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Showing posts from January 24, 2018

Buhari replies Obasanjo's open letter, Highlights key achievements in his administration so far

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Buhari President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration has responded to former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s statement, thanking him for  his observation and also educating him on the various successes recorded in the last 32 months. Some of the achievements included the exiting of recession, the increase in the production of rice and other grains, such that import of rice from Thailand has fallen from 664,000metric tonnes to 22,000 in 2017. In the polite response  issued by the minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Buhari government also drew the attention of the former leader to the serial reduction in inflation rate, the increase in foreign reserves and its innovative social programme. The statement also addressed Obasanjo’s advice to President Buhari not to run for 2019 election. According to Mohammed, the advice amounts to a distraction at this point, because Buhari is working hard to solve the various national  problems. “On whether or not Presi

Amid economic downturn, Liberia swears in soccer star, George Wear, as President

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Liberia’s new president, George Weah, moments after taking the official presidential seat once occupied by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Mr. Weah’s wife, Clar Weah, was to his left.   Credit Carielle Doe for The New York Times MONROVIA, Liberia — George Weah, a former international soccer star, bounded onto the field in a stadium filled with tens of thousands of roaring fans on Monday. He had been there before. But this time, instead of playing a match, Mr. Weah was there to be sworn in as president of Liberia. “Today we all wear the jersey of Liberia and the victory belongs to the people, to the peace and to our democracy,” said Mr. Weah, dressed for his inauguration in a long white caftan. Mr. Weah was elected in a milestone race for Liberia. It was the first peaceful democratic transition of power in more than seven decades. It was also the first presidential election to face a legal challenge, which Mr. Weah overcame after months of wrangling. On Monday in his first official

Oil prices rise to $70 on strong economy amid OPEC cuts

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Oil prices were firm on Wednesday, receiving ongoing support from healthy economic growth as well as from supply restrictions led by a group of producers around the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Russia. Spot Brent crude oil futures, the international benchmark for oil prices, were at 70 dollars a barrel at 0102 GMT, up 4 cents from their last close. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at 64.59 dollars a barrel, up 12 cents . In the latest sign of healthy global economic growth, Japanese manufacturing activity expanded at the fastest pace in almost four years in January, a survey showed on Wednesday. Economic growth is translating into healthy oil demand growth, which comes at a time that OPEC and Russia lead production cuts aimed at tightening the market and propping up prices.

Jimmy Kimmel returns as Oscars 2018 host

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Jimmy Kimmel It's official!  Jimmy Kimmel  will return as the host of the Oscars® 2018, Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs announced today. This will be the second time the late-night talk show host of  Jimmy Kimmel Live  will host Hollywood’s most celebrated event of the year. Also returning to the telecast are veteran  Oscar producers : three-time Oscar-nominated Michael De Luca and Emmy®-nominated producer Jennifer Todd, who produced the  Oscars 2017 .  The 90th Academy Awards® will air LIVE  OSCAR SUNDAY , March 4th, 2018 on the ABC Television Network. "Jimmy, Mike and Jennifer are truly an Oscar Dream Team. Mike and Jennifer produced a beautiful show that was visually stunning. And Jimmy proved, from his opening monologue all the way through a finale we could never have imagined, that he is one our finest hosts in Oscar history." Television Cheryl Boone Isaac, Academy President "After just one year, we can’t imagine anyone else hosting The Os

Oscars 2018: The shape of water leads the race with 13 nods

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shot from the movie: the shape of water Oscar nominations for the 90th annual awards were announced on Tuesday morning from the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, Calif. Academy President John Bailey was joined by Tiffany Haddish and Andy Serkis to reveal the nominees in 24 categories. Guillermo del Toro’s “The Shape of Water” continued its awards show streak, leading the pack with 13 nominations. Martin McDonagh’s “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” followed behind with nine nods and “Dunkirk” with eight. All three films earned best picture nominations. The rest of the category was rounded out by “Call Me By Your Name,” “Darkest Hour,” “Get Out,” “Phantom Thread,” “Lady Bird,” and “The Post.” The Academy Awards — hosted by Jimmy Kimmel for the second time — will air live on ABC on March 4. Here is the list of 2018 Oscar nominations: Best Picture: “Call Me by Your Name” “Darkest Hour” “Dunkirk” “Get Out” “Lady Bird” “Phantom Thread” “The Post”

Why Obasanjo thinks Buhari should resign in 2019

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Olusegen Obasanjo Just back from Liberia, former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Tuesday threw another bombshell and asked President Muhammadu Buhari not to seek re-election in 2019. In a special press statement entitled, “The Way Out: A Clarion Call for Coalition for Nigeria Movement”, Obasanjo claimed Buhari has performed far below expectation and should honourably “dismount from the horse”. Obasanjo urged the President to join the league of the country’s former leaders whose “experience, influence, wisdom and outreach can be deployed on the side line for the good of the country.” Obasanjo, a two-term president on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said he felt disappointed by Buhari, whom he supported during the 2015 election over then incumbent and candidate of his former party, Goodluck Jonathan. Obasanjo had written a condemnatory open letter in December 2013 titled “Before it is Too Late”. where he highlighted the numerous failings of the Mr Jonathan a