 mr donald mogoi a chief officer in charge of health in the area said a child is suspected to have died of the flu two weeks but the deadly virus was confirmed on tuesday by the national public health laboratories2 the five-year-old boy died at the nanyuki cottage hospital and was being treated for pneumonia his dad said2 mrs evelyn obongo a clinical officer at the regional hospital nanyuki teaching and referral hospital said wednesday that her team is attending to at least 60 cases with 15 cases already admitted to the wards2 most of the patients are children mrs obongo said2 cases of the flu have been on the rise in the last two weeks she added2 the diseased is characterised by high fever diarrhoea vomiting dry cough and general body weakness2

11 ships with petrol, others arrive Lagos Port
News & Trends •
by aisha cole3 eleven ships laden with various products including petrol are at the lagos ports waiting to berth the nigerian ports authority npa said on tuesday1 the npa in its daily bulletin shipping position said nine of the vessels carrying petroleum products were already waiting to berth1 it said that two other ships with bulk fertiliser and containers would also berth at the ports1 according to npa 31 other ships laden with petroleum products food items and other goods are expected at apapa and tin-can island ports between march 6 and march 241 the expected ships are carrying containers steel products containers bulk sugar empty container crude palmolein bulk gypsum bulk fertiliser diesel and petrol npa said. nan1

Lagos most peaceful for doing business Dangote
News & Trends •
the governor explained that pensioners owner occupiers ngos churches and mosques are exempted from the payment of land use charge2 africas richest business mogul alhaji aliko dangote on tuesday described lagos as the most convenient and peaceful state for doing business2 he also supported the governor akinwumi ambodes appeal to lagos residents and business community to continue to pay tax2 you should pay your taxes to lagos state dangote said2 during the question and answer session ambode assured every lagosian that he would make their taxes work for them with a transparent and incorruptible government with good value for taxes paid2 we are not true citizens until we become responsible tax payers2 if the vision of a prosperous lagos is to be achieved the state must retreat from borrowing to finance its infrastructure and pay back later in the future with high interest rate2 he also appealed to residents to embrace the land use charge and ensure that commercial property owners pay the charge2 i am not advertising for lagos but try another state you will see hell he said in a terse remark at the forum of lagos means business2 the good part of the arguments trailing the lagos land use charge is that the state government is ready for dialogue and will welcome the complaints of dissatisfied members of the public in this regard2 the good part of the arguments trailing the lagos land use charge is that the state government is ready for dialogue2 business owners paying land use charge should see it as part of their corporate social responsibilities2 he also urged citizens to have a change of orientation on how governments properties were handled2 the properties should be protected so that resources expended on repairs could be channelled to other areas of needs2 although the state spends a large chunk of its revenue on recurrent charges but could not retrench civil servant2 they are only about 103000 taking care of 24 million people. they help to keep the social fabric together he said2

Group praises Buhari for dropping Peace Corps Bill
News & Trends •
as doing so will expose them as having ulterior motives in ensuring that the bill becomes law by fire by force1 buhari media support group bmsg has commended president mohammadu buharis refusal to sign the peace corps bill as a decision in national interest1 bmsg emphasised the need for nigerians and federal lawmakers to appreciate the restraint exercised by buhari in refusing assent to the 2017 peace corps bill and to shun any form of dissention against the action1 the coordinator of the group mr. austin braimoh and secretary mr. cassidy madueke stated on tuesday in abuja they the group stood by the reasons adduced by buhari for rejecting the bill1 taking into cognizance his concern of peace corps if created by law would in no small measure duplicate the functions of the nigerian police which constitutional role of providing security at the grassroots is already being complemented by the nigerian security and civil defence corps nscdc.1 to us the president could not have accepted to impose additional financial burden with the government through a new security outfit being canvassed given that the existing security agencies have at the moment been struggling with financial constraints1 the group appealed to sponsors of the peace corps bill in the house of representatives to reconsider their threat of working to over-ride the presidents veto of the bill1 the group said the action of the president was anchored on the need to avoid proliferation of security agencies and unnecessary overlapping of their functions1 bmsg said the peace corps has been in existence since 1998 when it got registered by one of its founders with the stated objectives of capacity building for youth development empowerment in agriculture peace education and conflict resolution1 we believe that nothing stops it from continuing to operate as a voluntary organisation to fulfil its aims1 in advanced economies organisations such as peace corps operate on voluntary basis making huge impacts in the societies in very diverse ways without necessarily transmuting into government outfits1 peace corps over the past few years of its existence has been enmeshed in crises and controversies getting into conflict with security agencies which viewed its existence as questionable1 this is needless in a country like nigeria that is currently battling with security challenges1 it is against this background that we salute the courage of president buhari to withhold assent to the bill on peace corps his action having demonstrated that he has a good grasp of the incongruities surrounding efforts to pass the bill into law1

