Nollywood actor, Kenneth Okonkwo, popularly known as Andy has declared his interest to run for gubernatorial race in Enugu State on the platform of All Progressives Party (APC) in Enugu state.

Okonkwo said at the state APCs enlarged State Executive Council and stakeholders meeting held at the partys secretariat in Enugu on Sunday.

He told newsmen that he joined the race following calls from his people.

The ace actor said he was also moved by the fact that the incumbent, Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who hails from same Enugu North Senatorial District and Nsukka Cultural Zone, had failed to deliver people-oriented governance to the people.

According to him, as it stands today, Gov. Ugwuanyi cannot boast of any enduring legacy in Nsukka land, and that is why I want to unseat him in 2019, so as to provide the needed democracy dividends for our people and state in general.

My people started the move; it is their move. I will be the governor of Enugu State in 2019.

He also alleged that Ugwuanyis administration has a penchant for rehabilitation of roads; pointing out that since inception the government has not embarked on the construction of a brand new road in any parts of the state. (NAN)

Source: NAN

The President of the Senate Dr Bukola Saraki on Sunday flew aboard an Arik Air flight to Ghana for the 25th Anniversary of the Ghanaian Parliament.

Saraki who would be delivering a paper at a symposium to mark the celebration, departed on board the local flight in solidarity with other Nigerians who fly indigenous airlines.

Speaking with our Correspondent on Sunday, Bamikole Omishore, SA to Saraki on International relations said that the Senate President left the comfort of the usual presidential airplane he travels in for Arik.

@SPNigeria who usually commutes with Presidential Air fleet chose to fly a Nigerian operated commercial flight to encourage trade between both countries.

According to Omishore, Saraki chose the indigenous flight to promote trade relations between Nigeria and Ghana and also to see firsthand areas that require interventions in the Nigerian Aviation industry.

With reference to the recent Dana Air near-mishaps, Omishore said that Saraki had promised to take a look at the happenings in the aviation industry so as to find the ills that will require legislations to correct.

Saraki also took to his official twitter handle @SPNigeria to share some of the pictures and videos of his departure, arrival and reception by the Speaker of Ghanas Parliament.

I just arrived in Ghana.

As part of activities to celebrate 25 years of uninterrupted parliamentary democracy in Ghana, I will be addressing the countrys Parliament.

Bukola Saraki (@bukolasaraki)

The Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, is now departing Abuja, Nigeria to Accra, Ghana, aboard Arik Air.

The Senate President (@SPNigeria)

I thank the Speaker of the Ghanaian Parliament, Rt. Hon. Prof. Aaron Mike Ocquaye, for the invitation and the gracious reception at the airport in Accra this evening.

Bukola Saraki (@bukolasaraki)

The President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, being hosted by the Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Ambassador Olufemi Abikoye.

The Senate President (@SPNigeria)

Source: NAN

The Virgin Mary smells of roses and is returning to Upper Bavaria. The mother of God is set to appear in the small St Lawrence Chapel in Unterflossing on March 17 at half past four, sharp (1530 GMT).

That is according to Otto Masszi, a man who, a few years ago, bought and renovated the chapel in the village of 100 souls at his own expense.

He denies any personal interest. Whether or not this becomes a place of pilgrimage is of no concern to me, he says.

The virgin has appeared here twice in the past, most recently in September. Hundreds made the pilgrimage, along with a self-appointed prophet named Salvatore Caputa. Some of them insist they could smell her.

There was this unmistakeable scent of roses, says Erich Neumann, chairman of the association of friends of the St Lawrence Chapel, who organized the gathering.

Masszi, who works as an engineer for city of Munich and is also organist and choir leader in several parishes says a woman even saw the mother of God, describing her as having brown hair and being dressed in a blue velvet robe.

The archdiocese of Munich and Freising, under the jurisdiction of which Unterflossing falls, have refrained from commenting on the phenomenon, which has generated debate among the faithful and others in the region, saying matters outside the churchs purview were involved.

The archdiocese instructed its clerics not to become involved in order to avoid lending any legitimacy to the phenomenon.

