BREAKING NEWS

Boxer Manny Pacquaio, who reportedly made about $100m from his fight with Floyd Mayweather on May 2nd wore this diamond encrusted watch as he spoke at a press conference in Manila following his return home. I can imagine how much that watch costs. Dayum! The boxer was received to a hero's welcome as he and his family returned to Philippine yesterday.

Last Saturday in Beverly Hills, California, Senator-elect and  Silverbird   Group Chairman,   Ben Murray-Bruce   was honored by the Nollywood Producers Guild of America with an Honorary Lifetime Membership of the Guild as a recognition of his support and contribution to the growth of the Nollywood film Industry and African Cinema as a whole. Mr. Murray-Bruce was in the United States to attend his son, Jared’s graduation, who just bagged a B.A. in Communications from Loyola Marymount University. The proud father threw a pool party for his son at his Beverly Hills mansion with close friends and family members. It was there that the Publicity Secretary of Nollywood Producers Guild of America, filmmaker  Pascal Atuma  and another member and popular filmmaker,  Jeta Amata  presented him with the award on behalf of the Guild’s President,  Mr. Oliver Mbamara Esq.  and the entire members of the guild.  The President of t...

In a unique coincidence and perhaps for the first time ever, five grieving families agreed to donate the organs of their beloved brain dead relatives resulting in a remarkable act of humanity in the toughest situation setting a record for the maximum no. of organs harvested in a day Dubai, UAE, May 06, 2015: Apollo Hospitals, Asia’s foremost healthcare service provider, harvested 23 different organs from these five donors and conducted ten transplants in a day at their flagship Hospital on Greams Road, Chennai, India  on Monday the 4 th of May 2015. A case of extreme gesture of kindness displayed by five strong families who came forward to donate the organs of their loved ones, incidentally on the same evening, enabled this feat to give a fresh lease of life to 23 people. A function organised at the Hospital to express gratitude towards the five bereaving families was attended by the Founder & Chairman of Apollo Hospitals Dr Reddy, Vice chairperson, Ms Preetha Reddy ...

A new football tournament is set to take centre stage in Bayelsa State, South-South, Nigeria. Christened “The Governor Henry Seriake Dickson Cup 2015”, the competition is expected to feature over One hundred teams, representing the 105 electoral wards as well as State and Federal owned higher institutions of learning in the State. Announcing the formal launch of the competition, the Director-General of the Governor’s Cup 2015 project and Special Adviser to the Governor on Trade and Investment, Mr. Cyril Akika, explained that, the event is aimed at integrating and empowering youths as well as fostering peace and unity across the State. Lamenting the dearth of Bayelsa-born footballers at national and international levels, despite the State being blessed with abundant talents, he stated that, the competition, which is the first of its kind is also intended to discover talents at the grassroot level that can be groomed to represent both the State and Country in the future.

S enator-elect and Chairman of Silverbird Group, Ben Murray-Bruce, at the Silverbird Man of the Year Awards at Eko Hotel last night showed off his latest automobile acquisition, an electric Kia car. He said to drive  the car, you don't need fuel, just sunlight. The car can also travel for 8 hours once fully charged and can be charged with solar power. See more exclusive photos after the cut...

Chinese entrepreneur Zhou Qunfei already had a lot to be proud of going into 2015. The touch-screen manufacturer she leads, Lens Technology, had built up a blue-chip customer list in the growing smartphone industry that included Apple and Samsung. And the company was awaiting permission to list at China’s Shenzhen Stock Exchange this year. Zhou quickly notched up an accolade after the stock’s trade debut on March 18 by becoming the richest woman in the global tech industry.  With the passing of a month and a more than 300% rise in the company’s share price, the one-time factory worker has achieved another milestone: Zhou is also the world’s wealthiest self-made woman. Forbes estimates of China’s 400 billionaires and billionaire families unveiled today put Zhou’s fortune at $10.2 billion. That topped Chinese real estate developer Chan Laiwa, who ranked No. 2 among self-made women with $8.1 billion. Greater China is home to fully half of the world’s richest...

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, said on Tuesday that a presidential run-off would have led to a crisis in the country. Jega, in his first public comment on the March 28 and April elections, predicated his assertion on what he called many lacunas in the amended Electoral Act. He suggested during a   dialogue session with the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room in Abuja, an amendment to the electoral law since it provides for only seven days after the first election to hold a run-off. He   said the   incoming administration of Muhammadu Buhari should not wait till 2019 general elections before reviewing the Electoral Act. Jega disclosed that he was happy when the March 28 presidential poll produced a clear winner. He said there was no way that INEC could have successfully conducted a run-off election within seven days as provided for in both the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act. ...

The Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, has been sacked by president Jonathan. Here is the press statement....   P resident Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has relieved the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba of his appointment and duties with immediate effect. President Jonathan has also appointed Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase as Acting Inspector-General of Police, also with immediate effect. Until his appointment as Mr. Abba’s replacement, Mr. Arase was the Head of the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department. Mr. Arase holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Law, as well as  Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Political Science and Strategic Studies.   He is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Defence College.   Reuben Abati Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity) April 21, 2015

South African Defence Minister, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, said the soldiers will be deployed to Alexandra township, north of the main city Johannesburg. She said the Troops will not take over the responsibilities of the police but would assist in maintaining order.

The Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation on Tuesday insisted that Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State is culpable in the April 2014 abduction of over 200 girls from Government Secondary School, Chibok, by Boko Haram insurgents. The Director of Media and Publicity of the campaign organisation, Femi Fani-Kayode, alleged that the governor, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Muhammadu Buhari and the party’s spokesperson, Lai Mohammed knew the whereabouts of the missing girls. Mr. Shettima, however, denied the allegation, saying no one should take Mr. Fani-Kayode serious as he “is one Nigerian that is physically an adult but mentally an infant. We all know that going into exchange with an infant is like having a dialogue with the blind, deaf and dumb.” But the PDPPCO in a statement on Tuesday, said it was time for Nigerians to know the truth about the APC leaders and the way in which some of them emerged to become governors. “Th...

The Senate approved Mr. Obanikoro’s nomination as a minister, Wednesday, after repeated deferments, despite protests from senators from Lagos State, Mr. Obanikoro’s home state, and other opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, who had vowed to stop the clearance over the Ekiti scandal. As a former senator himself, the Senate allowed Mr. Obanikoro to “take a bow and go”, without answering questions, a privilege reserved for former federal lawmakers. APC lawmakers responded by walking out of the session in protest.

Manchester United footballer Angel Di Maria has put his mega Cheshire mansion up for sale after his wife refused to return to the place following a burglary. The family was eating dinner at their home a few weeks ago when burglars used scaffolding poles to smash their way into his home through patio doors and robbed them.  After the incident, the family moved to a hotel while a security company upped the security at their home. But Mrs Di Maria still refused to return to the house forcing Di Maria to put the $6.5million home up for sale while they look for another one. by linda ikeji 

Facebook told a few members of the press this week that its Internet.org initiative, which aims get more of the world's population online, is on track for an aggressive expansion. Chris Daniels, VP of Internet.org at Facebook, said the company plans to expand into 100 countries by the end of the year. The program is currently set up in six countries — Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana, Colombia and India — and has helped more than 7 million people access health, employment and local information services without data charges. Internet.org, which launched in 2013, is a Facebook-led program that works with data providers in local markets to offer free web access to people who otherwise couldn't get online. The goal is to introduce people to basic services — like Wikipedia, job and health sites and of course, Facebook — and have them see the value of the Internet and ultimately, purchase a more premium data package. "The ambitious goal this year is to roll it out to 100 [co...

Apple has acquired Chinedu Echeruo’s HopStop.com, The Wall Street Journal’s publication, AllThingsDigital reports. Founded in 2005, HopStop.com makes mobile applications for both iOS and Android that covers over 300 cities and that helps people get directions or find nearby subway stations and bus stops. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed as at the time of this publication. HopStop has oft been compared to Israel’s Waze which was recently acquired by Google for $1 billion. The move is seen as Apple’s plan to bolster its map offering especially given Google’s recent acquisition of Waze. A serial entrepreneur, Chinedu Echeruo grew up in Eastern Nigeria and attended Kings College, Lagos. He attended Syracuse University and the Harvard Business School in the United States and founded HopStop.com after working for several years in the Mergers & Acquisitions and Leveraged Finance groups of J.P Morgan Chase where he was involved in a broad range of M&A, Financing and Private...

The recent appearance at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chattam House, London by the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Rtd General Muhammadu Buhari, in all intents and purposes was a political miscalculation enough to convince the average Nigerian voter that Buhari holds him in low esteem. Otherwise, how woul d he explain the idea of ignoring the invitation by his own fellow country men to offer himself for proper scrutiny (through open media-anchored debate) along with other parties’ candidates for the forth coming presidential election and chose to travel all the way to London to advertise himself and his manifesto? It certainly runs against the tenets of nationalism because his acceptance and participation would have afforded the electorate opportunity of listening to his argument with other candidates on how he would run the economy if he wins the election. He should have shown more deference and commitment to the expectations of the peop...