Liverpool stroll into UEFA quarter-finals
News & Trends •
dejan lovren then headed narrowly over as liverpool threatened to raise the pulse of an understandably more subdued anfield than is customary on a european night1 liverpool strolled 5-0 into the champions league quarter-finals for the first time in nine years despite settling for a goalless draw with porto in an uninspiring last 16 second leg at anfield on tuesday1 with the job done three weeks ago liverpool boss jurgen klopp could even afford the luxury of starting top-scorer mohamed salah and club-record signing virgil van dijk on the bench with one eye on saturdays vital visit to manchester united in the premier league1 klopps men have made a habit of fast starts in europe this season but took time to warm to their task with the german having made five changes in all from the side that beat newcastle at the weekend1 it took 17 minutes for the hosts to threaten when joe gomezs cross was acrobatically flicked towards goal by mane but looped just over the bar1 porto coach sergio conceicao made 10 changes from the first leg but top-scorer vincent aboubakar was one of those to come back into the side having missed the first leg through injury1 and the cameroonian showed what porto missed in their heaviest-ever european home defeat as he got in behind the liverpool defence only to be denied by loris karius rushing off his line to mop up the danger1 mane was inches away from his fourth goal of the tie on the half-hour mark when he controlled james milners lofted pass on his chest before smashing the inside of iker casillass far post1 sadio mane inflicted most of the first-leg damage on the portuguese league leaders with a hat-trick and came closest to breaking the deadlock with a first-half effort that came back off the post1 casillas was given a standing ovation by the liverpool fans in the kop end as he took to the field after the break on his record 167th and possible farewell appearance in the champions league1 however that was one of few moments that got the home fans off their feet as liverpool settled on their substantial lead1 milner sliced a good opening wide just two minutes into the second half whilst at the other end karius was stretched to turn majeed wariss shot behind1 roberto firmino had one clear chance to add to his seven champions league goals this season when his shot was blocked by porto captain felipe before the brazilian was protected by klopp for the weekend as danny ings was introduced for the final half hour1 salah was given 15 minutes to find the winner when he replaced mane1 the egyptian had one opportunity to extend his scoring streak to eight straight games but casillas smothered his low effort1 and the spanish veteran made his best stop of the night two minutes from time to deny ings and hold onto his clean sheet1 speaking about portos opponents on tuesday porto coach srgio conceio said liverpool are definitely one of the teams who can win the champions league this year. they might not have been at their best this evening but theyre definitely one of the contenders to win the competition1

Fraudster Nwude trying to sell FGs land denied bail
News & Trends •
the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them3 rotimi oyedepo the prosecution counsel however objected to the prayers of the defence2 one of the counts reads that you emmanuel nwude emmanuel ilechukwu and rowland kalu on or about 12th day of january 2011 at lagos within the ikeja judicial division conspired to forge a power of attorney dated 12th day of january 2011 issued in the name of mankris venture limited purporting that mankris venture limited is the owner of plot y mobolaji johnson street oregun alausa lagos whereas you knew that the property was forfeited to the victims of crimes as restitution in the judgment delive2 justice mojisola o. dada of the lagos state high court sitting in ikeja lagos on tuesday march 6 2018 refused the bail application of notorious fraudster emmanuel nwude who allegedly conspired with two others to tamper with a property that had been forfeited by a court order2 both the second and third defendants were granted bail at the last hearing2 at the resumed hearing today counsel to the first defendant stephen amallagoge brought before the court a summons for bail application on behalf of his client2 he prayed the court to grant nwude bail pending the hearing and determination of the charge against him2 he also stated that the first defendant had been enjoying the administrative bail granted him by the commission since october 2017 and had never defaulted2 amallagoge also claimed that his client was due for a prostrate cancer surgery this month adding that my lord going to prison will inhibit him from undergoing the surgery2 he therefore urged the court to grant his client bail in the most liberal terms2 nwude alongside emmanuel ilechukwu and rowland kalu were on march 2 2018 arraigned on a 15-count charge bordering on forgery and dealing in forfeited property2 he presented a 10-paragraph counter-affidavit urging the court to dismiss the application2 the prosecution also objected to the bail application on the grounds that the first defendant nwude is not a first-time offender2 he was convicted by a court in a matter that affected the federal republic of nigeria in the international community oyedepo further argued2 oyedepo also pledged the prosecutions readiness for accelerated hearing adding that refusing the bail application is not to punish the defendant but to enable him stand his trial2 regarding the purported surgery rotimi submitted that it was just a mere assertion without an expert opinion2 he therefore urged the court to dismiss the application and grant accelerated hearing in the matter2 in her ruling today justice dada ruled that she was not satisfied with nwudes application and expressed doubts that he would stand trial if granted bail2 although justice dada also held that the claim by nwude to be preparing for a prostrate cancer surgery this month was a grave assertion that could be not be glossed-over she said no single documentation had been brought before the court in support of the assertion2 justice dada therefore refused to grant bail to nwude while urging the second and third defendants to perfect their bail applications before the next adjourned date2

