The Nigerian Government has congratulated Mo Abudu, Chimamanda Adichie and Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, over the honours recently bestowed on them on the global stage, calling them great ambassadors of Nigeria.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the three honorees are iconic women in the Creative Industry who have brought great honour not only to themselves, their families and their industry, but also to the country.

He described as well deserved the listing of Mo Abudu, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of EbonyLife TV, and Nollywood star Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde among the top 50 women who are doing extraordinary things on the worldwide stage by Variety magazine, a weekly American entertainment magazine.

Alhaji Mohammed also said the already well-adorned cap of Chimamanda Adichie has been further festooned after her novel, Americanah, was listed in the New York Times list of 15 remarkable books by women that are shaping the way we read and write fiction in the 21st century.

He said the women are role models whose achievements will inspire a generation of young Nigerians to also do extraordinary things.

Of more importance is the fact that these womens achievements have transcended gender, nationality or race, placing them on the rarefied class of global, timeless achievers, the Minister said.

He said the great honours bestowed on the women will further focus world attention on the nations burgeoning Creative Industry, thus placing it on the right pedestal to take the world by storm.

Source: NAN

UNAIDS is elated with mid-way results from two studies that show a vaginal ring releasing long-acting antiretroviral medicine to prevent HIV infection in women.

Reports say that the results show that studies is up to 54 per cent effective in preventing HIV.

The ring, which is replaced monthly, slowly releases the antiretroviral medicine dapivirine and could give women an additional HIV prevention option that is discreet and that they can control.

Michel Sidib, Executive Director of UNAIDS, said: These results are significant. Structural, behavioural and biological factors make women more vulnerable to HIV infection.

So it is extremely important that they have the opportunity to protect themselves from HIV, on their own terms.

The interim results are from two large open-label studies conducted in South Africa and Uganda, which trials enrolled women between the ages of 20 and 50 years.

Open-label studies are studies in which the participants know which medicine is being used; that is, no placebo substance or treatment with no active therapeutic effect is used.

The HOPE trial, which began in August 2016 and enrolled more than 1,400 women by October 2017 the time of the interim review found a 54 per cent reduction in HIV risk.

This means that the rate of new HIV infections was 1.9 women newly infected for every 100 participants in a given year.

Based on statistical modelling, the researchers determined that the rate of new infections would have been 4.1 for every 100 had the women not been offered the ring.

The DREAM trial, which enrolled 940 women from July 2016, had similar findings, with a 54 per cent reduction in the HIV incidence rate.

However, the final results from both studies are expected in 2019, according to the UN HIV/ AIDS agency.

UNAIDS said adherence was shown to be high in both of the trials, although the measures of adherence were not able to determine whether the women used the ring all of the time, most of the time or just some of the time.

It said the DREAM study showed that more than 90 per cent of the women in the study used the ring at least some of the time, based on residual drug levels, and the HOPE study showed that 89 per cent of returned rings indicated that the ring was used at least some of the time within the previous month.

This is the first time that efficacy of more than 50 per cent has been observed in HIV prevention trials involving only women.

Two previous phase III trials presented in 2016 ASPIRE/MTN-020 and the Ring Study/IPM 027 which did include a placebo group showed only modest protection (30 per cent) against HIV infection for women.

Women from both ASPIRE and the Ring Study were included in the HOPE and DREAMS trials, UNAIDS explained.

Other scientific advances in HIV prevention presented in recent years, according to UNAIDS, included the PROUD and IPERGAY studies, which in 2015 reported an 86 per cent reduction in HIV acquisition among HIV-negative men who took antiretroviral medicines to prevent HIV.

Another is the 2011 HPTN 052 trial announcement, which showed that early initiation of antiretroviral therapy can reduce the risk of transmission to an uninfected partner by 96 per cent.

Similarly, the 2011 Partners PrEP and TDF2 studies, showed that a daily antiretroviral pill taken by people who do not have HIV infection can reduce their risk of acquiring HIV by up to 73 per cent.

Finally, the South Africa Orange Farm Intervention Trial, funded by the French Agence Nationale de Recherches sur le SIDA (ANRS) and published in 2005, demonstrated more than a 60 per cent reduction in HIV infections among circumcised men.

These important breakthroughs show just how critical it is to continue to invest in research and development into new and effective HIV prevention options, Sidib said.