Gen. Buhari, Bola Tinubu, Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Governor Adams Oshiomhole, and other party leaders have arrived Chattam House (Royal Institute of International Affairs) where Buhari met with former British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown

Is this Britain's cleverest girl?  Ten-year-old is accepted on university course to study maths degree despite not going to school Esther Okade from Walsall has enrolled on Open University course After degree she wants to study for PhD before running her own bank Girl's younger brother Isiah is already studying for A-levels aged six Siblings are both home-schooled by mathematician mother Omonefe She spends her spare time in a similar way to many other ten-year-old girls - playing with Barbie dolls and making loom bands. But the key difference between Esther Okade and other children her age is that she has been accepted to study for a university maths degree - despite not going to school. Esther, from Walsall, West Midlands, has enrolled on an Open University course months after she passed her A-levels - and wants to study for a PhD before running her own bank. The girl, who gained a C grade in her maths GCSE aged six, has joined the course which started this mo...

Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti state yesterday took some journalists to the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja to prove that the photo of APC Presidential candidate, Gen Buhari, having an interview with Kemi Fadojutimi on 'All Eyes on Africa' TV show was actually conducted in Abuja and not in London like his media aides claimed. Fayose took the journalists round suite 881 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel where he said the interview with Fadojutimi actually took place in. He compared the sofa, paintings, table lamp, the flower vase, the lighting points and DSTV magazine in the suite with what was published in the papers. According to him, Nigerians deserve the truth from her leaders and he promised to tell Nigerians the truth. Gov Fayose said contrary to what the APC is saying, General Buhari is at the Cavendis Square in London "Buhari is on the sick bed at Cavendis Square, London. They should come out and say so. I am not wishing him dead but we have a duty to always speak th...

  This is a response to Governor Fashola's comments that Agbaje's company only paid his taxes after he was publicly called out. Read below... The Honourable Governor B.R. Fashola (SAN) has lied again and I think it's time to address his repeated blunder. With regards to my taxes, there is no truth in this latest piece of misinformation that the Honourable Governor has been peddling. Following the repudiation of his initial allegations about Jaykay Pharmaceuticals unpaid taxes, he has lied again, giving the impression that my company has gone to pay money supposedly owed to the government. JAYKAY PHARMACEUTICALS has not paid a kobo since the day the Honourable Governor launched his initial attack. We stick to the facts contained in its initial publication, which encapsulated the company's reaction to the Governor’s initial falsehood. To now insinuate that I have gone behind the curtains to pay N500,000 is clearly political silly season, for lack of a better phrase...

The Nigerian military has stepped up air strikes on Gwoza and Bama, Borno State, ahead of possible invasion by troops aiming to retake the two towns seized by the insurgent group, Boko Haram, last year, the defence headquarters said Monday. Government forces have made some gains in the last two weeks in the fight against Boko Haram militants, retaking some key towns from them and pushing to eject the group from their strongholds in the North East. Gwoza and Bama are the two most important towns still under Boko Haram control, after the military announced Saturday it had recaptured Baga, a fishing community near Lake Chad. The military had earlier in the week retaken Monguno, also in Borno State. Reports from the frontlines are difficult to independently verify. The military said Monday with the airstrikes, it was preparing for “other phases of the mission”, likely, a full invasion of the areas still controlled by the extremists, who are responsible for more than 15,000 deaths...

The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) on Friday said that some local and foreign  investors had indicated interest to operate ferries within Lagos as well as from Lagos to Tema  in Ghana. Mr Mu’azu Sambo, the Manager, NIWA, Lagos Area Office, made the disclosure in an  interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos. He said the ferries would move passengers and goods along the sub-region. Sambo said the services would further ease the movement of people, especially those living on  the outskirts of Lagos ``but come to work daily on the Lagos Island ’’. ``Only two weeks ago, we granted approval for an investor at Sierra Leone, who has brought in  nine boats. He is already doing a lot of  investments in IWT (Inland Water Transport) in Sierra Leone.  ``He has come in here; he wants to run ferries between CMS and Ikorodu, between CMS and  Mile 2.  ``You know, there are a lot of Lagosians who come from Festac and b...

Best Picture Birdman - winner American Sniper  Boyhood The Grand Budapest Hotel The Imitation Game Selma The Theory of Everything Whiplash Best Director Alexandro G. Iñárritu, Birdman - WINNER Richard Linklater, Boyhood Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel Morten Tyldum, The Imitation Game Best Actor Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything - WINNER Steve Carell, Foxcatcher Bradley Cooper, American Sniper Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game Michael Keaton, Birdman  Best Actress Julianne Moore, Still Alice - WINNER Marion Cotillard, Two Days One Night Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything  Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl Reese Witherspoon, Wild Best Supporting Actor J.K. Simmons, Whiplash - WINNER Robert Duvall, The Judge Ethan Hawke, Boyhood Edward Norton, Birdman Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher  Best Supporting Actress Patricia Arquette, Boyhood - WINNER Laura...