Osinbajo: Buhari does not teleguide Magu
News & Trends •
also read4 secondly previous government merely talk about the second niger bridge. we have moved to site we are working on the second niger bridge. weve provided for the second niger bridge in our budget we have also provided infrastructure fund for the second niger bridge. also we are doing the lagos-calabar rail. the lagos-calabar rail goes through the south east region thats one of the very important thing we are doing and we put money behind it. the president himself negotiated the loan from the chines1 i dont know whether you are familiar with the maritime university. the maritime university has taken off you know. only a few days ago the announcement was made that they are eligible for jamb the university was recently granted approval by the national universities commission nuc to commence undergraduate degree programmes effective from the 20172018 academic session. interviews are taking place for the maritime university forms have been provided and we are talking to all of the principal part1 also look at modular refineries 38 licensed modular refineries investors have indicated interests 10 of the licensed refineries are at an advanced stage of development. one of course has started in bayelsa another is being shipped in at the moment. there are about three or four different engagements with modular refineries operators. so we are putting that together and one of the critical things with modular refineries is that we are trying to ensure that first of all it is private-sector driven1 vice president of course our health system has long suffered. that is one of the chief concerns that we have been focusing on getting the diaspora to work with us to improve our health system. we are also looking at how healthcare insurance can improve it. i agree that if all of us put our resources and our time in local medical care we will improve it. i have no doubt in my mind that our local healthcare system is what most of us subscribe to at least and our doctors are some of the best in the1 i dont know when chief clark made that statement. i think that by and large all of what im saying is being done. it is obvious for everyone to see. ive no real problem demonstrating this but as a matter of fact if you look on our website www.ndnewvision.gov.ng on the all of the niger delta issues we have almost a blow-by-blow account of what we are doing including the ogoni clean up1 i think there is a lot going on. you cant address all of the problems at once. we have provided plenty of information. we have inter-ministerial meetings where the different stakeholders meet constantly with leaders of the niger delta. i think you can imagine development is something that no one can be completely satisfied with at any point in time thats why its called development1 i think it was for those people that we designed our visa-on-arrival policy. it is for people who are bringing in their resources and money1 not necessary. let me explain what we are trying to do with visa-on-arrival you apply online so you get a visa and this is where we are issuing the i-step so that there is passenger information ahead of your arriving in nigeria. that is one of the infrastructure we are putting at the airport now. you arrive at our port we can give you a visa right there that is what singapore and other countries do irrespective of where you are coming from you can get the visa there. when you arrive in nigeria w1 let me just say that the president has pointed out that the south east wasnt the region that voted heavily for the apc but that is not in any way stopping the president from appointing four senior ministers from that part of the country. he could have appointed junior ministers. by appointing four senior ministers i think that it shows that he is interested in the south east region of nigeria1 first of all the dialogue started in 2016 and it continues. we began to dialogue with all the groups in the niger delta and we hold very regular meetings with pandef which is the umbrella body. we also hold regular meetings with many of the groups in the niger delta and they are all actively involved with us1 ariaria market today is possibly the largest msme hub in the whole of west africa. the federal government with the private sector is powering ariaria market so that every of the 21000 shops in ariaria market has power. the roads to the market are in the budget. lets bring it down to what we are doing the first of our msme clinics was in aba and we are committed to ensuring aba is a hub that it ought to be1 this is where we spend a lot of time and energy to move regulatory agencies so that they actually have a one-stop centre there so that nafdac son can move into that place. there is a lot of work thats going on. the truth is that we do what needs to be done. we were elected to do the right thing by everyone and we are doing it. ive gone to the south east several times. ive visited nnewi and many parts of anambra as well where we look around and look at ways of supporting industries there and we a1 let me say that one of the very important things for me i think we could have done far more in terms of jobs direct jobs now because weve done enough. we first created jobs in agriculture. perhaps we are hoping we would be able to provide by now 500000 of our n-power jobs but because of the income we are able to provide 200000. we have another 300000 waiting to be employed. so maybe a year into our government we could have done 500000. so for me i think if we have the kind of resources that peo1 i also think that perhaps in the area of power especially trying to do much more but power is privatized. a lot of the power companies a lot of the gencos the discos in particular simply dont have the resources to replace assets so they slow down. how i wish they have more funds to pump into assets and we hope they have more resources to do so. weve put in place the over n700 billion payment assurance scheme but that is insufficient1 thats not true. let me put it this way first lets take the magu example. one of the things that the president decided to do is to ensure that every agency does its work without direct interference from the president. so the president does not call the efcc and say go and arrest mr ekpeyong no. and thats one of the most important things about the style of this government and we want the agencies to do their work. no one has showed up and called magu and say look go and arrest. thats what it is1 while you will find for example that the dg sss upon the request by the senate wrote a security report and sent it yet it is up to the president to decide whether hes going to present this candidate. interfering with the process of a security report is not leadership thats obstructing. he is not supposed to interfere. if you say send your report whatever report you want to send the man defends himself and we still believe he is the right person for the job. that is the position that we took when1 of course the senate has had their own say on that and they are entitled to take some of the positions they are taking. but the president believes that this is the right man for the job so he presented him the second time1 with respect to the arrest of dg nia and some of what took place i think the fair thing to say is that the president has said that the efcc has the absolute right to go ahead and do whatever it needs to do to ensure that anybody who has committed a crime or who is suspected to having committed a crime is brought to justice and thats the position that the efcc has taken. you know the efcc has issued a notice for the dg nia and sgf to attend interview with the efcc but we are sure that that proces1 to ensure that you allow government agency do their business thats very important thats institution building. look at what is happening in the us today the president is sometimes angry with the fbi because the fbi is doing its independent work and thats what we hope to achieve when you see countries where agencies are doing their work the way they are supposed to do it1