Even before that, Father Armin Thaller, the local priest, had maintained his distance, saying the church first had to test the reports. He spoke of walking a line so sharp that one could cut ones feet to pieces.

Reports of Marian apparitions are not uncommon among devout Catholics. Some of the more famous were in Lourdes in France, where a series of appearances were reported in 1858, and another in Fatima in Portugal, where the Mother of Jesus is said to have revealed herself in 1917. Both are places of pilgrimage for Catholics to this day.

Other places where the virgin is believed to have appeared are Guadelupe in Mexico and Filipov in the Czech Republic.

But even if these apparitions are acknowledged by the church, this merely means that they do not conflict with the faith. The faithful are not compelled to believe.

The question being asked is why Mary should appear in Unterflossing, of all places. There are a few theories.

First, Benedict XVI, the pope emeritus who retired five years ago, was born some 30 kilometres away and went to school in the area. There is also Altoetting, with its famous Black Madonna dating back to the 14th century. It is nearby and already an established place of pilgrimage.

Masszi has his answer ready: Our Lady simply chose to make an appearance in strongly Catholic Upper Bavaria. She had previously tried at a place where she was unwelcome a farmers private chapel in Walpertskirchen a little to the west, where Caputa was awaiting her with his retinue.

According to Masszi, Caputa has close links with the virgin and goes ahead of her when she wishes to appear, along with hundreds of pilgrims. That didnt sit well with the son of the farmer who owned the channel and he chased the group off the farm.

He even put his manure cart in the way, Masszi says in disgust. A tragedy. You cant pull the rug out from under the Mother of God. He then took the decision to invite Mary to his chapel, appealing to Caputa to pass on the invitation.

The fact that the Mary will appear at 4:30 pm on the dot does not surprise Masszi. She knows the time of day. But he warned guests to come early, as those who have not prayed have little chance of seeing her.

Prayers will start around noon. Following the ban imposed by the archdiocese, an afternoon service will be conducted without a priest.

Masszi says he is opposed to commerce done in the name of Mary, at nearby Altoetting for example. That does not please the mother of God.

People in the area are preparing for a surge in interest. You are the 300th caller, says Hans Soehl, owner of a metalworking company in nearby Obertaufkirchen, whose phone number has mistakenly been linked to the apparition.

We have nothing to do with the Marian apparition, apart from the wrong phone number.(dpa/NAN)

Source: NAN

Italys national election produced no outright winner on Sunday, according to exit polls that pointed to possible political gridlock, with voters backing anti-establishment and far-right parties in record numbers.

A rightist alliance emerged with the biggest bloc of votes, ahead of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, the largest single party, polls showed. The ruling centre-left coalition came third, hurt by anger over poverty and mass immigration.

Full results are not expected for several hours, and Italian exit polls have previously given misleading initial readings.

Heavily indebted Italy is the third largest economy in the euro zone and prolonged political stalemate could make it the focal point of market concern now that the threat of instability in Germany has receded thanks to the revival on Sunday of a grand coalition under Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The euro edged marginally higher in Asia early on Monday, with investors awaiting clearer results from Italy.

A poll for RAI state television said a bloc of centre-right and far-right parties would win 33-36 percent of the vote, short of the 40 percent analysts have said is the minimum needed to secure a majority under Italys new electoral law.

Within the alliance, former prime minister Silvio Berlusconis Forza Italia (Go Italy!) was seen winning 12.5-15.5 percent, the same as the League, which has allied itself to anti-immigration, anti-Islam parties across Europe.

The 5-Star, led by 31-year-old Luigi Di Maio, was forecast to take 29.0-32.5 percent, which would be a remarkable result for a group that was only formed in 2009. It has fed off public fury over entrenched corruption and economic hardship.

We will be a pillar of the legislature, said a smiling Alfonso Bonafede, a close ally of Di Maio, told La7.

A centre-left alliance dominated by former prime minister Matteo Renzis ruling Democratic Party (PD) was projected to win 25-28 percent, but pollsters said the PD itself might end up only the fourth-largest group in the lower house of parliament.

Source: NAN

South Africas Kevin Anderson moved one step closer to capturing his second consecutive title with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 victory over American qualifier Jared Donaldson at Acapulcos ATP Mexican Open.