The latest reports show that in 2016, funding for HIV prevention research and development was its lowest level in a decade, with no indications that investments are set to increase.

UNAIDS stressed that in spite of the recent scientific discoveries, there was still no single method that was fully protective against HIV.

To end the AIDS epidemic, UNAIDS strongly recommended a combination of HIV prevention options.

These could include the correct and consistent use of male or female condoms, waiting longer before having sex for the first time, having fewer partners, and voluntary medical male circumcision.

Other options are avoiding penetrative sex, the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis for people at higher risk of HIV infection and ensuring that all people living with HIV have immediate access to antiretroviral medicine. (NAN)

Source: NAN

Kenyan health officials have issued an alert after samples taken from patients confirmed the presence of H1N1 prototype 9 influenza virus.

The samples were taken from the patients suffering from flu in Laikipia County, central Kenya, reports.

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 Laboratories.

The five-year-old boy died at the Nanyuki Cottage Hospital and was being treated for pneumonia, his dad said.

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 wards.

Most of the patients are children, Mrs Obongo said.

Cases of the flu have been on the rise in the last two weeks, she added.

The diseased is characterised by high fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, dry cough and general body weakness.

Source: NAN

Anita Eboigbe

Popular rapper Olamide Adedeji aka Baddo, has proposed to his long standing girlfriend and mother of his son, Adebukunmi Aisha Suleiman.

The love birds have been together since 2011 and have a son Maximilaino Adedeji, born in 2015.

He announced the proposal on Snapchat @baddosneh, some hours after wishing her a happy birthday on the same platform.

The YBNL boss is said to have bent on his knee before Aisha as he proposed to her birthday on Thursday which coincidentally was marked International Womens Day with the theme: Press for Progress.

Olamide wrote: My senior wife Oya we have a wedding to plan.

Olamide, who raps mostly in Yoruba, has been described as the voice of the ghetto.

The Bariga born artist recently released a seven minutes visual to his hit song Science Student amidst controversies surrounding the message of the song.

He recently bagged the Listeners choice award at the just concluded Sound city MVP awards.

Olamide came into limelight in 2011 with his debut album Rapsodi before starting his label YBNL in 2012.

Source: NAN

Disney will in the 2019 summer launch its Cruise Line, the first-ever round trip cruise route starting from the port of Civitavecchia, a town near Rome, Italy.

Disney fans will be able to see Italy and Southern Europe in a more magical way than ever before.

The first voyage begins on June 14 with stops in Italy, France and Spain.

Guests will be able to visit Salerno, on Italys Amalfi Coast; La Spezia, a common launch point for visiting the picturesque towns of Cinque Terre; Villefranche-sur-Mer and Marseilles, on the French Riviera; and Spains vibrant beach city of Barcelona.

The Rome-based cruise is just one of seven new cruise routes that Disney has to offer in Europe.

The others are Cartagena, Spain; Toulon (Provence) and Brest, France; Belfast, Northern Ireland; Gothenburg and Nynashamn (Stockholm), Sweden; and Fredericia, Denmark, according to the Disney Parks Blog.

We dare you not to sing Its A Small World After All.

And closer to home for Americans, Disney Cruise Line is also returning to their popular ports in Alaska, the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

Source:

Source: NAN

Former US President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle are in negotiations with Netflix about producing a series of shows for the online streaming giant, according to US media reports.

Obama and former first lady Michelle would provide Netflix with exclusive content, with the format and number of shows yet to be determined, The New York Times reported citing people familiar with the matter.

Netflix declined to comment.

As the worlds leading on-demand internet television service, Netflix would offer Obama a global platform to delve into topics that marked his presidency, such as health care, immigration, foreign policy, and fighting climate change.

His wife, Michelle, would also have a stage to explore subjects she was passionate about while first lady, such as nutrition.

The format could include talk-show-style or documentary productions. Obama does not plan to use shows to respond directly to President Donald Trump or other critics, but instead to showcase inspirational stories, according to the Times.

Netflix said it ended last year with about 117 million users, including slightly more than 110 million paid subscribers.

Having shifted its focus to original content, Netflix has scooped awards and helped shake up both the television and film industries with its deep pockets.

Netflix is available in some 200 markets worldwide and produces programs in several languages.

It said it expects to spend between $7.5 billion and $8 billion on content for 2018.
*AFP

Source: NAN

Manny Pacquiao is to fight Argentinas World Boxing Association welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse in Malaysia on June 24, the Philippine ring legend has announced.