Ex-governor Aliyu Akwe Doma dies
News & Trends •
alhaji aliyu akwe doma former nasarawa state governor is dead. he was aged 751 he died in an israeli hospital according mamman alakayi his information commissioner when he governed the state1 i got a call from the late governors son umar this evening that baba doma died in an israeli hospital at about 745 p.m. nigerian time he said1 alakayi said that the former governor had gone to the hospital to treat an undisclosed ailment three weeks ago1 we are currently making arrangement for some family members to travel to israel and convey the remains back home for burial he said1 nan reports that akwe was the governor of nasarawa state from 2007 to 2011 on the platform of the peoples democratic party pdp1 born on sept. 1 1942 in doma local government of nasarawa state akwe attended theuniversity of ibadan from 19641966 and also attendedahmadu bello universityzaria in 19761 the former governor obtained a masters degree in public administration fromambrose alli universityekpoma in 20021 he worked in the old plateau civil service from1976 to 1983 and rose to the position of a permanent secretary1 a deputy governor of plateau state and was later elected governor of nasarawa statenan1

White House chief economic adviser Cohn, dumps Trump
News & Trends •
u.s. white house national economic council director gary cohn is set to resign from his post following president donald trumps planned tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum1 cohn departure would increase the number of white house officials who had either been sacked or resigned from the trumps administration1 reports say cohn who opposed trumps planned tariffs hinted the white house about his resignation last week and reportedly tried getting the president to change course1 cohn who served as president trumps chief economic adviser since the beginning of the administration would likely step down from his post in few weeks from now after several weeks of talk with the president1 it has been an honor to serve my country and enact pro-growth economic policies to benefit the american people in particular the passage of historic tax reform cohn said in a statement to fox news1 i am grateful to the president for giving me this opportunity and wish him and the administration great success in the future1 cohns policy portfolio included tax and retirement infrastructure the financial system energy and environment healthcare agriculture global economics international trade and development and technology telecommunications and cybersecurity1

Mysterious fire destroys Bornos IDP camp
News & Trends •
a mysterious fire has destroyed over 300 tents at ajiri internally displaced persons idp camp in mafa local government council of borno1 the news agency of nigeria nan reports that the fire started at about 530 pm on tuesday and gutted the entire camp settlement which provided shelter to hundreds of persons displaced by boko haram insurgency1 a witness bukar abba told nan that the fire rapidly spread and engulfed the entire camp due to the strong wind1 abba said that the fire ravaged tents thatch houses household utensils dresses and other property adding that there were no causalities in the incident1 the cause of the fire has not been ascertained. it destroyed the camp. the affected families now stay in the open he said1 abba noted that the affected persons had returned and took shelter at the camp following the liberation of the community from the insurgents control1 he called on the state government and humanitarian organisations to assist the victims to alleviate their sufferings1 the national and state emergency management agencies are yet to comment on the incident. nan1