Anderson, of Johannesburg, won the New York Open crown two weeks ago.

The world No. 8 Anderson has plenty of confidence heading into Saturdays final where he will face Argentinas Juan Martin Del Potro.

It just feels great to win tonights match, Anderson said. When youre out there, youre not really thinking about finals and what happened before. In the heat of the battle, I thought it was a really tough match.

Since last January, when he plunged to 80th in the world, Anderson has made five finals comprising Washington D.C., the US Open, Pune, New York and now Acapulco. He was runner-up at the 2017 US Open.

Anderson saw his ranking fall of as a result of a variety of injuries and health issues.

In the other semi-final, Del Potro blasted six aces and broke Alexander Zverevs serve three times en route to a 6-4, 6-2 win on Friday night.

Del Potro, who is seeded sixth, won 78 percent of his first-serve points and 55 percent of his second serves in the one hour, 31 minute match.

Zverev, of Germany, hammered 10 aces but had two double faults.

On the womens side of the draw, defending champion Lesia Tsurenko earned a ninth straight victory at this event as she held off a late charge from Daria Gavrilova to return to the WTA final with a 6-2, 6-4 win.

Tsurenko will have the opportunity to play for her fourth career WTA title against Swiss Stefanie Voegele who cruised past Swedish qualifier Rebecca Peterson 6-4, 7-6 (7/5).

I just really like it here. I think all the conditions for the tournament are just great and I know that all the players enjoy to play here, the Ukrainian Tsurenko said.

Source: NAN

Nigerias Aruna Quadri and female compatriot Offiong Edem are into the semi finals of the 2018 ITTF-Africa Top 16 Cup, being decided in Nairobi.

Both the semi-finals and finals will be played today.

Places in the Liebherr 2018 Mens World Cup and 2018 Womens World Cup are at stake.

In the Mens Singles event Egypt is very much in evidence; in the penultimate round Omar Assar, the top seed, faces Congo Brazzavilles Saheed Idowu, Ahmed Ali Saleh, the no.3 seed, opposes Nigerias Quadri Aruna.

Similarly in the Womens Singles competition there is a strong Egyptian presence; at the semi-final stage Dina Meshref, seeded no.1, plays Nigerias Offiong Edem, the no.4 seed, Cameroons Sarah Hanffou confronts Algerias Lynda Loghraibi.

Listed at no.16 on the current Mens World Rankings, Omar Assar starts as the clear favourite against Saheed Idowu, named at no.311 but the two have never met in recent times on the international stage and it would appear Omar Assar has some concerns.

Im very happy to reach the semi-finals. Im also very happy for each win because here the conditions are not normal. Some players are playing well because they are used to playing in high altitude but the players who play at normal altitude cannot even put two or three balls on the table. So this makes it a little bit interesting. I really dont know, its very interesting that the organizers came here to play, the altitude is really very unique. Omar Assar

A first meeting for Omar Assar and Saheed Idowu; not for Quadri Aruna and Ahmed Ali Saleh; they are no strangers. Notably, in world ranking events, Ahmed Ali Saleh won the five encounters starting with the success at the 2010 African Championships in Yaound.

However, the most recent two engagements have gone the way of Quadri Aruna; he succeeded at the 2015 African Games in Congo Brazzaville and at the 2016 African Championships in Agadir.

Meanwhile, when past results are taken into account both Dina Meshref and Sarah Hanffou start as favourites. At the African Games in 2011 in Maputo, Dina Meshref lost to Offiong Edem but one must remember she was only 16 years when she experienced the defeat. Ever since that date, eight meetings in succession, Dina Meshref has won on each occasion.

It is not too dissimilar a situation for Sarah Hanffou; three contests against Lynda Loghraibi; she has won all three, the most recent being the 2016 Olympic Qualification tournament in Khartoum.

Past results point in certain directions but could they key be the player who can adapt, the player who can succeed at high altitude and reach the heights.

*Reported by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Manager

Source: NAN

Footballs lawmakers on Saturday approved video assistant referee technology (VAR) for this summers World Cup, in one of the biggest changes to the sport in years.

