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http://ift.tt/2rrFP39 In this photograph released by One Love Manchester on June 4, 2017, music fans gather at the One Love Manchester benefit concert for the families of the victims of the May 22, Manchester terror attack, at Emirates Old Trafford in Greater Manchester on June 4, 2017.Dave Hogan for One Love Manchester / One Love Manchester / AFP Cheers drowned out tears in Manchester on Sunday as Ariana Grande was joined by fellow music stars for a charity concert where fans vowed to face down fears of terrorism after two deadly attacks in Britain. “Let the world hear your resilience,” Pharrell Williams told a sell-out crowd of 50,000 who had gathered to remember victims of a May 22 suicide bomb attack on Grande’s concert in the city. The hastily-organised “One Love Manchester” event became one of the biggest single gatherings of musical talent this year, as stars lined-up for the concert dedicated to the 22 people killed and 116 injured, many of them children. Justin Bie...

http://ift.tt/2o7zo4U The Chairman assured that the commission would beef up security at its headquarters to forestall a situation where political thugs would invade the office and turn it into a battlefield. Worried by the violence arising from the conduct of party primaries ahead the July 22, 2017 Local Government elections in Lagos State, the State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), has appealed to members of Inter- Party Advisory Council (IPAC) to assist the commission to end political violence in the state. Recall that two people were reported killed between last Saturday and Thursday during party primaries across the state. The commission’s Chairman, Hon. Justice Ayotunde Phillips, who made the appeal during a meeting with executive members of IPAC at the commission’s office, Yaba, said she was particularly worried about the growing rate of violence, which is capable of impacting negatively on the elections if the situation is not quickly checked. She disclose...

http://ift.tt/2sCzn6X This image provided by NASA shows the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the Dragon spacecraft onboard, launching from pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, Saturday, June 3, 2017. This will be the 100th launch, and sixth SpaceX launch, from pad 39A. Previous launches include 11 Apollo flights, the launch of the unmanned Skylab in 1973, 82 shuttle flights and five SpaceX launches. Bill INGALLS / NASA / AFP SpaceX on Saturday blasted off a shipment of food and supplies for the astronauts living at the International Space Station using for the first time a vessel that had flown before. The refurbished Dragon cargo capsule soared into space aboard a Falcon 9 rocket at 5:07 pm (2107 GMT) from Cape Canaveral, Florida. “Three, two, one, and liftoff,” said NASA spokesman Mike Curie as the rocket blazed a steady upward path into the clouds. The last time this particular spaceship flew to space was in 2014. The Dragon is packed with almo...

http://ift.tt/2rEHy5o Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari Over N55.9b could not be unaccounted for in the books of Katsina State Government under former Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema’s administration. Making the disclosure in its report made available to Governor Aminu Bello Masari, on Friday night, Katsina State Judicial Commission of Inquiry, said the amount falls short by more than N14b of the over N70b allegedly misappropriated under the immediate past administration. Commission chairman, Ado Mohammed Ma’aji Ma’aji, who read out the report, put the figure at N55, 984, 273, 521, even as he recommended that all those indicted be prosecuted and made to refund the money to serve as deterrence. He explained the commission, which had three months to carry out the assignment, had to exceed the time frame to over a year, due to litigation-related issues. Responding, Governor Masari vowed to use all relevant channels to recover the money, adding that with N55b, the state ...

http://ift.tt/2sCNeKz Deforestation Worried by the high rate of deforestation in the state and its negative consequences, some communities in Cross River State have called for the adoption of forest governance as a way to tackle the menace. Rising from a two-day workshop on forest governance organised by Waneledon, a non-government organisation with support from the Rainforest Rescue in Owai community in Akamkpa Local Government Area, the over 58 participants comprising chiefs, elders, representatives of various groups in Owai, noted that poor implementation of forest governance has led to food insecurity, poverty and mortality. Secretary of the community, Mr. Mike Joseph, thanked the organiser for enlightening the community on the dangers of losing its forest. “Accountability has been the gap and I am sure we are going to close it. We have agreed to do something definitely. We are going to discuss this in the council meeting to start enforcing those laws that have been on ground...

http://ift.tt/2nXtSNy House of Representatives Urge police to rescue kidnapped Lagos students Members of the House of Representatives have condemned Tuesday’s abduction of their colleague, Garba Durbunde. The lawmaker, representing Sumaila/Takai Federal Constituency of Kano State, was abducted around 5:00p.m yesterday while driving from Abuja to Kano. Segun Odebunmi (PDP, Oyo) disclosed that the Kano caucus of the House was monitoring the activities surrounding the abduction. The House also urged the police to rescue the six students of Lagos Model College, Igbonla, Epe who were kidnapped last week. This followed a motion by Tasir Olawale Raji, who urged the lawmakers to commend the Lagos State Police Command for its role in rescuing four students of the school who were kidnapped, but later released in October last year. While condemning the spate of kidnapping in the country, the lawmakers charged security agencies to deploy their personnel to flush out the kidnappers who...