Rwanda shuts 700 churches
News & Trends •
read more in7 rwanda has shut 714 churches in different parts of kigali over the last one week for failure to meet minimum standards2 the crackdown is being carried out by respective urban district authorities in partnership with the rwanda governance board the newspaper said2 justus kangwagye the head of political parties and civil society department at the rwanda governance board said places of worship are required to meet basic requirements in terms of safety hygiene infrastructure and legality which those affected were found to be lacking2 kangwagye said most of the affected places of worship were asked to halt operations until they meet the expected standards2 worshiping should be done in an organised way and meet minimum standards. exercising your freedom of worship should not encroach on other peoples rights. they have been asked to halt operations until they meet the requirements he said2 some may not be able to resume operations any time soon he said2 new times of rwanda reported that the churches were found to lack basic infrastructure hygiene safety standards and had issues related to their legal status2 for instance if the infrastructure is deemed likely to cause danger to those worshiping it is obvious that it fails to meet the requirements he explained2 others were found to have inadequacies such as lack of parking lots which would lead to their members parking by the roadsides and causing traffic jam2 other churches which were closed operated from tents2 churches that are hosted in tents were also asked to review their premises before they can continue their operations. as for hygiene and sanitation you cannot have a gathering where there is no water for washing hands no toilets among other issues he said2 others he added were warned on the lack of safety and security installations and asked to look into it or risk closure2 kangwagye explained that setting up a church requires a temporary certificate which expires after 12 months2 kangwagye said some premises exposed worshipers to risks2

Members of US church attend with assault rifles
News & Trends •
tim elder unification sanctuarys director of world missions said the ceremony was meant to be a blessing of couples not inanimate objects calling the ar-15 a religious accoutrement2 crown-wearing worshippers of world peace and unification sanctuary in pennsylvania united states scared the hell out of people and a school on wednesday when they arrived the church each clutching an ar-15 rifle2 inside the church they drank holy wine and exchanged or renewed wedding vows in what was called a commitment ceremony which alsodoubled as an advertisement for the second amendment2 though the state police kept watch as the ceremony unfolded neighbours were not at ease2 a smattering of protesters stood outside the church and anearby school cancelled classes the ap reported2 the church which has a worldwide following believes the ar-15 symbolizes the rod of iron in the book of revelation and encouraged couples to bring the weapons. an ar-15 was used in the florida high school massacre on feb. 142 the rev. sean moon who leads the church prayed for a kingdom of peace police and peace militia where the citizens through the right given to them by almighty god to keep and bear arms will be able to protect one another and protect human flourishing2 moon is the son of the late rev. sun myung moon a self-proclaimed messiah who founded the unification church which critics regard as a cult. the younger moons congregation is a breakaway faction of the unification church which had distanced itself from wednesdays event2 an attendant checked each weapon at the door to make sure it was unloaded and secured with a zip tie and the elaborate commitment ceremony went off without a hitch. some worshippers wore crowns made out of bullets2 brides were clad in white and grooms in dark suits all arriving with dozens of ar-15s though unloaded2 but wednesdays event coming on the heels of the high school massacre in parkland florida which killed 17 rubbed emotions raw2 its scaring people in the community one protester told a church member. are you aware of that2 the ceremony prompted wallenpaupack area school district to move students at an elementary school down the street to other campuses2 lisa desiena from scranton protested outside the church with a sign that called the group an armed religious cult2 she said she owns a gun but i dont need a freaking assault weapon to defend myself. only thing theyre good for is killing. period. thats all that weapon is good for mass killing. and you want to bless it shame on you2 but sreymom ouk 41 who attended the ceremony with her husband sort ouk and came with their ar-15 said the weapon is useful for defending her family against sickos and evil psychopaths2 people have the right to bear arms and in gods kingdom you have to protect that she said. you have to protect against evil2 reported by ap2

Saudi Arabia issues cinema licences
News & Trends •
major cinema chains are seeking to break into the market of more than 30 million people the majority of whom are under 252 saudi arabia began issuing licences thursday to operate cinemas in the kingdom ahead of their reopening after a decades-long ban was lifted as part of a far-reaching liberalisation drive2 the culture and information ministry said it had finalised the terms of licencing to restore cinema in saudi arabia2 licencing commences immediately the ministry added in a statement2 the news comes as dubai-based vox cinemas the leading operator in the middle east launches its first public screening in saudi arabia which runs through saturday and aims to raise awareness about alzheimers disease2 the screening in riyadh will feature content from local producers including myrkott production and telfaz company vox said2 the move is another step towards opening the saudi market to regional and international theatre chains which have long eyed the kingdom as the middle easts last untapped mass market2 in december us giant amc entertainment signed a non-binding agreement with saudi arabias vast public investment fund to build and operate cinemas across the kingdom2 amc will still face stiff competition from regional heavyweights including vox2 the move to reopen cinemas is part of a modernisation drive by crown prince mohammed bin salman who is seeking to balance unpopular subsidy cuts in an era of low oil prices with more entertainment options despite opposition from religious hardliners2 the reform stems partly from an economic motive to boost domestic spending on entertainment as the kingdom reels from a protracted slump in oil prices2 saudis currently splurge billions of dollars annually to see movie shows and visit amusement parks in neighbouring tourist hubs like dubai2