The International Football Association Board (IFAB, meeting in Zurich, rubber-stamped a move already backed by FIFAs top brass, including president Gianni Infantino.

We came to the conclusion that VAR is good for football, Infantino told reporters shortly after IFAB announced the decision.

He added that the final decision to use the technology at the World Cup in Russia will be made when the FIFA Council world footballs top decision-making body meets in Colombia later this month.

We will hope and encourage the council to take a favourable decision, Infantino said, voicing confidence that VAR will secure final approval.

IFAB said in a press release that the decision represents a new era for football with video assistance for referees helping to increase fairness in the game.

VAR can only be used when there is doubt surrounding any of four key game-changing situations: goals, penalty decisions, straight red cards or mistaken identity.

It has already been implemented in top European leagues including the German Bundesliga and Italys Serie A along with tests in multiple other leagues.

Spains La Liga on Friday began training officials ahead of the technologys expected introduction next season.

Opinion is still divided, players and managers have complained of referees being too eager to defer to technology, while fans in stadiums have been left in the dark as to why decisions are being made.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said this week that European footballs governing body would not introduce VAR in next seasons Champions League due to ongoing confusion surrounding its use.

Others have voiced concern about video assistance slowing down the game and possibly breaking a teams momentum.

That is an issue confronting major North American sports like baseball and American football, where different forms of video replay have been in use for several years leading to renewed calls to shorten the length of games.

Some sceptics also have reservations about implementing such a significant change at the World Cup, before all the kinks have been resolved at lower-profile competition.

But the desire to avoid disputed calls especially in a competition with such a large global audience tipped international football officials to support using VAR at this summers tournament in Russia.

One iconic example that VAR could theoretically have prevented is Diego Maradonas Hand of God goal that saw Argentina beat England in the 1986 World Cup.

For Infantino, international football had to ensure World Cup officials have access to the same images as fans.

In 2018 we cannot anymore afford that everyone in the stadium and everyone in front of a TV screen can see within a few minutes on his phone whether the referee has made a big mistake or not, and the only one who cannot see it is the referee, he said last month.

Representatives of the 32 teams that have qualified for the World Cup meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi this week voiced confidence that the expected VAR rollout would be a positive for the tournament.

This is the new life. This is modern life, said Iran head coach Carlos Queiroz.

It is obvious that football cannot go on with its eyes closed to the modern world.

AFP

Source: NAN

Omar Assar of Egypt is the new champion of African table tennis, dethroning NigeriasAruna Quadri, in a thrilling seven games at the ITTFAfrica Cup in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Nigerian had rallied from 1-3 down to force the seventh game, which Assar won 11-8.

Quadri had defeated another Egyptian, Ahmed Saleh in the semi-final for the final battle royale with Assar.

Assar in his own semi-final defeated Saheed Idowu, a Nigerian who plays for Congo Brazzaville.

Egypt also claimed the third place after Ahmed Ali Saleh beat Saheed Idowu.

Nigerias veteran Segun Toriola claimed the fifth position; next in the order of merit came Algerias Sami Kherouf followed by Tunisias Thameur Mamia and Ghanas Derek Abfrefa.

An Egyptian Dina Meshref also won the female championship, defeating Sarah Hanffou of Cameroon. Nigerias Edem Offiong won the bronze.

Said Assar: It is unbelievable for me to win this tournament and it came at the right time I needed my confidence after starting the year not too well at the Hungarian Open and in the German Bundesliga. There has been a lot of pressure on me after moving clubs. I think winning this will restore my confidence. I am grateful to my club, Werder Bremen, for their support. I also think Aruna played very well and he deserved to win as well. This final was a good showcase for Africa and I am happy that we have such a level of competition in Africa with quality players.

The win means that Omar Assar gains an invitation to compete in the Liebherr 2018 Mens World Cup to be staged in October in Paris.

It will be the third time that he has competed in the prestigious annual event; he was present in 2015 in the Swedish west coast city of Halmstad and last year in Saarbrcken.