http://ift.tt/2rmKba6 Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN)/Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PHN) Forum held in Abuja, Chairman of PMG-MAN, Okey Akpa, said policy flip-flops had, at many times, threatened to shut down over 120 pharma companies in the industry. With about N20 billion invested in upgrading their factories in the last five years, pharmaceutical manufacturers and companies in the country are seeking the Federal Government’s buy-in in a proposed backward integration plan expected to revamp the industry. Specifically, the operators want clarity and consistency in government’s policies as regards the sector as well as a new strategy for drug importation to enable them stay afloat and increase created jobs to one million direct and indirect staff. Speaking at Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN)/Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PHN) Forum held in Abu...

http://ift.tt/2rAi1v0 Arsenal's French manager Arsene Wenger lifts the FA Cup trophy after their win over Chelsea in the English FA Cup final football match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Wembley stadium in London on May 27, 2017.<br />Aaron Ramsey scored a 79th-minute header to earn Arsenal a stunning 2-1 win over Double-chasing Chelsea on Saturday and deliver embattled manager Arsene Wenger a record seventh FA Cup. / AFP PHOTO / Ian KINGTON / NOT FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING USE / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis has defended the club’s decision to stand by Arsene Wenger, declaring: “You don’t fire world-class people”. Wenger’s new two-year contract at the Emirates was announced yesterday to bring to an end months of uncertainty, after a turbulent campaign. For the first time in his 21 years at the club, Wenger failed to guide the Gunners into the Premier League’s top four, missing out on the Champions League despite winning nine of thei...

http://ift.tt/2p2Npjl Godwin Obaseki has inaugurated a 300 KVA transformer substation valued at over N40 million in Ogbekpen Community of Ikpoba Okha Local Council of Edo State. Governor Godwin Obaseki has inaugurated a 300 KVA transformer substation valued at over N40 million in Ogbekpen Community of Ikpoba Okha Local Council of Edo State. Donated by PRESCO Plc, the project is in tune with the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) mission of bettering the lot of residents of its host communities. The governor commended the gesture, harping on partnership between the private sector and rural communities for the development of the state. He also lauded members of the community for their cooperation, urging them to guard the facility against vandalism. He said: “As government is bringing the needed infrastructure, communities should also provide a peaceful atmosphere for companies to do business and employ the people. Ogbekpen is now a priority community for us beca...

http://ift.tt/2quYMTv As the world marks World Tobacco Day, the Federal Government has announced plans to begin the immediate enforcement of key sections of the 2015 National Tobacco Control Act (NTC). • To ban sale of cigarettes to persons under 18 years • WHO, NHF seek tougher measures against use As the world marks World Tobacco Day, the Federal Government has announced plans to begin the immediate enforcement of key sections of the 2015 National Tobacco Control Act (NTC). The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole disclosed this yesterday in Abuja at a press briefing to mark the day. He explained that evidence from World Health Organisation (WHO) has shown that tobacco use costs national economies immensely, through increased health-care and decreased productivity. He added that tobacco has also worsened health inequalities and increase poverty, making the poorest people to spend less on essential goods such as food, education and health care. Adewole said government...

http://ift.tt/2pzWh05 Designer babies *Technique scientists hope will cure cancer, inherited disease found to have dangerous flaw Crispr-Cas9 gene editing technology has been hailed as humanity’s route to ‘designer babies’ who are tailored with desirable genetic traits. The technique, which can ‘cut and paste’ small sections of Deoxy ribonucleic Acid (DNA)/genetic material, means the next generation may benefit from powerful gene therapies that can delete or repair flawed genes. It could act as a golden bullet for diseases like cancer, Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and genetic conditions such as Huntington’s disease. But a new study has found that Crispr-Cas9, also known as ‘Crispr’, can introduce hundreds of unintended and potentially harmful mutations into DNA. The finding could put a stop to clinical trials scheduled in the United States (U.S.) for next year, as well as those currently underway in China. Writing in the ...