Outrage as doctor performs brain surgery on wrong person
News & Trends •
afp25 there has been an outpouring of rage in the social media after a neurosurgeon at kenyas largest hospital performed brain surgery on the wrong patient2 health minister sicily kariuki also suspended the chief operating officer of the hospital lily koros over the blunder. lily koros had suspended the four medics2 it was the latest scandal to hit the hospital in recent weeks after allegations of staff sexually assaulting patients and the theft of a baby2 an investigation by the daily nation newspaper revealed that two men had been taken to the hospital last sunday2 the kenyatta national hospital which admitted the horrific error has suspended the doctor as well as two nurses and an anaesthetist according to a statement on friday2 hours into the surgery doctors discovered there was no blood clot in the brain of their patient and that they were in fact operating on the wrong man the newspaper reported2 the hospitals chief operating officer lily koros issued a statement announcing the suspension of four medics who were at work on that night. the hospital also expressed regret over the incident2 the hospital deeply regrets this event and has done all it can to ensure the safety and well being of the patient in question read the statement from the hospital adding the patient was in recovery and progressing well koros said2 kenyatta national hospital is kenyas oldest and largest hospital and also serves as a teaching hospital2 the two men were wheeled into the hospital unconscious. one needed head surgery to remove a blood clot in his brain while the other only required nursing and medication to heal a trauma swelling in his head medically known as closed head injury2

Food calorie cut can prevent 35,000 premature deaths
News & Trends •
depending on their age overweight and obese boys consume between 140 to 500 calories too many each day and for girls it is 160 to 290 when compared to those with healthy body weights1 britains food industry was challenged by the government tuesday to reduce the amount of calories in products used by families by 20 percent as part of a new strategy to cut childhood and adult obesity1 officials also said that around 12.5 billion u.s. dollars in national health service nhs healthcare and social care costs could be saved over a 25 year period1 the calorie drive follows new evidence revealing overweight or obese boys and girls consume up to 500 and 290 calories too many each day respectively1 the food industry has been given three ways to reduce calories changing the recipe of products reducing portion sizes or encouraging consumers to purchase lower calorie products1 categories of food covered by the program include pizzas ready meals ready-made sandwiches meat products and savoury snacks1 the new major steps to cut excessive calorie intake were unveiled by public health england phe and the department of health and social care dhsc1 phe says too many children and most adults are overweight or obese suffering consequences from bullying and low self-esteem in childhood to type ii diabetes heart disease and some cancers as adults1 an obese parent is more likely to have an obese child who in turn is more likely to grow up into an obese adult said phe1 a phe report includes new data on childrens daily calorie consumption1 health officials say if the 20 per cent target is met within five years more than 35000 premature deaths could be prevented1 adults consume on average 200 to 300 calories too many each day1 a phe report includes new data on childrens daily calorie consumption. depending on their age overweight and obese boys consume between 140 to 500 calories too many each day and for girls it is 160 to 290 when compared to those with healthy body weights. adults consume on average 200 to 300 calories too many each day1 duncan selbie chief executive of phe said industry can help families by finding innovative ways to lower the calories in the food we all enjoy and promoting uk business leadership on the world stage in tackling obesity1 steve brine parliamentary under secretary of state for public health and primary care said obesity is now one of our greatest challenges1 it is fuelling an epidemic of preventable illnesses like type ii diabetes and cancer1 these not only shorten lives but put unsustainable pressure on our health service1 our calorie reduction program the first of its kind from any country in the world will continue to build on the progress of our world-leading childhood obesity plan which has led to positive steps by industry1 dr alison tedstone chief nutritionist at phe said its hard for people to make healthy food choices. thats why we are challenging the food industry to take 20 percent of the calories out of everyday foods1 the nhs spends around 8.3 billion u.s dollars a year treating obesity-related conditions. xinhuanan1