Source: NAN

Neymar Jr, Brazil and Paris Saint Germains megastar has begun a race to recuperate before the World Cup in Russia next year, moments after officials announced that the surgery on his broken right foot went successfully Saturday.

The operation, performed by Brazilian national team surgeon Rodrigo Lasmar, began early on Saturday morning in the Mater Dei hospital in Belo Horizonte.

Just after midday (1500 GMT), a spokesman from the Brazilian football federation announced that the operation was over.

Neymar is already in his room. It went well, he said.

Neymar broke his fifth metatarsal the bone leading to his small toe during a 3-0 drubbing of Marseille on February 25.

The striker whose transfer from Barcelona cost PSG a record 222 million euros ($264 million) last August has scored 28 goals in 30 appearances in all competitions for the club.

Neymar will miss PSGs make-or-break game against Real Madrid next Tuesday. But with Lasmar predicting a recovery period of two and a half to three months, Brazil is worried that Neymar, 26, may not be fit for the World Cup in Russia starting in June.

The rival demands from club and country appeared to erupt into tension just as he went under the knife, with Paris newspaper LEquipe reporting Saturday that PSG believes Lasmar lied about Neymars condition.

The report said that Neymar was initially found to have suffered a minor fracture and that PSG was shocked to hear Lasmar say Thursday that it was a serious break requiring a longer than expected recuperation.

Globoesporte.com reported that PSG also insisted it control any future information on the players health.

Staff at the hospital in Belo Horizonte, were put on paparazzi lockdown, with a ban on using cellphones anywhere near the star.

After a remarkable turnaround in fortunes since the shambolic exit in a 7-1 semifinal loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup, Brazil are seen as top contenders in Russia.

But a big part of that optimism depends on the talented Neymar, who missed that infamous semifinal four years ago and looks likely to miss two warm-up friendlies against Russia and Germany in March.

AFP

Source: NAN

Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane fired Liverpool into second place in the Premier League with a 2-0 victory against Newcastle. They are now a point ahead of Manchester United, who will meet relegation threatened Crystal Palace on Monday.

Tottenham also cemented their top four berth as Son Heung-Min inspired a 2-0 win over Huddersfield on Saturday.

Salah struck in the 40th minute at Anfield to maintain his superb form in his first season with Liverpool following his move from Roma.

The Egypt winger took Alex Oxlade-Chamberlains pass and shot low under Martin Dubravka for his 32nd goal of the season and his eighth in his last seven appearances.

Liverpool took complete control 10 minutes after half-time when Roberto Firmino drove at the heart of the Newcastle defence, playing in Senegal winger Mane, who claimed his 14th goal of the season with a clinical finish.

A fourth win in their last five league games took Jurgen Klopps side one point above Manchester United, who drop to third but can regain second spot with a win at Crystal Palace on Monday.

Leaders Manchester City sit 15 points clear of Liverpool and host Chelsea on Sunday.

Newcastle are two points above the bottom three after their first defeat in five matches.

At Wembley, Son put Tottenham ahead in the 27th minute with his 14th goal of the season as Dele Allis pass sliced open the Huddersfield defence and the South Korea forward raced clear to finish emphatically.

Son struck again in the 54th minute, timing his run perfectly to meet Harry Kanes cross with a bullet header past Huddersfield goalkeeper Jonas Lossl.

Fourth-placed Tottenhams third successive league win lifted them five points clear of fifth-placed Chelsea in the race to qualify for next seasons Champions League via a top-four finish.

I hope I can score many more goals for Tottenham. The manager has to choose 11 players. I try my best and try to be ready at all times, Son said.

The pass from Harry Kane was very good for me, it made it easy to score. We feel comfortable at Wembley, we know how we play here.

Swansea climbed out of the relegation zone and pushed West Ham deeper into trouble with a 4-1 win at the Liberty Stadium.

South Korea midfielder Ki Sung-Yueng drove a 20-yarder past West Ham goalkeeper Adrian in the eighth minute for only his second goal of the season.

Leicester 1 -1 AFC Bournemouth

Burnley 2-1 Everton

Southampton 0-0 Stoke City

Watford 1-0 West Bromwich Albion

Source: NAN