http://ift.tt/2nCOHlV Central Bank of Nigeria Oil producing states in Nigeria shared N20.62billion as 13 per cent Derivation Fund, according to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).The CBN in its latest monthly financial report for February 2017, explained that the Federal, State and Local Governments received N9.17billion, N4.65billion and N3.58billion, while the oil producing states received N2.60billion as 13 per cent derivation fund, which was distributed from the Excess Crude Account. It put the federally collected revenue in February at N545.05billion, but however noted that fell short of the 2017 provisional monthly budget estimate of N792.71 billion by 31.2per cent, but was higher than the receipts in January by 20.4per cent. The increase relative to the preceding month level was attributed to the rise in receipts from both oil and non-oil components.CBN stated: “Gross oil receipt, at N292.82 billion or 53.7per cent of total revenue, fell below the provisional monthly budget...

http://ift.tt/2pVbLwU It was gathered that Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, had to make an unscheduled visit to the State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and the government magnanimously waived the permit fee of N221million for the deployment of fibre infrastructure in that state. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the industry regulator, has secured a N221 million waiver permit for MTN from the Kano State government.The waiver, which came timely, is to help MTN complete a network infrastructure upgrade and fibre layout in the state. According to information gathered yesterday, some staff of Huawei, working on the telecommunication infrastructure expansion in Kano on behalf of MTN, were arrested by the officials of the government’s agency, Kano State Urban Planning and Development Authority (KANUPDA), a development which put a stop to the project. The situation could have adverse effects on Quality of Service experienced among millions of service subscribers in the sta...

http://ift.tt/2s8wsDA Tech Mahindra Ltd. said net income was 5.9 billion rupees ($91 million) in the fourth quarter, compared with the average analyst estimate of 7.8 billion, according to estimates compiled by Bloomberg. The vice chairman at one of India’s largest technology services companies warned that U.S. President Donald Trump’s visa policies will damage the industry as his company reported weak earnings and his stock fell the most in almost two years. Tech Mahindra Ltd. said net income was 5.9 billion rupees ($91 million) in the fourth quarter, compared with the average analyst estimate of 7.8 billion, according to estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Shares fell as much as 17 percent and traded 12 percent lower at 1:18 p.m. local time, the largest intraday decline since May 2015. The U.S. is tightening the criteria for visa programs that Tech Mahindra and other outsourcing companies use to bring skilled foreign workers into the country. Trump and other politicians have criti...

http://ift.tt/2rzk8zo Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar (right); Adamawa State Governor, Jibrilla Bindo; former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Prof. Jubril Aminu and Deputy Governor Martin Babale at the Democracy Day celebration in Yola, Adamawa State… yesterday.<br /> The democracy day celebration in Adamawa State was marred with hostility, as members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) loyal to President Muhammadu Buhari organised a separate rally, while Governor Jibrilla Bindo held his at the government house. The governor who hosted people, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-chief of defence staff AVM Alex Badeh, assured the guests that his government would continue to provide democracy dividends to them. While Bindo was addressing his guests at the government house, angry protesters invaded the streets in Yola, the state capital, removing his billboards. The rally organised by President Buhari’s supporters was attended by APC chieftains...

http://ift.tt/2s8uNOx Director, Commercial Directorate, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc., Feyi Ogoji (left); worker/second runner-up, best dressed, male category, Victor Nwanosike; winner, Abdullahi Egunjobi; Group Deputy Managing Director, Victor Osadolor; second runner-up, best dressed, female category, Amuche Aladi and Group Head, Risk Management, Kubi Momoh; during the 2017 Africa Day celebration in Lagos. United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has joined the world to celebrate the 2017 Africa Day across the 19 countries of its operations with the theme: ‘Africa, The New Frontier.’ Africa Day is dedicated to celebrating the diversity of the continent and to highlight its cultural and economic potential.UBA staff members celebrated the day in grand style as they dressed to work with the best of Africa’s rich attire. Staff were ushered into the bank’s Head Office in Marina, Lagos, with a rendition of traditional African music and unique African decorations adorning the building,...

http://ift.tt/2s98jvL Period, events and technological changes in visual communication, coalesces into artist, Kelani Abbas’ new body of sculptural collage and print-painting technique. For an unprecedented five-month long, Abbas showed the works as If I Could Save Time, at the Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA), Lagos. Basically inspired by his upbringing in a family of printing press profession, the body of work pushes Abbas further into the realm of non-regular or traditional form of visual expressionism. Formerly scheduled to end few weeks ago after its opening last November, but an extension afforded me an opportunity to see the artist in his radical conceptual of portraiture themes. But Abbas, from the entry point of his career, has established a profound signature in realism painting. On a mid-day visit, the quietness of the gallery – except for the presence of the artist and two of his colleagues – radiates an aura that connects with the periodic contents of the exhibi...