Unai Emery set for PSG exit after Madrid knockout
News & Trends •
flares were lit en masse on several occasions at one end of the ground once even leading to a brief stoppage in play and psg will face punishment from uefa as a result1 unai emery may well be packing his load tonight as coach of the expensively paris saint germain team after they were dumped out of the uefa champions league by holders real madrid in paris1 the defeat was like rubbing more salt into the wounds for psg who had not lost any of their previous 51 home games in all competitions a run going back two years to before the start of unai emerys reign as coach1 this defeat is likely to hasten the end of his time in charge1 ronaldo had scored twice including his 100th goal for real in the competition as they won 3-1 in the first leg in spain last month and his header early in the second half at the parc des princes effectively ended the french clubs hopes of progressing1 edinson cavani equalised on the night for psg but only after they had marco verratti sent off and casemiros late goal secured an ultimately comprehensive 5-2 aggregate victory for zinedine zidanes side1 psg never looked like turning the tie around in the absence of the injured neymar and it was a horribly flat way for them to exit the competition1 as they limp out reals dream of becoming the first team in more than 40 years to win three successive european cups remains alive1 a year after their spectacular collapse against barcelona in the last 16 when they were humiliated 6-1 away in the return after a stunning 4-0 win at home psg had hoped to produce a memorable comeback themselves this time1 yet shorn of the worlds most expensive player who is back in brazil recuperating from a foot operation they struggled to create chances and the night will be remembered just as much for the stupidity of a section of their supporters1 cristiano ronaldo and casemiro got the goals for real madrid as the holders won 2-1 away to a paris saint-germain side missing neymar to secure their place in the champions league quarter-finals on tuesday1 without neymar this was angel di marias big chance to shine after he was left on the bench for the entirety of the first leg but nothing came off for the argentine against his former side his performance symbolic of a wider malaise in the home ranks1 they had only made real goalkeeper keylor navas work once in the first half from kylian mbappes shot in the 43rd minute1 in contrast alphonse areola had kept the home side in the game with two fine saves to deny sergio ramos and karim benzema before the interval1 that just delayed the inevitable. having come close with a header moments earlier ronaldo broke the deadlock in the 51st minute heading in a lucas vazquez cross for his third goal in the tie1 the goal had come from an error by dani alves initially and it completely punctured psg and the atmosphere1 the tie had escaped them before verratti was sent off midway through the second half picking up a second yellow card for dissent1 substitute javier pastores header deflected into the net off cavani in the 71st minute to level the scores on the night but more poor defending allowed real to make it 2-1 with 10 minutes left1 unable to clear their lines in their own area psg saw casemiros shot go in via a marquinhos deflection1 with marco asensio and isco both hitting the post in the second half for real the visitors more than deserved their win on the night as well as in the tie1

Fraudster Nwude trying to sell FGs land denied bail
News & Trends •
the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them3 rotimi oyedepo the prosecution counsel however objected to the prayers of the defence2 one of the counts reads that you emmanuel nwude emmanuel ilechukwu and rowland kalu on or about 12th day of january 2011 at lagos within the ikeja judicial division conspired to forge a power of attorney dated 12th day of january 2011 issued in the name of mankris venture limited purporting that mankris venture limited is the owner of plot y mobolaji johnson street oregun alausa lagos whereas you knew that the property was forfeited to the victims of crimes as restitution in the judgment delive2 justice mojisola o. dada of the lagos state high court sitting in ikeja lagos on tuesday march 6 2018 refused the bail application of notorious fraudster emmanuel nwude who allegedly conspired with two others to tamper with a property that had been forfeited by a court order2 both the second and third defendants were granted bail at the last hearing2 at the resumed hearing today counsel to the first defendant stephen amallagoge brought before the court a summons for bail application on behalf of his client2 he prayed the court to grant nwude bail pending the hearing and determination of the charge against him2 he also stated that the first defendant had been enjoying the administrative bail granted him by the commission since october 2017 and had never defaulted2 amallagoge also claimed that his client was due for a prostrate cancer surgery this month adding that my lord going to prison will inhibit him from undergoing the surgery2 he therefore urged the court to grant his client bail in the most liberal terms2 nwude alongside emmanuel ilechukwu and rowland kalu were on march 2 2018 arraigned on a 15-count charge bordering on forgery and dealing in forfeited property2 he presented a 10-paragraph counter-affidavit urging the court to dismiss the application2 the prosecution also objected to the bail application on the grounds that the first defendant nwude is not a first-time offender2 he was convicted by a court in a matter that affected the federal republic of nigeria in the international community oyedepo further argued2 oyedepo also pledged the prosecutions readiness for accelerated hearing adding that refusing the bail application is not to punish the defendant but to enable him stand his trial2 regarding the purported surgery rotimi submitted that it was just a mere assertion without an expert opinion2 he therefore urged the court to dismiss the application and grant accelerated hearing in the matter2 in her ruling today justice dada ruled that she was not satisfied with nwudes application and expressed doubts that he would stand trial if granted bail2 although justice dada also held that the claim by nwude to be preparing for a prostrate cancer surgery this month was a grave assertion that could be not be glossed-over she said no single documentation had been brought before the court in support of the assertion2 justice dada therefore refused to grant bail to nwude while urging the second and third defendants to perfect their bail applications before the next adjourned date2