The 39-year-old will be co-promoting the bout after rejecting an offer to fight in Las Vegas on an undercard to his recent conqueror Jeff Horn, who will be facing Terence Crawford on April 14.

Pacquiao said he considers himself the underdog against the brawling Matthysse, 35, who has 39 wins all but three of them via the short route against four losses.

This is going to be a tough fight. Matthysse is also a knockout artist. But Im excited to fight and be a world champion again, he said in a statement announcing the bout late Thursday.

Im the underdog in this fight but Im used to it. It serves as a big motivation for me to train and fight hard to win the crown, said Pacquiao, who has won world titles in an unprecedented eight weight divisions.

I like his aggressive fighting style. Thats what I want, to entertain the boxing fans, said the elected Philippine senator, adding that the Argentine was not a dirty fighter.

The Filipinos trainer Restituto Fernandez said he expects the Kuala Lumpur bout, co-staged by Oscar De La Hoyas Golden Boy Promotions, to be a real brawl because Matthysse is an aggressive fighter.

Pacquiao, winner of 59 bouts against seven losses and two draws, lost his World Boxing Organisation welterweight title to Australias Horn last year.

The Filipino southpaw, who has enjoyed a glittering, 23-year pro career, retired briefly in 2016 but made a comeback to retake his WBO title from Jessie Vargas just months later.

The last of his 38 knockout wins came more than eight years ago.
AFP

Source: NAN

By Iyiola Pedro

Teenage qualifier Felix Auger-Aliassime scored a superb 6-2 7-6(4) first-round victory over fellow Canadian Vasek Pospisil at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California early today.

The 17-year-old displayed lightning-quick footwork in his bright pink shoes, and delighted the packed crowd with his formidable serve and powerful forehand.

He pounded down 11 aces and saved all three break points he faced en route to his first career victory.

To come here, beat one of my growing idols, Vasek, it felt kind of surreal at first, Montreal-born Auger-Aliassime told Tennis Channel.

All the emotions kicked in. I was trying to stay calm the whole second set, the whole tiebreak. After I let everything go. It felt great.

Auger-Aliassime, the youngest player in the mens draw and who shares a birthday with Roger Federer (Aug. 8), will face another Canadian in the second round, 32nd seed Milos Raonic.

Its quite funny to see these guys in my draw, he said.

I used to watch these guys on TV growing up, and now to stand in front of them, its crazy, but I guess thats where my level is at right now and Im just enjoying it.

Another teenager enjoying the winning feeling on Friday was 19-year-old Australian wild card Alex de Minaur, who beat 56th-ranked German Jan-Lennard Struff 3-6 7-6(3) 7-6(5).

De Minaur, ranked 141st, started the year by making the final of the Sydney International, where he lost to Daniil Medvedev.

He also took Alexander Zverev to five sets before losing a deciding tiebreak in a Davis Cup tie against Germany in early February.

His Davis Cup team mate Nick Kyrgios withdrew on Friday ahead of his first match, citing an on-going right elbow injury.

Kyrgios, who had not played since the Davis Cup tie, was scheduled to play Medvedev on Saturday but had been replaced by lucky loser Matteo Berrettini.

In other matches, wild card Ernesto Escobedo beat fellow American Frances Tiafoe 7-5 6-3, while lucky loser Dudi Sela of Israel edged German Peter Gojowczyk 6-4 6-4.

Source: NAN

Lionel Messi announced today that he and his wife Antonella Roccuzzo have become parents for a third time.

Welcome Ciro!!! Thank God, everything went perfectly. He and his mummy are doing very well. We are super happy!!! wrote Messi on his Instagram account, accompanying the post with a photo of the babys hand.

Ciro is a brother to five-year-old Thiago and Mateo, who is two.

Messi had pulled out of Barcelonas squad for Saturdays La Liga match at Malaga to be present for the birth.

The club tweeted: Change to the squad. Messi is out for personal reasons and Yerry Mina takes his place.

The Argentinian couple, both 30, first met in their home town, Rosario, in 1996 and started going out a decade later. They were married last year in Rosario.

Barcelona, who face Chelsea in the second leg of their last-16 Champions League tie at the Camp Nou on Wednesday, have an eight-point lead over Atletico Madrid at the top of La Liga.

Source: NAN