Nigerian Bayode breaks Guinness record in Longest Marathon Reading Aloud
News & Trends •
bayode began reading at 130 pm on monday february 26 2018 and ended it 15.30 on saturday1 a nigerian olawunmi bayode has set a new guinness record in the longest marathon reading aloud category1 the latter had 113 hours 15 minutes in 20081 another nepalese tudikhel ground tied the record1 bajagains book reading began on september 19 and ended on september 24 20081 he recited 17 different books from 13 authors during his record attempt1 bayode father of three kids logged 120 hours at 15.30 today at the youread library yaba in lagos beating the previous record set by nepali deepak sharma bajagain1 he announced the record on his facebook page saying1 hello everybody something just happened right now my name is bayode treasures olubunmiolawunmi i have just finished reading aloud for 120 hours non-stop1 i did it for the culture1 bayode studied at osun state polytechnic iree and comprehensive high school ketu in lagos1 i have always loved to read good materials right from when i was in secondary school. i am doing this for the youths he wrote on twitter before he began the record setting reading marathon1

Medical association tasks govt on disease surveillance
News & Trends •
by felicia imohimi11 abonyi urged members to educate and enlighten stakeholders on the need for peaceful coexistence and the inherent benefits of ranching to livestock farmers1 dr godwin abonyi president of the association made the appeal in an interview with the news agency of nigeria nan at the ongoing associations annual summit in abuja on friday1 he however decried the rate of outbreak of zoonotic diseases such as lassa fever monkey pox brucellosis rabies and avian influenza blaming it on poor surveillance system1 he noted that about 75 per cent of emerging and infectious diseases originated from animals adding that beefing up surveillance and public health services delivery among others would assist in reducing the burden and associated deaths1 nan reports that zoonotic diseases are transmitted from animals to humans through various means1 he identified some of the means to include through consumption of contaminated food and water exposure to pathogens during preparation processing or by direct contact with infected animals or humans1 in order to forestall the outbreak of diseases in the country the nigeria veterinary medical association nvma has urged government at all levels to beef up veterinary extension services surveillance and public health service delivery1 the recent increase in the number of outbreaks of some zoonotic disease such as lassa fever and monkey pox among others are becoming increasingly worrisome1 government at all levels should beef up veterinary extension surveillance and public health service delivery to forestall these menace from becoming endemic in nigeriaabonyi said1 similarly abonyi urged government to facilitate the transition from nomadism to ranching to improve animal husbandry and put an end to farmersherdsmen clashes and associated death toll1 according to him as a matter of urgency federal and states governments should put necessary machinery and intervention in place in livestock industry1 these he noted would further safeguard lives and properties arising from herdsmenfarmers clashes and also improve food production and livestock yield1 the president who described the menace as worrisome urged members of the association to put in their best professionally to salvage the situation1

Outrage as doctor performs brain surgery on wrong person
News & Trends •
afp25 there has been an outpouring of rage in the social media after a neurosurgeon at kenyas largest hospital performed brain surgery on the wrong patient2 health minister sicily kariuki also suspended the chief operating officer of the hospital lily koros over the blunder. lily koros had suspended the four medics2 it was the latest scandal to hit the hospital in recent weeks after allegations of staff sexually assaulting patients and the theft of a baby2 an investigation by the daily nation newspaper revealed that two men had been taken to the hospital last sunday2 the kenyatta national hospital which admitted the horrific error has suspended the doctor as well as two nurses and an anaesthetist according to a statement on friday2 hours into the surgery doctors discovered there was no blood clot in the brain of their patient and that they were in fact operating on the wrong man the newspaper reported2 the hospitals chief operating officer lily koros issued a statement announcing the suspension of four medics who were at work on that night. the hospital also expressed regret over the incident2 the hospital deeply regrets this event and has done all it can to ensure the safety and well being of the patient in question read the statement from the hospital adding the patient was in recovery and progressing well koros said2 kenyatta national hospital is kenyas oldest and largest hospital and also serves as a teaching hospital2 the two men were wheeled into the hospital unconscious. one needed head surgery to remove a blood clot in his brain while the other only required nursing and medication to heal a trauma swelling in his head medically known as closed head injury2